Forsaken An American Sasquatch Tale - By Christine Conder Page 0,50
the creeps staring at me like that.”
“Victor said you were a tough chick, not weak like his mother.” Russ bent over to reach for the pillowcase on the floor. “See? This is why I don’t trust women. You’re wishy-washy.”
Liberty whined, closed her eyes as Russ shoved the case over her head again. “There, you happy n—?”
Sage screamed.
Russ let out a holler. “What the hell?”
Liberty heard a sickening pop. And felt the weight of Russ as he collapsed onto her. So much noise. And then wetness. On her lap. On her chest.
Liberty couldn’t breathe. The weight of Russ on her, the hood, the gag. Her nostrils could only take in tiny fits of oxygen.
Then the weight slid off and she could breathe.
Sage removed the hood. “Mom? Oh my God, Mom? Are you okay?”
Liberty blinked, unable to fully comprehend.
Sage wiped both sides of the knife across the leg of her jeans and carefully worked the tip of the blade beneath the binding near Liberty’s ear until the fabric slipped off. Liberty shook her head and used her tongue to push the rag out of her mouth as Sage pulled.
Liberty couldn’t speak. All she managed was a combination low-pitched cry and moan.
“Shh.” Sage’s hands were on her cheeks, she kissed Liberty’s forehead, smoothed her hair. “Shh, Mama, we have to get out of here. Try to be quiet, okay? I’ll be quick.” Sage cut through the binds on Liberty’s chest, arms, legs.
Russ slumped over onto her feet and Liberty kicked him as she scrambled out of the chair, He let out a soft moan. She pulled Sage a few steps away and fell into her arms. “I love you so much. I never gave up. I know what happened. I know why you left.”
Sage embraced her, brief but heartfelt, then looked at Russ and pulled away. “We have to get out of here, come on.” She snatched Liberty’s hand and led her to the door Victor exited. “This way.”
“Wait. What about your father? He was here, too.”
“If he was still here, we’d know it.” Sage turned the lock, slowly opened the door to the garage and looked inside. “Okay, it’s clear.”
Liberty’s heart thumped. She started to cough, her throat was so dry. “Gabriel. I can’t—”
“Stop thinking,” Sage whispered. “Not now.” She flipped the light off to the workshop, leaving Russ’ body in the dark. “We’ll worry later.”
Her daughter possessed strength Liberty didn’t. She’d grown so much since they’d last seen each other. Liberty nodded. “Let’s go.”
Sage motioned for her to stay, and jogged to the wall by the garage doors. Grabbing a set of keys off the hook, she flipped the switch to extinguish the main lights in the garage.
Two vehicles sat in the garage, a shiny yellow VW convertible and a beat-up burgundy Jaguar. Sage walked to the Jaguar, opened the rear passenger side door and motioned for Liberty to get inside.
“I’d let you ride up front, but when we drive out,” Sage motioned at the incline to the garage doors, referring to the inevitable change Liberty would go through as they left the underground garage, “I don’t think you’ll be comfortable.” Sage pointed to the dimly lit semi-spacious back. “See? More room.”
Liberty nodded and climbed in. Sage shut the door, the light went off, and she walked toward the front of the car. She’d reached the hood when she stopped and turned, wide eyed. “Oh, shit,” she yelled and scrambled around to the driver’s door. “Stay down, get down!”
Panicked, Liberty peeked out every window. The door to the workshop was still shut, the big doors were shut. “What is it?” Liberty shouted.
Sage yanked the door open and jumped in behind the wheel.
Liberty heard a motor.
“Shit, shit.” Sage slammed the door and fumbled with the keys. “Vic’s back.”
Deja vu. Liberty’s mind flashed back in Becky’s truck, except somehow this was so much worse. Just her and her girl now. “What can I do?” she yelled.
“Get down, be quiet.”
Liberty flattened herself against the floor. She’d hardly registered the pain from the wounds the bindings had caused, but against the carpet, they burned. She heard the metallic clink of keys.
“Thank God,” Sage mumbled.
Something tapped on the back window. Liberty turned, screamed.
Chapter Fifteen
Russ stood outside the car, one arm tight around his upper abdomen, the other pointing a black handgun back and forth between her and Sage. “Get out.”
Neither of them budged.
“Get the fuck out of the car, or I’ll shoot you both,” he rasped.
“Kiss my ass, Russ,” Sage yelled and turned the car over.