kill him, keep him, or let him go. Keeping two hostages is just asking for trouble, and killing isn’t something to be casual with.”
“I got ya, Tex.” Stupid wasn’t happy about it, but he seemed to be listening. “ ’Course,” Stupid turned to leer at Buddy, “there’re worse things than dying.”
Will almost laughed at Stupid’s perseverance. Instead he just asked them to give him a bit of time to think, then he walked back to the vehicles. Stupid seemed happy to watch over the hostages, and Big tagged along to rally the troops.
He needed paper. Big was right; he had always been good at strategy. ‘Course, X’s and O’s now represented guns and death, so that was new.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
RHIANNON
She didn’t like walking in the dark, surrounded by creepy people she didn’t know, and separated even by a shoulder from Snickers. She’d catch a flash of the whites of the girl’s eyes every time the moon angled through the trees just right, and knew that she was okay. Still, Rhiannon stayed on high alert, maybe because no one spoke directly to them; maybe because she knew they were headed toward the city. As long as they stayed to this side of the river — she could hear it to the right — they were far enough away to have a chance of escaping.
A brief muttering rumbled back through the group. She walked face first into Grunt’s back and smashed her nose. He had stopped suddenly.
Now that she was within reach, Snickers quickly wrapped her unbroken arm about Rhiannon’s neck, and miracle — Grunt allowed the girl to shift off his shoulder and into her achingly empty arms. Not wanting to alarm Snickers further, she attempted to not clutch her, but failed miserably.
Grunt turned sideways, and she realized they had flashlights; she just hadn’t been able see before beyond his bulky back. She had never liked bulky-muscled guys. A long, lean build like Will’s, now that was perfect. Not so tall that you cranked your neck to kiss, but tall enough to feel — protected . Plus guys who obsessed about their bodies were usually assholes, like Grunt, who now grabbed her upper arm and yanked her sideways.
He pulled Rhiannon and Snickers, who was still clinging to her, off the path and through some trees until they came to a small clearing. Here, a few others she hadn’t seen before were guarding a low concrete building. The door was hanging off its hinges, but from violence, not age; the hut-like structure was old but well maintained.
Grunt switched from pulling to pushing her toward the building. She dug in her heels. Why should she go in there? It didn’t lead anywhere as far as she could see.
“Get in, climb down,” Grunt ordered. Three flashlight beams swung to light the inside of the building, and she saw a ladder leading down. Shriller, as if he’d been waiting for this moment his entire life, scampered down the ladder; so she decided it was safer, relative to the current kidnapping at gunpoint, to follow than negotiate.
Setting Snickers down from the perceived safety of her arms was a struggle. She momentarily worried that Grunt would step in and forcefully remove the girl, but he didn’t.
While climbing down, she glanced around the area lit by the flashlights’ beams, and wondered if she’d missed her chance at escaping. She thought this might be a sort of mechanical room, though its location in the middle of a forest seemed very odd. The raised letters on the first rung read: GVRD. As she descended, farther and farther, she realized where this was all heading. They were using the old sewers to move in and out of the city — and, she guessed — under the river.
Fuck .
She wasn’t claustrophobic, but —
She stepped down once more and hit ground. Snickers, who had climbed down after, crawled from the ladder into her arms without touching down.
Rhiannon turned to see Shriller, flashlight in hand, waiting at the opening to one of three tunnels. She’d have to bend in half
“I got ya, Tex.” Stupid wasn’t happy about it, but he seemed to be listening. “ ’Course,” Stupid turned to leer at Buddy, “there’re worse things than dying.”
Will almost laughed at Stupid’s perseverance. Instead he just asked them to give him a bit of time to think, then he walked back to the vehicles. Stupid seemed happy to watch over the hostages, and Big tagged along to rally the troops.
He needed paper. Big was right; he had always been good at strategy. ‘Course, X’s and O’s now represented guns and death, so that was new.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
RHIANNON
She didn’t like walking in the dark, surrounded by creepy people she didn’t know, and separated even by a shoulder from Snickers. She’d catch a flash of the whites of the girl’s eyes every time the moon angled through the trees just right, and knew that she was okay. Still, Rhiannon stayed on high alert, maybe because no one spoke directly to them; maybe because she knew they were headed toward the city. As long as they stayed to this side of the river — she could hear it to the right — they were far enough away to have a chance of escaping.
A brief muttering rumbled back through the group. She walked face first into Grunt’s back and smashed her nose. He had stopped suddenly.
Now that she was within reach, Snickers quickly wrapped her unbroken arm about Rhiannon’s neck, and miracle — Grunt allowed the girl to shift off his shoulder and into her achingly empty arms. Not wanting to alarm Snickers further, she attempted to not clutch her, but failed miserably.
Grunt turned sideways, and she realized they had flashlights; she just hadn’t been able see before beyond his bulky back. She had never liked bulky-muscled guys. A long, lean build like Will’s, now that was perfect. Not so tall that you cranked your neck to kiss, but tall enough to feel — protected . Plus guys who obsessed about their bodies were usually assholes, like Grunt, who now grabbed her upper arm and yanked her sideways.
He pulled Rhiannon and Snickers, who was still clinging to her, off the path and through some trees until they came to a small clearing. Here, a few others she hadn’t seen before were guarding a low concrete building. The door was hanging off its hinges, but from violence, not age; the hut-like structure was old but well maintained.
Grunt switched from pulling to pushing her toward the building. She dug in her heels. Why should she go in there? It didn’t lead anywhere as far as she could see.
“Get in, climb down,” Grunt ordered. Three flashlight beams swung to light the inside of the building, and she saw a ladder leading down. Shriller, as if he’d been waiting for this moment his entire life, scampered down the ladder; so she decided it was safer, relative to the current kidnapping at gunpoint, to follow than negotiate.
Setting Snickers down from the perceived safety of her arms was a struggle. She momentarily worried that Grunt would step in and forcefully remove the girl, but he didn’t.
While climbing down, she glanced around the area lit by the flashlights’ beams, and wondered if she’d missed her chance at escaping. She thought this might be a sort of mechanical room, though its location in the middle of a forest seemed very odd. The raised letters on the first rung read: GVRD. As she descended, farther and farther, she realized where this was all heading. They were using the old sewers to move in and out of the city — and, she guessed — under the river.
Fuck .
She wasn’t claustrophobic, but —
She stepped down once more and hit ground. Snickers, who had climbed down after, crawled from the ladder into her arms without touching down.
Rhiannon turned to see Shriller, flashlight in hand, waiting at the opening to one of three tunnels. She’d have to bend in half
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