The pounding in Reid’s head matchedthe pounding in his chest. What had happened? One minute, he was following Quinn and JJ into the delivery place, and the next thing he knew, he was here. Wherever here was. His body was cramped. He straightened his legs, but they didn’t get far before hitting something.
His body swayed as the object beneath him bounced. Road noise echoed around him. It was dark. Occasionally, he’d see a flicker of light. He was in the trunk of a car. He felt around, hoping to find something to defend himself when whoever put him in here came to let him out. There was nothing but carpet. The spare tire and jack were probably under the carpet in the spare tire well. No doubt a tire iron, too, but he wouldn’t be able to get to it while lying in the trunk.
No weapons. And he was alone in the trunk. Were Quinn and JJ in the passenger portion? Had the person who’d knocked him out killed them? His stomach soured at the thought. They weren’t dead. He knew it. He was still alive. So, Quinn and JJ had to be. He was going to be used for something. Either Quinn and JJ had gotten away and he was going to be used to lure them back, or they hadn’t, and he was going to be used to make them do something. He needed to get out and know for sure.
He wanted to yell and pound on the lid, but he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to cause a stir and put them in danger if they were in the passenger portion.
A faint glow came from above him—the glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk release button. It was a way of escape, but he was going to work with the assumption that Quinn and JJ were up front, and he needed to find a way to save them once he was free.
He didn’t know how long they had been traveling. The important thing was getting the car stopped. He started tugging at the carpet that covered one of the brake lights. If he could disable the lights, it would attract the attention of the highway police, if it didn’t get them rear-ended and him hurt first. That was a chance he was willing to take.
He quickly removed the bulb and squirmed until he could reach the second one. Disabling both lights was the best option. Now, to sit and wait.
He’d been too focused on trying to find a way out that he hadn’t noticed how hot it was in the trunk. A film of sweat had formed on his forehead, and his shirt clung to his back. Would now be a good time to pray? He was sure it was something Quinn would be doing or, better yet, was doing. She seemed so steadfast in her faith. Despite the odds stacked against her, she believed God would see them through.
Would God answer his prayers? A man who’d done so many horrible things. No, He wouldn’t. But maybe, He’d answer Quinn’s prayers and keep her and JJ safe.
Reid’s body swayed as the car began to slow. Was it possible the police had already pulled them over? Squealing tires and a loud bang sounded as Reid was violently jarred in the trunk. Pain shot through his head as it made contact with the trunk wall. They’d been rear-ended. He braced himself. They’d pull over, and he’d make his move. Adrenaline coursed through him. He didn’t have a weapon, so he’d have to make a move fast. He maneuvered himself so he’d be able to climb quickly from the trunk.
The car limped on, scratching and thunking sounds coming from under Reid. Light slivered in from the bottom of the trunk lid. The car had definitely been damaged. How much longer until they stopped? Would they even stop? He hadn’t thought about them continuing, not stopping and getting themselves involved with police. The car finally came to a stop. Angry voices sounded from the front of the car, followed by a slam. Someone had left the passenger portion. How many people had captured them? Hopefully, only one person was left with Quinn and JJ.
He estimated they’d traveled about a quarter of a mile before pulling over. The car that had hit them wouldn’t be up against them. He reached for the emergency release handle and waited. More angry voices filtered in, low at first, then getting louder.
The person who’d hit them, no doubt. A second door shut. Quinn and JJ were alone now. At least, he hoped so. Now was the time for him to make his move. He pulled the emergency latch and pushed up with his other hand.
The lid didn’t move. He pulled again, harder this time. Still no movement. He started banging on the trunk lid.No. This can’t be happening.Panic rose as he fought with the emergency latch. How was he going to save them now?
The car lurched forward, the sudden movement sending him sprawling forward, and his face slammed into the metal of the trunk wall again. Pain spread from his nose and radiated to his eyes. He felt for blood, but there wasn’t any.
The car picked up speed, and the noises under him grew louder. They were forcing the car to drive despite the damage. But they couldn’t be. He’d heard two doors shut, and surely, there hadn’t been more than two people in the car with Quinn and JJ. Had Quinn been able to steal the car and make a getaway? He hoped so. The car slowed and came to a stop. He heard the trunk mechanism sound, but the trunk never opened.
A car door shut. A second later, there was a knock on the trunk. “Reid?”
Relief filled him. She was okay. “I’m awake, but the trunk is jammed. Can you lay down the back seats?”
“I’ll give it a try.”
He rolled to face the back seat and waited. Light began to shine in as the seat lowered, revealing Quinn’s face. “Thank God you’re okay,” she said before she backed out of the car.
He maneuvered his way onto the back seat and out of the car.
She hugged him. “Thank You, Lord, for keeping him safe.”
He knew God would answer her prayers. He just hadn’t expected her to be praying for him.
Sirens wailed in the distance. Those involved in the accident no doubt called the police. “Where are we?”
She pulled back, dropping her arms to her side. He missed the way they felt around his neck. “I drove a couple miles down the road, enough to get away from them. I was afraid the car might catch on fire or fall apart with you in the trunk. I told JJ to stay in the car while I checked on you.”
He looked into the car and saw JJ huddled in the front passenger seat. “Let’s get out of here.”
She had left their kidnappers stranded, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more of them out looking for Quinn and JJ. He needed to get everyone to a safe place.
A large, black SUV in the distance caught Reid’s eye. It was moving fast, and then, an arm appeared from the window. Something was in the hand, and then, the back windshield of the car shattered. A scream ripped from Quinn. Reid pushed her to the ground and then pulled JJ out of the car and pushed him to her before squatting with them.
She grabbed JJ and held him tight. The metal tings came faster. Reid wrapped an arm around JJ, the other around her, and covered them with his body.
The SUV drove by, and then, it was eerily quiet. Reid stood and looked in the direction the SUV would have gone. He could still see it in the distance, brake lights shining. He wasn’t sure whether they were going to turn around and come back, but he wasn’t going to wait around and find out.
