Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 72154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
I looked over at her with concern, but I was sure she could tell it was halfhearted at best. I wasn’t doing well at all.
That jump into the pond in Virginia cost me, and now I was dealing with strep throat on top of the cold I’d gotten afterward.
I wasn’t going to make it much farther.
“I think you should call Rafe now.”
I stared at her for a few long seconds, then nodded once. I felt something, too. But my senses were off, and I didn’t want to react if there wasn’t something to actually react to.
Up ahead, I could see Carmen had paused, staring back at us with impatience.
There was no impatience on my face, though, as I placed the phone to my ear after selecting Rafe’s number.
“What do you feel?” I questioned.
She bit her lip. “Honestly?”
I nodded once. Of course, I always wanted honesty from her.
“Sick to my stomach. Like, I’m about to throw up. Each step I take forward, my worry grows. I think we’re heading to that house I told you about with the creepy guy that was standing out front,” she said softly.
Wariness swept through me, and I had to grab on to a tree to keep my feet.
“Why do you say creepy?” I questioned, then held up a finger when Rafe’s voice sounded from the other end of the line. “Rafe?”
She patiently held her reply in, waiting.
“Yeah, I’m gonna send you my location. I need you to come here. Something’s wrong,” I said.
“What’s going on?” Rafe asked.
“Carmen won’t come to me, and each time I get close to her, she runs toward my neighbor’s property. She’s not snapping at me. This is her warning action.”
He made a worried sound in his throat.
I knew that Kayla’s interest had been peaked with what a “warning action” was, but I chose to hold my tongue instead of explaining anything to her.
“She hasn’t done this since she…”
“Since we found her,” Rafe supplied.
“Yeah, since then. Something’s wrong, and now Kayla has a bad feeling. I’m literally about to pass out.”
I looked at Kayla with worry. She was looking at me like I looked really awful.
I bet I did.
Most assuredly.
While we were moving, I had felt okay. Better. But now that we were stopped, my momentum had stopped with me. I felt ready to fall to the ground in exhaustion.
“Yeah. If you can’t find us, keep driving past the house. Kayla thinks we’re headed to the house past mine on the same road.”
Once I ended the call, I went to a text message, and then sent him my location from my phone.
I waited, wondering if we should go any farther, but then Carmen whined.
My eyes went electric as a surge of adrenaline rolled through me.
Then I heard it. The unmistakable, high-pitched ziiinnng of a saw blade.
“Parker?”
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Did you hear that?”
I nodded. Even sick, I missed nothing.
“The neighbor I was telling you about? He was wearing a raincoat.”
I frowned. “Okay…”
“He was wearing rain boots and rain pants, too. And it’s sunny as fuck.”
I looked up at the sky.
She was right.
It was sunny as fuck.
It was also fairly nice out for December. Sixties.
But for him to be wearing a raincoat…something was off.
Something that I was sure wasn’t a good off, either.
“Did he see you?”
She shook her head.
“No. At least I don’t think he did. Carmen and I had been walking along the road, and the man had been facing the house, unaware of what was behind him,” she answered.
Suddenly filled with resolve, I turned to Kayla and said, “Stay here.”
She immediately shook her head. “No.”
“Kayla…”
She shook her head again, more vehemently this time.
“No.”
“You will.”
“I won’t. Listen, Parker. You’re ill. You won’t be able to…”
“I will. I’ve done this more times than you can imagine. Being a SEAL? You have no idea what kind of conditions we had to work in. This is a piece of cake. You, however, are a liability. I can’t see what’s going on while I worry about you.”
With that, I left and knew she wouldn’t follow.
She didn’t want me to go, yes, but she also didn’t want me to have to worry about her.
As I slipped through the trees, I caught up to Carmen, who stayed at my side this time.
She kept looking over at me, expecting me to pass out at any moment.
Which might very well happen.
It wasn’t until I was nearly to the clearing that I started to hear the screams.
Chapter 23
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Life’s a bitch, coffee’s a must.
-Coffee Cup
Parker
Every single one of my instincts screamed at me to make a move, but my knowledge of hostile situations had my common sense winning out over my instincts.
I pulled out my phone and called 9-1-1.
After explaining where I was, I waited.
It was the longest twelve minutes of my life until Rafe came up behind me.