Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
There is a pile of old barrels just to the left of me, and as quietly as I can, I slip towards them, squeezing myself behind and holding my breath as the flashlight moves around the room. I can see it nearing, and I close my eyes, dropping my head and praying that they don’t find me. Heavily booted feet move past each cage, shining their flashlight in, but after a terrifying moment, the guard barks that it’s all clear, and we’re left in silence once more.
I exhale.
“If they find you, they’ll kill you.”
The soft voice comes from the cage in front of the barrels.
Heart pounding, I move from my position and come around to the front to see a dark-haired girl watching me from her spot on the grass. She stares at me with curiosity, but there is a dullness in her gaze that breaks my heart.
“Marek has someone I want. A little girl.”
Her head tips to the side. “They have a meeting every night. Only the guards at the main entrances stay on their post, everyone else goes to the main tent to discuss their plans for the next day. If you want your girl back, that’s your window.”
I could cry with gratitude, but my heart feels hollow knowing that she is in that cage and there seems to be nothing I can do about it.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“It’ll start soon. Keep your eye out. Good luck.”
There are so many things I wish I could say to her, but none of them seem to express the gratitude I feel. I would give anything to get her out of here, but right now, I know that Hope is alone, scared and she needs me. I have to get her out, and the only way I can do that is to take the small window I’ve been given.
Offering the woman a smile, I quickly disappear and shove my way back out of the tent, keeping low against the back of it and moving as close to the main tent as I can without being seen. I need to get Marek’s RV in sight, so I can see when he leaves. Will he leave Hope alone? If he is in the main tent, he just might. I pray he does because if he puts a guard at the door, I don’t know what I’m going to do.
Please, God, give me this one.
The moment I have his RV in sight, I find a position where I’m out of sight near another caravan, and I wait.
Just like the woman said, about half an hour later, the RV door opens and Marek steps out. The back entrance to the main tent is so close, he only has to take a few steps. He pulls the door closed, glances around, and then walks into the back of the tent. My heart screams with relief because it seems like he has left the door unguarded. Hope is only small, and my guess is that he has her secured, so she can’t move.
He doesn’t see her as a threat.
For that, I’m incredibly thankful.
I move as quietly as I can toward his RV, keeping low as I shuffle across the grass. Once I reach it, I peer around and hear low voices coming from the main tent. The back entrance is slightly open, so I know I’m going to have to be incredibly quiet when I open that door because if they look over, they could see me. Carefully, I tip toe up to the back entrance and peer in. There is a group of men standing with Marek as he speaks, all of them have their backs to me, but Marek is facing my direction.
His eyes move up, and I quickly pull back, breath hitching as I pray he didn’t see me.
I wait for an agonizing moment, but nothing happens.
He keeps speaking.
Glancing in again, I see he’s explaining something and for a moment, his attention isn’t on the RV.
It’s my chance.
I turn and sneak towards the door, carefully taking the handle in my hand and pulling it down, so slowly it cannot possibly make a sound. Once it is open, I pull it back just as slowly, opening it just enough for me to slide inside. The moment I’m in, I close it softly and peer around. There is only one light on, and it’s coming from the back of the RV, where a bed sits. On that bed is Hope. Her hands and feet are tied, and she’s lying on her back, the television on for her.
I gasp and rush over, careful not to make the RV rock.
Her eyes move to me and the moment she sees me, she begins to cry.
Scooping her up into my arms, I press her to my chest as I bury my face in her hair. “It’s okay, sweet girl. I’m here. I’ve got you. Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?”