Hitchhiking into Hell - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

I was about to message Vanessa when I realized—the internet was dead.
That explained why the livestream had cut out. No wonder those women had gone silent.
Then my husband texted, asking where I was and telling me to be careful. It hit me like a punch to the gut—he'd always been so good to me.
What the hell was I doing? If he found out about this, our marriage would be over.
But wait—if I could still get his texts, why was the livestream down? Why couldn't I reach Vanessa?
That's when the fear really set in.
"Daniel," I whispered, my voice shaking. "You promised you'd get me out of here. Was that true?"
He grabbed my hand and yanked me toward the road, scanning for passing cars. But we were too late.
Hank was back—and he'd brought friends.
A massive truck rolled up, and seven or eight muscle-bound guys piled out. But what really threw me was the girl in the passenger seat.
Zoe Laurent.
I recognized her instantly—a fashion influencer with a decent following. I'd watched her shopping hauls before.
She'd been hitchhiking earlier, just like me. We'd even chatted briefly before she climbed into a truck ahead of me.
Now, from where we crouched, I could see her crying. The driver next to her looked pissed—then suddenly, he backhanded her. Twice.
I flinched so hard I nearly gasped.
Without Vanessa and the others egging me on, the shock of it snapped me back to reality. Whatever weird trance I'd been in—gone.
Daniel and I had made it to the roadside, ducking into the tall grass. Then Hank's voice cut through the night like a knife.
"Daniel Evans! Get your ass out here! Where the hell are you?"
I grabbed Daniel's arm, my nails digging in.
"Please," I begged, my voice barely a whisper. "Can you still get me out of here? I don't want to hitchhike anymore. I just want to go home."
He shook his head. "Too late."
Then he stood—deliberately loosening his belt, unbuttoning his shirt—and dragged me up with him.