Read Online Worth Saving by G.L. Snodgrass - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: G.L. Snodgrass
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like it. My gut twisted like a wrung out rag whenever I thought about her being out their alone and in some kind of danger while I sat here not knowing if she needed my help.
Margaret led Claire to the girl’s hiding place in a warehouse down by the river. Jenny had never gone back to her apartment after the abduction. She’d been constantly moving around town ever since.
Jenny chose an office on the library’s third floor across from Margaret. The boy’s emptied it and brought up a bed from the department store along with matching furniture. She’d been excited about her new home and attached herself to Hector, shadowing him while he tinkered in the lab below. He was always working on something but swearing her to secrecy about the project.
I was drilling holes into the board ends with the handheld drill when I heard a high pitched scream from the street below. I ran to the ledge, two young men, both about twenty where holding Ellen by the arms. The taller of the two was yelling at her to stop screaming.
My heart jumped into my throat. I knew they could be out the gate and lost into the buildings before I got there. I’d left my bow below; I didn’t need it on the roof. A sense of guilt squeezed my throat as I thought about how scared Ellen must be.
Turning, I grabbed the rope and threw it around a roof mounted air conditioning unit tying a quick bowline knot securing it. Rushing as fast as I could, my mind racing with all of the things that could go wrong, I dropped the rope down the side of the building.
Making sure I had a good grip, I threw my legs over the edge and started to lower myself hand over hand. Ignoring the pain, I let go of one grip just as I grabbed the next hand hold. Thinking about Ellen I griped the rope hard enough to slow my progress and dropped the last fifteen feet, tucking into a ball and rolling as my feet hit the sidewalk.
Springing up, I charged the closest man holding Ellen by the arm, hitting him in the rib cage at full speed. Wrapping up like I’d been taught in Pee Wee football all those years ago. Both of us left our feet and slapped into the pavement with a dull thunk, sliding a good yard or two. I rolled away from the man and sprang to my feet.
My heart raced and my lungs were working like a blast furnace, pumping in and out as fast I could make them. I looked around, seeing a terrified Ellen safely to the side, frozen in place.
The other man was much bigger than his partner and moving towards me with a determined look on his face. Seeing that look, I realized that this was a fight to the death.
A sickening thought ran through my mind, if I failed here, the whole idea behind the community would fail. Pissed off thinking about it, I ran towards the man, surprising him. As he approached, I pulled up short, planted my leg and kicked upwards as hard as I could, catching the man fully in the crotch, the top of my foot ruptured something soft as it made contact.
The big man screamed and dropped to the ground, curling into a ball with his hands between his legs. Totally focused, no sound could have penetrated to register. All I could see was the man’s face; all I could feel was an overwhelming desire to push something through it. Bringing my fist overhand, I put my whole weight behind the punch and felt the satisfying crunch of bone. Elated, I brought my arm back again and again turning the man’s face into a black and blue mush.
I’d still be punching the man but an arm snaked around my throat and pulled me off. As I was being pulled backwards, I threw one last kick into the man’s crotch, a soundless laugh became trapped in my throat when the man groaned.
I grabbed the arm around my throat, pulling it away enough to twist away and face the attacker. Surprised to see the first man, I pushed away, trying to get my bearings. I’d totally forgotten about the other man, so focused on the bigger guy. How could I be so dumb? Gasping for breath I tried to get an
Margaret led Claire to the girl’s hiding place in a warehouse down by the river. Jenny had never gone back to her apartment after the abduction. She’d been constantly moving around town ever since.
Jenny chose an office on the library’s third floor across from Margaret. The boy’s emptied it and brought up a bed from the department store along with matching furniture. She’d been excited about her new home and attached herself to Hector, shadowing him while he tinkered in the lab below. He was always working on something but swearing her to secrecy about the project.
I was drilling holes into the board ends with the handheld drill when I heard a high pitched scream from the street below. I ran to the ledge, two young men, both about twenty where holding Ellen by the arms. The taller of the two was yelling at her to stop screaming.
My heart jumped into my throat. I knew they could be out the gate and lost into the buildings before I got there. I’d left my bow below; I didn’t need it on the roof. A sense of guilt squeezed my throat as I thought about how scared Ellen must be.
Turning, I grabbed the rope and threw it around a roof mounted air conditioning unit tying a quick bowline knot securing it. Rushing as fast as I could, my mind racing with all of the things that could go wrong, I dropped the rope down the side of the building.
Making sure I had a good grip, I threw my legs over the edge and started to lower myself hand over hand. Ignoring the pain, I let go of one grip just as I grabbed the next hand hold. Thinking about Ellen I griped the rope hard enough to slow my progress and dropped the last fifteen feet, tucking into a ball and rolling as my feet hit the sidewalk.
Springing up, I charged the closest man holding Ellen by the arm, hitting him in the rib cage at full speed. Wrapping up like I’d been taught in Pee Wee football all those years ago. Both of us left our feet and slapped into the pavement with a dull thunk, sliding a good yard or two. I rolled away from the man and sprang to my feet.
My heart raced and my lungs were working like a blast furnace, pumping in and out as fast I could make them. I looked around, seeing a terrified Ellen safely to the side, frozen in place.
The other man was much bigger than his partner and moving towards me with a determined look on his face. Seeing that look, I realized that this was a fight to the death.
A sickening thought ran through my mind, if I failed here, the whole idea behind the community would fail. Pissed off thinking about it, I ran towards the man, surprising him. As he approached, I pulled up short, planted my leg and kicked upwards as hard as I could, catching the man fully in the crotch, the top of my foot ruptured something soft as it made contact.
The big man screamed and dropped to the ground, curling into a ball with his hands between his legs. Totally focused, no sound could have penetrated to register. All I could see was the man’s face; all I could feel was an overwhelming desire to push something through it. Bringing my fist overhand, I put my whole weight behind the punch and felt the satisfying crunch of bone. Elated, I brought my arm back again and again turning the man’s face into a black and blue mush.
I’d still be punching the man but an arm snaked around my throat and pulled me off. As I was being pulled backwards, I threw one last kick into the man’s crotch, a soundless laugh became trapped in my throat when the man groaned.
I grabbed the arm around my throat, pulling it away enough to twist away and face the attacker. Surprised to see the first man, I pushed away, trying to get my bearings. I’d totally forgotten about the other man, so focused on the bigger guy. How could I be so dumb? Gasping for breath I tried to get an
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