Page 54 of Graced
There was also their present circumstances to consider.Yes, she was terrified of the thought of Welsh getting his hands on her, but she also trusted Rhyne when he told her he’d take care of the man.That he’d keep her safe.How he’d do either of those remained questionable because they both were swimming in untested waters.
Or are we?
She raised her face to stare unseeing out the right side window.Why would Rhyne continue to live with a maniac like Welsh after what the man had done?Although Rhyne hadn’t said as much, she got the impression this wasn’t the first time Welsh had gone loco.If that were true, why hadn’t Rhyne struck out on his own?Or go join some other—what did he call their living arrangements?A nest?Why didn’t he go join some other nest?
A random idea came to her, and she spoke up.“Officer Oldstein?”
The woman glanced back at her via the rearview mirror but didn’t reply.
“Would it be possible to go by the hospital so I can retrieve my purse?”
“It’s still an active crime scene.Until the location is released, you’ll have to do without it.Is there something in it you’re needing?”
A small twinge in her lower abdomen made her grimace.“Well, you see, I’m on my period, and I’m going to need a fresh tampon soon before I embarrass myself.”
Oldstein grinned.“Don’t worry.I’ll see that you get a couple as soon as we arrive at the sta?—”
The impact was hard, loud, and too sudden for the officer to try to avoid.The vehicle shuddered sideways, and the front passenger side window cracked a split second before the air bags deployed.
Grace was thrown across the seat.If she hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt, she could have suffered serious injury.
“Miss!Miss Lockhart!Are you all right?”Oldstein called out to her.
Grace nodded.“Yeah.Shook up and a bit bruised, but I don’t think I’m injured.”
Grabbing her mic, the officer called for help over the radio.“We were struck broadside by a bicyclist.Requesting backup and EMS.”Throwing the mic onto the seat, Oldstein got out of the cruiser and went around to check on the other person.
Grace straightened up and moved over to peer out her window.The policewoman was hunched over a figure lying face down on the street.What remained of the ten-speed was a crumpled heap still leaning against the front passenger side door.Grace wondered what would have happened if the biker had struck the rear passenger side door where she’d been sitting.
A figure suddenly appeared by the car door Oldstein had left open and jumped into the driver’s seat.Turning the key in the ignition, the man put the vehicle in DRIVE and jammed his foot on the gas pedal.As the car jumped forward, the driver’s side door slammed shut.
Grace shrieked as Officer Oldstein dove away to keep from getting run over, but the driver didn’t seem to care.Beating her hands on the screen separating the front and back seats, she screamed at the guy.“Stop!What are you doing?Stooop!”
The stranger ignored her but she knew he’d heard her.
“Where are you taking us?”Grace yelled.“Where are we going?”
This time the stranger looked back at her as they raced down the street but he still refused to answer her.
Grace tried to check out the back window to see if Officer Oldstein was all right.That this guy hadn’t hit her.At the same time, the driver jerked the steering wheel as he made a sharp turn off the main road and headed into a shaded subdivision.
A cell phone rang.The man pulled it from his back pocket to answer it.“Yeah, I got her.”The guy eyed her again.“We’ll be there shortly.”
Grace stared at the man with growing horror.She no longer wondered what the motive was behind the man’s actions.She knew.
All it had taken was a simple diversionary tactic to bring everything crumbling down around her.
But she wasn’t giving up.Not now, not ever.
She’d noticed there were no door handles on the inside where she sat.The button to lower the window didn’t work, either.There was no way to get out.Frantic, she searched the interior for something she could use as a weapon, but obviously the police had made sure nothing of the kind could be used by those in custody.
The driver took another sharp turn, but this time he hit the brakes.Grace nearly crashed head-first into the steel mesh cage.Before the vehicle came to a complete stop, her door flew open.Several pairs of hands grabbed her and tried to pull her out of the car, but her seatbelt kept her firmly secured.
She screamed from the pain until someone realized the belt needed to be released.After a bit of fumbling, the buckle was undone, freeing her, and she was dragged out onto the grass.Another pair of hands lifted her to her feet and half-carried her over to where a car was waiting.They threw her into the back seat, slammed the door, and the vehicle took off.
The whole ordeal couldn’t have lasted more than a full minute.
Panting, her head reeling, Grace lifted her eyes and stared at the man seated beside her.She didn’t recognize him.Neither did she recognize the man sitting on the other side of her.It was clear they were there to make sure she didn’t get away.It wasn’t until she looked at the man in the front passenger seat that her world went black with despair.
