Read Online Summer's Night by Cheyenne Meadows - Free Book Online Page B

many times did the victim survive? What emotional tolls did they live with for the rest of their existence if they did?
    She glanced over to Mrs Kensington, who sat with her face buried in her hands, overcome with fear. Though strong and able for her age, the chances of the woman surviving being taken from her home by force and carted around the country until rescue arrived would be slim. Already, Summer worried she would work herself into cardiac arrest or a stroke. If that happened in the man's care, he would shuck her along the road and go on his merry way.
    She couldn't allow that to happen. Summoning her failing courage, she lifted her chin.
    "Take me, instead." Summer heard a gasp from her right but plunged ahead. "She just had knee surgery. Not only will she slow you down to a snail's crawl, she'll be easily remembered. Everyone who sees a little old woman with a walker will open the door, offer to help her, and remember that they did. I'm your best option." She pleaded her case, begging for him to leave her patient at home.
    He seemed to ponder the idea for a moment before making a decision. "Okay. You come with me. But no monkey business." Pointing a finger, he warned Mrs Kensington, "Call your son now. Tell him he has eight hours to come up with the goods I want or I will kill her."
    "No. Leave her out of it. She has nothing to do with this." Mrs Kensington railed at the man, her face growing red with exertion.
    The man's gaze locked on the older lady. "You must care for her or you would have let me take her without a peep. You'll make sure your son will trade for her."
    Summer bit her lip, trying to keep her wits. "It's a bank holiday. They won't reopen until tomorrow morning at eight am. He'll be unable to access the safe deposit box until then."
    The man's face clenched in obvious rage. "Twenty-four hours, but not a minute more!"
    Winning that minor battle, Summer thought about her animals. Looking at the older woman, she implored, "Please, call my neighbor, Masie. Tell her there's been an emergency and I need her to look after my animals for… for…" She clamped her mouth shut, uncertain how long this nightmare would last. "Here is her number." Hastily jotting down two numbers on a slip of paper, she thrust it in Mrs Kensington's hands.
    The older woman looked up to her, trails of tears running down her dark cheeks. "I will. And, I'll call Colton…"
    The man grabbed Summer's upper arm tightly, dragging her toward the door. "Now, lady. Or she dies. I'll call you in twenty-four hours to set up the exchange. If he gets those things, I'll trade for her. If not…" He grinned wickedly, putting the gun against Summer's head.
    Not waiting for an answer, he tightened his grip on her arm, placing enough pressure to bruise, and pulled her to the front door.
    Summer protected her side, the one where her oversized scrub top covered the cell phone holder and cell phone. Maybe they could track her through the GPS on her phone. If they thought of it. It was why she wrote her cell phone number on the paper along with Masie's. Thankfully, she'd charged it fully the night before. A good thing since at the moment it appeared to be the only way to find her before the deadline arrived.
    He glanced back at the house once more then shoved Summer in front of him, keeping a firm grip on her. Together they headed toward a newer model sedan, Summer struggling all the way.
    "Don't even think about it," he ordered.
    "About what?" She drug her feet a bit more, anything to slow him down and allow an opening for her escape.
    "Fighting. Trying to escape." He jerked hard on her arm. "Even if you manage to get away, I'll just go back in that house and drag that old woman along. She may be slow, but she won't escape and I have no reason to keep her alive if she gives me problems." His beady eyes bored into hers.
    Summer shuddered at the message, her dilemma sinking in. If she escaped, he would march back into the house, grab Mrs Kensington, and