by Bobbi Brattz
Weak from blood loss, he thought of Layla and the danger she was in. He had to get out of the building. She would think he was dead. He wasn’t too far off that thought himself. Flames rose higher, licking along the high ceiling as they crept closer to him.
Someone shouted, “Is anyone there? Van, can you hear me?”
Smoke thick in his lungs, Van cried out, “In here!”
The door burst open, a firefighter shoving his way through.
“Van!” Logan rushed to his side, cutting through the ropes so that Van could break free. It was no use, he couldn’t stand. Logan lifted him up, throwing him over his shoulder in one quick move. The fire was closer now, too close for comfort as Logan made his way toward the front door. All around them the walls and carpet burned as they followed a path only Logan could see. Two more firefighters arrived to help, keeping the hose moving over the flames.
Before they could make it to the front door of the building, the roof crashed in…
* * * *
Layla sought a way of escape, but the knife remained pressed against her side, the woman holding her arm tight in her grip.
“Where are we going?” she cried, looking for anyone who was watching to stop them. It was no use. Everyone watched the studio burn, all eyes on the fire.
“Shut up and keep moving.”
Refusing to cooperate, Layla asked, “What did you do with Van?”
“He’s lying on the floor, right in the middle of the studio”
“You killed him?” Layla cried, fury making her fearless as she turned to the woman and grabbed her wrist. The knife slashed close to her waist, but she held on, avoiding the cut of the blade.
“No, I didn’t. He did.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Layla shouted, fighting for the knife.
“I beg to differ,” a man spoke from the dark shadows.
Without releasing the woman’s arm, Layla kept up the battle for control. Twisting to the side, the knife turned, aiming for Layla’s heart, but the man stopped it, his strong grip thrusting upward with the blade. Her eyes widened in shock as the woman dropped to the ground, pulling Layla with her.
With both of them down, the man laughed.
“We’re missing all the fun. Leave her,” he said in a carefree manner, pulling the knife out of the woman’s body. She lay still as death on the ground. Just as Layla began to scream, he hit her and all went dark.
* * * *
Stuck behind a wall of flames, Logan struggled to keep Van safe. He shared his oxygen with him, hoping against hope that his fellow firefighters would be able to get past the debris and save them. When the roof collapsed, it blocked the exit, trapping them both. The two other firefighters with the hose were safe, having moved out of the area just before the roof went down. Logan and Van were on their own now.
“Van, stay with me. Don’t you die, do you hear me?”
Logan watched as Van’s eyes closed, his face shining from sweat as the fire moved closer. They only had seconds to go before death claimed them.
“Come on, Van. Layla’s waiting on the beach for us. Keep your eyes open.”
His lashes fluttered as Logan slapped his cheeks to jar him awake. Both men were covered in blood. Logan pressed hard on the hole in Van’s chest, trying to stem the flow of blood. Time was against them as he shifted, trying to avoid more falling debris. He covered Van’s body with his own.
Van coughed, waiting for the next hit of oxygen.
“You do this for a living? I would rather face a bullet.”
Logan laughed. “I think you already did.”
“The best of both worlds, I guess. I just want you to know, Logan, that I treasure our friendship. These past few weeks have been great.”
“No talk like that, my friend. Layla won’t like it.”
“He’s out there lying in wait until someone lets her out of sight. There’s a woman in on it, too. She’s a leggy blonde who does whatever he asks. She untied me and I was about to get away, but he showed up. When he shot me, I think he believed I was dead.”
“Well, if I can’t get you out of here, you will be. Let’s keep moving. I can hear the water from the hoses. It’s so damned hot in here.”
Van put his hand on Logan’s arm.
“Thank you for your friendship. I don’t know if we’re going to make it, but you mean a lot to me.”
“No more talk like that. We’re getting out of here. Hang tight.”
Placing Van on the ground, Logan lifted his axe and attacked the door, though it was steel. The door didn’t budge.
A booming sound came from the other side of it as his firefighter friends battered it to get to them. Flames licked at his coat as he chopped at the hinges. He had to leap backward as the door came crashing inward. Water burst onto him and Van and then captured some of the flames, dousing them.
“Here we go, Van.” When Van didn’t answer, Logan swore. Either he’d passed out, or he was dead, and there was no time to check. He lifted Van on his shoulders once again and rushed out the door into the waiting arms of his colleagues.
The structure behind them crashed to the ground, narrowly missing them. Outside, they were met by paramedics. Both men collapsed from lack of oxygen. The building groaned and imploded just as the firefighters got out. It was beyond repair, groaning like it was alive. Logan passed out, not knowing where Layla was.
* * * *
Bright sunlight welcomed her as Layla finally awoke. It was well past breakfast time, based on the height of the sun. Her stomach growled as she opened her eyes. She could see out the patio door that they were nowhere near the resort. Somehow, her captor had taken them away from the beach.
“You’re awake. That’s good.”
Tensing up, Layla turned her head and saw her nemesis for the first time. He was a simple looking man, his features unremarkable. She judged him to be in his forties. His stomach was well rounded, jutting out beneath his shirt. She’d seen him at every fire dance for the past two weeks. He’d seemed normal like every other guest. Now, his watery blue eyes studied her as he frowned.
“You aren’t as beautiful in the daylight. I want to see you with the flames, but it will have to wait until it gets dark again. You will dance for me each night. When we’re married, you’ll be happy with me.”
“You are not only an arsonist, and a stalker, but now you’re a murderer. Why would I want anything to do with you?” she snarled.
His eyes narrowed, and Layla realized her mistake. Fear snaked down her spine when he moved closer to her. She tried to hide the terror she felt, knowing she was at his mercy. Shadows of yesterday haunted her as she recalled the date rape. She’d been helpless then, and she felt the same now. He was volatile, dangerous, and deadly. She decided she had to use honey instead of vinegar as she struggled to stay alive.
“I…I’ve had a bad night. Let’s talk about how you saved me.”
Strangely enough, his whole composure changed. He became like a kid with a candy bar, happy to talk about it. It was as though he’d forgotten all about killing his partner.
“You and I were the only victors of the flames. You understand them, and that’s what I admire most about you. We’ll get married and you can practice the dance every day. Imagine what we could do if we worked together.”
Layla licked her lips, trying to buy time.
“I’m really thirsty. Can I have some water?”
He seemed surprised that she wasn’t showing fear or anger. If she could keep him off guard, perhaps she could escape him.
“I’ll get you some water in a minute—you didn’t accept my gift when I proposed to you.”
“Oh, but I did,” she lied. “I just couldn’t show the others. They wouldn’t understand. Besides, I don’t even know your name.”
He thought about that for a moment.
“I suppose you’re right. You can call me Don.”
“Where will we live, Don?” she asked, looking around the room. It was barren
of furniture, an empty hut. She knew it was unlike any of the buildings on the resort. She couldn’t hear the ocean either. He must have taken us inland somewhere.
“Is this your home?”
He looked around, laughing at her question.
“This hovel isn’t good enough for you. It’s only a temporary stop. When we get to Atlanta, I’ll show you where you’ll live. I have a large house with lots of privacy. We’ll be living in the country.”
“Okay. What about the fire dance? Will I be dancing as a job, like I do here?”
Again, his expression changed to something sinister. She swallowed hard, afraid to speak for a moment.
“No! You will only dance for me from now on.”
Shuddering, she began to back away as he moved forward. When she backed into the wall, he followed, pushing her up against it. Panic took her breath away. As though it was happening all over again, Layla felt the walls closing in, his touch repelling her.
“You don’t want me to touch you, do you?” He lowered his voice to a soft whisper, his eyes as cold as ice chips.
Somehow, when he looked at her like that, she feared him more. It was as though someone else looked back at her. She knew that she’d have to protect herself, but how?
“You’re trembling. I like that.”
Layla wanted to stop it, but she only shook more.
“You’re scaring me. I don’t want you to hurt me, Don.”
“I won’t hurt you if you do as I say.”
With his finger, he traced the path of tears down her cheek, his hand sliding behind her to release her hair from the bun. When it was loose, he smiled. In her entire life, she’d never seen a more evil grin. She knew she looked death in the eye.
Chapter Fifteen:
Fear Rules the Day
Van sat up, pain radiating through his chest. He waited to speak to the doctor with impatience. He wanted to see Layla, to protect her. The thought of Layla being in held in the stalker’s arms made him shake with anger.
The doctor arrived, clipboard in hand.
“Hello, Van, I see you’ve been shot. You were lucky that the bullet didn’t hit any vital organs. It was a through and through, so you don’t need surgery, just a few stitches. However, the concussion is a bigger threat. You should stay here under observation for the night.”
“I’m not staying, Doc. I know the routine, but I have to go.”
“I really recommend that you stay. There could be some serious side effects.”
“Where are my clothes?” he asked, standing up ready to go.
“The nurse will bring you a form to sign. Once you’ve done that you’re on your own. If you get any symptoms of concussion like confusion, headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, or loss of memory, come back here fast.”
Logan entered the room, still in his firefighter gear. The doctor nodded and left the room.
“How are you doing?” he asked, his face a mask of concern.
“I’m ready to go. Where’s Layla?”
By the look on Logan’s face, he guessed.
“He’s got her, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, he does, but we’re expanding the search party. No one checked the studio because it had alarm systems, but somehow he deactivated them.”
“Cunning. Where would be the most likely place to take her?”
“We figure somewhere close, but not so close that people will notice them. We’re searching every property for a radius of ten miles. Something’s got to pop soon.”
“Logan, pass me my clothes.”
Though he did, he said, “It’s important that you stay here where you’re safe, Van. You’ve been shot, haven’t you?”
“You wouldn’t stay any longer that I’m going to.”
Logan didn’t disagree with him.
Slipping on his clothes, Van was ready to go, yet the moment he stood up, dizziness assailed him and he had to sit down for a moment.
“Give me a ride to the precinct?”
“Sure. Maybe on the way there we’ll find some clues. No one saw a car leave the resort last night, so we’re hoping they’re still on foot.”
“Logan, let’s get out of here. We have a woman to save.”
“Gotcha.”
Van couldn’t stand waiting to get out of the hospital. He was about to leave without signing release papers when the nurse brought them in.
“I heard about the fire at the resort. I hope no one else was hurt,” she said.
“Only me, but I’m fine now.”
“But what about that poor woman who was stabbed to death?”
“Stabbed?” All of a sudden, Van thought that Layla was dead, and his world began to crumble.
Logan placed his hand on Van’s arm.
“It wasn’t Layla. It was a guest.”
The moment passed, and Van vowed that he’d find her before it was too late. Since he didn’t believe the stalker would kill Layla, the fact that he’d killed another woman changed his mind.
“We have to get to her fast, Logan. Let’s get the lead out.”
“She’ll be fine. We’ll find her in time.”
Neither of them believed it for a minute.
* * * *
At the precinct, Van went directly to the chief’s office where Mateo and Rae, Piers and Tara, and the chief of police sat discussing the best way to find Layla.
“She doesn’t carry a phone, so we can’t trace her,” the chief said. “We’re polling all of the people in the area, but no one has seen anything out of the ordinary. I’m not sure what else we can do but let the canine squad finish their search. This isn’t a kidnapping where you expect a phone call from the stalker. He’ll disappear with her. He can’t get off the island with her though. We’ve got the airports covered.”
“The only guest missing is a Don Stoddard. He signed in with Deloris Stoddard, his wife,” Mateo said, holding Rae’s hand.
The chief continued, “We believe he killed her and has Layla. Since he’s only here on holiday, we figure he doesn’t know the area, so that’s a bonus for us.”
Van asked, “What’s the most logical place for him to hide her?”
“In plain sight. Maybe he’s got her in an abandoned house or a cottage,” Logan said.
Rae wiped at a lone tear on her cheek. “Do you think he’ll hurt her?”
When Tara put her arm around Rae, she said softly, “Don’t think like that, Rae. We have to believe she’s all right.”
“Stoddard is suspected of setting fires in Atlanta, his hometown, but they never had enough evidence to convict him of it. He’s smart, and that goes against us in prosecuting him. I have two precincts of men and women searching the area. There’s been no sign of them so far. If he forced her to walk, he could get farther, but since she’d have screamed her head off, we have to believe that he carried her, and she was either gagged or unconscious.”
“Chief, I’m going to join the search.” Van was already heading for the door.
“Wait a minute, Johansen. You’re off duty and wounded. There’s no way you’re going anywhere. You should be in the hospital.”
“Respectfully, sir, I’m fine. I love Layla, and I’ll do whatever I can to get her back.”
Rae and Tara smiled at his confession.
Logan nodded. “I’m off duty as well, and I’ll have his back.”
“I can’t tell you what to do when you’re on vacation, Johansen. Take care of yourself and let us do our job.”
“I’m a cop, even when I’m on vacation, sir.”
A small smile cracked across the man’s grizzled face.
“I know that, son, but don’t get in our way. You can’t let emotions rule your job.”
“Yes, sir.”
The meeting closed, and the group went back to the resort to make some plans. All the way there, Van was aware of the clock ticking.
* * * *
Time passed slowly as Layla struggled to keep calm. It seemed that when she was upset, he liked it, y
et when she was calm, he got agitated, so she did whatever he wanted, to a point. When he’d pushed her up against the wall, she thought he was going to rape her, but curiously, he didn’t make any moves. Rather than be relieved, she was even more nervous.
What does he want from me?
“That woman you killed, was she your wife?”
“She was. She’d outlived her usefulness. The last time she—”
“The last time? Do you mean you kidnapped people before, or that you burned buildings?”
“Both, but that doesn’t matter now.”
“What did you do to the women you took?”
“They never understood fire as you do.”
“Did you kill them, Don?” she asked, afraid to hear his answer.
He walked over to her, his mouth only inches from hers. She nearly gagged from the smell of his rotten breath. Panic set in as she met his gaze and waited.
“Yes, but you are different. You’re the kind of woman I want in my life. Deloris was useless and used up. She wasn’t afraid of me anymore.”
“Did she know about the others?”
This time he laughed. His eyes softened a little, and he backed away.
“She helped me capture them. She was useful in her own way, but I have you now.”
“You…you expect me to kidnap people?”
“I have no need to take any others as long as you do what you’re told.” His finger traced her lower lip, causing her to shudder with fear. “When I tire of you, I might kill you as well.”
It was all she could do to hide her fear, but he lost interest in his game and left her alone.
“Don’t try to leave this house or I will kill you, Layla. I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll stay here.” When hell freezes over.
He studied her for a few moments, apparently deciding to trust her as he turned and left the building, closing the door tight behind him. She waited for a few minutes before going to the window, trying to figure out where she was. The landscape looked similar to the area around the resort. She decided to try and leave, walking slowly toward the door, the fear almost overwhelming. Since he hadn’t bound her hands and feet, she was free to go.