“How did you do on the Tower of Terror?”
It was the young hippie-looking man with a ponytail from earlier in the day. He was putting money in the Coke machine.
“Oh. We did fine. In fact, it was my favorite ride of the day.”
An older gentleman walked up behind Cynthia with his ice bucket and stepped up to the machine when she was finished.
“So, you didn’t get queasy at all?”
“Nope.” Enough small talk with this guy. She had a horny husband waiting for her. “Well, nice to see you again.” She walked away.
Halfway back to the room Cynthia heard the young man calling to her, so she stopped and turned around.
“I think you dropped this.” He held out a twenty-dollar bill. “I found it on the floor by the ice machine.”
What was that odd scent—his cologne? It seemed familiar to her. “No, it can’t be mine. I didn’t have any money with me. But thanks.” She started to turn.
He grabbed her arm and whispered into her ear. “I’ve got a gun in my pocket, so do exactly as I say, Cynthia.”
She jumped back a bit.
“Easy.”
Pipe tobacco. Larry’s pipe tobacco—that’s what she was smelling. He looked so different without the beard.
“I don’t want to kill you, but I will if I have to. Because if I can’t have you, nobody can.”
Their door was twenty feet away. Why hadn’t she walked faster or just ignored the pony-tailed man? There were probably a dozen or so people in the lobby below. They would hear her cries for help. But would she be dead by the time anyone could get to her?
**********
Greg finished drying off, and looked through the new sleepwear Cynthia had bought for him. He picked out a pair of red silk boxers with an industrial-looking label across the front that said ‘Warning: Highly Flammable.’
As he walked out of the bathroom, he heard someone knocking on the door.
“I hope you remember the password,” he said in a loud singsong voice. Holding in his stomach and flexing his muscles, he would model his new boxers for her.
But when he flung the door open, he was shocked to see Sandy and Rebecca. And Chaucey Reed and some guy—maybe her friend from the other night. “What are y’all doing here?” He stepped back, grabbed his robe, and put it on.
Sandy laughed. “It’s a funny story, Man.”
“Well, come in for minute.” As happy as he was to see his old buddy, he had more pressing matters—like pressing himself up against his wife, thank you very much. But he would not be rude—as long as they left soon.
Rebecca said, “So, are y’all having a good time?”
“Oh, sure. We spent the day at Disney-MGM, and rode all the rides and saw most of the shows.”
“Which park are y’all going to tomorrow?” said Sandy.
“EPCOT, I think.”
“Rebecca and I might be there too.”
“Really?” Greg was beginning to think he had missed a lot of what went on between his friend and Rebecca while they were looking for Cynthia.
“Yeah. And we could meet up with y’all for lunch and a couple of rides. If it’s okay with you.”
“Sure.”
Rebecca jumped in. “But we don’t want to impose.”
“No, no,” said Greg. “That would be fine.”
Sandy noticed the red light flashing on the hotel room phone.
Greg saw the concern in his eyes. “What?”
“Have you listened to any of your messages?”
“No. We just got back to the room about fifteen minutes ago.”
“So, then you don’t know about Larry?”
“What? Did the police catch him?”
“No.” Sandy had assumed, and was hoping, that Cynthia was in the bathroom. “Greg, where is Cynthia?”
“She went to get some ice. Wonder what’s taking her so long?”
Sandy’s face went from concerned to panicked. “Greg, we think Larry might be here in Orlando.”
Greg ran out the door and down the hallway. The four visitors followed him. When he got to the ice machine, he began to freak out.
“Check every hallway, every floor! I’m going to the parking lot! We cannot let him get away!”
38 - LOVE NEST
“Where are you taking me?”
“To our little love nest,” said Larry, as he shifted into third gear.
Cynthia could only hope that Greg was following the Jaguar.
“You know the police are looking for you.”
“Well, I wish them good luck. Because they’re gonna need it.”
“You understand that I don’t want to be with you.”
“Yes. You’ve made that very clear.”
“Then what are you planning to do? Are going to rape me, Larry? I really thought you were more of a man than to do something like that.”
“Save your breath, Honey. Psychology won’t work on me.”
“So, is that all this is about?”
“It doesn’t matter what you say, Cynthia. Whether you’re a willing participant or not, it’s gonna happen. And I’ll remember it the way I want to.”
“You’re sick, Larry. You really do need help.”
“No, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m not sick. Remember? I’m lucky. Lucky Larry.” He laughed.
“How can you still think you’re lucky? I got away from you once already.”
“But now I have you back. I have the love of my life.”
“I’ll never love you.”
“Sure you will. Tonight you’ll do a strip tease for me and beg me to get undressed. Then you’ll tell me how much you love me over and over again, as you satisfy me in every way. It will be the night of our dreams, Baby.”
There had to be a way out of this mess, she thought. “And then what? You’ll just let me go?”
“That’s the plan. If you do everything I ask you to do, you’ll be back with Greg by morning.”
But would she be alive? And if so, would she wish she was dead?
**********
“Hey!”
The young couple sitting in their car was startled by the crazy man in the bathrobe banging on the window.
“What’s your problem?” The young man yelled back, afraid to open the window.
“My wife was kidnapped. Did you see a man drive away with a pretty redhead?”
The young man rolled down the window. “Maybe. I’m not sure if her hair was red.”
“Yeah, it was,” said the woman.
“Did they leave in a dark green Jaguar?”
“I don’t know what kind of car it was,” said the man. “But I think it was green. Definitely some type of sports car.”
“Thanks,” said Greg. “And I’m sorry I scared you.”
He rushed back inside and found Sandy, Rebecca, Chaucey, and Crow in his room. Rebecca was sitting at the table, working at her laptop. Greg had not even realized she’d brought it.
“I found a couple making out in the parking lot. They saw Larry and Cynthia leave in his car. But I have no idea where he’s taking her. How am I ever going to find them?”
“Rebecca’s re-reading his last chapter,” said Sandy.
“He wrote another chapter?” said Greg. “Is that how you knew he was here in Orlando?”
Greg got in Sandy’s face and yelled. “Why didn’t you warn me?”
“I tried—but your cell phone was turned off and you didn’t listen to the message I left you,” he said, pointing to the phone on the night table. “I’m sorry. I should have told the desk clerk.”
“It’s okay.” Greg calmed down a bit. “It’s not your fault.”
Chaucey walked over to where Rebecca was sitting. “Any clues?”
“Not yet. But you know he probably gave one or two,” said Rebecca.
“Yeah,” said Chaucey, “he loves to do that. Thinks he’s smarter than everybody else.”
“For the apartment in The Woodlands, he used the name Revo En
im,” said Rebecca, “which, of course, is just ‘Undermine’ spelled backwards. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he did something like that again.”
Greg said, “Yeah, but we don’t even know if he’s taking her to a motel or an apartment or what.”
“I can’t imagine him renting an apartment,” said Sandy. “He knows the police are looking for him, so he wouldn’t want to stick around for too long.”
“Good point,” said Rebecca. “So, I’ll look for anything that could be the name of a hotel.”
Chaucey leaned in close and read over Rebecca’s shoulder. She found something and pointed to it on the screen. “What about this? He’s talking about making his fantasy come true in Orlando?”
“What does that tell us?” said Greg.
“Try searching on the words ‘fantasy’ and ‘Orlando,’” said Chaucey.
After a few seconds, Rebecca said, “Bingo. Orlando Fantasy Hotel. That’s got to be it!” She clicked on the link, which took her to the hotel’s website.
Sandy opened his cell phone and called the number on the screen.
“Yes, can you tell me if you have a Larry Luzor registered there?”
“What was the name again?”
“Luzor. L-u-z-o-r.”
“No, we don’t.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Now what?” said Greg.
“Wait. He wouldn’t use his real name, would he?” said Chaucey.
“Doubtful,” said Rebecca.
“Call back, Sandy,” said Greg. “Ask for a Mr. Ruzol, which is Luzor spelled backwards.”
Sandy called the hotel and asked. But they had no Mr. Ruzol.
Just when Sandy was about to hang up, Crow said, “Ask about ‘Bigy Rules.’”
“What?”
“Bigy Rules,” said Crow.
Although Sandy couldn’t imagine where Crow was coming up with the name, he tried it anyway. “You do? What’s the room number? 343. Thanks.”
“You’re kidding me,” said Rebecca.
“No,” said Sandy. “They actually have a guest by that name.”
“Crow, how did you come up with that?” said Chaucey.
“Roulz. R-o-u-l-z is Luzor with the letters scrambled. And I figured he’d like that one since it sounds like rules, r-u-l-e-s, because he thinks he rules.”
“Okay,” said Rebecca. “But where did you get the ‘Bigy’?
“Well, you were telling us all about Larry while we waited for the bus. And you said his real name is Lawrence Igby Luzor. So I just swapped a couple of letters in the name ‘Igby’ and got ‘Bigy.’”
“You’re smarter than you look, Crow,” said Rebecca. “No offense.”
“Bigy Roulz,” said Chaucey. “Yeah, that’s him. No doubt about it.”
“Come on,” said Greg, rushing out the door, “we’re gonna outsmart Mr. Bigy this time. But we’ve got to hurry.”
**********
As Larry pulled the Jaguar into the parking lot of the Orlando Fantasy Hotel, Cynthia saw that there was a group of teenagers getting out of a bus nearby. Larry wouldn’t shoot her in front of all those witnesses, she thought.
“Now, I’m warning you, Cynthia. Don’t make a scene or you’ll regret it.”
She nodded humbly.
“Okay, let’s go.”
They got out of the car. Cynthia started running. She ran as fast as she could toward the hotel.
Larry thought about pulling out his pistol, but saw the kids and decided against it. So, he ran after her. “I’m gonna get you,” he yelled out, as though it was just a game.
She ran to the side entrance. Once she reached the front desk, she’d be safe. He might be capable of killing her, but she didn’t think he was prepared to shoot the desk clerk and several others.
But the door was locked, and according to the sign, required a key card at night. Larry was approaching quickly.
Cynthia ran to the back of the hotel, where the big garbage bins where kept. It was dimly lit, and smelled like rotten fish.
Larry flew around the corner only to see something flying at his head. He ducked, but the large cinder block clipped his forehead anyway.
Seeing that he was stunned for the moment, Cynthia turned to run away.
But he lunged at her, grabbing her leg on his way down.
She tried to kick free, but he latched onto her like a bear trap.
As he crawled up her body, his dizziness began to dissipate. Finally, he planted himself on her thighs and pulled out his gun and pressed the barrel into her left ear.
Cynthia wondered if this would be her last moment on earth. Was this where she would die—in this smelly place behind a hotel? A popular hangout for rats and other vermin, no doubt. Her body would look like one of those cadavers on the CSI show—the top of her head blown off. Maggots coming out from everywhere. Could she fight him off and wrestle the gun out of his hand?
“Is this what you want? Huh? You want to die right now?”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run away. That was stupid of me.”
“And you shouldn’t have hit me in the head. That could have left me brain dead.”
She wished.
“I’m gonna give you one more chance.”
“Okay.”
He started to get up, but changed his mind. “You don’t even think this gun is real, do you?”
“What? Of course I think it’s real.”
“Or, maybe you think it’s not loaded.” He pointed it toward the sky and fired.
Cynthia jumped. Even with the suppressor muffling the sound, there was no doubt he had just fired a bullet.
“Let’s go,” he said, as he got up and helped her to her feet. “Time to get it on, Baby.”
39 - LARRY'S GIFT
“Okay, Baby, our time has finally come,” said Larry.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” said Cynthia.
“Alright. But don’t be long.”
She went into the bathroom and locked the door.
Larry opened the French doors and went out onto the balcony. He breathed in the crisp, 60-degree air. Wonderful night for his dreams to come true. It would take just a few minutes before Cynthia realized there was no escape. She could go out the bathroom window. But they were on the third floor, so it would be a killer jump. And there was nothing in the bathroom that could be used as a weapon—except maybe a towel to strangle him with. Good luck with that, Honey.
He took out his pipe and inspected it. Thank goodness it had not been damaged during the scuffle downstairs.
After puffing away for several minutes, he heard Cynthia calling to him from the bathroom.
“Larry? I’m sick.”
“Sorry about that. Come on out.”
“No. You don’t understand. I’ve got diarrhea.”
He tried the doorknob. “Unlock the door.”
“Believe me—you don’t want to come in here.”
“Unlock the door, Cynthia.”
“No. I’m embarrassed.”
“You’ve got five seconds to open this door before I kick it in! One…two…three…”
The door opened. Cynthia was fully dressed and the bathroom was odor free.
“Nice try. Now get your sweet little butt out here.” He closed the French doors. “Go over there to the bed.”
Cynthia walked to the foot of the king size bed. “Why are you doing this to me, Larry? You said you loved me.”
“Oh, I do. Always have, since high school.”
“Okay, then. So, why would you want to rape me? If you really love somebody, you don’t force them to have sex with you.”
“Well, I don’t necessarily have to rape you.”
There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“You can do it willingly.”
“I’m a newlywed. Are you trying to destroy my marriage?”
“Not at all. In fact, I want you and Greg to stay together for the rest of your lives.”
She was speechless.
> “Yes, I want you two to be happy and raise a wonderful family.”
“Then, let me go.”
“I will let you go. As soon as we’re done.” He pulled the pistol out of his jacket pocket and secured it under the waistband of his pants. Then he took off the jacket and tossed it on a chair. “Now, take off your blouse. And do it in a seductive way. Make it fun.”
“Fun? You just said you wanted Greg and me to be happy.”
“That’s right. I want y’all to be happy so the kids will be happy. So, our kid will be happy.”
Cynthia was terrified. And the hope of getting away unscathed was fading fast. “You want to get me pregnant?”
“Yes.” He smiled proudly.
“You’re a monster!”
He laughed. “That’s right. And this monster is gonna load up your womb with his monster sperm tonight, Baby. Now, take off your blouse before I rip it off!”
She reached for the top button and unhooked it.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” He practically jumped up and down in anticipation.
**********
Greg, Sandy, Rebecca, Chaucey, and Crow were in a taxi, on their way to the Orlando Fantasy Hotel.
“Are we going to try to get a key or just break down the door?” said Rebecca.
“I can do it,” said Crow. “I’ll knock down the door.”
“But what if it’s a solid door, and you have trouble getting it opened?” said Greg. “We need to surprise him.”
Sandy knew that Greg had not read the latest chapter about how Larry wanted to get Cynthia pregnant. But there was no reason to add to his worries. They were getting there as fast as they could.
Chaucey said, “If the desk clerk is a man, I can get the key.”
Rebecca said, “I’ll bet you can, Honey.” Men could no more resist a woman like Chaucey than they could resist a fine sports car, she thought. And this one was fully loaded.
The taxi dropped them off in front of the lobby.
“Y’all wait out here,” said Chaucey.
The desk clerk was male and in his forties. Piece of cake, she thought. “Hi.”
“Good evening.”
She giggled. “I feel so silly. I’m afraid I went off without my key. I was in a hurry when I left for dinner. It’s sitting right there on the TV in my room.”
Greg Tenorly Suspense Series Boxed Set Page 58