Danny felt a hard numbness and ringing in his head and a stiffness in the back of his neck. He was still groggy, unsure what was happening or where he was. All he could sense was the cold wood floor beneath his cheek.
"CJ?" He spoke softly as he opened his eyes.
"CJ?" He said in his groggy, raspy, voice. His eyes were still
hazy as he opened and saw her figure attached to the chair. He moved
his eyes up her legs as Danny had done many times, but never like
this. CJ looked tired and weary. He saw her wrists and arms had rope
burn from trying to get free. "That's a girl," he thought. She
was fighting back. CJ saw Danny's eyes, he was awake, and CJ knew
it.
"He's a reporter!" he heard one of the men
say.
"How did he find us?" The other one said. Danny
squinted his eyes. CJ moved her hands, which were still tied to the
back of the chair, to show Danny they were loosening. Danny noticed
his hands and feet where tied.
"Can we untie her now?" The
younger one asked.
"No, not yet."
"Can we take
the gag off?"
"And have her bite me again? Get the
reporter." The other one said. Danny was brought to his feet as he
was abruptly forced to a standing position.
"How did you
find us?" The older one asked as the boy held him. Danny didn't
respond and he was kicked in the stomach. He took a breath and spoke
up.
"You fenced her pin."
"I told you not to do
that!" The one standing in front of Danny said to the boy holding
him.
"We needed the money. It was one thing."
"Those
guys IDed us?" He looked at Danny. Out of the corner of his eye
Danny saw CJ's hands free from the ropes. He dropped to the ground
and Danny saw how raw her wrists were. "Who else knows you're
here?"
"No one. I came alone." He was punched in the
stomach again. Danny fell to the ground and the boy bent down, as did
the older.
"An editor, someone?"
"No one."
Danny caught his breath.
"Pete, go into the shed and get the
gasoline."
"Yeah?"
"Go get it."
"I'm
going." The boy ran away and out a back door.
"Get up."
Danny stood as slowly as he could,
Then out of nowhere, a chair came crashing down on
the older boy. CJ had hit him in the head with the chair she had been
sitting in.
"Danny!"
"Yeah." He looked at her
waiting for a loving response.
"What the hell are you doing here!"
"I'm
here to save you!"
"Yeah, I saw that. Good job
there!"
"Hey—"Danny heard a sound. "The other
guy."
"Pete." They stood still. "Running would maybe
be a good idea."
"Oh, yeah." They both took off, full
force out the door and down the hill. CJ stopped for a moment. Danny
caught this and ran back.
"CJ?"
"I'm just a
little light headed."
"Yeah, come on. My car is here. Just
a little further."
"Ok." She took a breath. Danny took
her hand and they ran to the foot of the hill, but no car.
"Where's
your car?" CJ asked breathlessly.
"They took my car!" CJ
heard a shot behind her and saw Pete standing at the door in the
distance.
"My car!"
"Ok, we're being shot at
and speaking from extensive experience, that is not a good thing."
CJ ran toward the road.
"No, not the road. The woods. Into
the woods. It's better to hide." He grabbed her hand and they
took off into the wooded area. They ducked and weaved and Danny led
CJ through the pines and trunks. It was all a blur for them both as
they ran to get away from the sounds behind them. CJ ran for her life
and Danny ran for CJ's.
"I can't." CJ stopped for
air.
"CJ, you have to. Come on." Danny looked her in the
eye and held both her hands.
"I--." She took a breath. It
was hard on CJ after her four-day ordeal. "I....."
"Ok."
Danny looked around and saw a marsh area. "Come on." He took CJ's
hand and pulled them down into the marsh area. He slid between the
wetness and the bushes. Danny put his arm around her and held her
tight. "Put your head down." Danny covered her head with his own
hand. CJ could hear footsteps in the crunching of the leaves. She
prayed they'd be ok. She prayed everything would be ok.