Free Blood Sport by A.J. Carella Page B

crash and a grinding of metal. In shock and breathing heavily, she just sat for what seemed like an age before quickly turning in her seat.
    “Are you ok ay, honey?” she asked Daniel, visually checking him over for injuries. Thankfully, he had none, though he was clearly terrified. Scrambling for her belt, she quickly undid it but before she could get out of the car the back door was flung open and a pair of arms reached in.
    “What are you doing?” she screamed as she saw them reach for Daniels belt. “Stop!” Flinging her door open , she leapt from the car only to be grabbed from behind by another pair of strong arms that quickly wrapped around her and held her tight. “Let go of me! What are you doing? Stop!” She struggled against the arms as she watched the other man pull Daniel out of the car. “Nooo!” she screamed again as she watched him being dragged out of the ravine and up towards the road.
    “Kat!”
    The scream cut to her core and filled her with renewed strength. Bending her knee and raising her leg, she kicked back with all her strength and was rewarded by a satisfying crunch as her shoe made contact with bone.
    The man cried out in pain, his arms releasing her as he clutched at his now shattered kneecap. Without looking back, she scra mbled up the bank towards where Daniel was now being forced into the back of the car that had rammed them. The man pushing him into the car was standing with his back to her as he pushed Daniel into the back seat and with a hard kick, she struck the back of his right knee which immediately gave way, causing him to drop to his knees. Her years of training in the LAPD kicked in and she lashed out again, this time connecting with the side of his head as he was kneeling, the blow sending him flying onto his back where he lay motionless.
    “Daniel, come on honey, quick!” she shouted to him where he sat cowering in the back seat of the car.
    He didn’t move fast enough , though, and the driver of the car reacted quickly, throwing open his door and getting out. As he stood up, his eyes met Kat’s across the roof of the car and recognition hit her. She’d seen him before! “You’re the guy from the coffee shop!”
    Moving quickly , she reached into the back seat and grabbed Daniel by the hand, pulling him towards her. It was all the time he needed, and before she could get him out of the car the driver was by her side. The stab of pain in her neck was completely unexpected and immediately she felt her knees give way before crumpling onto the ground beside the open door. She stayed conscious long enough to see his big hands reaching down toward her before her world went black.

Twenty -Four
     
    Jamie was worried. They should have been back hours ago. She’d called the clinic, thinking maybe they had been delayed, but the office was closed. Calls to Kat’s cell had gone straight to voicemail and, despite leaving several increasingly worried messages, she’d failed to call her back. Something was wrong and she’d waited long enough. Picking up the phone, she dialed Finn’s number. It seemed to ring for ages as she paced up and down in the kitchen, keeping one eye on the window in case Kat’s car suddenly appeared, but at last he picked up.
    “Hi , Jamie,” he answered.
    “Finn, something’s wrong.” She didn’t waste any time with niceties.
    “What do you mean something’s wrong? What’s happened?”
    “It’s Kat. She took Daniel to the therapist’s office ages ago and she hasn’t come home.”
    There was a silence on the end of the phone. “Have you tried her cell?”
    “Of course I’ve tried her cell!” she snapped.
    “ Okay, look, it’s probably nothing. You know what the cell signal is like around here. She’s probably broken down at the side of the road or got a flat.”
    He was right . Of course he was right, Jamie told herself. She was being paranoid. “Okay, you’re right. Well, I’m going to go and retrace her steps, then, and see