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Authors: Erin Durante

The Abduction

BOOK: The Abduction
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THE ABDUCTION

 

 

By Erin Durante

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE ABDUCTION

 

Copyright © 2013 by Erin Durante

 

All rights reserved.

 

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please support the authors and do not participate in the piracy of copyrighted materials.

 

This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

 

Cover art and design by Gilly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dedication

 

 

For Bri—

Who finally found her Prince Charming

Table of Contents

 

 

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

 

THE ABDUCTION

 

 

By Erin Durante

 
 
 
ONE

 

 

 

 

             
“Is the Internet down?”

             
Samantha didn’t look up from where she sat on the couch, her eyes focused over the bridge of her straight nose down to her lap. She tapped the screen of her handheld tablet with one thumb to turn the page and wiped at her red nose with a tissue. “I just downloaded a book ten minutes ago. Internet is fine.”

             
“Well, the TV isn’t changing channels.”

             
“The batteries in the remote are probably low.”

             
Carly, a petite, curly-haired blonde, pressed the buttons on the remote controller down violently with her thumb, and then smacked the remote against the arm of the coffee table.

“Damn piece…of…shit…”

“Hey!” Samantha set down the tablet and leaned over to snatch the remote from Carly’s hand. “Violence and electronics do not mix!” She shook her head and pointed the remote at the small flat screen in the corner of the hotel room, frowning after pressing a few buttons with no response. The newscaster dragged on, spouting something about an alarming number of missing girls from someplace in New York.

“See?”
Carly’s pink, pouty mouth scrunched into a satisfied smirk as she eyed the slim brunette. Her short gold curls bounced around her heart shaped face as she flipped her head triumphantly. “I’m not the only one with issues.”

Samantha let out a short bark of laughter
, her hazel eyes sparkling. “Oh, trust me. My issues are not even in the same ballpark as yours—”

“Well if we’d just go down to the casino already then we wouldn’t have to be worrying about the TV.”

Samantha looked up, rolling her eyes. “I just got here after driving seven hours to meet you. I’m tired and need to unwind while the cold meds kick in. Besides,” she pushed a lock of long brown hair behind one ear, “I still need to go back to the car to get my wallet before I can gamble.”

“I can’t believe
you remembered your stupid ereader but forgot your purse in the car. You know you have horrible priorities?”

The TV shut off. Both girls looked at each other, and then down at the remote.

“Hey,” Carly said happily. “You got it to work.”

Samantha shook her head. “I didn’t do anything.”

The overhead lights went out, along with the alarm clock on the nightstand between the two beds and the lamp beside the beds. The hum of the hotel’s small refrigerator slowed and then clicked to a stop. Silence hung heavy in the darkened room, illuminated only by the small screen of Samantha’s tablet.

“Great.” Carly jumped off the
bed and hurried over to the window, throwing back the curtain to let in the dying evening light. “The power’s out, again. Serves me right for wanting us to stay in one of the new rooms before they finished renovating…”


Hey, we agreed to save money on the rooms so we can spend it at the casinos,” Samantha said as she settled back with her book.

Carly sighed. “
I know. But now I wish we hadn’t gotten so cheap and just paid for the Monte Carlo. You now my parents offered to cover the tab. I
really
wanted you to enjoy this trip.”

“I don’t mind. Besides, they’re your
parents, not mine. They shouldn’t be paying for my vacation.”

Carly
sat down on the couch next to Samantha, who sighed and set her tablet down and sat up. She reached over and took Samantha’s hand and squeezed. “I think meeting some new friends is exactly what you need! I mean, this is the first chance at fun you’ve had since you dropped out of school after your dad died, and you’ve been stuck on that farm alone—”

“Well, I wasn’t alone for most of it…”

“John’s a dick, and I’m glad you guys broke up,” Carly cut it, angry. She shook her head sadly. “I worry about you. It’s been six months since you left Brown, and this is the first time we’ve been able to get together—even though I’ve invited you out multiple times.”

“I’ve been a little busy trying to get settled and fixing things up
after the shape my dad left things…” Samantha said, a little defensively.

Carly looked down at her hands. “
The house is paid off, Sam, you don’t have to worry about too much. I’m just afraid that you’re getting so caught up in
his
life, and what he left behind, that you’re going to miss out on yours. I mean, all you dreamed about was becoming a nurse.”

“Carly—”

“And now that you’re not getting married you have so much that you could look forward to.”

“I still have Jenny.”

Carly paused, and then nodded. “For a few more years.”

Samantha sighed. “Probably longer. I can’t just kick her out when she turns eighteen. She’s all the family I have left.”

“What am I, chopped liver?” Carly sneered, reaching out to poke Samantha in the ribs. “

The
couch suddenly bucked and shook, and both women were thrown off balance and they toppled onto the floor together in a twist of arms and legs.

“Oh, my God!” Carly shrieke
d. “Are we having an earthquake?”

Samantha quickly untangled
her legs and forced herself to her feet. She grabbed her tablet and held it out in front of her like a flashlight. She snatched up the foil packaging of her cold medication on the side table and shoved it in one pocket, and then stuck her hand out for Carly. “Come on! We need to get downstairs!”

The shaking stopped, and the girls
sat still. After a several tense heartbeats, they stood and stepped out into the hall. Doors in the hall opened, and other curious hotel guests popped their heads outside to investigate. Being under renovation the building was only half occupied, and it made Samantha feel better to see a few other faces in the dark.


Hello?” Carly called out.


This way” came a reply from the dim hallway, “You guys OK?”

“Yeah.”

Samantha stepped out into the hall and held up her tablet. The light illuminated a small circle around her, revealing the faces of the darkened shapes standing closest. A trio of girls in the room next to them stepped closer.

“Did you feel that?” asked one of the girls, her eyes wide and darting around.

Carly nodded. “That felt like a big one. Do you think we should get downstairs?”

“Not sure,” Samantha said.
“It doesn’t look like there’s any damage. If there are no aftershocks we’re probably fine—”

A scream from one of the lower floors of the tower stilled everyone into silence. The scream rose in pitch, cutting through the layers of concrete and cheap carpeting that separated the floors to pierce the growing darkness. Another
howl followed, and soon several more joined in chorus.

Panic rose in Samantha’s throat, quickening her breath and making her heart race
as screams—both female and male—suddenly filled the ever-growing darkness of the halls. Several guests dashed through the dark toward the elevators and stairs.

“Don’t use the elevators!” someone yelled
from the dark.

A race for the stairs left several
people nearly trampled, and several screamed as they fought to keep their footing on their way down the steps in the dark.

A hand grabbed Samantha’s shoulder, and she turned to see Carly beside her.

“Let’s take the stairs at the other end of the hall,” Carly whispered in her ear. “So we can get down in one piece.”

Samantha nodded, and they wove their way
against the struggle toward the west hall. One of the girls in the trio stood in a frozen panic near the wall, her breathing took quick and eyes too wide. Samantha paused long enough to snatch her wrist and pull her along with them. Soon they broke free and felt their way along the walls until they were around the corner.

They paused for a moment as Samantha tried to calm the raspy hiccups of the panicked girl.

“What’s your name?” she asked, pulling out her tablet and holding the light of the screen toward the girl.

The soft circle of illumination seemed to steady the blonde for a moment, giving her something to focus on. “J-Julie.”

“Alright, Julie,” Samantha said calmly, her training seemingly kicking in. “We’re going to get out of here, but I need you to relax and breathe.”

“Sam!” Carly hissed. “Let’s go, just leave her.”

Samantha glared at Carly, and held out the lit screen to show their path. “Just breath, Julie.”

Julie nodded, and took hold of Samantha’s hand, squeezing her fingers tightly.

They took off running.

R
agged breathing mingled with the their footsteps thudding against the uncarpeted halls of the unfinished wing of the new hotel tower. They stopped at the end of the hall, Samantha flicking her screen left then right, before heading left toward the stairwell. Carly reached the door first and yanked it open.

The sound of
feminine screams and shouts from men from the lower floors wafted up to them. Carly started down, but Samantha held her back.

“Something’s not right,” she whispered.

Carly shook off her hand. “Of course not, you idiot. There’s an earthquake and the power’s out.”

Samantha
shook her head. “There was only the one aftershock. And people wouldn’t be screaming because it’s dark…”

“Maybe someone’s hurt,”
Julie added, starting down the stairs.

Samantha’s ears perked forward, and Carly caught the change in her friends manner.

“Julie’s right,” Carly said, inching her way forward with a smile meant to convince. “Julie’s right, maybe someone needs our help.”

Samantha sighed, knowing all too well what Carly was trying to do, but also aware that if someone was in need, she would help if she could.

 

Samantha led the way,
lighting the path, followed by Carly and a reluctant Julie. Carly pulled out her cell phone and frantically started dialing.

She let out a frustrated growl. “I’m not getting a signal.”

Three flights of stairs down they finally found the door to the main floor. The screams had intensified as they descended, and they paused to listen.

A male voice
screamed out, “Don’t touch her! Dani—”

A short
burst of a single electrical pop rang through the darkness, followed by something heavy falling to the ground.

Carly yipped and covered her mouth with one hand, stifling her cry. Julie shook Samantha’s shoulder, pointing to the
glowing tablet.

“Turn it off!” she hissed.

Samantha’s fingers shook as she fumbled for the off switch, and froze when the screen finally went dark, snuffing out the small comforting circle of blue light surrounding them. They sat huddled together in the dark, waiting.

The soun
ds outside the door had stopped; the screams fading down somewhere further deeper into the building.

After a few moments, Samantha reached up and felt for the doorknob, grasping the handle.

“What are you doing?” Carly whispered, her voice frantic.

“We can’t just sit here,” Samantha hissed back. “We need to get the hell out of here.”

She took a shaky breath, her heart loud in her ears, and slowly turned the handle. She bit her lip as the latch gave a soft click before releasing, and then opened the door a mere few inches to peer through.

A
strange, dim green light bathed the quiet hallway. A quick glance around revealed several flare-like objects tossed about the floor, emanating the eerie glow. A man lay on the ground to their right; arms and legs twitching in small spasms, and half-open eyes reflecting the flickering green flares like angry trapped fireflies.

Samantha swallowed and pushed the door open further, and squeezed through. She shoved her
tablet in the back pocket of her jeans and motioned for the other women to follow.

They made the
ir way slowly through the hall holding hands and slowed as they neared the corner that led to the finished end of the hotel. Samantha held her breath and flattened herself against the wall before peering around the corner.

Flares littered across the foyer
of the first floor bathed the walls in a radiant deep green. The outlined shapes of men littered the floor of the entry, some still and lying in the awkward positions in which they fell…

Samantha’s breath caught in her throat.

Scattered among the fallen bodies of the male patrons, females of all ages and dress rolled around on their backs with their naked legs wrapped around the waists of strangely uniformed men. The girls moaned in ecstasy and begged for more as if the twitching bodies of the fallen men surrounding them were not even there. The uniformed newcomers obliged them by moving faster, spreading the girls’ legs farther apart in order to thrust deeper, harder.

BOOK: The Abduction
9.55Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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