Sam stared at Molly, his face scrunched. He could feel the heat burning through his cheeks, and his heart was still racing. He couldn’t believe she’d tried to pull that trick. She was regaining consciousness, and she’d get what she deserved after trying to escape like that. Sam had no intentions of getting caught. That one mistake would be his last.
He strapped her head down with a short rubber cord that stretched over her forehead and hooked on either side of the gurney. Her chest, hands, and legs were already secure. She couldn’t thrash around, even if she tried.
Once again he considered the idea of selling blood, especially after that close call. Maybe he wouldn’t kill her just yet. She would be of more use to him as a living donor. The work area had enough room for two more tables if he moved equipment around. He couldn’t afford gurneys, but he’d rig up something else, maybe even chairs nailed to the floor, if he had to.
That new plan would give him plenty of blood for his mom and extra to sell. He could quit his menial hospital job, lie low, and draw blood every day from the women he had captured. Nobody would be the wiser, and the search for the killer would dwindle. Within a month, it would be considered a cold case. The news channels wouldn’t broadcast it anymore. The only time he’d go out would be to buy groceries and to sell the blood. As soon as the state-funded health care for his mom was approved, he’d stop killing, Adeline’s health would improve, and life would be good again. Sam was sure of it.
Molly squinted and saw him standing over her. She opened her mouth as if to scream. Sam balled up his fist and cocked his arm.
“Do you want me to hurt you?”
“No. Why are you doing this? Why am I here?” she sobbed. Tears rolled down the sides of her face, pooling in her ears.
“Not your concern.” Sam tossed a blanket over her body. “You’re going to be lying there for a while. You might get cold.”
He held her clothing and walked to the door. Her clothes would stay with him. He looked over his shoulder at her before leaving the room. The straps were as secure as possible without cutting into her skin. There would be no escaping a second time. Sam closed the door and locked it at his back before entering the house. He had more research to do. He had to know how much blood he could safely draw from any one body on a daily basis. He already knew the shelf life of blood when it was refrigerated and kept at a constant temperature. That part wouldn’t be a problem. His most important task was to find a reliable source to sell it to.
Sam entered his mother’s bedroom and unplugged the laptop on the side table. He carried it into the living room, where he noticed Adeline had fallen asleep on the couch. He carefully lifted the TV remote from her hand and turned the volume down, then he took a seat on the recliner. He watched as his mom slept peacefully.
Sam typed some key words into the search bar and began scrolling the page. He clicked on numerous websites and read for hours. He caught his head bobbing more than once as the night went on. He finally closed the laptop and set it on the coffee table next to his chair. He’d continue the research tomorrow and plan to find two more women. Sam checked the time. It was late, and Adeline still had to be helped to bed. He’d begin with Molly in the morning, then buy two used tables or chairs at a secondhand shop and figure out how to make them suit his needs.