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The zipper moved, and she scooted herself as far away from the opening as possible.
A man’s face appeared in the tent door. His sneer didn’t offer any comfort. “Ready to go?” He grabbed her feet and yanked her free from the relative safety of the flimsy canvas. Her body bounced on the hard ground, and her skull made contact with a rock. She couldn’t rub the sore spot, not with her hands bound. The man showed no sign of concern over his own brutality. “Reece said for me to take you to Clarence, but you are a pretty little thing. Maybe if I ask nice, he’ll let me keep you alive.”
“Micky!” Another man appeared beside him. “What are you doing?”
“Getting the ginger for you, Clarence.”
“Reece said to bring the woman to me, not to drag her off like you’re some kind of caveman.” The man called Clarence squatted beside her and ran a knife along the ropes binding her ankles. “So you can walk.” He smiled. “We’re getting in that truck over there.” He gestured toward a blue Dodge pickup that had seen better days. It showed more rust than paint on the back doors and she guessed it wasn’t road legal. She could picture the bed detaching itself from the cab if it hit a large pothole.
“What’s your name?”
She ignored the question, having no desire to participate in a back-and-forth with her captors. Little did they know this wasn’t her first abduction, and she’d had plenty of time since then for thinking about all the things she would’ve done differently if given the chance. Looked like this was her opportunity to prove to herself that she wasn’t weak and pathetic.
“Cat got yer tongue, sweetheart?” Clarence chuckled.
Chapter Twenty-Six
As he drove them down the old logging road, Clarence muttered under his breath, “You’ll be out of here soon. No worries.”
A strong odor of gasoline filled the cab. Could be a leak. She studied his profile. “Is Reece planning to kill me?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then it seems worrying is my best course of action at this point.”
“I’m not planning to let him kill you.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“I need you to help me find Becky Groves.”
“She’s not here?”
“No. Ran off.”
“And he wants her back.” It wasn’t a question. Maurice Moretti—if that was who this Reece Mclean really was—wouldn’t want to leave loose ends. If Becky knew things he didn’t want her sharing, she was certain he wouldn’t hesitate to snuff out her life.
There was a firm set to his jaw, and he scratched at the stubble covering it. “He does, yes. But so do I. Rebecca belongs to me.”
“If Becky hadn’t run off, I’d be dead. She’s the only reason your leader kept me alive.”
“Ding. Ding. Ding. The girl wins a prize.” He grinned. “You gonna help me find her or not?”
“Do you intend to harm her?” She didn’t know where the woman might’ve gone, so she couldn’t help him even if she wanted to, but her guess was they wanted her to lead them to Malachi in hopes he would lead them to his mother. Cate wouldn’t allow herself to be used as a pawn in their deadly game. No. She wouldn’t help them find Malachi’s mother.
Her question went unanswered.
Clarence rapped his knuckles against the steering wheel. “We’re going to start at the park office. Worlds End. They’re not open, but we’ll be there when they arrive in the morning. If your boyfriend wants you to live, he’ll tell me where Rebecca has gone. And if he doesn’t show up for work, you’ll give me directions to his place.”
“He won’t go for it. I’m nobody to him.”
“Don’t downplay your worth, sweetheart. It might get you killed prematurely.”
Cate directed her gaze to the heavens and lifted a prayer asking God to give her the strength to fight when the time came, so that she wouldn’t make things worse for Malachi and Becky.
Malachi’s thumb traced the old-fashioned compass keyring Cate left in his car. A gift from her grandpa she’d said. It had fallen off her coat zipper, and she’d stuffed it into the cup holder. He dialed Grayson’s number. Another thing she’d left with him. Just in case. He hadn’t expected to need it so soon. And he might be overreacting. If that were the case, there was no doubt he’d suffer Cate’s wrath, but ignoring possible danger wasn’t wise either.
“Garrison Security.” A calm female voice answered.
