Page 29 of Maddox

Where the hell had the lieutenant gone?

The fear was quickly becoming debilitating.

Pop!

The single shot brought a strangled whimper to my lips. As soon as the sound exploded from my mouth, I slapped one hand over my lips. The last thing I needed to do was to draw attention to my location.

What if Maddox never came back? What then? Just try to find a hiding place until morning? Oh, God. This was bad. So bad. The brave face I’d put on before was spiraling out of control.

Panting, I resisted screaming when something brushed against my leg. This was a nightmare. Up to this point, anger had been my only emotion, but now, I felt everything. Every fear I’d experienced since being a child. Every desire for achievement. Every longing for a boy as a teenager, a man as a woman. Every longing to have a family of my own. A single tear slipped ever so slowly past my lashes and I cinched my eyes shut, willing away the sadness.

Falling into despair wasn’t going to do me any good.

Pop!

Shit.

Pop! Pop!

The gunfire came from opposing directions.

Suddenly, the fear erupted into panic, a fight or flight moment. I chose to run, tripping and almost falling several times. The crush of anxiety was the worst I’d experienced, uncontrollable and fueling my actions.

A sudden light from behind ripped a squeal from my gut. Flailing, my vision was foggy from rain, unwanted tears and sheer horror. With my chest heaving, I pressed on, fighting vines and limbs, stumbling over debris and sliding on mud.

“Stop,” the voice said from behind me.

Dark. Earthy. Terrifying.

I continued running, slapped in the face more than once by limbs, screeching when a huge snake dropped right in front of me.

No. No. No! This couldn’t happen.

“Charmaine. Stop.”

Nothing was going to stop me. I had to get away. I had to fight. Fight. Fight!

The rush of air behind me grabbed at every inkling of common sense, the light becoming brighter. I threw a look over my shoulder and immediately stumbled over something in my way. Strong arms grabbed me before I fell, lifting me off the ground.

“No! Get off me.” I pummeled my fists against the assailant, fighting him with everything I had.

“Stop it,” he commanded. “Just calm down.”

“Get off me. Let me go. Please. Just let me go.” The realization of who was holding me slowly started to settle in.

“Ah, fuck this.”

Fingers were wrapped around my throat, my body pressed against a tree. Explosive heat tore through me as I punched and slapped. Everything was a horrible blur.

His face was there, right there. He was…

The thought was shoved aside the moment the beast looming over me crushed his lips down over mine.

The action was shocking, horrible, and I continued to fight.

Until I couldn’t any longer. Jolts of current tickled every nerve ending, every muscle in my body tightening as the sensations became overwhelming.

His scent was dirt and grit, leather and gunpowder, the fragrance wildly intoxicating. As he pushed his tongue past my lips, a series of stars floated in front of my eyes. They weren’t dancing. They weren’t bright. They were just a dull reminder I was alive.

---