Page 77 of Dare To Fall

Nothing.

Unease swirls through me. Scrolling through my phone, I find Elena’s cell number and hit dial. The call doesn’t connect. There’s a no signal symbol at the top of the screen.

No, no. no. What’s going on?

I reach for the handle of the door and try to open it, but it’s locked, so I attempt the same with the door on the other side. The windows won’t even lower when I jab the button.

I slam my fist against the partition window. “Let me out! Can you hear me?”

No one replies.

“Let me out, you bastard.” My spine ramrod straight, and my heart pounds.

“This isn’t funny,” I shout. “If this is some kind of sick joke, I’m not laughing.”

Why isn’t he responding to me?

The driver was sent by Elena to take me home. He should respond to my shouts.

The blood freezes in my veins.

But what if this isn’t my real driver?

I need to get out of the car.

My body is vibrating with fear. I can’t breathe, my thoughts freefalling with every bad thing that could happen.

Do they know I’m not going back to school? Are they finally going to kill me as they did Zoey? I thought I could escape. Be free of it all, but they’re not going to let me go.

My throat closes up, and I sob. Tears blur my vision, cresting in my eyes to tumble down my cheeks.

Whatever happens, I’ll go down fighting. I’m not going to let them do it while I cower on the ground. I’ll make them bleed first. Leave them with scars.

The scenery outside of the car starts to slow its movement.

I suck in a steading breath.

Think!

There are trees surrounding us on either side outside the vehicle.

Somewhere remote to get rid of my body?

The thought almost sends me spiraling into pure terror, but I push through it, clinging to a thread of sanity. When the car stops, I tense further. The door on my left swings open, and a guy dressed all in black and wearing a ski mask leans in.

I kick him in the face—hard. The second he staggers back, swearing, I launch myself from the seat, hit him savagely with one flailing fist, and run.

There’s a shout behind me. I don’t stop, taking off through the trees. Heart in my mouth, I run as fast as my legs will take me.

I can’t let him catch me.

Adrenaline keeps me moving, driving me through the sea of never-ending trees. I have no idea where I’m going, but as long as it’s away from my kidnapper I don’t care. My breath comes out in short sharp bursts, the cold air biting at my lungs.

Something heavy plows into my back. The force is enough to send me flying forward and obliterating my balance. Legs giving out, I fall, hitting the dirt, pain rushing like a shockwave through my body. A weight lands on top of me, pinning me down. Screaming and struggling, I buck my hips.

A hand wraps around my throat, squeezing tightly.

He’s going to snap my neck.

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