The man tossed her towards the bags that were on the floor by the kitchenette. "Find some." She looked up at him with a glowering glare. He simply pointed his gun at her. "Either you find some rope and tie him up," He shifted his arm to aim the gun at Max. "Or I'll just have to shoot him." With a smile, he explained, "We can't have him following us now."
Ess, afraid of what this lunatic was capable of, dug through the bags for rope. She pulled out a roll of clothesline, not sure what Max's foresight in packing it could have been. When she held it up to the man, hoping it would appease him, he instructed her to tie Max's hands and feet together.
She looked up at him in disbelief. Her eyes were begging, but before she could protest, the man cocked the gun for the next round. Slowly, and regretting what she was about to do, Ess unraveled the line, and began to wrap it around Max's feet. Max stopped his struggles on the floor, and let her do what she had to do. When Ess's eyes met Max's gaze, she lowered them in shame, and hoped that he knew she was doing this in order to keep him alive.
Max wanted to reassure her, but when he whispered, pain was still evident in his voice. "It's okay, Ess. Do what you have to do." When she got to his hands, he noticed that she was making her best attempt at keeping the bindings loose without drawing the attention of the gunman looming over them.
Before she finished, Max whispered again in an lower octave, "Don't let him get you to Angoli's estate if you can, but don't let him hurt you, either." She nodded slightly. "I will come for you. I'll get you out of this." Before Ess could respond, the man pulled her to her feet, and yanked her towards the door, giving Max a rough kick in his side on their way out.
Max exhaled in pain again, and tried to favor his side for a moment before he began to struggle at his restraints. Cursing at his failure to protect Ess just now, he pulled at the clothesline harder and harder. It cut into his skin, but didn't get him anywhere in his escape. After a few minutes, he stopped struggling and began to think logically about the best way to rid himself of his bindings. He knew he couldn't waste any time in getting Ess back.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
After walking for an hour, Roden turned around and made his way back to the car. He would have liked to search further, but he was sure that Manda would panic if he didn't show up at the appointed time. Although it was mid-afternoon, the cool air of the deeply shaded forest crept through his skin and gave him goose bumps. It had been so warm in the city the previous day that his choice of clothing left him unprepared for his current surroundings. His concern for Manda rose with the recollection of her rather unsuitable short skirt and high heels.
Then again, he recalled the last time, back at the gas station, when he tried to extend her some help before they got back in the car. As the temperature had turned uncomfortably cold last night, Roden offered his jacket to her to wear over her light silk top. She just turned to Martin with pursed lips and an eyebrow raised in expectation. It took him a moment, but the young man finally understood what was anticipated of him, and relinquished his own jacket to her instead. Roden just shrugged and ignored her snub towards his proffered aid. That woman was a real antagonizer.
The return took less time than the hike out. As he backtracked, Roden continued to comb the woods, but he didn't manage to turn up any evidence of Max's passing. When he reached the rendezvous point, he was five minutes early. He paced around the car, still searching for clues, and hoping that Martin or Manda had better luck.
When the end of the second hour came and went, Roden began to worry. He had enough problems trying to find his obsessed friend, and now both of his companions were lost? He scanned the horizon in the directions the others had taken.
Another two minutes went by before he saw movement in the distance. At least Martin must have found his way back. Now they both would likely have to search for Manda before making their next move. He had promised her as much, and he would honor that trust.
It only took him a moment before Roden noticed that something was strange about the approaching movement. Martin or whoever it was, was not heading directly towards the Jetta, but moving almost parallel to it. Roden squinted in an attempt to sharpen his vision through the trees. There was more than one body. Did Martin and Manda manage to run into each other? There was a bend in the road that Manda had taken, so maybe they ended up encountering one another further down the way.
"Hey, over here," Roden yelled and waved his hands, trying to get their attention. Perhaps they didn't see the Jetta. In response, however, a loud boom emanated from a distance. "What the – "
A sharp object impaled a tree nearby. Gunfire? Shit, someone was firing a gun at him. He dunked around the car, away from the line of fire.
This was a preserve. No hunting was allowed here. He quickly deduced that the persons out there must be poachers. They might just be crazy enough to kill a stranger to keep from getting caught. He knew he had to find Manda quickly. She could be in danger, too.
Roden poked his head out from behind the car, wondering if he could make a run for it in the direction that Manda had gone. The bodies were closer into view now, and what he saw shocked him more than anything thus far.
The people were now distinguishable, and moving at a much more rapid pace than they had the moment before the gunfire. Martin was in the lead, gun waving around in one hand as he tried to run, while dragging a petite young woman behind him.
The young woman was slightly familiar. It took Roden several seconds to perceive that it was Esther. None of this seemed to fit his comprehension of the proceedings of the last twenty-four hours. He didn't know how Martin had a gun, and he was in wonder over how he had found the woman and managed to get her away from Max. A thought flashed before him, and Roden hoped to God that Martin hadn't shot Max to do it.
But why did Martin shoot at him just a moment ago? Was he afraid? He must have been anxious from his ordeal. Roden decided that he would attempt to make himself known again to the man. He prayed that Martin would realize it was him.
Roden poked his head further out from behind the car and cried out, "Martin!" Martin turned his head in Roden's direction, but kept up his pace and direction. "Martin. It's Mike Roden." Roden slowly stood up. "Don't shoot."
If Roden found Martin to be a contradictive nuisance before, now he found him down right objectionable. Martin stopped short, pulling Ess to him. She groaned her displeasure as he wrapped his free arm around her. Then, he pointed the gun towards Roden, and snarled. "Damn it, Roden. I got what I came for. I don't need you anymore. Now, you either turn and walk away, or I'll shoot."
Roden was dumbfounded. What the hell was this man saying? He'd gone crazy - and that was a clinical diagnosis. "Martin, come on now. Listen to me . . ."
Martin jerked the gun forward. "No. I don't want any of your psychoanalytical bullshit. You thought I was just along for the ride? This is what I came for." He shook Ess with his arm. She made a bitterly angry face as she attempted to wiggle free, but Martin squeezed her closer. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I'm going to collect my reward."
With that, he cocked the gun, and pulled the trigger. Ess jumped in surprise, which knocked his aim a little to the right. The bullet hit the Jetta instead of its intended target. While Roden dunked behind the car again, Martin resumed his steady progress with Ess.