Escape: Day 20

Word Total: 120,001

Year to Date: 990,114

Summary of Events:

Trace and Dallis continued to make for the border; three more cars full of gangsters caught up to them, but didn't do anything — Trace suspected they didn't realise Dallis had a passport and so were waiting to just pick her up at the border because they expected her to be rejected. Trace managed to get another one to rear end him just outside of Portal, which was just at the border, before one of the other cars appeared to have run out of gas or had a fuel line failure. The last one watched as Trace and Dallis were processed at the border and allowed to cross before turning around and leaving while Trace drove on to Estevan to spend the night.

Excerpt of the Day:

"He got through Estevan and saw the truck stop right away. Pulling into the parking lot, he took a spot off in the corner and parked the truck. Dallis was still sleeping, her lashes delicately laced together so that which belonged to each lid was indistinguishable.

Trace got up and went over to her. He gently unbuckled her seatbelt, but she didn't move, aside from her breathing.

Gently Trace bent down and slid his hands under her arms. She stirred slightly, but yet still didn't seem to rouse. Trace lifted her up into an embrace and held her close.

That set her stirring and fighting, so he released her and looked at her.

"We're here," Trace said quietly.

Dallis nodded, still looking defensive.

"It was a celebratory hug," Trace said.

"While I was sleeping?" Dallis snapped.

"I was also going to carry you to the bunk," Trace replied. "I didn't want to wake you up if I didn't have to."

"Well you did," Dallis said. "And I prefer it that way."

Trace sighed and followed Dallis back into the sleeping quarters.

"Can I have a celebratory hug while you're awake?" Trace asked.

Dallis' lips twitched as she looked at him sceptically.

"Please?" Trace asked.

She lowered her shoulders and Trace stepped into an embrace. Even though he could feel tension in her as he held her, he didn't care. She was letting him hug her, and that was more than he would have expected at the start.

Bending his head down, he nosed her cheek slightly, but she turned away, so Trace gently grazed his lips over her ear. That was probably the closest he was going to get to a kiss from her for the time being, not that he minded.

They were in Canada. Dallis was safe. He'd helped her to escape the bondage that the gangsters had been holding her in from birth, and hopefully he would be able to to help her to get a new start on a new life in a new country — as well as to bring down the gang that was still holding far too many other women captive.

Dallis shifted and pulled away from him. Trace sighed and stepped away so that she could change for bed. The most important thing was that they'd escaped the gangsters and were now free in Canada.

Nothing guaranteed that they would necessarily always be safe — until the gang was brought down, anyways — but Trace refused to let himself think about that. He was going to think about how good it was to have escaped, to have saved Dallis.

He never would've expected to have the experiences he'd had since he'd first seen her, and even though they'd been harrowing, as well as painful, he wouldn't trade them for anything. He'd been able to rescue one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen, and hopefully he would be able to win her trust.

Trace wouldn't trade anything for helping Dallis escape."

The next post will be on October 31.