Free Blind Trust by Terri Blackstock Page B

in her seat to watch them.
    Madeline had her leg propped on the seat next to her, but she seemed more worried about Sherry. “Are you okay?”
    Sherry shrugged. “Yeah, how about you?”
    “Fine except for this,” she said, pointing to her knee. “Sam actually seems like a decent guy.”
    Sherry started to protest, but Erin said, “He is a decent guy. They both are. The best.”
    Sherry and Madeline both looked up at her.
    “Are you aware that they kidnapped us?” Madeline asked.
    “It was for your own safety,” Erin said. “Trust them.”
    “Don’t listen to her,” Sherry said. “She’s in with them.”
    “Not really,” Erin said. “I’m actually a full-time pilot for an airline. I only do these flights on a case-by-case basis. I’ve only flown them around a couple of times, but I can tell you that you have nothing to fear. They won’t hurt you.”
    The door opened, and Clint and Sam came back in. “Okay, let’s go. Madeline, can you walk okay?”
    “Do I have a choice?” Madeline asked as she got up.
    Erin winced as Madeline did. “Sam, isn’t there something you can do for her?”
    “I’ll try to get her some ice,” he said. “But we don’t have a lot of time to kill.”
    “Wait.” Erin reached for a flight bag tucked under one of the seats and withdrew a bottle of Tylenol. “It’s not much, but it’ll help some.” She handed it to Madeline.
    Madeline took it suspiciously. “Thanks.”
    “Try to keep it propped up if you can.”
    Madeline gave a perplexed glance back at Sherry, but Sherry shot her a don’t-trust-any-of-them look.
    They all filed off, and Sherry saw the truck and camper parked beside the airstrip, waiting for them. Clint took Sherry to the back of the camper, opened it, and told her to get in. She complied. He locked her in, but she went to the window and watched out as he and Sam made Madeline get in the pickup. Then Clint and Sam stepped aside, talking quietly for a moment.
    Seizing the opportunity, she turned around and took a quick inventory of the “luxuries” in the camper. A sink, a small refrigerator, a cabinet. Attached to the wall was a small bed, and above her head was another fold-out bed. Across from the bed was a narrow closet. She opened it and found it empty. She opened the cabinet below the sink and found several cans of food, a loaf of bread, some peanut butter. A light dawned in her mind, and she pulled open the drawer. Among the forks, spoons, butter knives, and can opener lay a paring knife. Quickly, Sherry grabbed it and, following Clint’s example, tucked it under her sock against her leg.
    A shudder coursed through her at the thought of using it, and she sank onto the bed again. If it came down to it, would she be able to hurt Clint to get away from him? She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. She wanted to think she could, but for the life of her, she wasn’t sure.
    The door of the camper swung open, and she looked up to find Clint hunched in the doorway.
    “Wh-where’s Madeline?” she asked when he closed the door behind him.
    “She’s riding in front.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I wanted to ride with you.”
    “That isn’t necessary.”
    “Isn’t it? Isn’t it absolutely necessary to stop you from killing yourself trying to keep me from saving you?”
    “Nobody asked for your protection, Superman.”
    Clint stepped further into the camper and reached into the refrigerator for a canned Coke. “You sound pretty sure of yourself for someone who’s never taken a chance in her life until today.”
    Sherry lifted her chin at the barb. “I took a chance when I got tangled up with you.”
    “I don’t recall that you had any reservations at all.” Clint set one of the drinks on the table in front of her, then popped the top of his own and took a long drink.
    Sherry shrugged and looked out the window as the camper started to move. “Who knew what you were underneath? Who had any idea?”
    “And maybe I was