Dark Angel (Anak Trilogy) (23 page)

“What?” he muttered.

“Sitting with my hands tied behind me is really uncomfortable. Would you untie my hands? Please.”

Jon turned slightly to look at me and snorted.

“Not a chance,” he laughed.

I
grunted twisting my face up. Obviously, I’m not much of an actress.

It was beginning to be apparent that Zell was not coming for me. At this point, he would not have a clue where to look.
Even if he had not disappeared as quickly and as suddenly as he came into my life, he would never look for me with Jon. Hope was beginning to slip away.  I closed my eyes and leaned back against the seat.

Determined, I opened my eyes again. If Zell was not coming for me
, I had to get away from Jon myself. I would have to be ready when the chance came. I have to try and get my hands free. Escape would be difficult with both of my hands tied behind my back.

Jon turned off the highway on to a gravel road.
He turned to me and grabbed me roughly. He yanked my chin up and kissed me. If I had doubts before that Jon was not the one for me, that kiss sealed it.  I felt nothing. 

“You’ll thaw out when we get to the cabin.” Jon released me and put the truck back in gear.

Was that a threat? I wondered.

Forests thickly lined the sides of the road. Large, muddy pits accented the gravel drive. My heart sank
deeper and deeper into an abyss of despair the further we drove into the woods and away from the main road. It would be impossible for someone to locate me here. Furthermore, it would be a nightmare trying to escape. On foot, it would take me hours to get back to the main road. If I managed to escape, I decided that I would follow the road but stay hidden in the woods.

The deep ruts in the road made the truck lurch back and forth throwing me around the cab of the truck violently. I could not break the tossing and falling with my hands as they were tied securely behind me. I was sure to be black and blue with bruises.  Then, the truck hit a particularly deep rut.  I lurched
forward, and a sharp pain reverberated through my head. Blackness clouded my vision. Then nothingness.

     
       10.    KIDNAPPED

I
AWOKE TO MOVEMENT.  JON WAS

carrying
me toward a rickety-looking cabin sitting about fifty feet from the lake. The shore was mostly a tangled mess of vines and weeds. This looked to be more of hunting and fishing cabin than a vacation cabin. I peeked out from under my eyelashes surveying the landscape. I did not want Jon to know that I was conscious again.  He must have untied me because my arms were dangling loosely at my sides.  It was probably too awkward for him to carry me with my hands tied behind my back.

Jon was definitely a muscle-man. He carried me effortlessly. My face was nestled against a bulging bicep.  I exerted extreme effor
t to remain motionless. Conceivably, if Jon thought I was unconscious, he would not tie my hands again.  Perhaps, he would lay me down and leave me alone for a while waiting on me to gain consciousness. I did my best to peruse the environment around the cabin for possible escape routes. Trying to look without moving my head, I thought I caught a glimpse of a boat dock in the distance. Cautiously, I opened my eyes a little wider. There was a small fishing boat with a motor tied to the dock. I worried that it may not have gas or be hard to start.  If I were to get away, I would have to be able to start it the first time. Jon would be alerted by the noise of the failed start of the boat.  It was what was tied to the other side of the dock that lifted my spirits. There on the opposite side of the dock from the boat was a canoe almost as large as the fishing boat. If I could get away, I could use it to escape quietly.

Jon suddenly shifted me in his arms. As focused as I was on the canoe, I almost yelped in surp
rise—almost.  He was just reaching for a hidden key behind a light on the porch. Precariously, he balanced me on his knee while he freed one hand to unlock the cabin door.  I heard the lock click, and Jon pushed open the door. The door creakingly protested, and he gave it another shove. Pocketing the key, he slid his arm under me again. As he strode into the room, a damp musty smell invaded my senses. There was also a faint smell of fish that was most likely a remnant of the last visit here. Jon crossed the room and kicked open a door.

He walked in a few steps and dumped m
e on a foul-smelling mattress. I feigned unconsciousness. I could feel rather than see Jon lean over me.  I must look like a ghost because he pressed two fingers to my neck to see if I had a pulse. Satisfied that I was not dead, I could hear him move away from the bed. Straining to listen, I heard the latch on the door click. Cautiously, I peered out from under my lashes, in case he was still in the room. Satisfied the room was empty, I opened my eyes wide to look around. The dark room was bare except for the bed upon which I lay and a small bedside table with a sad, dusty lamp. Even though it was mid-afternoon, the room was dimly lit. The walls were planks of musty, dark wood instead of drywall. The small window did not receive direct sunlight at this time of day.

Carefully, I tested the mattress to see if it squeaked. The squeaks were mainly in the center of the bed
, so I cautiously edged to the perimeter of the mattress. A banging from the other room ceased my progress.

“There is no food in this whole damn house,” I heard Jon swearing as he banged the cupboard doors open and shut. I used the noise to cover my escape from the bed. I moved toward the single
window to see if it would open. I tried the latch, and it slid to the unlocked position which surprised me considering its rusty state. With doors still banging open and shut, I tried the window. It resisted. I tried again putting more effort into opening the window. It began to rise. The racket in the next room ceased, and I froze. I heard Jon’s footsteps coming closer to the room. I slid the window back down and headed for the bed.

Easing on to the bed, I feigned
unconsciousness again as Jon burst through the door. Jon quickly crossed the room. Grabbing my wrist, he tied a piece of frazzled rope to it. I involuntarily groaned as he grabbed my other wrist tying it to the first.  I was already sore from the tortuous ride in the truck and having my hands tied behind my back which had strained muscles in my arms, neck, and back. At least, he was tying my hands in front this time. I tried to make space between my two wrists without Jon noticing. He took the other end of the rope and tied it to the bedpost. Then he huffed off slamming the door as he went. I heard the front door close moments later. Straining to listen for the truck, I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard gravels crunching outside as his truck drove down the drive.

Twisting my wrists back and forth, I tried to free my hands. I
managed a little wiggle room in my efforts but not enough to free them. Jon had not tied my hands behind me, and he had not tied my right hand to the bedpost just the other end of the rope. That meant I should be able to untie the rope. I sat up and scooted toward the bedpost. It definitely wasn’t easy, but I managed to work one knot loose. I tugged and pulled at the other knot. I know Jon must have been in a hurry, or he would have been much more careful about leaving me securely tied up. I figured he wanted to get to wherever he was headed and back before dark. What time was it? I had no idea, but I guessed I had a couple of hours of daylight left. What if a dark creature tracked me here? The thought of facing one alone sent shivers down my spine, and I speeded up my efforts to get free.

My arms ached and my wrists burned like fire from being tied up, but I still persisted. Finally, my efforts were rewarded
, and the last knot slipped loose. My hands were still tied, but I was free from the prison of the bed. Cautiously, I went to the bedroom door and listened. It was possible that during my intense concentration while untying the rope that Jon had returned. I listened for any sounds coming from the next room for a long minute. When I was satisfied that he was not there, I quietly turned the knob and cracked the door open. Still no sign of him. I slid through the door and closed it behind me. I did not want him to notice an open door when he returned. Perhaps he would have to go to the bathroom, or he may fix himself something to eat before he checks on me. Minutes were precious in this situation. Minutes could be the difference between freedom and whatever Jon had planned for me. I still didn’t want to think about what Jon could be capable of. If he thought I was still tied up in the bedroom, it could buy me precious minutes on the run.

I crossed the room to the kitchen silently. A knife lying on the kitchen counter next to a roll of
black duct tape chilled my blood. Why had Jon had a knife out? On closer inspection, I noticed rope fibers sticking to the end of the knife. Perhaps, his only intention for the knife was to cut the rope. I desperately wished it to be so. Jon and I had been friends for years. I could not believe he wished me harm. Even though he had kidnapped me, I realized it was an act of desperation and jealously. He was insanely jealous of Zell of that I was sure.  I thought of Zell and paused. I missed him so much, and it had only been less than twenty-four hours since I last saw him. It seemed like forever though. How had Zell existed for an eternity without a family or someone to love? I pitied him then. I was sorry for every mean thing I had ever said to him. I wanted to see him now more than anything I had ever wanted in my life.  I missed him desperately. Where was he?

“Snap out of this,” I reprimanded myself out loud. “First things first. You have to get yourself out of these ropes.
” I grabbed the hilt of the knife. Awkwardly, I attempted to saw at the rope where it crossed over my hand.

“Oh,” I said sickly as the knife sliced through my flesh.  It was difficult to control the blade with my wrists still tied. However, I could see I was making progress. Several strands of the rope lay severed. I twisted and turned my wrists and another strand that had been cut halfway through popped open. My efforts
sent streams of blood running down my hands and pooling on the counter.  I continued to saw away at the rope intermittently cutting my hand as I did so. Finally, enough of the rope had been cut to enable me to slip my bloody hand free. I dropped the knife, and it clattered to the counter. The sound unnerved me, and I looked furtively around expecting someone to jump on me.  I pulled the rope from my hands. I opened the door beneath the sink and threw the rope remnants in the dark back corner. I then washed the knife and laid it back on the counter. I opened drawers looking for a kitchen towel or something to clean up the bloody mess on the counter.  I finally found what I was looking for. Two badly stained but clean kitchen towels were stuffed in a drawer with some fishing lures. I took out the most stained one and wet it under the faucet. I wiped down the bloody counter. I was still dripping blood everywhere. I took the second towel and wrapped it around my hand. Tearing off a long strip of duct tape, I wound it around the towel holding it in place. I finished cleaning up my blood from the counter and floor, and then I threw the towel under the sink in the same dark corner where I had thrown the rope.

“Now, w
hat do I do?” I sank to the kitchen floor deep in thought. Something vibrated against my leg. I blinked. My cell phone! My cell phone was in my pocket. I thought I had put it in my book bag in English class. I knew my book bag was lying in the parking lot next to where Jon’s truck had been. Eagerly, I dug in my pocket with my good hand and pulled out my phone.

“Oh, thank God,” I said with a heartfelt sigh.

I looked at the number. It was Zell.

“Help me, Zell,” I whispered into the phone.

“Annie, where are you?” Zell’s voice sounded frantic.

“J
on kidnapped me. I think he brought me to a family fishing cabin on Lake Lanier.” I whispered into the phone. I knew Jon was not there, but I still could not make myself talk in a normal voice. “Where have you been?”

“I went to my shop to make some special weapons. I wanted you to have something with which to defend yourself since you seem to be determined to wander around alone. I thought you would be safe at school. After yesterday, I thought you would stick close by your friends at least for a few days. I came to meet you after school. I found your book bag in the parking lot, and your car was still parked in the lot. Kate and I have
been calling and searching for you for over two hours.” I could hear a trace of panic in his voice.

“I
must not have had service because this is the first time the phone has rung.  I didn’t even know I had it on me until just now. I’ve got to go. Jon left for a few minutes. I think I am miles from the main road. There is a boat and a canoe by the dock. If I am on the lake, can you search for me by air?” I asked Zell still whispering as if someone were close by.