Sarah awoke with one monster of a headache. She was getting downright pissed at being knocked out all the time. Certainly couldn’t be good for her brain. Of course, her brain was the least of her worries. Ray lurked around here somewhere.
The basement stunk of mildew and other unpleasant odors she’d rather not identify and the cold floor penetrated through the thin mattress. Her coat and shoes were missing, but she still wore her clothes. She thanked the Lord for that small favor.
No sign of Ray, though. She moved to sit up, but two foot-long straps attached to the wall and secured around her wrists kept her arms above her head. Damn it. She reached for one of the knots, but couldn’t get her hands to meet. At least her feet were free. Using the straps for leverage, she hoisted up into a sitting position. The knot holding her left wrist loosened and her heart skipped a beat with hope. If she could only get her mouth on the stupid thing, she could grab the knot with her teeth, but no such luck there, either. Instead, she worked at making her hand as small as possible so she could slip it free. With Ray out of sight, now would be the best chance to escape.
The door to the basement squeaked. Sarah froze.
As Ray descended into the hellhole—wearing only jeans—each step of the wooden staircase squealed in protest. He took a bite of an apple and the juices ran down his chest. Was he just showing off his muscular body—he apparently hit the weights on a daily basis—or getting a start on things? She didn’t want to think of what things he might have in mind.
He looked her way when he arrived at the bottom, stopped, and raised his eyebrows. “Did you enjoy your nap?”
She refused to answer. Maybe if she didn’t play his games, he’d lose interest.
Taking another bite from his apple, he strolled toward her and sat on the mattress. He extended his free hand. She looked away, but he held her chin and forced her to face him. Her hammering heart nearly punched a hole through her ribs.
“Do I disgust you?” he asked.
Looking at him, she’d say no. His body wasn’t disfigured in any way and his smile probably charmed many a girl. Unfortunately for his victims, this package was deceiving.
“Do you want a bite?” He offered the apple.
Did he really expect her to take the bait, or was it part of his game? Either way, she wasn’t falling for it.
“Not hungry, huh?” He released her and laughed as he stood. “Are you going to be this quiet all night? Maybe if I found something to talk about.” He spun around and searched, as if unfamiliar with the room, but he probably knew exactly where everything was kept.
“Ah!” He approached the workbench on the far wall. The room was darker on that end, but she could still make out his movements. He put his apple down and picked something else up. When he turned around, he held something large and shiny. A knife! She gasped.
“Hey, a reaction, that’s great. Are you scared?”
Maybe her silence was the wrong approach. Forcing a smile, she said, “Of course not. I’m just not fond of knives.”
“You’re not? Don’t you use them in the kitchen? How could you even cook without one?” He returned, knelt beside the mattress, and brought the blade to her face. “Or did you have an unfortunate accident with one?”
Her reflection flashed off the shiny metal and her throat constricted. “Please don’t.”
He smiled. “Don’t what?”
She didn’t want to look at the knife, but when he moved it down to her chest, her gaze was glued to the weapon. Was he going to cut her? He brought the tip down to the top button of her blouse and popped it off with ease.
“Oops, looks like you lost a button.” With his free hand, he caressed her face.
Okay, so he was trying to make her afraid. She looked him in the eyes, determined not to show her fear, but the knife made it damn hard.
“You’re pretty, you know that?” He ran his index finger down her throat, across her collarbone until he reached the next button. “But something’s missing.”
He brought the knife-wielding hand up and ripped her blouse open. Clink, clink, clink. Buttons ricocheted off the wall and floor. The blade scraped across her cheek and she jerked back, hitting the wall. Shit.
He took a deep breath and nodded. “That’s better,” he said. “You look scared now.”
Well, duh. Her tremors could probably set off a Richter scale and the neighbors could probably hear the pounding of her heart. But John had told her not to give up, so she wouldn’t. His life depended on it, too. So how the hell could she get free without being cut to shreds?
Ray stared at her chest. “You have a lot of scars. What happened to you?”
When she didn’t answer in the amount of time he allotted, he stuck his hand inside her bra and squeezed her breast. Pain shot through her, bringing tears to her eyes, and she shrieked. She longed to zone out, to go to that special place she’d gone whenever Steven had abused her, but if she went there, she might not come back.
He let up on the pressure. “Answer me or I do it again.”
“Pushed.” She gasped for breath. “Down the stairs. Broke mirror.”
“Pushed? And you survived. Wow.” He pinched her nipple and leaned in close to her face, the scent of apple strong on his breath. “I sure hope you survive the night. I could use the challenge.”
She gritted her teeth against the pain he inflicted. She’d suffered enough at Steven’s hands, but he’d never used a knife and he’d always apologized afterward. Somehow she didn’t think Ray cared that much.
“Why don’t we take a look and see what you have to offer.” He took the tip of the knife and sliced her bra apart, nicking her skin in the process. She inhaled through the sting.
The restraints and the wall kept her from moving away, but her feet were free. Before he could touch her again, she brought up her knee and knocked him over. The knife clamored as it hit the floor. If only she could have clocked him in the head. Unconscious would have been so much better.
“Now why’d you go and do that?” He leaned over and retrieved the knife.
While he looked away, she worked at freeing her hand.
Ray held the weapon and gazed at it as if he were mesmerized. He brushed his fingers lovingly over the shiny blade, either cleaning or comforting it. When he turned his attention back toward her, she expected a scowl, not a half-smile. Slowly, he rose, holding the knife by his side. She prepared for a lunge, but he strolled to the foot of the mattress instead and knelt.
“You know, Bethany enjoyed being tied up when I fucked her,” he said. “Said it gave her a better orgasm. Me, I liked it when she was really scared. Not that acting crap she was into. Unfortunately, by the time I got real fear from her, I’d gone too far.”
The paper had mentioned Bethany, his first victim. Sarah needed to distract him, but how? Normally fear shut her up, but since he was intent on getting her to talk, she obliged, hoping time would be her friend. “What did Bethany do to you?”
At the mention of Bethany’s name, he gazed into Sarah’s eyes and cocked his head. “She didn’t do anything to me. She loved me. I loved her.”
“But you killed her.”
“I didn’t mean to. But when she became truly terrified, I wanted more. Her fear was a fuel I hadn’t expected. I’m hungry for it.”
“So, if I’m not scared, you’ll leave me alone?” Talk about grasping at straws.
He tipped his head back and laughed. “Oh, you’ll feel fear. Question is, will you survive? Bethany couldn’t. Neither could the others. I really am curious.”
Ray placed the knife down on the mattress and crawled toward her. Oh shit. She brought her legs up and used the straps as leverage to stand. Before she could gain her balance, he grabbed her feet and pulled, yanking her arms against the restraints. No! Pain exploded in her right wrist, but her left hand slipped through the restraint. Holy shit! She held on with her fingers. No better time to take him out. The blade was within reach. She only needed to get one good kick in.
Disable him. Get free.
Of course fighting was exactly what he wanted, but what choice did she have? She couldn’t very well lie still while he tied her up.
She twisted and kicked as he pulled her down on the mattress. His strength won out and he immobilized her by kneeling on her legs. Pain kept her movements to a minimum. Broken legs would not help.
“I like your cat socks. You wore those penguin ones back at the garage. You got a collection or something?” He stared as if he expected an answer.
If she remained quiet, he might actually break her leg. “I do.”
Ray laughed. “Man, I’d like to see that.”
“Then let’s go. You can have them if you want.”
“Nice try.” He smirked as he unfastened her pants. Grabbing the waistband, he dismounted and pulled them off her.
Free from his grasp, she sat back up. He reached for her again and she kicked out at him, frantic. Terror took over and her kicks became wild, weak, and ineffective. He even laughed as if she were playing some kind of game and maybe it was a game to him, but it was all too real to her. After her futile attempts to knock him silly, he finally grabbed her right ankle and slipped a rope over her foot. Pulling the noose tight, he secured the other end to the floor. All the twisting and turning couldn’t prevent him from doing the same with her left.
Great. Not only was she tied up, she’d aroused him in the process.
“That’s better.” He stood with his hands on his hips, looking pleased with himself.
She was spread out and vulnerable to whatever he had in mind. All her hopes hinged on one free hand. Would it be enough? She held both straps so he wouldn’t notice the difference.
He straddled her, making it hard not to see—or feel—his growing arousal. Closing her eyes and zoning out was inviting, but not knowing would only be worse—she could lose her opportunity for escape—so she kept her attention on him. He picked up the knife and slowly ran the tip across her breasts, searing her skin, leaving a trail of blood. She screamed.
If she could strangle him with one hand, she’d do it now. How much more could she stand before her chance arrived?
Be brave. Be patient. John is counting on you. She repeated the mantra in her head.
Ray ground his erection into her belly. “Tell me now you’re not scared. Once fear gets into you, it will eat at you. You can’t just turn it off.”
Sarah knew all about fear. But the fear she had lived with was nothing like this. He brought the knife up. Blood dripped from its tip. Would he cut her face next?
He patted her cheek and moved downward. She held her breath as he brought the knife to her panties. When he cut them away, she let out a breath.
Crap. She hadn’t meant to relax. Relaxing was bad.
“So the thought of me fucking you doesn’t scare you as much as…what?” He hovered over her and brought the knife up to her face. “This?” Tears trickled from her eyes. “Huh. Maybe I can get you to change your mind.”
He placed the knife on the floor once again and cupped her face with both hands. The gentleness of his touch confused her until he slammed his mouth down on hers. Instinctively she clamped her jaw shut and jerked her head.
He pulled away and ran his fingers over her mouth. “Off limits, huh? Bet I can change that, too.”
Ray nuzzled her neck and then licked his way to her breast. He lingered there for a moment. No nuzzling, no licking, just his breath tickling her skin. The bite caught her off guard. Searing pain shocked her system. Sarah screamed, but his mouth covered hers in a hungry kiss. He situated his body over hers.
His tongue invaded her mouth. Gross! Bite down, bite down! But wait. This was the distraction she needed. Her opportunity for escape. Slowly, she slipped her hand free. The knife lay beside her somewhere. Could she find it in time? To keep him distracted, she whined. “Oh God, please stop.”
“Say it again. Say it again.” He grabbed her breast and squeezed.
“Stop.” Ignoring the pain, she felt along the side the mattress. Cold metal met her fingers. Freedom. Carefully, she traced the blade to the handle.
You can do this, you can do this.
“God, I want you.” He sat up and focused on unbuttoning his jeans.
Now! She took the knife and thrust it into his side. Sudden warmth covered her hand.
His eyes widened in surprise. “What the fuck?”
She held on and waited. Shouldn’t he fall over? Instead, he grabbed for the knife, but fear and determination helped keep her grip. She stabbed deeper and twisted the handle.
“You bitch!” He screamed and backed away. When the knife slid out, the wound gushed. Grabbing his side, he fell across her leg. Blood spilled across his belly and dripped onto her legs.
Bile burned its way up her throat, but she fought it. Time to beat feet. She cut the other strap and rolled Ray off so she could reach her leg restraints.
Once free, the rush of adrenaline, fear, or maybe shock shook her entire body. She stood on unsteady legs. The blood covering her hand caused her stomach to roll. She dropped the knife and yanked off her blouse, using it to scrub her hand clean. After tossing the ruined bra to the floor, she grabbed her pants with shaky hands and put them on. She was so cold. She needed something for her nakedness. For warmth.
On the work bench. Her coat.
She stepped over Ray and the room swayed. Crap. Her nausea returned. She bent over and slowed her breathing, gathered her bearings. Once the room stilled, she stumbled to the bench and retrieved her coat.
John had said she could do it, and she had doubted him. Never again. She was free, empowered. Now she could save him. But how? She had no idea where she was or how far away Ray had taken her. The neighbors. Duh. They could call the cops. Somehow she’d get to John. After zipping up her coat, she rushed to the stairs.
Ray tackled her legs. She screamed and landed hard on the floor. What the hell? Why wasn’t he dead? Turning on her back, she kicked, hoping to dislodge him. He brought his hand up, holding the knife. As his arm came down, she twisted. The blade missed her thigh and hit the floor where it flew from his hand. He roared.
She kicked his head until he stopped moving. And then she kicked him again.
Her heart hammered away. Was he dead now? Had she killed him? She picked up the knife and stood. A puddle of blood grew underneath him. An encouraging sign, but she backed up the staircase for a few steps, just to be sure. No more surprises for her. No sirree.
He hadn’t moved. Good. Sarah turned around, took a step up, and then stopped, as did her heart.
“Damn it! Do I have to do everything myself?” Danielle stood at the top with her hands on her hips.
* * * *
John stared at the sky. How much time had passed? Five minutes? An hour? Clouds had formed, covering up the stars and making it hard to judge. Was Sarah still alive? God, he didn’t want to think the worst, but it was hard since he had nothing else to do but think. Action was impossible.
How could he have let that bitch get away?
“Johnny? Are you alone?”
Perry’s voice—spoken low—came from the neighbor’s yard. Not the person John had expected, but anyone would be better than no one. John nodded.
“Is it a trap?” Now Perry’s voice came from above. A tree, maybe? Or the roof? John couldn’t blame him for being cautious, seeing how he was caught in a stake and bake.
John shook his head.
Perry appeared in a flash. “Damn, Johnny. She had to stake you twice?” He reached toward the gag, and then stopped. “Maybe I should remove the stakes first. I don’t need you yelling out. Or biting me.”
As much as John wanted the thing out of his mouth, he couldn’t argue with Perry’s logic. Hell, he couldn’t argue at all.
Perry grabbed hold of the wood. “This will smart a bit.”
Stop talking and just—
Perry yanked them free. John screamed through the gag. Why did they hurt worse coming out? But when he moved his fingers and toes, the pain became inconsequential.
Perry removed the gag. “Danielle’s a little kinky, huh?”
John spit out the ball. “Help me up. I need to get Sarah before it’s too late.”
“You’re not going anywhere until you feed.” Perry glanced at John’s nakedness. “Or get dressed. Sit tight.”
John had no energy to argue or move. He certainly wouldn’t be any help to Sarah in this condition.
A few agonizing minutes later, Perry returned with a man slung over his shoulder.
“Is he my neighbor?” John asked.
“Hey, I can’t help it if you live in the boonies. Beggars can’t be choosers.” Perry laid the man next to John. “Feed. The sooner you do it, the sooner we can get Sarah.”
John prayed that however he found her, she was alive.