Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“One was at me, but he missed.” I let out a gasp. “Not sure about the second.” Bam slings the rope that was just around my legs and hands over his shoulder.
“What’s that for?”
“We need to tie up the old man.” He hands me the gun. “Take this. You stay here while I go search for your dad.”
“I’m coming with you.” I grab the front of his shirt, fisting it. “I don’t want to use this thing.” There is no way in hell I’m leaving his side. He better get used to it because I’m about to become a stage five clinger.
He nods. “Fine. But you stay behind me, and you listen to my directions. If I tell you to run, you do it.” He grips my chin, looking straight into my eyes. “I don’t care what’s happening. You run. You got it?” I may be nodding my head in agreement, but there’s no way in hell I’ll be leaving Bam in danger. “Hold on to the gun.”
“Bam. What if something happened…” I can’t even finish my sentence without getting choked up.
“Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”
“Okay.” I believe him. Bam has never let me down, and I know he never would if it were in his control.
“Come on, rebel.” I lift my chin and put my shoulders back. He gives me a soft smile, then nods toward the door, and I go out behind him. I’d follow him anywhere.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
BAM
Mr. Patton is motionless in the dirt. I take him by his legs and drag him over to the porch. He wakes up halfway there and starts wriggling.
“Rebel, shoot this dumbass in the head if he moves anymore.”
Josie pumps the shotgun, the clink of the metal sliding over metal rings loud in the evening. Mr. Patton immediately falls still. Without the old man moving, it’s easy work for me to get his body next to the porch. Quickly, I fasten his legs to a footing and secure his hands behind his back, and we leave him lying face down in the dirt. It’s possible he could get away, but it’d be hard.
I retrieve the gun from Josie and hand her my phone. “There’s no service out here, but your dad was going to come in from the west. Maybe when we’re closer, service will pop up, and we can call him.”
“I was just getting used to the gun,” she jokingly complains but flips to her contacts and gets her dad’s number ready to dial.
“I was surprised you knew how to chamber the shell.”
“My dad taught me. You can’t have guns in the house and not have everyone know how to use them. It’s a safety issue.”
We start toward the tree line. Josie holds her phone up, swings around, curses under her breath, and then I hear a yelp. “I have a bar. Two of them!”
She presses the dial button. I try to filter out all the sounds of nature to listen for a ring. At first, all I hear is wind, chirping of birds, and some crickets, but then, to my left, there’s a mechanical human-made noise. Josie must have caught it before me because she’s running in that direction.
“Be careful,” I yell. “There may be traps.”
Josie slows up. When I reach her, she’s found a long stick which she uses to tap the ground in front of her.
“This is going too slow.”
“He’s not far off. The ring is closer.”
“Dad! Dad!” she yells.
“I’m here,” we hear in return. “Be careful! There are traps!”
Josie heaves a long sigh but continues to tap while shouting, “You okay? Are you hurt?”
“Not bad. Just some bruised pride.”
We’re close enough now that we see him, caught up above our heads in a net. He’s curled up in a ball, but his left leg is stuck at a weird angle. Josie lets out a cry and drops the stick as she rushes forward.
“Dad, Dad, your leg,” she wails.
“It’s okay, Josie baby. It’s just a little sprain.”
More like a break. I lean the gun against the tree trunk and start shimmying up. “You got a knife, sir?”
“Yeah, but it fell out of my pocket.”
“I found it.” Josie runs over. I reach down and tuck it into my boot.
“You’re going to have to start carrying a weapon,” Abe jokes. His voice is weak and reedy. Sweat is dotting his forehead. He’s in real pain.
“I’ll just stick close to you and borrow yours when necessary.” When I reach the branch the net is hung on, I ease myself out just far enough to be able to start sawing at one side.
“Why not just attack the knot?” Abe suggests.
“Because we don’t want you crashing down and breaking your back. I’m going to cut away enough rope to loosen the net, and then you can let yourself down gently.”
“I’ll catch you, Dad,” Josie calls from the ground.