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Authors: Chastity Bush
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behind the door, Tess held her gun on the prowler.
“Don’t move.” She hoped her voice sounded as stern as she wanted it to. As he raised his hands into the air, she took a step farther into the room. “Turn around,” she said sternly. As he did so, she kept her gun trained on his chest.
Stepping sideways, she reached out and flicked the light switch on. Bright light spilled into the room, illuminating the intruder, but with his black mask and clothing, she couldn’t determine any real characteristics other than his build.
“Who are you and what do you want?” she asked forcefully while scanning his body for visible weapons.
A large hand forcefully clamped over her wrists knocking the gun from her hands before twisting her arm behind her back. She was then hauled back against a hard chest as a second hand clamped over her mouth, smothering her scream. The man she’d been facing lunged forward and grabbed the gun she’d lost. He walked to her.
Fear spiked within her as she fought against the other man’s vise-like hold. Fiercely, she fought with as much power and strength as she could muster, but the man holding her was a brick wall. Nothing she did seemed to faze him.
The first man, now holding her gun level with her face, smiled beneath his mask.
Adrenaline rocketed through her as, without thinking, she kicked out and her foot connected with the gun.
A shot ripped through the air as the gun went off. It hit the floor and slid beneath the bed as the man holding it lost his grip on the weapon.
“She’s a wild one.” The voice at her ear sounded rough as she continued her struggle.
“He said she would be,” the other replied. The man in front of her cautiously came forward and, timing her kicks, grabbed her legs then pulled a roll of duct tape from the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt and began taping her ankles together before moving on to do the same to her hands.
“Slap a piece of that on her mouth and let’s get her to the old man. Someone might have heard that shot, and I don’t wanna have to come back and do this again.”
Nodding his agreement, the other man did as he was told and covered her mouth with a thick piece of duct tape.
A million questions raced through her head as she was tossed over the man’s shoulder.
Who was the old man, and why did he want her?
Breathing deeply, Tess racked her brain for ways to get out of this situation but drew nothing more than a blank as she watched the stairs pass beneath her view.
* * * *
Jerking upright in bed, Jack frowned.
“What the hell was that?” He feared he already knew, as this wasn’t the first time today he’d heard that same sound … a gunshot.
“Tess.”
Leaping from the bed, he grabbed his discarded jeans and pulled them on as he stumbled to the dresser. He removed his gun from a drawer and shoved it into the back of his jeans. Sprinting down the stairs, Jack flew out the main door and across the street. Looking up, he noticed her bedroom light was on, and more than one shadow caught his eye. Someone was up there.
Reaching Tess’s front door, Jack twisted the knob and scowled. It didn’t budge. Acting on a hunch, he bent down and lifted the welcome mat. Bingo! Like some, Tess kept a spare key there. Bending down quickly, he removed the key from under the mat. Just as he was about to place it in the keyhole, he stopped as the sound of heavy footfalls sounded in the entry.
Turning to the left, he peeked through one of the door’s side windows.
Two men were coming down the stairs, one holding a bound and gagged Tess over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes; another led the way toward the kitchen and rear exit.
Running, Jack leapt over the freshly-painted porch rail and rounded the side of the house.
Fear coursed through his veins as he made his way as quickly and quietly as possible to the rear of the house.
Sliding close to the back door, he pressed himself close to the wall and waited.
Who were these men, and why
“Don’t move.” She hoped her voice sounded as stern as she wanted it to. As he raised his hands into the air, she took a step farther into the room. “Turn around,” she said sternly. As he did so, she kept her gun trained on his chest.
Stepping sideways, she reached out and flicked the light switch on. Bright light spilled into the room, illuminating the intruder, but with his black mask and clothing, she couldn’t determine any real characteristics other than his build.
“Who are you and what do you want?” she asked forcefully while scanning his body for visible weapons.
A large hand forcefully clamped over her wrists knocking the gun from her hands before twisting her arm behind her back. She was then hauled back against a hard chest as a second hand clamped over her mouth, smothering her scream. The man she’d been facing lunged forward and grabbed the gun she’d lost. He walked to her.
Fear spiked within her as she fought against the other man’s vise-like hold. Fiercely, she fought with as much power and strength as she could muster, but the man holding her was a brick wall. Nothing she did seemed to faze him.
The first man, now holding her gun level with her face, smiled beneath his mask.
Adrenaline rocketed through her as, without thinking, she kicked out and her foot connected with the gun.
A shot ripped through the air as the gun went off. It hit the floor and slid beneath the bed as the man holding it lost his grip on the weapon.
“She’s a wild one.” The voice at her ear sounded rough as she continued her struggle.
“He said she would be,” the other replied. The man in front of her cautiously came forward and, timing her kicks, grabbed her legs then pulled a roll of duct tape from the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt and began taping her ankles together before moving on to do the same to her hands.
“Slap a piece of that on her mouth and let’s get her to the old man. Someone might have heard that shot, and I don’t wanna have to come back and do this again.”
Nodding his agreement, the other man did as he was told and covered her mouth with a thick piece of duct tape.
A million questions raced through her head as she was tossed over the man’s shoulder.
Who was the old man, and why did he want her?
Breathing deeply, Tess racked her brain for ways to get out of this situation but drew nothing more than a blank as she watched the stairs pass beneath her view.
* * * *
Jerking upright in bed, Jack frowned.
“What the hell was that?” He feared he already knew, as this wasn’t the first time today he’d heard that same sound … a gunshot.
“Tess.”
Leaping from the bed, he grabbed his discarded jeans and pulled them on as he stumbled to the dresser. He removed his gun from a drawer and shoved it into the back of his jeans. Sprinting down the stairs, Jack flew out the main door and across the street. Looking up, he noticed her bedroom light was on, and more than one shadow caught his eye. Someone was up there.
Reaching Tess’s front door, Jack twisted the knob and scowled. It didn’t budge. Acting on a hunch, he bent down and lifted the welcome mat. Bingo! Like some, Tess kept a spare key there. Bending down quickly, he removed the key from under the mat. Just as he was about to place it in the keyhole, he stopped as the sound of heavy footfalls sounded in the entry.
Turning to the left, he peeked through one of the door’s side windows.
Two men were coming down the stairs, one holding a bound and gagged Tess over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes; another led the way toward the kitchen and rear exit.
Running, Jack leapt over the freshly-painted porch rail and rounded the side of the house.
Fear coursed through his veins as he made his way as quickly and quietly as possible to the rear of the house.
Sliding close to the back door, he pressed himself close to the wall and waited.
Who were these men, and why
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