Free Tainted Cure (The Rememdium Series Book 1) by Ashley Fontainne

bowels, Everett sat down to catch his breath and promptly fell asleep. When he woke up less than two hours later, he damn near pissed himself when he realized he was alone. Three hours later, Riverside rolled up, the backseat full of groceries.
    Once the supplies were stowed away, Everett requested the pages again. Riverside changed the subject and started talking about what happened while cleaning and bandaging Everett’s head. The knowledge Riverside was dodging the request was the final straw, and Everett hadn’t asked again. Instead, he decided to pump the kid for as much information as he would give, pretending to forget about the emails.
    A lone coyote howled outside, making the hairs stand erect on his arms. He pushed the weird noise aside and concentrated on Riverside’s breathing. Sweat pooled under his armpits and formed on his brow while he stared at a stained spot on the ceiling. Never, in his whole life, had Everett ever been the kind of man one would consider stealthy, deceitful, or capable of violence. Carol used to tease him, calling him her gentle teddy bear.
    Everett had given serious thought to confronting Riverside physically. They were close to the same height and weight. The major difference between the two was the thirty-year age span. Everett had stolen peeks around the cabin in search of a weapon to balance out the gap. The only thing he noticed in plain sight was a set of steak knives on the counter. He dismissed the idea of grabbing one as soon as it popped into his mind. Everett was a typical nerdy scientist, one holding dual degrees in both microbiology and chemistry. Other than testing animals at laboratories—and only done so to confirm results—he’d never physically harmed another living creature. Everett doubted he possessed the skills to carry out his mental plans to overpower and possibly kill Riverside.
    The only other option available to make his escape was stealth. Tonight, he had no choice but to embrace the darker side of his personality if he planned on making it out of the cabin, and Texas, alive. His gut instincts warned the clock was ticking precious seconds away, counting down until his time breathing air ceased.
    With slow, calculated movements, Everett inched his body up into the sitting position. He winced and held his breath when the old wood underneath the mattress creaked. Eyes already accustomed to the dark interior, he scanned the entire space, which wasn’t more than six-hundred square feet—tops. Pausing to ensure the kid was still out, his gaze settled on the strap of the backpack poking out from underneath the bunk Daryl slept on. The keys were clipped onto a hook on the bottom of the satchel.
    He’d already calculated how many steps it would take to reach the bag then exit the cabin. The front door hinges were in desperate need of oil and made a tremendous racket when opened, so Everett opted to slip out the window next to his bunk. Each time Daryl had stepped into the restroom or went outside to retrieve something from the truck, Everett inched the window open a bit further. Only a few more inches and he could slip through with ease.
    Without taking his focus off Riverside, he stood and stretched his arms across the expanse of the bed. His fingers found the window. Taking in a deep breath to steady his hands, he pushed the pane all the way open.
    Riverside never moved or changed his respirations.
    Nervous sweat dripped into his eyes, making them burn. Just as he reached up to wipe his sticky brow, movement to the right caught his attention. Heart pounding, Everett dropped into a crouch and squinted out the window. His mouth went dry when he realized headlights shimmered in the distance.
    And someone stood less than twenty feet from the window, the shape of an automatic weapon in their hands unmistakable from the light of the silvery moon’s rays.
    He could hear the sounds of the vehicle’s engine now, and apparently, so did the intruder outside. The body