Nicole checked the address again and looked at the house on the corner of the street. It wasn’t quite what she expected for an attorney’s home. It was large enough, but it lacked personality, even a pretentious one. It lacked a sense of extravagance she came to expect from the obscenely wealthy. The lawn was plain, consisting only of low cut grass and an almost spotless stone path to the door. The square stones were each carefully laid, so that at first glance, they appeared to be one continuous sidewalk. The porch was equally bare, and she could tell from the street, that the windows were absolutely spotless. Stretching her senses, she probed into the house, searching for anyone who might be inside, but everything was quiet. Mr. Robertson was not at home. “Any ideas?”
“I’ll be right back.” David gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and disappeared instantly around the side of the house. Waiting for him to return, Nicole tried to sense where Susan was, but she couldn’t come up with even the slightest flicker of a connection. It was no use. She didn’t know Susan well enough to sense her now. Staring at the abnormally tidy house before her, Nicole suppressed a shudder. She prayed they would find something inside that would lead them to Susan. Nicole could almost feel the weight of time running out on them. They didn’t have much left.
The sound of the front door opening drew her attention. David poked his head out and motioned her inside, holding the door open for her. Once they were both inside, he closed the door, resetting the locks and alarm. He looked up at Nicole to find her watching him, her eyebrow raised. “I told you I was a thief,” he shrugged.
“Yeah, like a couple hundred years ago.”
He gave her a roguish grin and winked. “That’s the benefit of being a security consultant. You keep up on all the new security advancements.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked through the first doorway.
Nicole grinned and laughed. “What am I going to do with you?” she said to herself, feeling some of her tension abate at his humor. She knew the feeling wouldn’t last, but it was comforting for the moment.
Beginning in the living room, they methodically looked around for clues. The inside of the house matched the exterior. Everything was spotless, hardly any dust in sight. Books not on the bookcase were in perfect piles, separated by size and color. The few pictures on the wall were an equal distance from one another, each one aligned an exact distance from the ceiling. The floors were covered in a plain white tile without a single streak or scuff mark in sight. It looked more like a model house used for show instead of a home someone actually lived in.
They carefully put everything back exactly as they found it, quickly wiping off any smudge marks they made to the freshly polished wood furniture. “This guy has some serious problems,” Nicole commented after the second room they entered yielded a similarly tidy appearance. “How can anyone live like this?”
“I don’t know, but we’ve got to hurry. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
Nicole nodded. “Yeah, this place is a definite ten on the creep-o-meter. I’m thinking Susan may be on to something.”
David silently echoed agreement with that sentiment. The house was creepy, but things weren’t always as they appeared. They didn’t know anything for sure, yet. Still, knowing that and believing it were two different things. Right now he wholeheartedly believed Nicole was right. Susan discovered something, and Gary Robertson was a part of it. “Now to figure out what that something is.
* * *
Mark followed her scent and their shared connection into the city. He must find Meghan, protect Meghan. She went through so much. Running down alleys and through the park, he paid no attention to his surroundings. Meg alone filled his thoughts. He thought about the way she looked, the way she smelled, the way she held her head defiantly to the world. She was such a remarkable woman. A girl screamed as he dashed past her and into another patch of trees. He paid her no mind. He was a mile away before he registered what he heard. The recognition was gone as soon as it came, replaced again by desire and urgency.
Sensing Meghan was up ahead, Mark put on an extra burst of speed, only to stop cold in his tracks a second later. Standing twenty feet away from him, looking through a copse of trees, was Artemis. Mark felt the rage take hold. Here Artemis was, standing like a free man with not a worry in the world. Mark thought of Richard and how he died, killed with his wife, in front of their daughter by his own brother. He thought of Nicole, manipulated and used by her own uncle. She was orphaned, left ignorant of her heritage for years, forced to endure years of pain and uncertainty because of this man.
Mark thought of Meghan, the latest of Artemis’ many victims. She was left, abandoned to an absent mother and her abusive boyfriend, tortured, kidnapped and played with like some kind of toy for Artemis’ amusement. He could kill Artemis now, end everything, and Artemis would never hurt anyone ever again. It was so simple. Calm at last, Mark knew what to do. He lunged.
* * *
Meghan walked down the empty streets, watching a grocery bag twist in the light breeze, pulled along the sidewalk like a toy on a string. She still didn’t know what came over her in the club. She wasn’t some thug or bully, stealing a trinket out of jealousy. If she continued like this, she would become everything she hated. She would become a monster, like Eddie, like her mother, like . . . her father. Maybe that was her destiny.
Closing her eyes, she mentally searched for Nicole and confirmed she was nowhere nearby. Reassured she would not be forced to face her friend again anytime soon, Meg continued to the lot Nicole mentioned when she was on the phone with John. Meg didn’t know what she hoped to find that Nicole couldn’t, but it was always possible a different set of eyes could see something new. She felt compelled to try to find something. Susan and Meg weren’t close, but they were still friends. Besides, Meg couldn’t stand by and let anyone, friend or not, be attacked and mistreated. No one deserved that.
She followed Nicole’s scent to the center of the lot and paused, taking everything in. She could pick up several scents here, including Susan’s. As Meg stood still, the breeze died down, answering her unvoiced desire for absolute still and quiet. The distant sounds of traffic died away. In the silence of the moment, she felt time itself freeze around her. Catching movement in the window to her right, she could see Susan standing where Meghan stood now. As she watched, other movement entered the reflection. A man stepped up behind Susan. She realized she wasn’t alone a moment too late. Meg caught the recognition in Susan’s eyes as she looked up and saw the reflection in the glass. And then the vision was gone, and Meghan was left looking at her own reflection. Sounds began to return, the wind picking up again. She didn’t recognize the man in the reflection, but at least now she would recognize him when she found him. Then, she could make him pay for hurting Susan.
Across the parking lot, the trees and bushes began to shake, accompanied by several grunts and groans. Suddenly, two men tumbled onto the concrete, punching and kicking all the while. Artemis rolled out from the fight and was quickly tackled by Mark. Together, they went flying back through the underbrush
Running over to where they appeared, Meg pushed through the branches. Both men were still at it, and they looked like they were out for blood. As she watched, Mark transformed into a dark brown wolf with a broad, muscular build and bit down on Artemis’ shoulder. Artemis cried out in pain and surprise, also turning into a wolf. Where Mark was broad, Artemis was lean, yet equally impressive. His dark, dark fur gleamed in the stray rays of light that showed through the foliage around them. He snapped at Mark’s jugular, barely missing. Mark jumped back and circled around quickly, throwing his entire body weight against Artemis, slamming them both into a nearby tree. Chips of bark littered the ground, and many leaves shook loose, falling around them. Mark shifted back into his human form, grabbing Artemis firmly and slamming him again into the tree. The trunk cracked under the force of the impact, showering them with more leaves and bark. Artemis wriggled free of Mark’s hold, barely escaping another slam, and bit into his arm. Finally back on his feet, Artemis disappeared under the surrounding bushes. The sound of grass crunching under his paws quickly diminished as he made his hasty retreat
Mark listened to the retreating steps and felt the very real desire to track Artemis down and rip out his throat. Clenching his fist and channeling his rage, he struck out at the tree, breaking through several layers of bark and skin. As the haze over his mind cleared, he became aware he was not alone. Turning, he saw Meghan standing inside the tree line. Her red brown locks gleamed in the afternoon light and her dark blue jeans and beige colored three quarter sleeved shirt hugged tightly to her curves, accentuating her ample cleavage. She tilted her head to the side, looking at him curiously and exposing the pale, smooth skin of her neck. Before he was aware he moved, he was at her side, his hand cupping her face, running his nose along her sensitive neck. Kissing a line to her mouth, he held her face in both hands and captured her lips in a hard, demanding kiss. Letting go of his rage completely, he lost himself in the desire he felt for Meghan from the first time they met. His many reasons for holding back seemed unimportant. He never wanted anyone as he wanted her, now.
Meg moaned into Mark’s mouth, arching against him. She could feel the desire, the lust emanating from his every pore. She could smell it on him. He wanted her, and the knowledge drove her insane with pleasure. He pushed her back into a tree and held her there. She breathed in his scent and lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist and pulling him closer. His lips left her mouth and began trailing down her neck and chest, biting at her through the fabric of her blouse. Eyes wide with passion, she dropped her legs and pulled him to the ground, straddling his waist and kissing him hard. Still kissing, she reached down and undid her pants, pushing the jeans down and kicking her legs free of the fabric. Rolling her to her back, Mark looked down at her with lust filled eyes, taking in her pale, flat stomach and strong, toned legs. He ran his hands down her sides and hips, reveling in the feel of her smooth, silky skin. Meghan reached up and unbuttoned his pants, licking her lips seductively as she pulled down the zipper. She pulled him free of the material, and he felt the last of his control snap. Pushing her thin blue panties aside, he took her, eliciting a moan from them both. Moving in time with each other, they let the passion take over, filling them, soothing them, completing them. Clutching Meghan close through the shaking of their shared climaxes, Mark felt his mind clear. Looking down at Meghan, he felt a wave of tenderness run through him. He would do anything to protect her. That much had not changed, but he didn’t feel the overwhelming desire to kill anymore. He was no longer a slave to his rage, consumed with blood lust and anger, on the verge of madness. The only thing he wanted to do was hold Meghan, kiss her, show her the love and tenderness she never knew, and heal her wounds at last. He loved her. He loved her with his entire being.
Meghan moaned and rolled over, sitting up and feeling sated. Standing, she picked up her pants and pulled them on, dusting the grass and dirt from her clothes and hair.
“Meghan, are you okay?” Mark stood behind her, straightening his own clothing.
“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?” She looked back at Mark, waiting for his response.
Mark walked over to her, putting a gentle hand on her cheek. He felt the need to be extra tender, given how rough their lovemaking was. “That was,” he searched for the right word and could only think of, “amazing.”
“It was sex, good sex, but still just sex.” Stepping away from his hand, she walked back through the trees, looking at the spot where Susan was taken. Walking to that spot, Mark following behind, she knelt and ran her hand along the ground, picking up pebbles from the pavement.
“Susan was here,” Mark said, catching her scent. Meghan nodded and looked off into the distance, distracted. He watched her carefully but decided not to mention again what happened. After what he went through, he felt he understood better what could be happening to her. Before their joining, he felt as though his brain was shut down, his emotions taking over, and he felt almost certain that it was caused by someone else. If the same thing was happening to her, if someone was manipulating her emotions, she was probably confused, running on instinct. It made sense, given the dark presence Nicole sensed around Meghan earlier.
Meghan dropped the pebbles and watched the vision play out, more than familiar with how they felt by this point to recognize it for what it was. She could see the man in her earlier vision carrying a large bundle over his shoulder into a building. Looking closer at the building, she could see the sun bleached outline of letters on the brick. Not every letter was visible, but it was enough. She knew where Susan was.
The vision faded, and Meg found herself kneeling at Mark’s feet. Standing, she turned to leave and felt Mark’s hand on her arm, holding her back. Looking deeply into her eyes, he spoke. “You asked me before if I ever faced my greatest fear. I’m afraid of losing control, hurting those around me. There is this rage inside me that terrifies me.” He almost looked away but managed through great force of will to keep his eyes on her.
“Why are you telling me this?” Meghan looked away, thinking of Susan and that maniac who took her. She would make him pay for what he did.
“I want you to know you’re not alone.”
“I have to go.” Slipping her arm free of his grasp, she quickly ran from the lot.
Mark sighed and looked around the empty lot. Vaguely remembering that David was trying to contact him, Mark established a connection, feeling sick as David filled him in on what happened. Here he was a slave to his rage, trying to kill a man and ignoring calls for help from his friends, and Susan was probably fighting for her life. If only he helped her sooner and looked into the problems she was having with her case, maybe he could have prevented this from occurring. If anything happened to her, he would be responsible. Asking where they were, Mark left to meet up with Nicole and David. He prayed Susan didn’t end up paying for his mistakes.
* * *
Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, a dim light became visible around the edges of the door. It wasn’t nearly enough. Susan struggled again against her bonds, but they were tight. They gave enough to let her thrash around without actually getting anywhere. She pulled against the ropes until long after her wrists and ankles cried out for her to stop. She tried jerky motions to break the ropes. They held. She tried to wriggle slowly free from the knots. They remained tight. She tried rocking the bed to break it or loosen the ropes where they were anchored. She was rewarded with a spring popping loose, to poke her in the back, and sore, tired muscles.
Susan stopped moving and stared up at the dark ceiling. This was it. She was going to die here. She’d never see John again. Gary would kill her, and then he would kill other women. He would keep going until he was caught, which, with a cop in his pocket, could be never. How many more people would die, she wondered. She thought back to the police reports she read. She knew how he would kill her. It would hurt, and he was going to enjoy it. How could she work with him everyday and not realize the kind of man he was? She was supposed to be good at reading people. She was an attorney. She read clients, juries and judges for a living. Then again, she found out about his dealings with Officer Bryant, and she suspected he was involved with the crimes, though not like this. Maybe she shouldn’t be so hard on herself. Of course, none of that mattered, anymore. None of her suspicions or theories could save her, now.
Closing her eyes against the horrors the empty room made all the more real to her vivid imagination, Susan let herself wallow in memories and thoughts of what would never be. She thought of the sound of John’s voice, the way he looked when he smiled. She could imagine what that smile would look like on their wedding day, how she would look in her dress as their friends smiled on in support and happiness for them. Their children would have his smile and her eyes and they would be together always. She saw moonlit walks and romantic kisses shared in love, a love they so recently professed for one another. Now, they would never get the chance to explore that love, to make those memories, to hear those words spoken again from each other’s lips. The only thing left was her memory of him, and that would soon be taken from her, striped away by a madman’s whim of grotesque desire. Tears welled up in her eyes and ran silently down her face to a puddle near her ear. She opened her eyes and stared at the faint light from the door. No, this wasn’t over, yet. Things were bleak, and she may not make it, but that didn’t mean she would give up. There was still a chance someone would find her in time. John would miss her almost right away, and people knew she questioned her boss’ involvement in the case. Someone could still make a connection and find her. She would hold out with that hope and keep her eyes and ears open for any opportunity to escape. Feeling energized again, Susan meticulously went over every possible scenario in her head. When the time came for her to act, she would be ready . . . if the time came.