The Amber Secret by David Leadbeater

Author:David Leadbeater [Leadbeater, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781542017251
Published: 2019-12-14T16:00:00+00:00

For Lucie, the night had started as one of the loneliest of her life, which was saying something, since her closest family was all dead. She fought hard to keep up the prim-and-proper front, the reserved attitude, but she was ready to start blubbering in front of the hard-faced, violent Dudyk.

But her fatalistic belief had receded, for now. How could it not when Dudyk threatened to hurt her every few hours?

He was worse than she remembered Jamie being. Maybe there was no coming back for him. Maybe he had been the one bullying others.

The R24 psycho had crouched by a window all night, keeping one eye on the door he’d managed to wedge firmly closed. Most of the wolves’ attention had been centered upon the other building, but occasionally, some snorting, snarling monster had come clawing at their door.

Dudyk had readied a rifle and two handguns. Always, he was ready. Always, he was watchful, in tune with his surroundings. Lucie had watched him for hours, taking her mind off the battle outside and the screams of the dying. Occasionally, every hour perhaps, he’d looked over to check on her. She’d barely moved, not wanting to alert the wolves or incite her captor’s anger.

Near dawn, Dudyk spoke: “They are leaving now. So you can stop cowering like a frightened rabbit. Sleep, if you like. The next day will be hard.”

Lucie scrunched her face up, confused by his words, both nasty and unselfish at the same time. So far she hadn’t seen a scrap of goodness in Dudyk, only the desire to cause harm. She didn’t trust him one bit, so she fought to stay awake even as her eyelids drooped. To keep from falling asleep, she tried conversation.

“Do you really hate everyone so much?”

She had given some thought to what she should say, but unsure how to talk to a homicidal relic hunter, she’d decided to keep it simple. And honest.

Dudyk seemed to notice her watching him. “What?”

“You heard me right. I used to have an uncle like you.”

“I don’t hate everyone,” Dudyk said defensively. “Most people—like you and your friends—don’t understand me.”

Lucie coughed. “What is there to understand?”

“You see—this,” he said, pointing out the guns, his harshly drawn face, the tattoos, and the scarred arms, “and you think you know me.”

“No. I have always looked past the exterior. I value actions, morals, and respect.”

“Just shut up,” he said. “If they tell me to hurt you, I will hurt you.”

She saw the truth of it in his eyes. Dudyk possessed no compassion. To him, she was a tool, useful in controlling Bodie and the others. A long, lonely night was about to turn into one more lonely day.

Dudyk took a radio call. “We will go up the mountain soon,” he said. “It will not be easy.”

Lucie met his eyes, saw the harshness there, and tried to keep her stiff upper lip from starting to tremble.

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