Soundkeeper by Michael Hervey Page A

purring in Gale’s arms. She couldn’t believe how much better she felt now that she had a friend. She wished she could train it to be an attack cat.
    Suddenly Arnold burst through the door and the kitten shot out of her arms.
    “He’s back!” he said.
    Just like he had before, Arnold unlocked the handcuff and led her to the closet.
    “Just remember, he’ll kill us both if he finds you,” he warned.
    Gale took up her position on the dirty floor, staring under the door. She saw Blondie come inside the fish house, and heard him curse Arnold when he found out the barge wasn’t fixed yet.
    “Then drive your ass to Beaufort and get the part you need!” Blondie thundered when Arnold tried to explain.
    Gale saw Arnold leave the building and Blondie go back outside, then she heard a car start.
    “Get me something to eat,” Blondie yelled, and Gale knew she was not being left alone.
    After hearing and seeing nothing for a few minutes Gale couldn’t stand it any longer. She eased open the closet door and quietly walked over to the window. Blondie was lying on his back on the dock with his ball cap pulled down over his eyes. His chest rose and fell in a regular rhythm.
    The first thing Gale did was examine the pile of wires and junk on the floor. She found a few pieces that looked promising and put them in her pocket. Before she could do anything else she felt someone walking across the wooden planks and hurried back to the closet.
    Gale didn’t get the door to the closet closed fast enough, but apparently Blondie was blinded by walking from the bright sunshine into the dark building and didn’t see her close the door. Once again she resumed her posture of lying on the floor and watching underneath the door. She took the sharp metal lid out of her pocket and clenched it in her hand.
    Blondie scratched himself, burped, and slumped in the reclining lawn chair, the only piece of furniture in the building. He looked far less imposing than she remembered him being. Even though her jaw still ached whenever she moved her mouth she began to think about attacking him.
    Gale could count the days of her life that she had been sick on one hand. She never slept more than six hours a night and always had too many projects going at one time. Ever since she had been a child she knew that life was what she made of it, and she had decided to make the most out of it. She had fought against people who wanted to hurt the land and water for their own profit. She was ready to fight now. As a teenager just out of high school she set sail on a mercy ship for a voyage around the world. By the time most of her friends were starting their sophomore year of college she had delivered babies and held the hands of the dying.
    And now her life was threatened. Gale believed she would rather die trying to escape than suffer abuse at their hands. It had to be now. She couldn’t do anything when she was shackled to the chain. Blondie looked like he was dozing. She might get lucky and make it past him before he realized what was happening. If she could just make it outside, she knew he’d never catch her. She quietly stood and stretched her leg muscles. A muscle cramp now would be fatal.
    While she stretched her quads and calf muscles she remembered the handcuff that was dangling from her left ankle. It would be noisy, banging along the ground as she ran, but she didn’t think that it would make her fall. She was ready.
    On her hands and knees she peeked out under the door once again. Blondie was still in the lawn chair. One arm was hanging limply beside him and his mouth was wide open. She stood and began to open the closet door as quietly as she could. Just when the door was opened wide enough for her to see out of, it creaked loudly on its hinges. Blondie stirred from his sleep and Gale froze in place.
    After minutes that seemed like hours, and aged her in years, Blondie appeared to drift back to sleep. Just when she was ready to try to open the door a