Nothing Ordinary, M J Marlow [ebook and pdf reader .TXT] 📗

her nerves. “Josie will do the dishes, pretty,” Pop told her when they were through and she started to clear the table. “The boy needs his sleep if you’re going to set out at dark.” McManus nodded and took her upstairs to a bedroom. She saw the collar hanging from a chain on the headboard and backed away. He forced her to the bed and put the collar around her throat. Then he cuffed her wrists behind her back again. When that was done, he made her lie down and she fell asleep with his arm over her body. “Before we go, Anneke,” McManus smiled as he stroked her leg slowly, “ you’re going to make a choice that will mean the difference between your husband and son living or dying.” “What do you mean?” Annie asked him. “You come with me willingly and agree to remain with me,” McManus told her, “and I will forget the Owens family exists. James and your son will learn to live without you but they will be safe.” He saw the pain in her eyes. “If you say no, I will return you to them, but it will be all out war after that. You will never know when I will strike, but I will strike and you will be burying, father-in-law, husband, brother-in-law, and any children you give your husband until only you are left.” He cupped her chin in his hand and met her eyes. “You have their lives in your hands, Anneke. I’ll give you until the time I am done with my shower to give me your answer.” 30 “You made the right choice, Annie,” McManus smiled as he held her hand in his as she cried. They were in the RV that had been hidden in the barn and headed west again. “We’ll have a good life together, baby. You, me, and the little one growing inside of you.” He frowned as she sobbed. “You made the choice,” he reminded her. “There was nothing in this contract,” Annie spat at him, “that said I had to be happy about it.” “It doesn’t matter if you’re happy about it,” McManus shrugged. “You’re going to wear yourself out with all the weeping, and I’m told negative emotions are harmful to unborn children.” He put his hand to her abdomen. “This is all you have of the life you left, Annie. If you’d rather let this child die that is your choice too.” Annie got a tissue and wiped her face and dried her eyes. He nodded and turned his attention to the road. They drove for a few hours and then stopped for a late supper. Annie sat in the diner with him and toyed with her eggs, wondering if she had made the right choice. She hadn’t given James and his family a choice in this matter. She had let her fear for them govern what she did. Wasn’t that what she had done when Guthrie had abducted her? When McManus got up to use the bathroom she waited thirty seconds after the door closed before she was on her feet and headed for the front door. “Do you need some help, Miss?” a trucker asked as she stood in the middle of the parking lot while she tried to decide what to do. “I’m lost,” she said softly. “How far are we from Albany, New York?” “Darlin’ you’re in Idaho,” the trucker told her. “How did you find yourself out here?” “A lot of fear and bad choices,” Annie sighed. She jumped as someone’s hand came down on her shoulder and looked up at McManus. “I’ve changed my mind. I am not going with you.” “We already have the cabin rented for the next month, baby,” McManus said gently. “We should at least see it before you mourn the loss of civilization, Annie.” He leaned over and whispered very softly. “Is this a man you want me to kill?” Annie shook her head and McManus smiled at the trucker. “My wife has never been anywhere without electrical outlets before. She’s been terrified she’ll be eaten by a bear if we go camping.” “You’ve got yourself a big strong man there, darlin’,” the trucker smiled at her kindly. “I’m certain he’ll protect you from any old bear.” “Thank you for taking care of my wife, sir,” McManus said to the man and held out his hand. “She looked like she needed a friend,” the man nodded and shook McManus’ hand. “Good night, folks.” He wandered back to his truck muttering something about city gals and McManus laughed. He put his arm around Annie’s waist and they went back inside. They sat down and finished their dinner. Then they went to the RV and he bound her wrists and ankles and put her on the bed in the back as punishment. “There is no reneging on this deal, Annie,” he said as he stroked her lips. “You said you’d be mine and you are mine.” He yanked her up and she saw the anger in his eyes. “Do something like that again and I will be paying your father-in-law a call.” Annie shook her head and he kissed her roughly and then pushed her down. He got the ether and drugged her then went back to the wheel and drove for the rest of the night. He kept her drugged in between meal stops for the next two days. When he finally allowed her to wake up, she found that they had stopped. McManus untied her and she got up and used the bathroom. Then she followed him outside and saw a beautiful log cabin overlooking a lake. There were pine trees and other conifers around the cabin. An older couple was standing on the porch. “Mr. Newman,” the older man smiled and held his hand out to McManus. “I’m Ed Whiting. Welcome to your new home.” “Thank you Mr. Whiting,” McManus smiled and shook his hand. “And this is Leona?” “That’s right, Mr. Newman,” Leona smiled. She looked at Annie and smiled. “Hello, dear. There’s no need to be shy. We won’t bite.” “Annie’s had a very hard pregnancy so far,” McManus told them. “She wakes up badly.” “Oh I remember those times,” Ed laughed. “I was afraid to speak around Leona when she was having ours. Never knew what might set her off.” He and McManus exchanged keys. “I hope you and your Annie are as happy here as Leona and I were.” “Enjoy your life on the road, Mr. Whiting,” McManus smiled and handed over the keys. “The registration has been changed over and is in the glove compartment.” “There’s a meal waiting on the table for you youngsters,” Leona smiled as Ed went to get their luggage. “The bed in the big room is turned down and ready for you.” “Come on Leona,” Ed called as he got the luggage to the RV, “we want to be in California by the weekend.” “Our son Mitchell’s wife is having their third child.” She smiled at Annie. “You need anything we left the numbers of all our children and our cell phone number on the pad by the phone.” “Say thank you to the Whitings, darling,” McManus smiled at her. “Thank you,” Annie said to them and then moved away from McManus. “Enjoy your trip.” “Oh my goodness, girl,” Ed laughed. “We’re not coming back here. This is your home now.” He frowned as she burst into tears. “Did I say something wrong?” “Annie’s just over emotional because of the pregnancy, Ed,” Leona said to him. She shoved him to the RV. “Let’s get moving you said.” Annie ran into the house and locked the front door. She looked around the beautiful rooms and wished she were here with James. He would love the place. She looked for the phone and saw it hanging on a wall near the kitchen area. She dialed and waited. “Thank God,” she cried as someone answered the phone. “Help me,” she sobbed as she heard a door opening. “Please, I want to come home.” “Hang up the phone, Annie,” McManus growled as he came in through the back door and saw her. “Now!” “No,” she shook her head and looked for something she could fend him off with. She pulled a knife and tried to hurt him. He caught her arm and twisted her arm up behind her back. “Let me go!” “Bad girl,” McManus said as he tightened his hold on her arm until she cried out in pain. He forced her to her knees and ripped the cord out of the wall and the phone and tied her wrists and ankles together. “You just lie there and think about why that was wrong.” Annie tried to pull loose but the cord was not slipping. She watched him as he went to the living room and sank down on the couch to watch a movie from the selection on the shelves along one wall. “Please,” Annie begged him as she felt the need to use the bathroom. “I need to get up.” “No, Annie,” McManus shook his head. “You did something wrong and you need to be punished. “If you mess the floor, you’ll just have to clean it up when I finally decide to let you up.” “Please…” “You heard me, Annie,” McManus snapped. He got up and yanked her up to her feet. His eyes were blazing in anger. “You disobeyed me, didn’t you?” She refused to answer him and he shook his head. “You apologize to me and I’ll let you loose.” “Yes,” Annie whimpered. “I’m sorry.” He kissed her and she choked back her revulsion. He put her down on her knees and walked away. “You said you’d let me loose!” “I didn’t say when,” McManus laughed at her. She started to cry as the pain of struggling to hold off going to the bathroom felt like someone was knifing her. “Oh come on, Annie. It can’t hurt that bad!” She didn’t stop crying and he finally got up and let her loose. “All right. You get a reprieve, But,” he continued as he clamped his hand on her throat; “you ever do something like that again and you won’t be getting up on your feet for a week. Is that understood?” “Yes.” “Yes, who?” “Yes, Matthew,” Annie whimpered. She ran for the bathroom and spent the next hour locked in the room, sobbing. 31 James jumped as the phone rang and Karl whimpered. He had been sleeping on the couch with his son on his chest. He heard Norma answer and then cry out in shock. He ran to get it and heard Annie’s voice begging for help. The sound of her voice after a week was like manna from heaven. But then he heard McManus’ cold voice and Annie crying out in pain before the line went dead. “She’s still alive, Norma,” he said as he held his son close. He hung up and called the phone company. “I need to know where the call that came into this number originated from.” He waited as the operator checked for him. He loved the FBI. They had set this up so any calls coming to him could be traced. “Where? Thank you, ma’am.” He hung up and called his father. “Dad? Annie just called from Idaho. We have a direction.” He hung up and hugged his son. “Did you hear that, monster? Mommy wants to come home.” “Mommy home!” Karl giggled and threw his arms around James’ neck. “Now?” “Soon, baby boy,” James promised him. He made the next call. “Captain Jeffrey Owens, please.” He waited a moment, tickling his son as he waited. “Jeffrey? It’s your brother. Annie is in Idaho.” He heard his brother shout in joy. “Here’s the phone number she called from. The ball’s in your court now, little brother. Don’t let us down.” “Don’t worry, James,” Jeffrey said firmly. “I’ll get