Clara's Revenge is finished! I am proofreading it now and will upload it to paperback later today!! Once the link becomes active I will share it here. This is my first attempt at a mainstream novel and it has turned out far better than I expected! Clara will be a serial novel with many more books to come. She is sort of like a superhero and her adventures must be told. I hope you enjoy it and let me know here on the blog! You know I love to hear comments, good bad and ugly here about the stories I write.

Here is a teaser from the book!

Clara had escaped her captors……would she be able to get free this time? What are their plans for her? Why is Chris fixated on her? Ben could smell the gas and although he was injured he managed to get himself out the back door. His head pounded as blood seeped from his forehead. He watched Clara running away as he stepped away from the van. Bitch! He thought as he began running behind her. He knew he could catch her, but this time he would make her pay for her escape attempt. Clara looked behind her to see Ben gaining on her. She was running as fast as she could. She could not go any faster, but she tried. Tears ran down her face as it became apparent to her that this escape attempt had failed too. She looked behind herself again to see Ben much closer to her now. This distraction caused her to lose her footing and she went tumbling into the loose sand. Dust rose up in a cloud around her and she struggled to get up. By the time she made it back to her feet Ben was less than twenty feet away. She ran but he quickly caught up and grabbed her hair. “Stop Clara!” Ben almost screamed. Just as he flung her to the ground the van exploded. “SHIT!” “Let me go!” Clara demanded. “Do you know what you’ve done?” Ben asked her in a very angry voice. “That was our only vehicle!” “I don’t care!” She shouted back at him. She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at his face. Ben released her wrist as he tried to knock the sand away from his face. The idea had failed because Ben was straddling her and she could not wriggle herself free from him. “Get up!” Ben grabbed her upper arm and pulled her to her feet. She tried to jerk it away from his grasp. “Why not just kill me now? Get it over with?” Clara said sarcastically as Ben forced her to walk towards the burning van. “Because killing you is not part of the plan, unless of course you keep pulling these stunts,” Ben sighed. In this moment he really did want to kill her. She was proving to be too much trouble.

Here are the first 2 chapters:

The park was beautiful this time of year. Everything in bloom for spring and full of life. The park was so full of color and life as she walked through the paths. She couldn’t help but notice a family of squirrels playing near a tree. She stopped to admire them on this peaceful morning. After they had all disappeared up into the tree she continued walking. Her thoughts turned to Joey, the love of her life, or so she thought. Joey was unpredictable and that is part of what she found exciting. Just being with him was a daily adventure. He would be late, he always was. With a sigh she reached the bench and sat down. No sign of him anywhere. Why meet here though? He never really liked the park. Joey was a city boy through and through. Meeting in the park was so unlike him, but what could she do? She loved him with all of her heart, or at least she thought she did. He had been very secretive lately, not telling her where he was going. That too was unlike him. Clara felt that he might have been sick and was seeing a doctor because lately Joey had been so pale. He almost had the pallor of death on his face. The text had come early this morning. He had said he had a family emergency but he wished to see her before he flew back to New York. She worried what kind of emergency would have him flying back to a family he despised. As she looked over the text again it bothered her. Something was not right about this entire situation. She was just about to call him when an arm went around her neck and a hand clamped tightly over her mouth. Her eyes went wide as she almost screamed out. “Make one single noise and I will kill you right here. Do you understand?” The deep male voice whispered into her ear. She nodded. Her heart threatened to beat right out of her chest as she thought of what might happen from here. “You will walk with me to my van without a fight. Is that clear?” He stated rather than asked. Again she nodded. “Let me assure you I do have a gun and I will use it if you fail to cooperate.” He removed his hand from her mouth slowly and then reached his other hand down to take hers and lead her away. To anyone glancing at them it might have appeared that they were a beautiful couple holding hands. She was terrified to look at him. She looked down at his hand that griped hers tightly. The hand was large, callused and seemed to be the hand of someone who worked hard. Fear crept into her bones as she tried to keep up with him without stumbling. He kept a moderate, unrushed pace as he lead her back through the park to a large white cargo van. It had no windows in the cargo area. She began trembling as his hand reached out for the door handle. “Please let me go. I swear no one will ever know,” she whispered in hopes of pleading with this man. She knew if she entered that van she might not make it out alive. “Didn’t I tell you not a word?” He said harshly as he flung open the side door of the van. “Please don’t hurt me,” she gasped as two arms reached out and took hers, pulling her quickly into the rear compartment of the van. The door closed with an ominous click and she knew it had locked. The darkness inside the van disoriented her for a few moments. Once she focused her eyes she saw the man sitting in front of her. Staring at the man now in front of her she knew they would likely kill her. Neither had bothered to try to hide their identity. She could easily identify them if she could escape and find help. But she was alone against two men who were easily three times her size. She watched as her kidnapper climbed into the driver’s seat. He looked back at her and smiled before turning around and starting the engine. What were their intentions? Why did they choose her? A thousand questions raced through her head without an answer to a single one. “Please let me go,” she begged the man holding her forearms. He was a handsome man, but his eyes were cold and dark. What could they possibly want with her? Was this about her father? “Now why would we do that when we have gone through so much trouble to acquire you?” He stared at her and it was very unnerving. His eyes were like dark bottomless pools, swirling and comforting. She looked away from him. “Why me?” She asked in defeat. He released her arms and reached into a bag for something. “I will not restrain you as long as you cooperate. But should you fight me then I will handcuff you. Is that understood?” He asked as he held up a set of handcuffs for her to see. “Yes, I understand. But why me?” She asked again, not really expecting either of the men to answer it. If he handcuffed her she would not be able to escape. She knew she must cooperate in order to figure out how to get out of this situation. Neither man acknowledged the question and silence filled the van. The only sound seemed to be Clara’s rapid heartbeat. She thought it might burst through her chest at any moment. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, but it didn’t seem to help. She had no idea what these men wanted with her or what they had planned to do with her. How did they get Joey’s phone? It had to be these men who had texted her to meet at the park, not Joey. The idea terrified her. These men had obviously gone to great lengths to kidnap her, what else were they capable of? “Where is Joey?” She asked timidly. “Who?” The man next to her replied. “My boyfriend, Joey. I assume you two sent the text to me and I am worried about Joey,” she explained, still unsure of what they would do to her for speaking. The man next to her didn’t say a word. He moved to the rear of the van where a rolled up tarp was lying. “Do you really want the answer to that question Clara?” The man asked. All she could do was nod. The fact that he knew her name had made her speechless. The man carefully pulled parts of the tarp away and Joey’s battered and beaten body became visible to her. She tried to scoot away but backed herself right up against the driver’s seat. She tried to scream but her voice refused to work. She began to claw her way to the front passenger seat when the man behind her grabbed her waist and pulled her back. He calmly put a finger to her lips. “Shhhh now. Behave and that will not happen to you Clara,” he soothed her as he forced her to sit practically in his lap. “Pl,Pl, please let me go,” she begged, tears streaming down her face. Her entire body trembled but she did not fight the man. What Clara didn’t know was that in a strange sense, Joey was still alive. His appearance of death was just that, an appearance. His reply was just a wicked smile. He relaxed against the side of the van, his arm still around her waist. She crumbled and sobbed, terrified of what would happen to her. She didn’t struggle. Seeing Joey dead right in front of her convinced her that these men would kill her too if she didn’t cooperate. The man holding her finally released her waist. She remained where she was though, fearfully of what might happen if she moved. He began stroking her hair, trying to soothe her. His touch only made her more afraid. “Why did you, um…Joey?” She stammered as she stole a glance at Joey’s face. The man had not bothered to cover him back up. “For you Clara,” he stated as if he expected her to know something that she wasn’t privy to. Deep in her heart she felt she knew this had something to do with her father. He was a ruthless businessman and did not care who suffered when he worked deals. “How do you know my name?” She asked, never taking her eyes off Joey’s. His ocean blue eyes, glassy and empty, staring back at her. Their color so rich, likes staring at a bottomless pit of blue and darkness. “Does seeing him trouble you?” He ignored her questions. She nodded and turned away from the sight before her. The man leaned over to Joey and recovered him with the tarp. She sighed in relief. Although she would never get that image out of her head. She would be doomed to see it for the rest of her life, however long that might be. Clara shook as she pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. She stared at the man next to her as the van drove on to a destination unknown. She was a beautiful woman. Her long, silky blonde hair almost radiated with a shine of its own. Her perfect complexion said volumes about how well she cared for herself. Her reactions were so genuine and honest. He could smell her fear and he loved it. He could also hear her heart hammering within her and it was consuming his thoughts. Ben was driving so he thought he would humor himself by unsettling her even more. “You are very beautiful Clara. Anyone ever tell you that?” He toyed with her. He wanted her off guard. It would be far easier to keep her in control if she thought she might meet the same end as her boyfriend “Yes,” she answered with a tremor in her voice. Meek and frightened. She kept her legs pulled tightly to her as she sat on the floor of the van. “Hey Ben, are we stopping for food anytime soon?” The man asked to the driver. “God Chris you are always hungry!” The driver laughed. Now she knew both of their names. More and more she began to realize they would not release her because she could easily identify them and the van. “We will stop in Barstow ok?” Ben offered without taking his eyes off the road. Ben was a large man. His body tight and n shape. Clara would bet that under that shirt he had a six pack to be proud of. He was handsome in a cowboy kind of way. “Good. I think our guest needs something to eat,” Chris looked at her, reached a hand over and using his thumb he wiped a few tears from her cheeks. “I’m, um, not very hungry,” Clara spoke softly. She knew it would only upset her stomach and she would not be able to keep it down. “You need to eat Clara this is gonna be a long trip,” Chris smiled. He removed his hand and she sighed with relief. “Why me? Why Jo…Joey?” She stammered, not able to come to grips with the reality right before her. “Joey doesn’t matter now does he?” Chris replied. Once again ignoring her questions. “He mattered to me,” she sobbed. “What are you going to do with me?” Her eyes searched his for some sign of compassion. “Well, it’s about time you got to that question,” Chris smirked as he moved closer to her. “For the next 4 days you belong to us and I suppose we could do whatever we wish with you.” Her eyes were huge as Chris gently lifted her arms and eased her legs to a more relaxed stance. It allowed him access to her breasts. When he tried to touch them her hands swatted at his as she tried to scoot away from him. She couldn’t move back because she was already pressing herself into the back side of the driver’s seat. Chris grabbed her hands with his, pressed them together and held them firm with his left hand as his right hand caressed her breast. “Pl, pl, please don’t do this,” Clara begged. She tugged at her hands trying to free them from his grip. Clara struggled with Chris as her fear built within her. “Shhhh Clara, it will be fine. Just cooperate,” Chris tried to soothe. “Please no,” she whispered and this time he relented. He released her wrists and once again she pulled her legs to her chest and held them tightly. Chris just sat back and watched her. She was beyond beautiful. Her sun gold hair flowed freely over her shoulders and down her back. Her intense emerald eyes shown with life and terror. Her peaches and cream skin without a blemish. He would stroke every inch of it very soon. Even Ben had no idea that Chris was THE boss. Clara had placed her head down on her knees as the van drove on. Clara seemed to be crying as she bobbed and weaved with the motion of the van movement. “Barstow 10 miles,” Ben announced. “Now I’m hungry!” He laughed. His voice was deep and menacing. “Finally,” Chris sighed. “We will change drivers after we eat.” “Sounds like a plan,” Ben chuckled. “I know a little place right outside of town. A small place surrounded by desert.” “Perfect. We wouldn’t want our guest to stray off would we?” Chris asked as he took Clara by the chin and lifted her face. Her tear stained cheeks looked so damn sexy to him. “But you’re a good girl aren’t you? You won’t try to run will you?” He asked as he looked her right in the eyes. “Noo,” Clara spoke with a shaky voice. Her thoughts spun as she realized she might be presented with an opportunity to get away. “Good girl,” Chris smiled at her and let go of her chin. He knew she would try and he also knew chasing her down would be delightful. Her thoughts spun as she desperately began to plan an escape. They couldn’t follow her into the bathroom. It had to be there where she had to find a way to get away from these men. Her heart pumped hard in her chest as her thoughts began planning how she could escape. She did not wish to end up like Joey and staying with these men most certainly meant death. Her thoughts were interrupted when the van pulled to a stop. “Finally!” Ben laughed as he exited the van. He came around and unlocked the side door, pulling it open to reveal a beautiful sunny day. Chris stepped out and held his hand out to her, like a proper gentleman would, she thought sarcastically. He loved the look of fear on her face and how her body tingled when he took her hand. She scooted to the door then gingerly placed her feet on the ground. Her thoughts still spinning almost out of control with ideas to escape. He could feel her blood pumping through her soft skin. It was everything he could do to control himself around her. “I can see what you are thinking Clara,” Ben said with a smirk. “I would advise you not to even try it.” She just glared at him as Chris lead her into the restaurant. She looked around and realized there wasn’t anyone else in here except a few staff members. Chris led her to a booth where she slid in and him beside her, effectively blocking her in. Ben sat across from her. A waitress came over and handed everyone menus. She looked at the waitress in hopes she could silently send a message to her. A message that she needed help. “Hi, welcome to Waters, what would you like to drink?” The waitress asked cheerfully. Her name tag read, “Sylvia”. “Just water,” Chris replied. “I would like some coffee please?” Clara spoke softly. “I will be right back with your drinks,” and the waitress disappeared. She gave a quick wink to Ben as if she might know him. “This place has the absolute best roast beef dinner,” Ben remarked. Clara looked at Ben and noticed he had some scars on his cheek. He was terrifying to look at. His eyes were so dark she could not begin to determine the color of them. “I’m not very hungry,” Clara said, not sure she could even eat a bite right now. She knew she would have to get back into that van. The van with Joey’s body in it. “You need to eat we have a very long trip ahead of us Clara,” Ben commented. His eyes stern as he looked at her. “I’ll try,” Clara replied. All she could think about was how to escape. She had to get into the bathroom, that would be her only hope. The waitress returned with the drinks and took the orders. Once again Clara tried to send her unspoken messages that she needed help and once again the waitress didn’t get them. Chris and Ben made small talk while they waited on the food. Maybe they were right. She did need to eat, especially if she was planning an escape. Clara sipped her coffee as she studied the two men. Everything appeared normal to someone who might glance in their direction. Everything was not normal though. These two had to have a weak spot and Clara had to figure it out because that might mean the difference between life and death for her. “So, will the Ponies do anything this year?” Ben asked, speaking of his favorite football team. Clara loved football but decided to stay out of this conversation. “Maybe, a few of the other teams look far more promising though,” Chris replied. Both of them chatting like there wasn’t a thing wrong. But this entire situation was wrong, so wrong. There was a body in their van and they held Clara against her will. But nobody noticed anything wrong. The food came and the chatting between them continued. Clara picked at her food. Ben had been right, this roast beef was delicious. Her stomach growled as she ate slowly. Clara stole glances at Chris and wondered if they were distracted enough to make her move. Clara would need a substantial head start. Once they discovered that she had fled they would undoubtedly search for her. She needed to make sure she had a lead on them if she hoped to escape them. It was now or never. She laid her fork down and took a deep breath. “I need to use the bathroom,” she practically whispered. “Please.” It was her only shot at getting out of this crazy and dangerous situation. “Fine, but do not try anything,” Chris whispered into her ear. Her skin tingled every time his breath tickled her neck. Her body was reacting quite terrifyingly each time Chris had touched her or spoken to her. What was it about him that made her feel like he would take her in every way possible? What was it about him that made her desire for him to take her in every way possible? The idea shocked her. How could she be so drawn to a man who had kidnapped her and meant to do her harm? “Thank you, I won’t,” Clara assured them and Chris stood up allowing her out of the booth. She rushed to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Clara stood against the door with her heart hammering in her chest. She quickly used the restroom and then began seeking a way out of the room other than the door. It had a small window, but she was sure she would fit through it. She cranked it all the way open. She began trembling. What if they caught her? What would they do? She shook her head and lifted herself onto the window ledge. She decided to go feet first out the window and she shimmed through it carefully. She landed in the dust almost silently. Clara pressed her body to the building and looked around. She knew she could not run in the direction that they might look out the window and see her. She only wished she had paid attention to the direction they drove because now she wasn’t sure which way lead back to town and which way lead into the Mojave Desert. The only way she could be sure of her escape is if she had a good head start. She looked left and bolted in that direction. Thankfully she had worn her sneakers. She quickly made it to a road crossing and chose to go right, away from the diner and away from them. Please don’t let them catch me….Please let me get away….Clara thought as she ran without looking back. “Clara? Are you ok?” Chris knocked on the bathroom door after Clara had been in there for twenty minutes. “Hey, can you unlock this door I think my girlfriend is sick.” He lied to get the waitress to open the door. The waitress rolled her eyes and unlocked the door. Chris entered the bathroom to find it empty and the window open as far as it could go. “Shit!” Chris exclaimed and rushed back to the booth where Ben sat. “She isn’t there,” Chris said to Ben angrily. Ben slid out of the booth, tossing fifty dollars down for their food. “She won’t get far Chris,” Ben laughed. When they reached the van Ben pulled out his cell phone. “What are you doing? You can’t call her,” Chris asked, irritated that he had to chase Clara down. “She has a tracking device on the collar of her shirt,” Ben chuckled and held the phone for Chris to see. “I planted it on her when I took her from the park.” “Well let’s go get her,” Chris urged as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “Go East,” Ben instructed as he studied the map on his cell phone. “I figured she would try this so I planted it to make finding her much easier.” “Good idea,” Chris complimented as he drove East. “Turn right here,” Ben said and pointed. “How far do you think she got?” Chris asked, worried about her. He had to be careful though. Ben could never learn that Chris is actually his boss. This was the first time Chris had accompanied anyone on these missions. “She is actually heading into the desert, not a good place to be alone without water,” Ben sighed. “They all run, some are just more determined than others.” “Oh, really?” Chris remarked. “She has a pretty good lead on us.” “It’s fine, the tracker says she is just up ahead,” Ben assured him. “How many times have you done this?” Chris asked, trying to sound fine when he was extremely worried about Clara. “More than you know,” Ben sighed. He did love the chase, the fight and eventually then breakdown. He loved tasting those salty and sweet tears. Clara ran without knowing where she was heading. She had hoped to see a car, truck, anything that might help her get far from here. She ran with everything she had and soon the diner was out of sight. Now all she saw was barren desert. There wasn’t even anything to hide behind if they tracked her down. She was alone, exposed and quickly losing faith that she could escape. It was hot and dry here and it didn’t take long for Clara to realize that she would need water soon. She ran with everything she had, thinking she had to put as much distance as she could between them before she could stop and figure out where to get water from. Everything around her looked dead, scary and also in need of water. The cactus’s flourished here and she knew touching them would be painful. She had heard that water in the desert could be found in cactuses. She also knew that she would be testing that theory as soon as she felt she had gotten far enough away from those men. She heard a noise, a vehicle was coming. Should she flag them down or run? She stopped in confusion and decided to flag it down. As she stepped into the middle of the road her heart sank. It was them, they had found her! She turned and darted away from the road, through the brush and around cactuses in a desperate effort to get away from them. The desert was hot and unforgiving. Running in the sand was difficult to say the least. It was not like running along the beach. The dry sand had no give to it. She ran as fast as she could as she looked behind her to see the van getting smaller in the distance. The van pulled to a stop at the exact place she had taken off at. Chris turned it off and they both got out. Ben leaned against the van as if this were a normal occurrence for him. He loved the chase. Not one girl had successfully ran away from him since he had started working for Sam. Sam could be a pain in the ass. He never let anyone see him. The job orders came down the food chain. Ben was calm, almost serene at the moment. Clara was proving to be difficult and Ben loved the difficult ones. He had no idea just how difficult Clara would prove to be though. “Aren’t you going after her?” Chris asked, wondering if he should run after her. “Yes, but let’s at least make it a little more enjoyable. Giving her a head start gives her hope she can get away, hope that she can out run me,” Ben explained. “I love it when they run because I love chasing them.” Ben grinned and stuck the cell phone in his pocket. “Let’s just get her and get back on the road. We are going to be late because of this little stunt of hers,” Chris tried to sound impatient. He was losing his battle of playing the lackey. Chris knew that very soon he would have to reveal himself to Ben, as well as Clara. “Oh alright,” Ben groaned and began to sprint into the desert after Clara. He really did love this part. The begging and pleading, the tears and finally the breaking. They all break and give in though. Maybe Clara might be that spirited one who would be different. He followed the dusty footprints into the Mojave desert. She would most certainly die if she were left out here alone. Clara ran as fast as she could and soon the van wasn’t visible anymore. But no sign of help was visible either. She desperately searched for some place to hide. In this heat she could not continue running if she couldn’t get some water. Her mouth was parched already. She glanced back and saw Ben jogging towards her. Tears flowed freely as she realized they would not just go away and leave. She darted away as Ben began closing the distance between them. Clara kept looking back over her shoulder as she ran from Ben. It looked like he was gaining on her and she just couldn’t go back with them, not with Joey’s body still in the van. She pushed herself harder as she kept an eye on Ben. She didn’t see the stone in her path and she went tumbling to the ground in a cloud of dust. She hurriedly tried to get back to her feet but it was too late, Ben was standing directly over her. “Here, let me help you,” Ben offered his hand to her. But she refused it and tried to crawl backwards, away from him. God she was sexy when she rebelled. “Leave me alone!” She screamed in hopes someone would be out here and hear her, rescue her. “Go Away!” “Not a chance Clara. You are heading right into the Mojave Desert. Do you think it would be wise for me to let you do that?” Ben reasoned with her. His demeanor was calm and it terrified Clara to the core. “I would rather die in the desert than by your hand!” She screamed at him, still doing a crab crawl backwards away from him. “Would you now?” Ben chuckled. In a flash he had bent down, scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. “It’s time to get back we are already going to be late.” He turned around and calmly walked towards the van. “PUT ME DOWN!” Clara screamed and pounded at his back. “HELP MEEEEEEEEEE!” “There is no one to hear you Clara so please stop screaming in my ear,” Ben informed her calmly. “No! Put me down!” She demanded as she continued to pound his back with her small fists. “Stop it!” Ben scolded and gave her ass a firm swat. Clara ignored it, although it had caught her off guard. “PUT ME DOWN NOW!” Clara shrieked and squirmed, desperately hoping that Ben would drop her. “Hey Chris open the side door,” Ben called ahead and when she looked up she saw him opening the door. Although her view of him was upside down at the moment. “Please let me go,” Clara sobbed, now realizing that she wasn’t going to escape. “What do you want from me anyway?” “Get in,” Ben ordered as her sat her inside of the van. When he attempted to climb in with her she began kicking at him. “Go away! Leave me alone! Let me go!” She cried as she kicked furiously at Ben and Chris. “Calm down Clara I don’t want to have to restrain you,” Ben sighed, quickly becoming upset with her resistance. He grabbed her ankles as she kicked. He used his leverage to shove her to the far side of the van and then he climbed in, slamming the door behind him. “Why me?” Clara shrieked as she made one last escape attempt. She lunged for the passenger seat, hoping she could get over it and out the door before either of them could stop her. “Jeez! Clara where do you think you’re going?” Chris asked when he climbed into the driver’s seat and grabbed her by the waist. He hoisted her back to Ben’s waiting arms. “No. I can’t be in here with……noooo! Please don’t make me stay in here with…..” she sobbed and collapsed in Ben’s arms. Reality sinking in that she wasn’t going to get away from them. “With what Clara?” Ben asked. All she could do was point to where Joey lie, wrapped in the tarp. “Please,” she sobbed and her entire body shook with each sob. “Chris, isn’t the old Silo up ahead?” Ben asked as he held Clara in his arms waiting for her to calm down some. “Yeah why?” Chris replied. “Let’s make a quick stop there,” Ben instructed as he loosened his hold on Clara. “Ok,” Chris replied and focused on driving instead of what was going on between Ben and Clara. “Please, just tell me why me?” She pleaded as she moved to face Ben with her back against the driver’s seat. “We will take care of that,” he hooked his thumb towards Joey’s body, “in a few minutes.” He deliberately ignored her questions. Clara pulled her legs up and rested her head on her knees. She didn’t want to look at either of them, or see Joey. She would never get the image of him out of her head. Her handsome Joey with a battered face, with a single bullet wound right in the center of his forehead. Her Joey, dead. She worried that she would soon follow. These men had not tried to hide their faces. She even knew their names. The chances of her getting out of this alive were disappearing as quickly as the miles she rode. She sobbed hard into her lap, just wishing she were home watching a movie with Joey. Her thoughts were interrupted again as the van pulled off on a very bumpy road. “The old silo isn’t far. Would you like to stretch your legs while I take care of your friend?” Ben asked much to her horror. She just stared at him wide eyed. The bumping and jostling sent her sprawling onto the van floor, almost face to face with Joey. She screamed and struggled to get away from him, to get back to where she had been seated when the van had tossed her. Ben reached out and helped her right herself. “Clara you have to calm down, relax,” Ben stated when he saw her face. She appeared that she might drop over from a heart attack at any moment. “Calm? How can I? You killed my boyfriend! You kidnap me and now you want me to be calm?” She practically spat the words at Ben. “I know you are going to kill me so why don’t you just get it over with?” Chris heard what Clara had said and he burst out laughing. “Yes Clara, calm,” Ben said. “We don’t have any plans to kill you unless of course you refuse to cooperate.” Finally the van began driving over smoother road. “If you aren’t going to kill me then what are you going to do with me?” Clara shot back at him. She feared that rape would be far worse than death and she feared that is what these two had in mind. “Don’t go there Clara, we cannot tell you what lies ahead,” Chris answered without giving Ben the chance. “We’re here.” “Take off your shirt and pants Clara,” Ben instructed and held out his hand to wait for them. “What?” Clara gasped and wrapped hers arms around herself protectively. “You heard me,” Ben said sternly and slowly she began unbuttoning her blouse. “Why? What are you going to do to me?” Clara really did not want the answer to that question, or she thought she didn’t. “You are not as likely to run off in a bra and panties now are you?” Chris chuckled as he opened the side door. “I can handle this if you want to take care of that.” Chris tipped his head in the direction of the body. “Sure,” Ben smiled. “I would rather deal with someone who will cooperate right now anyway.” Ben climbed out of the van and opened the rear doors. Clara was unable to take her eyes off of him as he scooped up Joey’s lifeless body as easily as he had scooped her up. “Come on Clara off with it already,” Chris urged her to hurry up. “The sooner those come off the sooner you can get out of this van.” Clara deliberately took her time. She feared this is where they might kill her and she did not want to die. They were wrong about one thing, she would run off in her underwear if given half a chance. She would do just about anything to be away from where she was right now. Finally the last button was undone and she slowly slid the shirt from her shoulders. “Would you like me to remove them Clara?” Chris asked her, appearing very impatient now. “No, no please. I will do it,” she stammered and hurried to unbutton her jeans. She had to slip her shoes off to get the jeans off. She handed Chris the shirt and jeans then began to put her sneakers back on. “No, give me those too,” he instructed, much to her horror. She handed them to Chris with a sinking feeling. “Now what?” Clara asked. Chris motioned her to get out of the van. She moved to the door and slowly stood up. Looking around she saw the path the van had come and knew there was no way she would ever reach help way out here. Ben had simply disappeared. “This way,” Chris said and held out his free hand to her. She refused it. She walked behind him like someone walking to the gas chamber. “Years ago this old silo was renovated. It makes a wonderful overnight place for our long runs.” Chris continued telling her about things that had been done to this place but all she could hear was Joey’s voice calling to her. Why did they kill him? She would have gladly done anything they had wanted for them to spare his life. No one will ever know what they did to Joey if she couldn’t escape. No one would ever find his body without her help. Chris had opened a door and urged her to go in. She didn’t have a choice. She could not survive in this desert without them at the moment and she certainly could not escape because the desert would claim her if they didn’t find her first. “It’s very nice,” she complimented, not really paying attention to anything. “Have a seat on the couch,” he ordered as he walked to the fireplace and tossed her clothing into the ashes. “What are you doing?” Clara gasped loudly. “Please don’t burn them! What will I wear?” She ran to Chris and tried to pull him away from her endangered clothing. “Sit down,” Chris spoke very sternly and he used a long lighter to ignite the clothing. He closed the protective grate and they both watched as her clothing was consumed by the licks of fire. “Why did you do that?” Clara gasped. “To make sure you cannot slip out in the night Clara. This desert gets almost freezing at night. Without clothing you wouldn’t last an hour out there,” Chris informed her as he sat next to her on the couch. “How could I leave? I have no idea where I am and no idea how far it is to a town?” She half sobbed. “You tried it once already or have you forgotten so soon?” Chris reminded her. “I haven’t forgotten,” she admitted as her heart sank again. Chris’s cell phone beeped with a text message. He looked at it and sighed. “Come with me. I need to go help Ben,” Chris groaned and took her hand. “I don’t want to see that please don’t make me go,” she pleaded, not realizing he had no intentions of making her see Joey again. “I am not taking you with me. I am going to cuff you to the bedrail for a little while,” Chris said as he opened a door to a bedroom. “No, please you already said it’s pointless for me to run! Please don’t handcuff me! I swear I’ll be good, I won’t try to run, please!” Clara begged to no avail. Chris just tugged her over to the bed. “This would be much easier if you would simply cooperate,” Chris complained as he took a set of handcuffs out of the nightstand drawer. “I won’t run I promise Chris, please don’t tie me up,” Clara begged and it sounded so sweet to his ears. “Get comfortable,” he told her, pretending he didn’t hear her trying to bargain with him. “Ok, ok,” Clara gave in and sat on the edge of the bed. Chris took her right hand and pulled it to the headboard. “Get all the way on the bed,” Chris instructed her and she scooted closer to the headboard. “There, that’s better.” He smiled and clicked the cuff around her right wrist and then around a post in the headboard. “Will I be chained for long?” Clara asked meekly, giving the cuff a pull, knowing she was held fast with no way out of the situation. “I’ll be back shortly,” Chris informed her and left the room, locking the door behind him. Clara cried as she sat there, not knowing what would become of her. She reached into the nightstand drawers in hopes that the key to the cuffs might be in there. She rummaged around in the drawer and then began pulling things out, letting them fall to the floor. She didn’t care if she upset them. What could they do kill her? Finally, at the bottom of the drawer and still no keys. She jerked at the cuff cursing it. She began examining the headboard. It was a finely crafted wood and the cuff had been secured to a decorative post. It was impossible to lift it up or down to slide it off. Maybe she could find a way at the bottom of the headboard. She almost shrieked when she realized she would not be able to free the cuff. Clara began to see her situation as hopeless. She had no idea what these men had in mind to do to her and at that moment she didn’t care anymore. She collapsed onto the pillows and let her tears flow.   Chapter 2 Chris laughed as he listened to Clara throwing things around. He left the silo and headed to the barn. Ben was trying to get a fire going in the incinerator and not having much luck with it. The bundle laid on the ground in front of the incinerator. “No luck?” Chris laughed as he reached to the side of the incinerator and turned a knob. Ben lit the lighter and poof a fire began to rage. “Smart ass,” Ben grumbled as he watched the fire for a few moments. “The incinerator works much better if you turn on the gas,” Chris chuckled. “Let’s get this disposed of and go in. I’m getting hungry.” “Where’s Clara?” Ben asked as the two of them lifted Joey’s body and slid it into the incinerator. “Handcuffed to the bed post. I was going to have her cook supper but I am afraid she would try to poison our food,” Chris laughed. “Oh god Chris! You really think she would?” Ben laughed as he closed the door and they waited. The stench of burning plastic and flesh began to fill the barn, but they stood there to make sure the job was done. They watched the flames lick at the tarp and then the skin. Joey had been an expendable asset. Although he had been part of the team, it was time to cut him loose. Ben chose to kill him. Chris had agreed because Joey knew exactly who Chris was and Chris had not wanted his secret revealed. Ben turned the gas up higher in an attempt to make it consume the body quicker. “In a rush?” Chris asked as Ben turned the gas higher. “Not really, just want to get this done so I can kick back with a beer and watch some television,” Ben sighed. “Clara is promising to be a problem and all I want to do is relax before I have to deal with her again.” “Ok, do you really think she will continue to give us problems even though I burnt her clothing?” Chris mused. “You burned it?” Ben almost choked he began laughing so hard. “How did she take that?” “She tried to stop me of course,” Chris laughed too as he recalled the look of horror on her face as she watched her clothing reduced to ashes. “You know what the boss has planned for her don’t you?” Ben asked as he used the poker to push a piece of unburned tarp into the flames. “No, not really. What does he want with the little wench?” Chris played along. “He is going to use her for leverage against her father, or that’s what I think anyway,” Ben shrugged. He really knew nothing of why they had been contracted to acquire Clara. “Why would he use Clara, why not face off with the man?” Chris asked, now curious to what Ben might or might not know. “Her father is a powerful man Chris, and the boss has tried working out something. But Andrew Masters is a stubborn man,” Ben explained. He closed the door to the incinerator. The flames consumed the last of the evidence. “Is he? What does the boss hope to gain from kidnapping his daughter?” Chris inquired. Ben seemed to know far too much, even though it was just speculation. “Yes. I always research my targets before I acquire or dispose of them. Clara’s father is a ruthless business man who cares nothing for anyone but himself,” Ben said with a touch of anger in his voice. “I have been monitoring the police channels too. Do you know he has not even reported her missing yet?” “He hasn’t?” Chris looked shocked. It was very difficult to play the dumb lackey. “No. I doubt he has even realized she is gone,” Ben stated. “It’s sad really because Clara practically worships her father. It would break her heart if she knew what he was really like.” “Maybe that’s why the boss wanted her specifically. Maybe he wants to expose her father and prevent her from becoming like him,” Chris offered, knowing that was only a small part of what he intended to do with Clara. “Maybe,” Ben sighed. “Let’s get inside. The job here is done.” Together they walked back into the silo. Chris had it remodeled several years ago and had vacationed here a few times since then. It was serving well as a stopping point to rest before getting on the road again. Ben seemed well acquainted with the silo as well. Chris wondered how many times Ben had stopped off here on his numerous assignments. Once inside Chris excused himself to go check on Clara. He made a stop in his own bedroom and grabbed one of his shirts. It would not be wise of him to keep her nude. She could get sick and that would not be a good situation . When he opened the door he saw her curled up on the bed sobbing. “Hey, I brought you something,” Chris said softly as he sat on the edge of the bed next to her. He reached for her hand and removed the handcuff. “Here, put this on.” “Thank you,” she whimpered and accepted the shirt. It was one of his dress shirts but he didn’t care. He watched as she pulled it around herself and began to button it. “It looks better on you than it does on me,” Chris laughed as she rolled up the sleeves. The shirt was huge on her small body. “Now you want to tell me why the nightstand is tipped over and the contents of it all over the floor?” “Sorry,” she whimpered again. “I was looking for the key.” She confessed, not knowing what he would do to her. “Well I think you should put things back the way you found them, don’t you?” Chris suggested. With a nod she slid off the bed and began cleaning up the mess. Clara silently worked on putting everything back as she had found it. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she cleaned up the mess. Chris watched her intently and hoped that his presence in this stage of the plan would not jeopardize the entire project. Clara can never know that he orchestrated the entire thing. When she had finished she sat back down on the edge of the bed. “Would you like to help me fix supper?” Chris asked her. He wanted to keep her occupied, spend time with her. Chris knew what Clara would become to him and he was anxious for it to happen. “Ok,” she replied. He lifted her chin and used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “No harm will come to you as long as you cooperate Clara. Do you understand?” Chris searched her eyes and wondered what was going through her head. What had her so heartbroken. “I understand,” she nodded and followed him as he led her to the kitchen. She stopped at the counter and waited for instructions. Chris was becoming worried. Clara was so distant and disconnected at the moment. “Are you ok?” Chris asked somewhat concerned. “I’m fine. I just really want to go home,” she admitted. He handed her an onion to dice. As he handed her the knife their skin barely touched and he saw her cheeks flush instantly. “Here, dice this for me,” he said as he turned to the meat. He had chosen a steak and was cutting it into bite size pieces. “What are you making?” Clara asked as she carefully diced the onion. Her thoughts went to using this knife on them both and stealing their van. “A stir fry. It’s fast and very healthy,” he answered without looking up from what he was doing. He sliced that steak like an expert as he heated a skillet. “The onion is ready,” she said and laid the knife down. Although they had not yet hurt her she felt it was inevitable. She looked at the knife and wondered what her chances were of using it to escape. “Thank you,” Chris remarked as he tossed the meat into the sizzling skillet. He rapidly stirred it and then tossed in the onion, the cloves of garlic and some broth. It smelled delicious. “You are very good at that,” Clara observed. She knew she could not possibly handle that skillet like he was. “My mother sent me to culinary school when I was a teenager. She told me that I could not depend on women to cook for me all of my life,” he smiled. “Oh, she must have been a wonderful mother,” Clara sighed. Her mother was so distant when she was young. Her mother seemed to not even care if Clara had been around at all. “She was. Tell me about your mother,” Chris urged as he made the sauce. The rice cooker had beeped to alert us that the rice was finished. “I’d rather not,” Clara nearly whispered. Her childhood was too painful to think about let alone talk about. “Ok, suit yourself. Let’s get this dished out. I am starving,” Chris said as Clara laid out three plates with steamed rice on them. Supper went quietly as they sat around the table not sure what to discuss so they discussed nothing. Ben finished first and excused himself. He went back to the living room, back to whatever sports game he had been watching. Clara had just picked at her food, not able to eat very much of it. Chris began clearing the table and startled her when he asked for her plate. “Are you finished?” Chris asked and she nearly jumped out of her chair. “What? Huh? Oh, yes I’m done. I wasn’t very hungry I guess,” she spoke. Her thoughts were still toying with the idea of using a knife and stealing their van. Even if she did she had no idea which way to go. Clara stared at the placemat in front of her, trying to think of a way to escape this situation. What could she do? What did they want with her? She was a worthless person whose own parents had barely acknowledged existed. She was an only child and had spent her entire life lonely. Until she had met Joey that is. He had taught her love, taught her to open herself up and enjoy life. Now he was dead and she was being held captive in the middle of the desert. When Chris returned he found her sitting exactly where he had left her. “What’s wrong Clara?” Chris asked, his voice oozing with concern, genuine concern. “Why me? I mean, what did you take me for?” Clara asked as she looked into his eyes. “All in good time Clara. I cannot answer that but our boss can, and he will once we get to the agreed place,” Chris stalled. He knew exactly why she had be taken because he was the boss. “Where are you taking me?” She asked. Clara wondered if they would kill her if she tried to escape again. Maybe being dead would be the best thing for her. “You know I can’t tell you that Clara,” Chris sighed. “Come on, let’s go see if there is a movie or something on television.” He stood and held out his hand. She timidly placed her hand in his and allowed him to led her to the couch. Ben was in the recliner, leaned back and trying to relax when they entered the living room. Clara took a seat on the couch and stared blankly at the television. She wondered if her parents had even noticed that she was gone, missing. She wondered if they even cared. Neither Ben or Chris paid much attention to her as they watched a football game. She slipped back into the bedroom to lie down. Her mind was spinning with a thousand thoughts. Clara began plotting another escape attempt, but this one had to be successful. If she failed she might as well be dead. She knew she would have to attempt it while they were both asleep. She had to get the keys to the van. Chris drove last so they should be in his pants pocket. If she could get the van, and stay on the actual road, she might find her way to someone who could help her. With a satisfied sigh she dozed off. She had to make sure she could stay awake later so a nap now was a must. Chris peeked in on Clara to find her sound asleep. He pulled a blanket over her and climbed in next to her. Ben was going to sleep in the van. He believed she would try to escape again. Chris hoped Ben was wrong. If she tried to escape out here, at night, she might die of hypothermia before either of them could find her. He shook off those thoughts and fell asleep. His snoring woke Clara up. Chris wondered if it was too much, the snoring sounds. He was wide awake but needed Clara to believe he was asleep. He focused on the sound of her heartbeat as he lie there knowing she would try to escape again. Chris had to appear to be the dumb lackey, as he referred to himself. Ben had to believe that much or this entire mission would be for naught. Clara popped open her eyes and wondered how long she had slept. Chris was snoring loudly so she knew she had to try now. She carefully slipped off the bed, piling the blanket where she should have been. She crawled around the bed and saw Chris’s pants hanging over the chair. Careful, she reminded herself. It wouldn’t work if she got caught now. She eased her hand into the right pocket. BINGO. Keys. She slipped them out of the pocket without making them jingle. The door was ajar so she hurried to the front door. Quietly unlocking it she rushed outside. The van was right where they had left it. The night air was cold and the wind was far worse. The icy air nearly cut through to her bones. By the time she reached the van she was shivering badly. It wasn’t locked so she hurried into the driver’s seat. She fumbled with the keys before finally getting them into the ignition. This is it she thought as she turned the key. The engine started with a purr, not very loud thank goodness. She dropped the gear shift to drive and pulled away slowly. She dared not make noise yet, they could wake up and chase the van. Clara drove slowly away from the silo. When it was no longer visible in the rearview mirror she floored the van. The van was moving. Ben stirred thinking he was dreaming but as his eyes adjusted the van really was moving. Damn her! Ben sat up silently. He did not want to startle her yet. She was going all over the road from the feel of things. The loose sand was causing her to swerve and slide. He waited silently behind her. He looked into the rearview mirror, he could see the fear in her eyes. If he surprised her now she could wreck the van and kill them both. Ben eased forward until he was directly behind her. He knew she would not be able to see him if she looked back. He waited for her to drive more carefully so when he did make his presence known she wouldn’t freak out. Ben had known she would try this, but it did not ease his mind. Clara was unlike the others. They had all broke by now. Clara was just as spirited as when he had taken her from the park. Why Sam wanted this particular girl, Ben could only guess. The van swerved from side to side dangerously. Ben fought to remain where he was seated. He did not want her to know he was there yet. She was far too terrified as she drove with little regard even for herself. Ben had to wait, patience he reminded himself. Clara had to calm down, it was the only way for them both to make it back to the silo in one piece. Clara was trying to put as much distance as she could between herself and them. She was having a hard time driving in the loose sand. She followed the tire tracks in hopes they were taking her in the proper direction. She never looked back, all she wanted was to get away from those men before they killed her. She was only twenty two, she had so much life in front of her. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about Joey. The harder she cried the slower she drove. The tears making it difficult to focus on the road. She had loved Joey with all of her heart. Why did they kill him? Her distraction was all Ben needed. Ben rose up behind her and quickly put his hand around her throat, his thick hand covering her from below her ear all the way around to the other side. She screamed and floored the accelerator. She began driving wildly forward as Ben held her firmly. “Turn it around Clara,” Ben ordered and she bit his hand. Hard. He pulled it away from her neck and saw she had actually brought the blood. “Damn it Clara!” “I would rather die out here than allow you two to kill me!” Clara screamed and began deliberately swerving. At times the van felt as if it were on two wheels. “Clara NO!” Ben shouted, knowing what she was trying to do. He lunged forward trying to grab the wheel but he was too late. The van swerved from side to side much too sharply. It began to tip and landed on the passenger side, sliding forward harshly. Crunching metal sounded like gunshots. Ben was tossed and thrown around the vehicle as it finally came to a stop, remaining on the crushed passenger side. Clara had worn her seatbelt. Ben was groaning somewhere behind her. She began fumbling with her seatbelt and finally unlatched it. She fell into the passenger seat before she righted herself and climbed out the driver’s window. She ran from the van as fast as she could. She didn’t care how cold it was, or that the van had caught fire. Ben could smell the gas and although he was injured he managed to get himself out the back door. His head pounded as blood seeped from his forehead. He watched Clara running away as he stepped away from the van. Bitch! He thought as he began running behind her. He knew he could catch her, but this time he would make her pay for her escape attempt. Clara looked behind her to see Ben gaining on her. She was running as fast as she could. She could not go any faster, but she tried. Tears ran down her face as it became apparent to her that this escape attempt had failed too. She looked behind herself again to see Ben much closer to her now. This distraction caused her to lose her footing and she went tumbling into the loose sand. Dust rose up in a cloud around her and she struggled to get up. By the time she made it back to her feet Ben was less than twenty feet away. She ran but he quickly caught up and grabbed her hair. “Stop Clara!” Ben almost screamed. Just as he flung her to the ground the van exploded. “SHIT!” “Let me go!” Clara demanded. “Do you know what you’ve done?” Ben asked her in a very angry voice. “That was our only vehicle!” “I don’t care!” She shouted back at him. She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at his face. Ben released her wrist as he tried to knock the sand away from his face. The idea had failed because Ben was straddling her and she could not wriggle herself free from him. “Get up!” Ben grabbed her upper arm and pulled her to her feet. She tried to jerk it away from his grasp. “Why not just kill me now? Get it over with?” Clara said sarcastically as Ben forced her to walk towards the burning van. “Because killing you is not part of the plan, unless of course you keep pulling these stunts,” Ben sighed. In this moment he really did want to kill her. She was proving to be too much trouble. “What do you want with me?” Clara asked as she tried to keep up with his strides. She was only five foot three and Ben had to be at least six feet tall. “Now how are we supposed to get to our destination without a vehicle Clara?” Ben asked her. “Do you realize you have stranded all three of us out in the middle of the desert?” “So,” she snidely replied and tried to jerk away from him again. “If you don’t walk with me back to the silo I will kill you right here with my bare hands!” Ben shouted into her face. “Kill me then!” She challenged him and stopped walking. He tried to pull her along and she refused to move. “Have it your way,” Ben said and took a piece of cord from his pocket. He grabbed her other arm and pulled her wrists together. “What are you doing?” She cried and tried to pull away from him. “Making this a little bit easier on me,” Ben said. He lashed her wrists together tightly, making sure to cause her some pain. Once she was secure he took the end of the cord and jerked it hard. “I don’t want to go back there! Let me go,” Clara spoke in a trembling voice. She refused to move her feet. “You are going back Clara,” Ben stated. He wanted to bind her and gag her, toss her over his shoulder and take her back, but he also wanted to teach her a lesson. “I won’t!” She almost screamed. Ben’s reply was to begin walking and give the cord a hard pull. It knocked Clara off of her feet and Ben drug her along behind him. “Please stop!” Clara begged and Ben ignored her. Dragging her along was much easier than trying to convince her to walk. Every step of the way Ben became angrier. As he approached the van he made sure to take a wide path around it. The van was completely engulfed in flames now. Blood seeped down Ben’s face as he continued to pull her along. He could feel her resistance but did not care. He pulled her every step of the way, even through the front door. Chris was nowhere to be seen. He dropped her on the floor and locked the front door. He pressed his hand to his head and cursed. “Damn it Chris where are you?” Ben shouted. Chris finally appeared wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. “What the hell happened?” Chris gasped as he saw Clara on the floor with her wrists tied and covered head to toe in dirt. “Bitch tried to escape again. She got your keys and tried to take the van,” Ben explained. “God my head hurts!” “Good, serves you right,” Clara remarked sarcastically as she sat up and struggled against the cord binding her wrists. “What the hell happened to you?” Chris asked. “Let me see.” “Bitch flipped the van and I got tossed around some,” Ben sighed. “The van is toast, burnt to the shell.” “She totaled the van?” Chris said with disbelief. “Why would you do that Clara?” “I want to go home!” She shouted at them. “Just keep pressure on it. It has almost stopped bleeding,” Chris commented about the split across Ben’s forehead. “It feels like my head is about to explode,” Ben griped and pressed a towel to his injury. He took a seat in the easy chair and glared at Clara. “Are you injured?” Chris asked Clara. “No,” she spat back at him. “Looks like you could use a shower though,” Chris spoke as he took her bound wrists in his hand and helped her to her feet. “Come on let’s get you cleaned up.” “Please untie my wrists I can’t feel my fingers anymore,” Clara requested. Chris untied the cord and allowed it to drop to the floor. “Now strip and get in the shower,” Chris ordered her. “Are you going to burn these clothes too?” Clara asked sarcastically as she dropped the items to the floor and stood naked in front of him. Her eyes felt like they were burning holes through him. “Yes I am, they are so filthy there is no point in trying to wash them,” Chris laughed. “I will be right back, at least there are no windows in this place for you to try to climb through.” Clara watched Chris turn and leave before she climbed into the shower. The hot water felt good and the sand washed off her. She watched it disappear down the drain. What had she done to herself? Ben had said they were all stranded now. One of them would have to go for help, she thought. Surely they wouldn’t just remain here hoping someone would happen across them. She just wished she knew why they had taken her and what they truly intended to do with her. She was tired, exhausted to be more precise. She stepped out of the shower to find Chris holding the towel out to her. She accepted it silently and dried herself off. He held out a large t shirt for her to cover herself with. She slipped it over her head then began combing her wet hair. “You have to stop trying to escape Clara. It is far too dangerous to you,” Chris began. “I will keep trying until you let me go,” Clara countered. “I do not want to be here. I want to go home!” She returned to combing her hair. “When you finish I want you to lie down. Ben and I have some things to discuss,” Chris ordered as he left her alone in the bathroom. She heard him lock the door to the room. What would they do now that they were all stuck here? Clara kicked herself for taking the van. She should have never done that. How could she have known that Ben had chosen to sleep in it. Had he known she would attempt to escape that way? She threw the comb onto the counter and slipped under the blankets. With her mind in overdrive her body gave out and she was asleep within minutes.  

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