Forgotten - Dawn Nicole Stevens Page 0,47

the car and the driver hit the brakes, causing her to fall backwards against the trunk lid. Without further hesitation, she leaped from the car towards the shoulder, hoping to land in the thick grass that was grown up along the side of the road. It was dark, but she had no problem seeing with her wolf vision, however being able to see didn?t make it any easier. She missed and landed in the gravel, the rocks cutting her hands, knees and bare feet. She gathered herself to her feet and jumped from the bank, down towards the trees along the road, but was met in midair with a thump to her side that knocked her to the ground. She rolled down through the grass and when she stopped, she opened her eyes to find a wolf standing over her, its teeth bared and inches from her face. She stilled herself and considered her options. She couldn?t wiggle out from under the animal without losing half of her face in the battle. She tried desperately to transform, hoping that she?d have a fighting chance if she was in wolf form too, but nothing happened.

Someone approached them, clapping their hands, applauding them for the show. Jane immediately recognized him as the man who?d seemed to be calling the shots when they?d attacked her and Dirk. The wolf backed away from her as the man approached. He narrowed his eyes at her and stooped down. Jane still clutched the tire iron, although it was tangled in the brush next to her. She ripped it free as she sat up and swung it at the man kneeling before her. Her efforts were useless though, and the man caught the iron before it could contact with his face. ?I forgot how feisty you are,? he sneered, then slapped her across the face. He yanked the bar from her hand, then with the other, he latched onto her neck, squeezing until everything began to fade in and out around her. Jane?s fear and anger grew along with a feeling of disgust at herself for somehow getting mixed up with these men in her past. They knew her, apparently. That couldn?t be good.

When Jane felt as if the last bit of life was about to be squeezed from her, the man finally released and she dropped back, gulping for air like a fish out of water. She heard the man speak, though his voice echoed like he was at the opposite end of a tunnel.

She was still heaving for air when she felt herself being tossed into the backseat. They bound her hands and feet with rope, then she felt the jab of another needle in her neck. ?Give her enough to keep her out the rest of the way,? the voice commanded, then it was gone along with everything else in the world as unconsciousness blanketed her once again.

***

When Jane awakened the second time, she shivered and realized it had been the cold that had brought her to consciousness. The first thing she saw as her eyes focused were bars a few feet away and on the other side of them was what appeared to be a dark basement.

She bolted upright and looked around, realizing she was in some sort of a cell. Something moved on the other side of it and her senses perked up, trying to figure out what it was. The corner the noise had come from was complete darkness, but slowly, a figure moved closer, until it sat in a stream of moonlight that shined through a basement window.

?Are you okay?? It was another girl about her age. At least she thought so from what she could see in the small amount of light in the space.

?I think so,? Jane whispered.

?I checked you after they put you in here and I couldn?t see any injuries,? the girl added.

Jane stared at her, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The girl looked filthy, as if she hadn?t bathed in a very long time. ?How long have you been in here?? Jane asked her.

?Eleven days,? the girl breathed. ?I?ve been marking the days on the wall with a piece of cement that chipped from the floor.?

?Eleven days,? Jane repeated, not hiding her fear as well as she?d hoped. ?Have they fed you??

The girl shrugged, ?If you could call it that. They bring me bread and water every morning in dishes so dirty I wouldn?t feed a pet in them. Occasionally