Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 85183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
He spins away from me so quickly I barely manage to stay upright. He raises the gun in front of him and pulls the trigger. The loud bang echoes around the room and Caleb's body falls to the ground. I scream as a pain like no other rips through my chest. Caleb's lifeless eyes stare at the ceiling, a trail of blood streaming from the small bullet hole between his eyes. All I can hear is the sound of my own screams. He killed Caleb. He killed Caleb.
It's been five days, and I've already killed nine of Joe's guys. Not one of them has given me what I want. Each time I put a bullet in one of their heads, I feel my control slipping. I haven't slept in days, and as I stare at the road, my vision begins to blur. I drift off for a second, coming back to when the tires bump over the ridges of the shoulder.
"Shit, let me drive would you," Marney groans. "I don't want to die in a car crash."
I pull over to the side of the road, and we trade seats. Moments after he pulls back onto the highway, I fall asleep.
"You can't save her," he laughs. "You're too late."
I can't see anything. I'm forced into a room where Tor is lying in a pool of blood. She's completely naked¸ bruises and cuts all over her. My heart drops into the pit of my stomach, and I fall to my knees in front of her.
"Don't worry, she was thoroughly used before I killed her," Joe says just before he places the cool metal of the gun against my temple. I close my eyes, waiting for the gun to go off. I want it to. I deserve this because I failed her. I feel the pressure lift away from my temple, and Joe makes his way around, squatting in front of me.
His lips curl up into a sadistic grin. "I wouldn't kill you if my life depended on it because knowing I did this right here to you," he points at her body, "is far more satisfying."
I startle awake, my skin damp with sweat. The sun is starting to go down, and Marney's still driving. He glances over at me and points down to the floorboard. "You missed a call."
I pick the phone up, and there's a voicemail. My hand trembles as I press the phone to my ear and listen.
The first thing I hear is Joe snickering. "Your little brother wanted so badly to be the hero, but he's more stupid than I thought." My stomach flips and turns, adrenaline scorching through my jugular. I sling the phone onto the floor. How the hell did he get Caleb? I slam my fists over the glove box, my heart pounding. "Joe has fucking Caleb!" I growl through clenched teeth.
There's a tense moment of silence. Marney wipes his hand over his mouth and nods, as he floors the accelerator. "We gotta make the next one talk, Jude. You're gonna have to hold your shit together long enough to make him talk."
An hour later, we're walking up to the front of a two-story, brick house with rifles held by our sides. The irrigation system unexpectedly cuts on, and Marney jumps. "Shit," he mumbles and inhales.
The flood light flickers on as we climb the stairs. When we reach the top, Marney presses his back to the side wall and cocks the gun. I can hear the muffled noise of a television. I ring the doorbell and wait. A shadow appears behind the frosted glass door, attempting to peer out, and, well, they are just taking too damn long. I quickly raise the gun, aim at the person's shoulder and shoot through the glass. The glass shatters and falls in sheets to the ground as the person on the other side collapses.
"Well, hell, Jude," Marney groans, shaking his head as he reaches through the broken glass and unlocks the door. "Just got ants in your pants, don't ya, boy?"
Kicking the door the rest of the way in, I shout, "I'm in a fucking hurry, Marney. I don't have time to wait around for shit." Glass crunches beneath my boots as I make my way inside.
The guy leans against the railing to the stairwell; his hand clutched at his shoulder. There's a bright red patch soaking through his shirt. A pistol lays in his lap, and he's attempting to load it with one hand. I lean over and snatch it from him. His gaze trails over my body, and when it lands on my eyes, his face quickly washes white.
I smirk at him. "Yeah, I'd be afraid if I were you too," I say, tucking his pistol into the waist of my jeans. "You gonna make this easy, or am I going to have to torture you?" He swallows and opens his mouth, but no words come out. "Fucking torture it is..." I say as I jerk him to his feet. My mind floods with images of what Joe is doing to Tor and Caleb. Those thoughts force my jaw to clench, and I bring his face inches from mine, staring coldly at him. "Where the fuck is Joe Campbell?"