Burn Out by Traci Hohenstein

be
simple, but luxurious. A single man’s go-to dinner. Steak on the
grill, buttered baked potato, and a salad.
    He marinated the steak with some brown
sugar, soy sauce and other spices and placed it in the fridge. He
grabbed the potatoes and washed them in the sink, scrubbing the
skin with a vegetable brush. Grabbing a dish towel, he dried them,
poked a few holes in the skin with a fork, and wrapped them in
aluminum foil to place on the grill with the steaks. Then he took
some time to tidy up the place. His date was waiting for him and he
wanted it to look good.
    He lit some candles, which smelled
like apples and cinnamon, and placed them throughout the small
living area. He started a fire in the fireplace, taking pleasure in
hearing the crackle of the fire, and he fluffed the pillows on the
couch and straightened the afghan his mom had made.
    Glancing at the kitchen clock – a
black cat with a swinging tail – another gift from his mother – he
realized it was almost time for his date. He brought his suitcase
in from the truck and took a shower, relishing the fact that in
just a couple of hours he was going to be reunited with the love of
his life.
     
     

Chapter Seventeen
    Lake Juniper, Thursday
night
     
    She was being held in some dark
room that had a damp and earthy smell. She was pretty sure today
was Thursday, but it was hard to tell because there was no light to
keep track of the days and nights. And “the asshole,” as she liked
to call him, took away her watch and other jewelry when he
kidnapped her.
    She looked at her surroundings.
There were a couple of small Coleman battery-operated lanterns –
“the asshole” warned her she shouldn’t keep on all the time because
once the batteries were gone, they were gone – an army surplus cot
with a moldy smelling blanket and pillow, and a makeshift toilet.
The toilet was basically a bucket for her to take a piss in. She
also had a cupboard with a couple loaves of bread, some peanut
butter, a jug of water and some Skittles. How considerate; “the
asshole” remembered she liked Skittles. Some diet.
    But there must be some
reason why he wanted her to live or he wouldn’t have left the food
and water. One thing she knew, she would never eat peanut butter
and Skittles again if she ever got out of here alive. Correction,
she thought. When she got out of here.
    She had a lot of time to think and
kept her mind active so she wouldn’t go crazy. The events on how
she was kidnapped played over and over in her mind like a broken
record. It all started the night of the warehouse fire.
    It was her turn to cook for the
crew. Every shift someone was responsible for making dinner.
Everyone raved about her homemade chili, so it’s what she made. Her
cell phone rang as she was putting the cornbread and salad
together. She didn’t recognize the number, but answered the call
anyway.
    “ Hello.”
    “ Hey, little lady. How are you
doing?”
    It took her a second to recognize
the voice. And only one person she knew called her little lady. She
hated that. And hated him.
    “ What do you want? I’m a little
busy.” She popped the cornbread in the oven and then stirred the
chili on the stove top. The smell of spicy tomatoes and onion
filled the room.
    “ I need to talk to you. Can we
meet when you get off shift?”
    She put the spoon down, motioning
to Mack to take over dinner. She walked outside where she could
talk in private.
    “ I don’t think it’s wise we are
seen together, let alone talk. I said all I needed to say to you
last weekend.”
    “ I think it’s really important we
talk. There are some things you need to know before you go to court
next week. Please.”
    Leaning against one of the fire
trucks in the bay, she let out a deep sigh. “Whatever you need to
tell me, you can say over the phone.” The last thing she wanted to
do was see him in person again.
    “ I don’t think it’s safe for us to
talk about this over the phone. I need to see you