Page 15 of Crimson Storm

Pausing a few hours into her digging efforts, Kelly sagged against the cinderblock wall. “My fingers are killing me, and I’m still so friggin’ thirsty.”

“Me too,” I agreed. “But we’re making progress.”

We’d managed to dig a considerable amount of mortar from between the blocks during this session. Unfortunately there was a lot left. But if we could dislodge one block, the others would come loose more easily. I hoped.

I also hoped there was actually a door on the other side.

“I don’t think we can get through it before all our strength is gone,” Heather said. “I already feel like I can barely stand.”

She paused a beat. “When he comes back, I’m going to tell that bastard I’ll bite his brother. At least I’ll get some blood out of it—and it might get us out of this basement and upstairs where we’d have a better chance of escaping.”

“You can’t,” I argued, but there was less vehemence in my voice than there had been when I’d made my peace-and-love speech on the first day of our captivity.

“I’ll talk to Glenn,” I said. “We’re not allowed to tell him how turning happens, but maybe I can give him enough information about how itdoesn’thappen that he’ll see reason and let us go,” I said. “Maybe we can promise to help him find a group of vampires who’ll do it.”

Or a group who’ll teach these guys a lesson.

An image of Reece and his fellow Bloodbound soldiers popped into my mind. They’d take out these weak human men before they even knew what was happening.

I shook off the too-appealing mental picture. Vengeance was never the right path.

And the less I thought of Reece the better. Especially in this weakened and vulnerable state—in this situation where it looked like his philosophy on vampire-human relations was actually the more sensible one.

“Do you think he’ll listen to you?” Kelly asked.

“I hope so. Let’s not count on it though. We’ll take a break then get back to digging. I think a few more hours of work and we should be able to pull out one of those blocks.”

We must have all fallen asleep because I woke to the quiet rattle of the door chains followed by soft footsteps descending the staircase.

How long had I slept? Was it day or night? I wasn’t sure.

Sitting up, I watched the opening and prepared to reason with Glenn—or attack if necessary.

But it wasn’t Glenn who emerged.

It was Shane.

9

Hope for the Future

He turned one direction then another in the inky darkness. Unlike our eyes, his couldn’t see under these conditions.

“Abigail? Are you awake?” he whispered.

“I’m here.” I rose and went to him, pulling him to the farthest corner of the basement so as not to awaken Kelly and Heather. “What are you doing here? If they sent you to try to persuade us, it’s not going to work.”

He kept his voice low. “That’s not why I’m here. My uncles don’t even know I’m down here. Glenn is at work, and Terry is sleeping. His medication knocks him out. Once he fell asleep, I stole the padlock key.”

“Why?”

He hesitated before answering. “If I got you some blood, do you think you would be able to overpower them and escape?”

I nodded. “Do you have access to some?”

“Some, yes, but I’m not sure how much it would take for the three of you to regain your strength.”

“We’re all low, but about a pint each would really help. We wouldn’t be strong, but we could move enough to get out of here.”

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