Page 10 of Daring

As they unfasten their seatbelts, a thud echoes like a drumbeat, freezing them in place.

"What was that?" Abigail wonders aloud.

"No idea, but it sounded like it came from inside the car," Gretel responds, her face turning pale.

"That's impossible. Maybe a cat crawled under the car seeking warmth. They always hang around the trash containers," Abigail reasons, fond of using logic.

"Well, it must be a very large cat, almost like a tiger."

Gretel's response makes them both laugh, but it's short-lived. They hear the noise again, and this time, they are sure it comes from the rear of the car.

"Damn."

Abigail opens the door, and without second thoughts, she steps out of the car, followed by Gretel. They stand at the back, contemplating the trunk.

"Do you think it came from there?" Gretel asks, her gaze fixed.

"There's only one way to find out."

As soon as Abigail presses the button to open the tailgate, they see the lights of a car approaching in their direction. They have no time to react. The door is already going up, and at the same time, both women stifle a scream at the sight of a man tied up in a fetal position, moving clumsily. Simultaneously, they notice the approaching car is a patrol from the industrial estate security.

"You said there weren't any, didn't you?" Gretel shouts as, on pure instinct, they lower the trunk door, hitting the man's head to keep him from revealing them.

"The last time I came, there weren't any," Abigail replies, for the first time in her life unsure of what to do.

The security patrol stops next to them, and the driver rolls down the window.

"Lost?" he asks, looking at them in the dim light.

Abigail is grateful for the poor illumination in that particular area.

"No," she responds confidently, flashing one of her dazzling smiles. "I heard a noise, thought we had a flat tire, stopped to check, but it was just a stone stuck in the wheel. We're leaving now."

"Be careful," the man responds, convinced by Abigail's answer. "Industrial estates aren't safe at night."

"Of course, thanks. Have a good patrol."

They watch the patrol drive away, and only then do Abigail and Gretel realize they are holding their breaths.

The two women climb into the car and exchange looks, trying to avoid a heart attack.

"We can't take the car," Gretel says, terrified.

"He saw us, damn it. We can't leave it here."

"Oh my God, what if we killed him?" Gretel sobs.

Abigail doesn't respond; she just prays that the blow they delivered only stunned him. She starts the car, leaving the industrial estate while deciding amid hysterical shouts what they should do.

Chapter 6

"This is Pol's fault," Gretel opines between hysterical sighs that almost drown her.

In the midst of this nervous moment, Abigail looks at her and bursts into laughter to avoid crying.

"It's true," Gretel insists, "if that idiot hadn't dumped me, I wouldn't have gone to the bar, we wouldn't have met, and certainly, we wouldn't have stolen a car with a guy in the trunk."

"You also wouldn't have been on the brink of orgasm," Abigail retorts, offended.

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