Fate and Destiny by Claire Collins Page A

she didn’t want to go with him?
    Destiny worked in the
kitchen making cheese omelets while coffee brewed. The area was so
small she only needed to look through a few cabinets to find
everything the room held. Her leg mildly ached this morning, and
she could almost walk normally. She wouldn’t be running marathons
anytime soon, but at least she didn’t limp or need to be carried
now.
    Flipping the second omelet,
adding cheese to the top, she glanced over her shoulder at the dog
lying behind her on his side. A spot of red pooled through the
center of the white bandage, but not enough to alarm her. As the
bathroom door opened, she expertly slid the omelet onto a plate
before turning to Andrew.
    “ I think he’s snoring
again.”
    Laughing, she gestured
towards the dog with the skillet in her hand before placing it in
the sink.
    “ Destiny, it’s a truck.”
At the serious tone of Andrew’s voice, Destiny gave him her full
attention. “It’s the same truck I heard the day I found
you.”
    Destiny was confused for a
moment by the controlled panic in Andrew’s eyes as he swiftly
limped towards her, grabbing the rifle from the fireplace mantel
along the way. As his words registered in her head, she trembled,
dropping the plate of eggs and cheese.
    “ No. They can’t be coming
back. No. No.”
    Near whispering, she shook
her head in denial.
    Awakened by the shattering
dish, Shadow sat up, ears pricked, listening intently to the
foreign sounds coming up the distant road.
    Finally reaching her,
Andrew bent down, threw back the rug and lifted the handle to the
cellar.
    “ Honey, don’t panic, but I
need you to get down in the cellar and stay there until I let you
out.”
    Dazed, Destiny maneuvered
around Andrew and onto the first stair of the cellar. She looked
back up at him.
    “ It’s so dark down
there.”
    “ I know, honey, but you
have to stay down there.” He handed her the flashlight from the
drawer. ”Keep the light down and stay in the far corner.” He placed
the rifle in her hands. “Just don’t shoot me okay? Make sure it
isn’t me before you shoot. Your aim might get a lot better in
there.”
    Taking the rifle, she
stepped down another step, glancing back to Andrew.
    Reaching for her, he placed
a kiss on her lips.
    “ It’s okay Destiny. I’ll
take care of everything. But I need you to hurry now.”
    Doing as Andrew instructed,
she moved down the stairs. Reaching the last stair of the cellar,
she looked up and Andrew’s face was the last thing she saw before
the door closed, sealing her in darkness.
    Covering the door with the
rug, straightening it so it didn’t appear suspicious, Andrew
cleaned the broken pottery from the floor. The rumbling got louder
as the truck approached the driveway.
    Shadow hopped to the front
door using his three good legs, alternating between growling and
whining. He wanted out, but Andrew didn’t know what to expect from
the truck heading his way up the mountain road. They might be the
type to shoot first and ask questions later. If they decided he was
a threat or knew anything about them, they would kill him, and no
one would be the wiser for a long time. He could easily disappear
for three months before anyone noticed him gone.
    He straightened out the
quilts and sheet on the bed, and hid Destiny’s clothes. Taking one
last glance around the cabin, satisfied no signs of the woman in
the cellar remained, he sat down in the chair with the remaining
omelet and half a cup of coffee. His stomach was tied in too many
knots to eat, but he mashed it up a little and moved it around so
it looked like he was enjoying his breakfast.
    The truck turned into the
driveway. A few hundred feet to go before they would be at his
cabin.
     “ You are such an
idiot. DeMont was stupid to think you could handle this. Now I
gotta be in the middle of it, trying to clean up the mess you
made.”
    Doug didn’t speak. It was
no use. Arguing with Lenny only made him madder.
    “ Are you sure