CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Grace held her breath in the back of the SUV. Her cheek ground into the cargo mat. The duct tape over her mouth forced her to control her breathing. She was trussed like a hog, ankles bound, wrists tied behind her back. Her hands and feet were then tied together, pulling her into a slight backbend. The rope was fastened to an anchor in the bed of the cargo area. She could barely move.
The SUV slid, bounced, and bucked. They’d gotten stuck twice and hit several trees. They could have moved faster on foot. Nausea rolled through her belly. She swallowed and breathed through her nose. With her mouth taped, if she puked, she’d choke.
Tears welled in her eyes. The bottoms of her feet still hurt from where Eric had beaten her with his belt. Punishment for resisting, he’d said. Also, bruised feet would discourage running away.
“Give us a hard time, and you’ll learn the meaning of pain,” Sandy had warned.
All Grace wanted was to get home to her daughter. She would do whatever was necessary to return to her little girl.
The SUV slid, then lurched sideways, tossing Grace against the side of the vehicle. Her temple slammed into the plastic. Pain shot through her skull, and her vision swam. Helpless, she squeezed her eyelids shut and focused on her breathing.
“Fuck!” Eric yelled from the driver’s seat.
Grace opened her eyes. Through the rear window, she could see trees all around.
“The edge is right there!” Sandy shouted, fear lifting her voice to near panic. “Get away from it.”
“What do you think I’m doing?” Eric yelled back.
The engine raced. Tires spun. The vehicle shimmied and slid. Another sound carried under the spinning of the tires. Water rushing.
A fresh burst of panic sliced through Grace. The vehicle lurched again. One side dipped lower than the rest. The pull of gravity felt inevitable.
“We need to get out,” Sandy cried. Grace heard something being jimmied. “The door won’t open. The trees ...”
The SUV skidded sideways again. Sandy screamed.
Underneath Grace, the world shifted. The vehicle bucked. The cargo area lurched. Grace slid, her momentum stopped by the back of the rear seats. She couldn’t do anything to save herself. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Riley, I’m sorry.
The SUV bounced and bucked. Eric’s screams joined Sandy’s. Grace’s throat closed with terror. Even if she hadn’t been gagged, she would have been incapable of yelling. The world halted with a sudden impact. She heard the airbags deploy. Dust poofed through the vehicle.
Grace panted through her nostrils. The SUV had stopped nose-down. She’d been tossed onto the back of the rear seats. Pain rocked through her whole body, then numbness. She moved her hands and feet.
She was alive, and her limbs worked. She didn’t feel any broken bones.
Something moved in the front of the vehicle. The SUV dipped. Grace lifted her head. She could see the front seats. Sandy was slumped forward, unmoving. Where’s Eric? Blood and dust from the airbags covered the dashboard.
The sound of water sent a blast of horror straight into Grace’s soul. They’d slid into a creek or river. Grace could barely move, and the vehicle was sinking. She gasped as a wave lapped against the passenger-seat window.