Page 32 of Love Undercover
He slid all of the bags onto one arm and trudged up the porch steps to the front door. Jangling the key into the lock and turning was easier than it should have been. The deadbolt usually stuck and took a little finesse. But it made the telltale click that told him it was already unlocked.
He’d instructed her to lock the door behind him. Had heard the deadbolt after she’d slammed her weight into the door to get it to go.
He threw the door open, pulling out his gun as he stepped inside. He dropped the bags onto the counter and moved to sweep through the house, all senses on high alert.
Nothing and no one.
He kept his weapon pointed down and went back outside, searching the ground for unfamiliar tire tracks in the dirt. Nothing but his own, the fresh imprints from his departure and subsequent return scarring the gravel.
Had someone come on foot? He glanced toward the trees, scanning the forest for anything amiss but could find nothing. If someone had come, the most likely direction would be from the town he’d just left. It was the closest and easiest to get in and out of.
He jogged down the steps and veered left, angling northeast.
11
Escape From Kidnap Mountain
Sadie waited exactly five minutes after Chase’s car disappeared down the drive before searching the house for a phone or the computer she’d seen him use the day before. If she could just get contact with the outside world—the police, Fiona, her dad, anyone. Even Roberta. Because then she could apologize for being a no-show at work the last three days.
Oh, cripes, would she get fired over this? Was there an “I was kidnapped” excuse in the handbook for missing work without a call?
Even though she sort of believed Chase, she couldn’t just sit there twiddling her thumbs. But her frenzied search netted zero results, and she groaned in frustration before a new plan formed in her mind.
He’d said the town was six miles northeast. Six miles. She could jog that many in, what, an hour, right? Maybe a little more.She didn’t think it was smart to go sprinting into the forest in wedge sandals, but she could manage a brisk hike, right?
Without another thought, she hurried into the kitchen, rifling through cupboards for a water bottle of some sort. She was fine without food, but she’d need water for her trek. Especially if she accidentally got lost.
She found a cloudy plastic Nalgene in the depths, deciding not to be picky about it not being glass or stainless steel, considering her situation, and filled it, chugging half, then filled it again.
She hesitated only briefly before leaning her entire weight against the door as Chase had instructed so that the deadbolt would slide loose.
A weird sense of guilt washed through her that she was leaving the house with an unlocked front door. It felt so unnatural, but it wasn’t like anyone would randomly come all the way out here and break in, right?
It was a few hesitant steps forward before she shook the sense of responsibility off and took the stairs at a jog and made her way toward the tree line. She pointed herself in the direction he’d indicated as northeast the day before, checking the position of the sun to be sure—though she admitted directions weren’t her forte—before diving into the dim depths of the trees.
They were less tightly packed than they appeared from the outside, but she still had to pay attention to her footing since there was no obvious path and roots rose up out of the ground at unexpected intervals. It made it feel like she had two-by-four blocks strapped to her feet every time she had to navigate the tripping hazards.
Once she got a good rhythm, a surprising peace settled over her as she walked, the sound of her breaths puffing in and out with the exercise muted by the dense trees that surrounded her. The air was cooler since a lot of the sunlight was blocked by the overhead branches.
Mottled patches of light cropped up occasionally, and it helped settle her mind that nothing about the outside world had changed. The sun was still there, reminding her that there was a possibility of normalcy soon.
She was careful not to veer from her path, though she had to weave around some trees that stood in the way, hoping it wouldn’t pull her off track too easily.
When she glanced behind her, she was no longer able to identify any distinction between what lay at her back and what was before her, and she wondered how long she’d been walking, checking her watch belatedly. She mentally berated herself for not looking at the timebeforeshe left. That would have been the smartest move.
Too late now.
The going wasn’t as smooth the deeper she got, so her pace slowed. Initially, she’d figured her journey would take about two hours, but at this rate, it would likely be longer. To cut time, she stopped only a few times for sips of water and to wipe at the sweat beading along her brow before pressing on.
Would Chase have gotten back to the house yet? Would he be mad to find her gone? Resigned? Worried? Maybe she should’ve written him a note, so he would know she’d left of her own free will.
The thought was so absurd. To leave her kidnapper a polite note so he wouldn’t worry. . .
But if what he’d said was true, maybe he’d just let her go. She could go hide out at her dad’s house until this whole thing blew over instead of remaining Chase’s pretend kidnapping victim indefinitely. Surely that would be enough to keep her out of harm’s way.
Or maybe she should go on a month-long European vacation. She’d always wanted to go back.
The cry of a bird above her sliced through the peaceful silence as it took flight, and she jerked at the sound, heart hammering against her ribs as she looked up. It blasted from the branches above her, soaring up through the leaves, taking her attention with it.
