took the paper from DeLong. Shel unfolded it and looked at the crude map drawn there.
“I’ll tell my valet you disapprove. What’s the plan?”
“Sergei’s had her twenty-four hours.” Shel’s voice cracked. “The plan is kill the son of a bitch.”
Chapter Ten: Little Miss Fortune
Lucy slumped in the corner of the room they put her in, limp as a rag doll. Sergei and his men had gone for the night. She ached everywhere. Her ears still rang from the slaps. They wanted the key that had been hidden in the doll. It was still where she’d put it or she’d already be dead. Lucy had no illusions they weren’t going to kill her.
A small plastic tray holding a paper plate with food that actually smelled pretty good and a plastic cup of what looked like tea sat on the floor a few feet away. With grim determination, she pushed herself closer to the food. Slowly she began to eat. Lucy would need her strength to get out of this place.
Lucy sipped the tea. It was overly sweet and tepid but she drank it. The wetness soothed her dry throat. The meat appeared to be roast beef. She took a bite even though it was difficult to chew with her bruised jaw and her split lip stung. The mashed potatoes and bread were easier.
When Lucy finished she pushed herself up off the floor. She glanced around. The room was empty except for a few blankets in the corner. Lucy ignored the bare bulb in the fixture, she couldn’t reach it. The curtain rod, on the other hand, might be useful. Lucy spent several minutes working until it came down. A quick glance out the window told Lucy that route would be a bad idea. She was on the second floor and the window was wired for an alarm system. Lucy’s gaze fell on the bedding again. It called to her. They had not let her sleep as part of their effort to make her tell them where the key was.
Lucy gave herself a shake. You can’t sleep. No one is coming to rescue you. She needed out of there. Once she had gotten away, she could find a phone and call the police. Then she could sleep. Lucy reached up to run her fingers through her hair. Lucy froze. A slow smile crept across her face as she pulled the hairpin from her hair.
* * * *
Shel let the mugger fall to the ground. In the morning, someone would find the body. He felt the strength returning to him. DeLong picked his teeth with a claw. Without a word, they headed into the trees. He’d like to see the faces of the police when they tried to figure that scene out.
As if he could read Shel’s mind, DeLong looked over and grinned. “I love muggers. I just can’t eat a whole one by myself.”
Shel snorted. He was grateful for the Werewolf’s banter. DeLong seemed to sense sympathy would destroy the fragile hold Shel had on his emotions. “If you’re through playing around let’s go get my girlfriend back.”
“My car is over there.” DeLong waved a huge paw-like hand. The Werewolf dug in the pocket of the shorts and pulled out a key fob. With the press of a button, the headlights flashed on a red minivan.
“A minivan?” Shel followed DeLong to the vehicle.
“The Porsche is in the shop. Deal with it.”
Shel refrained from comment. He didn’t care what they drove to Sergei’s swamp cabin in as long as they got there fast. He climbed in and something squeaked as he sat. Shel reached under himself and found a small stuffed weasel. He looked at DeLong, eyebrows raised.
“Hey, we’ve been looking for that. They youngest won’t go to sleep without it.”
“I didn’t know you were married.” Shel put the toy in the seat behind DeLong.
“Twenty years next month. Six kids.”
Shel was silent for several miles. “You don’t need to…”
“Yeah, I do. What kind of future do they have with Sergei out there?” DeLong cut him off.
They spent the rest of the drive in silence.
* * * *
Lucy wiggled the bobby pin in the door’s lock until she heard it click. She waited a moment to see if anyone heard the little noise. When no one came to check, Lucy slipped the pin back in her hair. She took one more look around the room then slipped out the door into a deserted hallway.
As quietly as possible, she ran down the hall to the stairs. Carefully Lucy hugged the wall and prayed none of the steps creaked as she tiptoed down to the ground floor. She paused in the shadows a few steps from the bottom. Lucy could see another hall with a lighted room at the end and an outside door a few yards away through what looked like a mudroom.
Outside she’d have to deal with guards, possibly dogs, and once she made it to the woods, Lucy was sure there would be alligators and snakes. Lucy hefted the half of the curtain rod she’d liberated. If they were going to kill her, it would be on her terms and she’d go down fighting.
Lucy took a deep breath and made a dash for the door. She reached it without being seen and unlocked the deadbolt securing it. Lucy jerked it open and scanned the area then ran for the side of the house where she could see cars. If her luck held one would have the keys still in it.
She crouched between two cars and reached for the door handle of one. Something made Lucy hesitate before she touched it. What if it has an alarm? She started to bite her lip and winced, she’d forgotten the cut on her lip. No, better to just get away and hope for the best once she got past the fence. Careful to stay in the shadows Lucy made her way to the gate.
The guard appeared to be dozing but Lucy couldn’t be certain. A small bush gave her partial cover. She got ready to use the curtain rod weapon. Suddenly the man stood and she could see headlights coming down the road on the other side of the gate. Lucy shrank back, making herself as small as she could and willing whoever was in the car not to see her.
* * * *
They left the van hidden in the overgrowth on an abandoned driveway and walked to the edge of Sergei’s property. The fence was at least ten feet high. DeLong swore. Shel examined the metal mesh topped with razor wire.
“You think this is live?” DeLong asked.
Shel glanced at DeLong. “If anything happens to me get Lucy out of here. Take her to get the book.”
“What good will that do?” DeLong tossed a small branch at the chain link fence. Nothing happened. He looked back at Shel, puzzled.
“Lucy can use the book.” Shel gave DeLong a grim smile.
The Werewolf gaped at him.
“Let’s go.” Shel stepped up to the fence and caught hold of it. With a movement almost too fast to see, he ripped a hole wide enough for them to slip through.
* * * *
The gate closed behind the car before Lucy could figure out a way through without being seen. She watched the car continue up the drive toward the house while the gate rolled closed. Frustration brought tears to her eyes. They’d discover her gone soon if they hadn’t already. She needed to get through that gate.
Lucy was fresh out of ideas. She got ready to try her luck at another place along the fence. The guardhouse door opened with a squeak. Lucy froze. Maybe her luck had changed for the better. The guard stepped out and began unfastening his pants. Lucy didn’t waste time; she stood and raised the curtain rod, bringing it down on the guard’s head. He dropped without a sound.
Quickly Lucy went inside the tiny booth and pressed the button that opened the gate. It began rolling back. She ran through as soon as it was wide enough. As Lucy ran down the drive toward the road, she hoped she hadn’t killed the guard.
Chapter Eleven: Without You
Halfway across the lawn, floodlights came on and men poured out of the house. “Party time,” DeLong muttered.
“Sergei is mine.” Shel flexed his fingers, stretching them, getting ready for the fight ahead.
“Sure,