She spluttered something indecipherable. The throbbing in Josh’s ribs and the flashes of light in his vision almost made him pass out. He shook his head a little to try to stay conscious.
****
Receiving panicked phone calls from Tori Downing was nothing new. Her voice shattered the quiet in Shaw’s vehicle, booming across his speakers through the courtesy of Bluetooth.
“Slow down. Catch a breath. Is something wrong with Grayson?”
“This stupid plan of yours has made it to where we can’t be together until it’s all over. So how would I know if something was wrong with Gray? That’s not why I’m calling.” The sound of a car door slamming rattled in the background. “What I’m trying to tell you is that both Josh and Ashley are missing.”
He gathered his patience before he spoke. “Didn’t you talk to Josh today? Then, he’s not missing.”
She made an irritated noise, half growl and half huff of disgust. “Josh tried to call me, but his phone goes straight to voice mail now. I thought I’d try Ashley, thinking maybe she might know what he was calling about. She doesn’t answer her phone either. When I called the lab, no one answered the phone, so I called the switchboard. He’d signed out for the day. He wasn’t at Gray’s house. His truck isn’t around town. I got worried so I stopped by the clinic where she works. Her car is still on the lot, Shaw.”
Shaw steadied his last nerve and made a left onto the highway out of town. It had been his plan to finally go home. “Tori you’re panicking for nothing. Just because you can’t get either of them, doesn’t mean something is wrong.”
“No, listen. The woman on the front desk at the clinic told me Josh had come into the office looking for Ashley and left in a hurry when someone told him Ashley had left with Dr. Phelps.” She paused and he could hear a quick intake of breath. “I’m telling you, Shaw, something is wrong. After what Ashley told me…she’d never willingly go anywhere with Phelps.” Another significant pause. “She told us about his cabin on Baxter Road. In the mountainside beneath the cabin there is a hollowed out room like a cave. She said she saw a cage in there like Phelps had been locking someone up and holding them captive.”
Shaw pulled over to the shoulder. In another second, he was turning his vehicle around. It seemed he had become involved somehow with every blasted murder in Hill County that had happened in the last month. “I’m going out there.”
“Okay, well, I think that would be a good idea.”
Had he flustered her by reading her mind? He understood what she was trying to tell him. Earlier that day Josh had called him and asked if he knew anything about a series of kidnappings and possible homicides. When Shaw had accessed VICAP, the FBI’s violent crimes database, he had been shocked to discover that there were six more victims who had died like the woman that had been found on the Ashley Ridge Trail. No one had linked the murders to each other because they were all in different jurisdictions in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.
The difference between the Ridge Trail murder and the others? The local murder victim had been found naked and repositioned without respect for her dignify. The other victims were dumped alongside the road without regard as to how they landed. The local victim had a tentative identification. The other victims were still Jane Does. All of them.
Phelps’s cabin was on Baxter Road at the southern end of the Ridge Trail. Coincidence? He didn’t think so. Shaw did not believe in coincidence. Not when it came to sadistic killers.
What Tori had just told him rang with significance and extreme urgency. For the first time in months, he rolled down his window and plopped his emergency light on top of his vehicle.
Chapter Nineteen
When Josh dared open his eyes again, Phelps was nowhere in sight, Ashley was staring at him with tear-stained eyes, and his gun was missing from the waistband of his jeans. He’d been propped against the wall next to the cage, angled so that he could see Ashley and Ashley could see him. His hands were tied behind his back, but to his surprise, Phelps hadn’t done a very good job of tying him up. Was the man that inept or was he playing a sick game allowing him to think he could get loose?
Ashley scrambled closer to Josh. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Nothing that an ice pack and back brace won’t fix right up. Where did he go?” he whispered and winced as he tried to sit a little straighter.
She hooked her fingers over the wire mesh of the cage. “He went up the tunnel.”
He wanted to push her disheveled hair from her face. Wanted to kiss away the pain that etched the corners of her mouth.
“How long have I been out?” he managed to ask through a lump in his throat.
He was angry with himself. He hadn’t managed to protect her. Instead, he had walked right into Phelps’s trap, too eager to release her from the cage. Too many times he’d been accused of acting impulsively. He’d always defended his actions, but this time, his lack of caution had compromised his ability to get them both away from Phelps.
“I don’t know. Maybe twenty or thirty minutes.”
Josh sucked down a surge of emotion. “Has he hurt you?”
She shook her head. “Not like that. Not yet.”
Not yet? Ashley was smart enough to know it was only a matter of time. “I made a bad mistake, Josh.”
“What did you do?”
“I told him we knew about those girls he killed.”
The air in the room was thick and hard to breathe. Josh sucked in a ragged, heavy breath before managing to speak again. “He admitted it?”
She nodded.
“He’s a sociopath or a psychopath or some kind of path. He’s playing a game with us.”
“What do you mean?”
Josh shot his eyes toward the tunnel. Listened a moment. Heard nothing. “He hasn’t tied me up very well. I bet he’s watching to see what I do. Maybe he’s letting me think I’m rescuing us when I’m not.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“I don’t know yet, but don’t give up. If we’re still alive, we have a chance of getting out of here.”
“I’m trying, Josh. I really am, but I’ve been through so much already. I’m tired of fighting everything.” Her voice cracked a little.
But he had been through a lot too, and he wasn’t giving up, wasn’t going to let her give up either. “Just hold on a little while longer. Promise me something?”
She licked her lips before speaking. “What?”
“No matter what happens, will you remember that I love you? I’ve always loved you. I’ll love you forever.”
Tears glistened on the tips of her eyelashes. “I love you, too.” Her smile wobbled a little. “I can hold on if you can. I think it’s going to take both of us to get out of this alive.”
“Shhh…” He cocked his head toward the tunnel. “He’s coming.”
He hung his head and planted his chin in his chest as if he were still out of it. He slitted his eyes open just enough to see. Ashley slid to the floor as if she had finally succumbed to exhaustion.
****
Feigning listlessness, Ashley dared to follow Terrance with her eyes as he sauntered across the stone floor of the room as if he hadn’t a care in the world. When he stood over Josh, looking down at him with unadulterated hatred glittering in his eyes, she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from cursing him. His intentions were clear. Unless Josh could find a way to defend himself, he was as good as dead.
She sucked back a sob. Regret washed over her as she considered all the mistakes she had made that had led her to this point in her life. She’d brought Josh right along with her even though they’d only been back together a very short time. In her heart, they’d always been together…just not together. She shook her head. That last thought made more sense than it should have.
Her internal turmoil escaped her lips. Terrance turned toward her when she moaned. She stared up into his eyes and saw only death, the desire to kill, and the absence of mercy. He would kil
l her too.
He smirked and turned his attention back to Josh, nudged him with the toe of his shoe, and then leaned him forward, tugged on his bindings. Josh tilted a little more to the left, but showed no indication that he was awake and plotting their escape. Was he a good enough actor to fool Terrance? Maybe. He had always been able to charm his way out of trouble.
Apparently, Terrance had satisfied himself that Josh was out cold because he turned his back on Josh and began unlocking the gate, displaying an arrogant confidence in his ability to restrain Josh.
Ashley glanced at Josh out of the corner of her eye. When would he make his move? Was he still awake or had he really passed out?
Anxiety bubbled up from her stomach, but there was no food left for her to heave back up this time. She gagged on bile and then wiped the nasty tasting spit from the corners of her mouth.
Terrance swung the gate open and stood in the open entrance for a long moment, assessing her as if he were trying to determine the most horrific way he could make her suffer. He pulled the gun out of his jacket pocket and waved it at her. “Drag that mattress out here. We need more room for the show we’re going to give McCord.”
Nothing would punish her more than for Josh to watch while Terrance tortured, raped, and murdered her.
She shook her head. She’d fight him. Maybe he’d kill her before he could humiliate her in front of Josh. Knowing Josh the way she did, she was certain her humiliation at Terrance’s hands would be as hard from him to watch as it would be for her to endure.
“Obey me, woman.” Terrance raised his fist to strike her and then stopped.
In her peripheral vision, she caught just a hint of movement, something darker against the shadows on the far side of the room. Maybe Terrance saw it too. Josh breathed in deep, grumbled a bit, and turned his head away from them. Terrance twisted on his heel and stared at Josh.
She kept her eyes on the gun, dangling loosely in Terrance’s long thin fingers. Could she grab it from him while his attention was diverted? No, the gun was too far away. She inched closer, but didn’t dare move too quickly.
When Josh made no further movements, Terrance resumed his vicious mission, pushed Ashley aside, knocking her into the rock wall, and tossed the thin mattress through the gate and out in the open area. She pressed her fingers to her forehead. Blood oozed from a fresh cut. Her vision grew fuzzy around the edges and a host of bright pinpoints dotted the landscape in front of her. She shook her head to clear the fuzz, but it didn’t totally dispel.
Her heart raced and her limbs grew weaker, potential signs of a spirit manifestation. She glanced around the large room, searching for any hint that Jeremy’s ghost had reappeared at a critical moment.
Terrance followed the mattress out of the cage and kicked it further into the center of the room. While his back was turned, she rushed the gate. She was almost out of the fenced area when he faced her again, covered the distance between them in four long strides, ran his fingers into her hair, and dragged her across the floor before pushing her onto the grungy bedding.
“Wake up, McCord. It’s party time.”
Josh remained still.
“I said wake up.”
A shot echoed through the cave. She heard the blast before she saw the gun in Terrance’s hand recoil. A bit of rock chipped off the wall beside Josh’s head. His eyes popped open. The bullet pinged around the room a few times before she lost track of its disjointed trajectory.
Ashley’s self-control vanished and was replaced with a frenzied desire to lash out at Terrance in any manner possible. Physically. Verbally. Emotionally. She wanted to inflict abuse on him. As much abuse as she had endured from him already. “Are you crazy?”
Terrance cackled. “Am I crazy? She asked if I’m crazy. McCord, what do you think? Am I crazy?”
No answer.
“Are you pretending to be dead, McCord? I can see you breathing.”
Still no answer.
Another shot zoomed around the room. “No sleeping. You have to stay awake for the show.”
Josh reacted and struggled with the ropes that bound him, obviously no longer able to contain his anger. “You son-of-a-bitch, you can’t shoot a gun in here. You’ll kill us all.”
Terrance smiled, as if acknowledging that killing them all was his plan. He moved around the mattress, circling Ashley until she was between him and Josh. “Take your clothes off. Slowly.”
She shuddered and shook her head.
He yanked her up from the mattress and stuck the barrel of the gun into the side of her face. “I said strip.”
“Make me,” she muttered through trembling lips. She’d rather die than willingly do what he wanted her to do.
His fingers wound into the front of her shirt, and first one, then two buttons popped, exposing her bra. She bit back a scream. The scene reminded her of the night Jeremy tried to rape her the second time, the night he died. She closed her eyes, but refused to whimper, refused to flinch, refused to react. She wouldn’t give Terrance anything he wanted.
“Don’t do it, Phelps,” Josh called from behind her. “If you hurt her, I’m going to kill you. Slowly and painfully.”
What was stopping him from attacking Terrance? When would he put an end to this nightmare? Maybe the ropes around his wrists weren’t as loose as he’d thought they were.
The gun. He can’t do anything as long as Terrance has the gun on me. He won’t risk it.
Despite her desire to hold back the tears, liquid fear rolled down her cheeks.
“Why are you crying? I’m about to give you what you’ve wanted all your life.”
Terrance’s patronizing sarcasm seeped into her soul. Her feelings for him had gone beyond hatred, had morphed into something deeper that had no name.
Josh tossed a taunt at Terrance. “What did your mother do to you, Phelps?”
Terrance threw his head back and laughed. “My mother? You think bringing my mother into the conversation is going to freak me out or something? Are you psychoanalyzing me?” His tone turned deadly serious. “I don’t have Mommy issues, McCord. I think that’s you.”
She couldn’t see him but she could imagine Josh’s face turning red. Terrance should have never accused Josh of having Mommy issues. Those were rage words for Josh.
A complacent grin covered Terrance’s face. “It’s too late to figure out what makes me do what I do. You’ll die not knowing why I killed those women, and you’ll die knowing there was nothing you could do to save sweet Ashley. She’s mine, McCord. She belongs to me. No one else.” His eyes clouded with blood lust. “They all belonged to me.”
A single word boomed throughout the room. Mine.
Terrance swiveled. “Who’s there?” He turned every direction, swinging the gun wildly.
When he turned back toward her and she caught a glimpse of his face, mania had manifested on his features. Terrance no longer appeared handsome, no longer in control, no longer charming and smooth. He resembled a cornered rattlesnake about to strike. His face had transformed into a grotesque mask. His incisors gleamed in the dim light, bright white against his tanned face.
From the other side of the room, another phrase reverberated through the heavy air, bouncing off the walls all around them like a ricocheting bullet. Run, little girl. Run, little girl. Run, little girl.
Ashley pressed her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. The sunlight that had filtered in from the other side of the waterfall dimmed. The room darkened. The heavy air weighed even heavier in her already struggling lungs.
While she watched Terrance spin in circles trying to locate the intruder, Josh rushed past her and plowed into him, knocking him to the ground. Despite the solid hit to Terrance’s mid-section, the gun remained in his tight grip.
“Get down,” Josh yelled as he dove toward Terrance again.
The gun fired and the bullet did a crazy dance around the room, zipping past her ear with a high-pitched whine.
She dropped to the ground. Her
eyes scanned the room for anything that might be used as a weapon against Terrance. She spotted the heavy chain with the padlock lying on the ground next to the fence.
Josh and Terrance scrambled and rolled, fighting over possession of the gun. Her hands were on the chain. She straightened and prepared to make her move. From behind Josh and Terrance, a black mass formed out of nothingness. Moved across the floor. She blinked and froze, unsure of what she saw. Her mind could be playing tricks on her.
It seemed time stood still while the form made its slow and deliberate progress toward the men. The urgent need to do something pressed upon her mind. Ashley moved a couple of paces closer to them. She lifted the chain, waiting for the moment she could strike Terrance with the hard padlock. Josh’s head kept getting in the way. Before she could take a swing, the mass overcame Josh. He convulsed and then straightened stiff as a board. Terrance pointed the gun at Josh’s face, victory spreading across his wicked smile.
Strange and indecipherable words spouted from Josh’s lips. Words that didn’t sound like any language she’d ever heard. Josh stretched out his hand and a spark ignited from his fingertips. The gun flew from Terrance’s hand and bounced and clattered as it skidded across the floor, fell over the edge of the cliff, and disappeared out of sight.
The fight would have been even between Terrance and Josh if not for the blackness that had descended upon Josh. Whoever or whatever had overtaken him had given him the clear advantage. It wasn’t going to be a fair fight with the force of something paranormal controlling Josh’s words and his actions.
She feared the damage being done to Josh’s heart, his soul, and his mind. If the darkness belonged to Jeremy, then Josh was being punished as much as his blows were punishing Terrance. Josh’s hits landed with an inerrancy that could have only been guided by supernatural energy.
Terrance faltered, stepped back. Josh lunged and dug his thumb into the hollow of Terrance’s neck. He gasped and clawed at Josh’s wrists. His face turned red. He spluttered and gagged, gasping for breath.
Ashley Ridge (Haunted Hearts Series Book 3) Page 23