Page 76 of Mountain Shadow

“Augh!”

The scream froze his heart and at the same time made something loosen inside him—Sarah was alive.

Jens took a step back until he was standing a leg’s length away from the door. He raised his foot and kicked at the spot right above the lock. The small splintering sound was music to his ears. His leg shot out again—hard—and this time, the lock caved in.

He found himself in a small, bare room. Dust on the floor and cobwebs on the walls told him nobody had lived here for a long time. A trail of dusty footprints led to what he imagined must be the bedrooms.

The door to one of the rooms opened, and a large bear of a man peeked out. His expression was smooth, but there was no mistaking the fury in his blue gaze. Before he had a chance to move, Jens rushed in and tackled him.

They sprawled together just inside the bedroom door. Jens struggled to a sitting position, straddling his opponent. His right fist shot out—he aimed for the nose, but the man moved his face and he ended up splitting his lip instead.

A sound from the corner had him looking away for an instant. Sarah was lying on a small cot, completely naked. One of her hands stretched out above her—

The distraction cost him dearly. With an agility that belied his size, the man got a leg out from underneath Jens. His knee caught Jens straight in the groin. The world turned bright black. Jens felt himself fall backwards, his shoulder hitting the ground hard.

He clenched his teeth to stop the scream inside him from coming out. Pain receptors fired. His intestines clenched hard. A nauseating feeling rose in his mouth. It was only through sheer force of will that he was able to stop his hands from going down to cup his balls.

Get up.

Get the hell up.

A shadow ran past him towards the bed. Jens struggled to a semi-sitting position, forcing air through his nose. Sarah’s scream gave him the strength to stand up, though his legs felt wobbly and untried.

By the time Jens took a step forward, the man had uncuffed Sarah from the bed and pulled her to her feet. Though he was tall, almost as tall as Jens and a good head taller than Sarah, he held her in front of him like a shield.

“Jens,” she cried out. Her eyes were round with fear.

“She’s mine,” the man snarled in a thick British accent.

Jens bared his teeth.

No. She is mine.

“Let her go,” he growled. Though his stomach still roiled, he squared his feet, fear and anger helping him get control of his senses once again.

“You’re in no position to give orders,” the man snarled in a thick British accent. “Step back.” His thick, beefy arm tightened around Sarah’s neck, cutting off her air flow. Sarah started squirming.

Jens raised his hands lightly.

“Please. Don’t hurt her,” he begged. His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears.

“How the fuck did you get here so quickly?” A knife appeared in the man’s free hand. It was the kind of blade a hunter might use to skin a deer, and it filled Jens with dread.

“Take it easy. I’m stepping back,” Jens said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “Please don’t hurt her.”

“We are getting out of here. Stand aside.”

There was no chance in hell Jens was letting this asshole take Sarah anywhere. If he managed to get Sarah in the car, Jens knew in his heart he’d never see her again.

“Let’s talk about this,” he said, with a calm he didn’t feel.

“You’re hurting me,” Sarah gasped. Her hands came up, her short nails scratching against the man’s tight grip. When the man looked down at his arm, Jens took his chance. He lunged forward, aiming for the arm holding the knife, his full focus on keeping it away from Sarah’s body. He yanked hard, surprised when the man kept his balance—he was stronger even than he looked.

Jens held tight onto the man’s wrist with one hand. He pulled his head back, then slammed it forward and down, connecting with the top edge of the man’s eye socket. Then, his own ears ringing with pain, he did it again.

The man let out a monstrous bellow, and the knife clattered to the floor. Jens kicked it away from them, watched it slide under the cot.

The man’s arm loosened around Sarah’s neck, which was exactly what Jens had been hoping for. He pulled hard, bringing Sarah towards him.