by Joe Conlan
As Shem approached the pavilion, he decided he would stand next to one of the supporting posts so that he could hide his face behind it, if necessary. At three minutes to nine, he heard the sounds of a car’s engine coming from the direction of the parking lot. Several minutes later, Annie walked up the pathway toward the canoe rental station at a brisk pace straining her eyes in the meager lighting to scan the area in search of the agent. She noticed what appeared to be a large person standing behind a post and wondered if Edwards was concealing himself to make sure she came alone. When she was about ten feet from the pavilion, a tall, heavyset man wearing a baseball cap, stepped out from behind the support pillar and pointed a stun gun at her chest. She turned to run while reaching for the pepper spray she had placed in the right pocket of her windbreaker. Before taking her first step, she was struck by an electric charge that initially sent her upper body into convulsions. Seconds after, everything went dark.
Chapter 24
The sounds of water rushing and the rhythmic chirping of what seemed to be thousands of crickets gave Annie the false sense she was dreaming of her younger days as a girl scout camping in the Green Mountains of Vermont. When she heard the voice of Alex Trebek from another part of the house, asking the contestant to respond in the form of a question, she knew she wasn’t sleeping. At first, formulating thoughts didn’t come easy. A thick haze seemed to shroud her brain making her head feel like it weighed five hundred pounds. The room was pitch black. She tried to get up out of the bed in which she was lying then realized she was bound to its posts. She attempted to slip her hands through the noose, but the harder she tried, the tighter the knots squeezed at her tender wrists.
When the cobwebs cleared to the point she was able to think rather than just react, she tried to recall how she got herself into this mess. She concentrated long and hard until finally she decided her last memory was the conversation she had with Agent Edwards. Going over the details of their discussion, suddenly the rest of the events that took place that night came back to her. She remembered driving to Birch State Park to meet him, parking her car next to his Crown Victoria and walking toward the canoe rental pavilion. When the man with the stun gun stepped out from behind the pillar, she had a split second to see his face before she turned to run. In that brief instant of time, a terrifying image was engraved in her memory. His features, especially the eyes could only belong to one man.
The realization that Agent Edwards was Damien Drysdale drove Annie to the edge of panic. She fought fiercely to free herself from the rope, but that just caused her more excruciating pain. The thought of being at the mercy of the psychopathic maniac sent violent shivers up and down her spine. When she could no longer stand the agony caused by the friction of the rope against her skin, she ended her desperate attempts to free herself. She came to the conclusion that if she wanted to think more clearly, hysterics would get her nowhere. Though she was unable to rid herself of an underlying sense of dread, she was able to calm herself enough to try to get her bearings. It frustrated her that the room was so dark she could barely see five feet in front of her. She listened intently to determine if she could hear evidence of the monster’s presence in the house. As she lifted her head off the pillow, she heard footsteps climbing a staircase.
Seconds passed that seemed like hours when finally the door opened blinding her with light flooding into the room from the hallway. While her pupils constricted to a size small enough to clear her vision, she could make out the silhouette of a tall, statuesque-like man standing under the doorframe gazing down at her. If she wasn’t in a state of terror when she first realized her predicament, the expression on her captor’s face and especially in his eyes catapulted her into full scale panic. This man had no good intentions. That fact became even clearer when she noticed the gleaming butcher’s knife in his hand. Annie tried to scream, but all she could muster was a barely audible squeak. Looking over her body in the direction of the knife, she realized for the first time she didn’t have on a stitch of clothing. Her naked frame was totally exposed being there were no sheets or blankets on the bed. She didn’t have the wherewithal at that point to notice that she was lying on a filthy, old, used, and mildewed mattress. Her exclusive concern was what the monster could possibly have in store for her.
For Annie, time continued to pass in super-slow motion. What felt like an eternity was actually mere seconds. The man she knew as Damien Drysdale stood in the doorway without moving a muscle. His menacing stare appeared to be fixed on her throat. She fought to free herself from the twine with all the strength she was able to convoke.
“You’re not gonna get away. No one can hear you,” he said.
Annie slowed her efforts to escape and looked up at the monster. The contorted smirk on his face made her tremble from head to toe. In a feeble voice that was hardly comprehensible, she muttered, “Damien, why are you doing this to me?”
That was the wrong thing to say. Referring to him by a proper name infuriated him. He was “Nameless.” She had no right to address him, much less call him by his former alias. He was at her side before she even noticed he had moved and slapped her across the face without holding back any of the power of his exceptionally-muscled arm. The blow broke her cheek bone. His large fingers were imprinted in red on the right side of her face and her nose was bleeding profusely. She half-wept half-screamed. The acute pain from the fracture and the horror of her situation was putting her dangerously close to completely losing her mind.
“See what you made me do. It’s your fuck’n fault. Don’t even think about calling me that name again. Don’t even speak to me unless I allow it...I’ll cut your fuck’n vocal chords out. I wouldn’t test me. I’ll enjoy every second of it.”
Annie always knew that Hannah’s murderer was an evil, psychopathic maniac. It didn’t prepare her for this. He was the devil incarnate. She was as good as dead. Feeling the crushing weight of her despair, she turned her face and attention away from him to grieve for herself. That was her second mistake. Shem grabbed her by the hair and violently tugged her head toward him so that he could look into her eyes.
“I wasn’t finished,” he bellowed. Annie didn’t think the horror of the last ten minutes could get worse. She was mistaken. Shem laid his knife on a table beside the bed and began to disrobe. After he slipped out of his underwear, he retrieved the knife. With its sharp edge, he traced a circle around the nipple of Annie’s right breast. Blood spilled down her bosom onto her stomach. The sight of the bright red, life-sustaining liquid gave him an instant erection. This time, Annie was able to scream at the top of her lungs. With a closed fist, he struck her in the mouth, chipping two of her front incisors and splitting her lip. He achieved the silence he was seeking. The punch nearly knocked her out, putting her in a state of semi-consciousness. The additional blood was also a benefit, but still not enough. He cut around the left nipple as he had done on the opposite side, this time piercing deeper into the skin to create a stronger flow. With blood oozing from her breasts, mouth and nose, Shem could no longer control his hunger for sex. He cut the twine binding Annie’s wrists and ankles then flipped her over on her stomach. Over a period of forty-five minutes, he reached orgasm four times penetrating Annie from the rear. He wasn’t aware she was unconscious after the first minute.
The sanctions were lifted on Daniel’s cell block on his third Sunday in the prison. Monumental wasn’t the correct adjective to quantify his relief. She didn’t show up for visiting hours again that morning and he was worried out of his mind for her. At his first opportunity after lunch, he stood in line at one of the three pay phones on his cell block. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the phone, dialed the operator, and advised her he was making a collect call. Annie set up her phone system to allow any calls to her home to be redirected to her cell phone. So Daniel was confused when the operator told him there was no answer and he should try again later. He requested she give it one more attempt. She complied with no better luck.
Frustrated, Daniel slammed the receiver down on the hook and walked away. This was the second visit Annie had missed. Now, she wasn’t answering her phone. He couldn’t imagine one of the only people on his side might have turned her back on him. If he couldn’t get in touch with her later in the day, he would try her Mom. Annie told him she instructed her mother to accept Daniel’s call if he had any problem contacting her. If worse came to worse, he would have one of his brothers or mother try to touch base with Annie.
Two hours later, the cell block was given their second opportunity of the day to make phone calls. Daniel was too keyed up to wait. Just standing in line for the pay phone was about all he could bear. After what seemed like another two hours, but was really 20 minutes, it was finally his turn. He tried Annie’s number for the third time that day with the same result. Coming to the conclusion that something was definitely wrong, he requested to make a collect call to Mrs. Bryan’s number. When she answered, the operator made her required speech indicating Mrs. Bryan was receiving a collect call from the New York Federal Prison from Daniel Falcone, explained the tariffs, and that the call would be recorded.
“Do you wish to accept the call Ma’am?”
“Yes, please.”
“Go ahead Mr. Falcone.”
“Hello, Mrs. Bryan. I’m so sorry to...”
Cassie stopped him midsentence, blurting out in an uneven voice, “Daniel, my Annie is missing. She disappeared on a Thursday night more than a week ago and no one has heard from her since. I’m so frightened for her. That maniac either has her or... I can’t even think about what he might have done to her.”
“God damn it. I knew the bastard was biding his time. Mrs. Bryan I’m so sorry. I’ve been worrying about this for a while. It’s no coincidence... just after I’m convicted of murder and sentenced to death, he’s back to work.” Having more than enough idle time in the prison, Daniel had numerous conversations with himself about the host of possible consequences of Annie’s kidnapping. The case profiler, Jonathan Frazier, and he had also analyzed the issue together several times before Daniel was arrested. Daniel had formulated distinct opinions on how it would go down. They predicted that the killer had special plans for Annie. It wasn’t his normal practice to spend months stalking and choosing a victim. Both men agreed Drysdale would most likely take his time with Annie. Daniel wouldn’t share that part with Cassie. He continued, “I know it’s not gonna put you at ease, but I really think we have time to find her. I’ve done a lot of reflecting about this. So did our profiler. We don’t think his immediate intentions are to kill her. Who’s handling this for the FBI?”
“What does that mean? What are his intentions? Daniel, you’re scaring me.”
Daniel had to say something and fast. Any hesitation on his part and Cassie would know he was lying. There was no way he could admit the truth to the mother of a daughter who would probably have to endure weeks, if not more, of pure hell. “Our profiler says Drysdale thinks he’s in love with Annie. That’s why he was stalking her. Annie’s smart. She’ll know how to play him. She’s a survivor Mrs. Bryan. Now please, who’s handling the case?”
“Well so far I’ve spoken to Agent Leland and Agent Frye. I think Agent Frye is heading the investigation. Leland was promoted to some higher position.”
“I can’t say they’re my favorite people in the world, but I know they’re very competent agents. I’m sure they’re doing everything in their power to locate Annie. Do they have any leads yet?”
“I don’t know what that means. They found Annie’s car at Birch State Park, if that helps answer your question. They assume she was kidnapped there. They tell me they have no idea where he might be. They still don’t even know his name.”
“This guy is slippery as an eel. If there’s anyone who can get through something like this, it’s your daughter. I’ve got to get out of this damn place. I feel so helpless. I would be searching the streets for her right now if I could.”
“I know you would, Daniel. Please pray for my Annie. I just don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her.”
“I don’t know how I’m going to keep updated on what’s happening. It’s a sure thing Leland and Frye won’t talk to me. Being totally out of touch with the rest of the world’s been driving me crazy.”
“Feel free to call me collect whenever you want. I don’t mind. I could use someone to talk to who cares about Annie almost as much as I do.” At that point, the damn broke and Cassie Bryan could no longer hold her emotions inside. She began to sob uncontrollably.
“I know it’s not easy, Mrs. Bryan, but try not to get too upset. I’m telling you, I really believe they’ll find her. We’ll work through this. Are you sure you don’t mind if I call you? It’s not cheap.”
Once Cassie was able to speak again, she responded. “I think I’m gonna need to hear from you Daniel. Call any time you want.”
“Thank you. My time’s up...I have to go. If there’s anything you can think of that I can do from here, let me know. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“ Take care of yourself, Daniel. Bye.”
The frustration and anxiety Daniel was suffering was almost beyond his capacity to manage. He slammed the phone down and almost broke the receiver in half. He had to find a way out of this place. To be totally helpless while Annie was in the hands of the demented killer made him feel like a caged animal. He decided he had to get in touch with his lawyer, Alan Shipman. Annie met with him to obtain a list of appellate lawyers. Now he wouldn’t be able to get his hands on it unless he was able to get in touch with his ex-lawyer. He hoped Shipman would accept his collect call. An appeal wasn’t going to get him out of prison any time soon. At least he would feel like he was doing something. Perhaps these recent developments could get him a new trial.
The first snow of the season arrived late that February in the lower elevations of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Giant icicles hung from the eaves of Shem’s front porch like the pearly white fangs of the Alaskan polar bear. The crystal clear spring water of the rapids ran through an endless field of pure white snow. Sunlight reflected off crystals of ice that cascaded down the cataract creating the illusion of a waterfall of diamonds. It truly was a winter wonderland outside the confines of Shem Chassar’s hideaway cabin. Inside, the contrast couldn’t be starker.
Annie never knew whether it was day or night. The room that was her prison was in perpetual darkness. Even when the monster left her door open, there was rarely any light coming from other parts of the house. She was in constant pain. The drugs he gave her to deaden her fighting spirit were no relief. Her cheeks were bruised and swollen, the broken bone left to heal on its own. The friction of the twine binding her wrists and ankles to the bedposts had rubbed the skin raw. The area surrounding her areola continued to sting as if she were being branded by a red hot poker, aggravated every time the monster entered the room by a reopening of the lacerations. Her anus, swollen and torn, ached constantly from the growing number of assaults. He was visiting her room every couple of hours to relieve his exceptionally high sex drive. Each violation was accompanied by a new infliction of pain. He had beaten her about the head and face, cut her in various places on her torso and extremities, thrown her on the floor and kicked her in the ribs managing to break two of them. Breathing was hard work. Maintaining the will to live was even more difficult.
She couldn’t remember the last time she ate. He mentioned something about bringing her a meal. He hadn’t kept his promise. She wasn’t sure she would be able to get any food down anyway. It was excruciatingly painful just to open her mouth. He wasn’t taking her to the bathroom often enough either. There were times she was forced to cope with the agonizing discomfort of a full bladder. He warned her that if she soiled or wet the bed, there were ways to make her suffering much worse. She couldn’t comprehend that notion, but she wasn’t about to test it if she could help it.
The few hours of repose between sessions were her only reprieve, if one could c
all it that. At least the pain and the drugs were preventing her from having any real clarity of thought. If she were able to use too much of her time to contemplate her misfortune and worry about her mother, she might have already given up. Sleep would have been all but impossible if it weren’t for the sedatives. Every so often, she was able to catch a five or ten minute catnap. Consciousness was never far away. The pain was seeing to that. When she was able to formulate coherent ideas, they mostly dealt with escape. In spite of all the monster’s attempts to smother her instinct to survive, Annie still held a primitive hope, no matter how slight, wanting desperately to flee.
Shem, on the other hand, was feeling like a kid in a candy store. The gorgeous winter wonderland outside only added to his good humor. They said revenge was sweet. It tasted better than he could ever have imagined. Since the agent’s incarceration and death sentence, Shem had been riding on an unparalleled high. Now that Annie was his, life was about to get even better. The day he shook her hand upon their first introduction, he had to excuse himself promptly in order to avoid the public embarrassment of his obvious erection. Then, when he discovered he could reach orgasm by simply touching her clothing, it confirmed her unique ability to give him pleasure without blood. It was a done deal at that point that he must possess her. He could only imagine how pleasurable his orgasm would be when he felt her warm blood against his skin. At the time, he didn’t realize it would be something that he would crave so badly. The rapture he experienced the first time he took Annie was almost spiritual. The second and third time was no different. He always knew he would keep her for a while. Now, he wasn’t sure there was an end in sight, at least not until he thought about what it might be like to fuck her headless body.