Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 631(@200wpm)___ 505(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 631(@200wpm)___ 505(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
She sent out another thank you into the universe when it did and quickly began to spread and smolder. Exactly what she wanted. Lots and lots of smoke.
She waited only long enough to make sure the fire was going strong, then waved her hands to push some of the smoke toward the cabin, doing her best to not inhale it and cough, giving her away, but hoping it would permeate the logs and seep inside.
With a nervous last glance at the spreading fire, she ducked once again around the rear of the cabin where she wouldn’t be spotted if the women rushed out.
Keeping an ear open for any signs of them exiting the structure, she rounded the other side of the cabin nearest the window she had peered into previously. The window closest to their escape path.
With her body pinned tightly to the side, she waited, attempting to slow her harsh breathing, and listened.
Rising slightly, she could just see inside. The oldest of the three was still straddling Rook, his eyes remained pinned shut and it seemed as though the two other women were trying to help Rook rise to the whole fucked-up occasion.
It was probably one time the man was relieved he couldn’t get it up.
Good for him, not so good for the women’s intentions.
Jet had no idea why they’d want to do what they were doing, but the reason didn’t matter. What mattered was getting the man out of there before they succeeded.
A little bit of relief swept through her when she heard, “You smell smoke?”
“Like from the meat smoker?” another one asked.
“No, Tammy, not from the damn meat smoker. Like from a damn fire.”
“That’s usually where smoke comes from,” Tammy responded.
“Like somethin’ burnin’ that shouldn’t be.” The woman whose back was to Jet and was straddling Rook had stopped whatever she was doing. Jet couldn’t tell exactly what it was because the long dress she wore covered the both of them. Jet certainly didn’t want to analyze what she was doing or attempting, either.
Not right now.
The woman on Rook tipped her face up and sniffed loudly. “I smell smoke. Pammy’s right.”
“From your fireplace, Sally?”
“Haven’t needed a fire in the fireplace yet this week.”
“Where’s the smoke comin’ from, then?”
“My guess?” Sally asked. “From outside.”
Holy crap, how long were they going to discuss it before they investigated?
Jet’s relief of them smelling smoke quickly turned to impatience.
Adam was right. The Shirleys weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed.
“Smoker ain’t goin’, neither?” Pammy or Tammy asked.
“Nope. Haven’t smoked anything in a coupla weeks.”
“Maybe we’d better check it out.”
Yes, maybe they’d better. And soon. From where Jet stood, the smell of smoke was strong, which meant the fire was growing even bigger. The only good thing about that would be it would take them longer to put it out, hopefully giving Jet more time to rescue Rook.
“Go out and check,” Sally ordered one of the other women.
Jet ducked around the corner of the cabin as she heard the front door open and a rush of feet heading away from her before a rush of feet returned with an accompanied panicked yell, “Fire! The woods are on fire! The cabin’s startin’ to burn!”
“What the hell?” Sally asked.
Jet couldn’t see shit as she didn’t want to risk looking in the window since it was on the same side as the only door in the cabin.
“You got water up here?”
“No.”
“How the hell are we gonna put it out?”
“Call the men!”
“Whole damn mountain might be burnt down afore they get here. We gotta get the fire out now.”
“Got shovels? Might have to shovel dirt on it.”
“Fire might be too big for that.”
“We gotta try. Pammy, you run down and get some of the men. Tammy, you help me try to smother the fire. Go now. Run, Pammy!”
Jet held her breath as she listened to the scrambling women. When she peered around the cabin she saw one woman running down the dirt lane, not taking the path she and Rook would need to take.
Thank fuck!
She counted another thirty seconds off in her head, then peeked around again, saw no one, and rushed into the open front door of the cabin. She kept her gun in her right hand and her multitool in the other.
“Holy shit,” she whispered as she now saw Rook clearly on the bed. “Holy shit. Holy fucking shit.”
She rushed to the bed, using the small knife on her multitool, carefully cut the cloth tied around his face first, then quickly sawed through the paracord tying his wrists and hands. As she did so, she risked glancing down at him, even though she needed to focus on not accidentally slicing his skin since the cord was so tight it was digging into his skin.
His brown eyes were now open and staring up at her. Even though he was trying to hide it, his panic was clear.