He was screaming and trying to grab her with one hand while holding onto himself with the other hand. Lauren saw the rod he had beaten her with last time and picked it up. She swung it as hard as she could just as he was about to grab her. It caught him across the head and ear.
He let out a loud bellow and fell back. Lauren swung again this time down across his collar bone. She heard it snap and one end of the bone protruded from the skin. She wanted to beat him the way he had beaten her friends to death but she knew the best thing she could do was escape.
He had pulled himself into a fetal position with his hands covering his head. She looked down at him and felt nothing but hate. Still holding the cane she brought it down across his hip. He screamed once again. Lauren threw the cane down and ran.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“What are you going to do?” an apprehensive Dan asked.
“Nothing just now. I’m not going to consider doing anything until we get this guy one way or the other.”
“But would you even consider the FBI?”
“Dan I honestly don’t know what I will consider. I’m simply putting it out of my head for the time being. No matter what you ask, or how many times, the answer will be the same. I won’t think about it while we have an unsolved case.”
“Geez Angie, how can you do that? I sure couldn’t.”
“All I can say is that is the way I am wired. I’m resolute on getting this guy and returning Tim’s mother to him if at all possible. Everything else is just background noise,” I told him.
I had always been like this. When I was on a case I lose interest in almost everything else except the case itself. That is probably why I have a lousy social life. Wait, I have no social life. My story is it’s because I’m so engrossed and I’m sticking with it.
“I don’t really get it,” he sighed.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to.”
**
Lauren yanked the door open and quickly closed it behind her. She placed the lock through the loop and looked around. She had no idea where she was. Trees were visible in every direction. She could see a driveway of crushed stone and decided it was the only thing she could do.
Her hands still bound and naked she started running but realized that it would be impossible with her feet so damaged. She ran alongside it as fast as she could. She stumbled once and went down hard. It took her a few seconds to get back up and start forward again.
She looked back over her shoulder but it seemed safe. She stumbled and ran, hoping she could find a road. She refused to consider it would be a back road with no one on it. She rounded a small curve and saw a car go by. Yes, civilization, she thought. She glanced back once more and almost froze.
Somehow he had gotten out and was looking at her. She couldn’t hear the words by knew he was yelling at her. She started running again. She didn’t look back, just ran. When she got to the street she looked both ways. A car was coming but it was a ways off. She started running toward it.
She was waving her hands over her head trying to get the car to stop. It slowed momentarily and then shot right by her. She was stunned. How could anyone do that? Then she heard the car stop and start backing up. She ran toward it. It stopped and the window rolled down.
“Thank God. I’ve been kidnapped and raped. He is down that drive and is coming. He will kill me. Please help me.”
“You don’t have much on little lady,” he said, raising his sunglasses and proping them on the top of his head.
“Please. He will kill me,” Lauren begged.
“Well darlin’, why don’t you just get in and we can talk about it.”
“My God. Don’t you understand? I’ve been kidnapped,” she screamed at him.
Just then she heard the man shrieking at her.
“I’ll make you wish you were never born,” he ranted as he hobbled up the drive.
He was no more than fifty feet from her now. Another car was coming from the other direction now and she ran around and stood right in the middle of the road. It would have to stop or hit her.
The car kept coming and then started to break. It came to a stop just a foot from her. Lauren ran around to the window.
“I’ve been kidnapped. Please help me. He is coming to kill me,” she said in near hysterics.
“Oh dear! Oh my goodness! You poor thing. Get in,” she said.
Lauren ran around and jumped in the passenger seat.
“Go. Please, just go,” Lauren said.
“Seat belt dear,” the woman said.
Lauren almost laughed it was so funny to her. Someone was going to kill her and the lady was worried about the stupid seatbelts. She grabbed it and buckled it quickly.
“Please go…”
Two hands slammed against the driver’s window starling the older woman. She let out a little yelp.
“You have to go now or he will kill both of us. Please just drive,” Lauren demanded.
The woman put the car in gear and took off with the man beating with the cane pole on the top and side of the car. She put the pedal down harder and left him standing there ranting.
Lauren let out a huge sigh. Somehow she had done it. He was still alive but she had lived. She would see Timmy again and never let anything happen to him. She looked out the back window and saw the man beating on the driver of the other car that had stopped. She turned back around and rested her head back, he deserved it, she thought. She didn’t feel one bit sorry for the driver of the other car.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“My name is Lauren McKnight,” she said after a few minutes.
“Nice to meet you Lauren. I wish it was under better circumstances. You must be one of the three ladies that the police have been looking for. I’ve seen your picture on TV but you don’t look exactly the same right now. Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Edith Womack. I live a little ways down the road and just happened to being going to the store when I saw you just standing there.”
“The guy in the other car was too busy leering at me to help,” was all Lauren said.
“That’s disgusting. I bet it was one of the Brenner boys. They are nothing more than white trash. It’s probably a good thing you didn’t get in the car with him,” Edith told her.
“I’m just thankful it was you that came along. Another few minutes and I would have been dead.”
“What kind of animal does that to another person? Did your friends get away too?” she asked.
Lauren was quiet for a few seconds before saying, “No. He killed them both.”
“Oh heavens,” Edith gasped.
They rode in silence for a few seconds before Edith said, “ I should get you to a hospital.”
“The police would be better. If you see any kind of police car or fire department vehicle, try to get them to stop. They can take me to the hospital. I need to let them know I’m alive and where he is,” Lauren told her.
“I have a blanket in the back. Why don’t I get it out so you can at least wrap up in it.”
“Believe me, after what I’ve been through, modesty isn’t much of a concern.”
“Yes dear, but it makes others uncomfortable,” Edith said.
“Okay, but hurry would you?”
“It will just take a minute,” Edith said pulling off the side of the road.
She popped the trunk and got out. She walked around to the back. Lauren's adrenalin was wearing off and suddenly she felt very sleepy. She didn’t realize how tired she was. She was fighting to keep her eyes open.
She was just about to nod off when she heard a crashing sound and the car lurched forward. She glanced around and saw the trunk bounce open once and then slam down. Looking at her through the windshield of the car was the man that had held her captive.
How? It wasn’t the van. It dawned on her he must have stolen the other driver's car and had been chasing them. Where was Edith, flashed across her mind?
Oh my God, she must have been looking in the trunk when h
e crashed into the back of them. Lauren undid her seatbelt and climbed over to the driver’s seat. She managed to get the doors locked just a second before he started beating on the glass with his fists.
She was fumbling around, trying to get to the key that was on the window side. With her hands still together it was difficult to get to them and then turn it. She saw the man walking back to the other car. He picked something up and started towards her again.
She about dislocated her shoulder getting her fingers around the key but she finally managed. The engine roared to life and she yanked it into gear and stomped on the gas. The tires broke free on the grass but she just kept it floored. She heard the side glass just behind her shatter.
He was screaming one obscenity after another at her. Telling her what all he was going to do when he got hold of her. The tires finally found purchase and the car shot ahead leaving him standing there once more.
He must have thrown whatever he had been holding because the rear window suddenly exploded. She kept going.
When she looked back she could see he had reached the car and was coming again. It was hard to drive with her hands bound but it was the only option she had. She went as fast as she could but it had a soft suspension and didn’t handle the road very well.
She looked in the mirror and saw the car starting to close in on her. It didn’t matter. She had a much bigger car and she decided she would let him get beside her then swerve over and shove him off the road. That’s all she could do.
She looked down and saw she was doing sixty-five on the small two lane road. She hadn’t realized she was even going that fast. The car behind was edging closer but she just stayed the same speed.
He was within about twenty feet of her when she saw a fine spray starting to come from someplace under the hood of the car he was driving. It continued to grow heaver and she realized she was starting to gain some distance between them. Evidently he had put a hole in the radiator or punctured a water line.
For the first time she was actually starting to believe she just might survive this whole ordeal. When she looked back again, the car was gone. He must have blown up the engine.
The realization that she was driving the car of the nice lady who had just been murdered washed over her. The poor lady was only trying to help and now she was dead because of me, she thought. It was too much and she started to cry uncontrollably. She was crying not so much for herself but for her two friends, Linda and Betty and now poor Edith. None of them deserved this and yet deserve didn’t even factor into the equation.
She saw a sign for the interstate and took the on-ramp. She shot the car up to eighty-five and held it there. She had gone a little over two miles when she saw red, white, and blue lights flashing behind her. She never let off until he was right on her rear bumper. She turned on her signals and made her way over to the shoulder and stopped.
She waited for the officer to get out. She could see he had his hand on his gun. She opened the door and stepped out.
“Get back in the car,” he yelled, starting to take his gun out of his holster.
“Help me. I’m…”
“What the hell? Where are your clothes,” he interrupted.
“I’m Lauren McKnight. I’ve been kidnapped.”
“Oh my God,” he said, “Get in your car, I’ll be right there.”
She could see him frantically calling and then running to the back of his car. He came around the side with a blanket and rushed up to her. She stood up and he wrapped it around her.
She had noticed he grimaced when he saw the condition she was in. The officer helped her back to his car this time and sat her in the back seat.
“Lie down if you need to. EMTs are on the way. You hang in there Lauren. Everyone on the force has been looking for you. Hang on, you are safe now,” he told her.
She only heard part of it. She had gone as long as she could. All she wanted now was sleep without having to worry when the monster would come for her again.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“People, listen up. They found Lauren McKnight. The State Police are with her at mile marker 18 on I-65. Go,”
A mad scramble by all of us caused the rest of the squad room to look at us like we had set the place on fire. We jumped into the SUV and with Brad driving, off we went. Rather than me giving him directions, often at the last moment, he just put it into the GPS. I was amazed to learn you could put in mile markers and get directions. Pretty slick.
We knew we were there by the number of flashing lights, television trucks and rubber neckers backing up traffic. We had to ride on the berm the last mile. We jumped out and raced to the State Police car. This was one time I was glad Brad, Ned, and Cindy had on their FBI vests.
The EMTs were putting in an IV when I walked over and looked down at her. Her eyes were sunken and she had an ugly looking bite mark on her right cheek. I was glad she was covered. I probably didn’t want to see the rest of her.
“How is she doing,” I finally asked.
He just shook his head. That is never a good sign. A so-so I could live with but this was bad news. Usually EMTs know what they are talking about. They are dedicated and pretty darn smart. They take their job seriously and I would want them to work on me anytime. “Where is she going?”
“Methodist.”
“Okay, don’t take off just yet. I want to get security set up there. I don’t want anyone but the doctors and nurses talking to her. If the press gets to her it will cause all kinds of problems.”
“I understand but you need to hurry. I need to get her to surgery as quickly as possible. We have a lifeline chopper coming. It’s three minutes out.”
“Got it,” I said and raced over to Dan.
“Get security at Methodist. I want 24/7 watch placed on her. No one and I mean no one goes in unless they have on a picture ID. I don’t care if it is the Pope going in to give last rites.”
“Got it boss,” he said and took off.
The police were clearing out an area on the highway so the chopper could land. I could hear it before I finally saw it. It hovered over the landing area, throwing up stinging stones and dirt before finally settling down.
Within seconds the gurney was wheeled over to the helicopter and she was lifted inside. The turbines wound up, rocks and dirt started being thrown again and suddenly it was off. A few seconds later it was quiet again. The police went to work on unsnarling traffic.
I went looking for the Trooper who had called it in. He was standing next to his car, motor still running, and talking to Brad. Cindy was listening and taking notes.
“Detective Bartoni. This is State Trooper Gordon Becket. He is the one who encountered Lauren.”
“Excellent job Trooper Becket,” I replied.
“It was just going to be a routine speeding bust but when she stepped out of that car with nothing on, well let’s just say that was a first for me. Then she told me who she was and I made the connection. I called it in and went and got her a blanket. She was wobbly but coherent at first. Once she got in the back seat she lay down and then went to sleep. I couldn’t wake her when the EMTs got here.”
“Did she tell you anything at all about what had been happening or where she was being held captive?”
“Not really. I asked where she had gotten on the interstate but she didn’t answer.”
Dan came up and walked over to the car Lauren had been driving. He looked at the back and then made a retching sound. I walked over and saw what he was looking at. A foot long piece of intestine was hanging off the crumpled up license plate.
“Where do you think she came from?” Brad asked.
“One of the entrance ramps from someplace south of here. He said he caught her after two miles so I’m thinking the Bridgeport or Butterfield area. They are both two lanes so it would seem logical he would be working out of someplace like that.
“Let’s get the Sheriff to send cars down those roads and see what they can find.”
**
“Deputy Lawrence,” he said touching the brim of his hat.
We did the usual name exchange routine and he told us that someone called about a body at the edge of the road. A few minutes later someone else called in a second body.
“Any idea who it is?” Brad asked.
“Woman. Almost cut in half. Looks like she was dragged a ways after that but then I’m no pathologist, just a guess on my part. You can look her over but I think she was hit first, ran over and then dragged about fifty feet before she became dislodged.”
We walked over and he bent down and pulled the cover off. It was impossible to tell who she was. Her face was missing and her head was mostly flat. Only half of her body was there. I could see another blanket and a trail of blood.
“Wonder how her body was severed like that,” Ned asked.
“Good question,” the Deputy said.
He had been pretty darn accurate in his assessment. I walked down to where the other half of the body was covered. I looked around and saw red and yellow bits of plastic. Glass from a headlight and parts from a grill.
When they came up I said, “She was standing behind her car when it was rammed from behind. She was cut in half. She was already dead when the person took off. He probably didn’t even know she was still attached or didn’t care.
“So where are the two cars?” Brad asked.
“Lauren McKnight was driving one,” Dan said.
“And the other one?” the Deputy asked.
No one had an answer.
We drove on down to the second body. Like the other one it was draped with a cloth but looked more like a tent.
“What in the world?” Ned asked when we pulled up.
“This is a man,” the Deputy said.
“Man,” we all said in unison.
“Yeaaaah, didn’t they tell you it was a man and woman?”
WHAT GOES AROUND - ANGIE BARTONI CASE FILE #4 (ANGIE BARTONI CASE FILES Book 1) Page 11