Chapter Ten

Travis and Alex drive to the cabin.

Travis knows the cabin where he plans to bring Alex is nearly a two hour drive from the city of Dunlap.  The cabin was built originally as a hunting shack and is on a property owned by a friend of Travis’.  Travis and several friends, including Kevin, from high school use this small cabin when hunting a few weekends every season usually in November.  The cabin is bare bones but is actually comfortable and features electricity although no running water.  The cabin is only a one room style and has no bathroom.  There is however an outhouse 25 feet away from the back door.  There is some basic furniture in the cabin and the three windows on the cabin have shades on them since the hunters usually like to sleep in after a long night of card playing and beer drinking.

 

Travis and three of his friends, including the landowner on which the cabin exists, built the cabin on weekends over a busy summer about five years ago.  The four guys now use the cabin only sparingly since several of the friends are now busy with family, or just are working too much to put the cabin to use.  The last two years have seen very little activity at the cabin.  Travis has even thought that maybe the friends will put the cabin up for sale if it doesn’t start to get used more.

 

The place will be perfect for me right now!  Especially this summer! Travis thinks as he gets closer and closer with his unwilling passenger Alex.  I just hope that no one else decides to shows up!

 

A nice fishing lake is walking distance from the cabin down the slope a bit, and the cabin is almost hidden with all the many pines surrounding it.  This is a perfect place to hide out for anyone who wants to get away from the stresses and pressures of city life. 

 

Travis is at this point surprised at how calm Alex seems to be.  He has kidnapped her and is taking her away from her life under the threat of doing her bodily harm, yet she seems somehow calm about it all.  Can this be?  Or is she just biding her time to try an escape? Well, Travis thinks, the cabin is a very far distance from anything that even appears to be civilization.  The idea of her running away after we get there seems ridiculous!  If she does take off when we get there, I might have to go looking for her to actually rescue her.

 

Travis looks back to see how Alex is doing and notices she has apparently fallen asleep!   Travis then looks at his odometer reading and his watch to try and get an idea of how much further the drive will be.  It will be another 40 minutes or so and Travis realizes that the last store before entering the state forest will be coming up very soon.  So the supplies that he will need will have to be purchased there and the fact that Alex seems to be taking a mid afternoon nap is perfect. Of course, Travis’ luck has not been good for the last several days, so he assumes that Alex will wake up before he can take care of a visit to a store and the pumping of some gasoline.

 

Of course, Alex is not asleep.  She is quietly trying to calm herself in order to better deal with this situation.  She doesn’t know for sure what she is dealing with here.  Is he really going to hurt me if he doesn’t get money?   How will my parents react to this?  What happens if the cops show up?  Will someone get shot?  What if he tries to rape me?

 

Travis sees the store coming up on the left and he is about to signal to turn into the large lot when Alex says out of nowhere, “Can a girl be allowed to use the bathroom?  Or will you shoot me if I try to leave your masters presence?  Or that’s right!  You don’t even have a gun!”

 

Travis can’t help but fight laughter at the fresh comments after over a half hour of complete silence in the truck.   I don’t even own a gun!   Travis looks in the mirror back at Alex and notices she also is smiling.  “Of course you can use the restroom.”  Travis says simply as he looks for an out of the way parking spot at the back of the store.  “Just don’t even think of trying something.  I will be watching you.”   

 

Alex just responds with a shrug and the comment, “What would you do to me anyway?  I know I could outrun you easily.  And you sure as hell aren’t following me into the bathroom!” Travis can’t help but smile again.  She isn’t making this easy.

 

Travis opens the passenger door and quickly unties her wrist and legs.  Alex grins and rubs her wrists, then hops out and curtsies to him mockingly.  "Thank you, master." Alex rolls her eyes and walks away to the store.

 

Travis shakes his head What have I gotten myself into?  Travis follows right behind into the store and waits near the ladies room while pretending to actually shop.  Travis tells Alex , “I will be right outside.”

 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time."  Alex says dismissively as she opens the bathroom door and then allows it to close behind her.

 

While Travis starts to look around the story and to think about some needed items for the next few days, Alex comes out of the bathroom and sees Travis in one of the grocery isles. She watches him for a few minutes without saying anything. Then after she sees Travis paying at the counter Alex walks behind up him and says,  "Well I guess I’m just gonna head back to the truck and bind my legs and wrist myself!"

 

Travis's eyes widen in concern and clerk suddenly looks at them both oddly.

 

Alex laughs and taps Travis shoulders "We like to play it kinky don’t we babe?"

 

Travis just grins uncomfortably as she walks out of the store.

 

"You have a wild one don’t you?"  The clerk asks slyly.

 

Travis rolls his own eyes, "No, just a smart a*s one." Travis takes the bags of groceries and supplies and heads out of the store.