Rick Mofina - Every Second

Eventually, the sound of the road changed, indicating they’d turned on to some kind of gravel path.

Dan took in a long, slow breath.

Stones pinged against the undercarriage, and he was bumped and shifted as the SUV twisted and turned along what had become a long, rough stretch. They continued for what seemed like miles, curving, dipping and tottering but always climbing.

Dan’s heart galloped.

The blinking red light of his suicide vest continued its relentless countdown, and Dan was overwhelmed with the realization that they were heading to a remote area, and soon he was going to die.

This is it. It’s-

Bang!

The sound of the explosion filled his ears and the SUV lurched off the road.

Somewhere in New York State

Warm tears rolled down Lori’s cheeks.

Several long moments passed before they dried. She could no longer hope and pray for the best; she accepted what she now believed to be true.

They’ve killed Dan and they’re going to kill us. They’re just waiting for the others to bring the money.

The red light on the battery pack of her suicide vest continued flashing.

No one was coming. No one would save them.

It’s just me.

Drawing on her counseling experience, Lori took deep breaths. She couldn’t lose to hysteria. No matter the odds, she couldn’t give in. She needed to turn her fear into action. She’d been a cop, a good street cop. She needed to use her training. To think. Take stock. Assess options.

I won’t let Billy die here.

Lori looked at Cutty, who’d seemed indifferent the whole time she and Jerricko spoke, immersed in the chiming of the video games he was playing on his phone. Jerricko had returned to the table and was working on his computer.

The swish of bottled water meant Billy was awake, taking a drink.

She glanced at the persistent blinking light on his vest, then caressed him while cooing soft words of encouragement and love.

“Do you think Dad’s coming with the police to get us?” he whispered in her ear.

“I do, sweetheart.”

“Maybe he’ll bring Sam?”

“Maybe.” Lori smiled, holding him close, feeling his skin next to hers, inhaling his scent, fortifying her resolve as she began forging a plan.

Again, she took stock of the cabin-the beds, the bags, the kitchen area, the table with the backpack and laptop. Then she considered the duct tape wrapped around their wrists over the plastic cuffs, the metal handcuff around their ankles, secured to the long chains. The video camera in the corner mounted on the tripod.

The knife.

Lori searched for potential gaps and weaknesses but there was nothing.

Except the obvious.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” she said.

“You just went,” Cutty said.

“The sandwich didn’t…agree with me. I need to go.”

Cutty muttered, tucked his phone in his pocket, grabbed his rifle, then got the handcuff keys and used them to release her. Then he tossed the keys back on the table next to Jerricko.

“If the kid has to go, you’re taking him. It’s your turn,” Cutty said, then raked the muzzle of his gun at Lori to the back door. “Let’s go.”

With her wrists bound in front of her, she stepped carefully to keep her balance while walking along the twisting, narrow trail to the outhouse. The low sun cast long shadows, but she drew upon all of her concentration to analyze the surrounding geography, searching for neighboring cabins, cars, people, any signs of life she could use to her advantage.

There was the van, but Lori didn’t know who had the keys and was not confident in her ability to hotwire it, even if she had the chance.

At the outhouse she again endured the humiliation of being forced to keep the door open. She watched Cutty test his phone for a signal. By the face he made, it appeared to her that service didn’t cover this area, something she noted as Cutty resumed playing his games on his phone.

When they walked back, Lori studied every aspect of the trail at every step. There was nothing. Nothing she could see that would help.

Time was running out, and hope, like the day, was fading fast.

Panic was churning in the pit of her gut as they neared the cabin, when a sudden bang stopped them in their tracks.

The sound echoed over the hills.

Somewhere in New York State

The explosion stopped the SUV and it was sagging on the right side.

Dan exhaled.

I’m still alive.

Looking down at his vest, he was relieved to see the little red light still blinking away. Then he heard the front doors open, his captors getting out to talk.

The rear opened.

The tarp was dragged off of him and he was yanked from the back by Percy while Vic held him at gunpoint. Squinting in the waning light Dan noticed that both men had removed their coveralls and were wearing military camouflage pants and dark T-shirts. He examined the surroundings. They were high in the hills, isolated amid vast forests. He drank in the cool, sweet air and tensed, like a condemned man.

This is it. Keep your hands clasped. Focus. Be ready.

The red light on his vest continued ticking down…

As Vic shoved Dan around the side of the vehicle, Dan saw that the front passenger tire had been shredded by jagged rocks.

Not an explosion, then, we just blew a tire.

Percy began removing the jack, wrench and spare, dropping them on the ground to change it.

He’d set his gun next to the tools.

Vic reached into the SUV for the bag with the money, hefting it over his shoulder. “Get up to the cabin after you fix that and we’ll get started,” he said to Percy.

Get started?

“Move!” Vic pointed with his gun and Dan began walking uphill ahead of him.

As they navigated the trail, Dan’s pulse quickened as he took stock of his situation. Vic had the bag and his gun, making his balance a small challenge on the winding path. Dan could free his hands at will and he had the utility knife.

He may never get this chance again.

He began slipping the knife from under his sleeve, getting a solid grip on it. As he extended the blade, they came to a van parked on the road and his heart flooded with hope.

Lori and Billy!

Vic urged him on until they reached a pathway that twisted atop a narrow ridge and Dan saw a cabin a few dozen yards ahead.

Color flashed in the trees to the left and Dan saw a small outhouse-and two people on a path that wound near his trail. His heart soared.

Lori!

Cutty appeared relieved when he’d spotted two people near them on the adjacent trail.

He lowered his rifle and loosened his grip. The loud discharge they’d heard couldn’t have been a threat.

“Brother!” Cutty called.

He pointed with his gun for Lori to lead him to the others on the ridge. Moving through the branches, her heart nearly burst when she saw her husband.

She rushed toward Dan, but Vic and Cutty moved their guns like a gate before her. Contact was forbidden.

“Lori, are you all right?” Dan asked. “Is Billy-”

“We’re okay. He’s in the cabin-”

“Shut up!” Vic ordered.

“Peace be upon you, my brother,” Cutty said. “By God’s grace, we’ve succeeded!”

Vic slapped the money bag and grinned.

“Peace be upon you. Yes, my brother, by God’s grace we’ve been victorious.” Vic laughed.

As their captors continued boasting, Dan and Lori stared at each other with such desperation, tears filled their eyes. Lori saw the intense, adrenaline-fueled emotion in Dan that she felt herself. Then, with a subtle nod, Dan showed Lori the knife’s tip and she knew that this was their life-and-death moment.