From the Inside Flap

Charlie started the truck, shoved it in drive and pulled out onto the blacktop and sped down the road putting distance between her and the house of horrors.

An hour later found her still driving. The radio was on low as country music played through the truck. The children, lulled by the movement or just exhausted from the night's activities or maybe just relieved from the constant fear they must have been living with, stayed asleep.

Charlie wondered how long it would be before they found the tied up bodies left in the house. Hopefully, the sheriff would think it was a home invasion. She had left enough clues to point even a small-town sheriff in that direction. Of course, it would not matter if he was involved in the child stealing racket. She vowed she would return and find out how the investigation was going once she handed the kids over to someone who could care for them. Only then could she do what she did best, go hunting. There were people out there who needed to pay for what they were putting kids like hers through. She rubbed her chest when she thought of someone else caring for her babies and yes; she knew she called them hers. Darn it!

Another hour of driving and she had no idea where she was headed. She had just been following the highway. But a few miles later, she suddenly came to a set of crossroads. Stopping she left the motor idling and swept her eyes up and down the roads, trying to decide which way to go.

From the Inside Flap

At first she didn't see the sign, then it was as if something or someone pulled her eyes to the enormous billboard. Charlie thought she had to be mistaken and rubbed her eyes.

How the hell did she miss something that big? It must have been twenty foot long and at least ten foot high and in the shape of a dragon. He was beautiful and seemed to be a deep blue, maybe black, with large dark purple eyes that reminded her of the baby's lavender ones.

She had no idea how she knew the dragon was a male and as weird as it seemed; she felt like the dragon was calling to her. She mumbled to herself. "Huh, like that is the question. Not that you can hear him calling you."

Charlie swallowed half a bottle of water as she looked out at the moonless night. It was only then she realized there was no light, and yet she could tell the color of the dragon and his eyes. "Well, that doesn't seem weird at all." She mumbled again. "Much."

Written in big bold words across the dragon's tail were the words. Welcome to Dragon's Gap!

It was as though a light bulb blew up in her brain. Of course, that is where she needed to go. HOME!

Charlie hesitated as her foot hovered over the gas pedal, and her hand over the gear stick.

"Doesn't this seem a little... well, just too weird, even for me?"

From the Inside Flap

She again looked down the dark roads and bit her lip, then she looked at the girls and baby. Could she risk not taking them there, could she protect them if it proved it wasn't safe?

She whispered. "Harper, where are you when I need you?" Then she blew out a breath. "Well okay, what would you do sis?"

Charlie laughed as she thought about Harper, who would go in with attitude and if that failed, kill anyone who dared to touch her kids. She pushed down on the gas and put the truck in drive and turned onto the road. "So that's what I will do. Wish you were here Harper, still miss you." She wiped the tears from her eyes that thinking of her sister caused, even after all these years. Seriously, tears again, what is happening to me?

From the Inside Flap

She followed the road as it wound itself around a mountain. By now she had been driving for two-and-a-half hours and she needed a break. When her truck bumped onto a dirt track, she hoped it would not be for much longer. Already she could see the baby was stirring.

Suddenly she saw a man standing by the roadside. Her hand found her gun as she eased the truck to a stop and put the window down.