Page 16 of Knox
A car door slammed and footsteps came closer.As the trunk opened, two men were suddenly grabbing her.Quinn tried to fight as she screamed once more but was no match for them.They easily lifted her from the trunk and placed her on the ground, Quinn scratching and clawing as they swore.She was gagged, her hands restrained behind her back, and ankles tied together in moments.Tears streamed down her face as she frantically looked around.
They weren’t where she expected at all.They were on the outskirts of the city, not far from a small regional airport.What was going on?
One of the men began talking rapidly on his cell, and an old pickup truck came rumbling down the road toward them.Quinn began shaking, knowing something was very, very wrong.Another man walked over, grabbing a big suitcase from the back of it, glancing between Quinn and the oversized luggage.
No.
No.No.No.
A phone began buzzing in the first man’s pocket, and Quinn watched in horror as he pulled outhercell phone.She tried to talk through the gag, frantic.If she could tell someone where she was, they could find her.Save her.
She was close.So close to making contact.
That phone was her lifeline, and they knew it.It was out of reach, and the evil men who’d kidnapped her could do anything they wanted.
Fresh tears filled her eyes, frustration coursing through her bloodstream.Quinn fought against her restraints, her efforts futile.
The man saw her desperation and chuckled, swiping the screen to read the message.He’d already unlocked her phone, no doubt having hacked in while she was trapped in the damn trunk.How long had she been knocked out anyway?It was completely dark out, and that somehow made everything feel more ominous.The man smirked as he texted a response.Smugly, he flashed the screen at her, and Quinn’s heart dropped.
Knox:You good?Just checking in.
Quinn:Great.Heading back soon.
She stared at her phone, stunned.He’d freaking pretended to be her.He’d texted Knox back from her own damn phone!Knox would think she was fine as precious seconds ticked by, and the reality was anything but that.She’d never make it back to the office, and he’d...what?Text again?Quinn’s kidnappers could say whatever they wanted, and Knox would be none the wiser.
The first man turned her phone off, pocketing it again.“You won’t be needing this.I’m not certain it will work internationally anyway,” he said, his voice dark.
Quinn’s heart stuttered.
The other man returned with the big suitcase, unzipping it as he lay it open on the ground.
Quinn shook her head, fighting, but the men lifted her into it anyway, forcing her slender frame to fit.“Easy,” the first man said.“You don’t want to hurt yourself.We’ve got plenty for you to do when you reach your new home.”
“No,” she mouthed around the gag.“No!”
Her voice was garbled, but she didn’t care.Quinn tried to scream again, growing more frantic by the moment.Footsteps sounded as a third person appeared, and rough hands held her in place, pinning her inside the suitcase.She fought against the restraints and the men, tears streaming down her face.
“Knock her out,” one of the men said, his voice harsh.
A dark cloth was pressed against her nose, saturated with a sickeningly sweet smell.Quinn shook her head, trying to fight it, but dizziness overtook her as the world faded to black.
