If Only She'd Loved Him

Chapter 10

Thursday 3:30 am

In sheer frustration, Megan slammed her feet over and over against the trunk. Her legs drummed a beat and a few dents into the car, but otherwise seemed to accomplish nothing. With a thud she let her legs fall back, wincing as the handcuffs bit into her wrists as they landed. Forced backwards, her upper arms were beginning to hurt a great deal. Maybe I can fix that, Megan thought. There was very little space in the trunk, but enough for her to pull her legs up towards her chest in a hug. Wriggling her jeans, she managed to tuck her knees up higher, almost to her chin. That little trick got her hands below her bottom. Straining the handcuffs to their limit, she pulled at the chain till it slipped over her tennis shoes. There, the chain caught. Megan cried out through the tape as the left handcuff dug deep. Gritting her teeth, she forced her feet through. It worked. Her hands were in front, not behind her, and now they were in a lot less pain.

She grinned. Gotta love yoga, she thought to herself. But first things first. With one fast pull, she ripped the tape off her mouth. The sting didn't compare to the relief. It felt so good to breathe normally! Would it do me any good to scream? she wondered. Doubt it, not with the car moving and all, but as soon as it stops, I'll break his eardrums, she promised herself with a smile. Onwards, downwards. Reaching for her ankles, she attacked the knots around her legs. They were tight, but her fingers were nimble. Soon her feet were loose. She kicked them in sheer joy. Now what? she wondered. It was pitch dark inside the trunk, but now her hands were much more mobile. She began to twist around, trying to find something, anything, to use as a weapon against Erik. But his trunk, except for a spare tire, was empty. Tired after all her efforts, Megan lay still for a few moments. Then it occurred to her that she should be listening, not just resting, as the car rolled on. I should concentrate on the noises. That's what they always do in the movies. But the ride was just one long series of bumps and tosses; no convenient fog horns blared to tell her she was near the sea, nor did she feel herself being bumped across train tracks. She did not have a clue where she was. It was so dark. Dark here, dark out there. But there are lights out there, she remembered. I am in a car, and cars have lights. What if I can disable a taillight? Rip out its wires? Aren't they in the trunk? That would get the police's attention. Megan started to claw at the back of the trunk, searching for wires in the dark. But the car made a sharp right turn, throwing her off balance. She was flung to the other side of the trunk and then the car stopped. Oh No! I was so close, she cried, So close! Then it hit her. If the car had stopped, she had to be wherever Erik wanted to take her. She'd failed. Her curse turned to a prayer. Oh please, don't let me be there already, she pleaded. Breathing hard, she almost didn't feel the tiny scratch at her back. Her fingers felt something small and metal. A pin? No, it was rounded at the corners, a paperclip. Frantically, she twisted its end, until it was bent back from the edges. It formed a sharp point as she hid it with her thumb. Twisting her fingers into her palms, she breathed hard. She didn't have to wait long. The trunk lid came flying up.

One glance told Erik that she'd almost gotten free. Any sympathy he might have felt for her flew out the door as he realized how hard she was working to leave him. His cold smile flashed as he flicked his knife into his open hand. The other hand held the trunk half shut, in case she got any ideas of trying to jump out and run.

"And weren't you the busy bee, sweetheart." Raising up the lid, he reached down and pulled her up so she was sitting on the edge of the trunk, her feet dangling.

"You know better than to scream, don't you, love?" he stated, didn't ask.

Megan nodded in silence. Erik had pulled deep to the side of a road. Nobody drove past. There was no point in making him more angry.