Trisha kept quiet but reeled from shock. Someone paid a fifty-thousand-dollar bounty on Slade? Who would do that? Why? She swallowed. She hoped they would forget she existed. She hated Sully for wanting to just kill her outright.
“You forget,” Bill sighed, “Pat is Thomas’ son. If we don’t go find that asshole, he’ll never give us any reward money for one of those bastards. We need to keep the woman alive until she can patch him up. We have to find that asshole and catch the animal. The animal has been using the ravines and he’ll keep to pattern. We’ll catch up to him along the ridges. Look how much time we’ve gained on him.”
“But he had the bitch slowing him.” Sully ground his teeth together and uttered a curse. “Okay. Let’s do this. Bill and I will split up. You head toward the highway in case Pat headed there. I’ll head after the animal to see if I can catch him. Hopefully he’ll stay low and I can gain on him using high ground. Tom can stay here with the bitch.”
Bill shook his head. “Look at the jerk. He can’t keep from staring at her tits.”
Trisha turned her head toward Tom. He stood there holding his knife, gawking at her breasts again. He grinned.
“I’ll be happy to stay with her.”
“See?” Bill cursed. “We want her alive, dumbass. I’ll stay with the woman while you two split up to search. Tom, head for the highway.”
“Fine,” Sully agreed, shooting a glare at Tom. “You better find his ass though. I’ll hit the ridge to the west to catch the animal faster.”
“But I want to stay with her.” Tom wasn’t happy and it sounded in his high-pitched protest.
Sully pumped the shotgun. “That wasn’t you refusing to take an order, was it? I fucking hate whiners. Your daddy isn’t the moneyman on this deal and nobody gives a rat’s ass if you get shot.”
Fear settled on Tom’s baby-face features. He shook his head vigorously. “I’ll head out now.”
Trisha watched Sully and Tom pack light supplies and then both men took off in different directions. That left Bill to guard her. Trisha studied the man who stared at her. He sighed loudly.
“Hungry? Thirsty?”
“Please,” Trisha urged softly.
Bill stormed to the tent and quickly returned. He carried a soda and a plastic zip-lock baggy containing some kind of sandwich. Bill stopped a few feet from her.
“Catch.”
She held out her hands. He tossed her the soda carefully. Trisha caught it and set it on the ground next to her knees. She held up her hands again and he threw the sandwich. She gave him a grateful look.
“Thank you so much.”
“Shut up,” he ordered. “I hate it when I get to know things I have to kill later on. Just eat and be quiet.”
Trisha hated peanut butter sandwiches but she didn’t complain as she chewed. She was starving and was too hungry to care what she ate. She popped the top of the soda and took long sips. She tried not to scarf her food.
She knew Bill had taken a seat on the ground about ten feet from her and silently watched her every move. She finished her sandwich and tried to save some of her soda. She didn’t want to drink it all in case Bill wasn’t generous later.
Chapter Seven
“Damn it,” Slade growled softly, watching the males from beneath some brush where he hid. His sense of hearing came in handy as he listened to them make their plans. They had Trisha. Rage gripped him and he fought back the urge to leap into the camp to kill them all.
They weren’t the same men who’d run them off the road. That meant more humans had joined in the search for him and the doc. It worried him not knowing their numbers. The camp setup alarmed him as well. They’d made a base of it in a short time, it meant they were organized, and the danger increased exponentially.
“Calm,” he ordered his mind aloud in a soft whisper.
They outnumbered him, had more weapons than he had, and the gun he had acquired wouldn’t be of much use if one of the humans used Trisha as a hostage to make him throw down his weapon and it would work. No way would he allow them to shoot her without trying to prevent it. Even if it meant tossing away his weapon and walking right up to them.
He couldn’t reach her in time to assure he took out all the threats. Her safety was paramount to him. He’d have to use his skills and kill them one by one. Attacking the camp with all of them around her would be a last resort. He’d die to try to save her regardless of the bad odds in his favor if they decided to kill her. It would be suicide for them both. A last resort.
He listened as the men planned to go find their missing injured human and track him. A plan began to form. The man with lustful eyes would die first if the other males left him alone with his woman. Slade knew the man would try to touch the doc. It wouldn’t happen. Not as long as he drew breath.
They wouldn’t find the human they sought. A smirk twisted his lips when they decided the man couldn’t be trusted not to molest Trisha. That showed they had some intelligence. When two men left the camp he lifted up, ready to attack, but then paused, watching the scene below.
The male guarding Trisha gave her food and a drink. He didn’t appear threatening. They needed her alive, her skills as a doctor believed to be needed, and she might be safer there than at his side while he took out the threats.
Indecision tore at him. He sniffed the air but didn’t scent any foreign humans in the area. It didn’t mean they weren’t near though and could show up soon. The wind played hell on his nose with the dust.
His gaze locked on Trisha. She calmly ate and drank. The guy guarding her wasn’t threatening or staring at her body in a way that indicated lustful intentions. He seemed smart enough to know that hurting her when they needed her doctoring skills would be detrimental. The asshole who’d pulled her hair would pay dearly for hurting her. He wanted to kill him first for that offense. The sooner, the better.
For now she seemed safe and if other humans returned to that camp, the male guarding her knew her value. It would be a while before they realized they didn’t need her doctoring skills. He couldn’t hide her somewhere, leave her to track the males who’d become a threat to her, and not worry that she’d be discovered again. He glared at the male watching the doc.
The guy seemed bored but he didn’t appear eager to move either. Slade slid back in the dirt, carefully kept low as he started to follow the older male who’d dared pull the doc’s hair, and his blood boiled with rage. The male would pay for causing her pain. Pay dearly.
* * * * *
The silence became awful. The breeze blew and trees whispered in the wind. Trisha heard birds in the distance. She sat under the hot sun wishing for shade. She also needed to use the bathroom. When her bladder was ready to burst she turned her head and looked at Bill.
“I have to use the restroom, please.”
He blinked. “Fine. You’re too pale to be in that sun anyway. It’s too easy to get dehydrated if your skin burns bad. I was thinking of moving you.”
“I can get up then?”
He nodded. “See the tree by the tent? Go behind it. I’ll break your legs if you try to run away from me. It isn’t an idle threat. You don’t need them to patch up Pat. You go behind the tree, do your biz, and you can be on this side of the tree under it in the shade. Is that clear enough?”
“Crystal clear. Thank you.” Trisha pushed to her feet. Her body had become numb in places that painfully awoke as she remembered to limp toward the tree. She had to duck under one of the lower branches and there wasn’t much privacy but she didn’t have a choice. She unfastened her pants, bent, and quickly did her business before straightening. She walked back around the tree. Bill stood in her path.
She hadn’t heard him moving toward her. She looked up at him. Bill was a beefy man who stood at about five-foot-nine. He had harsh lines on his face from too many years in the sun and his skin was a weathered, soft brown. He frowned.
“I’m tired. I didn’t get much sleep last night so this is what we’re going to do. Bac
k up to that tree. I want your back to it.”
Trisha stared at him with fear. What is he going to do? She had a sinking feeling that it would be really bad.
“I’m going to tie you to the tree so I can rest. That’s all. I’ll sleep a few feet from you to be able to hear every sound you make. You just ate, used the bathroom, and had something to drink. You will be in the shade and it isn’t cold. You’ll be fine. Now back up before I make you.”
It wasn’t as though she had a choice. Bill was a much bigger man. He looked to be the sort of jerk no one wanted to end up facing off against in a bar fight. He wasn’t overly tall but he had that mean look to him that implied he’d cut someone’s throat in a heartbeat. She nodded and slowly backed up against the tree to stare at him with fear.
“Reach up and grip the branches, arms out wide.”
“Can’t I sit down?”
“I said,” he ordered softly, “reach up and grip the branches. I wasn’t asking. I was telling and I won’t repeat myself again. You can either do what I say or I can change your way of thinking. It would be a painful lesson. Do you understand me?”
She lifted her arms to grip the branches just above her head. She saw the man reach into his back pocket and pull out a bandana he probably used to wipe sweat off him. He stepped very close to her. He used the bandana to tie her wrist, securing it to the branch.
He stank and needed deodorant. She smelled booze on top of it, mixed with the disgusting stench of chewing tobacco too. She held her breath as much as she could while he wrapped something made from a rough cloth on her other wrist. He yanked it tight. He moved back finally and the horrible smell withdrew.
Bill stared at her, nodded, and then turned his back to walk into the tent. Trisha looked up at her restrained arms. He had two mismatching bandanas securing her wrists to the thin branches. She pulled on them but they only moved slightly, proving there was no way she could pull free. She softly cursed and tugged at the bandanas, trying to see if he’d left her enough wiggle room to slide her hand out. He’d tied them too tight.
Bill exited the tent carrying a sleeping bag and pillow with him. He darted a glance at her before throwing the bedding down about four feet from where Trisha stood. She’d thought he was at least decent since he’d offered her a drink and food but that was before he’d tied her, scarecrow-like, to a tree. After a while her legs were going to grow really tired.
He stretched out on his back on top of the sleeping bag, facing her, and settled his gun across his chest. She spotted a hunting knife peeking out from a boot as he crossed his legs. He shoved the pillow behind his head and closed his eyes.
Trisha shifted. Her legs ached and her arms felt as though they were going to fall off. She lifted on tiptoe to level her arms with her shoulders. It sent some blood back into her upper limbs but then her toes would hurt until she’d have to ease back down onto her feet. She rolled her head every once in a while. She tried to sleep but every time she drifted off her legs would start to collapse, causing pain to shoot up her arms from her weight pulling against them. Time crawled by.
Something made a slight noise from the woods. Bill jerked awake instantly, rolled onto his stomach, and leveled his gun in the direction the sound had originated from. Shocked, Trisha stared at him. A bird flew from a tree in that direction. The man on his stomach sighed and rolled back over and glared at her.
“I’m a light sleeper. Quit sighing. I’m getting sick of it.” He closed his eyes again and rested the gun back across his chest.
He can’t really be sleeping. Trisha stared at his chest, watched it rise and fall slowly. The sound the bird had made had been so slight she’d barely heard it but the man at her feet jerked as though something had charged at him. He’d even pointed his weapon toward the right direction. If he faked sleeping then he knew about any sound she made. Her glimmering hope of escape dwindled. She would have been better off if they’d left Tom with her. A man gawking at her breasts seemed an improvement over having been tied so uncomfortably to a tree.
* * * * *
Pain jerked her awake and she groaned. Her body sagged, all her weight on her wrists, and it hurt. Trisha fought tears. She put all her weight onto her feet and rose to her toes. It eased all tension from her wrists and the blood flowed back into her arms while she studied the sky. She’d been tied to the tree most of the day. The sun had lowered in the sky. She looked at the man on the ground to find him staring back at her. She couldn’t tell for sure but she thought his attention fixed on her stomach.
“You’re awake,” she noted softly. “Can I sit down now? Please?”
He sat up and watched her face, frowning until he lowered the gun to the ground next to the sleeping bag and rose to his feet. He walked away from her to the tent. Trisha lifted her chin up to stare at the sky. Bastard. He had to know she was hurting and uncomfortable. She needed to use the bathroom again too. She heard him coming back and darted a glance at the walkie-talkie gripped in one hand.
“Bill here,” he spoke. “Base?”
“Hey, Bill,” a male answered through the small speaker. “Report.”
“We haven’t found them yet.” Bill watched Trisha and he put his finger to his mouth motioning her to be quiet. “We’re in section twenty-two. Anyone else have any luck?”
“Not so far,” the voice was static-ridden. “You are way out there.”
“Aren’t there other guys this way?”
“Nope. You’re it. How come Tom isn’t calling in?”
“He’s taking a crap. The kid is green. We’ll call back and report in the morning. Over and out.” He turned the walkie-talkie off.
“They haven’t found your animal friend yet.” He dropped the walkie-talkie onto the pillow. “I’m rested now and ready for action. I wanted to make sure no one else was in the area and now I’m sure it’s just us.”
Trisha’s stomach churned as she swallowed. She didn’t feel at ease with the way he’d said that or the way his gaze roamed her body. His lecherous look slowly rose until he met her fearful expression.
“You’re a good-looking woman. You’re one of those bleeding-heart, animal-rights bitches, aren’t you? You love animals, little girl?” He reached down and unfastened his belt, his gaze locked with hers. “I didn’t want Tom staying with you because the kid doesn’t know what to do with a woman.”
“Oh God,” Trisha moaned, watching him pull his belt free of his pants loops as he fisted the buckle in his hand. Her gaze flew to his. “Whatever you are thinking about, please don’t do it.”
“Shut up or I’ll take this belt to you. I hate screaming. Do you understand me? You don’t need a tongue to fix Pat when Tom drags his stupid ass back here. He’s an idiot and I’m sure we’ve got a few hours before they return. He couldn’t find his own ass without someone directing him to it. I’ll cut out your tongue if you scream.”
Bill dropped the belt onto the sleeping bag and reached down. He pulled a long, sharp hunting knife from his right boot. He glanced at it and let his finger trace over one side of the two-sided blade. The back side had a serrated edge. The blade had to be ten inches long. Trisha stared at it in horror. He lifted his head to give her a cold smile.
“Say you’re a bitch who is a bleeding-heart, animal-rights moron. Just that way.”
She shook with terror. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She yanked hard on her wrists, frantic, but the bandanas held. She tried to back up but the tree had no give in it.
“Say ‘I’m an animal-loving, bleeding-heart bitch who is a moron’,” he demanded softly. “Right now.”
“I’m an animal-loving, bleeding-heart bitch who is a moron,” Trisha whispered.
A smile cracked his lips. “That’s a good girl.” He took a step closer as he gripped the hunting knife with his fist. He reached and grabbed the waist of her slacks and his head lifted.
“Kick off your shoes.”
“I have to use my hands to get them off,” she lied. Her voice shook. r />
“Kick them off now or…” He brought the blade closer until the tip of the knife touched her breast and pushed the knife until it indented the area just under her nipple. “I figure I could slide this in at least three inches before I hit bone.”
“Oh my God,” Trisha gasped, total panic gripping her. “All right.” She used one foot to grip the back of the other shoe and pushed down. Her shoe came off. She switched, using her toes, and got the second shoe off.
“God isn’t here, little girl.”
Bill suddenly moved, pulling his knife back from her breast and thrust it at Trisha’s face. She saw the blade coming at her and a scream tore from her throat. She threw her head to the side. She expected the blade to stab her in the face but it didn’t. The expected pain never came. She heard him laugh. She turned her head to see that knife embedded in the tree trunk next to her face. Her ear brushed cold metal.
His hands were brutal as he dug them into the waistband of her slacks. He unfastened them and shoved them down her body. He hooked his thumbs in her panties and pulled them all the way down her legs. When he reached her ankles he just jerked hard to remove them. Trisha’s legs were yanked out from under her when he did it and she screamed again. Pain tore through both of her shoulders and wrists as her full weight sagged on them.
He rose and stared down at Trisha as she struggled to stand again to take some of the pain from her arms. She was naked from the waist down and knew he planned to rape her. She turned her head and prayed as a hand fisted in her hair.
“Look at me, animal-loving bitch,” he ground out.
Trisha whimpered from the pain he inflicted on her. He turned her head by jerking on her hair until she had no choice but to look at him. He smiled, giving her the coldest one she’d ever seen.
“When the boys come back, this never happened. I will kill you myself if you tell them and it won’t be painless. Do you understand me? I’m not going to risk one of those loud-mouth asses getting drunk and popping off so my wife finds out. I’ll just tell them you tried to run if you don’t do what I say, how I say it. I’ll cut you up while you’re still breathing. Do you hear me, little girl? You do what I say or you don’t live ’til morning. You tell any of the boys what you and I are about to do and you’ll be begging me to die by the time I get done with you.” He winked at her. “Hell, if you do tell, the boys might want to do it to you too.” His hand released her hair as he laughed. “On second thought, the boys can’t tell if they do it too. We could have our own little animal-loving-bitch party.”