Read Online Lucky Thirteen by Janet Taylor-Perry - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janet Taylor-Perry
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long-distance track runner. After nearly forty-five minutes of hard running, he stopped and leaned on a park bench, winded. In the darkness only a handful of people jogged or walked their dogs in the park. He collapsed onto the bench and breathed deep gulps of air. Seemingly unable to help himself, he fell asleep.
♣♣♣
Larkin was so hungry she felt sick . All she had ingested for two days was water from the tap in the lavatory. Have I scared the poor man completely away and doomed myself to die of starvation? Lying on the bed, she bolted upright when the door flung open and her breathless captor came in. He sank to the floor right beside the bed.
“What happened ? Where have you been?” Larkin asked frantically.
In answer, the man held up two full bottles of pills . Through gulps of air, he said triumphantly, “I got my meds, and ran all the way back. I only stopped a minute.”
Larkin sank back on the bed. It dawned on her that this man had no concept of time. She asked gently, “Do you know how long you’ve been gone?”
Blue eyes looked at her, questioning and confused. “A couple of hours.”
Larkin shook her head.
“How long?” he asked.
“Two days,” she answered matter-of-factly.
“I left you alone for two days? Mo chagren ; I’m sorry.” The man began to pace. “Oh, you must be starving.” Wringing his hands he added, “Latrice gave me money to take care of you. I used some of it for the meds. Was that wrong? Never mind. It doesn’t matter.” He gestured for Larkin to wait. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Larkin was beside herself. She tried fruitlessly to force her hand through the cuff. If he’s gone a few more days, I’ll be skin and bone, and my hand will slip right through.
She didn’t have to wait long . Her captor returned within an hour. “Latrice told me you like Mexican.” He sounded almost happy. “I didn’t know exactly what, so I got a lot of different things.” He set two bags from Taco Bell on the bed. He lit several candles and illuminated the room, barren except for the bed and two rotting wine casks, on which the man set the candles. Larkin watched in dismay.
Her captor slid the hood from his head and sat at the foot of the bed. He was no longer trying to hide from her. She didn’t know whether that was good or bad, but she couldn’t help but notice the man was very good looking in spite of the fact that he needed to shave. His short raven-black hair had a few flecks of gray at the temples. He looked at Larkin; cheeks dimpled slightly, deeper on the right side than the left; and shrugged. “I’m sorry. I lost all track of time, but I should’ve realized how long it had been. I took the two samples of meds the nurse handed me. I ran from the clinic and straight to a pharmacy before I stopped on a park bench to rest a minute. I fell asleep. I thought it was only a little cat nap. I haven’t slept much lately. The voices were too loud. That’s where I woke up and ran back here. That was two days ago? I thought it was the same day.” He ran a smooth hand except for a callus on the middle finger near the nail through his hair and laughed a little bitterly. “It’s too weird that I slept so long in the park, and nobody noticed or cared.”
The guy opened the two bags and began spreading out the food. He handed Larkin a large cup of Dr. Pepper and pulled out a second cup into which he plunged a straw and took a long draught to wash down two pills he had in his hand. He held up his cup at her stare. “Coke. I got something for me, too. Is that all right?”
She nodded and sipped her drink . At the sight of the food, she pointed, “Taco. Chalupa. Do they have sour cream? I love sour cream.”
Prolonged exposure had dulled her senses to the putrid smell of her surroundings. Larkin bit into a crunchy taco and thought food had never tasted so good. She had devoured two crunchy tacos and a chalupa before she realized her captor was laughing at
♣♣♣
Larkin was so hungry she felt sick . All she had ingested for two days was water from the tap in the lavatory. Have I scared the poor man completely away and doomed myself to die of starvation? Lying on the bed, she bolted upright when the door flung open and her breathless captor came in. He sank to the floor right beside the bed.
“What happened ? Where have you been?” Larkin asked frantically.
In answer, the man held up two full bottles of pills . Through gulps of air, he said triumphantly, “I got my meds, and ran all the way back. I only stopped a minute.”
Larkin sank back on the bed. It dawned on her that this man had no concept of time. She asked gently, “Do you know how long you’ve been gone?”
Blue eyes looked at her, questioning and confused. “A couple of hours.”
Larkin shook her head.
“How long?” he asked.
“Two days,” she answered matter-of-factly.
“I left you alone for two days? Mo chagren ; I’m sorry.” The man began to pace. “Oh, you must be starving.” Wringing his hands he added, “Latrice gave me money to take care of you. I used some of it for the meds. Was that wrong? Never mind. It doesn’t matter.” He gestured for Larkin to wait. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Larkin was beside herself. She tried fruitlessly to force her hand through the cuff. If he’s gone a few more days, I’ll be skin and bone, and my hand will slip right through.
She didn’t have to wait long . Her captor returned within an hour. “Latrice told me you like Mexican.” He sounded almost happy. “I didn’t know exactly what, so I got a lot of different things.” He set two bags from Taco Bell on the bed. He lit several candles and illuminated the room, barren except for the bed and two rotting wine casks, on which the man set the candles. Larkin watched in dismay.
Her captor slid the hood from his head and sat at the foot of the bed. He was no longer trying to hide from her. She didn’t know whether that was good or bad, but she couldn’t help but notice the man was very good looking in spite of the fact that he needed to shave. His short raven-black hair had a few flecks of gray at the temples. He looked at Larkin; cheeks dimpled slightly, deeper on the right side than the left; and shrugged. “I’m sorry. I lost all track of time, but I should’ve realized how long it had been. I took the two samples of meds the nurse handed me. I ran from the clinic and straight to a pharmacy before I stopped on a park bench to rest a minute. I fell asleep. I thought it was only a little cat nap. I haven’t slept much lately. The voices were too loud. That’s where I woke up and ran back here. That was two days ago? I thought it was the same day.” He ran a smooth hand except for a callus on the middle finger near the nail through his hair and laughed a little bitterly. “It’s too weird that I slept so long in the park, and nobody noticed or cared.”
The guy opened the two bags and began spreading out the food. He handed Larkin a large cup of Dr. Pepper and pulled out a second cup into which he plunged a straw and took a long draught to wash down two pills he had in his hand. He held up his cup at her stare. “Coke. I got something for me, too. Is that all right?”
She nodded and sipped her drink . At the sight of the food, she pointed, “Taco. Chalupa. Do they have sour cream? I love sour cream.”
Prolonged exposure had dulled her senses to the putrid smell of her surroundings. Larkin bit into a crunchy taco and thought food had never tasted so good. She had devoured two crunchy tacos and a chalupa before she realized her captor was laughing at
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