Prologue
Silence.
That racing heartbeat.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
More silence.
Their deep intake of breath.
That shiver of death down my spine.
“It’s with regret that I have to inform you that Harry Rogers was pronounced dead at approximately 9:07 this morning while serving his sentence at Huntsville Prison in the great state of Texas—”
When the phone fell from my hand and crashed to the ground, my world went black.
Just like last time.
DREW
TWO WEEKS LATER
“Calm,” I ordered as I circled her.
“Please. Please…” She hugged her knees to her chest, letting them catch her dirty tears on her stained jeans.
“Take a breath.”
She did.
“Listen.”
She sniffed and swallowed hard.
“The only things you should concentrate on are the sounds of my footsteps all around you. Can you hear those?”
She nodded.
“The creak of my leather. You hear that?”
The woman sniffed again. “Y-yes.”
“My heavy strides?”
She nodded again.
“The burning anger in my quiet voice. Hear that, too?”
She shut her eyes and squeezed them tight, pressing her lips together to stop the squeak of desperation that was begging to be released. She wanted to call for help. Her body trembled with fear, and it rocked back and forth without her permission, an unconscious call to her mind to stay in control… to not get herself killed.