“Walk along with me,” he ordered, waving a knife at her.
Amanda’s heart began to pound. This area of the path was deserted, she realized with a shiver of panic. Her stomach clenched with fear as questions rushed through her mind.
Would someone hear her if she screamed? If she did scream, would he stab her with his knife? Was there anyway she could dial 911 on the phone in her pocket?
By this time they were out of the tunnel and she could see the man clearly. She almost gasped as she recognized him. Aaron Griswold. There was no mistaking him. With those bottle-cap lenses in his glasses and his shaven head, she would know him anywhere. She was glad Gary Kaufman had sent her a picture. At least she knew who she was dealing with. But knowing only made the knot of fear in her stomach grow larger. She felt panic like she had never known before.
What had happened? He was supposed to be in jail.
Should she let him know she had recognized him? She decided she would play it by ear. Surely he wasn’t going to rape and kill her this time of day. It wasn’t yet totally dark. There were several paths down the hill from the University and students would be coming down them.
“Put your bike over there under those bushes,” he said, waving at some nearby shrubs. “Leave your helmet with it.”
Knowing how dangerous this man was, she did as she was told, shaking so badly it was all she could do to wheel her bike off the path.
After that was accomplished to his satisfaction, he said, “Give me your cell phone.”
She removed the earbuds with trembling fingers and handed them to him, along with her cell phone. He immediately turned her phone off, tossing it, along with the ear buds into a patch of weeds.
Wave after wave of fear flashed through her. What was his plan for her? Where were they going? She decided she would find out all in good time and the best thing was to keep quiet and not upset him in any way, but she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life. He motioned her to start walking and she accompanied him down the trail, frantically looking around to see if there was some way she could escape her captor. She knew that was probably a false hope. She was sure there was no way she could out run him.
How had he gotten out of jail?
Matt would be incredibly upset if he knew. But what was the likelihood of that, with him in Colorado Springs? Now she no longer had her cell phone, even if she had found a chance to call him. Icy fear gripped her as she realized she was now out of touch with everyone she knew.
They rounded a corner, and Griswold motioned to a parking lot off to one side of the path. He took her arm and led her to a white car and opened the door on the passenger side and said, “Get in.”
As she did so, she looked around, hoping to see someone. She couldn’t believe there wasn’t a soul in sight. What was the chances of that happening this time of day?
When he walked around the car, should she make a run for it?
It was as though he read her mind. Once she was seated in the car, he said, “Now move over behind the steering wheel. I want you to drive.”
“But I don’t have my driver’s license with me.”
“Then be careful. If you do anything to call attention to us, I will sink this knife into your heart.” His voice was absolutely emotionless and it chilled her to the bone.
Awkwardly, she climbed over the console and settled in behind the steering wheel. Aaron slipped into the passenger seat and shut the door. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he took out a solitary key on a chain and handed it to her.
Amanda took the key and started the engine. Since there was no one parked in front of the car, she put the car into drive and slowly accelerated.
“Which way?” she asked, as they reached the street.
“Take a right and go down to 30th Street and take another right.”
Following his instructions, she reached 30th Street and after taking a right, drove until it dead-ended into a major thoroughfare with several eating establishments. He motioned her to take another right and she stared wistfully at the restaurants. She hadn’t realized she was so hungry. This adventure should have made her lose her appetite. Instead, it appeared to have given her one.
“I’m hungry. Have you had your dinner yet?” she asked, in a friendly voice, hoping to buy herself more time.
“No.”
“I have some money in my pocket. We could stop and get something.”
“If we see one of those fast-food restaurants, we’ll go through the drive-in.”
That’s better than nothing. Was he going to take her somewhere to rape and kill her?
She tried to keep from trembling as fearful images took form in her mind. If he was, he had certainly changed his modes operandi from what she had understood from the news, which had been confirmed by Matt. In the past, he had always left their bodies where he had raped and killed the girls on the Boulder Creek Path. She tried to calm her feeling by wondering, why would he let her eat if he was just going to kill her? None of this made sense. But then, she didn’t have the mind of a serial killer.
“There’s a McDonald’s.” He pointed. “You can go through their drive-in.”
She put on the turn signal and when the traffic had cleared, she made a left-hand turn into the fast-food restaurant.
“What do you want?” Amanda asked as she stopped in front of the speaker.
“I’ll take whatever you’re having.”
She studied the menu for a minute, trying frantically to think of a way to escape. When nothing came to her, she ordered two hamburgers with fries and a drink for both of them.
“Do you have enough money?” Aaron asked.
“I have some bills in my pocket, which should cover it,” she said as she drove forward to pay and pick up their order.
“You’re short a dollar,” the clerk said.
“Really? I’m sure I gave you enough,” Amanda said, trying to buy some time. “Please count it again.”
The young man did as she asked. “I need another dollar,” he said firmly.
“That’s all I have,” she said, hoping he would read the desperation in her eyes and do something. Call his supervisor, or ask for the food back. Anything to keep them there.
“Here’s five,” Griswold said, leaning across her to give the young man the bill.
Change was made and their order handed out to them. Amanda slowly accelerated, and then stopped in the parking lot.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I can’t eat and drive, too,” she replied. “I don’t know about you, but I hate eating cold food.”
He said nothing more and they both unwrapped their sandwich. Amanda felt much better after eating. Ready to deal with anything Aaron might throw at her.
Should she jump out of the car and make a run for it?
“Don’t try it,” he said, as though reading her mind. His voice was quiet, but it held a subtle threat.
A flicker of apprehension coursed through her and she felt momentary panic as she waited for him to give her directions.
“So where are we headed?” she asked.
“Table Mesa Drive. It will take us up to NCAR,” he replied.
What on earth?
She knew the street that went up to the building, which sat on a hill outside of Boulder, dead-ended at the parking lot for the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The only reason people who weren’t employees went there was to hike the trails that led up into the foothills above Boulder.
Although panic continued to riot inside her, she decided not to ask any questions. She would find out soon enough what his plan was. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Wasn’t ignorance supposed to be bliss? However, that didn’t seem to apply in this case.
Matt had just turned his cell p
hone back on after a meeting with a group of Colorado Springs policemen. Heller’s number flashed on the screen.
“Koehler,” he said, punching into the phone.
“Matt.”
“What’s up, Chief?”
“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” Heller said.
“What is it?” Matt asked. His stomach began to churn as he heard Heller’s next words.
“Aaron Griswold has escaped.”
“How did that happen?” he asked as anger knotted inside him. “I thought this new jail was state of the art.”
“It is. But he was being arraigned in court today. They had just arrived at the courthouse. Somehow on the ride from the jail, he was able to escape from his handcuffs and as one of the guards opened the car door, he overpowered him, took his gun, shot the second one, and got away. Heads are going to roll on this one.”
Matt’s heart sank. All the work he and Karen had done had been for nothing.
“I’m down in Colorado Springs working with their police department on a case, but if you need me, I’ll come back up to Boulder.”
“Let’s wait and see what happens. Maybe we can somehow catch him without your help. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Please do. Catching that killer meant a lot to me. I sure hate to think of him running around loose.”
Heller assured him he would be in touch as soon as he knew something.
“Do you think it’s possible that he’s gone back to the Boulder Creek Path, looking for another victim?” Matt asked.
“It’s a definite possibility. I’ve got several plain clothes men patrolling the path. Now that we know what he looks like, it’s going to make it easier to spot him.”
Matt’s heart jumped into his throat at the chief’s words. Knowing the killer was on the loose, he felt stark fear at the thought of Amanda riding her bike on the Creek Path. He must get in touch with her immediately and tell her not to ride the Boulder Creek Path until Griswold was caught. He dialed her store first, but Jenessa told him she had left for home. This information caused him even more panic.
Next he tried her cell phone, but it went directly to voicemail. She must be talking on it, he decided. He waited a few minutes and then tried again. Again it went to voice mail.
Feeling frustrated, he tried her home phone. After a few rings, that one also went to voicemail. Now he was not only extremely upset, but worried. He would try to be patient and call back in thirty minutes. He was anxious to reach her and tell her not to ride the Creek Path at all, day or night, until Griswold was caught.
Matt went into a meeting with two of the policeman on the force in Colorado Springs, so he wasn’t able to call Amanda until an hour later. Both cell and home phone went to voicemail. He was starting to worry.
This is ridiculous. Maybe she is out with friends. Maybe she has a boyfriend and she’s out with him.
He hoped not. If that were the reason she wasn’t picking up on her home or cell phone, it would put paid to his plans for the two of them. He felt that was highly unlikely. In his panic, he wasn’t thinking clearly. Hadn’t she said, he was the first man she had dated in five years?
The Police Chief wanted him to go out to dinner, so he decided he would give her a try around nine that evening and if she still hadn’t picked up, he would call her first thing in the morning. He knew she didn’t open her store until ten so he would give her a call at home around eight-thirty or nine the next day if he were unable to reach her tonight.
When Aaron instructed Amanda to pull into the parking lot for the trailheads near NCAR and park, she was more mystified than ever. Only one car sat by the entrance to the building, and it was too late in the day for anyone to be hiking.
“Out,” he said, motioning with the knife. “I have some things in the trunk that we’re going to need and you’ll have to help me carry them.”
Reaching over, he took the key out of the ignition and stepped out. He moved to the back of the car, motioning her to follow and opened the trunk. Inside, she saw two backpacks. He handed her one and he took the other one.
“We’re going to have to get a move on us or we won’t reach Mallory Cave before it gets dark.”
“Mallory Cave?” she exclaimed. “But I heard on the news the other day it was closed to the public because of the bats.”
“That’s why we’re going there.” He smiled. “No one will ever think to look for us there.”
She stared at him.
“What’s the matter? You’re not afraid of bats, are you?”
“As a matter of fact, the thought of them does make me nervous,” she admitted. She had actually been thinking that it was going to be impossible for anyone to find her, but her answer appeared to satisfy him.
“They won’t hurt you. Do you know how supportive they are of our ecological system?”
“No, I’ve never done any reading on the subject.”
“Let’s go, and I’ll explain it after we get to the cave and get settled in.”
Who will ever find me now?
Her chances appeared more hopeless all the time and she clenched her hands until her nails dug into her palms. Maybe her only hope was to keep Aaron talking. She was desperate to find a way to leave some kind of clue behind without him seeing her.
“Just a minute,” she said. “If we’re going to walk up that trail, I need to retie the laces on my shoes. They’re a little loose.”
Before he could object, she set the backpack he had given her on the ground and knelt down beside it. He gave her an impatient look, but then turned to survey the foothills in front of them.
Quickly she slipped off one of her bracelets and placed it slightly in front of the rear tire she was kneeling next to. She could only hope the piece of turquoise set into the silver band would be distinctive enough to catch someone’s eye. It had been a gift from her father and she hated to lose it, but it was the only thing she had that might remotely be a clue for anyone looking for her.
As she stood and picked up the backpack, she walked toward Aaron, knowing she couldn’t prolong the inevitable. Glancing at the plates on the car, she noticed they were registered in Illinois.
“Is this your car?” she asked..
“Yes, why?”
“It’s a very nice one. I enjoyed driving it.”
“We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s go,” he said, his expression darkening.
Amanda noticed as he waved his hand at her that he was no longer holding the knife. Instead, he was carrying a large flashlight. She swung the backpack over her shoulders and started up the path in front of Aaron, fear overtaking her as she wondered what was in store for her.
Chapter 14
What if Griswold did go back to the Boulder Creek Path? Once again, the thought caused Matt such panic he immediately called Heller.
When Heller picked up the phone, he was relieved when the Chief of Police said, “We’ve heard nothing on Griswold. As I told you previously, we’ve staked out the Boulder Creek Path. Nothing so far. It’s as though he’s disappeared into thin air.”
“Do you think he’s left town?”
“That would seem the logical thing for him to do since we now know what he looks like. We’ve handed out flyers all over town and as bad as I hated to, we ran an article in the paper with his picture. This can cause a panic in Boulder. No one likes to think there is a serial killer loose in their town. We’re on the tail end of our tourist season, but it will put paid to the rest of it. We’ve asked to be called should anyone see him. So far, there’s been nothing.”
“Sounds like he might have left town.”
“That’s what we’re hoping. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted and I’ll let you know if we hear anything the least bit suspicious.”
When Matt hung up after his c
onversation with Heller, he had to admit he did feel somewhat better. But that feeling evaporated immediately when his phone rang about noon the next day and he heard Heller’s voice.
“Matt, I promised to call you if anything came up. This morning I received a call from the manager of a store on the mall. It seems the owner who always opens the store failed to do so this morning. In addition, both her cell phone and home phone are not being answered, but go directly to voicemail. But the worrisome fact is, she rides her bike to and from work on the Boulder Creek Path.”
Experiment in Terror (Koehler Brothers Book 1) Page 15