Magic Moment Read Online Free PDF

halted.
    “There’s a change in plans.” Chase piloted on adrenaline. “You guys are too inept for me. Take a hike.”
    He wished the sick bastard saw how ridiculous he looked wearing a black turtleneck, his pants clustered around his ankles, his shapeless white shorts, and his knobby knees visible to the world.
    “You want payment?” Chase had two one hundred dollar bills in his pants’ side pocket. Money, hopefully, would get them off the boat a hell of a lot faster. He tossed the cash to the floor, and waved the gun at Ron. “Pick ’em up.”
    Ron hesitated, then stooped down and retrieved the money.
    “One for each of you,” Chase said. “Go!”
    Pantless, attempting to appear dignified in his boxers, wasn’t pleased. “A lousy hundred bucks. Sh-iitt.”
    Fingers firmly gripping the gun, Chase backhanded the right side of the man’s face. The force sent him careening against the wall. His skinny body hit the panel with a dull thump, and he slid to the floor. Satisfaction filled Chase’s soul.
    “Problem?” Chase asked casually.
    Pantless stared back. He sported a split lip and a new bruise to his mouth, matching one he previously had. With the back of his hand, he wiped the blood dribbling down his chin.
    Chase studied the man’s bruises and repressed a smile. The woman had obviously gotten in a shot of her own.
    Pantless struggled to stand and reached for his pants.
    “Leave them.” Chase waved the gun toward the door. “Start up. I can’t stand looking at either of you, and my finger’s getting itchy.”
    Ron started out the cabin door, followed by the knobby-knee man whose movements were hindered by his bunched up pants. Halfway up the stairs, he tripped and slid down, adding a fresh bruise to his chin.
    They paused while Pantless regained his stance. Chase caught a glimpse of the bed. The woman had stopped crying, but lay motionless. Chase prayed she hadn’t gone into shock. He wanted to reassure her she was safe but couldn’t without tipping off these idiots that he was clueless to their plan.
    At the top of the stairs, Pantless tripped and slid down again. This time Chase rewarded him with a kick to the backside.
    As the man struggled to his feet, Chase turned back to the woman. Her arms, bound at the wrists, had been pulled over her head. A white terry washcloth had been shoved into her mouth. Dried blood clotted on her chin and neck. One side of her face was a mixture of red, blue and purple bruises.
    Chase started up the stairs. Acute awareness hit him, and he nearly missed a step.
    The woman he had saved was Laura Roberts.

Chapter Three
    Laura’s heart raced wildly. Every inch of her body throbbed. The thin threads bit cruelly into her wrists and ankles. The pain lingered from fingers grabbing and twisting her flesh. This was no random act on Ron’s behalf. Dick Donovan had planned her abduction.
    After leaving the warehouse that morning, she had spent the day in her condo, alternating between staring blindly at the television and pacing the floor. She arrived back at the warehouse promptly at 5:30. All the dock and floor workers had gone, and as she had suspected, Rachel was long gone. Chase wasn’t around either, but that wasn’t unusual. He often didn’t come into the office for days at a time. Not that he did much but sign vendor checks or schmooze the clients when he was there. Chase had a gregarious personality and people, whether staff or patrons, seemed to gravitate to him.
    Her mind replayed her last few minutes spent in the office. She had quietly and quickly packed the few personal items from her bottom desk drawer into an empty copier paper box. As she was taping the lid, Dick exited his office with an envelope that he said contained her final wages. He was as cordial and as professional as he had always been with her.
    Now, whimpering with a combination of fear and pain, she connected the dots. She knew it didn’t simply happen that Dick wasn’t finished with his