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  A hysterical laugh bubbled out of my throat and I swallowed it, returning my attention to the hole. I studied the ground, the walls, everything. I wanted to know everything about this pit I now called home.

  As I was shining around the flashlight, something glinted in the side. I stepped closer, bending down to look. It was a necklace. A silver locket with a red stone set in the center. Around the stone was a beautiful engraved scroll design. I picked it up, brushing away some of the dirt caked on it. The metal was cold and I knew instinctively that it had been here a while.

  I also knew I hadn’t been the first woman to be thrown down here. I stared at the necklace a long time. I didn’t really see it, though. Every ache and pain in my body became more pronounced. My knees shook with the cold and my teeth began to chatter. I knew that I was likely going into shock and I told myself to calm down. The only way I was going to get out of this was with a clear head.

  I tucked the necklace in my jacket pocket, not willing to put it back in the dirt, and I prayed whatever poor woman had lost it here was somewhere at peace.

  I also made that woman a vow.

  Justice.

  Justice for what was done to her. Justice for her life, though way too short. I knew she was dead. He wouldn’t keep kidnapping if she wasn’t. I hoped her end was swift.

  I tried 9-1-1 again. I paced around the circle, trying to find a signal, waiting for just one call to go through.

  Finally, the dial tone came on and the phone rang in my ear. Excitement and hope flooded me, and I sagged in relief. Then the phone beeped. The ringing stopped. The dial tone went away. I looked at the screen.

  Dropped call.

  I sank down onto the ground. I was so utterly exhausted. My eyes felt like they had a ton of sand in them. I leaned against the dirt wall, tucking my legs beneath me, gathering myself close, trying to keep in my body heat.

  I would just rest for a minute and then I would try the phone again. The second I had even a smidge of a signal, I was going to get someone on the line. I was going to tell them what happened and they would come for me. I would be safe.

  Even as my eyes drooped, I tried the phone again. The call didn’t go through.

  I was still attempting the call when my body succumbed to my exhaustion and I fell into a troubled and painful sleep.

  6

  Nathan

  I needed a beer. There was no beer. And why was there no beer at this weekly poker game?

  Because the dude bringing it was late.

  I’m pretty sure that somewhere written in the guy code of life was a rule that stated, “He who brings the beer shows up on time.”

  Clearly this guy needed a class on guy code.

  “Where the hell is the beer?” Patton complained as he shuffled the deck for, like, the thirtieth time.

  “I say we dock him a hundred in chips when he gets here,” Braden said.

  “There’s liquor behind the bar,” Jinx, our host, said, getting up and going around the wooden bar against the wall. “Who wants a drink?”

  A couple of the guys yelled out their orders and a few more made jokes about leaving and going to Twin Peaks (it was like Hooters) for their drinks.

  I stayed quiet. I didn’t want liquor. I wanted beer. Beer was good for mellowing the mood, and for some reason I wasn’t feeling too mellow. I thought finally taking down that picture, finally resolving that it was time to move on, would give me a sense of peace.

  But I didn’t feel any peace.

  Instead, I felt kind of edgy, kind of keyed up. It was as if something was happening around me that I didn’t know about, yet I could feel the bad energy.

  Yeah, like I said, I seriously needed that beer.

  “Should we just start the game? Make him sit out the first hand?” Patton said, returning to the chair beside mine with what looked like Captain Morgan and Coke in his hand.

  “You driving?” I drawled, giving the glass a pointed stare. Yeah, I sounded like an old man, but he was one of mine. I wasn’t about to let one of mine screw up his life over a couple drinks.

  “I’m crashing on the couch,” he replied.

  I nodded and let the subject drop. I wasn’t a nag and I took him at his word. Besides, he knew I would come down on him if he got behind the wheel of his car. Marines were never really “off duty.” Marines were on call twenty-four seven.

  Acting like an ass wasn’t part of the job.

  Patton started dealing the cards, and I glanced at the door once more. I wasn’t what I would consider friends with the guy bringing the beer. Lex was more or less and acquaintance that I saw every Friday at our poker games. I knew him well enough that if I saw him out in town or at a restaurant, I would stop and say hi, maybe make a few cracks about poker or something. But he wasn’t someone I would go watch a game with either.

  I fished my cell out of my pocket and called up his name in my contacts. All of the regular poker players exchanged numbers a while back, in case of a location change or if something came up and someone couldn’t be there. It was common courtesy to let the others know because we usually held up the game until we were all around the table.

  Which made his tardiness that much more peculiar.

  “Anyone hear from Lex?” I asked. Maybe he wasn’t coming.

  No one spoke up; everyone shrugged. “It’s not like him to be late,” one of the guys said as he adjusted his chips into neat stacks.

  “Shit comes up,” Jinx said matter-of-factly, sitting down with a huge ass glass of some kind of liquor concoction.

  Bottom’s up, I told him silently. The faster he got hammered, the faster I would start winning. I hadn’t lied when I told Patton I was feeling lucky.

  I fully intended to walk away with full pockets tonight.

  I hit the message button and shot off a quick text to Lex.

  You’re late. U coming?

  Hopefully he would reply with a yes or no and we could get on with the game. And someone could make a damn beer run.

  How Jinx could have that bar and no beer was beyond me. ‘Course, last weekend we were all here watching football so I guess I kind of knew where the beer had gone.

  I dumped the phone in my lap and picked up my cards as the game began. I grabbed up a handful of peanuts and tossed them into my mouth, crunching away as I studied my cards. Not a completely worthless hand. I could work with this.

  A few minutes later, the basement door opened and Lex came into the room carrying two paper sacks, which he set on top of the bar. A series of “heys” and “what ups” sounded around the room.

  “Beer’s here!” Patton called and elbowed me.

  I grinned and laid my cards facedown on the table. “No peaking,” I told him.

  He snorted and started talking smack. “Please. Your mom could play a better hand than you.”

  I grinned because he was right.

  Lex was pulling out a case of Miller Light from the bag as I approached. “Thanks, man,” I said, reaching in to grab one.

  “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was a bitch and the liquor store was packed.”

  “No worries,” I said, popping the top and letting the beer flood my mouth. Ahhhhh.

  Lex grabbed a beer and chugged about half the can in one gulp. I eyed him. He seemed a little fidgety, not quite as steady as he usually was. He was usually more friendly, more prone to smile.

  “Everything okay?” I asked him.

  “Hmm?” he said, pulling the beer away from his lips. “Yeah, totally. Long day at work is all.”

  “I hear that,” I said and saluted him with my beer. “TGIF.”

  Lex grinned. “Deal me in!” he called, and then we both went over to the table to start the game.

  I completely forgot about the text I sent him…

  Until a few moments later when I got a reply.

  7

  Honor

  The sound of beeping woke me. I jerked awake, blinking against the dark as reality came crashing over me. I scrambled to my fe
et, looking up toward the top of the hole. The sun was no longer in the sky. It was dark. It was night. I was in the center of the woods.

  Even down in this hole, I could hear the wildlife singing in the night. I heard the rustling of leaves and wondered what was up there, praying it wasn’t him.

  The beeping sound cut through the darkness again, and I noticed how the screen on the phone illuminated the hole, casting a bluish tone over everything.

  It was a text.

  My knees sagged in relief, and I felt my lower lip wobble. Finally, I would be able to get help. I glanced at the screen, hungry for contact with the outside world. There was no name for the person texting, only a number. The area code was one I didn’t recognize.

  You’re late. U coming?

  I had no idea what kind of person my kidnapper could be friends with, but right about now I’d take my chances with anyone.

  Please help me.

  The signal was still very low and it took the text forever to send. It took so long that I began to lose hope. I began to think it wouldn’t go through. But then the phone made a little whooshing sound and the message posted.

  It took even longer for the person to reply than it did for the message to send. I waited, clutching the phone, praying I would get an answer.

  What’s wrong? Shitty hand?

  I was kidnapped by the owner of this phone. Plz help me. Call 911.

  That’s a sick joke.

  I’m not jkin! I swear! I typed furiously. My stomach churned. What if this person thought I was just pulling a prank? What if they thought the man who owned this phone was being funny.

  I swiped an angry tear off my cheek and cleared out of the texting screen to pull up the keypad and dial 9-1-1. The phone rang.

  “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” said a calm voice over the line.

  I gasped, so grateful it worked.

  “State your emergency.”

  “My name is Honor Calhoun. I’ve been kidnapped. I’m being held against my will.”

  “What is your location?”

  I’m sorry, but I was offended. She didn’t gasp in outrage. She didn’t ask me if I was okay. She was like a damn robot on the other end of the line, asking me to take some stupid survey about orange juice or vitamins.

  Hell-O! I wanted to scream. Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?

  But I didn’t. Instead, I replied, “I have no idea. I’m in the woods. In a hole in the ground.”

  The operator paused. I figured that was the biggest “Oh shit!” reaction I was going to get. I could hear her clicking away on a computer and I imagined her assembling the cavalry, riling the troops.

  Go save Honor!

  I’m a writer. I’m dramatic. Let’s all move on.

  “Stay on the line while we try to locate your phone,” the woman said. Clearly, she never wrote a thing. She probably didn’t even like to read.

  Ring. Ring.

  Hello?

  I’ve been kidnapped. Someone wants to kill me!

  Hold please.

  I’d get better service at McDonald’s.

  “Listen to me,” I said, ignoring her. “I’m in the woods. I’m scared. My name is Honor Calhoun. I live on Main Street in Slatington. Please come find me. Send help.”

  “Hello?” the operator said. For the first time, emotion showed in her voice. “Ar… you… th…?” Her words broke up, the connection failing.

  I gripped the phone tightly, suddenly sorry I made fun of her voice. She was the only one who could help me.

  “Please,” I whispered, my voice cracking.

  “We’ll do every…. we can—” the woman said, but her words were cut off when the phone lost its signal.

  I groaned in frustration and pulled the phone away from my ear. I glanced down. Less than half the battery remained.

  I thought about calling back. I knew it would probably be useless. Maybe in a few minutes whatever signal was out there would come back. Maybe she heard enough of what I said. Hopefully she got my name. She wouldn’t forget about me. It was her job to help.

  Right?

  If I couldn’t depend on someone else, then it was up to me to get myself out of here. I tucked the phone into the pocket of my jacket and looked up. The sky was utterly dark. With all the trees above, I couldn’t even see the moon or any stars. I could barely see two inches in front of me.

  Waiting until morning to at least try to get out of here wasn’t an option.

  I walked over to the wall and laid my palm against the loose, moist dirt. It crumbled slightly beneath my touch. I pushed harder against it, satisfied when it packed down. Using the toe of my right foot, I drove it into the side, kicking a little, trying to delve my foot in and catch hold. When part of my foot was solidly encased in dirt, I reached above my head and forced my fingers into the earth.

  I started to climb.

  I took my left foot and brought it up, trying to drive it into the side just a little higher than the right. It was more difficult than I hoped. I fell several times. Each time I got a little more desperate; each time I got a little more tired.

  Eventually, I made it a little ways off the ground. My arms and shoulders trembled with exhaustion. I felt as if I’d just carried about fifty pounds worth of groceries up three flights of stairs and across a living room.

  I paused in my efforts and leaned my forehead against the wall. The earthy smell of dirt washed over me. It was strong and outdoorsy. Any other time, I might have thought it was pleasant.

  Now it reeked of death.

  The phone in my pocket beeped and startled me. I let out a little shriek and jerked, falling off the wall and tumbling onto the ground, landing on my back.

  I sucked in a sharp breath, which caused even more piercing pain than I already felt. My side ached. It felt swollen and uncomfortable, and I just wanted to lie there and cry.

  I allowed myself a few long seconds to brush the sweat and dirt off my face. The phone beeped again and I pulled it out and held it above me, staring up at the lit-up screen.

  I couldn’t understand why sometimes the stupid thing worked and sometimes it didn’t. This guy seriously needed a new cell provider. Of course, I would rather it only work a little than not work at all.

  Prove it, the text read. I couldn’t even be angry by the request. If I suddenly got a text from someone claiming to be kidnapped, I would probably want proof too.

  I cleared out of the messaging screen and pressed the camera button.

  If he wanted proof, I’d give it to him.

  After making sure the flash was on, I held the phone out away from my face. Right before I snapped the selfie, I grabbed the locket out of my pocket and held it up beside my cheek. I don’t know why. It just felt like the right thing to do.

  I snapped the picture and then pulled the phone down to view it.

  I grimaced. I looked like hell. I looked worse than hell. I looked like something that crawled out of a grave on some B-rated horror movie.

  The bottom fell out of my stomach. What I was experiencing right now could totally be part of a horrible B-rated movie.

  The entire picture was cast in that yellow-ish kind of glow that a flash provides. My face was streaked with dirt. My skin was pale, my eye was completely swollen and dark, my lips were caked with dried blood, and my hair was half falling out of its pony. Beside me, the necklace was clear, and I nodded, thinking that was good.

  I sent the person my photo.

  If that wasn’t enough to get some help, then nothing would be.

  The picture failed to send twice. The little red exclamation point beside it drove me mad with desperation. By the time it went through on the third try, I’d bitten down three of my fingernails until they were bleeding.

  It was cold down here. Parts of my body began to go numb, and I huddled against the wall, pulling my knees in as far as my side would allow, and then wrapped my arms around them. I rocked back and forth, trying to create warmth.

  Trying t
o create comfort.

  I was watching the screen when I got another text.

  What’s your name?

  Honor Calhoun. Please, God, let this person believe me. Let them help me.

  I’m going to get you out of there, Honor.

  I started to cry. I said I wasn’t going to cry. I said I wouldn’t give my kidnapper the satisfaction. This wasn’t about that.

  This was about the hope that burst through me. This was about the possibility of me actually living to see tomorrow. This was about another human being who was going to make sure I wasn’t alone.

  I’m scared, I texted.

  I know. We’re going to figure this out.

  What’s your name? I needed to know. I needed something to hold on to. Something to whisper in the dark of the night.

  Nathan.

  I gripped the phone tightly.

  There was now something standing between me and absolute death.

  His name was Nathan.

  8

  Nathan

  Someone beat her. Someone used their hands—their fists—as weapons to inflict pain on her. She was small. I don’t know why her slight frame bothered me so much. Maybe it was because it didn’t match the determination, the absolute stubbornness buried deep in her icy blue eyes.

  I laid the phone in my lap and looked across the table at the man whose phone I was getting texts from. At first I thought he was playing a prank. But I watched him. He wasn’t holding a phone. He didn’t occasionally glance down at his lap like it was lying there. Lex’s hands remained above the table on his cards at all times.

  He didn’t look like the kind of man that would kidnap a woman, beat her, dump her in the center of the woods, and then drive to a poker game and have beer with the boys.

  Yeah, and everyone thought Ted Bundy was nice.

  He caught me looking at him and I forced myself to smile. “You gonna fold or raise?” I said, pretending like I was only looking at him because of the game.

  He smiled and took a pull of beer. “I’ll raise,” he said confidently and threw some chips in the center of the table. I didn’t even pay attention to how much he threw in.