A/N Unrelated to any of the other Blacklist stories I have written.
Sabbatical
The sun was already starting to set when he returned to the cabin.
Entering, he continued whistling and ignored her – not even bothering to look in her direction.
He snapped his fingers. Obediently, the dog went to its place beside the wood stove.
He hung up his rifle, took off his coat and laid the sack of dead rabbits on the table before finally turning to address her.
Not quite believing his eyes, his hand stole to the key still in his pocket. Reassured, he approached the cot slowly. One end of the chain was still firmly bolted to the floor. His gaze followed the length of it. The chain went towards the cot and coiled in a bunch at the edge of the bed before getting lost underneath it. He grabbed part of the chain and pulled - hard.
Finding no resistance, he almost lost his balance.
He didn't know how she had done it, but the clamp came out from under the bed empty and open.
He had been out for hours tracking and trapping what was to have been their dinner. She might think she had quite the head start but he would find her. He would find her and if she was lucky, he would bring her back.
A pampered, city girl like her, in her well tailored clothes and her high heeled shoes - there was nothing to her. It would be full dark soon.
"She won't get far."
He had found her on death's door. He had spent weeks nursing her back to health and this was the reward he got? The first chance she got, she took off?
His rage boiled over.
He would find her and he would make her sorry.
Pulling her suit jacket out of his trunk, he put it under his dog's nose. "We're going on a hunt."
Running to the door, the dog whined and scratched to be let out. When he wasn't quick enough to get to the door, the dog let out a howl.
He wanted to howl his rage too, but he kept it in – saving it for his little runaway.
She would be sorry. When he found her, she would wish he had never found her. She would wish he had allowed her to die in the woods when she first arrived.
His four legged companion had himself worked into quite the frenzy. As soon as he opened the door, the dog bolted out the door and around to the back of the cabin.
He started to follow after. He wasn't even halfway around when the dog bayed, giving the signal that he had treed his prey.
tbc
