Page 46 of The Outcast
“Freya said that she helped Sparrow with the planning. Maybe she knows,” I said and pressed a hand against my stomach, which felt like a ball of lava was burning me from the inside.
“Yes, yes, call Freya. She’ll research the shit out of that devil and find him in no time,” Indiana told Aubri.
Aubri left the room while I paced the floor feeling helpless. “What drone did he leave in? Our two Black Ghosts are still outside.”
“Must be a stolen one,” Shiva said with a grave look of concern.
Taking a step toward Indiana, I muttered, “Indy, ask your sister if she has any reports on stolen drones. Maybe we can track it and find them that way.”
Raven, who was on speaker, answered, “I already checked and so far there’s nothing. It’s still morning so it may take hours for any owner to realize their drone is missing.”
“This is a small town. There’s twelve of us. We’ll wake up everyone in this fucking place and find the owner of the stolen drone,” Indiana declared.
“Good. Do that and let me know when you have something. We’ll get Sparrow home.”
All the candidates, Indiana, and I spread out and began knocking on doors in the town. Within an hour the rumor had spread among the fifteen hundred inhabitants that a drone was missing. We were able to identify the owner and have him track his drone. It was found abandoned in another small town, four hours from Karensville, with no trace of Keith or Sparrow.
Wringing my hands, I groaned and felt the lava burn my insides. I couldn’t stand not knowing where Sparrow was and that the last time that I’d seen her, I’d hurt her with my words.
I imagined how terrified she had to be and wished she had a brain implant like me so I could communicate with her and tell her that help was coming. It was impossible to stop worrying about what Keith might already have done to her in the seven hours since he took her from her room. I wasn’t a violent person, but my hatred for him made me want to beat him senseless.
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CHAPTER 15
Dusty Bed
Sparrow
We changed drones three times and each time I cried, thinking that it would be harder and take longer for my friends and family to find me. The last drone was old and had a clinking noise that made me worry it would drop from the sky at any point.
What kept me sane were memories of Aubri’s brother Solomon telling us stories from his time on the Doom Squad. He and his partner, Zasquash, had tracked down criminals who were hiding in the wilderness or in cities. Their track record was a hundred percent.
I clung to the thought that I was loved, and that my family and friends would never stop looking for me. Aubri would call Solomon and make the whole Doom Squad come after Keith.
And yet, there in the pit of my stomach was dread whispering that they might not find me in time. Some of the criminals that Solomon and Zasquash tracked down were on the run for months if not years.
Keith had shown his anger earlier. He had to be mentally ill to kidnap me, and his talk about consummating our marriage was so delusional that I feared the worst. If I refused to do or say what he wanted, would he hurt me or maybe even kill me?
I’d always known that if someone tried to rape me, I would fight back. Now, my survival instinct was telling me that my priority should be to stay alive long enough for my family and friends to find me.
Misery made my shoulders bob as I cried again. I was in shock. That had to be the reason I would even contemplate playing along with Keith’s delusion. My goal should be to wait for an opportune moment and escape. I wasn’t helpless. As soon as he untied me, I could run, or I could wait until he slept and then steal the drone and get help. I was a great fighter and despite our difference in size, I might be able to take him if Keith hadn’t received any real training. But of course all my years of intense fight training wouldn’t help me as long as I was tied up.
Minutes felt like hours as the drone flew across the sky. My thoughts were running in all directions – to my drone ride with Banni this summer and the kiss I had shared with him. Flashes from my childhood resurfaced, showing me things that I’d forgotten. Keith spoke to me about our special connection, but I turned my head and looked away letting my thoughts run back through my memories to people I cared about.
It was dark before the drone landed. My guess was that it was past five in the afternoon. I wanted to walk out of the drone, but Keith didn’t give me that option.
Placing the duvet around me again, he carried me to a cabin and walked into a small room, putting me down on a dusty bed.
When he slid his hand under the duvet and cupped my breasts again, I curled up, using my knees to hammer against his side. It had no impact on him.
“Sparrow, sweet girl, I know this is all happening fast between us. I thought about not touching you for a while, but I don’t want you to put me in the friend zone. You need to get used to my hands on your body. I know I can give you pleasure. I’ve studied porn and I’ve seen videos of how to make a woman feel good. At home I had a sex-bot but being with you will be a thousand times better.”
I wriggled and screamed profanities at him that the tape made into muffled sounds.
Bending over me, his beard scratched my chin when he kissed me with the tape still on my mouth.
His hands greedily kneaded my breast and he breathed heavily. “I can’t wait for you to change your mind and kiss me back.”
