Free Away by Megan Linski

wanted to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid. I know you. You wouldn’t do that to me,” he says.
    “You’re wrong,” I say, trying to shake off his grip. His hand doesn’t move.
    “If you really wanted to leave me you wouldn’t have lied there,” he tells me.
    “I lied because I don’t trust you not to hurt Dolly,” I say, and my stomach wiggles once again. “She’s been a friend to you all these years, and I don’t doubt you’d put a bullet in her back.”
    “Do you really think I’m that sort of person?” he asks.
    I look him dead in the eyes. “After everything you’ve done to me, I wouldn’t put it past you.” I get in the car and put my seatbelt on, ignoring him as he refastens the handcuffs to my wrists. As we start driving again my stomach does more flip flops and turns, and I hope that if I have to throw up it’s all over him and his car. I breathe deeply, trying to calm my stomach. What exactly was this big secret that Jack was so intent on telling me? And why couldn’t he just let me know? It wasn’t like it was going to change anything.
    No matter what, I would still hate him.
     
    Chapter Five
    The restaurant is closing. I run up as a cook is closing the door, putting a hand on the side of it as he pulls it shut. “Wait, hold on! I need to ask you something.”
    “We’re closed. Sorry, you’re going to have to come back tomorrow,” he says, and he tries to close the door on me but I resist him.
    “There’s no time! Please, really quickly!” My eyes beg him.
    He sighs. “What is it?”
    “Did a man and a young woman come in here to eat recently within the past few hours?”
    “Tons of people come through here everyday. I can’t remember each one,” he argues.
    “This is important! She would be around my age, reddish brown hair past her shoulders, around five feet tall.”
    “Rosemary McGowan,” I hear a voice say, and I peer behind the cook to see a middle-aged woman looking at me curiously. “Is that who you’re looking for?”
    “Yes,” I say. “She’s my girlfriend. Was she alone?”
    “Your name?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.
    “Noah Cash. Was she alone?” I repeat.
    “Dolly Parkings. And no, she was with her father,” the woman says.
    “Do you happen to know where they were going?” I say.
    “Why do you want to know? Jack McGowan and his daughter have been coming in here for years,” she tells me.
    “It’s very important. Jack’s kidnapped her,” I say, and both her and the cook’s eyes widen.
    “What do you mean, kidnapped?” the cook mutters, glancing from me to Dolly.
    “Just what I said. Please, you have to listen. Think about it; Rosemary hasn’t been with Jack here in years. Why would they suddenly show up now?”
    “I figured since she was overage now, she had the right to see her father when she pleased.” Dolly shakes her head. “Out of all the things Jack McGowan would do, I don’t think kidnapping’s one of them. Are you positive that he took her?”
    “I saw it happen,” I insist. “She didn’t try to run, get help?”
    “She said nothing to me,” Dolly says. “I think you’re wrong about the whole thing.”
    I sigh in irritation. This was getting nowhere. I lift up my shirt to show her all of my bruises, and she gasps. “Here. This doesn’t prove much, but this is where I flew off my bike from when Jack hit me with his car when I was trying to save her. You have to help me find her. If you know anything, please, tell me.”
    Dolly glances outside quickly, and then motions for the cook to open the door. “Come inside,” she says. I do so and the cook quickly locks the door behind me, and Dolly shuffles over to a table, plopping herself down in exhaustion. The cook looks at us and says, “I’m going to finish locking up, Dolly. Are you sure you’re going to be okay alone?” He glances at me.
    “I’ll be fine. A lot has happened to this old bird.” She waves him off and he walks away warily, glancing