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Myles took the garbage outside. When he came back into the boutique, he started organizing the counter space behind Shianne as she packed up orders. They talked sometimes, he found this relaxing work, and he felt useful. He was helping her while protecting her, and she was good company to work with.
At the end of the day, he restacked the boxes she had at the end of the counter. "I'll take these out to the truck, and we'll drop them at the post office on our way home."
Carrying the stack of boxes out to the truck, he opened the door without dropping a box, then pain shot through his head, and he blacked out.
21
Shianne pulled open a box that had been delivered earlier today. Excitement and chills ran the length of her body as she was about to see the dress she ordered for the New Year's Ball. She'd been anxiously waiting for it and couldn't wait to try it on.
She pulled out several pretty dresses and checked the list she'd made for those who'd already paid or paid a down payment for them. She turned to hang a dress on the rack in the back room when a hand was pressed over her mouth, she was dragged from the room, and down the hall to the back door.
It took her brain time to realize it wasn't Myles playing games with her and she began to fight. She scratched at the hand over her mouth and tried kicking behind her at the jerk pulling her down the hall. He dragged her through the door, and she struggled to see where Myles was. He'd gone out the back door just a few minutes earlier.
Panic finally set in, and she became erratic. She tried screaming. She kicked. As he dragged her passed Myles' truck, she saw Myles lying on the ground, boxes strewn about him. Real fear crawled up her body and tears spilled from her eyes. She fought harder than she ever had when she felt a prick in her neck. Her fear turned to fatigue and lifting her hands seemed as though she were stuck in cement. Then she felt nothing at all.
* * *
Arocking motion woke Shianne. Her head pounded. Her stomach lurched and churned. She tried to roll to her side to vomit and realized she was on a car seat. The panic she'd felt before slammed back into her as she tried lifting her hands. They were bound together at her wrists and a sob tore through her throat, but the gag muffled the sound.
"Hush up now. I don't want no trouble from you."
A man driving the car twisted slightly to look at her in the back seat.
Her eyes locked on his. She'd remember what he looked like so GHOST, could get him. She'd offer the best description any human had ever offered.
He turned back to the road, and she tried to get her wits about her. Slowly taking an inventory of all her senses, she inhaled deeply. He smelled like cigarettes. Stale cigarettes. So, he didn't shower much. Looking at him from behind, he had hair far too long for its thickness. It was scraggly light brown and gray. A bald spot in the back shined from the sun streaming through the window. He was heavyset based on the roll at the back of his neck. He had a stained white t-shirt on, the collar was yellowed, and she wondered how often he changed his shirts.
He looked back at her, and she noted that his eyes were a faded blue. He had bags under each of them and the whites were a dull yellow.
She closed her eyes and heard the front seat squeak as he turned back to the road.
Then she made an inventory of the car. Black. Black interior. It didn't smell new. Of course, if it was new, the cigarettes masked that new car smell. But the windows were tinted yellow from nicotine. Her grandpa's car always looked like this.
She looked at her hands and noticed the binding was duct tape. She swallowed to moisten her throat, but also to stop her stomach from quelling. Whatever he'd injected her with, made her stomach rebel and with a gag on her mouth, she'd not be able to vomit.
The car slowed and turned a corner. He accelerated and the car bounced down the road. She couldn't hear gravel under the tires, so it must be dirt. That brought up another wave of panic as she feared no one would find her.
The car slowed again and then came to a stop. Her heart beat so fast it hurt in her chest. Her feet weren't tied together, which she thought was good. Maybe she could make a run for it.
He looked back at her before opening his door. He shifted and struggled to get his lazy ass out of the car, and she thought he was likely not very strong or limber, that may be to her advantage. She took a couple of deep breaths to try to settle her nerves, even though the stale cigarette smoke was gross.
The back door opened, and he leaned down and grabbed her ankles. He jerked hard and she slid across the seat. She felt the edge of the seat at her ass and worried she'd fall from the car and hit the ground. The smelly man reached forward and roughly grabbed her upper arms and pulled her from the car to a standing position.
Her legs were weak, but she managed to keep them from wobbling. Glancing at the area around them, it felt like they were still in Kentucky. Though she wasn't sure how long she'd been out and how far they'd driven.
The man shoved her from behind, "Move," he said.
She took small steps, prolonging the entry into the cabin she saw ahead. It seemed unkept. No landscaping around the outside and tall weeds sprouted from the foundation. She closed her eyes and tried to put the thought of snakes out of her mind.
The ground was uneven, and her foot buckled slightly as she stepped in a divot. She still wore her heels which she thought she might be able to make into a weapon. Hope rose that she'd be able to get out of this.
The movement made her stomach lurch, and she froze. Reaching up with both hands, she pulled at the gag around her mouth. Luckily, it was loose enough for her to drag down and she let her stomach contents fall on the ground. She wretched a few times, her eyes watered and her nose ran.
"Shit." The man behind her said. He lumbered to the car, opened the door, then came back to her. He handed her a napkin from a fast-food restaurant. It hadn't been used so she was grateful for that. She wiped her eyes, then her mouth. Finally, she blew her nose. Standing slowly, she inhaled once and let it out slowly to test her body.
She swallowed and was immediately sorry she did. Clearing her throat, she closed her eyes and waited for the nausea to settle. She stood stock-still. The man behind her waited patiently with her.
"If you're not going to puke again, move."
