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What did they intend to do with her? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. She’d seen their faces, and while she didn’tknow their names, she could describe them to law enforcement. That would seal her fate right there. They couldn’t let her go.
The lock on the steel door snicked, and she shot to her feet facing it. At least her hands were free now. The door opened, and one of the men stepped inside. In the bit of light from the lantern, she got a good look at him. He was in his late twenties with thick brown hair and a full beard. She had no idea of his name, just that he worked for Max. Max should have vetted his employees better.
His hazel eyes raked her over, and he smiled. “Ready?”
“For what?”
He leaned against the doorjamb. “We’re going to turn you loose. If you can find your way to town, you’re home free. We won’t follow you any longer.”
It sounded way too easy, and she could tell from the glint in his eyes he didn’t expect her to make it to safety. “Where are we?”
“In the U.P.” He snickered and folded his arms over his chest.
“Back on the island? If I can make it to the big house, am I safe?”
“We aren’t on the island. Max isn’t going to save you.”
So they must be somewhere on the mainland. Sarah took encouragement from that fact. There might be a hunter out there with a gun who would help her. Or hikers with an ATV. She might not have to hike out of the wilderness on her own.
She was good at climbing trees too. All she had to do was escape them. There were only two of them, after all.
“I’m ready.”
He nudged the food tray with his foot. “I don’t think you are. We want to give you the best chance possible. It’s not fun when the quarry is too easy. Eat your food. We’ll give you water and some granola bars to keep your strength up. It’s always better when we can extend the fun two or three days.”
Sarah’s gut did a slow somersault. It sounded like they’d done this before. Her sister had mentioned missing hikers, and there was that body that had been at the dock when she’d first started working at the marina. One of their victims?
His smile was more of a gloat. “Eat. Rest. We start at daybreak.”
Sarah said nothing as he backed out of the room and flipped the lock again. Her only hope was in getting out of here and into the wilderness. She didn’t know the area well, but she’d hidden from them before. One skill she possessed was how she noticed things and saw opportunity.
She forced herself to take the tray and carry it back to her cot where she choked down the now-hard peanut butter sandwich and the cold, congealed soup. The food wanted to come back up, but she followed the unappetizing meal with a swig of water, then stretched out on the cot and closed her eyes.
She didn’t think she would sleep, but exhaustion turned off her dreams and anxiety, and she slept until the door clicked again. When it opened, the other man stood in the doorway. She saw a bit of moonlight streaming into the area behind him. While she had no concept of time in here, she must have slept several hours, which was good.
“Where’s my dog?”
“Around. He’s a good boy. I like him.”
“Could I have him with me for company?” Why was she even asking? Scout was liable to be a hindrance. She’d worried he might bark or whine and give away her location, but the thought of facing these men by herself terrified her.
The man hesitated, then shrugged. “Let me check with the boss.” He backed out and locked the door behind him.
Sarah looked around for anything she might take with her asa weapon. Nothing. She’d have to find something out in the forest. They hadn’t even given her a spoon for the soup. She’d had to pick up the bowl and drink it like water.
The lock clicked again, and he was back. The dog was at his feet, and Sarah couldn’t hold back the soft cry of joy. Scout shot from behind the man and ran to lick her hand.
She knelt to bury her face in his musty-smelling fur. “Good boy,” she crooned.
“The boss thought it might make the hunt more fun. I hope you know what you’re asking though. The dog leaves tracks too.”
She hadn’t thought of that, but she couldn’t be sorry for her request. At least she’d have company, and if they killed her, she’d die with her arms around the dog’s neck. It was better than dying alone.
But she didn’t want to die. Not without telling Annie how sorry she was. She had to live and get back to town. Making amends was the most important thing to her.
***
Annie had been gone longer than Jon expected. Had she run into a bear? Or maybe she’d fallen and was lying injured out there in the forest somewhere. He monitored Glenn’s pulse and breathing every couple of minutes. The man was in a bad way and needed to be back in a hospital as soon as possible.
