Impossible escape, p.4
Impossible Escape, page 4
She and her family had tried everything. This was the final hope. Poor Frankie and Ari.
“No!” she said out loud. “You are not going to die and I’m going to expose this crazy show. Maybe I’ll tell Mercedes if she doesn’t make the other shows safe I’ll expose her and I’ll make her give the Ranch the money for my silence. What do you want from our crazy host? How did she come across so nice and then a minute later she’s trying to kill us?”
Bennett chuckled softly and then he did something that shocked her clear to her core. He brushed his lips across her forehead. His lips were soft and tantalizing and she could not believe such a tough man could have such … appealing lips.
“Rose … you signed the disclosures that this was an extreme reality show and death or dismemberment could happen. This is all part of the show. I’ll keep you safe. They’re probably just trying to scare us right off the bat and save themselves a million dollars if you quit.”
“The scare is working,” she muttered.
“I don’t see you as the type to blackmail someone.”
She sighed. “You’re right.”
He chuckled. “You’ll be safe.” He cuddled her against his muscular chest, his thick arms surrounding her like the most secure and somehow exhilarating spot she’d ever occupied in her life. She’d never felt muscles like his pressed against her and around her. “I promise you, Rose. I won’t let anything hurt you. As soon as we find my weapons, nothing will even scratch me.” He laughed. “Though it was a kick to wrestle with a jaguar.”
“A kick? Like you’re wrestling with your Army Ranger buddies?” She shook her head. Did this guy take anything seriously? The smile that had been so appealing should’ve warned her. He was a crazy ego-maniac with a death wish. He wrestled with jaguars, fried them up for an afternoon snack, and grinned about it.
“For sure. Let’s find those weapons in case he comes out that door again.”
Horror rushed through her. She stiffened and pulled away, clinging to the phone. As soon as she wasn’t touching him she felt an intense letdown and a sensation of vertigo. Like a cliff diver after the drop is over and they’re floundering in the water and don’t know which way is up. Bennett’s arms thrilled and steadied her.
No. She was over-exaggerating the hug because of the drama and uncertainty of the moment. She couldn’t let down her guard with him again. Should she call Mercedes and call this whole nightmare off? They’d been locked up for probably twenty minutes and anybody but the ultra-tough, skilled in combat Bennett would’ve died.
What was coming next?
The jaguar back out the door or something worse?
Fear coated her throat and her heart raced out of control.
How would either of them survive a week?
Chapter
Four
Bennett was worried about Rose, and he didn’t like her out of his arms. He didn’t like her choosing to move out of his arms. That was hardly the biggest issue of the moment. They had to get weapons and a flashlight and get out of this stairwell before the jaguar came back or the show’s producers threw something else at them.
He took the glowing phone from her fingers, to prevent her from calling the show off and to turn the flashlight on. He had some scratches from the beast he’d fought with and he could only imagine the bruises forming from their tumble down the steps, but nothing was broken, the cuts weren’t fed by an artery and would eventually stop bleeding, the animal was maybe locked up, and they’d survived challenge number one.
He wondered how many dozens of challenges were racing their way. Hopefully they weren’t all animals. If he had a gun or knife he could prevail easily, but he’d inflicted enough killing and seen even more in his fifteen years in the military. He didn’t want to kill an animal for the sake of a television show, but he would protect Rose.
He was hoping his words to Rose proved true and Mercedes’ people were only trying to get them to quit and save Mercedes a million dollars. That didn’t make sense though, they wouldn’t have a show if they quit during the first hour. If they’d really spent three months converting this resort into a twisted fun house they wouldn’t want to waste that time or money either. Maybe the producers were only trying to start the show with a bang.
Clicking on the phone screen, he swiped from the top corner and pushed the flashlight button. It beamed down on a backpack of supplies dumped on the landing. He panned it around and asked, “No gun or knife?”
“No.”
“It’s okay. We’ll find them.” He hoped. He kept one ear cocked to any movement below. All quiet so far. Would that door hold if the animal regained consciousness? Was the animal even now nursing its wounds and getting ready to come back at them? “Can you hold the phone while I look through this?”
“Sure.”
She took the phone and he didn’t comment on the light bouncing around the walls. He picked up the backpack she’d emptied and searched a few more pockets, finding a phone charger, batteries, and finally a small flashlight. They traded it out for the cell phone to keep the phone’s battery.
The light was brighter and a little steadier. Hopefully that meant Rose was calming down. He’d love to hold her to help her calm down but she definitely had some walls up, and hurt that shone from her eyes. He’d have to proceed carefully. Her throwing herself into his arms earlier had been a gift of happiness and light, the likes of which he’d never felt. He’d fight another large cat with vicious claws and teeth to receive a hug like that. Right now he needed to move and get her safely away from the jaguar.
He set the smaller backpack down and grabbed the other one. His stomach turned over at the ripe smell of meat being disturbed. Sure enough, behind the backpack was a pile of red-streaked brown, bloody steak. Gross. He was surprised Mercedes’ producers would go to such dangerous lengths, but they could edit out whatever they wanted and Mercedes seemed eccentric enough to not care what anybody thought of her.
He focused on the issue of the moment. He didn’t dare repack the backpack she’d dumped on the concrete yet. What if the jaguar came back out? He needed weapons, and quickly. He searched the pockets of the larger backpack. First aid kit, red glasses, probably come in handy later. The other pockets had candy, Gecko gloves, that find made him a little leery—he hoped Rose didn’t mind heights—and not much else.
He started removing everything from this backpack. A lot more carefully than Rose had dumped the first one. He couldn’t imagine her desperation. She was holding up really well, the flashlight was steady now but she didn’t say anything. He hated to say he appreciated her silence, but he was keeping his ears cocked for animals or a trap door opening or fire rushing from the ceiling. He didn’t know what he’d expected with this week where he was being paid a million dollars to protect and help Rose win a million dollars for her charity. He didn’t think the show’s producers would try to kill them on Day One. More like Minute One. He smiled to himself.
His smile almost slipped as he reached the last item in the larger backpack and set it to the side. No weapons. He checked the backpack itself thoroughly for hidden pockets.
Nothing.
Mercedes had said there’d be weapons. He desperately needed weapons. He honestly doubted they could survive without them. Unless that was the only predatory animal they would encounter and the animal couldn’t get out again. Was that claws scratching against the door? His back straightened.
Would his guns and knives be waiting in the other supplies? He didn’t want Rose to call and quit, but he might have to call and demand they bring him a Glock 19 with loads of extra rounds and at least two knives.
He quickly repacked the backpack he’d just emptied, feeling the clothes and checking everything to make sure there wasn’t a knife hidden somewhere.
Disappointment swelled in him and he lost his smile for a moment.
He grabbed the other backpack and started repacking it.
“Are you okay?” Rose asked.
“Sure,” he lied. “Why?”
“You’re not smiling.”
He glanced up at her with the hugest grin he could muster. “Better?”
“A bit Joker-ish, but yes. I like your smile.”
“Thank you. I like your laugh.” He looked down, hoping he hadn’t just pushed her away. He loved her laugh and holding her close. The balm of heaven for certain. “Just a moment while I repack this, and then we’ll get down the stairs and find the supply spot where our weapons will be.”
“What if they’re not there?”
“Then I make a phone call to Mercedes, and I might not be smiling as we have a heart to heart.” He winked and grinned at her.
She laughed.
That was a fabulous reward.
Definitely scratching and then a low growl.
“Bennett?”
“It’s okay.” He shoved a women’s sweatshirt in. It was much heavier than it should be, and bundled in a tight ball with the sleeves wrapped and tied together.
Interesting.
He hurriedly untied the sleeves and uncurled the sweatshirt to reveal what was hidden, and finally felt unstoppable again.
“Nice,” Rose said from above him.
“Very nice,” he admitted.
He grabbed one of the Sig Sauer P365s, checked that it was loaded and the manual safety was on, and extended it to her. The Sig only had ten rounds and was a compact gun for concealing. The fact they had two guns made him happy. He might not cuss Mercedes out.
Her eyebrows lifted. Her face was partially illuminated by the flashlight. “I get a gun?”
“You said you’d killed rattlers. Can you shoot? Do you want a gun?” The cat was still scratching at the door. He prayed it wouldn’t open this time.
“I have killed rattlers and I can shoot, but I’m betting an Army Ranger Major can outshoot me any day of the week.” She didn’t move to take the gun, studying him as if he were a marvel. Because of his training?
He grinned. “Of course I could, but don’t feel badly about that. I can outshoot everybody I know.” He placed the gun in her hand. “I’d feel better knowing you’re armed, especially if we get separated or that vicious cats pins me down in our next wrest.” He smiled, hoping she thought he was teasing.
She palmed the gun, looked it over and then slid it into the pocket of her pants. Meeting his gaze in the flashlight that was bobbing slightly again, she said, “Thank you, Bennett.”
He had to swallow against his suddenly dry throat. He liked his name. Had never had a problem with his name. He’d never heard his name spoken like that. It rolled off her tongue like sweet nectar. He wanted her to say his name again.
“Anything you need … Rose.” He tried to say her name as meaningfully and appealingly as she’d said his.
She smiled at him, and though he always smiled, he didn’t know that he’d ever smiled so genuinely, a smile tugged straight from his heart.
He could’ve sat there smiling at her in the bobbing light from a flashlight, smelling meat all day. But it was his responsibility to keep her safe and help her win the money and he didn’t fancy another go with the jaguar or shooting the creature.
He bent to the weapons again. Hopefully their supplies along the route had extra bullets. He handed over a switchblade to her. She thanked him again, unfortunately not saying his name, and tucked the knife in a different pocket. He put another switchblade in his front pocket and a good old Swiss army knife in a lower pocket. Placing the small gun in the back of his waistband, he repacked the backpack and stood.
Looking to Rose, he felt lighter and happier. “You ready to stomp down these stairs and conquer the first level?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.” She saluted him.
He chuckled at that. He took the flashlight from her and they each swung on their backpacks, clasped the buckles and tightened them. The backpacks stunk like the bloody meat, but he was almost immune to the smell at this point. He’d been sprayed by a skunk playing in the creek with some friends when he was ten. At first the smell had made him vomit, but then he grew used to it. For a week his mom had told him he stunk, but he couldn’t smell it.
He wanted to take Rose’s hand and lead her down the stairs but he preferred staying in front of her to protect her. Please let that huge cat stay put.
“Stay close behind me in case I need to shelter you with my body.”
“With a body as big as yours you could easily shelter me,” she said. “But I refuse to let you die for me.”
“Come on. It’s all part of the game.” He grinned easily and started down the stairs before she could protest.
She stayed one step above him, sometimes bumping into his backpack and apologizing. They were almost to the landing. The flashlight revealed cameras up high. The scratching got louder and then another roar.
Rose’s breath was coming in quick pants but she only pressed closer to him.
When they reached the landing, he grabbed the door handle to his right and pushed it down. The door had barely swung in toward the next room when the lights came back on, the stairs flattened to a slide, the landing tilted, and the wall next to them swung wide open like a massive door.
Rose cried out in surprise.
Bennett clung desperately to the door handle, dropped the flashlight, and grabbed on to the strap of Rose’s backpack.
The jaguar roared behind them.
The door swung closed again from the pressure of him holding onto it. The exterior wall swung closed, the landing flattened, and the tiled steps popped back up. Interestingly enough, the stairway lights stayed on this time.
Bennett didn’t move for a second. He was stunned and could hardly believe that had just happened. They could’ve fallen over seven stories.
“That … was … horrifying!” Rose yelled. “We have to call Mercedes and get out of here. They want to kill us.”
He released the door handle, carefully, and pivoted on the landing. The door opposite stayed closed, but the jaguar was scratching at it relentlessly. Somebody must’ve opened it to release the jaguar before. Would they again?
Releasing his desperate grip on Rose’s backpack strap, he wrapped an arm around her waist. He kept the other hand resting on the doorknob so if the landing sloped again he could grab on. He wanted to comfort Rose, but he was afraid she was right. The show’s producers wanted to kill them. It was miraculous neither of them had gone out that hole in the wall. What was this reality show about? What was the benefit of killing them?
Rose flung her arms around his neck and clung to him. She was a step above him again, and they were closer to eye level than he’d ever been with a woman. He loved how tall she was.
He hugged her back, praying to know what he should do. It was one thing for him to fight with a jaguar, but letting Rose fly out a seventh story window? What was behind the door? Something worse than a predatory animal or a seven-story drop?
He couldn’t let her die for a television show. Even if it meant losing a million dollars for her very charitable ranch.
Chapter
Five
Rose shuddered and clung to Bennett, burying her head in his neck. He held her tightly. Neither of them moved, as if afraid to disturb the precarious balance. Shutting a door released a jaguar. Opening a door almost launched them to their deaths. What next? The jaguar was scratching at the door behind them. Was it trapped, or could it get out? She felt both an urgency to run and a stronger desire to never leave Bennett’s arms.
Finally she calmed down enough to lift her head and meet his blue gaze. “What do you think we should do?”
He wasn’t smiling. That was terrifying in and of itself. “I think we should call Mercedes, but if the jaguar comes out we are hurling ourselves through this door and taking our chances with whatever’s on the other side. All right?”
She felt such a huge letdown and relief at the same time. The letdown was losing out on the money that she desperately needed and having to say goodbye to Bennett. It was crazy that she trusted him. She didn’t know Bennett very well but he’d saved her life twice now.
Crazily enough, she felt comforted, exhilarated, and somehow safe in his arms. She loved his big smile. That smile made him more handsome than any man she’d ever met. Bennett also instinctively reacted to protect her—leaping down the stairs at the jaguar in pitch black darkness and somehow grabbing her and holding on to that door handle before they both plunged to their deaths.
It also was mind-blowing and impressive to her that he’d handed over the Sig and a switchblade knife without a pause. He wouldn’t be planning on forcing himself on her knowing he’d armed her, right?
“I’m not saying we have to call the show off, and give up your money,” he continued. “But she has some explaining to do and I’m not continuing unless I know they’re not outright trying to kill you.”
“What about killing you?” she demanded.
He grinned then and she felt settled, happy, on fire from being in his arms and having that smile directed at her.
“Nobody can kill me,” he said, all cocky and appealing at the same time. “And you are much more valuable.” His voice deepened and his smile settled to a becoming softness. She wanted to kiss him.
That thought made her ease back from his arms.
He looked concerned for her, but he let her go and then he fished the phone out of her backpack. She noticed he kept his left hand right next to the door handle. She prayed the landing wouldn’t turn to a slide again and that the jaguar wouldn’t escape. The door behind them seemed like a normal door. Had somebody turned the handle and let him out? She could hear the jaguar pacing now.
“Speaker?” he asked.
“Yes, please.”
He nodded and pushed the number that had been saved in the phone.
She was nervous to talk to Mercedes. What would be the woman’s excuse? Was this the end for them? She didn’t want to die and she couldn’t handle Bennett being killed or maimed but she was a tough cowgirl. She didn’t quit.
