Someone To Run To

21

The man dragged her to the back room of the store kicking and screaming. The clerk was nowhere to be found. Had he already disposed of him or her somewhere? Gina's heart was racing. She had been a fool to let her guard down.

"You should have never tried to escape," he whispered harshly in her ear. "Now you're going to have to die nice and slow."

She whimpered. After all she had been through, this man, a hired hand, was going to be the one to do her in. She fought harder, twisting, and turning.

"Fine!" he exclaimed, finally tired of trying to subdue her. "You leave me no choice."

He fished something out of his pocket and held it up so she could see it. The blade of the knife he held in his hand glinted in the dull light of the room. Her eyes widened helplessly. He would slice her open if she didn't cooperate. She stopped squirming.

"Good girl," he commented.

Gina glared at him. He was going to think 'good girl' if she ever got free. She could feel his raspy breath on her neck. What was he going to do with her? How bad would it hurt?

He laughed and she could smell his putrid breath. "Where's your hero now?"

There was a sudden click in his ear and he felt something cold and hard against his head. He froze.

"Right here. Let her go before I blow your bloody head off."

Gina's whole body deflated. Alan had found her. She didn't know how, but she didn't care. The man released her as he was told. She turned around and smiled gratefully at Alan. He briefly smiled back at her. Then he faced Gina's attacker, his face cold and hard.

"Turn around," Alan commanded. "Slowly. I want you to look me in the eye when I kill you."

He slowly turned around. Alan kept his gun on him, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Gina hadn't paid any attention before, but she could see George right behind him, his gun aimed and ready.

"You're not going to kill me."

Alan smirked. "You're right." He lowered his gun.

The man in front of him grinned. "I knew you wouldn't do it."

He had no more than gotten those words out when Alan brought his right arm up and punched him right in the face. The man fell unconscious to the floor, his knife landing with a loud clank beside of him.

Gina placed her hands over her mouth and gasped. Alan bent down to make sure he was alive still. He had hit him pretty hard on the temple. It knocked them out every time. Then he got up and ran over to Gina. He wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"I'm so sorry, Gina. I shouldn't have left you."

"It's okay. Who knew Ron would be coming after me too?"

He pulled back. "Ron? You know this man?"

She nodded. "Unfortunately. He's the goon Jack hired to keep an eye on me when I was still at the house. Ron had specific instructions to kill me if I tried to escape. And the only reason I know is that I overheard him and Jack discussing it."

Alan shook his head. "How in the world did he find you?"

Gina frowned. "I don't know unless Amy kept Jack informed on my whereabouts."

"She probably did."

"It doesn't matter. What matters is you got to me in time. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't gotten to me when you did. He was going to stab me with the knife."