A breath of relief seeped from her mouth. She lowered the shotgun and deflated against the wall. Her hand rubbed over her face. She sighed and moved toward the corner of the wall.
Sarah noticed the vague outlines of the steel racks, carts, and other items contained within the confined space. She tilted the barrel of the shotgun at the floor and walked past the sharp corner of the wall. A black clad figure emerged from the darkness, taking her by surprise. She flinched, then gasped.
A light flickered into existence before her, revealing the wiry man standing not more than a couple of feet from her.
She brought the shotgun to bear.
He grabbed the barrel with a tight hold, then wrenched it from her hands.
Sarah attacked, not giving the wiry man a chance to use the weapon against her. She swung at his smooth face, connecting on his angular jaw.
The blow knocked him back on the heels of his muddy boots. His chin pointed toward the ground. The beam from the flashlight moved over the stockroom in a manic manner. He took a hearty step back, then shook his head.
Sarah wrapped her fingers around the shotgun and tugged. She dipped her shoulder, then rammed him against the wall. His meager frame hit with a dense thud. The air escaped his lungs. She pinned him to the wall, pressing the full weight of her body into him.
The wiry man kept a firm hold on the shotgun and breathed heavily through his nose. He pulled with all his might and tried to push her away.
Sarah stomped the front of his boots, mashing the tips of his toes. Another squelch of pain seeped through his clenched jaw. She pried the shotgun from his hand. It hit the ground and slid across the floor, vanishing within the darkness.
His fingers grabbed at her hair and tugged, jerking her head back. Sarah gritted her teeth, biting back the intense pain of having her hair wrenched in such a harsh manner. He pulled harder as she reached behind her back for the Glock stowed in her waistband.
He kneed her in the gut, stealing her breath. She doubled over and gasped for air. His hand took hold of the strap of her pack. He pushed off the wall, then threw her to the floor.
Sarah hit face first. Her lids slammed shut. Her scalp throbbed and ached. She crawled through the blackness, trying to get away from the wiry man.
The light trained at her back and the floor around her. The stock of the shotgun came into view from under the steel flat cart in front of her.
He stormed her from behind.
Sarah crawled faster, fighting through the discomfort in her gut and head. She clawed her way to the carts and reached for the stock.
A loud click sounded from behind her, but nothing happened.
“Damn junk pistol,” he said in a huff.
The gun clattered off the floor as she took hold of the stock of her shotgun.
The wiry man yanked the Glock from her waistband, then took a step back.
Sarah pulled the shotgun from the darkness, rolled to her back, then trained the barrel at the meager man’s torso. “Drop it, or I will drop you.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SARAH
The tension mounted.
He hesitated, towering above her. The flashlight shone on her flushed and sweaty face. Her finger pressed against the trigger, ready to pull.
“I don’t think you have the guts to pull that trigger,” the wiry man said in a snarky tone. “Look at how your hand trembles. You’re scared and unsure.”
Sarah held firm, keeping the barrel trained at his torso. “Are you sure you want to risk it? I pull a bit harder on this trigger and you’re going to have a real bad day. This close, the buckshot will sure mess you up.”
She struggled to get a clear view of his face, but the harsh beam from the flashlight made her squint and tilt her head to the side.
He stood still, keeping any subtle movements to a minimum. “Is there anyone else in the store with you?”
“My husband is,” Sarah answered, wanting him to believe she wasn’t alone. “All we want is to grab some food and be out of here. We don’t want any trouble, but believe me when I say, I have no issue with cutting you in half if you don’t drop my damn piece.”
“You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” the wiry man asked, keeping his hands in the air. “I haven’t come across any women that could handle themselves in a fight like you did.”
Sarah sat up from the floor with the butt stock of the shotgun pressed to her shoulder. “It’s because of guys like you that I’ve had to learn how to do so. Now drop the damn pistol, and get that light out of my face.”
The wiry man diverted the beam away from her, showed the pistol with his finger removed from the trigger, and bent down. He set the Glock on the floor, slow and steady.
“Back off,” Sarah said, her voice raising an octave.
“All right. All right. Let’s just take it easy here. I’ve done as you asked.” He took a step back from her. “For the record, I wasn’t going to do anything to you. The group I’m with isn’t a violent bunch, though, we have run into plenty of folks who are. I didn’t know if you were one or not.”
Sarah removed her hand from the end of the shotgun and felt around on the floor for her Glock. Her gaze stayed fixed on the man who kept his distance.
“If I wanted you injured or dead, I could’ve shot
