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The bug might be much smaller than the trucks boxing her in, but she had a spurt of power that they didn’t expect. With a whooping scream, Daphne managed to escape the tunnel they had formed around her. The tree that loomed ahead was bigger than it had appeared from afar, but it was the closest one. She aimed directly for it, pushing the bug as fast as she could when the GMCs increased speed to catch up with her.
“Ohhhh! Shitty moss balls!” she screamed as she slammed on brakes seconds before the bug smashed into the tree. Luckily, with a lot less impact than if she had kept the same speed, she had raced toward it. Still, the physical force of the collision violently shook her body, leaving her feeling shaken and disorientated. The only thought that kept milling through her head was Carter’s voice. “Whatever happens, wear that jacket!”
She moaned as every movement caused a flash of pain to shoot through her head, but she managed to put on the jacket and zipped it up with trembling fingers just as someone yanked open the door.
“Jesus, you’re one crazy bitch.” A balaclava-wearing man grumbled next to her as he grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the car.
“Correction, asshole, I might be crazy, but I am no bitch. I am a lady,” she croaked. Her throat was so dry, it felt as if she’d been lost in a desert for days. Her head feeling like it was being pounded by a Phil Collins drum solo didn’t help, either. She was completely off-center and struggled to shake off the haziness surrounding her. “Lemme go, you shitfaced cretin!”
The order came out in a weak puff, not at all in the assertive manner she’d intended. The bump on her head against the steering wheel during the crash must’ve been harder than she had imagined. She felt woozy and unsteady on her feet.
“Behave, and you won’t be hurt,” he growled as he pulled a black sack over her head.
“No!” Daphne felt her chest constrict as everything went dark within the blink of an eye. Panic set in as her sight was taken, which elevated her other senses... fear at the forefront. She kicked out wildly, satisfied when a painful grunt floated toward her as her boot connected with the man’s shin.
“Oww! she cried out as he pulled her arm back and twisted it upward.
“Enough of this shit. Just clip her on the head. We don’t need her screams to draw attention,” another voice grated behind them.
“No! I’ll behave, I promise,” she wailed and forced her limbs to stop the desperate attempt to secure her freedom.
“This is a fuck up. She was supposed to end up in the ravine. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Daphne stumbled when the man holding her arm pushed her in the direction of the parked GMCs.
“Pick the bitch up. I don’t have the patience to drag her,” he growled.
“Careful! You’re gonna break my arm,” she wailed as they grabbed hold of her by the arms and carried her between them to the waiting vehicle. Once they pushed her into the truck, hard hands pushed her head into the seat.
“Keep down. If you move, I’m gonna clip your skull with my gun.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got such a headache, lying down is all I want to do,” she responded. All she could do now was pray that Carter was close and would find her sooner rather than later.
They had barely driven off when Daphne was overcome with a spell of sneezing brought on by the sack covering her head. When it eventually stopped, she said breezily, “Did you know if you sneeze too hard, you could fracture a rib? Not that I would know if it was the sneeze or the accident, but it’s true, nonetheless. I read it on the internet.”
The men in the front of the truck ignored her. Forcing herself to relax, Daphne focused on her increased senses and paid attention to the environment—the sounds, the turns, and the direction they were going in. She counted off the minutes, and since she grew up in Utah and knew the area of Provo and Spanish Fork very well, she soon realized they were heading in the direction of the Powerhouse Mountains—the same area where she and Carter had found Lisa.
“Did you guys play tongue twisters growing up?” Again, no response. Daphne grinned. She tended to become very talkative when she was scared, and truth be known, she was shit scared at the moment! “We loved it. The ‘sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep’s sick’ is believed to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.” She giggled. “Come on, say it, but you have to do it fast. Let’s hear it. Whose first? No one? Okay, I’ll go. The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep’s sick. The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep's sick. The sheik's sixth sick sixth sheep’s sick. No, that’s wrong. See! I told you.”
“Shut up!”
“Do you love animals? I love dogs. It’s my favorite pet. Wish I could have one at my condo, but it’s against the rules. Interesting facts, though. Did you know that a crocodile can’t stick out its tongue? And that a shrimp’s heart is in its head? Oh, this one is epic! I never knew, but it’s physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky! Isn’t that amazing?”
“I said, shut up! You’re giving me a fucking headache,” Balaclava man one sneered.
“Okay, no more trivia facts, then. I love rock music,” she continued as they took a sharp left turn, and as the driver downshifted, by her calculation, she realized they were already driving up the hillside of Powerhouse Mountain. Her breath stuttered. What if the tracker wouldn’t be detectable once they got her into the bunker? How would Carter find her then? Those places were usually reinforced with steel, and from the description Lisa had given, it was more secure than Fort Knox!
“So, what do you guys listen to? Wait! I know, R & B, right? Or rap. Yes, I can hear you rapping in that deep, guttural voice of yours. C’mon, rap us a tune!”
“Jesus Christ! Make that bitch shut up. If I have to listen to another wisecrack, I’m gonna lose it!”
“Sorry, but I tend to talk when I’m nervous or scared.” She giggled. “Needless to say, I’m kind of overflowing with both.”
“Just shut the hell up!”
“Okay, I’ll try.” Daphne’s throat closed up, and even if she tried, she knew she wouldn’t get a word out when the truck rocked to a stop.
“Where are we?” she croaked as she was yanked out of the truck.
