What exactly does that mean for me?
I haven’t thought about the future since the day I took the information I had and sent it to the authorities. Everything has been very moment-to-moment as I was dragged from the local police department to the prosecutor in the county courthouse to the governor’s office. Then those people from Washington showed up, and I was further tossed back and forth as they gathered more information.
Then the assault.
More police. More government officials. I didn’t have time to think about the future or what it held for me. After the arraignment and Hudson’s threats, I’d taken him at his word. I didn’t expect to have a future.
Now no one knows what the future holds, but I know one thing—I’m not going to be doing any computer work any time soon. I also know my survival skills aren’t exactly at the same level as Falk’s. Eventually, I’m either going to have to prove my worth in other ways, or I am going to be seen as good for only one thing.
“I’m scared.”
I hear Falk roll over and feel his body heat closer to my back. A moment later, he snakes his arm around my waist. I tense at first, but when he doesn’t move any closer—just leaves his arm there around me—I relax against the ground. I can feel the exhaustion in my limbs creep up into my head, and I yawn.
“Is this okay?” Falk asks quietly. He tightens his arm around my middle.
“Yeah, it’s okay.”
“I know you’re scared,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons I’m keeping you close.”
“What are the other reasons?” I yawn again. I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.
“A topic for another time.”
Chapter 6
“If you’ll just take a look at this television. It’s on sale right now, and I think it will be perfect for you,” the salesman says.
“Sorry, but I’m in a rush, late for work, and my boss will kill me if I’m late again.”
Another salesman approaches. Then another.
“We have fabulous sales for you.”
“I can’t right now, really.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am.” The head salesman comes up to me, and the others shift back. “Please forgive them, but they just found out they are all going to lose their jobs. The store is closing. They have to sell all the inventory before they can leave.”
I’m getting angry.
“That’s too bad,” I say, “but I’m late. I have to get to work, or my boss will kill me.”
I push my way through the men and into my closet. I’m only wearing a towel, and I have to get dressed for work. I turn to lock the closet door behind me, but the lock isn’t working. One of the salesmen pushes his way inside.
“You want to buy something from me,” he says as he approaches. I can’t make out his face, but there’s a scar on it, just below his eye. “You know you do.”
“No…” I can barely utter the word. He’s pushing me against the rack of clothes behind me, and he reaches between my legs, fingering me. I turn my head to the side. I just want him to go away and leave me alone, but he doesn’t.
“Please,” I whisper. “I’m late. My boss will kill me.”
I wake alone in the damp tent. The remnants of the nightmare buzz around in my head, and I feel queasy. My leg throbs painfully, and my hip is sore from sleeping on the ground. I can hear voices outside, speaking in hushed tones as I sit up and rub my eyes.
When I try to stand, I drop back to the sleeping bag, grunting from the pain in my leg. It’s stiffened up a lot overnight, and putting weight on it hurts like a bitch. I press my hands against it, as if I can hold in the pain.
Falk appears at the tent entrance.
“You all right?”
“I’m okay,” I say through clenched teeth.