Free Rescuing Liberty: Perseverance Book 1 by Amanda Washington Page B

“You wouldn’t be so uptight if you just got laid once in
a while.”
    I was planning a real
zinger of a reply when something bizarre happened. My body went on
autopilot in answer to the call .
    ‘ Duck, knee, hit, kick, grab, aim,
pull.’
    My limbs responded on their
own, and suddenly I was standing over Rodney with his smoking gun
in my trembling hands.
    So I did what any brave, in
control woman would do …
     
    * * *
     
    My eyes popped open just in time to
aim away from Ashley as I retched until my stomach muscles were
sore. The dream ended just like it always did: with me in the fetal
position, sick to my stomach, and feeling like I was about to pass
out. Tears streamed down my face, but they couldn’t erase what I’d
done.
    Rodney had been my first kill.
    I begged to forget, but I never could.
    I remembered everything.
    The first month, it was too risky to leave my
apartment for any reason. I ate what I had in the house, rationing
out my meals. Then Rodney made his guest appearance. After I killed
him, I stuffed everything I couldn’t live without into my
ten-year-old Honda Civic. Abandoning my apartment in Vancouver, I
drove north on Highway 30, away from civilization. When my fuel
light came on, I veered off on a gravel side street and found a
safe spot to park.
    Mother Nature welcomed me to her bosom
for the better part of two months. I lived off the land and slept
in my car. It was lonely, but I never felt completely alone in the
woods. I stayed until I felt the call tell me to leave again.
    I’ve never had any delusions about my
mental and physical capabilities. Only flesh and blood; fallible
and mortal. These calls , they
were not from me. Though I’d never told anyone, God had always been
in my head, leading me, warning me, and keeping me sane. So when He
tugged on me to go north, I went, concluding that He was calling me to Canada, where I could
find sanctuary and Michelle.
     

CHAPTER NINE
     
    CONNOR AWAKENED BEFORE the girls. He rolled
up his sleeping bag and stretched. The morning was brisk, so he
slid on his jacket and sat down, waiting for Liberty and Ashley to
wake. The girls were so peaceful in their sleep that it gave him
time to reflect on the previous evening. There had been tears and
change and Connor wasn’t anxious to step into a brave new morning
where Liberty looked at him with pity and Ashley cried. Deciding he
needed some time alone, he scribbled out a note that he’d catch up
to them and took off for a jog.
    His mind was heavy, but at least his
feet were still light. He jumped over a bush and remembered
Ashley’s scowl. Well, at least she’s not
ignoring me anymore. And more important than that,
she’d finally heard him out. In less than a week Liberty had
accomplished what Connor had been attempting for two months. He was
thankful, but at the same time annoyed by her success.
    He pushed away his irritation and
focused on the scenery. A layer of dew covered the ground and his
shoes were not waterproof. Dampness seeped into his toes, cooling
him as he ran. The morning felt crisp and clean; fresh and pure. A
more optimistic man would use some cliché metaphor about a new
beginning, but Connor was not that man. So instead of trying to
compare his life to a Hallmark card, he relaxed and enjoyed the
beauty around him.
    The girls were already awake and on
the move when he circled back around. Staying to the south of them,
he followed as they crossed the highway, railroad tracks, and made
it to White River before noon. Looking around, Connor marveled at
the Washington scenery. Nestled between two small hills packed with
evergreens, White River flowed, bringing life to the green
countryside. Mount Rainier to the southeast, and the Cascades to
the east, shaped a breathtaking skyline. The cool, glacier water
flowed quickly, enchanting the air with its melodies. He inhaled
deeply, intending to savor the moment, but smelled smoke coming
from the direction the girls had gone. Shaking his