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melissabik

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When I opened my eyes, that’s when I realized that I had fallen asleep.  I turned to look at the clock on the dashboard.  It read, “3:30 am.”  Where am I?  I felt completely disoriented.  I turned to see the answer to my questions, expecting Sam to be in the driver’s seat, but my mind had horribly deceived me.  That’s when I remembered Millie and Humph… JACK…  We had been driving since 10:30, and it looked like Jack was getting really tired.  “Do you want to go to a motel or something?  You look tired,” I offered.  Jack shook his head.  “I was in the army; I know how to keep myself awake when I need to,” he replied.  Macho man…  I detest macho men…  They think that they can do ANTYHING without anyone’s help…  I rolled my eyes.  “Okay, but your eyelids look like they’re about to shut forever,” I reasoned.  Jack rubbed his cheek for a minute.  I guess it was some sort of way he kept awake…  “I’m fine.  Besides, don’t you want to find Sam?  If we stop somewhere, then Sam will just be farther away…” he countered.

Mr. Macho had a point.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “Yeah… You’re right.  Have you seen any sign of his car?” I asked, hoping beyond all hope that he had.  “Nope,” I heard him say.  Damn!  Why do I do this to myself?  Of course we couldn’t have found him all ready.  That would be too much of a miracle…  I let out a sigh and leaned my head back on the seat.  “We’ll find him, Katarina,” Jack soothed.  I nodded my head slowly.  “I just wish I had a way to read him…” I said sadly.  I felt so helpless.  He could be anywhere.  First of all, America is pretty big!  And there are still other countries out there!  Kat, don’t be ridiculous.  He wouldn’t go looking for you in Paris or something…  He shouldn’t be too far away.  Stop being so overdramatic…  I closed my eyes briefly.  Suddenly I felt the car slow down.  I jerked my eyes open.  When I checked the time again, it read, “6:00 am.”  I had slept for two and a half hours?  Impossible…  I turned to Jack.  He wasn’t in the car anymore.

I looked at my surroundings to find that we were in a gas station.  I searched for Jack anxiously to find him talking to the cashier in the store.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  But I still didn’t feel completely safe, now that Jack was no longer mere inches from me…  I quickly locked all the doors—just in case someone decided to show up…  I searched the landmarks to figure out where we were.  I had no idea.  All I knew was that we were far from Ruckshire.  Suddenly Sarah popped into my head.  She must be worried to death about me…  I miss her so much…  I wanted to call her; even if I was brave enough to dial the number, I couldn’t.  There was no cell phone, and no payphone around.  “I’m so sorry, mom…” I whispered.  “Sorry?” I heard Jack say.  I looked up to see him getting into the driver’s seat with some bags of chips and bottles of water.

“I didn’t say anything,” I replied quickly, trying to save myself any embarrassment.  Jack looked at me for a brief second, and then he handed me the bags of chips and the two water bottles.  “There’s breakfast,” he stated as he turned the car back on.  THIS is breakfast?  At least Sam stopped at the diner for me…  I mean, I did run away, but that was just because I thought he was trying to hurt me…  I looked at the meager food I was holding.  “Very healthy…” I replied.  Jack rolled his eyes.  “It’s the best I could do.  I called my mom and let her know that I wouldn’t be home for a while,” he stated.  Called?  As in, he used a phone?  Where?  “Do you have a phone?” I asked anxiously.  Jack nodded, pulling out his cell phone from his pocket.  Oh, bless you, Mr. Macho!!  Macho men always carry their phones around!!  “Do you mind if I… call someone?” I asked timidly.

Jack handed me the phone.  “But don’t take too long…. I have minutes…” he warned.  I rolled my eyes and stepped out of the truck for a moment of privacy.  As I held the phone in my hands, I was shaking.  I am not quite sure why.  It must have been because I held the link to my mother.  I slowly dialed the number, feeling guilty as I pressed each key on the keypad.  I was thinking about what Sam had said.  “It’s too dangerous.  She obviously called the cops, so they must be there right now, trying to trace this call.  We can’t have anyone following us, okay…”  I ignored the feeling.  I’ll just talk to her for 30 seconds.  It won’t be enough to trace the call, and she’ll know that I’m okay…  The phone began to ring.  I could feel myself tense up as I waited to hear the shriek of my mother’s voice.  “Hello?” I heard someone answer.  But it wasn’t my mother’s voice that I heard.  I was confused.  “Sorry; I must have the wrong number,” I replied quickly, ready to hang up the phone.  “Kat?  Is that you?” I heard the male voice say.  I froze in place.  They knew my name… Was it Sam?  Had he gone back?  No; I knew it wasn’t Sam’s husky voice on the other line.  It sounded more like…  “LEVI?” I breathed into the phone.

The voice began to laugh into the receiver.  “You’re good, Kat.  Nice to hear your voice again,” he replied.  My heart began to pound.  Oh no! Why is he answering Sarah’s phone?  He’s there right now!  He must have tied her up and he’s going to kill her!  I was about ready to faint.  “What are you doing answering my mom’s phone?” I asked with tension in my voice.  “I’m getting to know Sarah a little better, that’s all.  Isn’t that right, Sarah?” I heard him ask over the phone.  “Yes, dear.  I had no idea you knew such a wonderful man!  You should have introduced us sooner!  Where are you?  I have been so worried about you?  Levi said you were taking a trip with some young man you met at the pizza place.  Why didn’t you just tell me that?” I heard my mother say.  What?  She actually sounds like she’s fine… Why did Levi say all of those lies?  Levi must be pretending like nothing is wrong…  “Mom?  You need to get out of the house, right now,” I warned her.  There was a pause for a second.

“Is something wrong, Kat?  You just called me mom,” she whispered.  I did; and I didn’t even realize it.  I must have reverted to calling her mom because I was afraid…  But that gave me an idea.  “Yes, mom.  Yes, something is terribly wrong,” I replied.  “That man, Levi, is trying to kill me, and now he’s going to try to kill you to get to me…” I explained.  There was a silence again.  For a minute, I was worried that Levi was back on the line.  “What do I do?” I heard Sarah ask cheerfully.  I think she was trying to mask our conversation so that it didn’t sound so serious to Levi.  “Take him to Zelda’s; at least there will be other witnesses.  Please, mom…  You have to do this for your safety,” I warned.  “What were you talking about?”  I heard Levi’s voice again.  He had grabbed the phone from Sarah.

“Leave my mother alone, Levi,” I warned; even though I knew my threats would do no harm to Levi…  “If you want your mommy dearest to live, then you better get back here,” he replied simply.  “Where is Sam?” I asked, somehow knowing that Levi knew the answer.  “Oh, you want to know where Sam is?” he asked as though I hadn’t just asked the question.  “Yes,” I replied.  “Say hello, Sam,” I heard him say.  “Kat!  Don’t come here!  It’s a trap!  Save yourself!” I heard Sam’s husky voice yell.  He sounded further away than Levi.  “What did you do to him?” I asked frantically.  “He’s a little… detained at the moment,” Levi replied smugly.  “I’m looking forward to seeing you soon…  And Kat?  You better be here by 8 pm tonight, or your mommy dearest and lover boy die…” he added.  “Have a nice trip.”  And that was when I heard the dial tone.  He hung up.  I closed the flip phone; my hands were shaking like crazy.  It was a nightmare; it must have been a nightmare.  I couldn’t believe what had just happened.  I knew it was a trap, but I didn’t know what else to do.

I slowly got back into the truck.  Jack looked at me, trying to read my frightened face.  “We have to get back onto the road… what’s wrong?” he asked.  I handed him the phone and just stared out the window; my eyes felt dead…  “Go back to Ruckshire,” I replied.  Jack looked at me like I was crazy.  “Ruckshire?  But that’s in the opposite direction.  Is Sam there?” he inquired.  “Yes,” I whispered.  “Just go; we have to be there before 8 o’clock tonight…” I replied.  Jack looked at me, feeling completely confused.  “Just do it, please…  We have to save them,” I replied in frustration as tears began to fall down my cheeks.