"Relax," Tim said, as he opened the door to the SUV "Rick hired her to take care of getting rid of their security. You ain't gonna believe the shit I seen this lady do."
"I want the eyes," Mabel said. She walked up to Animal, looking at him as an elderly schoolteacher might look up into the face of the school bully as she chastised him. "Rick Shectman said I could have an eye!"
Animal looked at Tim. "What the fuck?"
"She's cool. I'll tell you all about her later. Now, come over and help me get Lisa out.'
Animal joined Tim, and together the men hoisted the box out of the SUV Tim produced a box cutter and sliced the tape that bound the box shut. He opened the flaps and grinned. Lisa Miller lay curled inside, still knocked out. "I'll carry her out to the site if you carry the equipment. Camera and stuff is in the back" He reached into the box and grasped Lisa beneath the armpits and hoisted her up.
Animal reached into the rear of the van and grabbed the tripod and the black leather carrying case that contained the camera.
"You bring what you need?"'ISm asked. Lisa was out of the box now, and he threw her limp, unconscious form over his shoulder.
"Yeah" Animal motioned to the Saturn. In my car."
"Go get it!
• Tim and Mabel waited while Animal retrieved a duffel bag from the backseat of the Saturn. The hooded sadist slung the strap of the carrying case over his shoulder, picked up the tripod with his left hand, and the three of them trudged up the hill.
It was slow going. They had to stop halfway up when it became obvious that Mabel was going to have a hard time making it up the incline. Tim felt a flash of irritation as he marched behind her. Rnally, he stopped and put Lisa down. "Why don't you go over the incline and set the shit down and then come back for us;" he called out to Animal. "I can't watch after this old bag and carry this bitch at the same time."
Animal nodded and trudged up the hill.
He returned ten minutes later and, with Tim's help, the three of them made it over the incline into the little valley. Animal helped Mabel step carefully down the indine, guiding her down by gripping her arm, steering her down a safe path. Mabel talked to him the whole time, relating the same background she had given 75m on the way over. Several times Animal glanced at Tim as if to say this woman ain't shittin' me, is she? And each time Tim had nodded. She ain't bullshittin'you, buddy. She is what she says she is. By the time they reached the bottom of the incline, Animal was treating the old lady as if she were his grandmother.
Tim motioned to a rock set against. a small rise. "Why don't you have a seat and enjoy the action, Mrs. Schneider`
Mabel maneuvered herself to the rock and sat down. She was perspiring, and she looked happy. "My pussy's getting wet just thinking about-this."
Tim tried not to show his distaste at the image she'd just presented to him, and helped Animal set up the camera. Lisa lay slumped on the ground, her hands and feet still bound together. Once the camera was set up on its tripod and Tim had checked to make sure he had a fresh tape, he turned to Animal. "You ready?"
Animal nodded. He opened up his bag, brought out a large hunting knife. He grinned. Tim nodded, catching the rise of the sadist's penis from the open crotch of his leather chaps. Why Animal chose to wear leather chaps at these gigs, Tim could never understand. He always got blood on them, and blood was hard to wash off of leather.
Tim moved Lisa into position, then went back and checked his camera angles. Animal stayed out of camera range, poised and ready. Tim lined up the shot, made some adjustments, then hit the Record and Pause buttons. The tape was set. Now all that was needed was to wake their star up.
Tim reached into his bag and pulled out a syringe and vial. He filled the syringe, being careful not to draw too much of the Narcan in, and then lightly tapped it with his forefinger to get the air bubbles out. "I fixed this stuff up before l set out this morning. Should wake her right up."
"What is it?" Animal asked.
"Narcan. It reverses the effects of morphine-based drugs. They use it in ERs when people OD."
Animal was watching intently. That needle doesn't look big enough. Aren't you supposed to jab her in the chest? You know, put that shit into her heart?"
"Nah,"Tim said, finding a vein in Lisa's forearm and injecting the drug. "'That's only in extreme cases, when somebody's flatlined. They use adrenaline shots for that. This'll wake her up fine." He pulled the needle out and waited for a reaction.
The three of them watched Lisa, waiting for her to wake up. After thirty seconds, Animal said, "V. ll?"
"It could take about five minutes; Tim said.
"My flight leaves in four hours," Animal said." he faster I can fuck this bitch up and kill her ass, the quicker I can clean up and get the fuck out of here"
"Okay, okay, hold on.' Tim Murray felt the time pressure, too. He fixed up another dosage of Narcan, measuring out two milligrams' worth, searched for a vein, and slid the needle in. He injected it into her system and then sat back, waiting.
"You gonna untie her?' Mabel asked, grinning.
"What the fuck for?"
"Not much fun watching her die tied up," Mabel responded. "At least loosen the knots a little. Make it more exciting. After all, isn't he going to fuck her first?"
Tim turned to Animal. "What do you think?"
"What's this shit supposed to do to her?"
"It's supposed to block out all the effects of morphinebased drugs," Tim replied. "I only gave her enough morphine to knock her out a little. The Narcan should wake her up long enough for our film. She'll be conscious, but she might still be fucked up from the smack. She won't be much of a fight. Your call!
Animal nodded. "Untie her. I can handle her."
Tim set the syringe down and leaned over to untie Lisa. He laid her arms down at her side, her legs lightly spread. "You want her clothes off?"
Animal shook his head. "No. That's what knives are for."
Lisa's eyes flew open and began blinking rapidly as she began taking rapid breaths. Tim stepped back, picking up the syringe and his bag. He moved behind the camera to get started. He wasn't even able to start the film rolling before he heard Lisa Miller's first piercing scream.
When she came awake it was with a sudden rush.
She'd been swimming in a syrupy lake of deep, clogging sludge. She didn't know how she'd gotten there, but she knew if she stayed down much longer she'd never wake up. She had been struggling to break to the surface, fighting to break free and breathe, but her arms were pinned to her sides and it had been hard to break through the current. The lake she was in was so thick, so resisting, it was like fighting quicksand.
And then she was suddenly shot out of the quicksand and her eyes were open, the sunlight glaring in her eyes. She felt the heat of the sun on her bare skin, felt the air caress her body, felt the sting along the inside of her elbow, and for a moment she didn't know where she was. Her eyes watered in reaction to the sudden light. Her heart raced madly as she tried to remember what happened. She had been sitting in front of the TV vegging out, trying to stay out of the dark place that was the memory of that awful weekend when she had been kidnapped by that perverted psycho and almost murdered. That weekend she had seen Debbie Martinez horribly violated, then she'd lost her baby. The images of that weekend flashed through her memory as her eyes adjusted to the light and she was no longer swimming in that deep pit of quicksand. She was aware, she was conscious, and she was being confronted with what had happened for the first time since she had been knocked out. And what she saw brought it all back to a screaming reality.
And then her vision swam back into focus and the first thing she saw was the man in the leather bondage hood, standing bare-chested in front of her. She recognized him immediately as the man who had raped and tortured Debbie Martinez in that cabin in a time that seemed like a thousand years ago. The same man who told her how much he liked inflicting pain on other people, and how he enjoyed killing them. The same man who had later killed Deb
bie, Alicia, and Mandy after shed escaped. She saw him standing there, bran dishing a large butcher knife, sporting a huge erection, and she screamed.
She screamed, scrambled back, and fell, not even aware of the rough dirt that bit into her flesh. She heard laughter and it was all coming back to her. Her escape from the snuff-film makers, how she and Brad had been lulled into a false sense of security at the Luxor, how she thought they would never find her. And then how they had been fooled when that old woman had come in looking so helpless and lost, asking to use the phone because she had been separated from her church group, that old seemingly harmless-looking woman. The same old woman she had seen slitting John Panozzo's throat…
The old woman in question was sitting on a rock, grinning in anticipation. Lisa screamed again, her heart racing. She felt suddenly hot, flushed with adrenaline. She and Brad had been fooled! They had sent an old woman, an old woman that nobody would have guessed to be a killer, and they had done it under the noses of a hotel full of expert security people.
A shadow loomed in front of her and Lisa blinked, her eyes adjusting. A clean-shaven, familiar face grinned at her. Lisa recognized him instantly, even without the beard: It was Tim Murray, the man in the red van who had kidnapped her. "Remember me?" he asked, grinning. "You didn't think we'd let you get away, did you?"
Lisa felt her panic rise as she looked around. Tim Murray was getting behind the camera. The old woman was rising to her feet, her features a mask of gleeful anticipation. Animal took a step toward her, his penis bobbing like a divining rod, the sun gleaming off the blade of his knife. She scampered backward, whimpering. "No!"
"Try to make it last, Animal," Tim said from behind the camera.
They were going to make her suffer, that much was dear from that statement. If that was the case, she was going to go down fighting.
Animal was on her swiftly, pinning her down. Lisa tried to scramble back again, but she only succeeded in scraping her knees. Animal grabbed her hair and shoved her to the ground. She pushed herself off in an attempt to make a run for it and she felt him grab her again. Thenshe was slapped across the face, the blow hard enough to send her to the ground. Her cheek stung, and the slap awakened her. Her face was in the dirt, and she pushed herself up in an attempt to run for it when Animal pinned her down from above. He grabbed her from behind, his forearm getting her in a headlock. She felt his body over hers and she could feel his erection probe against the back of her thighs. She screamed and bucked, trying to throw him off, but that only made him tighten the pressure around her throat. She saw stars, felt her body grow warm, her heart racing. Her breathing was fast, panting. He's going to kill me! He's going to rape me and kill me!
She felt Animal's fingers and hands ripping at her nightgown, tearing it off. A rough hand moved between her thighs, pushing them apart. She struggled, trying to throw him off her back and scramble away, but he had her down. She could feel his penis against her buttocks as he pushed her to the ground, his forearm releasing his grip from around her throat. She used the opportunity to scream, and then she felt the weight off her back disappear and she took advantage of it. She bolted and felt a crash at the back of her head, spilling her to the ground. She tasted a mouthful of sand and grit, her eyes watering. Rough hands ripped her panties off, cool air caressed the back of her thighs and buttocks. Then she felt his bulk over her again, pinning her to the ground. She slapped at him, her fingers clutching leather, and she pulled. She heard a grunt, felt a blow to her chest, her face, and she batted at his face, grabbing his mask again. She pulled the mask off his head just as she felt a blow land on her throat. She fell back, gagging. She dropped the bondage mask, clutching her throat, breathing heavily, and then she was pushed back to the ground on her belly. She caught a brief glimpse of the man she had met back at that cabin, that handsome man who looked like he could have been a young doctor or a lawyer in her firm, the perfect image of the young, good-looking, urban professional. That face now wore a mask of blood lust. She gulped for air and she was realizing that when she pulled his bondage mask off, her arms had probably helped deflect the blow to her throat, otherwise she'd probably have a harder time breathing. She took a deep breath, mustering up her strength for another round of struggle, when she felt the hardness of his penis seeking entry from behind, moving into the rough region of her dry vagina.
No! Fight him! A warm flush flowed into her body; she felt highly agitated, her breathing coming in harsh pants in time with her racing heart. She felt the presence of his body over hers, not as pressed down as before, still holding her on her hands and knees, her belly resting on the ground. He was straddling her, his hips over her ass, his penis working its way between her legs to her sex while he tried to force her legs apart with his hand. His face was six inches from hers, to her right, and she felt him grip her hair with his left hand, tilting her face to his. His eyes gleamed, his All-American boyish features frightening. "You like it, bitch?"
Lisa panted, meeting his gaze. She could feel her anger building as she grew more agitated; she felt like a bundle of live wires. She wasn't going to let these bastards take her down without a fight. The adrenaline pouring through her system was reawakening her; no longer did she have the luxury to cower in fear. She had to fight. She had to be ruthless. She had to survive at whatever cost.
Animal's grip on her hair tightened, the pain in her scalp exploded. He was gathering fistfuls of her hair in his hands as he moved her head close to his, his eyes narrowed slits. "I asked you a fucking question, bitch! Answer me!"
All she was aware of was that blinding pain in her scalp along the back of her head. She could barely feel the presence of his body over hers, didn't even know if he had entered her with that vile thing that hung between his legs. She wasn't aware of anything except that loathsome face in front of her, that loathsome face that probably made women swoon. It was an inch from hers, leering at her. "You fucking listening to me, cunt?"
Lisa answered him the only way she could. She reached out and grabbed ahold of his nose… with her teeth.
And she bit down as hard as she could.
Animal screamed and instantly jumped back, dislodging his position over her. She held on, pulled up by his flailings, and she could feel her teeth slice through skin and cartilage. He bellowed and swung with his fists, striking her side, her back, but she refused to let go. She felt her energy surge, felt that she could run a thousand miles with all this energy, so she used it to her advantage. She brought her hands up to his head and moved her thumbs over his eyes, pushing them in.
This time, Animal howled.
She pushed Animal's eyes as hard as she could, and now she was actually on her feet; he had pulled her into a standing position in his flight to get away from her. She concentrated on one thing: killing this sadistic sonofa bitch who had given her nightmares and made her afraid. She focused her mind on trying to hurt him, using her rage and hate to propel her past the pain from the blows he was raining down on her body. She moved into position, still clutching his nose with her- teeth, her thumbs still pressing his eyeballs in their sockets, and then she blindly brought her knee up into where she hoped his crotch was.
It connected.
Lisa felt her teeth rip the flesh of his nose as he was driven to the ground from the blow. She tasted blood and snot. She stumbled, almost fell back, but fought to catch her ground. Animal was doubled over, howling in pain, and the adrenaline was running through her, prompting her to rush him and hurt him again, when she felt strong arms grab her from behind and pin them to her sides.
She yelled and twisted her body, trying to throw her attacker to the ground. She fought so wildly, so ferociously, that she caught him off guard. She sensed his surprise and didn't even hesitate to proclaim victory. She used her weight to offset his balance, and they fell to the ground. She landed on top of him. His grip on her loosened a little, and she slithered away. A grasping hand reached out and grabbed her. She kicked back with one bare foot, the heel hitt
ing the side of his chest. She jumped to her feet, eyes darting around, trying to collect her bearings. Tim Murray was getting to his feet, his features twisted in an angry grimace. Animal was on his side, doubled over, writhing in pain, still howling and yelling. And the old woman was hobbling toward her, a large knife in her hands, her face twisted in madness.
Lisa turned and ran, scrambling up the incline, her bare feet slapping the rocks and hard sand. The highly agitated state she was in helped propel her forward, and she ran like she had never run before, quickly leaving Tim Murray and the old woman behind her. She didn't look back even when she reached the top of the incline. She simply continued running, heading down the hill toward the SW.
"You bitch!" Tim Murray yelled behind her, and she heard his pounding footsteps as he gave chase. She pressed on, flying over rocks and foliage as she reached the desert floor. She paused, looked over her shoulder, saw that Tim was twenty yards behind her and quickly gaining, and she pressed on.
When she reached the SUV she fumbled with the door, got it open. The keys weren't in the ignition, nor anywhere she could see. Her panic rising, she slammed the door shut and checked Tim's progress. He was ten yards away and gaining. She darted around the side, keeping the vehicle between herself and Tim.
"I'm going to kill you, you fucking bitch!" Tim huffed. He was five yards from her, circling around the other side of the SUV She could hear his labored breathing dearly. Her own breathing was rapid, her heart still hammering in her chest. Her energy level was high, her senses incredibly sensitive. She felt warm. She moved to the right, trying to see where he was. She caught a glimpse of him through the windows. He glared at her. "You're going to wish you had never done that " he said. "You are going to suffer."
She quickly dropped to the ground in a sudden burst of inspiration and scooped up a handful of sand, coming back up in a flash. Tim dashed to the rear of the SUV and she ran around the front. They pinioned off each other. The incline was at her back now. Something scratched at her ankle and she glanced down: a bundle of twigs, blown by the rising winds.
Survivor Page 27