Alone and Afraid (Rocky Mountain Home Series Book 1) by Elizabeth Sherry

she might have made a big mistake calling him yesterday and setting up this meeting.  The last time she spoke to him, before yesterday, was from the sheriff’s office, after she gave her statement.  She promised to call again when it was safe.  That was almost a week ago.  She felt enough time had gone by that now it was safe.  One of the rules here was no phone calls, period.  She knew it was for everyone’s safety, but she didn’t see any harm in calling him.  He only wanted to see her and make sure that she was all right.  He wouldn’t compromise the safe house, even if he knew where it was, which he didn’t. She made plans to meet him a short distance from the barn the next afternoon, which was now, today, during her break.  And if she were lucky, no one would find out.
    It was hard for her to act normal when her stomach churned.  She felt guilty deceiving Dani, Erica, and the other women here, as she found herself constantly watching the clock, counting down the time until her next break.
    The time finally came, and she rushed to retrieve her coat and then walked out of the barn.  She took off running toward the forest on the left side of the barn.  It was hard to run in afoot of freshly fallen snow, but she made good time.
    He wasn’t there yet, and though it was against the rules, she lit her cigarette and smoked.  She had smoked two and was in the process of lighting a third, when a hand came over her mouth.
    “You scream and you’re dead.  Is that understood?” He said in a very deep voice next to her ear.
    She nodded her head, though she was almost too terrified to move.
    “I’m going to remove my hand and you won’t make a sound except to answer my questions.  Do you understand?”  The voice spoke into her ear again.  And again, she nodded her head.
    “Do not turn around, just stand perfectly still and you won’t be hurt.  If you try to scream or run, I will kill you.  Is this completely clear?”
    She was too terrified to answer, but when he pulled her head back , and she saw the blade of the knife, she nodded uncontrollably.
    She stood as still as a statue, wondering who this person was.  He wasn’t the man she was scheduled to meet.  Before her thoughts took her any further, he asked, “Where is she?  Where is Karen?”
    She knew she was in serious trouble, but she was not going to give out information that would harm any of the women here.  So she said, “I don’t know any Karen.”
    She felt the knife slice through her coat sleeve, but before she could cry out, he covered her mouth again.  She felt the blood running down her arm as the tears ran down her face.  She tried to remember some of the self-defense moves that Dani and Erica taught at the safe house, but her mind was almost as frozen as her body.
    “I will ask you again, and this time you will tell me what I want to hear.  Where is Karen, and where is the safe house?” he snarled.
    She tried to recall what to do in this situation, but realized that she hadn’t paid very close attention in class.  Again, she said that she didn’t know any Karen.
    This time, she felt the knife slice her leg, and she almost crumbled.  If he hadn’t pulled her up, she would’ve hit the snow covered ground.
    “This is your last chance.  Where is she?”  He whispered next to her ear.
    When he removed his hand in order for her to answer, she made a pitiful move to backhand him in the face with her fist and was set to run, but he recovered in a flash and as he turned her to face him, he plunged the knife into her chest.  Her last thought, as she fell to the ground, was of the mountain angels.
    He didn’t even try to hide his crime.  He left the way he came and vowed to find Karen. He was going to teach her a final lesson on what happened when someone tried to leave him.  He also planned to teach an even bigger lesson to the ones who helped her leave him.
     

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