Broken and Powerful

Chapter 2

JEDA

The car ride was silent the whole way to wherever they were taking her. She sat in the back with the man who spoke to her at the house. She didn't know their names and there was no point in asking.

She had her head leaned against the window and watched as the trees moved past them on the backroads. It was almost peaceful and she tried to soak it in as much as she could through the tinted glass window.

They had to be driving for over an hour now with no sound but the wind whipping past the black SUV. She saw the man shuffling next to her in her peripheral but didn't look at him as he turned to look at her. His eyes felt like they were burning a hole in the side of her head.

"What happened to your shoulder?" His raspy voice fills the car. She slowly turns her head to him while pulling her sweater up higher to cover the markings.

"I hit it when I bumped into the cupboard," She says with a slight smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes. His eyes scanned her face before locking back on her eyes. "One thing you will learn quickly about me, Jeda, is that I hate liars."

She was shocked for a moment to hear him say her name before she recovered and put a blank look on her face again. Of course, he knew her name. This man most likely knew everything down to her social security number. That's what they do in their line of work.

"Well I guess that won't matter for long, will it?" She asked putting a sad smile on her face and he gave her a look of confusion.

"What do you mean?" She turned her head to look back out the window.

"I know exactly what this is. You're going to drive me out to the middle of nowhere, have me walk into the woods, and when I am far enough away, you will shoot me." Her voice was nearly a whisper as she laid her head back. He was quiet for a few moments before chuckling slightly.

"So, you think we are going to kill you and you still got into the car?" He asks chuckling again, a smile evident on his face. She closed her eyes and tried to relax back in the seat.

"No point in postponing the inevitable. Might as well get it over with and end this nightmare we call life," She replies then rolls her head to face him and opens her eyes. "I'm just surprised Jared wouldn't do it himself. I think he would find satisfaction in it."

She could see the surprise on his face and confusion filled her chest. Unless she had this all wrong and this was worse than she thought.

After a few moments, he spoke again. "We are not going to kill you, Jeda."

She froze in her seat in surprise. He could just be lying to get her to not run when the car stops. But something in his eyes lead her to believe it was true.

She opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it.

"Did he do that to you?" His voice was deep and his eyes seemed to go a few shades darker as he looked at her. She could tell he was angry but unsure why. Isn't this what they do?

She didn't answer and forced herself to look down at her hands. If they weren't going to kill her then where were they taking her?

"Did he hurt you more than once?" He nearly whispered and she kept her head down, biting her tongue. This could be a trap. The moment she opens her mouth they could take her back to Jerad and she would get the worst beating she has ever gotten.

He roughly grabbed her arm before she could react and pulled her sleeve up, showing the handprint bruises on her wrist. She quickly pulled her arm back and covered it back up but he grabbed her hand.