Page 48 of Reacher
Why wouldn’t he contact me? How could he just write me off like that?
More people had started to fill up the waiting area, so I moved my bag from the bench beside me, just as a man in a suit approached. He sat down beside me, nodding his thanks, andthen he leaned back. I felt like he was looking right at me, and he was sitting too close for my liking.
“Alicia Hart?” I frowned, turning to look at him. He looked too well dressed to be anyone I’d know. What if they’d sent some assassin after me? Was that something bikers would do? I had no idea, but they’d kidnapped me and interrogated me, so what did I know? Was it the others I was running from? Had they found me now? I looked away from the guy’s unnerving stare, and focused on the other people milling around us. Could I call for help?
“Sorry, pal. Wrong person.”
He laughed quietly. “It wasn’t really a question, lady. I know exactly who you are, and I’d like you to come with me please.”
I shifted to the very edge of the bench.
“I can’t. I have a train to catch.”
He moved faster than I would have imagined, plucking the ticket from my hand, and tearing it in two.
“Not now, you don’t.”
“How dare you! You prick!” I stood up, looking for security, or for any damn person who could help me. Someone, anyone, please!
“Ms Hart, you need to come with me now.”
My god. I was about to be snatched from a busy train station, and nobody even gave a shit. I opened my mouth to scream, and was silenced in an instant, when someone else stepped up on my other side, and jammed something into my back. It had to be a gun. It wasn’t stabbing me, so it clearly wasn’t a knife.
“My god, who are you people?”
The first guy just grinned at me.
“We’re your ride home, love. Just do as we say, and everything will be fine.” I doubted that very much. I moved with them, like I was planning to obey, and the second we moved in among the crowd, I made my move. I ducked down low, moving the gunfrom my back, and thrust my elbow back, aiming for the guy’s nuts.
I’m not sure if I hit him or not, but he grunted, and staggered back a little. I made a run for it, trying to fight my way through the crowd, but a fist grabbed my hair, and dragged me back.
“Will you settle the fuck down, bitch?” Again, everyone around us was either oblivious, or pretending to be so. What a fucked up world we live in.
I let them lead me to a car park, heading for, I assumed, the dark vehicle with tinted windows up ahead, and then I made a last attempt for freedom. I had no idea who they were, or where they were taking me, but it wouldn’t be good. There was something threatening about them, even before they’d taken me captive, and I didn’t want to stay under their control.
I turned and slammed my bag into the face of the guy holding my arm, and knocked him back, and then I turned to run. I made it about four steps, before someone else caught hold of me, and I took a firm backhand to the face.
“One more fucking try, and I’ll knock you out. Got it, bitch? They never said you had to be in good condition.”
I held a hand over my throbbing cheek, spitting out blood on my way back to the car.
“You pathetic piece of shit. Does it make you feel tough, beating up on women? Probably just trying to cover for the fact you have a tiny dick, I bet.”
“I’ll fucking shut you up, if you say one more word. Boss, did they say she had to be conscious?”
The guy who’d taken my bag to the face was sporting a cut lip, and a severely pissed off expression.
“Alivewas all I heard, Rico.”
His response, apart from a nasty grin, was to slam my head against the car as he reached it.
Reacher
Ipacedmyoffice,waitingfor some sign of things improving. Some sign of hope. If they could just find Alicia for me, I wouldn’t let her out of my damn sight again. If I had to tie her down until she agreed to stay, that was what I’d fucking do.
“Anything?” I blurted the word as soon as Stitch let himself into the room, but he shook his head.
“Still waiting. You eaten anything?”
