Page 57 of Bear Strength

I have no idea where all this is coming from. These words are just flowing out of my mouth, like a strange, wild force has overtaken my mind and it’s finally saying all the things I should have said, ages ago. Better late than never, I guess.

He clenches his fist at me, as if he’s going to hit me. I close my eyes, waiting for the searing pain to spread through my body. A few moments pass, and nothing happens. I open my eyes and see him smiling.

“You thought I’d hit you?” he chuckles. “I won’t do that. I’m better than that. I’ll hit you where it really hurts.” he elongates that sound, making him all serpentine like.

“What are you talking about?” That icy cold claw of fear taps me on the shoulder again. It’s back. Maybe, it never really went away, it just hid, ready to come out when needed again.

“Dominick,” he replies menacingly.

“I won’t let you hurt him!” I scream at him, like a rabid dog, baring my teeth.

“Who says I’ll hurt him?” that grin is still on his face, and I want to rip it off of him. “I’ll take him away from you. It doesn’t look like you’re doing a good job of providing for him, keeping him on the right track. He’s not doing well at school. He’s acting out. It must be those biker drug dealers he hangs out with.”

These words shock me to my very core. He’s been here all this time. He did send that letter. It was all him. I was never paranoid. I just felt his presence.

“No judge would ever take a child away from his mother and give him to a father who just got out of prison on assault and family battering charges,” I scoff, sure of myself.

“A good lawyer can make miracles happen,” he winks at me, all the malice in his voice taking a frightening, tangible form. “All you need to do is grease the wheels a little, if you know what I mean. I got money, Danny. And, from what I hear, you got shit. So, while I can afford a fancy lawyer who’s gonna take you for all you’ve got, you’ll get some crackhead shaking for his next fix.”

The more I think about it, the more I know he might be right. Justice doesn’t care about right or wrong. It has no morals. It leans towards whoever offers more towards their side. And, in that kind of game, I wouldn’t win. I don’t have two cents to my name. Whatever Russ has, he’s obtained it after I left him, and probably through illegal means. Still, that gives him leverage.

“You’re starting to realize I’m right, admit it,” he scoffs, standing right in front of me, with his hands resting cockily on his hips. The stance of authority.

“They’ll lock you up as soon as I get out of here. I’ll press kidnapping and assault charges on you so fast your head will spin,” I spit at him venomously.

“That is, if you get out of here, darling,” he corrects me softly, almost lovingly, and his voice makes the little hairs on my back stand on end. “I’ve offered you a way out. And, a pretty reasonable one. We get back together and be one big happy family again. That’s your first option. Your second option isn’t nearly as nice.”

I swallow heavily. I know what he’s hinting at. He won’t have any guilt trips over killing and hiding my body somewhere in the woods, where animals will get to me before any people ever do. The thought of being buried in the woods makes me feel even weaker. If by some miracle I do manage to free myself from these restraints, I doubt I’d be standing on my own two feet. I feel too weak. Too frightened.

I glance around for something, anything that might rekindle my hopes. But, I see nothing. Just the man in front of me whose presence threatens my very existence.

“The clock is ticking, Danny,” he reminds me. “What’s it gonna be?”

CHAPTER 26

Adrian

The air is heavy. There is moisture from a nearby lake, and that diminishes my capabilities. I need to focus. The guys are behind me. They are counting on me, now more than ever. I can smell Danica’s apple shampoo. There’s another smell, mixed with hers. It’s pungent, offensive. It’s the smell of cheap liquor intertwined with diseased sweat. It makes me nauseous. I want it to disappear, to go away, but I can’t separate it from Danica’s. That means only one thing.

“Do you know where we’re going?” I hear Mason growl behind me, as we trek through the woods.

We parked our bikes, knowing we can’t continue like that. Only on foot. That might also buy us the element of surprise.

We keep on walking. I lead, Mason is right behind me, and Wagner is in the back. With three sets of eyes, no one can sneak up on us. This is our territory. The fact that someone had the audacity to come here and do this is just ludicrous. I would find my way around these woods even with my eyes closed shut. The guys, too. Whoever this guy is, he chose the wrong people to mess with, and the wrong place to do it.

The night is dark, but the Moon is full. It’s lighting up the way. The woods always awakens the animal inside, and it doesn’t need a guide. It just needs to listen and it will find its way. Or, in this case, its prey.

After some time of walking, I stop. The guys do the same immediately, crouching down. They wait for my signal.

“There,” I whisper.

I point to a small house in the middle of a huddle of trees and bushes. If you’re not looking for it, you won’t be able to see it. I can understand why he chose this place. No one’s been here in ages. And, it shows. The hole in the roof. The broken window. The bared bricks in the wall. That place is a safety hazard and should have been torn down ages ago. But, the owner doesn’t care. So, the local youths use it as a hangout place. Nothing new and unexpected about that. It’s one of those places that awakens a sense of nightmare in you, and you want to steer clear of it.

“Is she there?” Mason leans over to me and whispers. I just nod. “One guy?”

I don’t nod. I don’t shake my head either. The mold in this house is so overpowering, I can barely smell anything else. Danica is so close, I can almost reach out and touch her, but to my nose she feels like she’s miles away.

“Are there more?” Mason asks impatiently.

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