Review: Unusually good short story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 23, 2013
This is a story about the courage and guts of one man who sees a kidnapping and stops at nothing, even risking his own life, to save the people who were kidnapped.I don't usually read short stories, but I am glad I chose to read this one. I would class this story as a psychological thriller. So, my question is this. If Doug had not been so bullied by other kids when he was young, would he have gone this far to save those people?? I don't think so.This story is well written and deals with a crime that happens far too often in this world. The storyline flows nicely and is easy to understand. The story starts out with a bang to grab your attention and it keeps your attention to the very last word.For those who hate sex scenes. Relax as there are none.For those who hate blood and gore, there is a little bit, but nothing I think anyone would find offense with.While waiting for his girlfriend at a mall parking lot, Doug witnesses a shady character checking out parked cars. The prowler breaks into a parked van, and instead of stealing items left behind, he gets into the van and waits for their return. Once they do, he kidnaps them.Doug has no time to call for help. He decides he must stop the carjacker from harming the family. He is also very much aware that this kidnapper could easily be the man called "The Stickman" who has kidnapped so many people and killed them. Yet, he knows he must act. When his girlfriend Jane gets out of the store, they speed in search of the kidnapper. Hot on the trail of the van, Doug must decide how far he will go to save these people.What Doug and Jane go through to help this family get out of the clutches of this monster make for a fascinating read. To me, Jane is helping keep Doug alive as she also helps the family stay alive. They are working as a team with Doug as the first one Jane thinks of. Doug is working to save the family and also keep Jane safe. The psychology behind what Doug is doing, nothing short of heroic by the way, is something to pay attention to here. To me, this fight has grown him into full fledged manhood beyond belief. He has somehow faced his own demons while rescuing this family.I recommend this book highly.