Part of Roden was tempted, but a much larger part of him wasn't going to allow a stranger, especially one that he wasn't particularly fond of, get behind the wheel of his BMW. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine." Martin gave him a disbelieving frown and leaned back in his seat.

In the distance, through the congestion of trees, Roden spotted another cabin. This would be cabin number three. Roden hoped the long frantic search would end here. He built himself up for a confrontation, just as he did at the previous two cabins. Of course, these build-ups only led to letdowns so far, which then lent to Roden's exhaustion. He wasn't sure how much longer he could really hold out.

Still, nobody but himself was driving his car. And that was that!

* * *

The pale light of early morning broke through the curtainless window, prodding at Ess's closed eyelids. Soon, she began to stir. Exhaustion from the anxiety-filled night and short slumber, made her groggy and oblivious to her dwelling. She lay on a narrow and rather uncomfortable bed, patiently waiting to regain her awareness.

Memories of the night before revisited her with an unrealistic perception that made her think they were all a dream. The invasion, the restraints, the fight for freedom only to be shot at and kidnapped by another seemed so very unlikely. It couldn't have happened.

But everything came slowly into focus. She was in a cramped musty room with the familiar sounds of nature outside. On a nearby bunk, only inches away, was a heap of her clothes and other personal items lying in an opened suitcase. That was, in fact, the suitcase she had bought after college for all the traveling she wanted to do. The one she had never had an opportunity to use.

It did happen? Ess sat up on her elbows with a start and looked around. It did happen.

She was alone in the room and the door was still shut with the lock latched. He had made no attempt to enter. She heaved a sigh of relief as she pulled herself to a sitting position. Soreness throbbed in muscles all over her body as she tried to stretch the dormancy from her limbs. Her lower back hurt, her neck felt stiff and an ache pulsated from her temples and in the back of her head. The most bothersome pain, however, was the swollen nose. She cringed to think of what it must look like.

A hot shower would help to ease her body-aches. Max said there was a bathroom through the second door in the bedroom, but the water had to be heated. Did he do it? Why not cross her fingers and check?

When her sock covered feet hit the worn out floorboards Ess shivered from the radiating cold they offered. She had slept in her clothes last night, and felt grungy and disheveled. Yes, a shower and fresh clothes were what she needed right now. After that, she could better concentrate on her situation, and how to get out of it.

She looked through her personal items and noticed that, while many of her daily hygiene items were not present, a few of the necessities were available to her. She pushed away the thought that the stranger in the next room had gone through her things to pack a bag for her, and headed for the bathroom. Three sideways steps from the bed got her to the narrow bathroom door.

What was inside looked more like a bath closet. The toilet was directly in the path of the standup shower, and the tiny sink sported a rather rusty faucet. She tried the faucet handles, and with a clunking of the pipes the water began flowing into the sink. It was cold, but she let it flow, hoping that it would warm up.

While she waited, she checked her nose in the mirror above the sink. The metal sheet, once polished, was now scratched and displayed a slightly distorted and foggy reflection, which made it difficult for Ess to tell just how bad her nose really looked. So, after a minute or two, she gave up. By the time she tested the water again it had definitely warmed up. Ess sighed, grateful that she would be able to find some comfort in a hot shower.

She turned away from the sink, and began to study the shower knob. When she figured it out, she gave the knob a twist. It didn't move. She wiggled it, and tried again. It didn't budge.

In frustration, Ess gripped the knob with both hands and yanked at it with all the strength she could muster. Once it began to give, the knob twisted quickly. The cold water that had been sitting in the pipes came pouring out of the showerhead. Ess let out a startled squeak at the chill. Her hair and clothes were drenched in cold water.

She waited miserably for the water to heat up while she peeled the icy wet jeans from her legs. This had to be the worst weekend ever.

* * *

Ess stood at the bedroom door, trying to decide if she should unlock it and go out there. She still had no reason to trust Max. He hadn't hurt her so far, but he did kidnap her, and was holding her here against her will.

On the other hand, remaining in this tiny room would drive her crazy. There was no room to stretch, and no getting used to that musty smell. Besides that, she could detect the feint aroma of bacon and eggs coming from the main room. It had been many hours since she'd eaten, and even then, she never did finish her bologna sandwich. Her stomach was winning the argument.

As quietly as possible, she unlatched the lock, and turned the doorknob. She tried to open the door silently, but it creaked. Ess stopped and cursed under her breath. When she tried it again, she opened the door enough to peek her head out.

Max was at the little kitchenette with his back towards her. He glanced over his shoulder once, but resumed his work. Ess looked on in surprise. The small table she recalled from last night was set with paper plates, plastic silverware, and a pot of coffee that was cooling along with some well-browned biscuits.

After a moment, Max turned around with a tin skillet in his hand. "Good morning." He beamed.

Ess was rather annoyed at his cheerful good humor. She just watched as he served the bacon and scrambled eggs onto the plates.

"Breakfast is served." Max waved his hand over the display on the table. When Ess didn't move, he added, "Have a seat." Obviously, she still had the same feelings towards him as last night, because she kept her distance.

"Please, join me?" he tried again. Instead of sounding polite, his invitation came across as begging. He berated himself inwardly for that, so rather than continue to coax her as though she was a shy animal, Max decided to leave her alone. She could join him if she chose. He sat down, and poured some coffee into his tin mug. After sweetening it, he took a sip. It was still steaming hot and warmed his throat all the way down as he swallowed.

Ess watched the look of satisfaction on his face as Max sipped his coffee. Then, he picked up his fork and dug into his eggs. She found herself begrudging this contented morning-person attitude that he seemed to exhibit.

Max tried not to do more than glance at her, but a glance was enough to note the poorly hidden resentment on her face. Maybe she would come around, just enough to eat. At least, he hoped she would come around. Her reticence was killing him. He wanted nothing more than the best for her welfare, and that included eating.

The decision was killing her. Should she sit down to eat with him? What would be the consequence of that? Would she be giving in to him? Would it be displaying weakness? Damn, she felt hungry. Funny how the body could override the mind in such instances.

With pursed lips and a role of her eyes, Ess exaggerated her movements as she pulled her chair away from the table and sat down in it. She dug into the eggs with a flourish and brought a forkful to her mouth. When she tasted them, she was pleasantly surprised. They were actually pretty good. She wasn't sure if it was Max's fine culinary work or her hunger that made the food so delicious, but she intended to enjoy it.