Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
RAVEN
C reeping up to the barn, I keep my footsteps light. Even with the gravel beneath my feet, I’m able to remain silent.
The red painted wood of the barn is half gone, weathered away by the elements and time. There aren’t any windows that I can see. The only entrance and exit are the double doors at the front, which are cracked open.
Inching as close as I dare, I peer inside without being seen.
The barn lacks the stalls you would typically expect to find in a barn.
Instead, it’s just one huge room. In the middle, a man is strapped to a chair.
The cut on his cheek and his split lip drip blood down his face and onto his shirt.
A light hangs above his head, doing little to light the barn.
Griffin and Knox stand facing him, so their backs are to me.
“I didn’t even hit him that hard,” Knox claims.
Griffin shakes his head. “I keep telling you that you need to pull your punches.”
The man in the chair raises his head, meeting Griffin’s and Knox’s scrutiny with a glower of his own. He spits a wad of blood, and it lands at their feet.
“Let’s try this again.” Griffin sighs.
Knox balls his fist and punches the restrained man right in the eye. The man’s head thrusts back from the force of the hit and groans.
Griffin dangles a small plastic bag with deep red pills in front of the man’s face. “Where did you get these?”
My hand flies to my mouth, covering the gasp that wants to slip free.
Where did they get those? They look like the pills I saw Dr. Whitlock with. Why do Griffin and Knox have them? Are they dealing with Whitlock as well as those bikers?
A tremor ripples through my muscles, causing my foot to slip and kick the door.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Who’s out there?”
I don’t wait for them to find me out here and run back the way I came. Hopefully, the spiders are gone by now, but I can’t let arachnophobia slow me down.
“Raven!”
Their bellows are accompanied by pounding footsteps on the road. I take a hurried glimpse over my shoulder and find them closer than I would like. I push my stride to lengthen and my feet to hit the ground faster. My arms ache as they swing in time with the movement of my legs.
“Raven, wait!”
The trip back is faster than the one I took out to the barn. The sultry words of Jason Alden radiate from the bar along with hoots and hollers of people having a good time. I give myself a split second to choose between the bar and continuing to run down the road.
Dark and dreary road or crowded bar?
The saying “strength in numbers” still lives on for a reason.
My feet carry me through the parking lot and up the steps of The Wandering Raven. I burst through the door and into the fray of line dancers, people doing shots, and billiards. The revelers enjoying their evening relish in their ignorant bliss.
Benny yells over the raucous partyers, “Raven! You’re finally back! Get over here! I need your help!”
Does Benny know? Does he know what Griffin and Knox do out at their barn? Is he in on it too?
Shaking my head at him, I dash into the hallway, searching for a hiding place.
Bathrooms? Too obvious.
Office? Too close.
A single sliver of light cuts through the wall right next to the office door. The peculiarity draws me closer. I slid my fingers into the crack and pull. The wall peels away easily, revealing a secret door and a hidden descending staircase.
A basement? Should I try hiding down there? Do I have a choice?
My name sails through the air over the carousing of the bar. “Raven!”
Fear propels me forward, closing the door behind me and flying down the stairs.
Reaching the bottom, I’m hit with an atmosphere I didn’t expect to find.
There are people sitting around tables playing cards, and more people crowd a bar off to the right, shouting at the array of televisions hanging on the wall.
Various sports games and entertainment are streaming live on the screens.
My brain can’t even begin to form theories. All I can think is “hide.”
Strolling across the floor to the rambunctious spectators, I act like I’m supposed to be here. I slide through the cheering and shouts and find an empty seat. Tucking my elbows into my sides, I try to make myself smaller. But being a tall woman with hips, that task is nearly impossible.
The man on my right is shouting at a TV with a basketball game, and the man on my left cheers for some type of fighting match on another screen. A few behind me are arguing about the stats for a professional sports player that I’ve never heard of.
A woman in a long-sleeved tee tends the bar like she belongs there.
She stands at the end with her back to me, dealing with a few rowdy customers.
Her small stature is misleading because the attitude and sass she slings all over the place lets everyone know that they shouldn’t mess with her.
There’s something about her that seems familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it.
She approaches me, throwing a towel over her shoulder. “What’re you havin’?”
My eyes comically pop out of my head. “Florence?”
“Oh, howdy there, Raven! Funny seein’ you down here.”
What universe have I landed myself in?
My head spins. “You’re a bartender?”
I peek over my shoulder, looking for Griffin and Knox. They must not have figured out I’m down here because I don’t see them anywhere. Hopefully, they don’t put two and two together at all.
“Sure am. Librarian by day and bartender by night. Just like you.” Her smirk is knowing, but I’m not sure what she knows that I don’t. “Well, no library right now.” She shrugs. “Anything to drink?”
It’s like an out-of-body experience. “I’ll have a vodka tonic, please.” I need to be alert, but not that alert. If I get any more aware of my surroundings, I’ll explode. Maybe I can hide out here for a bit, and when a large group of people leaves, I’ll file out with them.
Florence pours my drink and sets it down in front of me. Without a second thought, I grab it and down it like a shot. The burn hits my throat, and I hold back a cough.
“Rough night?” Florence asks with raised brows.
Wiping my eyes, I set the glass back on the counter. “You could say that.” Another glance tells me I’m still in the clear. I exhale a steadying breath, forcing my shoulders to relax.
Florence rolls her lips inward. “I have a feeling you’re in for the night of your life.”
“What?”
I follow her line of sight to the staircase and spot two identical furious men. They separate, scanning the room. Sitting forward on my stool, I rub my chest. Maybe if I sit perfectly still, I won’t draw their attention…
Dumbest idea ever. I’m not an ostrich burying their head in the sand.
Okay. I need a plan.
I’m faster than they are. I could bolt for the stairs, taking them by surprise.
Is there another option?
No.
Here goes nothing…