Lone Rider Read Online Free PDF

ask,” Dallas continued , “b ut you’ve got to believe me.”
                  He pulled her up the same path Duke and Eddie had used, deliberately slowing his pace to match hers. They reached a clearing before a ramshackle two-story farmhouse. Dim yellow light poured from the front windows.
    A man stepped out from the shadows, armed with a nasty- looking assault rifle. The guard nodded to Dallas . “Bogen’s expecting you.”
                  As they passed, the guard scrutinized Tess intently. Too intently. The look on his face repulsed her. She inched closer to Dallas and felt the slight tightening of his hand on her forearm. Silently she admitted she did feel safer with Dallas than any of the others.
    Dallas led her into the front room , where Duke and Eddie huddled around a desk, speaking in low tones. Behind the desk sat a large, dark-haired man. Even though it was night , the man in the chair wore sunglasses. Bogen?
    She could feel his eyes dissecting her. She met his stare, trying unsuccessfully to see behind the glasses. Dismissing her, Bogen turned and listened once more to Eddie.
                  Tess quickly scanned the rest of the room, searching for avenues of escape, finding none. The other furniture in the room, a stained sofa and four ragtag recliners, circled around a large-screen television.
                  She glanced back at the desk, then quickly dropped her head to hide her excitement. On a scarred credenza behind the desk sat a telefax machine. If she could somehow get to it and use the phone!
                  Hoping to appear nonchalant, she looked at the adjacent room. Probably a dining room in another time, the room now held a pool table. The windows were boarded shut. There appeared to be nowhere to run in that direction. She glanced furtively back at the desk. The telephone on the fax machine was her best chance. The problem would be getting the opportunity to use it...before it was too late.
                  Would Dallas help her? If he could distract the others and buy her just a few moments alone with the phone--
                  The room grew quiet as Bogen suddenly pushed out of his chair and stood. An obese man, Tess wondered how he managed to move with such ease. Bogen’s attention shifted back to her, cold and calculating, stripping her, assessing her, making her feel violated. Her mouth dried in revulsion, her senses screaming like an activated burglar alarm.
    Bogen radiated hostility. And at the moment that hostility was directed at her. Her skin crawled in a new direction under his gaze. Snake seemed like a gentleman compared to Bogen.
    She backed away until she ran into Dallas . His hand clamped over her shoulder, pinning her in place.
                  “Nice,” Bogen said, nodding. He stepped forward and tugged her jacket apart, scrutinizing the thrust of her breasts. Tess held her breath, expecting to feel his hands grope.
    “I see why she’s caused such a stir. We need to talk. Privately.”  Taking their cue, Duke and Eddie started for the door, but Bogen stopped them. “Lock her up, Duke.”
    Lock her up ? Tess started to scramble away as they closed in. She skittered to the right, but found herself tethered by Dallas ’ firm grip. Damn Dallas and his lies! Damn them all!
    When Duke grabbed her and tugged, she swung out her leg and tried to kick him.
    “Pop her,” Bogen ordered.
    Ceasing her struggles, Tess steeled herself for a blow, but none came. Instead Duke stepped away, toward the desk, leaving her to watch incredulously as he retrieved a small glass vial and a hypodermic needle from a drawer. Their intent became clear.
    She shrank backwards, her eyes never leaving Duke. If they drugged her, they could do anything to her, with her. She’d be helpless. But what could she do to stop them? It was four against one and she was starting...to feel...faint.
    She blinked rapidly,