Page 96 of Rescued Faith

UNKNOWN

Get me Emma if you want him to live. Involve the police and he’s dead.

THIRTY-TWO

Bryce bounced around in the dark, tight space. He probably shouldn’t have risked it, but a broken tooth was a small price to pay for getting a punch in. Even with his hands tied together, he’d managed a good hit. Sosa would be sporting a nice shiner.

But Bryce wasn’t nearly satisfied. And if the man hadn’t had his goons surrounding him when they’d pulled Bryce out of the basement and stuffed him in the trunk of this car, Sosa would’ve been out cold.

But no. Here he was, hands once again taped and zip-tied together as well as fastened to his feet, which were also taped and tied together. Bryce yanked his arms up once more, trying to break at least one of the zip ties. His head slammed against the side of the trunk.

Ow!

Clearly he wasn’t going to get anywhere like this. He’d have to wait until Sosa opened the trunk before trying to make a getaway and hopefully getting a couple more good licks in.

Because he desperately needed to get away. He still didn’t know if Penny was okay after the bomb they’d talked about at the hotel. Jason Woods was still out there, probably on the rampageafter what’d sounded like Sosa killing Conner Reynolds. And who knew if they’d ever found the governor’s family? He could only pray Zack got to them and was okay.

The car finally stopped.

Bryce waited for the trunk to open. Footsteps on gravel sounded right outside the car. Any minute now…But nothing.

Where were they? And what were they waiting for?

“Think she’ll show?” That sounded like Sosa’s guy, DaNeal Gomez. Like he was right on the other side of the trunk lid. He was another one Bryce wouldn’t mind going toe to toe with. He and Sosa had watched while the other two used a taser on Bryce before throwing him in the car.

“She’ll be here. The question is whether or not she’ll have Emma with her,” Sosa said.

Emma? Who did Sosa get to break Emma out of jail? The smell of cigarettes seeped in.

“Penny Mitchell is enough of a loner and a rebel that she’ll do what needs to be done.” Sosa sounded like he was sucking in a long breath, probably inhaling on his cigarette of choice.

But he didn’t know Penny. She would never break Emma Kemper out of jail. Not for Bryce. She would find another way.

Tires spitting gravel and a diesel engine approaching alerted Bryce.

But Penny didn’t have a diesel truck.

The trunk lid lifted, the light from a street pole above blinding Bryce. But the gun pressed against his temple was a clear enough sign to prevent him from trying any wild moves. The diesel engine was getting closer though.

“One wrong move and I won’t hesitate to shoot Penny. And after you watch her die, you’ll join her. Understood?”

Bryce answered Alonzo with a glare.

“Understood?” Sosa pressed the barrel harder.

“Fine!”

“Cut the tie that links his hands to his feet, but nothing else,” Sosa told Gomez.

Gomez reached in with a box cutter and sliced the zip ties.

Sosa didn’t release any of the pressure on Bryce’s temple though. “Help him up.”

Gomez did as bid. Bryce hated that he needed the help, but with the blood rushing into his cramped legs and the duct tape still wrapped around his ankles throwing off his sense of balance, it took a moment to stand on his own.

Gomez held a taser and a gun of his own and kept them aimed at Bryce as Sosa turned to watch the approaching truck. The dusty black Dodge Ram pulled up across from them and stopped under the glow of the streetlight.

That was definitely Penny behind the wheel, but the face of the person beside her in the cab was hidden by a black hood.

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