We were talking about splitting more wood as we pulled down the gravel road that led to the chalet. We parked to the side of the house, invisible to anyone that may pass by, though that was unlikely. Leon and I brought all our food and supplies into the chalet together and unpacked things into cupboards and the main pantry. When I got to the frozen foods, I realized we didn’t have a freezer.

“I’ll be back in a moment. I’m going to take this to the freezer downstairs” I explained to Leon, setting off in the direction of the stairway that led to the basement. I carefully placed and organized the freezer so that everything fit snuggly. We had bought more than we needed and I ran out of room quickly.

As I closed the freezer door and turned to face the stairs that would take me upstairs, I felt a cold, strong, pair of hands wrap around my neck and choke me tightly. I screeched at the top of my lungs, making a bird-like shriek, before one of the icy hands covered my mouth.

It was him.

Evgeni had found us.

I heard Leon drop something a moment after I screamed. As Evgeni attempted to control me by strangling me, I heard Leon’s heavy footsteps pounding on the floor to the stairway. He ran down the stairs, jumping the last few before coming to a dead halt, realizing the how bad this situation was.

Evgeni wrapped his arm around me, with a grip that nearly suffocated me to death, similar to a boa constrictor and its prey. I thought Leon was going to save me, until I felt a cold, metal object make contact with the side of my head. The smell of whatever it was was all too familiar. Evgeni now held a gun to me.

“Make a move and the girl dies” he said, a boyish grin upon his face.

“Let her go and we will give you whatever you need,” Leon started, his hands in the air, surrendering. “What do you want? Information? Weapons? A clean slate?”

Evgeni shook his head, cocking an eyebrow and letting out a squawking laugh. My heart was beating so fast that I swore I could feel it popping out my chest.

In that moment, everything went blank and blurry. I suddenly was transported back in time, but as a jockey, upon one of my prize-winning Thoroughbreds. I was reliving one of the first races I ever went to as a young girl. Our juvenile filly champion, Daybreak, turned down the final turn and ran so hard and so fast that her heart stopped when she crossed the finish line. I could see through her big, chestnut ears as she approached the finish line and then suddenly, I felt everything stop. I could hear the sound of her heartbeat. But then it stopped.

Next Chapter: Chapter Ten