My wrists suddenly appeared in front of me! I removed the duct tape quickly and then sat down and began to work on my ankles. No, it was more important to get fresh air. I stood again, and—
Whoa. I leaned against the wall. Dizziness, and now the headache, like a jackhammer. I hadn’t noticed it when I’d been trying to free my wrists.
Need to sink against something…anything…
No! Need to get back to Jonah. Nothing matters but getting back to Jonah.
I looked to the car. It was fuzzy and blue. Needed to break the driver’s window.
I wobbled, changing my mind. It was more important to break the garage window and get some fresh air in here. I could do that faster than I could break the car window. My wrists were already bloody. I hopped to the shelving and grabbed the piece of PVC pipe that was wedged underneath. Then I hopped over to the garage door and began banging on one of the windows.
I threw everything I had into my arms and the pipe. Finally, I threw the pipe down and crashed into the white glass with my bloody fists.
Until I heard a crack.
Yes! A small crack, barely visible beneath the paint. I picked up the pipe again and forced it against the glass until it finally shattered and I was able to push it outward.
“Help! Help! Someone help me!”
No houses were visible. Either I was in a rural area or suburban area facing a lot of green space. I stuck my head through the window and breathed heavily of the fresh air.
But who knew how long it would take me to get help?
I took a few more big gulps of the fresh air out the window and then went to work on unbinding my feet.
My ankle still throbbed from where I had twisted it and the man had kicked me. I hadn’t noticed the pain so much while I was hopping around looking for an escape.
I certainly wasn’t out of the woods yet. The man had tied a strong knot, and my hands throbbed in pain from the cuts, but I was determined. I looked to the fuzzy car again, my vision blurring. I should be breaking that window… Turning off the car… To hell with my feet.
But my hands kept working, and within a few minutes I was free and could walk.
I headed over to the car and started beating on the driver’s side window with the pipe and my bare hands. Eventually the window shattered, and I pushed the glass through and onto the seat. I unlocked the door, opened it, and quickly disengaged the ignition, pulling out the key.
Then I ran back to the garage door and took several more deep breaths out the window.
Damn, my head. Things looked fuzzy. Just grass and dirt and tumbleweeds rolling in the breeze. Even though I now had an open window and the car was turned off, the garage was still full of poisonous gas. At least no more would be added.
I took a few more deep breaths out the window and tried to hoist myself up to go through. My hands were already full of cuts, and my ankle was sore, but I had to try. I jumped, screaming at the pain in my ankle and grabbing at the bottom of the open window. But I couldn’t keep my hold.
I sat down, tears emerging in my eyes. All I had accomplished was to cut my hands even more.
I looked toward the doorway in the back wall. The fuzzy blue car—was it moving now?—blocked my view.
And then I laughed out loud.
Chapter Five
Jonah
A little over an hour later, I was back at my house. Marj was sitting at the kitchen table, Lucy at her feet. My sister was visibly distraught. In front of her sat a lowball glass filled with what looked like bourbon or scotch. Marj wasn’t normally a big drinker.
“Thank God you’re back.” She jumped up, nearly knocking her chair down, and ran into my arms.
I rubbed her back. “Everything is okay. I’m here.”
“The baby? Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. If he weren’t, I would’ve heard from Bryce. I dropped him off, and I saw Evelyn holding Henry in the doorway.”