Wills returned and said, “It gets warm here during the day, and it won’t get cold tonight so sleep tight.” He turned, flipped off the light, and they heard a door close.
Gripping hands Taylor whispered, “What kind of games do you suppose he wants to play?”
“I’m afraid to think. When it is light, we’ll have a better idea of what’s in this place and if we can get out.”
“If, you said if?” Taylor stuttered.
“How I meant how. Let’s try and sleep. Who knows how much energy we’ll need tomorrow?” Kellie said.
“You don’t suppose he’ll umm rape us while we’re shackled together. I’m not sure I could bear that.”
Kellie said, “No, I don’t think he will. He didn’t rape any of his other victims, and he waited a long time to find us. If that is what he was after, he would have done it by now. I think he’s going to play psychological games like he did when we were kids.”
“And then kill us?” Taylor asked.
“Then we kill him.” Kellie let out a puff of air. “Try and rest.”
“How can I sleep? If either of us rolls over, we’ll bang heads and wake up,” Taylor said wiggling trying to get comfortable.
“Let’s try.”
#####
Kellie woke first to strange sounds. Her quick breath inhale increased her heart rate. She looked around and remembered what had happened. Taylor’s hand was still holding hers. She fought the tears forming in her eyes. She vowed not to let Wills see her cry. Taylor stirred and her body stiffened next to Kellie’s.
“You awake?” Kellie whispered.
“Yes. I wish I was still asleep.” Taylor whispered back.
Wills voice broke the quiet in the house and caused both young women to shudder.
“Good morning. How are we this morning? I’m doing great. It’s nice to be free. Now we’re all together. It’s just like back when we were kids.” Wills laughed.
Taylor’s wide eyes stared at Kellie.
Kellie answered Wills with a question. “Why are we here?”
“To have fun and play. Remember the fun we had when we were kids?”
Her eyes shot over to him, “We never had fun. You scared us and bullied us. You told us awful stories that kept us awake all night. You killed cats in the neighborhood, didn’t you?”
Wills grinned. “I got tired of killing frogs and fish by the river. Cats were more fun. Girls are the best fun. We’re going to play games for a long time.”
He dragged a large concrete block with a chain running through the opening into the room. “Sit on the couch.”
He stood and smiled as he watched Kellie and Taylor struggle to their feet and shuffle to the couch. When they were seated, he picked up the concrete block and set it near their feet. He pulled a new zip tie from his pocket, dropped to his knees, and attached the chain from the brick to the zip tie connecting Taylor and Kellie’s ankles.
He stood again and said, “I’m going down to the lake to take a bath. It’s too bad I can’t trust you or we could all go skinny dipping together. The brick should keep you from running and if you try, remember I won’t be long and I have a gun. Maybe tomorrow we can figure out a way to get you both to the lake for a little skinny dipping. We’ll have so much fun.” He grinned again before he left out the back door.
#####
Hunter woke with a start. He had fallen asleep on the sofa in his den. His back hurt and he stretched. Hunter smelled coffee and smiled at the thought of Taylor making breakfast. The smile slowly left his face when the realization of the previous day hit him. He jumped off the couch when he heard Peter’s voice.
“Peter, did you hear anything?” He asked as he ran into the kitchen.
“No, I would have woken you immediately. I’m making breakfast.”
Hunter shook his head and turned to walk back to the den.
“Wait. You need to eat to stay strong. You can’t do anything to help find Taylor if you get sick.” Peter stared at Hunter. “Sit and we’ll eat.”
Hunter nodded, poured a cup of coffee, and sat at the table.
He lifted the mug with his right hand and set it back down. He scratched the back of his head with his left hand and asked, “Why do you suppose Mike hasn’t called? It’s been over twelve hours. How could they just disappear?”
“No idea, this Berner fella is one sick puppy and who knows what he’s thinking. I do believe they’re safe and will be for a while,” Peter said.
“I don’t know. Like you said he’s sick. He could do anything.”
“Agreed, except he escaped a few months ago. He managed to hide out and not draw attention to himself. You said he liked to torment and bully the girls when they were kids. I have a feeling he’ll do that now. He’ll take time to tease and scare them. Each day he doesn’t hurt them physically is one day closer to Mike catching him. Have some faith, Hunter.” Peter poured more coffee into both of their cups. “Now, eat.”
Hunter’s cell rang. “Mike, did you find them, okay.” He looked at Peter and shook his head. “Thanks, I’ll let him know.” Hunter blew out a big breath and said, “They went over Taylor’s car and didn’t find a clue to their whereabouts. The store’s security cameras had some grainy images of three people getting out of one car and into another. Berner must have scoped out the lot since he parked as far from the cameras as possible and near the edge of the lot where the lighting wasn’t as good. Because of the storm, the lot lights were on, but the one lot light was out next to his car. Even though it was still early, the heavy cloud cover and rain made for poor camera image quality.”
Peter rested his hands under his chin as he listened to Hunter. “If anyone can find them it’s Mike. He loves them as much as we do.”
“I’m not going to work today. You’re welcome to stay here until Mike finds them.” Hunter rubbed his forehead.
“Thanks, this is one time being the boss has its perks.”
The doorbell rang. Hunter groaned. “I bet that’s my mom coming to cook and take care of me. I love her, but she hovers.”
“Go let her in. Hovering is a mom’s job,” Peter said.
#####
Taylor looked at Kellie trying not to cry. “What are we going to do if he figures out how to take us skinny dipping? I don’t want him to see me naked. How can you be so calm,” her voice raised in pitch.
Kellie said, “Wills wants to play games. He still seems immature. Each hour we can keep him happy playing his crazy games is another hour someone may find us or we figure out how to escape. I won’t let him see me crumble. He’ll learn who is stronger and if I have to swim naked, I’ll swim naked.”
“Okay, you always were the brave one. I’ll follow your lead. We’ll survive and get out.”
Kellie smiled at Taylor. “Now, that’s my friend who gets angry and finds the strength to battle whatever needs to be done. Keep thinking that.”
They heard the back door open and the scent of vanilla and lavender wafted into the living room.
“Hi, girls. Miss me? You girls have it made. I found the body wash at the store in the ladies department. It smells so much better than the soap at the asylum. Bathing in the lake is fun. Maybe tomorrow, we’ll all go.” He hummed as he went to his room.
Taylor’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Kellie.
“Don’t worry,” Kellie said. “We’ll survive and no one will know what we had to do unless we share it. We’ll call Wills a liar if we have to, don’t worry.”
“Hunter will never look at me the same if Wills sees me naked or … or …”
“Taylor, he loves you. Don’t let your mind go there. We’ll survive and who is going to believe a psychopath? They’ll think he’s making up stories. They’ll believe us and you can tell Hunter in private. I promise he’ll understand. This is not our fault.”
“I know,” agreed Taylor. “I know Hunter loves me, but it isn’t fair. His best friend was sent to prison a few months ago and now I’m gone. He must be going
crazy.”
“I think he’s dealing with Drew’s incarceration okay and your mom and dad-in-law will watch over him. I’m more worried about your mom and dad. I’m sure your mom is worried about both of us.”
Taylor looked at her with tears in her eyes, “She loves you like her own.”
“I know and if not for her and Aunt Rita I never would have survived my parent’s deaths. I agree this isn’t fair, but somehow we will find a way to end this horror.”
Taylor was going to answer when they heard Wills door open. Taylor gripped Kellie’s hand.
“Hi, brats. I’m back.” Wills was wearing a clean pair of khaki shorts and a green polo shirt. “I bet you’re hungry. There’s no way to cook here, but I bought plenty of food.”
He turned and walked into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with a box of cereal bars and three bottles of water. He pulled two out and tossed the box to Kellie. She caught it and he grinned, “Good catch.”
He tossed both of them a bottle of water and sat in the chair across the room and ate. He watched them eat. “You can have two of them if you’re hungry. I have a lot of boxes in the kitchen.”
After Kellie and Taylor ate, Wills asked, “What kind of games should we play?”
Kellie’s eyes locked with his, her mouth tightened. She took a breath and asked, “What kind of games do you want to play.”
She could feel Taylor trying to curl up next to her while she kept her eyes locked with Wills.
“I bought a lot of board games. We have chess and checkers. I have cards. We could play strip poker.”
Taylor’s quick intake of breath made Wills smile. “Tell me, brat. Are you afraid you’ll lose or win? Which is worse, being naked or seeing me naked?” He stood, gathered the water bottles and cereal bar wrappers, and walked to the kitchen.
Taylor whispered, “He’s worse than a psychopath.”
“Just take it minute by minute,” Kellie whispered back.
Taylor nodded.
Wills stuck his head around the corner and said, “C’mon brats, shuffle into the kitchen. We’ll play a board game.”
#####
A week dragged by in Malone Springs. Hunter reluctantly returned to work to try and keep his mind busy. Peter drove home to Timmus Woods and his mechanic’s shop with the promise he’d return immediately, if needed.
Hunter phoned Mike each day, but there weren’t any new leads. Wills, Kellie, and Taylor seemed to vanish. No one remembers seeing them anywhere the day the women were taken. No police stops along state highways resembled Wills. His vehicle wasn’t spotted on any traffic cameras. For the week, Mike gave Hunter the same report each day.
“We’re not going to find them are we?” Hunter asked his fist pounding his desk.
“Yes, but these things take time.”
“Knock it off, Mike. You sound like a press release.” Hunter looked at his phone pulling back to throw it across the room when he heard Mike’s voice call out his name.
“Yeah, I’m still here. Okay, I’ll try and be patient.” Hunter blew out a large puff of air and set the phone back on his desk.
He rubbed his forehead with both hands. Anger took on a life of its own growing in his midsection. He felt his stomach tighten and bile rose in his throat. His hands moved to the desktop and he gripped the air wishing it was Wills’ throat.
“I’ll kill him with my bare hands,” Hunter mumbled.
His secretary’s knock at his office door broke his thoughts and he tried to push Wills to the back of his mind.
#####
Rain beat against the roof of the small cabin again. The first crash of thunder woke Taylor out of a sound sleep. She reached out and held onto Kellie’s arm.
Her quivering voice whispered, “I can’t believe we’re having another storm. I can’t take it anymore. Being shackled, playing all those stupid board games, and now more storms. I’m going to lose my mind, I am. I know it.”
When lightening flashed and lit the living room, Taylor did her best to roll over and bury her head into the pillow. Kellie rolled toward her to give Taylor room to reach the pillow. She knew Taylor was terrified of storms.
“I want to go home. I need Hunter. I need to be in my basement where it’s safe. What if we have a tornado and we die. Kellie, I can’t do this any longer. If I could just die without Wills hurting me, I would. We aren’t going to live, they’ll never find us.” Taylor began to sob.
Kellie did her best to reach up and stroke Taylor’s hair. She spoke calmly, but firmly. “Taylor, stop thinking that way. They’ll find us. I have faith we’ll get away or Wills will make a mistake. We won’t be here forever. You have been through worse. Wills is human, you have fought ghosts. Stay strong for Hunter and me. I need you when it’s time for us to escape and I’m sure we’ll find a way.”
Taylor’s sobs quieted, “Okay, I’m sorry. I thought I was a strong woman. I’m a wimp.”
“No, you’ve been terrorized. We both have. The only reason I’m not falling apart is I’m angry. Taylor, I have never been this angry in my life. I’m angrier at Wills than I was at the drunken teenager who killed my parents. I have never felt this level of anger. I think it is more rage than anger.”
“Maybe. I’m not angry, I’m scared. This is more frightening than when Thomas, the insane ghost, had me trapped in his dungeon. It’s worse than when you were dragged underground by the shadow. I think it’s because we’re both in danger. One of us always saves the other.” She shuddered as another bolt of lightning lit up the room.
“We’ll save each other again.”
The wind began to die down and the rain fell softly. “I think the worst of the storm has past, Taylor.”
“I hope so,” Taylor sighed.
Chapter Nineteen
The sun broke through the clouds around ten in the morning. Squirrels scampered across the roof and mourning doves could be heard cooing. Kellie and Taylor choked down another breakfast of dry toast and bottled water. Wills decided to save the cereal and granola bars for lunches and loved the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he provided for dinner.
Wills walked into the living room and announced, “This is a special day, brats. It has been a week, and you smell worse than usual. You’re going to take a bath in the lake and wash your clothes.”
When he walked down the hall humming, Taylor stared at Kellie her eyes wide, and terror filled. “It’s the day; he’s going to rip off our clothes. What are we going to do?”
“The only thing we can do,” Kellie answered. “We’ll do our best not to make him angry. Who knows what he’s capable of when he doesn’t get his way.”
“Okay, I’ll try.” Taylor whimpered.
Wills returned with a five gallon plastic bucket and two new white t-shirts and two pairs of boxers.
“Okay, brats, this is what we’re going to do.” Wills wriggled his eyebrows.
Taylor cowered.
“I’m going to cut off the ties holding you together. Then I’ll cut off the ties holding the chain on one of your ankles. You’ll take off your pants and whatever’s under them and drop them in the bucket. Put on a pair of the new boxers. When you’re ready, call me, and I’ll hook the chain up to your legs, but I won’t connect you so you can walk better.”
Kellie bit her lip and looked at Wills. “Is there something you don’t understand brat?” Kellie shook her head.
Taylor sat motionless.
Wills smiled. “Then we’ll repeat this with your wrists and you put your tops and bras in the bucket and put on a t-shirt. When you finish, we’ll go down to the lake. You can take a bath and wash your hair and wash your clothes. It’s warm, and the lake isn’t cold. Your hands will be free so you can remove your shirts. Don’t run. I have a gun.” He stood and strode down the hall. They heard the bathroom door close.
Kellie shook Taylor. “Hurry before he comes back and we’re half naked. We don’t want him to get more ideas than he has already.”
Taylor mumb
led, “Okay.”
Both young women stripped off their clothes and put on the boxers in record time. Wills was pleased to see them changed when he came back. He connected their ankle chains and cut off one set of wrist ties. He left them alone long enough to remove their tops and slip on the t-shirts.
Wills returned and poured a half capful of laundry detergent in the bucket.
“You carry the bucket, Kellie. Here Taylor you carry this.” He handed her a bottle of strawberry body wash.
“Let’s go. It’s your turn in the lake.” Wills said.
He sat and watched them wash and rinse their clothes and then collected the bucket. “I’m going to hang this stuff over the picnic table to dry. You two can have a little privacy to wash up. Don’t wander too far away from this cove or beyond the trees. The lake gets deep and with the chains; you’ll drown.”
He swung the bucket and whistled the tune both Kellie and Taylor had heard dozens of times as he sauntered to the picnic table.
Kellie dropped under the water and stood taking the bottle of body wash from Taylor. She poured some in her hands and worked it through her hair. She handed the bottle back to Taylor.
She smiled. “It’s okay Taylor. He has no interest in us as women. Take this chance to wash up. You’ll feel better. My hair feels clean, and I can’t wait to wash my body.” She dropped under the water again to rinse the body wash from her hair.
Taylor followed Kellie’s lead. After rinsing her hair she looked at Kellie and said, “I do feel better and for once something smells good.”
Wills kept his word and turned his back. Not trusting him, Kellie and Taylor stood in knee deep water when they disrobed one at a time. Kellie held up Taylor’s t-shirt to block her body as best she could while Taylor scrubbed her body. When clean, she slipped on her t-shirt and did the same for Kellie.
Taylor tried to pull the wet t-shirt away from her body. “It’s awful. I feel as if I’m in a sick, twisted, wet t-shirt contest.”
SUMMER OF EVIL Page 17