Free I've Been Waiting for You by Mary Moriarty Page A

heard his men talking in low voices. Colum and his father, along with Uncle Travis sat up towards the front. Odin tried to picture Sally. He saw her and her smile as she looked over at him as they cooked; the look on her face as she slept after they made love. The small sounds she always made. How she would fit her body in tightly next to his, wrapping her small, slender legs around his big one.
    How was it both she and Olivia had slipped out without either him or Thor being with them?
    Then her s cent met his nostril. He growled.
    Thor looked over at his brother. “What’s that all about?”
    Odin’s eyes opened, grabbing his laptop, he opened it up and came to the page that would track Sally’s phone. It was pinpointing her location. He could tell they had landed, some quick figuring told him they were due to land about fifty miles west. But at this moment they were right overhead.
    Odin got up and walked over to Colum. “Sir e, look at our position, we are right above them.”
    Colum looked at the screen. Looking up he saw the shade of Odin’s eyes. There was nothing more dangerous than a vampire who’d had his mate taken from him. Her blood was calling him. “You tracked her without the computer didn’t you?”
    Odin nodded. “I smelled her scent before I even opened my laptop .”
    A human who sat to the right of Colum, watched Odin. “How is it that you can do that? We must be 20,000 feet up.”
    Odin smiled but it wasn’t one of happiness. It was a rueful smile. “We’re mated. I can track her anywhere , unless she is under the ocean’s depths. Then it will just slow me to some degree.”
    The human named Brent, shook his head. “I’m glad you aren’t hunting me.”
    A few others as they were going over their packs nodded in agreement. “This is the side to be on , for sure.”
    * * * * * * * *
    Olivia sat down on the floor. Around her were women who had clustered near the newcomers. They sat talking as they stared at Olivia. Olivia was going to go through her purse when she thought that might not be a good idea. Who knew what these women would do to gain favor with their captors? So she secured her purse around her chest.
    Sally watched her friend as she leaned against the wall. Houda came in with her little girl, holding her tight.
    “Is this your little girl, Houda?”
    Houda sat down on the floor and pulled her daughter down on her lap. “Yes, this is Fatima. She was named after my mother.”
    Fatima looked shyly at Sally and then reached over and touched her hair. “Your hair is bright.”
    Sally smiled at the little girl ’s description. “That’s a new way of putting it. Do you want a piece of gum?” She rummaged in her backpack and going by feeling, she found the pack of gum. Holding it out, Sally watched as Fatima looked first at the gum and then at her mother. Houda said something in Arabic and nudged the little girl.
    Fatima took the piece of gum and opening it slowly she put the piece up to her nose. “It smells like frui t.” She bit off a little piece then wrapped up the rest, pocketing it.
    Sally leaned into Houda and watched as Olivia crawled up to her. “Is there a bathroom I can use?”
    Houda got up and reached for Sally’s hand. “Come, I will show you around.” She put her little girl on the mat. “Sleep. Daybreak isn’t for a couple more hours.”
    Houda showed her the few rooms they were allowed to stay in. Once a day, sometimes two times, they were brought out and allowed to go in the courtyard, Sally was told, “Maybe with you here, though, you won’t be allowed to go outside.”
    Sally looked in the kitchen, if that’s what you could call it , a place that look like hibachis inside a counter. Pans and a bag of flour stood on the floor. Sally saw a mouse scurry to a corner. She shuddered.
    “Where’s the bathroom?”
    Houda took her hand. They came to the bathroom, a hole in the floor to relieve themselves. A water tank that she knew was for bathing. The