action.”
Accepting meant working in the garden with Seth now without having to involve herself in Jet’s scheme—maybe even enjoy the decent meal she’d promised. Perhaps, before time was up, Carrie could find a way out of the whole mess. Or, she could say no right now and be done with it.
Chapter Ten
Hmm, a month or so? Carrie pondered the offer. She gnashed her teeth. Only a fool would pass up an opportunity like this out of fear. A lot could happen in thirty days. Experience had proven that. One day she was minding her own business and the next she checked into Hotel Hell as an inmate.
“Okay, I’ll help you.” Bravado took control and she answered before her brain had a chance to process the pitfalls.
Jet stood and offered her hand. “Great. Let’s shake on it.”
Carrie swallowed hard, rose from sitting on the cell floor and locked palms with her. She prayed she hadn’t made a deadly mistake, but warm thoughts of blue eyes and dark hair tempered her fears. Seth’s handsome face drifted through her mind. “So, when do I get to start working in the garden?”
Cocking her head, Jet cast a curious glance at Carrie. “What, no questions about what you have to do? Don’t you care who the intended target is?” She plopped on her bunk, drew up her bare foot and scratched the bottom of it. “Don’t’ forget garden duty is an advance reward for doing a job, so you’d better not think about crossing me.”
Carrie’s throat thickened. Wasn’t backing out of the deal exactly what she planned to do?
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She pushed the lie around a choking lump, fearing a tremble in her voice might give her away. “It’s… it’s just I’m so anxious to get outside these walls for a change.” Her stomach churned. She’d never been a very good liar, but her words weren’t entirely untrue.
Jet laughed. “You act like you’ve been here forever.”
“It seems like I have.” Carrie moved to the sink and ran her brush through her hair. She avoided looking Jet in the eyes for fear the woman might be able to see through her deception, but a blurred image in the shiny metal wall mirror stared over Carrie’s shoulder. Fingers bit into the flesh of her upper arm.
Jet spun her around. “I meant what I said, Lang. This isn’t a game to me. You play along or you’ll end up in a body bag.”
Words whirled through Carrie’s brain but she couldn’t respond. How could someone of equal size and weight be so intimidating? Fighting had never been Carrie’s choice in dealing with problems; she wasn’t sure she even knew how. She simply nodded and tried to smile. “I-I understand.”
As if a new day had dawned, Jet’s mood changed. She smiled and patted Carrie’s shoulder. “How about tomorrow?”
“That soon?” A shudder passed through Carrie. “But, I thought you said I’d have a month.”
“I meant start working in the garden, you idiot.”
“Oh.” Carrie released a pent up breath, feeling her muscles relax. Her heartbeat slowed. “I misunderstood.”
“Would you rather wait?” Jet tilted her head.
“No! Tomorrow is fine with me.”
* * * * *
Carrie woke to the usual sounds and smells of breakfast being served. She caught a fleeting glimpse of Ogden in the hallway as the guard waddled out of sight It was unusual to see her this early in the morning. Memories of what the day held flooded back and Carrie smiled. Even seeing the wicked witch couldn’t dim her glee. Today began her gardening duties and, more importantly, spending time with Seth.
She pushed herself into a sitting position and noticed a change of clothes folded on the edge of her bunk. It wasn’t laundry exchange day, and the pants and shirt were the wrong color. “Hmm?” She picked them up.
Leaning over the bunk’s edge, she peered down at Jet who was engrossed in a magazine. “Do you have any idea where these clothes came from?” She dangled them in the air.
“Ogden brought them.”
Accepting meant working in the garden with Seth now without having to involve herself in Jet’s scheme—maybe even enjoy the decent meal she’d promised. Perhaps, before time was up, Carrie could find a way out of the whole mess. Or, she could say no right now and be done with it.
Chapter Ten
Hmm, a month or so? Carrie pondered the offer. She gnashed her teeth. Only a fool would pass up an opportunity like this out of fear. A lot could happen in thirty days. Experience had proven that. One day she was minding her own business and the next she checked into Hotel Hell as an inmate.
“Okay, I’ll help you.” Bravado took control and she answered before her brain had a chance to process the pitfalls.
Jet stood and offered her hand. “Great. Let’s shake on it.”
Carrie swallowed hard, rose from sitting on the cell floor and locked palms with her. She prayed she hadn’t made a deadly mistake, but warm thoughts of blue eyes and dark hair tempered her fears. Seth’s handsome face drifted through her mind. “So, when do I get to start working in the garden?”
Cocking her head, Jet cast a curious glance at Carrie. “What, no questions about what you have to do? Don’t you care who the intended target is?” She plopped on her bunk, drew up her bare foot and scratched the bottom of it. “Don’t’ forget garden duty is an advance reward for doing a job, so you’d better not think about crossing me.”
Carrie’s throat thickened. Wasn’t backing out of the deal exactly what she planned to do?
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She pushed the lie around a choking lump, fearing a tremble in her voice might give her away. “It’s… it’s just I’m so anxious to get outside these walls for a change.” Her stomach churned. She’d never been a very good liar, but her words weren’t entirely untrue.
Jet laughed. “You act like you’ve been here forever.”
“It seems like I have.” Carrie moved to the sink and ran her brush through her hair. She avoided looking Jet in the eyes for fear the woman might be able to see through her deception, but a blurred image in the shiny metal wall mirror stared over Carrie’s shoulder. Fingers bit into the flesh of her upper arm.
Jet spun her around. “I meant what I said, Lang. This isn’t a game to me. You play along or you’ll end up in a body bag.”
Words whirled through Carrie’s brain but she couldn’t respond. How could someone of equal size and weight be so intimidating? Fighting had never been Carrie’s choice in dealing with problems; she wasn’t sure she even knew how. She simply nodded and tried to smile. “I-I understand.”
As if a new day had dawned, Jet’s mood changed. She smiled and patted Carrie’s shoulder. “How about tomorrow?”
“That soon?” A shudder passed through Carrie. “But, I thought you said I’d have a month.”
“I meant start working in the garden, you idiot.”
“Oh.” Carrie released a pent up breath, feeling her muscles relax. Her heartbeat slowed. “I misunderstood.”
“Would you rather wait?” Jet tilted her head.
“No! Tomorrow is fine with me.”
* * * * *
Carrie woke to the usual sounds and smells of breakfast being served. She caught a fleeting glimpse of Ogden in the hallway as the guard waddled out of sight It was unusual to see her this early in the morning. Memories of what the day held flooded back and Carrie smiled. Even seeing the wicked witch couldn’t dim her glee. Today began her gardening duties and, more importantly, spending time with Seth.
She pushed herself into a sitting position and noticed a change of clothes folded on the edge of her bunk. It wasn’t laundry exchange day, and the pants and shirt were the wrong color. “Hmm?” She picked them up.
Leaning over the bunk’s edge, she peered down at Jet who was engrossed in a magazine. “Do you have any idea where these clothes came from?” She dangled them in the air.
“Ogden brought them.”
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