by Roger Hayden
He set the shotgun on the counter and then pulled a butcher knife out from a nearby holder. Miriam shook with fear as the moonlight gleamed from its blade. He walked toward her with caution, clutching the knife, and then took a knee inches from her neck. “I don’t want to make a mess, so it’ll be quick. Just one slash across the throat. Just like I did to Frohman’s wrists after I forced him to write that suicide letter.”
Miriam struggled to move as rage and adrenaline consumed her. “Bastard…” she seethed.
“Yeah,” he said, looking up. “Nobody’s perfect.”
She felt the pistol handle in her hand, gripping it with all her might and aiming the barrel toward him. She pulled the trigger, firing a round in a loud blast. Trudeau flew back into the pantry and crashed against the shelves. Miriam fired another round, but she didn’t know if she hit him or not. Another trigger pull, and she was out of ammunition. She heard Trudeau kicking and writhing on the ground.
“Stupid bitch!” he shouted. “You shot me in the shoulder!”
She grabbed the bottom counter and pulled herself along the floor and away from him where another ammo clip was stored in her satchel. Her senses slowly returned to her with each heave, followed by intense pain where the round had hit her in the chest. It was no ordinary beanbag round.
As she crawled to the living room, she heard Trudeau stumbling around in the darkness, groaning in pain. He wasn’t going to escape this time. However, by the time she reached the living room, grabbed her satchel, and crawled back to the kitchen, he was no longer there.
Miriam loaded her pistol and waited. She lifted herself up and held onto the counter for support. “Trudeau! Show yourself! It’s not too late.” But she heard nothing. Vision returning to her, she saw a thick pool of blood leading into the pantry, not just a trickle like before. A drawer had been yanked out with towels scattered on the floor and drenched in blood. She inched toward the pantry, prepared to take him down, but suddenly heard a car engine rev from outside.
“No,” she said. “It’s impossible.”
She nearly fell to the ground while trying to rush toward the kitchen. She limped along the way and ran to the living room window just in time to see a silver Mercedes peel out of the garage and speed away from the house in a fury, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. He had escaped, badly wounded.
Miriam limped back to the kitchen and pulled her flashlight from her satchel. She shined it into the pantry and saw that an entire wall had been moved, revealing a small door with several locks. She unlocked the door and went down the stairs, shocked to find two beds, one empty and one occupied, and a trail of blood leading to the empty one.
Fueled by adrenaline, she rushed toward the bed to her left where a young girl was blindfolded and tied at her wrist to both bedposts. The girl shuddered and cried out as Miriam brushed her hair back, removing her blindfold and offering comfort.
“It’s okay, honey. You’re safe now. We’re going to get you out of here.”
“He’s here!” she cried. “He’s here to cut us up!”
“He’s gone,” Miriam said. “Don’t worry.”
She held the girl gently and loosened the knots at her wrists. “What’s your name, sweetie?” she asked, removing the rope and freeing the girl.
“Tara…”
“Tara, who else was with you? Who else does he have?”
“He took her!” Tara shouted. “He came down here and took April!”
Miriam pulled the girl closer and hugged her in a tight embrace. Her skin was cold and she was shaking. Most tragic of all was the wrapped nub where her index finger was. She had found the girls after all, but Trudeau was still out there. He wasn’t going to get far though. Not with Miriam on his trail.
Dear Reader,
Hi! I hope you enjoyed my latest series. Quality story telling is very important to me. It’s my living, and I can’t thank you enough for your support and for taking the time to read this boxset. But the learning never stops, and your feedback is vital to improving each new series I explore.
I would love if you could take a second to leave a review on Amazon here: Leave a Review Here!
If you would be so kind, please leave a review showering the book with endless praise. Of course, I’m joking, but it would be great to hear from you. If there are any issues you had with the story or any pesky errors or concerns, feel free to email me and let me know. I’d love to hear your feedback, regardless. Your support allows me to do what I do, and I’m in your debt. In a way, I work for you, the reader. So let me know if I’m doing the job. Thanks again and, please, feel free to contact me or leave a review for the book at your earliest convenience.
With Gratitude,
Roger Hayden
The exciting mystery continues in The Abducted – Book Two- Coming Soon! Sign Up For Email Updates on New Releases- Click Here
Another girl found. A culprit on the run. And an investigation that has turned deadly. Miriam’s quest is far from over. There are no easy answers, and few people she can trust to bring the case to a close. To find Dr. Trudeau, she must delve into his motivations and discover why he manipulated her from the beginning. April Johnson was the first girl to go missing. Trudeau must have an attachment to the young girl that he won’t let go. The key to stopping him lies in the mysterious of his past—a past that she will have to investigate, piece by piece. Will Detective Hayes and Detective Shelton assist Miriam, or will they find her latest actions indefensible, despite the results? One thing is certain: to capture a madman, they must unite to save April Johnson before it’s too late. Don’t miss the thrilling conclusion that follows in The Abducted: Book Two!
The exciting mystery continues in The Abducted – Book Two- Coming Soon! Sign Up For Email Updates on New Releases- Click Here