Plugged Excerpt

Plugged

is the continuing stories of Lara Crane, as she struggles to free herself from captivity. Most of all, she's a prisoner of her own mind and she must search for strength to pull away from what she wants most; the perfect family.

She must turn away from what isn't real and face the painful truth. Really isn't that one of the hardest things we all have to do?

****

I step down from the stand and smile at my family, ignoring the penetrating glare from the defense’s table. I ignore the eyes that follow me. I only take Donovan’s hand and we step outside of the court room.

Taking a deep breath I lean against the wall, but a small, satisfied smile dances across my face. Donovan caresses my arms and kisses my forehead. “You did it. I’m so proud of you.”

“So am I. I just want to put everything behind us. You know? All of us.”

“We’ll get there,” he says softly and caresses my chin. Such a small movement and it makes my heart skip a beat. “How about I take you out of here now for some ice cream?”

“Yum.” I grin and take his hand. We start down the hall toward the elevator. Donovan pushes the down button and we wait. He plays with my hair and I rest my head against his shoulder.

The elevator dings.

We wait for the doors to swoosh open. A darkened figure wearing a ski mask is inside. His arm is held out straight and trains a gun on me.

“Lara!” Donovan screams and pushes me out of the way as the gun goes off.

I drop to the ground, my shoulder taking the bulk of the shock. With a grimace I sit up and the dark figure races down the hall away from us.

“Donovan!” I screech. My eyes fall to his crumpled body on the tile beside the elevator. His skin has already gone pasty and there is blood on his button shirt. I press my hand to his stomach and he cringes.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to go. This isn’t supposed to happen.

“Just a … flesh wound.” Donovan whispers with a grin, but his eyes are lidded and what color is left in his face fades fast.

My teeth grit. “You hold on. I’ll get an ambulance on the phone. You’re going to be fine, you hear me? Just hold on?”

People swarm into the hall, charging to see what’s going on. My hands tremble as I search for my phone, but I can’t find it. Then I remember I left it on my bedroom dresser that morning.

Damn it. Of all the days to forget my phone.

My jaw tenses. My skin burns with rage. “Rex!” I scream. The pounding in my head, the one I’ve spent so much time wishing would go away, returns.

And then the fantasy of my life, the fleeting happiness, disappears. It disintegrates around me one pixel at a time until there is nothing there but me.

In the darkness it all fades.

I blink my eyes and real life breathes and sways in front of me.

I’m in a cage.