CHAPTERTWENTY
HENRY
The swaying of the van soothed Henry as he struggled against the effects of the drug. It was like being gently rocked to sleep by the waves of a calm sea. He could almost hear the swish of waves against the hull and feel the wind caressing his face.
There was a sharp pain in his forehead as he thought about getting up. He struggled again, trying to move his hands. He attempted to open his eyes, but the world stayed dark.
His body felt like it weighed tons as if he didn’t have the strength to move his own limbs. Henry knew that it was important to move. It was vital that he woke up.
But why?
The harder he struggled, the heavier his body became. It was like being paralyzed, his mind trapped inside the darkness of his skull forever with no way to open his eyes.
Something at his core rejected this with an incredible fury. He threw his arms and legs out as hard as he could, groaning with effort as he flooded his body with purpose. He felt his fingers and toes move and cried out in triumph.
Not what I was going for, but okay.
Henry had hoped to come blasting spectacularly out of unconsciousness with one great movement, so fluttering his fingers and toes was a bit of a letdown, but it was better than nothing.
As he struggled against the darkness, he realized he was blinking his eyes but still couldn’t see. He managed to raise his hands, clawing at his face.
They blindfolded me!
Suddenly, details were charging into his brain. He’d been fighting a tiger, an eagle, and a bear. They stabbed him with a needle, threw him in a truck …
Henry tore off the blindfold, looking around. The swaying motion that had been lulling him back to sleep was the movement of the van as it sped toward its destination. Henry had no intention of finding out where that might be.
I’m getting out of here!
He tried to leap to his feet and immediately fell straight back onto his ass. His head spun, and nausea rose in his throat. He realized he’d have to give his body time to wake up. He didn’t even know what they had given him.
Henry got to his feet, much slower this time. He pressed his hands to the back door, confirming it was locked. There was no way out.
The truck had smooth walls with no windows. For a moment, he considered breaking into the driver’s compartment and taking control of the truck, but a quick examination told him it was sealed off.
Henry felt the drugs leaving his system. The sluggishness finally left him, and his thoughts became much clearer. He shifted into his panther shape so he could stalk around the interior, growling and lashing his tail.
Do I just wait for them to open the door and kill them all?
He felt like he didn’t have that kind of time. An urgency was building in him, a sense that if he didn’t make a move soon, it would be too late.
Philodendron could be driving this damn truck. If I escape, I might be running in the wrong direction.
He was tempted to stay put for that reason alone, but he knew he had to get to Olivia. He had to know she and her mother were okay, then he could take his time going after Phil.
Staying in panther shape, Henry moved slowly around the interior of the truck. There was a weak panel by the wheel well at the back of the van, and he scratched at it, getting his long, strong claws hooked under it.
There was only one screw missing, but it was enough. The piece of metal peeled back, revealing a small hole where he could see black tarmac rolling by at high speed.
He stuck his head into the gap. The rubber of the spinning tire was very close to his ears. The road looked hard and rough, and he knew that getting caught between the two would be just like getting stuck in a meat grinder.
Henry took a deep breath and coiled his muscles, not giving himself time to think. He shoved his face through the gap and pushed with his hind legs, letting his body go limp as momentum dropped him toward the road.
There was a brief moment where Henry had no coherent thought … his cat instincts had completely taken over. When the jolt of impact hit him, Henry found his paws miraculously appeared under him, and he leapt up, breaking into a run immediately.
All cats really do land on their feet.
There was a brief moment of panic as he charged for the side of the road. A few cars honked their horns and swerved to avoid him, but he quickly found the edge of the wooded area and began to run, letting his animal instincts lead him home.