Beneath the Layers

by Caitlyn Willows

  “Help! Fire!”

  A flying tackle smashed her to the ground. Air whooshed from her lungs. He yanked her head up by the hair, weighed her body down with his groin indecently pressed to her backside. A porch light clicked on, glinting off the blade of a pocket knife in her captor’s hand. He pressed the tip against the pulse at her throat.

  “One word and I’ll cut you here and leave you to die. It doesn’t much matter to me how I get you out of my life. I just want those pictures and videos.”

  So, this was about Susan’s blackmailing, not the ketamine. That gave her something to work with, but not much. She felt his erection growing against her and prayed it wouldn’t come to that.

  The porch light went out, and with it, Midge’s last hope of quick rescue. As much as she longed to cry out, the knife against her throat was too great a risk.

  He waited a few minutes longer. With a slash, he cut off one of her sleeves and bound her wrists together.

  “Now we’re going to play things my way.” He hauled her to her feet.

  “I’m telling you that you’ve got the wrong person.”

  “I saw that dude pick you up at the bar the other night. I followed. I’ve been following you ever since. I’ve got the right woman all right. Red hair… Brown hair… It doesn’t matter. I know it’s you. I’m sick and tired of them dragging their heels with you. This shit’s gonna end tonight.”

  With the knife blade poking her ribs, he forced her back to the house. His grip on her elbow grew a little tighter, more intense with each step. She realized that as angry as he was now, it was a wonder she was still alive.

  As they walked up the driveway, Midge saw yellow crime tape draped over the front door. She tried to take note of the house numbers, the yard, the house itself and those around it. Black film covered all the windows. No one could see in or out of the place.

  “You didn’t think I’d remember, did you, Red? But I did. I sat outside your little home last night and thought real hard about where you took me the night you fucked my brains out.”

  He shoved an evil leer in her face. “I was pretty drunk that night, but it finally came to me. It took a little street-by-street searching, I’ll admit, but I’d be damned if I’d let someone like you get the better of me. And now, we’re back. Aren’t you glad to be back?”

  He tore the tape away with a swipe of his knife then reached above the sill and pulled down a key. He unlocked the door and shoved her inside. Midge stumbled and fell onto the dusty carpet. A flick of his wrist flooded the room with dim light from a bare bulb hanging from the center of the ceiling. Other than a large couch and a beat-up dinette set in the kitchen, there was no furniture.

  “On your feet.” He grabbed her arm and yanked her up. “Into the bedroom with you.”

  “No…please… You have the wrong person.”

  He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her in that direction, flipping switches as he went. “Where are they, bitch?”

  Midge struggled to keep her wits about her, to not show fear. It was impossible. Her abductor wouldn’t listen to reason.

  He kicked open a door at the far end of the hall. Mirrors covered the walls and ceiling. A four-poster king-size bed with a black and gold velvet bedspread dominated the room. The whole thing looked like a cheap porn set gone bad. He shoved her against the mattress.

  She stumbled. He didn’t give her time to recover. Smashing her down, he cut off the other sleeve, tore it in two, bound one leg, flipped her to her back and bound the other.

  Midge stared at the huge mirror hovering over her. Her own reflection stared back, cheeks bruised and red, eyes huge dark smudges. She’d give anything to not be able to see what he was about to do to her. She’d recorded testimony of such events too many times. She knew what was coming. Tears threatened. Closing her eyes, she gathered her courage and thought of Kurt.

  There was a violent tug against her shirt followed by the sound of ripping material. Cool air brushed her exposed skin.

  “What the hell is this!” He grabbed the edge of the tape holding the wire in place. “Trying to get more ammo against me?” With one yank, he tore the wire away and her skin with it.

  Midge cried out.

  “Shut up. That’s the least you’ll get if you don’t give me what I want.” He nestled the blade between her breasts, slicing her bra in two. And, finally, he cut away her jeans.

  “There. Now you’re gonna give me what I want.”

  Can’t the monster see I’m not the same woman? We’re nothing alike. Why doesn’t he see?

  He covered her body with his. Midge bit back bile and squeezed her eyes tighter.

  “Scared?” He laughed. “Good.” His hot breath grazed her neck. His teeth were next. “Where are the pictures, the videos?”

  “I don’t know.” She sobbed.

  He shifted to her right breast. “Where?”

  “I swear I—”

  He bit hard. Midge screamed. He bit the other breast harder. Her stomach. Each mouthful mocked her lack of power, her inability to escape.

  “Please, don’t. I don’t know. Please.”

  Lower he slipped, viciously biting her thighs, her calves, then he settled between her legs. His breath curled against her pussy.

  “Tell me or I swear I’ll bite it off. Then I’ll start cutting that pretty little face of yours.”

  “No, I’ll take you to where they are,” she cried.

  Damn Susan. Damn her to hell.

  * * * *

  Kurt had driven down this same street half a dozen times. No sign of the vehicle, Midge or Parsons. He’d passed Everest earlier and they’d split the town. Jess’ appearance soon after divided the area in smaller chunks. Every so often, they’d crossed paths to exchange information. Nothing.

  He spied the surveillance van approaching ahead. Jess flashed his lights, telling Kurt to stop. He obliged, pulled up alongside and buzzed his window down.

  “Anything?”

  “Possibly,” Jess replied. “Everest called. He went by that house Forton rented and found Midge’s heels in the driveway. Told us to meet him there. He’s already searched the house. There was no sign of her, just her clothes.”

  Kurt did a fast three-point turn and sped in the direction Jess gave him. What the hell reason would Parsons have to take her to Forton’s? Was he involved in the ketamine, too? His head spun.

  Within minutes, he braked to a stop in front of Forton’s rental. Jess was close behind. Local law enforcement had beaten them to the scene. One barred their march to the house. A flash of a badge and a wave from Everest gained them entry.

  “What did you find?” he demanded to know. “Is there any sign of her?”

  Everest motioned him passed the crime scene tape into the barren kitchen, then waited for Jess to catch up.

  “I found her high heels discarded in the driveway. The tape on the door was ripped away. After calling it in to the locals, I went in. They were already gone. I found drops of blood leading from the bedroom to the living room door.”

  His locked his gaze on Kurt. “Her clothes were torn off her and left behind. The bedspread is gone. He might have wrapped her in it.”

  Kurt grabbed Everest by the front of the shirt. “Are you saying she’s dead? Is that what you’re saying?”

  Jess peeled his hands away. “Calm down, son. If she were dead, there’d be a whole lot more blood than a few drops.”

  Kurt shrugged away Jess’ hand. “Not if he strangled her or cracked her skull with his sledge-hammer sized fists.” He took a deep breath. “All right. What made you decide to come here?”

  Everest smoothed his shirt. “Forton rented this house at Bolotnik’s request. Since he felt she was a possible link to the ketamine, coming here was a logical conclusion.”

  “This isn’t about the ketamine.” Kurt clenched his jaw.

  Everest lifted an eyebrow. “Isn’t it?”

  “Fuck, I don’t know anymore.” He raked his fingers through his hair.
>
  “All right, let’s dissect this logically,” Everest said. “What does Parsons want?”

  Kurt released a frustrated sigh. “The video and pictures Bolotnik’s been using to blackmail him.”

  “He’s obviously not the brightest star in the sky. Patience isn’t one of his virtues, if he has any. So, he jumps to conclusions and take matters into his own hands.” Everest stared into space and rubbed the dark stubble on his jaw. “Does Midge know where Susan lives, and would she give her up to Parsons?”

  “Yes.” Kurt ran for the door. Midge wasn’t stupid. She was a survivor. Now all they had to do was get to her in time.

  * * * *

  Wrapped in the bedspread, Midge drove the man’s car to Susan’s house. Her captor never once took the knife from her throat. An unfilled pothole, a hard turn and she’d be dead. His huge hand jolted when Midge drove over a dip in the road and a hot line of blood trickled down her neck and over her breast. The nightmare drive seemed to stretch out forever, but she saw her turnoff and pulled to a stop in front of Susan’s darkened house.

  He shoved her against the car door and ordered her to do as she was told—as if she had a choice. Shaking, she crawled from the vehicle, clutching the heavy bedspread around her. When she lifted her hand to the doorbell, he smacked it down.

  “I’ll take care of this.” He smashed his booted foot against the wood. It splintered beneath the force.

  “In.”

  Grabbing her once more in that paralyzing grip, he yanked her across the threshold. Light poured from the bedroom down the hall. He hustled her in that direction. They met Susan halfway, fumbling to tie the belt on her pink robe. She gasped and tried to run to her room. The man grabbed a fistful of her hair and hauled her back, stripping her of the robe. Susan was naked beneath it, a fact she didn’t bother to hide. Surely now he would notice Susan was the woman he’d sought.

  “What the hell is this about?” Her voice was arrogant, rude, queen-like.

  “I want those pictures and videos.”

  A sneer curled her lip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Midge, what have you dragged me into? You two had better get the hell out of my house or I’m calling the cops.”

  A growl exploded from him. He smashed his fist across Susan’s face once, twice. Her head snapped with each blow. Blood spurted from her nose. The confident look from a moment before was replaced by pure fear. Midge shook off her shock and dashed for the door. The man grabbed her hair before she could get two feet.

  “In the bedroom…both of you. I’m going to get what I want, one way or the other.”

  They had to do something. They were two against one. They could surprise him, outwit him. But Midge couldn’t pull free of his inhumanly strong grip, and Susan was too dazed to understand the severity of their situation.

  He bound them to Susan’s bed, tying Midge’s leg to Susan’s, spread-eagle. He paced at the end of the bed, staring, laughing, aroused and rubbing his cock through his jeans.

  “Working together, I’ll bet. Taking turns with the troops. Eeny, meenie, minie, moe.” He pointed to each one, settling on Susan. Crawling between her legs, he unzipped his jeans. “This is how you like it, isn’t it, pumpkin? I could do this all night…to both of you.”

  The bed bounced for what seemed an eternity. Midge squeezed her eyes shut against the horror and wished she could do the same to her ears.

  Susan cried out for help, for mercy. It only made him wilder.

  His grunts, his laughter, his cry of victory when he finished… It was a nightmare forever etched in her memory. And her turn was coming.

  She dared a peek at Susan after he was done. She stared into space, wide-eyed, vacant, a zombie. If not for her shallow breathing and trickling tears, Midge would swear she was dead.

  Cigarette smoke drifted her way. Midge focused her gaze to its source, to him. That evil leer split his features. He strolled toward her, cigarette poised, a thin silver stream drifting up from its burning end.

  “Now…where shall I start? I know…on that pretty little face of yours.” He took a deep drag of the cigarette and leaned over her with its red glow trapped between his fingers.

  Midge stared in horror as the ember grew closer and closer. She could feel the heat.

  “Get the hell away from her!” Kurt hurled himself across the room and smashed full-force into the man.

  Midge saw another flash of movement, more men. Jess…Everest. Why the hell didn’t one of them untie her? Instead, they swarmed around her captor, taking him down and cuffing him. It was Everest who started to cut them loose. He helped Susan up first. All she did was crumple to the floor. Then he reached for Midge.

  Kurt shoved him back. “Don’t touch her. She’s mine.”

  His expression was painful to see as he loosened the cut ropes then reached for the edges of the bedspread. His gaze passed over her, pausing at the bloody bites that marked her body. He paled then flushed crimson. His eyes blazed like blue diamonds.

  “Son of a bitch. Fucking son of a bitch!”

  Kurt whirled around on the man, pounding blow after blow into him, chest, face, gut. Midge clutched the cover around her and scrambled to the far side of the room. Jess and Everest shouted at him to stop. Nothing pierced Kurt’s rage.

  He hauled the big man up by the shirt, lifting him off his feet. Midge had never seen such strength. He hurled the man against the bed then continued his assault, kneeling on the man’s chest, pounding him with blow after blow. The force of the struggle, their combined weight, broke the bed. With a groan and a shriek of tortured wood, the entire thing collapsed.

  Jess and Everest grabbed Kurt from either side, trying to haul him off the man.

  “Stop it! You’re killing him!” Jess roared.

  Midge sobbed. Kurt loved her. Nothing would make him stop until she was avenged. Nothing except…

  “Kurt, please,” she somehow managed to say. “Please. I need you.”

  He froze, dropped his bloodied fists and staggered from the bed. Two strides brought him to her side. He wrapped shaking arms around her.

  “I love you, Midge. God knows, I love you.” He cradled her to him, rocking her gently while brushing kisses over her cheeks.

  “I love you, too,” she whispered.

  A low whistle of surprise pulled their heads around.

  “Look what we found,” Jess said.

  DVDs spilled from the broken box springs. Susan, now wrapped in her robe, stood with a deputy sheriff, staring into space.

  Jess cupped Kurt’s shoulder. “You all right?”

  Kurt nodded.

  “Why don’t you take her to the hospital? You know what has to be done. We’ll finish up here. Paramedics can take care of Bolotnik.”

  Kurt scooped Midge into his arms. When she tucked her head against his shoulder, he carried her out to his car.

  “What has to be done, Kurt?” she asked.

  He swallowed hard. “They have to photograph you. Take evidence. Do a rape kit.”

  She shook her head. “He didn’t rape me. Only Susan.” She let out a small sob and clutched him tighter.

  “The rest has to be done, sweetheart. Evidence.”

  “You, Kurt. Only you. No one else. Please.”

  “Only me, Midge. No one else. I swear it.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Are you ready, honey?”

  Kurt didn’t know if he was ready. How could he ask Midge that? They’d been given one of the two private rooms in the ER to photograph her injuries. The bedspread was evidence. He’d had no choice but to call Zach and ask him to bring her some clothes. Kurt was told he’d arrived and was wearing a groove in the floor of the waiting room.

  “I’m ready.”

  Her voice was just above a whisper. Despite her consent, it still took her a while to open her hospital gown. When she did, a new wave of rage washed over Kurt. He did his best to put a lid on it, for her sake. She didn’t need anger right now. She needed understanding
and support. He steadied his shaking hands as best he could, then lifted the NCIS camera Jess had shoved into his hands before they’d left the scene.

  “We’ll start from the top.” He gave her what he thought was a reassuring smile.

  She nodded and tilted her head to one side. “He held a knife to my throat. I hit a bump in the road and it cut me.” She shifted slightly on the paper-covered examining table to give him a better view.

  Kurt saw a trickle of dried blood and zoomed in on the area.

  Press the button. Done.

  Take pictures of the finger bruises around her upper arm. Press the button. Done.

  That was the easy part. The livid bite marks covering her breasts and stomach weren’t.

  “Can I at least hide my nipples before you take a picture?”

  Her chin quivered and tears pooled in her wide eyes. Her pupils were dilated, the gray irises no more than a thin rim around them. Kurt longed to tell her she didn’t have to be brave, that she could fall apart, but his Midge was a strong, proud woman. She wanted to maintain her dignity and he wouldn’t take that from her.

  “Of course, sweetheart.”

  Swallowing hard, she pressed her fingers over the peaks of her breasts. Kurt snapped the pictures as quickly as possible. Parsons had broken skin. She’d have to be on antibiotics. Human bites were the worst and the risk of infection great.

  Kurt felt ill. Now he wanted to cry. Instead, he made a big show of concentrating on adjusting nonexistent camera settings so Midge wouldn’t see his distress. When he was sure he was in control once more, he moved to the bites on her stomach, then to the various bruises and scrapes marring her torso, arms, legs and face.

  “Anything else?”

  Midge nodded, took a deep breath and slowly parted her legs. Kurt froze. He wanted to throw up. He tore his gaze from the bites dotting her inner thighs. A single tear rolled down her cheek. He caught it on the tip of his finger and held her in his arms.

  “It’s okay, honey. It’s all over. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

  She nodded and gently pulled away. “Please finish so they can treat me and we can go home.”