Enticing Their Mate (Pack Wars #6)(62)
The problem was how they’d find her. It seemed as if Statler had driven for hours, and unless they’d put a GPS on his car, they wouldn’t know where he’d hidden her. Once her coffin-like container had come to a stop, and Statler had dragged her into the barn and tied her up, she’d begun to suspect he was using her as bait. She was okay with that, since whoever he was waiting for would have backup. After all, the person would know how evil this man was. The question was whom had he called?
Statler hated the General worse than anything and would relish a showdown, but with the General in Florida, she wasn’t sure he could make it to Canada quickly enough. She doubted Statler was keeping her captive just to lure Tyson and Ford there, since he’d know he’d lose that fight fast.
Once he’d placed her behind the cart, his game plan confused her. Was his intention to wheel out the cart and shout ta-da?
If there was to be a show, she wished that person would hurry up. Two hours of sitting in one position had her legs cramping even more. Add in the fact she was starving and needed to pee, and she was thoroughly aggravated and disgusted with herself. She should have been more aware of her surroundings when she left the clinic.
Sarah looked around for something she could use to cut her ropes, but Statler had moved everything out of reach. Even if she could crawl around the cart to search for something else, he’d probably cold-cock her and drag her elsewhere. No, this position suited her fine.
What seemed like forever later to Sarah, the barn door creaked opened and Statler joyfully greeted his guest. When he asked about the nice flight, she sagged against the wall. The General was here—and just maybe Jay and Riley were, too. Unfortunately, given Statler’s enhanced status, she suspected he would win in a one-on-one fight.
However, if the General was aware she was there, he might proceed with more caution. Instead of making her presence obvious by groaning, she dragged the heel of her foot across the hard-packed ground using short and long scrapes. When the General then asked where she was, hope bloomed.
A loud click sounded, and the General let out a curse. Shit. Something bad was about to go down.
Before she could figure out what it was, loud growls sounded behind the barn, jacking up her pulse enough for her to sit up despite the ache coursing through her. Someone else was out there who hopefully was on the General’s side.
Only then did she detect the smell of sulfur burning. Oh, no. Sarah had to see what was happening. With a Herculean effort, she propelled herself on her back, and using her elbows, slithered like a snake to see past the cart.
Just as she peeked her head out from around the end, a gunshot sounded and her heart nearly jumped out of her body. Had she not seen the bloodstain on the General’s chest and watch him drop to his knees, she might have thought Statler had shot her.
No, no, no! The implication of the General’s death caused sludge to replace the blood in her body. Light-headed, her arms weakened and her head smashed against the ground.
Move. I have to get out of sight. Did it really matter if Statler learned she’d seen him shoot the General in cold blood? With his nemesis gone, he’d kill her now for sure.
“Thought you could kill me with that pea shooter?” the General said just as Sarah managed to move out of sight.
What? The General was alive? She’d seen Statler shoot him in the chest. As much as she wanted to peek again, she didn’t dare.
“Why aren’t you dead?” Statler asked. Sarah had never heard the man sound so shocked or fearful before.
“Two can play at your game.”
She didn’t know what that meant, but seconds later, claws scraped against the dirt floor and growls emitted.
Wanting to watch the death match, she twisted her head to the side and looked under the cart. Crap. She couldn’t tell which wolf was which, though it seemed as if the wolf with gray sprinkled throughout his fur was winning. Could that be the General? In his human form, he had gray hair.
A yelp came from one of them and the darker of the two wolves lifted his front paw. As she waited to see the next attack, the strong odor of sulfur forced her to find its source. Holy shit. A flame was traveling along a straight path toward her. Her stomach churned and bile race up her mouth.
With Statler busy fighting the General, Sarah had to chance escaping, though how she’d make it past them and out the door was anyone’s guess, especially with her ankles tied together. She might not be able to walk, but perhaps she could hop, assuming she could keep her balance. She rose to her knees, but without the use of her hands, standing would be a challenge. Needing support, she leaned her back against the barn wall. With her shoulder, she inched her way upward. About three feet above the ground, the slat she was pressing against cracked and moved. She stilled.
Then an idea surfaced. Sarah dropped to the ground again and kicked the broken slat hard. It splintered. Yes!
As she lifted her legs to kick again, a stream of fire slid under the cart a few feet from the wall. Hurry!
Smoke billowed around the edges and her throat clogged. With the gag in her mouth, she was losing strength fast.
Keep kicking the wall.
Sarah’s vision blurred and her head swam, but she pictured her two men, and a trickle of strength returned. She jammed her feet against the weak board again, and the slat broke free. Just as she flipped over to assess the size of the hole, more wood cracked and her heart sputtered. The growls and cries from the fight going on behind her would hopefully cover the ripping of the boards.