“And how are we supposed to trust each other? You could just run off in your car and take the spoils,” Aby said coldly. She’d been double crossed and let down enough times to feel wary of Tex and his offer. He might seem like a nice man on the outside, but something told her that she couldn’t trust him fully. Maybe it was just her paranoia getting to her, but it felt wrong to put her faith in someone she didn’t know. She frowned at Tex, waiting for his answer. In response, he offered her a warm smile.
“Well, I thought perhaps I could take you ladies - or whoever else wants to be involved - along with me to make deals. There’s plenty of room in the car, after all. Why not make use of it? Once deals have been established, you can all make your own way around on foot. The fuel in the car won’t last forever, but I thought I should put it to use,” Tex said. “I know it’s hard to trust a stranger on your doorstep...but I have my heart in the right place. I’ll tell you what...you can think it over. Think about what you might be willing to trade and what you need. Think about whether you want to trust me...and then tomorrow, I’ll return and get your answer. Does that sound good?”
“I think that sounds perfect,” Peaches said brightly. It was the happiest that Aby had seen her since they met. “Let me see you out to your car...thank you for inviting us to be involved.”
“My pleasure,” Tex said. “What's your name?”
“I’m Peaches...this is my friend, Aby. It was a pleasure to meet you, Tex. We look forward to speaking to you tomorrow.”
Aby kept her eye on Tex as he left the house once again. She didn’t know what to make of him. She desperately wanted to like him. She wanted him to be their salvation, their hope at a normal life. But it felt like normality was too far out of reach to ever be attainable again, and something told her that Tex wasn’t the hero they were looking for...
Ten
Megan
Megan held her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She’d seen the four men running into the house, but she had been powerless to stop it from happening. Now, as she peered through the window, taking a risk, she saw Jake sprawled unconscious on the floor. The men seemed to be taking pleasure in kicking him and punching him, even though he was clearly out cold now.
Megan was beginning to panic. They’d been in plenty of bad situations already, but Jake was usually the one who got them out. Without even Aby there to help her, how was Megan supposed to rescue Jake? He had succumbed against the five men in the room far too easily. She wouldn’t stand a chance against them.
Her instincts told her to run, but her heart told her to stay and fix it. She could never forgive herself if she didn’t even try to save Jake, the way he’d saved her so many times. He was becoming cruel and cold and self-centred, but it didn’t mean he deserved whatever the men were planning on doing to him.
Besides, what would she do without him? Even though he’d made a bad judgement call and gotten himself into trouble, going it alone wasn’t an option for Megan. She needed someone to guide her along, to be company for her so that she didn’t go insane. She crouched against the wall, breathing hard as she tried to control her fear. She couldn’t give up now. She had to be the strong one for once.
Megan considered rushing in and distracting the men, running away and forcing them to follow her. She was a decent runner, though she was certain she didn’t have the stamina she needed for a long chase. Plus, what would she do even if she escaped? She’d have to go back for Jake eventually, or risk being split up. Besides, if he was out cold, maybe he wouldn’t even wake up again. Maybe a few of the men would stay to guard him and the rest would chase Megan down…
There were too many variables to make the plan a success. Maybe she could try and find help somewhere else. Maybe it was her only chance of making it through alive, but she was terrified that Jake would die before she made it back with help. Besides, most people they came across were more likely to hurt her than help her.
She considered a million possibilities, but all of them seemed to end up with either her or Jake dead. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing she could do to help him until he came back to consciousness.
Inside the house, she could hear the gang of men making a raucous. They seemed to be drinking, though she wasn’t sure where they’d found the alcohol. One of them loudly offered drugs around, which they took from a plastic baggie. When Megan found the courage to peer inside once again, she saw that Jake had been tied to a chair and the group of men were leering over him, taking it in turns to burn him with a cigarette lighter. Jake, barely conscious, seemed to be pleading with them, telling them to stop, asking for mercy, but none
