Cassie looked around. Oh God, was he Sam? Where was Hannah? She had said she was going to take a nap. Damn it, Hannah, wake the hell up and go get help while he is in the bathroom!
In the next room, Hannah was still sleeping soundly. She woke slightly and could vaguely hear the shower running in Cassie's bathroom. Why was she taking a shower now? Groggily, she sat up and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was eleven o'clock. The boys should be back for lunch soon. They had gone to town for something.
And then she saw her. The girl was standing at the foot of her bed. "He is here, Hannah." She was gone.
What? He was here? Where? He couldn't be in the cabin. She must have meant he was here on the mountain.
Hannah went into her own bathroom and splashed her face. She brushed her teeth, applied light make up and fluffed her curls with her fingers. Then she went into the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee.
She was just about to pour a cup when he appeared. The man walked out of Cassie's bedroom and said, "Oh, good, I feel like a new man after that shower, and now, you have fresh coffee all ready for me."
"Wh-who are you? Where is Cassie? How did you…"
"Inquisitive little thing, now, ain't you? Name is Jim. I was in need of a shower and some grub. Your little redheaded pal fixed me up with a hot shower. Don't worry, she is fine, just a little tied up at the moment. Now, you can fix me a good hot meal."
His name was Jim. He is using the name Jim now. He is here, Hannah. Oh my God, it was Sam! Cassie, oh, was she really okay? She started for Cassie's room, but the man grabbed her arm roughly.
"You hard of hearin', girl? I said, get me some food."
"Cassie, I need to check on her first."
"You need to get my lunch." He took a gun from the waistband of his pants and shoved it in her face. "Now, do we understand each other, missy?"
"Y-yes, sure. What would you like to eat? I have eggs and bacon. Is that okay?"
"It'll do. Gimme a cup of that coffee while you're at it." He sat down at the bar, still holding the gun.
Oh shit! Chad, please get back here, she thought as she took a cup from the cupboard, filled it and handed it to him.
The man, Jim or Sam, watched as she prepared a plate of food for him. He ate it hungrily, still holding on to the gun. He told her to sit down, drink her coffee and not to move.
When he had finished, he said, "You, my little blonde friend, are my ticket out of here. Nice and slow, we are going to walk out of here, get in your nice little car and drive down the mountain. Got it?"
"Wh-why are you doing this?" she asked.
"None of your business, now, is it?" he asked in reply. "Get movin'."
He walked around behind her and poked the gun in her back. "Nice and slow," he repeated.
They were almost to the car when Chad and Alan pulled up. Oh please, God, don't let him shoot them."
"Fuck!" the man cursed as the men got out of the car.
"Hey, Jim, whatcha doing?" Alan asked. "Need to borrow something?"
While Alan attempted to distract the man by talking, Chad tried to move slowly around to where Hannah and Jim were.
But Jim was too quick. He pointed the gun at Hannah's head and said, "One inch closer, and I'll blow her head all over this mountain."
"It's okay, Jim. I don't understand. Where are you taking her?"
"She is my ticket to freedom. Now, get out of my way." He pushed Hannah toward the car. "Get in and start that baby up."
He pointed the gun at Alan and Chad as he walked to the passenger side.
Alan glanced down the road and saw the police car. The lunatic would surely kill Hannah if they spooked him. Alan tried to signal them by holding his hand up. Luckily, the officers realized it was some sort of warning and they backed off, parking the car and moving cautiously up the drive by way of the surrounding trees.
Jim stopped suddenly and looked around. As if on second thought, he walked to the driver's side of the car, opened the door and jerked Hannah out. Holding her at gunpoint, he shouted into the trees. "Come any closer, pigs, and I will kill her."
It was a hostage situation for sure, and one of the officers was able to text for backup before they confronted the man.
They walked out of the woods, showing that they had no weapons in their hands. One of the officers said, "I don't know what's going on here, but if you let the girl go, we can surely talk about it."
"Ain't nothin' to talk about."
Alan was frantically searching for Cassie. She was nowhere around. When he made a move for the house, the man pointed the gun at him. "Don't," Jim said.
One of the officers was able to get Chad's attention. He mouthed the words, "Photo. Sam."
Chad closed his eyes. At least they knew whom they were dealing with. A cold-blooded killer named Sam. Damn it! Why had he left the girls alone? He could have gone to the police by himself. He thought he needed Alan for added credibility.
They were at a standoff. Finally, Sam pushed Hannah into the backseat, and he got in the driver's seat. Still pointing the gun out the window, he started the car and backed down the drive as the rest of the men stood by, watching helplessly. They feared to make a move, lest he shoot Hannah.
At the end of the drive, it was over. Swiftly and quickly. The backup officers were there, waiting. They weren't far behind the other two officers when the text came through. The chief sent them after the first squad car on a hunch. His hunch had been right.
As soon as the car reached the end of the drive, one of the trained sharpshooters shot into the driver's side window, shattering Sam's head to smithereens. Hannah screamed, and then everything went black.
* * *
When Hannah woke up, she looked around and realized, after a few minutes that she was in a hospital room. "Chad," she said softly.
He raised his head up from the side of the bed. "Hannah, you're awake. Oh, baby, are you all right? I was so worried."
"Wh-what happened?" she asked.
"Do you remember anything?"
"The…girl…she told me he was there. Oh, my God, she said he was going by the name of Jim. Sam…where is Cassie?"
"Cassie is fine. He had her tied up in the bedroom the whole time. I checked her over myself, and other than some rope burns and the fact she is a bit shaken up, she's fine. When the ambulance brought her here, the docs gave her a sedative."
"Thank God. He wouldn't let me go to her."
"What do you remember?" he asked, anxious to know the story. He knew, from checking her himself, and from what the doctors at the hospital confirmed, that she had not been hit by a flying bullet. She had passed out when the officer shot Sam.
"I was asleep. Cassie was supposed to be reading. When I woke up, the g-ghost was there. She said he was there, and she disappeared. I got up and made a pot of coffee. I had heard the shower running in Cassie's room and just assumed she was taking a shower. Then this man came out of her room, his hair wet, and he told me to fix him some food. I asked about Cassie, but he pulled a gun on me and made me cook for him. After he ate, he forced me to the car, said I was his ticket out or something like that. That's when you got there, and that's all I remember."
"He had, apparently, broken into the house, surprised Cassie on the couch and forced her to lead him to the shower. He tied her up so she couldn't go for help and helped himself to a hot shower. That's when he found you. After he threw you into the backseat of the car, after holding a gun to your head, so none of us could get to you, he took off, but some other cops were waiting for him, and they shot him as he reached the end of the drive. You passed out in the backseat from the shock. I checked both you and Cassie out at the scene, but an ambulance brought you both here. I conferred with the docs here. Both of you are all right, but they sedated you.
"We've been here a long time?" she asked.
"All night. Alan is with Cassie in the next room."
"But, you have to get back to work…"
"Hush, both Al and
I called in. Everyone back home saw the national news report on TV. Our supervisors told us to stay here and take care of things. We have to make statements to the police, and we want to make sure you girls are okay before we start the drive home. Relax. We already cleared all of our things out of the cabin, and the police are putting us up in a local hotel for the remainder of our stay. The rental agency told us they would take care of cleaning the cabin, so there is nothing for you to do but rest. Now, let me go find the doc, and I'll see about getting you and Cassie out of here."
When he left, Hannah attempted to sit up in the bed. She felt a soft touch on her arm, and when she looked up, the girl was smiling at her. "Thank you, Hannah. I tried to warn you, and I am sorry it was so rough for you, but thanks to you and your friends, we can all have closure. Goodbye, sweet Hannah." And, once again, the apparition was gone.
Hannah sank back down on the bed. Would this be the last of it? She didn't know if she could stand any more of these adventures.
Chad returned with a wheelchair and a nurse. Within a short time, he and Alan settled both girls into bed at the hotel. The girls spoke to each other briefly, before each couple went to their own room to get some much-needed rest.
They stayed on for a few more days before making the trip home. They made the national news, again. Personally, Hannah could do without that kind of notoriety.
She wanted her life to return to normal and, soon, it did.
"I would turn you over my knee, now that you have recovered, but I guess this time, it really was not your fault," Chad said one night at his apartment.
"Oh, baby, you can turn me over your knee, anyway," she said, adding one of her sultry looks.
"Mmm…come here, you," he said as he pulled her to him.
Chapter Thirteen
Chad gently pulled her across his lap. Hannah sighed. Well, she had asked for it. She needed the security, the knowledge that he cared. He was right, what happened in Tennessee wasn't her fault, but it had been, by far, the scariest thing to ever happen to any of them. Cassie still had nightmares. Alan had patiently talked at length with both girls. He even suggested they both see a doctor for some anti-depressants to get them through the aftermath of the ordeal.
Right now, though, all Hannah needed was Chad. All of him, every bit of him, the dominant side and the passionate side, it had been too long.
He slowly slid her shorts and panties down so that they rested at her knees. Gently rubbing both creamy globes with his hand, he sensuously began to arouse her senses. When she least expected it, lulled into a dreamy state by his caresses, the first crisp swat hit. Hannah jumped. Chad rubbed the small of her back, soothing her with his voice. "It's okay, baby. Relax, and get ready for more."
Another smack echoed through the air, and Hannah settled onto his lap, clenching the pillow tightly with her hands. Three more times, she felt the harsh connection of hand to ass, each time she relaxed a little more. Now, he began to rub soothing circles on the reddened skin, easing some of the sting. Soon, his fingers wandered to a place that had nothing to do with spanking and everything to do with pleasure. She heard him chuckle when he realized how wet she was. Yes, it had been a long time, she knew it, and so did he.
Relaxing even more, Hannah allowed him to rub her throbbing clit with her juices, teasing her and making her moan. She was begging for release already, that's how long it had been.
"Oh, no, not yet, baby," he said.
"I have to," she said. "I can't hold it."
"Ah, tonight, you are going to learn about self restraint. I want your climax to be phenomenal. I want you to feel it for a very long time. He continued to tease her and then gently lifted her so that she was lying on her back. She groaned, reaching her arms out to him.
"Ah, my pretty baby, tell me what you want," he urged.
"I want you…down there…"
He chuckled again and moved his face down so that his tongue burned her skin as it made contact. Her bottom was on fire, but a much stronger flame burned now, one that only he could take care of.
When that white-hot tongue touched the now swollen, aching core, she moaned and thrust her hips up in the air. He teased her again, giving her just enough to make her want more, denying her full pleasure. After he felt she had enough, he rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him.
"If you want it, you have to take it," he said.
"Wh-what?" she asked through the haze of desire he created.
"You heard me. It's there, it's yours. Take it. All of it."
She wasted no time in doing as he told her. She did want him, every inch. She moved up and, with her hands, positioned his hard, thick cock so that she could slide him in easily. She took him slowly at first, and then in one bounce of her hips, impaled herself with the hard sheath. She continued to bounce up and down, throwing her head back in wild abandonment, reveling in the feel of him inside of her. His hands reached up and grabbed each of her nipples, twisting them, kneading them as she moaned again. She rode him, much like one would ride a wild horse, until, finally, all her senses were full of him. His manly smell, his tender touch, the taste of his forefinger as he put it in her mouth and she sucked on it, the sounds of his delight, and the sight of desire in his eyes as he watched her in fascination, all conspired to add to the tension building inside her.
And then, it happened, the world exploded around her, the sensations devouring her as she screamed his name and moaned. And as he had promised, the orgasm went on for what seemed like forever, swallowing her up in wave after wave of delightful, shuddering madness.
Chad watched, excited by her joy, and he said, "I love you," as he joined her in sweet, wild release.
Several minutes passed before she was able to move off him. Her limbs were like jelly, her heart beating out of her chest. He pulled her close, and she was asleep within minutes. For the first time since they returned from the mountains, she slept peacefully.
Chad didn't want to wake her, so he texted Alan to ask if he was with Cassie.
When Alan assured him that he was taking good care of Cassie, he told his friend that he would bring Hannah back to the apartment the next day. She was sleeping, and he did not wish to wake her.
Alan agreed and answered that he would spend the night at the apartment with Cassie. Both men worried about leaving the girls alone right now. There were a lot of texts and phone calls back and forth over the past few weeks.
Their next trip, the one to the beach, was in two weeks. Chad and Alan had even discussed cancelling it, but the girls had balked, so they agreed to continue as planned.
Chad worried that, since he had to take extra days due to the hostage situation in Tennessee, his supervisor might revoke his leave for the next trip. However, the hospital was very understanding of the situation and encouraged him to take the break, after all he and Hannah went through. The four friends were heroes, as far as everyone who knew them was concerned. On this trip, he and Alan planned to accompany the girls for the entire trip, rather than joining them mid-week.
The next morning, Hannah awoke, feeling more refreshed than she had in weeks. She looked around and realized she was still in Chad's bed. "Chad?" she called out.
He entered the bedroom, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and handed her a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
"You were sleeping so soundly, I couldn't bear to wake you. I checked with Alan, and he said he could stay with Cassie, so I let you sleep. I'll take you home after breakfast, if you like."
"Mmm," she said as she set back and sipped the coffee. "This is so good. Yes, I slept well. Thank you."
"My pleasure, baby," he said as he leaned over to kiss her forehead.
"What time do you work today?" she asked.
"I go in at two, so we have plenty of time. And Alan is on afternoons, too, so we're good."
"What time is it now?" she asked.
"A little after ten, so relax, drink your coffee. I'll throw together some omelets, and you can shower before I
take you back to the apartment, if you like."
"Okay, sounds like a plan." She took another sip.
"What are your plans for the day?" he asked as he went to the closet and got out his clothes for work.
"I have found that it's good therapy for me to write about what happened in LeClaire. After that, I plan to do the same with the Tennessee…adventure."
"A journal of sorts?" he asked. "Did Alan suggest that?"
"He mentioned it, knowing my love of writing."
"Not a bad idea. How is Cassie doing, I mean, really?" he asked with concern when he sat down on the edge of the bed.
"She still has bad dreams at night. Other than that, she seems to be okay during the day. She's been busy planning her classes for the first quarter. She spoke to her employer at the bookstore the other day to see about returning there part time when we get back from the beach."
"That all sounds promising. What about you? Are you going to work at the newspaper again this year?" he asked.
"I suppose I will. They told me when I asked for the summer off that I could come back for my senior year. In fact, I'll bet they would publish my stories about our trips."
"They may at that. Now, I have to get our food started. You relax, and I'll let you know when it's ready to eat."
"I think I'll jump in the shower real quick," she said as she sat her empty mug on the night table.
Two hours later, showered, fed and dressed, oh, and kissed several times, Hannah was back home with Cassie. Alan left to go back to his place to get ready for his shift, and the girls were on their own.
"What should we do today?" Cassie asked.
"I was going to write, but is there something else you have in mind?"
"I thought we might run to the mall and buy some things for the beach trip. I really want a new suit, and they are all on sale now."
Hannah's Horror: A Romantic Mystery Page 11