He turned to the others. “Wait here for the sheriff,” he instructed Kerry and Bill. “Will you come with me?” he asked Dan. “I may need some back up.”
Dan looked surprised, then nodded. “Of course.” The two men jogged back to the ranch to drive into town. “I’m coming, Laura. Hold on. I’m coming,” Jake whispered over and over again, as if she’d be able to hear him and take the strength and courage he was willing to her.
*****
Lotta smoothed down her dress, her hair crackling wildly around her. She and Flo had been working hard to monitor both sides of the situation. So far she’d managed to avert disaster for Laura, but things weren’t over yet.
Flo popped back into the storage shed, where Lotta was holding vigil. “How are things here?” she asked, her plump face red from exertion. “Goodness,” she exclaimed in the next breath, having caught sight of Laura’s battered face. “What happened here?”
“I know,” Lotta said distressed. “Victoria went crazy for a while there. I managed to stop her by making a noise outside, but it was too late to prevent any damage.”
Flo patted her on the back in comfort. “It’s okay. You did your best. If not for you, who knows what may have happened.”
Lotta sniffed, appreciating Flo’s kind words. “How did things go your end?”
“Wonderful!” Flo beamed. “I got right into the thick of things!” she lifted her wand, waving it around making sparkles shower about her head. “Who knew that poking your wand up a mortals butt could hurt so much? It certainly worked on Walter both times!” She gave a naughty giggle.
Lotta looked shocked. “You mean you did it again?” She had been stunned the first time Flo had jabbed her wand at Walter’s rump when he’d been forcing himself on Laura. She could hardly believe what Flo came up with?
“Of course,” Flo sniffed delicately. “He was choking Jake. I had to do something. I also added a little bit of oomph to Jake’s punch so he could knock that villain out cold.” She waved her fist around as if she was fighting Walter herself.
Lotta took a deep breath. “But are they coming here?” she asked impatiently, worry creasing her brow.
“Of course.” Flo sounded as if that were obvious. “They have Walter and Jake is on his way with Dan. Now all we have to do is wrap things up here.”
“That may not be too easy,” Lotta exclaimed. She nodded towards Victoria. The woman was humming an odd little tune as she stared with unblinking, hate filled eyes at Laura. She reached down and pulled up the leg of her jeans. Still humming her weird little tune, her fingers wrapped around something sticking out of her boot. Slowly she pulled out a long, wicked looking knife, twirling it carefully between her fingers.
Both fairy godmothers gulped in alarm. Things weren’t over yet it would seem!
Chapter Nineteen
Jake and Dan took Jake’s truck and drove quickly into town. Jake parked up in the parking lot, his heart skipping several beats as he spotted the car he’d bought Laura only that day, still in the spot he’d left it for her. His mouth went dry with fear, his fingers gripping the steering wheel hard as he fought his panic. What if he made a wrong move and something happened to Laura? How could he live through losing her? Terror gripped him. He couldn’t, he knew he simply couldn’t be without her.
A strong hand fell onto his shoulder. Jake looked up into Dan’s sympathetic brown eyes. “We’ll get her out safely. I have your back Jake.”
It had been a long time since Jake had felt that dependable bond of trust with Dan, but he knew that in this situation, Dan wouldn’t let him down. He smiled grimly, nodding his head in acceptance. They got out of the truck and quickly moved into the quiet street that housed the abandoned factory. Jake held his finger to his lips, as they moved silently towards the old abandoned storage shed.
Hunching down, Jake slid forwards, trying to get a view of the inside of the building. He slowly lay flat out on the ground, peeping into the cracks of the battered door. The room beyond was somewhat dim and he could barely make anything out. Daylight had begun to slip away and shadows were starting to creep along the ground. Someone moved in the shadows, moving forward to a shape hunched over and lying on the floor.
Jake hissed softly, as he realised it was Victoria bent over Laura. He couldn’t make out what she was doing, even though he strained with all his might to penetrate the shadows.
“You may as well come in Jake. I know you’re out there,” came Victoria’s voice, making him freeze. “Tell Dan to come in too. I see no point in him skulking around out there. You may as well both join the little party I’ve set up in here.”
Slowly, dread filling him, Jake got to his feet and opened the battered door. He glanced once at Dan’s stricken face, before he entered the building with Dan close behind. Jake gritted his teeth at the sight that greeted him as his eyes adjusted to the dimness in the room. Laura’s battered and bruised face made his insides clench in anger and pain. Her stricken eyes, almost swollen shut, gazed back at him, fear glistening in their depths. To his horror, Victoria had tied a noose around Laura’s throat, holding the loose length of rope with one hand, while the other hand gripped a long wickedly sharp looking knife pressed against Laura’s skin.
“I am so glad I thought to bring this baby along,” Victoria smiled cheerfully, holding up the weapon to show them both how sharp and deadly it was, before placing it back at Laura’s throat. “I had a feeling I might need it when we caught this nuisance prowling around earlier.” She pulled on Laura’s hair, forcing her head back. “I picked it up when I went to get ropes to bind her wrists. Don’t you think I’m incredibly clever?” Her eyes glinted with her madness as she looked at them as if she expected their approval.
“Victoria, why don’t you put that knife down before someone gets hurt?” Jake spoke softly, holding his hands out to her in a calming fashion. His heart was beating against his ribs so hard, he wondered if it might come right out of his chest. Whatever happened, he had to find a way to free Laura. Nothing else mattered.
“But that’s the whole point. I want someone to get hurt,” she hissed. “Her!” She pulled again on Laura’s hair, making her whimper in pain. Jake gritted his teeth, stamping down the wild urge that made him want to race across the room and throw Victoria from Laura’s side. He knew he’d never make it before Victoria seriously hurt Laura.
“Why are you doing this Victoria? Laura has done nothing to you. Why don’t you just let her go?” Jake tried to reason with her.
“No!” she yelled. “I want you to suffer Jake. I want you to pay!”
“Why?” he asked bewildered. “What reason could you possibly have to hate me this much? Is it because I rejected you last night? Is that what this is all about?”
She threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, it is so much more than that. But I’m not sure I want to explain it to you. Why give you the satisfaction of an answer?” she seemed to consider it for a moment. “No I think it’s best to leave you wondering…….questioning. That is far more torturous than knowing the truth.” Jake’s heart sank, he’d hoped to keep her talking. Kerry and the sheriff would be on their way once they’d secured Walter.
“I suppose you have Walter?” she suddenly asked, as if she’d read him mind. Her eyes glistened with sudden tears. “Is he hurt?”
“No, he’s fine. In fact, you can see him if you like. I’ll take you to him if you only let Laura go.” Jake tried to talk her round again. He couldn’t understand what connection Victoria had with Walter, but she seemed to care about him a great deal. He would use anything he could to get her to give up Laura.
“I’m not stupid Jake,” Victoria snapped, her golden eyes glowing like a fire had been lit behind them. “You only want this thing.” She glanced down at Laura. “You don’t care about Walter and you don’t care about me. Not anymore. I don’t understand how I lost my hold on you.” She sounded like a lost little girl. Jake didn’t know what to say. He knew trying to fool her that he still had
feelings for her could be deadly. The woman was not an idiot by any means.
“How did you know?” she asked, switching topics so fast she made his head spin. For a moment he had no idea what she was talking about. “How did you find out that Walter was heading for your water supplies with poison? The whole plan was so beautifully laid out. You should have had no idea at all until it hit you.”
“I got Laura’s message.” Jake saw no point hiding that from her.
Victoria’s brow crinkled with confusion. “But we took her phone before she could send it. You’re lying. How did you know really?”
“I’m not lying. I got her message.” Jake held up his phone. “You can see for yourself if you want?”
“And have you grab me, I don’t think so! It doesn’t matter how you found out.” She stared at him with hate filled eyes. “What matters is where we go from here.”
“Meaning what?” Jake asked, frightened by the insanity he could see in her face. How had he never seen it before? How had she hid it from him so well all that time? The pain he could have saved everyone if he’d only seen through her carefully placed mask. If something happened to Laura, he’d never forgive himself.
“Meaning that me and Laura here, are going to go for a little walk. You and Dan are to do nothing to stop us. If you try, I will cut her throat and believe me when I tell you that I won’t hesitate even one second.” She smiled evilly at them. “In fact nothing would give me greater pleasure.”
Jake gulped, his body shivering at her deadly expression. He had no doubt that she meant every word she said. He closed his eyes in frustration. “We won’t stand in your way,” he told her faintly. He looked at Laura, her stricken expression going straight through his gut. Somehow, he had to find a way to get her safely out of this deadly predicament.
*****
Laura hated to see the despair in Jake’s eyes. She wanted to reassure him that she knew his hands were tied. It wasn’t his fault that she was stuck with a madwoman and had not yet found a way to get herself out of this situation. She tried not to think about the fact that she may not make it through this alive. Her heart had nearly stopped when Victoria had produced the long knife she’d been hiding in her boot. Laura had had no idea she was carrying such a weapon. She’d played with it like a toy, waiting for Walter’s return.
Unfortunately, patience was not a virtue with Victoria. She’d become restless when Walter seemed to be taking longer than she wanted for him to get back to them. If only the woman hadn’t gone outside to look for him. She’d spotted Dan and Jake driving into the town and had quickly gone back to the storage shed to wait for them. She’d fashioned the noose for around Laura’s neck, making Laura feel faint with fear. Then she’d cut the bonds at Laura’s feet and waited.
Laura had told her just to run for it, before they got there, but the woman was beyond reason. She wanted to make Jake suffer. Laura had the horrible feeling that Victoria wanted to take her with so she could dispense with her. Destroying Jake was all Victoria seemed to live for. Nothing else, not even her own safety or that of her brother, seemed to matter. Jail was no threat to her.
Pulling hard on the rope around Laura’s neck, Victoria dragged her to her feet, almost strangling her in the process. Gasping, Laura wished her arms were free, so she could loosen the knot around her throat that was choking her. Laura could feel the sharp cut of the metal blade as Victoria placed it against her skin. A drop of blood fell from a small nick the knife made, as Victoria’s hand slipped slightly in her excitement.
“Get over there,” she ordered, indicating with her head for Dan and Jake to move back into the shed, freeing the doorway. Both men reluctantly moved out of her way, Jake’s hard face promising retribution.
Victoria stepped back slowly, pulling Laura with her. They moved inch by agonising inch, Laura more and more sure that she was heading for doom if she couldn’t find some way to get Victoria to let go. They moved out beyond the doorway, Victoria pulling the door shut with one hand. She placed an old bolt in its place before she viciously kicked Laura’s legs out from under her, causing her to fall to the ground. Pain radiated through Laura’s legs, rendering her immobile. Victoria wasted no time in tying the noose’s trailing rope to the street light that stood beside the shed.
Quickly and efficiently, she unlocked the wheels of a huge mobile metal dumpster standing nearby and pushed it into place just before the door shuddered from Jake and Dan’s blows inside. She locked the wheels in place and gave a small smug smile. The door had no room to break from the inside out. The metal dumpster held it nicely in place. They would have to rip the door inwards to be able to get out and that would take time.
“This will keep you both where I want you for a while,” Victoria called out tauntingly. “By the way Jake, your Laura won’t live to see another sunrise. Think on that while you’re stuck in there!” She laughed, that terrifying childlike sound ripping through Laura.
Petrified at hearing the confirmation of her worst fears, Laura stumbled to her feet, determined to fight her every step of the way. Victoria wouldn’t be denied so easily. She sliced the rope from the street light and twisted it round her wrist, tightening it slightly as she did so. Desperate, Laura tried to kick out at Victoria, but she yanked on the rope, virtually cutting off Laura’s air. Laura coughed and wheezed, trying to draw more air into her lungs. She froze at the prick of the knife blade in her back.
“Make a sound or any move to escape and I’ll kill you right here. It makes no difference to me,” came the chilling voice in her ear. Laura knew Victoria wasn’t joking. She’d go along with the woman for now. Every minute she held off the inevitable was a minute closer to someone potentially rescuing her. She couldn’t give up that hope.
Victoria grabbed the noose and loosened it slightly. Laura gasped in much needed air, wishing she could rub her raw throat. “That’s better,” Victoria said softly as she shoved Laura down a small alley that came out onto the back of the old factory. “I don’t want you to expire just yet if it can be avoided! It would ruin my perfect plan for revenge.”
Laura stumbled in fear, wishing she could find some way to slow this madwoman down. Unfortunately, she was in no position to do anything. Victoria pushed Laura round the side of the building. Parked in the shadows was an old battered blue car. Victoria opened the trunk and pushed Laura in, shoving the door down on top of her.
Laura tried not to panic at the enclosed space. She heard Victoria get into the driver’s seat and start the car. Before long, the car was tearing out onto a road. Laura had no idea where they were going, she only knew that if someone didn’t find her soon, it would be the end of the road for her.
Praying silently inside herself, Laura hoped that Jake and Dan could make it out of that shed fast. It was the only chance she’d got.
*****
Jake pounded at the door, yelling loudly. He broke off, knowing it would be near impossible for anyone passing in the town to hear anything this far down the street. He grabbed the rotting wood underneath the door, trying to break it away. Part of it split, leaving a jagged edge full of splinters. He could make out the bottom of the barricade Victoria had stuck in front of the door. Mad, but unfortunately not stupid.
He turned to look at Dan, who stood a couple of feet away with his phone to his ear, trying to reach Kerry. Well, maybe she wasn’t that clever after all. She had left them a means of communication, but then he had to wonder if she thought she could carry out her plan before they could find her in time anyway. That thought chilled him to the bone. It meant whatever she had planned for Laura, she was going to strike soon.
“What took you so long to answer?” Dan finally cried out. “We have an emergency here! Victoria has taken off with Laura and we’re trapped in the old storage shed. You have to come and let us out.”
He paused as she answered. “Fine, just get here now!”
Dan turned to Jake. “Kerry is on her way with the sheriff. He’s sent his deputy to lock up Wa
lter. Kerry has told him what’s happened and he’s putting out a call to the surrounding police departments to be on the lookout for Victoria. They should be here soon and we can join the search.”
Jake stood looking at the door in frustration. “I don’t know that we can afford to wait,” he said despairingly. “She left us our phones. She must be planning on…….” He broke off, unable to say it. “We don’t have time to wait. I just know it. Please, help me with this door. I have to find Laura.”
Dan looked at Jake’s tortured face and nodded. They took off their shirts and wrapped the material round their hands to try and protect them from the splinters of wood. Gripping underneath the door again, they both pulled, working hard to rip chunks of the decaying wood away. It was hard work, but thankfully the wood was fairly rotten and before long, they’d cleared the doorway.
Jake peered at the big metal wall facing him and felt his heart sink. The dumpster covered most of the opening. He looked at the ground, but there was not much space underneath. A fully grown man would get stuck. He couldn’t even reach the breaks to release them. Shouting in frustration, Jake pounded his fists on the metal wall blocking his way. Dan grabbed him from behind, tackling him to the floor.
“That’s not going to help,” he shouted. “You’ll only injure yourself and then what good will you do Laura?”
Jake held his head in despair. “What if I lose her Dan? What if I can’t find her in time?”
“You can’t afford to think like that. We have to stay positive and focused. We can’t get out of here yet, but you can think about where Victoria might be taking Laura. We both thought we heard a car start up. Where would she take Laura to hurt you the most?” Dan broke off. He didn’t want to say that Victoria wanted to kill Laura somewhere it would cause Jake the most pain. He couldn’t say the words any more than Jake.
Wild Fire (The Fairy Tale Match Series) Page 32