Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Gunter laughs and then his two brothers join in. After a beat, he shakes his head and says, “We’ll take the girl as trade.”
Silence befalls us aside from the wind sending leaves scattering past us.
“No,” Dan clips out, quickly losing his cool. “She’s a child, you animal. Not a piece of property.”
“Small price to pay,” Mike says as he peers past us to look at Hailey. “One less mouth for you all to feed. I don’t see the problem.”
Jesse steps forward until he’s a few feet away from the trio. His shoulders are tense as he hisses, “You heard the man. Not happening. Get back in your redneck trucks and leave us the fuck alone.”
“Jesse,” I warn under my breath.
Leave it to my brother to add fuel to a flame rather than trying to put it out.
“Jesse,” Gunter mimics, poking the business end of his shotgun at my little brother. “Listen to your buddy there. Your mouth’s writing checks your ass can’t cash.”
Jesse sneers at him. “I don’t know what the fuck that means, but I’m not scared of you.”
Gunter lifts the end of his gun and points the barrel in Jesse’s face. My heart stops pumping blood as I try to suck in air.
I did not just get my brothers back to lose one of them to stupidity.
“In case you folks hadn’t noticed,” Gunter says, tobacco-tinged spittle flying over Jesse, “the old world’s over. In this new world, we’re all doing what we can to survive. Thieving fuckers like you aren’t going to last long.” He nods to Mike. “Go get our payment.”
These monsters aren’t seriously going to kidnap a teenage girl, are they? With no weapons against their three, we’re outgunned and in a losing position here.
“Please,” Dan begs, “don’t do this. She’s only fifteen.”
Gunter chuckles. “Always did like ’em young. Why the wife left me, too.”
Mike stalks over to where Hailey is holding on to her little brother. Wayne, Gerry, and Kyle are all gaping, wide-eyed, and appalled, but making no moves to intervene. However, they’ve strategically put themselves in front of Elise and Hope, hiding them. Aaron and Kellen are gone.
What the hell?
“Man, you can’t just take her,” I grit out, finding my voice. “We’ll give you your shit back. Happy?”
Jesse is tense, ready to fight, but he’s not as stupid as he seems. Knowing he has a shotgun in his face, he keeps quiet, even as Hailey screams at Mike to stay away.
Dan starts for them, but then Nicky is on him, swinging his rifle and nailing him in the back of the head. He crumples to the ground with a pained groan. Judy begins sobbing and begging, torn between helping her husband and rescuing her daughter.
We have to do something.
But what?
How?
Mike wrestles with Hailey, dragging her past her parents and Jesse and me to where his brothers stand. He playfully kisses her neck like this is all some big fucking game.
Jesse curses up a storm but remains in place.
“Like I said,” Gunter bites out to anyone who’ll listen. “New world. New rules. In this town, there ain’t many people left, which means we’re in charge. Women are the new currency around here.”
Bile creeps up my stomach. Is this guy for real right now? We have a tsunami and a few sinkholes around the world and suddenly it’s a lawless free for all?
“Please,” Hailey begs, fat tears streaming down her cheeks. “Mom! Dad! Help me!”
Nicky discharges his weapon at the earth beside Dan’s head, making everyone jump. “Don’t fight it, pretty girl, or your daddy’s gonna pay the price.”
Hailey freezes, mouth gaping in horror. She doesn’t fight her captor, aside from a full-bodied tremble, even when he crudely gropes her over her shirt. Jesse is tense, ready to charge at Mike, but if he tries, I’m certain Gunter will spray the forest with his brain.
What the hell do we do?
We can’t let them take her. They’ll rape her and God only knows what else. But I can’t let my brother eat buckshot for breakfast for her either.
It’s then I see movement behind the men.
Someone darts past the trucks, crouched low. Another someone follows after. I know the two someones. It’s Aaron and Kellen. Do they have a plan? Will it result in Jesse getting his head blown off?
“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” Gunter says, glowering at my little brother, but speaking to all of us. “This sweet girl is gonna pay the price for your theft. And because I’m gentleman as fuck, I’m not going to defile her in front of y’all. Consider this the ‘kindness’ you think you’re owed.” He tilts his head to the left. “We’re going to get into the trucks and leave with our prize. But if you follow us or steal from us again, we’ll put you all down like dogs.”
Hailey, resigned to her fate, sobs and drops her head. Mike grins, nuzzling his nose into her hair. I’m disgusted and powerless to do anything to help her.