Travel Writer Mystery 02 - Trapped Man Standing by Wendy Meadows

Author:Wendy Meadows
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Majestic Owl Publishing LLC
Published: 2021-05-27T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

“Get down!” Patricia threw Rhonda down onto the floor of the general store. Brent and Roger burst into the store seconds later and hit the floor.

“My son!” Brent yelled in misery.

“Samuel,” Rhonda cried as bullets shattered the glass attached to the front window. She covered her head and squeezed a pair of panicked eyes closed. “Samuel.”

Patricia felt her heart break for Brent and Rhonda. The despair eating the parents alive must have felt unbearable. But what could she do except stay huddled down on the floor like a defenseless desert animal? Never in her life had Patricia felt so helpless—so weak. The case of Wounded Willows was turning out to be a true nightmare. Travel writing was supposed to be fun, adventurous, humorous, and different, not dangerous. Yet, it seemed that every time Patricia went on assignment, she ended up trapped in a bizarre murder case. “Maybe it’s time I retire,” she whispered in a miserable voice.

When the bullets grew silent, Roger lifted his head. “Stay down,” he cautioned. He crawled over to the front window, eased up onto one knee, and tossed a daring glanced out into the snow. Patricia joined him. Their fearful eyes immediately spotted a dark shadow burst out from the hotel, thunder down the snowy street, break the chair Amy was handcuffed to, snatch the woman up into his arms, and then dash back to the hotel.

“He got her,” Roger whispered and then shook his head. “Shame it’s come to that.”

Patricia quickly scanned the dark town. “There’s no one out there, Mr. Lunders. That man is all alone.” Patricia turned and pointed to Stan’s silent body. “If this town was surrounded as he claimed, how did that man make it back to this store without being seen?”

Roger kept his eyes on the falling snow. “What you’re saying makes sense.”

Patricia turned back to Roger and grabbed his hand. “Try to leave again, Mr. Lunders. Hurry. The man we just saw is busy with Mrs. Owens. If you leave without being shot at, we’ll know for certain. Hurry…please.”

Roger hesitated for only a moment and then agreed. He shot to his feet and, without saying a word, ran to the back room, eased out the back door on cautious legs, looked around into a thick, dark, falling snow, and then jogged off into the night. To his relief, no one shot at him.

Patricia remained next to the shattered front window for a solid ten minutes listening to Rhonda crying. When Roger didn’t return after ten minutes passed, she felt hope enter her heart. “Mr. Gordon, that man lied. This town isn’t surrounded.”

Brent let go of his wife and crawled over to Patricia. “What does that mean?” he asked. “How does that help me get my son back? The man in the hotel is armed…we’re not.” Brent glanced toward the door leading to the back room. “Our only hope now is that Mr. Lunders will bring back help.”

“Mr. Lunders will return for us first,” Patricia cautioned. “He’s an old-timer.

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