Chapter 43: Erin

THURSDAY. UNKNOWN, TEXAS.

ERIN'S HEAD THROBBED AND her shoulders ached on top of the dull pain from her ribs. The one saving grace was that the floor was cool, giving her some respite from the heat. Her side still burned, and her toes twitched at the memory of the Taser.

She kept her eyes firmly shut, sorting through the last thing she remembered.

The man from the airport.

He'd been waiting in the shadows outside the house. She'd stupidly walked out there and put herself in his path. He'd caught her off-guard and the Taser had robbed her of the ability to fight back at first. He'd hit her with something and after that it was fuzzy. She had fleeting memories of a car ride, being drug out by her feet, and then nothing.

Had he dosed her with something?

Her mouth was dry, but that didn't mean anything.

What was she going to do?

She took stock of her body, noting the pains and discomforts. Her ribs hurt, but that was nothing new. The back of her head was tender. The worst