Rebirth (Rogues Shifter Series) (2 page)

"Yes."

"There’s a bag of clothes on the bed. The bathroom has clean towels on the shelf.” I didn’t move. “Go on, kid. No one will bother you. Just don’t try to run away. There’s really nowhere to go and we need to talk.”

I took a few swigs from the water bottle, but stayed where I was.
He smiled and tried to sound reassuring. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to make you something to eat and then explain everything. Go ahead.” He turned away and headed for the small kitchen to the right, opening the fridge and getting out a few bags.

Stumbling through the door he’d indicated, I locke
d it behind me, then forced my shaky body to head into the small bathroom. I locked that door as well, then, after several gulps from the water bottle, I quickly stripped and showered. My need to wash away the blood and warm up under the hot water, took precedence over my fear. Plus it was important to see where I was injured and clean any wounds. The heat brought my body temperature back to normal and the soap and shampoo cleaned me up quickly, making me smell human again.  I scrubbed my skin hard, getting every bit of the blood and mud out of my hair and off of my hands, then dried myself with a large towel and looked around.  The window was big enough for me to fit through, but I was too weak to make a serious attempt at an escape.

Unwrapping the
towel, I stood in front of the full length mirror in the steamy bathroom and examined myself.  Strangely, not one cut or scrape marred my skin, not even a bruise.  Even more alarming, the scars that had decorated my body for the past two and a half years had disappeared as well.

Car doors slamming. Two sets of feet rushing toward me. “Where are you running, sweetheart?” Off the path and hidden by trees, a rag shoved in my mouth. A hand stroking my hair.

“So pretty.

My stomach lurched so
I kneeled and heaved into the toilet, only bile coming up. After a couple of minutes I was able to sit up again and lean my back against the bathroom wall opposite the full length mirror. I took another few swigs from the water bottle to wash away the unpleasant taste in my mouth, then forced the dark memory back into its box, the way I'd trained myself . I rubbed my arms, tightening them around my body in a feeble attempt to banish the ghosts that still seemed to haunt me.

And there w
ere plenty of them to banish. Raised within the state foster care system, I was passed from family to family, never really fitting in anywhere. I was labeled “Troublemaker”, “Disruptive”, “Self Destructive”, the list went on. Sometimes I was all of those things, but mostly I was lonely and angry.

My messed up psyche was easy for
me to hide at school, where I'd become pretty good at faking short-term friendships and throwing my energy into school work, getting good grades and even skipping ahead. At home, I felt out of place and unwanted, unable to trust the adults who sent me away without giving me the time I needed to adjust. I was always furious when I was forced to move to a new school and a new family.

I’d never lived in one place long enough to have a chance at
a normal life.

As I sat on the cabin’s bathroom floor, the familiar feelings of hurt and resentment began to build up in my gut as tear
s of fear and rage ran down my cheeks. I was never one to wallow in a pity party, but this day really sucked, even more than usual. No matter how crappy my life had been, I wasn't ready to die. I'd be seventeen in a few days, if I lived that long. I could still go to college. Maybe turn my life around. Even though the guy had said he wasn't going to hurt me, could I really believe that? I roughly wiped away the tears and blew my nose with bath tissue.

Struggling to my feet a minute later, I walked back in
to the small bedroom. The man had left two large shopping bags on the bed which contained new sweatpants, jeans, shorts, tee shirts, a soft robe and underclothes in all the right sizes. I was surprised to see that this was quality stuff, made of good fabrics, not discount store merchandise.  I reluctantly dressed in the clothes he provided because mine were no longer usable and I wasn’t about to stay wrapped in a stupid towel.

In
a smaller bag was toothpaste, a toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant and a few other items. I returned to the bathroom and brushed my hair and teeth, then scowled at the mirror
. I am such a jerk.
  In my self defense classes they go on and on and on about being aware of your surroundings and following your gut instincts. I'd even stopped carrying the whistle around with me. Not that anyone would have come running if I’d blown the damn thing.

I left off scolding myself be
cause it never did any good, then pulled my hair roughly back into its usual ponytail, finding some comfort in the familiar action, Worried, I peered closely at my puffy red eyes to see if my pupils looked dilated from the drug. They looked normal, and other than my hunger, I was feeling okay again.

Feeling
that I might soon have the strength to escape, I straightened my body to its full 5'9" and did a few stretches, just in case I caught a break. I knew how to prepare myself because I ran often. I never jogged in a leisurely style, I ran as if my life depended on it, flushing away the rage and the loneliness with every stride. I’d often gotten into trouble with my various foster families, because I'd go out for a run at any time of the day or night, usually getting back many hours later. My foster parents were always angry because I'd never tell them where I was going. It was just me and the road and I liked it that way. I'd feel my body moving in a perfect rhythm, strong and powerful, and I could forget everything else.

I was fast.
So fast that I had to hide the truth from everyone.  I'd timed myself running on secluded roads where no one would see me. That's when I knew for certain that I was a freak. I beat all the records.

It
wasn’t a hobby or part of a fitness regimen. I was compelled to run by an inborn instinct which saved my ass more than once. I’d get angry because of a cruel comment or unfair situation. Then, before I knew it, I was lacing up my sneakers and running out the door, escaping before my rage could reach the boiling point and turn dangerous. At least that was my fear. That there was a part of me that could lose control and do serious damage.

I sat on the ed
ge of the bed and wondered if my kidnapper could catch me if I jumped out the window and took off, but the thought of getting caught by him and what he might do to me sent shivers through my bones. That guy was quick and quiet. I wouldn't get far.

I jumped
when I heard a knock on the door. I hadn't heard him walking down the narrow hallway. My hearing was usually great. How did he do that?

He didn't try to open the door.
“Kid, I made you something to eat. You need to get your strength back. It’s been over a day since you’ve eaten.”  I listened for his retreating steps but heard nothing until I noticed the sound of the refrigerator door opening and closing in the kitchen.

Wait, did he say over a day? Was it already Monday night?
For the first time I thought about the family that had adopted me a year ago, Maggie and Justin Crawford. After growing up being passed from one family to another, they'd actually seemed to love me.  Are they searching for me? Have they called the police? Knowing them, they probably have the town turned upside down with search teams out in force and my face already on milk cartons. If only there was some way to let them know that I wasn’t hurt.

The odor of food reminded me that I needed to eat to get my strength back
. I stood, reached for the doorknob and froze. Decision time: run or stay. Something in my gut told me that if the man had wanted to kill me he would have done it already. When he’d warned me about running away, he hadn’t really sounded threatening, just matter-of-fact.

The delicious smell of
cooking meat grew stronger and so I sighed, unlocked the door and slowly turned the knob, peeking down the empty hallway toward the kitchen. I brushed a few loose strands of hair out of my face and grimaced with resolve. Maybe I could somehow convince him to let me go. I’d talked myself out of tough situations before. I was actually pretty good at it. Tonight I'd need all my skills.

Chapter Three

The dark haired
stranger turned as I walked into the small kitchen. “Sit here”. He smiled and motioned to one of the three wooden chairs pulled up against a small round table. I sat down hesitantly and he handed me a steak knife, fork and napkin. There was a pitcher of ice water on the table and he told me to help myself so I drank down a glass, not minding the mild stomach ache from the ice-cold liquid hitting my empty stomach. He placed a large bowl of salad on the table followed by another with bread, then handed me a dinner plate laden with a large steak and fries.

I watched him as he served up his own food, careful not to let him notice me d
oing it. His back was broad, but his waist was slim as were his long legs. He looked young when he smiled, probably around twenty-two or twenty-three. He’d managed to find the time to change his shirt and clean up while I was still in the bathroom. When he moved he was graceful like a martial artist, but I sensed that underneath the smile and the elegance was a dangerous man.

He sat across from me and said, “Eat, Jackie and I’
ll explain a few things."

He knew my name. Had he looked in my wallet? I glanced around the room hoping to find my backpack and couldn’t see it anywhere. My cell phone was in there, something else I hadn’t thought about.
Jeez, I'd definitely been drugged if I'd forgotten about my cell phone.
Taking a big bite of the steak, I realized that I was totally starving. I forgot about everything else, shoveling in mouthful after mouthful as fast as I could chew and swallow them.

His voice was soft and soothing. “Slow down a little, kid. There's plenty. My name's Rob. I’m not going to hurt you, but I'll have to restrain you if you try to run away.”

“You’ve already shown me the cuffs.” I glared at him over my water glass. Now that the drugs seemed to be out of my system, I found that my fear had turned to anger.

Still, he smiled at me, as if my attitude was no big deal. “Good. You understand. Makes things easier.”

“Easier for you, or for me?” I asked, continuing to scowl between bites.

“Both of us, but mostly for yo
u." I was annoyed that he wasn’t taking me seriously. I squirted out some ketchup and chewed on a fry, watching him as he took another bite of his salad. The food was making me feel a lot better. Maybe later tonight I could sneak away.

“Why did you kidnap me?" He just kept on chewing. "T
hey’ll find me and you’ll go to jail.” I bluffed, not sure at all that someone would find me in this remote location.

He
swallowed then hesitated for a moment, as if wondering how to proceed. “Jackie, no one is searching for you. No one will report you missing. Your family told your school that you were moving for your dad to start a new job in Colorado. They’ve already left town. You’ll be able to see them again in a month or so." I didn't respond. "Justin and Maggie love you. They felt terrible about not being able to talk to you first. But we had no choice. I’ll be calling them regularly to fill them in on your progress. They’ve actually helped us like this before, although you’re the only child they’ve adopted.”

I was speechless. This can’t be real. My family cared about me. They definitely wouldn’t leave
town without me. They wouldn’t want me to get hurt or to be frightened or to be alone or...

It was suddenly way too much to deal with. “You’re full of shit,” I yelled, standing and knocki
ng the chair over. I started backing away, holding my steak knife in front of me and searching for a way to get out. Rob moved so quickly that I had no time to react. The knife clattered uselessly to the floor as he secured my arms in a tight grip, his face only inches from mine. My nostrils filled up once more with his cool wintergreen scent and I shuddered, then found my muscles relaxing against my will.

Intrigued by his strange ability, I looke
d up into his dark brown eyes. Who is this guy? I panic, and he soothes me. I was ready to explode ten seconds ago and now…

I
gritted my teeth. I wasn’t going to let him bully me into submission. "Let go of me,” I demanded, trying to pull away unsuccessfully. I hoped that he realized I wasn't really going to stab him with the knife. I’ve never been a violent person, but this experience was stressing out my sanity circuits.

“I’ll let go of you if you sit down and eat more of your meal.” Rob’s voice was stern as he led me back to my chair which had somehow been righted without me noticing. I sat, but didn’t feel hungry anymore and so I pushed the plate away.

“If you don’t eat, it’ll take longer to recover from the meds.“

“
What did you give me?” It had actually flashed in my head for a whole thirty seconds that Rob wasn’t so bad, but then I remembered the dizziness, nausea and the blood. I narrowed my eyes and fantasized about trying out one of my martial arts moves on him.

He seemed to be amused by my anger, which an
noyed me even more. “It’s a new drug created for a specific purpose. You had your first dose a few hours ago and didn’t exactly react the way the others did. You ran off and I couldn’t find you for an hour or so.” He laughed at his own private joke. "You're pretty damn fast."