Free Riley's Journey by P.L. Parker, Sandra Edwards Page A

research lab,” Miles protested.
    Jonas took his time untying his victim. “Then I will have to go in there and make sure that’s all you have access to. Give me the code, or do I need your fingerprint to get in? Maybe I should just cut off your finger right now to save time.”
    Miles grabbed the key from his pocket, sweat dripping down his pudgy face. Satisfied that Miles had no other keys or means to escape or contact the outside world, Jonas locked him in the room and left the facility. He had people to contact and a team to gather.
    Miles sighed with relief. At least he would survive for now. He hated Jonas, had since the day he first came on board, and he knew the feeling was mutual. The man saw everything. Nothing escaped those eagle eyes of his or those of his teammates. Mr. Bad Ass and his team of lesser bad asses! He paced the room, considering his options, which weren’t looking too good right now. Maybe he should just go ahead and do whatever Jonas wanted. If it meant getting out of here in one piece, it would be worth it. Who would know anyway? Unless Bethany came back, there would be very little chance anyone else would find out. A small sneer twisted his thick lips. Who could say if he would even be able to formulate the exact calculations? Anything could happen!

CHAPTER TEN
    R iley sat at the table, cutting long ovals from Nathan’s robe. Her stomach was cramping and she needed some personal items. His robe was the only thing she could come up with that fit her needs. She could have cut up the towels, but there were only two of them and perhaps he wouldn’t notice that his robe was somewhat shorter. Some things you just didn’t talk about or share. She had lost count of the days she had been there. Keeping track just didn’t seem important in the scheme of things.
    Outside, a great storm was brewing. The sky had darkened and the wind picked up, the temperature dropping even colder as the storm blew in. Nathan became alarmed, expressing his concern about the amount of snow that had come down already. He left the cave a short while ago to tend to his small flock of animals.
    At last count, he had four ewes and one ram, or they appeared to be sheep but could be goats for all she knew about Ice Age mammals. There was even a small horse, which she definitely recognized, Nathan was training as a pack animal. They were all penned up in a cave just south of this one and he visited it every day to water and feed them. He indicated that as soon as the weather warmed up, he would pen them outside during the day so they could graze and enjoy the sunshine. The ewes were pregnant and his little flock would double in size by the spring, if spring ever came here. Riley was beginning to wonder. Nathan assured her it would warm up but every day was like the last and so very cold.
    She was learning to tan hides and both of them were working on perfecting spinning wool. Nathan was working on a basic loom, and he was sure they could begin cloth production at any time. Riley was hoping to find some wild cotton bolls when the weather warmed up and perhaps they could weave that as well. Not having anything but leather and some felt was quite a problem. She never realized before how much she depended on cotton material or, better yet, paper products. Being a botanist, she might be able to come up with some basic paper and ink. Might as well put her knowledge to some use. She finished cutting out the ovals and stitched several layers together. Satisfied with her efforts, she put them away and cleaned up the telltale scraps.
    Nathan entered the shelter, his face red with cold and his coat wet with snow. “It’s getting really bad out there and it doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon.”
    “Are the animals okay?” Riley asked, concerned.
    “Yeah, but restless. They can sense the storm and it’s making them nervous. I fed them enough to last for a few days in case I can’t get back right away.” He shook off his