"I'm right here, you coward," she yelled. He smiled in satisfaction and his direction changed. Refusing to stand there and make it easy for him, she knew she had to lead him away from all the innocent people – away from Chad.
She turned and started sprinting toward the road. She moved in a zigzag pattern, like she'd been taught to do if someone was chasing after her with a weapon. She ran faster than she'd ever thought she could.
She heard the thundering footsteps behind her and knew he was gaining speed. She thought she heard Chad cry out for her, but she knew it had to be her imagination. She wanted him to be alive so badly, she was starting to imagine his voice. It was in those terrifying moments of fight or flight that she realized how much she was falling for Chad.
He'd managed to seep into her life without her permission. He was protective and loyal, stubborn and charming, strong, yet gentle. Please be okay, she silently cried.
Bree heard the squealing tires only seconds before a hand clamped around her waist. Maybe it was Chad, maybe he hadn't gotten hurt. She knew better, but she had to hold onto hope.
There was a creaking sound as a sliding door was thrown open, then she felt her body flying upward as she was roughly shoved inside the moving vehicle. Through terror filled eyes, she looked at the three men, all wearing black masks and smiling in triumph.
She opened her mouth to scream, when a filthy hand was slammed across her lips. She automatically gagged from the vile taste of the disgusting fingers on her. She had to fight to not throw-up. She began shaking uncontrollably as she realized the hopeless situation she was in.
Chad was probably dead. She was being kidnapped to be taken, who knows where, and she may never get to see her family again. What a fool she'd been thinking she was invincible. She should've listened to her father.
Bree refused to give the men the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She glared at each one of them as the vehicle quickly sped down the road. Each mile they traveled, she knew the chances of rescue became increasingly more difficult.
One of the men gripped her hair and yanked her head back, a leering smile on his face.
"I'd love to have a little taste of you," he said, his eyes filled with lust. She shuddered, realizing there were worse things than death.
"Pete, knock it off. You know the orders," another guy growled. Pete looked at her with frustration. She had a feeling if it were just the two of them, she'd be in a much worse situation than she already was.
Pete leaned closer and inhaled the scent of her hair. She pulled her head back as much as she could, with his hand still gripping her hair, and spit in his face. She'd rather he punched her than lay his lips anywhere near her. His eyes widened in rage and she thought she may have just run out of time.
"Enough," another man shouted. She felt another hand press over her mouth, but this one was holding a cloth. Suddenly the world started turning black and her last thought, before passing out, was how she hoped Chad made it out alive.
Chapter Six
Chad struggled to his feet. His shoulder was on fire, but it looked like the shot had gone right through. He quickly cleared his mind and refocused, knowing he had to get to Bree. His wound was forgotten as he did a search of the parking lot.
He turned in time to see a couple of burly men haul her into a large black van and tear down the street. He jumped into her car and threw the keys in the ignition, only to come up with nothing. He cranked the key, and again nothing.
Chad slammed his fist into the dashboard, causing a huge crack, and a curse to fall from his lips. The bastards had dismantled the engine. How could he have been so stupid? They'd walked right into a trap. He was trained to avoid these kind of situations. The lack of any activity over the past month had made him grow lax in his job – that and the fact he was falling for Bree.
He would find a way to get her back. He'd done this a million times over on missions. He briefly thought about hot-wiring the car next to him, but the kidnappers were long gone. He was better off calling for help.
Chad grabbed a sweater from her back seat and compressed his wound. He didn't have time to pass out and he would if he lost too much blood. Next, he made a phone call to George Anderson. He wasn't looking forward to the other man answering.
George picked up on the second ring, and was dead silent as Chad filled him in on the situation. He didn't have time for long explanations – he had to locate Bree and ensure her safe return.
"I need a ride now. I have a plan," Chad said with authority in his tone.
"You'll have a ride in twenty minutes," George said before disconnecting the line. Chad laid his head against the back of the seat and waited for his ride, frustration radiating from him.