Rescuing Liberty: Perseverance Book 1 (4 page)

The side of his mouth twitched. “Would you
believe I’m looking for a chance at redemption?”

I blinked, and then burst into
laughter. The idea of Connor Dunstan seeking redemption was
hilarious. “Right.” I said between fits of giggles. “And just
yesterday I ran into Mother Theresa—she was looking for a biker
bar.”

His eyes grew guarded and hurt. “Am I
so horrible that I’m beyond redemption?”

“
No.” I couldn’t tell if he was
playing me or being real, but my inappropriate laughter left a sour
taste in my mouth. In a world where everything had changed, I never
should have assumed that Connor remained the same.

“
No one is beyond redemption. It’s by
grace you are saved, not by your works.” I said the words out of
habit, and immediately regretted opening my mouth.

“
Grace?” Connor
asked. “Grace from whom? From a God who has turned His back on the
people He created?” He snorted. “Open your eyes. If there was a
God, would He allow His people to become …
this
?”

Since it seemed a bit hypocritical for
me to preach to someone while threatening them with a weapon, I
lowered my knife and took a step back.

“
You think this is God’s fault?” I
shook my head. “That’s rich. Exactly what I’d expect from an
attorney; blame someone else. You can’t paddle away from the
lifeboat, and then blame it when you drown.”

Connor chuckled. “Great. Stuck with a
religious nut.”

“
Religious nut?” I spat.
“Stuck?”

The most annoying smirk spread across
his face.

I eyed him. “A society without
religion is like a vessel without a compass.”

Connor’s eyes widened. “Napoleon?”

“
Surprised?” I snorted. “I realize
that this will probably defy all your beliefs about women, but yes,
it is possible to have both: a chest, and brains.”

Trust this infuriating
man? What are You trying to do to me? Trust him? Are You
sure?
Yet there was something comforting
about having an argument with someone who wasn’t trying to kill me.
Hunger and desperation hadn’t morphed Connor into some sort of
brainless brute, like it had so many of the others I’d encountered.
His eyes were clear, his words made sense, and I had the strange
feeling he was testing me. That, more than anything, made me want
to leave. I didn’t know what his game was, but I had my own role to
play and Canada was calling my name.

“
If you’d just open
the door, I’ll leave and you won’t have to worry about
being
stuck
with this
religious nut
any longer.” My body trembled with anger and
frustration, and my face flushed.
I don’t
want to trust him. What I want to do is scratch out his eyeballs,
throw him on the ground, and step on his throat to crush his
larynx!
I took a step toward the door and
reached for the handle.

“
No.” He held his arm in front of
me.

“
Excuse me?” I glared at
him.

“
No.” He shook his head. “I’m not
going to let you go out there and kill yourself. Too
dangerous.”

Manic laughter mixed with
desperation and fear escaped from my mouth. “And you’re going to
prevent my death?” I shook my head. “You? You’re not exactly the
white knight type, you know, so please forgive my doubt. There are
enough enemies out there. I don’t need to be
stuck
in a safe with one.”

I’ll show him
stuck.

I clenched my fists. “By
the way, if someone locks you in a safe against your will, they
really shouldn’t be allowed to refer to the experience as
being
stuck
with
you.”

“
I apologize.” He sighed. “That might
not have been the best word to use.”

“
Ya think?” Why did
my first interaction with another human being who wasn’t trying to
kill me or run from me have to be
this
man? He wasn’t a human, he was a
dog. No, my dog had been sweet and loving. Connor was more like a
wolf, and I was no Little Red Riding Hood to be taken in by his
smooth talking. Sure, he’d saved my life, but why? He was a
big-shot attorney. They never worked pro-bono, and it required more
hope than I could muster to assume he had done anything out of the
goodness of his heart. I didn’t need or want the company of a man
who would stab me in the back. I just wanted to get to Canada,
where I’d find Michelle and some semblance of a new
life.

“
This may come as a surprise to you
but hey, I’m alive. I’ve survived without your help this far, and
I’m pretty sure I don’t need it now.”

“
I didn’t mean for it to come out that
way.” He leaned back against the door of the safe.

“
Please open the lock so I can leave.”
I could feel tears well up in my eyes. I was trapped and the walls
were closing in on me, causing panic to cloud my
judgment.

“
No.”

“
Connor, let me out.”

“
No. Just listen …”

“
Please don’t make me do this!” I
pulled my dagger back up toward his throat. He grabbed my hand and
in an impressive display of dexterity and speed spun me around so
his chest pressed against my back and my arms were trapped beneath
his own. I was bent at the waist with Connor slumped over
me.

Ashley gasped. Her terrified face was
in my direct line of sight, so I got the full effect of her
fear.

“
Just listen to me for a minute. We
can figure a way out of this.” His breath brushed the side of my
hair. “We have food. Our supplies have been adequate so far, but we
can’t hold out much longer here. Provisions are running thin. We’re
gonna have to leave soon.”

Connor took a deep breath. He had me
pinned. It was useless to struggle, so I didn’t even try. If he
wanted me dead, he’d had plenty of opportunities.

What does he want?

“
What I propose …” He stood up
straight, pulling me with him. “Is that you eat with us now, and
get some sleep.”

“
I don’t—”

“
You need food and sleep. And after
you’ve rested, if you still want to leave, you can. No questions
asked.”

Yeah right.
But the idea had definite appeal. My traitorous
stomach growled at the suggestion of a meal. A few days ago my
measly supply had been stolen, leaving me with only the pocketful
of peanuts I’d eaten yesterday morning. My stomach growled again
and Connor smiled smugly. I was too tired to fight and too hungry
to disagree.
If he plans to kill me, at
least I’ll die with a full stomach.

I nodded and agreed to his terms. He
released my arms and told me to sit and make myself comfortable. I
lowered myself to the floor, took off my pack and leaned against
it.

Looking around, I had time to
appreciate the shelter. It was kind of cozy, really. Two sleeping
bags were laid on top of twin air mattresses. Pillows and a wind-up
flashlight topped each of the beds, and books were stacked in a
corner next to a few board games. A variety of scenery posters had
been paired with chains of artificial ivy in an attempt to spruce
up the drab grey walls and shelves. Faintly stale air circulated
through small vents in the ceiling, pulling in the fresher air from
the store that surrounded the safe. The bucket in the corner
smelled faintly of urine and no doubt served as a latrine. All this
was tucked safely behind a dial lock that opened and locked from
both the inside and the outside and obviously didn’t require
electricity.

Cans and boxes of food were
neatly stacked toward the end of one shelf and though there was not
much left, my eyes strained to read the labels. Desperate to
remember a time when food came in a wide variety of flavors, shapes
and colors. I missed the choices almost as much as I missed the
availability. Medical and survival supplies were stacked below the
food shelf. The rest of the shelves were bare, reminding me of
Connor’s concern.
No, you can’t hold out
much longer here.

The intoxicating scent of onions,
peppers, and chili seasoning focused my attention back on Connor.
My stomach erupted into a symphony of growls that sounded more like
a five piece band than a single starving artist. “Mmm is that
really chili?” I asked, as my mouth salivated. In reply, he put a
small bowl of the spicy-scented ecstasy into my hands.

“
Wow. You really know how to woo a
girl, don’t you?” I picked up the spoon and stirred the thick stew.
Steam rolled off it floating to my face and torturing my growling
stomach.

Connor flashed me his perfectly
straight pearly-whites and handed Ashley a bowl. When she didn’t
acknowledge him, he placed it on the floor in front of her, and
then sat down with his own bowl across from me. She waited until he
was seated before she picked up the bowl and started
eating.

A full spoon hit my lips and I didn’t
even bother to test the heat. Instead I opened my mouth and
shoveled food in. The spices danced over my taste buds as a warm,
fuzzy sensation traveled down my throat and heated my stomach.
Suddenly needing more, I dismissed the spoon, picked up the bowl,
and raised it to my mouth. Leaning back, I poured the chili down my
throat, making all sorts of noises that should probably not be
heard in public.

When I lowered my bowl, all eyes were
on me. Connor smirked. I glared at him and wiped my sleeve over my
mouth. Ashley’s eyes were wide as she watched me; her forgotten
spoon full of chili hovered above her bowl.

“
What?” I shrugged my shoulders. “I
was hungry.”

Ashley averted her eyes and
continued eating. I tried desperately to think of some way to start
a conversation with her, but what could I say?
How’s school? See any good movies lately? So … what do you
want to be when you grow up? Hey, you gonna eat that?
Right. Discouraged by inappropriate conversation
topics, I defied the laws of nature and kept my mouth
shut.

Connor had warmed the chili using a
battery-generated hot plate and a small pot. When we were finished,
he took the bowls and rinsed them in a bucket of water. He held a
bottle of water toward Ashley, but she ignored him and he placed it
in front of her. He tossed me a water and tidied up while I basked
in the awkwardness of the situation, wondering what the heck I was
doing there.

Connor paused and studied me for a few
moments. “The deal was for food and sleep. I’m gonna do some rounds
and check on some things. I’ll be gone at least four hours. Get
some sleep.” He turned and walked toward the door, pausing once
again when he reached it. “When I get back, maybe we can talk for a
minute before you go?” He spun the dial a few times, opened the
door, and slipped out.

The lock spun from the
outside, so I stood and jiggled the handle.
Yep. Locked in a safe by a crazy man. Awesome.
I sat on the floor, facing Ashley. “Well, looks
like it’s just you and me, kid.”

She didn’t climb onto my
lap and beg me to sing her to sleep, but she didn’t run away
screaming either. My belly was more satisfied than it had been in
several days and gravity tugged on my eyelids.
Maybe a few hours of sleep wouldn’t be a bad
thing
.

Ashley watched me
dubiously.

“
Don’t worry, Sweetie.” I smiled. “I
won’t hurt you.”

She picked up a book, walked over to
one of the air mattresses, and sat down to read. I considered
stretching out on the other mattress, but couldn’t get past the
creepiness of sleeping on Connor’s bed. I already had enough
nightmares. Instead, I settled down on the floor, and made a
makeshift pillow out of my jacket. My eyes closed as I focused on
my life and its insane turn of events.

* * *

In literally ten months, my life had
gone from wonderful to cataclysmic. It all started when several
“indestructible” corporations began to collapse. In their
freefalls, they held out their hands for support and Uncle Sam
grasped them, desperate to rescue companies and save jobs. The
economy had been steadily declining, and the government feared the
catastrophic results of allowing these corporate giants to fold.
Uncle Sam threw money at the failing businesses, hoping to plug the
holes long enough for them to stabilize. Everyone said the
recession wouldn’t last forever, and the goal was to survive until
it passed. The once independently-ran, multi-billion dollar
companies turned into taxpayer-subsidized, government-supervised,
private companies. Unstable /files/08/82/46/f088246/public/private hybrids, they were too
public to make their own decisions, yet too private to be held
accountable to the tax payers who’d become their lifeblood.
Capitalism viewed them as monstrosities, and they were too anarchic
for socialism. Financial analysts wrung their hands as the national
debt skyrocketed. No one knew the right course of action. The
government watched as the hybrid companies bankrupted the nation,
and unemployment rates broke records.

Next to plummet came the banks and
other financial institutions. Already wounded by the big businesses
reductions, they could not withstand the astronomical unemployment
rates. People could no longer pay their mortgages, auto loans, and
credit cards. Taxes weighed heavily upon the heads of a nation
struggling to survive. The few banks that endured were hesitant to
lend, so money stopped flowing through free enterprise. Companies
became insolvent, the stock market plummeted, banks were depleted
and the people starved.