Chapter 6

10:20 p.m

Sara wasn't sure how far they had been driving or where they were going, all she knew is it had been at least half an hour if not forty minutes of bumping around in the back of the truck before finally the vehicle slowed to a halt. Wondering where they were now she listened as Adam jumped from the truck and made his way around. He opened the truck bed and said

'Get out' while he was looking around as if making sure no one was watching. As Sara rose from the truck bed keeping one arm clamped tightly around her waist, she examined her surroundings, again the truck was parked on the edge of the highway, in front of her nothing but desert, but when she looked over her shoulder, the blazing neon lights of Vegas flashed in her eyes, apparently they had simply driven around the city. She got out and landed on the ground. Adam grabbed her free arm and dragged her around to the passenger's side of the truck. He opened the door and pushed her roughly inside, he slammed the door and hurried around to the other side, never taking his eyes off her for a second.

'Here's what were going to do,' he said as he started the engine. 'You and me are gonna get some gas then we're gonna visit an old cousin of mine few minutes out of Vegas.' Sara stared at him for a few long moments; he kept his eyes on the road.

'Just how much control do you think you have over me?' she asked under her breath

'More than you think' he said quietly and no more words were spoken.

He left her in the car; She was shocked at his own stupidity. Why would he leave a wounded abduction victim in the front seat of an unlocked car? But whatever, his rationing she could leave to the imagination, this was her break. The truck pulled into the self-serve station and Adam got out of the truck to fill it with gasoline. Sara looked around carefully leaning forward and closely examining the roof of the gas station. There, the top right corner, a video camera watching over the whole station. The door to inside the little convenient store was directly in front of them, but as soon as one-stepped inside the window was immediately covered by a wire stand holding bags of chips. She looked out her window and saw, to her relief, a small Liquor store across the parking lot, if she timed this right, she could get there without being spotted. She seemed to be getting lucky because there was a lineup inside the gas station. Her heart pounding in her throat she slowly and carefully unclipped her seatbelt and let it slide up off her. She inched over and rested her hand over the door handle, after ensuring the door was unlocked she watched Adam. He hung the gas pump back up and made his way towards the store. He caught her gaze though the windshield and glared at her. He patted his hip and Sara knew he was motioning to his gun. She shot him a sneer and he glared at her before turning inside the shop. She watched and waited, the door swung shut and it seemed to take forever. He watched her until the chip stand blocked her from his view. She counted to three then quietly opened the door. Leaving it open as not to alert Adam with the click of the door she looked at the camera and pointed to her right then with a sudden burst of speed she ran.

She had never run so hard in her life; her feet pounded the concrete as she raced across the parking lot. She could only pray that the Liquor store was open. The door was within reach, she extended her arms and burst through the door, the clerk behind the desk jumped and wheeled around.

'Help me please!' she gasped falling against the counter

'Ma'am are you alright?' the young man behind the counter asked coming around and catching her arm to help hold her up

'There is a man who is trying to kill me and he's at the gas station!' she looked over her shoulder and her heart stopped as she saw Adam coming out of the convenient store. He froze and stared at the car door. With that he turned and barreled after her, she just barely suppressed a scream.

'That's him! Please hide me!' the man nodded and pulled her around behind the counter. She crouched down underneath the counter amongst the numerous wires and desperately attempted to slow her breathing as the door banged open with the force of a gunshot.

'Where is she!'? Adam roared at the clerk slamming his hands down on the counter.

'Who?' the Clerk said defiantly

'Don't play stupid with me kid, the woman who just came in here, where is she!'

'I have no Idea who you're talking about' the clerk said, he waved his hand at Sara under the counter who took the hint and crawled as quietly as she could around the counter to the display rack at the edge. She crouched down behind it and listened. She risked a glance and saw what she dreaded Adam pointed the gun at the clerk's head. She stifled a gasp and as much as she wanted to be alive, she secretly hoped the clerk would tell him where she was. But he didn't and there was an almighty bang and suddenly the clerk's shocked and terrified face appeared where she was hiding. She peeked around the display and saw Adam marching off in the opposite direction in search of her. She fell next to the dead boy and clenched her teeth.

I'm so sorry, she thought to herself and she swiped her fingers through the bloody wound in his head. She forced back a gag reflex and began to write a word on the tiled floor of the shop.

A few seconds later she heard Adam's footsteps drawing closer, she abandoned the body and slipped into the whiskey aisle, she watched him through the rows of whiskey bottles, he was a few aisle's over and looking intently for her. He crept towards the back of the store towards the cold storage of beer and she made her way to the front door. She stopped as she reached the desk again and grabbed the biggest wine bottle she could handle off the display rack and made her way to the entrance. She thought about breaking it and using it like a knife, but that would carry the risk of telling him where she was. Instead she wielded it like a baseball bat and made for the door. She walked backwards watching every angle she could around her but she made a stupid mistake. She backed up directly into the barrel of his gun. She wheeled around as he raised the weapon to eye level.

'Don't come any closer!' she shouted holding the wine bottle out in front of her with shaking hands

'You crazy bitch!' he spat spraying her with spit 'you just cut hours off of your lovers life!' Her heart skipped a beat but she clenched her teeth and ran forwards anyway. She brandished the wine bottle at him swinging like mad, but in her hysteria he outsmarted her. He ducked the blows and using the butt of the gun he hit her in the kneecaps. She screamed and dropped the bottle. Red Wine splattered all over the floor like some grotesque spatter pattern and he raised and caught her from behind. He wrapped his arm around her neck tight enough that she couldn't breathe and pressed the gun to her temple.

'He is dead! Do you understand that! HE AND ALL YOUR FRIENDS ARE DEAD! YOU WILL WATCH THEM DIE THEN YOU WILL DO SO YOURSELF!' he forced her to her feet and dragged her from the store. Tears streamed down her face, out of a dangerous mix of physical pain, terror and frustration at her failure. She had been so close! Yet she had been so, SO, far away.