Silver Captor
Jennifer Radke
Gretchen was wiping down the polished wooden surface of the bar when the
doors opened. Her heart lodged in her throat when a man in asilver jacket walked in. He glanced at her before
sitting at a secluded table in the corner. Her hands shook as she dropped the
cloth into the bucket of water under the counter.
"Are you just going to stand there?" Paul asked, walking up beside her. "Go see what he wants."
She took a deep breath, grabbed her tray and scowled at her boss. When she reached the table, she said, "What can I getcha?"
He never looked up. "Thought you could run, could hide, didn't you?"
"Can I get ya a drink?" She let the tray slide to her side. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure he could hear it. Run, her brain screamed, get away!
"You can't fool me with the red hair and the boob job, Carly. I know it's you." He finally met her gaze, and her stomach turned icy. His eyes were cold dead holes in his face.
"Ya must be mistaken, name's Gretchen," she said, keeping her voice even. She tried to break his stare but couldn't.
He laughed, a harsh sound that almost brought her to her knees as memories flooded through her. "You are no more Gretchen than I am the Pope. Let's go, Carly." He stood, and his fingers grasped her upper arm, bit into the soft skin. She winced but didn't speak.
"Where the hell are you going?" Paul yelled as they left. She never even glanced in Paul's direction, just let William lead her toward the doors.
"Are you just going to stand there?" Paul asked, walking up beside her. "Go see what he wants."
She took a deep breath, grabbed her tray and scowled at her boss. When she reached the table, she said, "What can I getcha?"
He never looked up. "Thought you could run, could hide, didn't you?"
"Can I get ya a drink?" She let the tray slide to her side. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure he could hear it. Run, her brain screamed, get away!
"You can't fool me with the red hair and the boob job, Carly. I know it's you." He finally met her gaze, and her stomach turned icy. His eyes were cold dead holes in his face.
"Ya must be mistaken, name's Gretchen," she said, keeping her voice even. She tried to break his stare but couldn't.
He laughed, a harsh sound that almost brought her to her knees as memories flooded through her. "You are no more Gretchen than I am the Pope. Let's go, Carly." He stood, and his fingers grasped her upper arm, bit into the soft skin. She winced but didn't speak.
"Where the hell are you going?" Paul yelled as they left. She never even glanced in Paul's direction, just let William lead her toward the doors.
"We have unfinished business," William hissed in her ear as they walked outside. "You've made me search for four years, Carly. Did you really think I would let you go?"
He shoved her inside the black Mercedes and slammed the door. She watched through her tears as her new life faded into the nightmare
of the old one. She cast a sidelong glance in his direction, noted the smug expression
on his face as he started the car, and decided it was but a momentary defeat.
She could rebuild her shattered dreams, secure in the knowledge that he would
hurt her, but he would never kill her. If he did, he'd lose her forever.
As they sped toward the highway, toward her prison, she stared out the
window. From the corner of her eye, she saw the reflection of light in his silver jacket. She
remembered her mother saying every dark cloud had a silver lining, but she'd never warned there could besilver with black lining.
She'd thought the backwoods town would be the perfect hideaway, but all
along the little voice in her head had told her he'd find her and to continue
to research other areas. She had, and when William relaxed his guard, maybe in months or years,
she would escape again… to a new hideaway.
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