Page 106 of Jameson’s Salvation

Oh, hell. For the first time in hours, real fear wound its way through my body. If she crashed either by accident or on purpose, I was fucked. She hadn’t buckled me in, I’d easily be seriously injured.

I had to keep her talking but I was afraid to make her any angrier. “The lake is beautiful.”

“Reggie took his son up here to hunt.”

Another clue. Please, McKenna, find me.

What else? Think, Kennedy.

Deloris made a turn, taking us up a treelined driveway.

“I love the tall evergreens. They give off so much shade. I was thinking of planting a row next to my house—”

“Shut up.”

Shit. I shouldn’t have mentioned my house. Now she was pissed again.

A nice cabin came into view and panic hit. This was it. She was stopping.

“The…um…cabin is pretty. It looks like it was made from real logs. Have you…um…it’s real nice. And you still have a view of the lake.”

Deloris didn’t say anything. She turned off the car, got out, and I was getting my feet in position to kick out as soon as she opened the back door to get me out.

But she never opened the door. Instead, she beeped the alarm and walked to the house.

I couldn’t stop my heart from pumping overtime and beads of sweat formed on my forehead and started to roll down my face. Even though the car was parked in the shade, the air temperature outside was still stifling. Only I would get kidnapped and locked in a car on the hottest day of the month.

Shit. I was wasting time. I had no idea when Deloris would be back.

“McKenna. If you’re listening, Deloris Marshall took me to a cabin in Pennsylvania. I don’t see a house number and the last street sign I saw was Lake Shore Drive. She left me in the car and went into the house…” Even though I felt like an idiot talking to myself I gave a detailed accounting of what happened and everything I remembered about the drive. I didn’t know how much time had lapsed but I knew it’d been two hours since I woke up. Or since I was able to get myself into a sitting position and look at the clock on the radio.

I fell silent when I ran out of things to tell McKenna. I finally got myself angled far enough so my back was against the door. It was frustrating as hell not to be able to see as I felt around for the lock. Sweat was now dripping down my chest and back and I really needed a drink of water.

Finally, I found the lock and slid the lever. The door handle was just below that. Almost there. The excitement died when the door didn’t open.

“Child safety locks,” I muttered. “It’s so damn hot in here. I’m going to try the other side.”

It took me a long time to scoot myself to the other side and repeat the process. “Nope. This side’s locked, too.”

An idea hit and I tried to get my legs over the center console. If I could get into the front seat I could get out. I twisted and tried to maneuver through the space but I couldn’t manage it with my hands behind me.

“Fuck,” I huffed in frustration. “I really hope you’re listening, McKenna, and my phone didn’t die or lose service. I’m stuck in here and I can’t get into the front seat, I tried.”

That was a seriously depressing thought. As long as I was locked in the car, she was my only chance.

I sat back and rested my head against the seat back.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m not trying to kick out the window,” I said conversationally. “I thought about it. But with my hands tied I’d have to dive out the window. If I hurt myself, I won’t be able to fight the bitch when she finally comes back. And I don’t know if someone else is in the house. I think for now I’m safer in the car. But if it gets any hotter in this fucker, I may have to do that just so I don’t sweat to death.

That was a terrifying thought.

“How long does it take for someone to die from heat exhaustion? I remember something on the news about a poor little baby who was left in the car on accident. But I can’t remember how long it takes.”

Surely it would take hours, right?

I tried to work the knots again but the raw skin had me crying out in pain.

“This fucking sucks, McKenna. My hands are useless and I’m stuck in this goddamn car. I wish Jameson was here, he’d know what to do. God, I hope you’re listening. If you’re not, I’m screwed. My only chance is if she opens this goddamn door.”