Marked in Mexico Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Kim McMahill
spoons. Jessica didn’t know if she was that hungry or if the food was actually decent, but she ate like she hadn’t in weeks. The best part of the activity was that with food in their mouths, Ashley had quit crying and Gilbert had quit talking.
After eating, drinking and taking turns with the bucket in the corner, they sat back down on the floor, but this time a little closer together.
“I’m Megan and this is Ashley. I’m so scared. What should we do?” she asked looking directly at Jack.
“We don’t do anything,” Gilbert stated before Jack could reply. “We just sit here, wait for help and do whatever they want. Money will get us out of this and I’ve got plenty of it, so no one had better try to be a hero and cause any trouble.”
The last part of the statement was directed at Jack, but he didn’t respond. Jessica was relieved when Jack remained silent, but doubted the delicate balance they had just struck would last.
She watched Gilbert struggle to his feet and move across the room, separating himself from the person he perceived to be trouble. Ashley followed, apparently believing his money would save them, but Megan hesitated. She looked at Jessica and Jack with indecision. Jessica wanted to reassure her, but had nothing to offer. Ashley grabbed Megan’s hand and gave it a gentle tug, and Megan followed her friend to Gilbert’s side.
Jessica stayed in place next to Jack, avoiding Gilbert’s continued scrutiny as much as possible, hoping his mind was as sluggish as his overweight body. If he recognized her, she feared the situation would only get worse, but she doubted he would be shrewd enough to recognize the danger.
Chapter Five
Darkness filled the room. The hours they had been confined had been uneventful. No one else had entered the room, except to retrieve the bean pot, and they still had no idea why they had been abducted. Ashley quit crying and stayed close to Gilbert, hoping to ride his bank account to freedom. Megan remained stoically silent, making Jessica fear she might be teetering on the edge of shock. Jack paced, but remained quiet, and Jessica watched them all.
Her eyelids had begun to grow heavy when the silence was shattered by shouting. The van fired to life and the chaotic thump of boots pounding across the wooden floor of the house warned they would soon be making a hasty retreat.
The door flew open and the men burst into the room, screaming at them. They grabbed and bound Jack first and then Gilbert. Ashley, Megan and Jessica were yanked to their feet and shoved out the door in front of Jack and Gilbert.
The sound of sirens shrilled in the distance and Jessica hoped the noise meant the authorities were coming to the rescue and the nightmare would soon be over. She hesitated in order to listen closer, but was shoved hard from behind, sending her stumbling into the dark night. Before she could regain her balance and decide which direction the sirens wailed from and if there was any way she could stall their departure, she was grabbed by the arm and forced into the van.
The doors slammed shut and the three men assumed the same positions as before. The van eased away from the old house, but quickly accelerated. The track was rutted and pitted and barely wide enough for the vehicle to maneuver. The van ran erratically without lights, no doubt to conceal their location.
As the van bounced wildly at a high rate of speed, the passengers were tossed around the metal box. Jessica frantically searched for something solid to grab onto. As she grasped for the leg of the front seat, the van left the dirt road and hit the pavement, its backend swerving nearly out of control. The jolt sent her flying and she landed face down across Jack’s lap, her rear end poking up in the air.
Every inch of her body ached. She knew she had to be bruised from head to toe, but the desire to find a more dignified place to sit gave her the will to push herself into a sitting position. As she
After eating, drinking and taking turns with the bucket in the corner, they sat back down on the floor, but this time a little closer together.
“I’m Megan and this is Ashley. I’m so scared. What should we do?” she asked looking directly at Jack.
“We don’t do anything,” Gilbert stated before Jack could reply. “We just sit here, wait for help and do whatever they want. Money will get us out of this and I’ve got plenty of it, so no one had better try to be a hero and cause any trouble.”
The last part of the statement was directed at Jack, but he didn’t respond. Jessica was relieved when Jack remained silent, but doubted the delicate balance they had just struck would last.
She watched Gilbert struggle to his feet and move across the room, separating himself from the person he perceived to be trouble. Ashley followed, apparently believing his money would save them, but Megan hesitated. She looked at Jessica and Jack with indecision. Jessica wanted to reassure her, but had nothing to offer. Ashley grabbed Megan’s hand and gave it a gentle tug, and Megan followed her friend to Gilbert’s side.
Jessica stayed in place next to Jack, avoiding Gilbert’s continued scrutiny as much as possible, hoping his mind was as sluggish as his overweight body. If he recognized her, she feared the situation would only get worse, but she doubted he would be shrewd enough to recognize the danger.
Chapter Five
Darkness filled the room. The hours they had been confined had been uneventful. No one else had entered the room, except to retrieve the bean pot, and they still had no idea why they had been abducted. Ashley quit crying and stayed close to Gilbert, hoping to ride his bank account to freedom. Megan remained stoically silent, making Jessica fear she might be teetering on the edge of shock. Jack paced, but remained quiet, and Jessica watched them all.
Her eyelids had begun to grow heavy when the silence was shattered by shouting. The van fired to life and the chaotic thump of boots pounding across the wooden floor of the house warned they would soon be making a hasty retreat.
The door flew open and the men burst into the room, screaming at them. They grabbed and bound Jack first and then Gilbert. Ashley, Megan and Jessica were yanked to their feet and shoved out the door in front of Jack and Gilbert.
The sound of sirens shrilled in the distance and Jessica hoped the noise meant the authorities were coming to the rescue and the nightmare would soon be over. She hesitated in order to listen closer, but was shoved hard from behind, sending her stumbling into the dark night. Before she could regain her balance and decide which direction the sirens wailed from and if there was any way she could stall their departure, she was grabbed by the arm and forced into the van.
The doors slammed shut and the three men assumed the same positions as before. The van eased away from the old house, but quickly accelerated. The track was rutted and pitted and barely wide enough for the vehicle to maneuver. The van ran erratically without lights, no doubt to conceal their location.
As the van bounced wildly at a high rate of speed, the passengers were tossed around the metal box. Jessica frantically searched for something solid to grab onto. As she grasped for the leg of the front seat, the van left the dirt road and hit the pavement, its backend swerving nearly out of control. The jolt sent her flying and she landed face down across Jack’s lap, her rear end poking up in the air.
Every inch of her body ached. She knew she had to be bruised from head to toe, but the desire to find a more dignified place to sit gave her the will to push herself into a sitting position. As she