Libby licked her lip, surprised to taste the salt of perspiration. “If I give it to you, what’s in it for me?” she asked, wanting to keep him talking until Tony returned. “I think a little negotiation is in order.” She eyed him boldly, trying not to focus on the glitter of the wicked-looking knife.
“Sure, we can negotiate.” The albino laughed, an unpleasant rumble that made chills dance up and down Libby’s spine. “You give me the necklace without any problems or hassles, and I’ll make sure your death is as painless as possible.” His eyes narrowed. “However, if you make it difficult on me, I will see to it that your death is long in coming and your suffering enormous.” He laughed again. It was the glee of a man who enjoyed instilling fear and causing infinite pain. “And before I kill you, I will possess your body in ways you never dreamed possible.”
Cold-fingered fear grasped Libby’s heart and squeezed with viselike strength. The thought of death was pleasant compared to the thought of his hands on her, touching her. A shiver of revulsion waved through her at the very thought. Dear God, what was she going to do? Her gaze darted around the room, looking for something, anything that could be used as a weapon.
“Don’t go getting any ideas, little lady,” he breathed softly, his eyes narrowing in warning once again as the knife in his hand twitched noticeably. “I can throw this knife in the blink of an eye and if I must, I’ll pleasure myself with you after you’re dead.”
“Okay,” Libby breathed slowly, her brain whirling desperately. “I’ll…I’ll get you the necklace….” She moved over to the small chest of drawers next to the bed. Pretending to open the drawer, in one swift, fluid movement, she picked up the Bible lying on the top and threw it with all her force at the albino.
She didn’t wait to see whether she hit her mark or not. Instead, she stumbled into the bathroom and slammed and locked the door behind her. She panted, hysteria a whisper away.
The door was hit with a loud bang, and for the first time since she’d walked out of the bathroom and encountered the albino sitting at the table, she screamed. She screamed again as the door was hit another time with enough force to make it tremble in the wooden frame.
She could hear his muttered, vicious curses and knew that should he finally break into the bathroom, he wouldn’t hesitate to use the knife on her. And she knew it wouldn’t be a swift and painless death. He would torture her, and he would like it.
Another explosion against the door followed by a loud splintering sound let Libby know she had only seconds before the door gave way beneath the man’s awesome rage.
I’ve got to get out of here, she thought frantically, eyeing the small window that was above the sink. The thick woods were right beyond the window. If she could manage to get out, she’d stand a better chance of getting away if she could hide in the woods.
She crawled up on the sink and strained to open the window, trying to ignore the loud, splintering noises that accompanied each bang on the bathroom door. She gasped in relief as the window finally slid open.
It was going to be a tight squeeze—the window was narrow and small. But she had to fit through. She had to. Without another conscious thought, she dove out the window, moaning impotently as she stopped halfway through, her hips wedged tightly in the frame of the window.
Panic clawed at her and she sobbed in desperation. She twisted and pulled, feeling the flesh of her hips skinning off in her frantic efforts. Tears streamed down her face as she heard the door behind her giving way.
Oh, God, how long did it take to die if you were stabbed repeatedly in the buttocks? she thought wildly. Her mind rebelled at the thought of this indignant death.
She renewed her efforts, death surrounding her. She would never get a chance to see Vinnie again. She would never have a chance to have children. She would never get the opportunity to tell Tony that she loved him.
With a desperate sob, she twisted her hips, stifling a squeal as she suddenly came loose and fell to the ground beneath the window. Without pausing, she ran for the cover of the woods, never stopping to wonder if Tony would be able to find her, never doubting that he would.
* * *
Tony kicked at a rock in the road and sighed with contentment as he walked slowly back toward the cabin. He’d had a delicious breakfast and was now anxious to get on the road. He looked at his watch, pleased to see that it was just a few minutes after six o’clock. With any luck they could be on the road within a half an hour and at the lab by seven.
As their cabin came into view, he tensed…spotting the dark sports car that was pulled up near the door. Libby! Her name echoed in his mind as he realized the danger that suddenly made his nose twitch nervously.
He pulled his gun from his boot and advanced slowly. His mind was suddenly blank, refusing to contemplate what had happened to Libby. He couldn’t allow any emotions to thwart him. He needed to be clearheaded in order to help her…if she was still in a position to need his help. He gulped back a wave of nausea at this thought.
He dropped almost to the ground and advanced on the sports car, his gun ready to fire, his hand cool and steady from his years on the police force. The car was empty.
He eyed the cabin. The door stood ajar. He advanced cautiously, his ears finely tuned to any perceptible movement that would indicate somebody inside.
He moved the door completely open with his foot, keeping his gun ready in front of him. It took him only a second to see that nobody was in the room.
He relaxed his grip on the gun only slightly, sweat beading up on his forehead. He could still smell the evil of the man who’d been here. It lingered in the room like noxious fumes.
Where was Libby? His brow wrinkled in confusion as he thought of the empty car outside. If they had succeeded in taking her, why was the car still outside?
His heart leapt up into his throat as he saw the bathroom door, splintered and leaning against the door frame. It had obviously been beaten down, and his heart froze in his chest as he thought of Libby hiding in the bathroom, totally defenseless, completely vulnerable, praying for his return.
He pushed his self-recriminations aside. He had no time for that now. Instead, he eyed the tiny, opened bathroom window hopefully. Had she managed to escape through the window before they broke down the door? It seemed the only feasible explanation for the car still parked outside.
He looked at the window, hope flaring alive in his chest as he saw the tangled, wooded area directly behind the cabin. She was out there now, hiding, trying to evade the men that sought her. She needed him. He turned on his heels, his heart racing anxiously. She needed him, and God, he needed to find her.
* * *
Libby ran like the wind, afraid to stop, afraid to look behind her. Just as she had hit the ground outside the bathroom window and picked herself up, she heard the explosive sound of the bathroom door coming apart. She hadn’t wanted to see if anyone was going to follow her, she had simply run, unmindful of the thistle bushes and thorns that tore at her.
Tears blinded her, along with panic, as she raced, stumbling over tree roots, ducking beneath hanging limbs. She ran as fast and as far as she could until the combination of thick underbrush and a painful stitch in her side made her slow down. Her chest heaved from her efforts and she took in large gulps of air. The sides of her hips were on fire where she knew she’d skinned and bruised them as she’d shimmied out the window.
At least I’m alive, she thought, but this did nothing to still the fear that remained deep inside her. Had she run far enough to lose the albino? Was he still following her, hunting her down like a wild animal? Should she continue to run until she dropped from exhaustion? Oh, God, she wished Tony was here to tell her what to do.
She stood completely still, straining to listen to the sounds of the woods. She was somewhat reassured by the silence that surrounded her. There was no crashing noise, no crunching of leaves beneath footsteps—nothing to indicate that somebody was on her trail.
She slid down at the b
ase of a large tree, crouching down behind a fallen log in front of her. All she needed was a moment or two to get her bearings, catch her breath. When she had taken off running, she had zigzagged back and forth. Now she had absolutely no idea where she was. In fact, she had no idea in which direction the cabin was.
She wanted to cry. She needed to cry. But she had never been a noiseless crier, and the last thing she wanted to do was make a noise that would draw unwanted attention. Instead she chewed on her bottom lip, wishing she was back in the safety and warmth of Tony’s arms. She wished she was back in her own little apartment with Twilight curled up at her feet. She wished she was anywhere but here. She wasn’t cut out for this kind of stuff. She wasn’t meant to be a hero.
From out of nowhere a huge hand reached from behind her and fastened firmly against her mouth. Libby’s eyes widened in shock and her blood went cold. She stiffened, trying to pull herself away from the hand that held her tight. She gasped as a second hand snaked around her waist and jerked her upright against a taut, lean body.
“Shh, I’m here,” Tony’s voice whispered in her ear, and she sagged against him in relief, tears spurting from her eyes. She turned herself around and threw her arms around his neck, molding herself against him. She wanted to wrap herself around him, crawl inside of him, never let him go.
“Don’t say a word, don’t make a sound,” he breathed into her ear, gently stroking her back reassuringly. “They’re about a hundred yards from here.” He pointed to the left. “We’re going to circle back around and find the car. Then we’ll get the hell out of here.”
Libby nodded, still clinging to him in silent desperation.
“Uh…Libby. You’re going to have to let go of me so we can walk,” he whispered, tipping her face up with his finger. He kissed the tip of her nose, and she longed to crawl into the tenderness and caring that radiated from his dark eyes. “Are you all right?” he asked, tightening his grip on her for a moment.
Libby released a huge, tremulous sigh and nodded. As if by some unspoken communication, they moved silently through the woods together.
It took them almost an hour to get back to where their car was parked at the edge of the woods behind the cabin. It was the most excruciating hour Libby had ever endured. Twice they nearly walked into the men who hunted them. She shivered as they hid in the thicket, hearing the curses of the nearby albino.
When they reached Tony’s Buick, the sports car was still parked in front of the cabin. Looking around cautiously, Tony and Libby jumped into their car and Tony started the engine with a roar.
He drove like a maniac, fast and frantic, needing to put as much distance as possible between them and the men who wanted them. Once again they kept off the main roads, instead going over trails and cow paths that kept them traveling in the general direction of the lab.
When they’d gone some distance with no indication that they were being followed, Libby’s tightly controlled rein on her emotions gave way. Even though she wasn’t aware of her need to cry, tears began racing down her cheeks, and her entire body trembled uncontrollably. She turned her head away from Tony, feeling ridiculously foolish as the tears continued to run unchecked down her face.
Tony reached out and pulled her over next to him, feeling the trembling that had seized her body. He put his arm around her, trying to absorb the trembling into his own body, imagining how frightened she must have been before he found her. She was so strong. She’d earned these tears. She deserved the release he knew they would bring.
“Everything is all right now,” he crooned softly as she leaned against him weakly. He wanted to stop the car and take her into his arms. He wanted to hold her and stroke her until the horror was gone, replaced with sensations of passion and life. But he knew better than to risk pulling the car over. They needed to keep traveling while they had the slight advantage.
Hopefully it would take those men some time to discover that he and Libby had taken the car and fled. So instead of pulling over to comfort her, he did the best he could, hugging her close against him, stroking her hair and crooning words of assurance.
Within a few minutes, her trembling had stopped and her tears had dried, but she didn’t move from Tony’s awkward embrace. “Feeling better?” he asked softly, leaning over to press his lips to the top of her head.
She nodded, offering him a tremulous smile. “I guess I’m just not cut out for this kind of thing. I thought I’d die when I walked out of the bathroom and that…that man was sitting at the kitchen table.”
Tony hugged her once again. “How did you get away?”
“I guess you could say I had the help of some divine intervention,” she said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Again he marveled at her strength of character, her courage. “What do you mean?” he asked curiously.
“He demanded I give him the necklace and I pretended that’s what I was going to do, then I threw the Bible at him.” She looked at him, suddenly horrified. “Oh, Tony…the necklace…I don’t know where it is.”
“I have it,” he explained, causing her to sigh in relief. “So, tell me what happened after you threw the Bible at him.”
“I ran into the bathroom and locked the door.”
Tony laughed. “Honey, I’ve never seen anyone more cut out for this kind of thing than you. Quick thinking got you into the bathroom and away from those men.”
“Yes, but for the past five minutes I’ve been a total basket case.” She sat up and moved away from him.
Tony grinned at her. “At least you waited until after you were safe to fall apart. You handled it like a real pro.”
“I don’t want to be a pro,” Libby protested tiredly. “I just want to go home.”
Tony looked at her sharply, wondering if he had overestimated her inner strength. God knew, she’d been through hell the past couple of days. “We could turn around right now, go back to Kansas City. We could hand the necklace to the first cop we see and hope it gets to where it can do no harm.” He kept his voice carefully neutral.
She hesitated a moment, her forehead wrinkling as she thought. “No, we can’t do that,” she finally answered firmly, a hint of renewed strength back in her voice. “We’ve come too far to turn back now. Besides, these people are really making me mad.” She looked up at him, an impish gleam to her bright blue eyes. “I say we continue on, with one little condition…”
“What’s that?”
“That for the rest of the adventure, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many days pass, you never eat breakfast again. Your breakfasts are definitely hazardous to my health.”
Tony laughed and pulled her back firmly against his side. “That’s a promise,” he murmured into her hair, knowing that the most difficult thing he would ever have to do in his life would be to let this woman go…but that was exactly what he’d have to do.
CHAPTER 12
It was just after ten o’clock when Tony and Libby pulled up the narrow gravel road that led to Jasper Higgens’s wooded retreat. The two-hour drive had been accomplished mostly in silence, but it had been a companionable one. They’d had to stop and ask for directions three times, and both were intensely aware that at any moment the powerful sports car could roar up behind them and shatter the tenuous peace.
Jasper Higgens’s lab was nothing like what Libby had expected. She’d anticipated something white, large and clinical looking. Instead they found a two-story wood-shingled rustic house that nearly blended into the heavy woods surrounding it. What neither of them had expected to find was the house tightly boarded up and deserted.
At the sight of the heavy boards on the doors and windows, Tony closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Apparently the agency handling this case has already been here and closed and locked everything up. Damn, we’ve come so far…endured so much, and for what?” His dark eyes blazed with his frustration. He banged his fist on the steering wheel.
Libby reached over and touched
his arm lightly, feeling an echoing despair as she looked at the house. “I feel like Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz,” she said dispiritedly. “We’ve followed the yellow brick road and fought off witches and goblins, and now the gates to Oz are locked and we’ll never get back to Kansas.” She looked at Tony expectantly. Strange, how in just a couple of days she had come to trust his judgment, depend on his initiative. “So, what do we do now?”
Tony sighed and gazed once again at the house, then turned and looked at the surrounding grounds. “Why don’t we take a look around? Maybe we can find something or somebody who can help us. We need to figure out how to find Jonathon Maxwell,” he explained. “If this Maxwell fellow worked closely with Higgens, then he must live someplace nearby.”
Libby nodded and together they got out of the car and approached the silent, abandoned house. As she walked up the wooden steps that led to a large veranda, she felt strange and a little sad. Jasper Higgens’s death suddenly seemed much more real as she realized this place was where the little old man had lived and worked.
Her heart constricted tightly as she saw a wicker rocking chair sitting by the boarded front door. The seat of the chair was broken in, as if it had been used many times.
She ran her hand lightly over the back of the chair, wondering how many times the scientist had sat in this very spot and viewed the beauty of the surrounding woodland. How many times had he sat here and contemplated his future, never knowing his fate was to be the victim of murder in an alley in Kansas City?
“He seems so real to me right now,” she said softly, her hand lingering on the back of the wooden chair. “This is where he lived, where he worked and loved. Being here, it brings his death so close—” She broke off and looked at Tony.
Tony offered her a sympathetic smile and placed an arm around her shoulders. “I know how you feel. I used to feel the same way whenever I had to examine a victim’s home, search through their personal belongings for clues to their murder.” He paused a moment, remembering those days as a homicide detective on the force. “I always fought to gain an emotional detachment, to view the bodies as just bodies. Yet, touching their things, prying into their lives, I could never quite forget that they were real people, with people who loved them and people they loved.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I could never quite get the emotional detachment I needed.”
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