Innocence Taken

by Janet Durbin

"Web, what if the area where the girl was found eleven years ago, and the more recent one, were not the right spots. What if it was more south of that?"

  "But Nature said it was near a mountain, in a little used forest area. It fits the profile."

  "Think about it.” She looked at Web. “If you were killing girls, would you bury their bodies in your backyard? Or would you take them a short distance away, somewhere still close enough for you to visit when the need arose."

  "Web stared at the map, “You know ... it makes sense. It makes more sense than mine.” Glancing up at her, he said, “Where do you propose we look?"

  Her slender manicured finger touched directly north of their present location. The one Web had pointed to was more in line with the road, more east of where she pointed.

  "We better get rolling. Nature has been with that shit for three days now. That's three days longer than I like."

  Outside, they were glad to see all four tires on the Mustang remained loaded with air. The departing men had not punctured them. Web started the powerful engine and guided the vehicle down the dirt road, back onto the paved one. He turned right, heading the way they came last night. The sign for Route 28 showed where to turn. Once they were on the road, both kept a sharp eye out for any indications of where a vehicle might have pulling off. The sign for Cherry Grove welcomed them 17 miles later. Pulling the Mustang over, Web blew out a frustrated breath.

  "I didn't see anything."

  "That doesn't mean it's not there. We just missed it."

  "What if we're looking in the wrong area? Damn!"

  Sandy reached over and laid her hand on his. “We'll find her."

  "He gripped the hand with his free one. “I hope you're right, Sandy. I don't think I could stand to lose someone I love again."

  She kept her voice level. “Let's drive the road, again and again if we have to, until we find what we're looking for.” She gave him a warm smile, which he returned.

  "Okay."

  He pulled a u-turn and pushed the gas pedal downward. They met Route 250 without seeing anything. Web grew more frustrated with every passing mile. He was smoldering by the time he pulled the car to the side of the road.

  "Web, I need you to do another pass."

  "Why!” He barked the word out. “So we can waste more time and allow that dick to kill Nature?"

  "No ... so we can save her.” Her voice remained level, her words soft. “Web ... please."

  He said nothing as he slammed his foot down, causing the Mustang to whip around. Smoke rose up and long black stripes showed where they recently sat. They were about eleven miles from the interchange when Sandy shouted, “There!"

  Web slammed on the brakes. Thankfully, both were wearing seatbelts, preventing them from being hurled into the windshield by the sudden stop. Web glanced where she pointed. He didn't see what she was so interested in. The only thing he saw was a lone holly bush. That wasn't unusual. They grew wild in this area.

  "That bush. Do you see it?"

  "Yea. So what? They grow here."

  "Yea. But do you see any other holly bushes around here?"

  He twisted his head around. Not another one was in sight. “No. Hey, I wasn't paying attention to bushes. There's probably more farther along."

  "There aren't. I watched. This is the only one."

  He focused his attention on her. “So what are you thinking?"

  "I think the killer planted it to mark a pathway.” Her features showed her excitement. It was infectious. “If we go over and check it out, I think we'll find what we're looking for."

  The tires spun. Again, black stripes showed on the road. Web pulled up next to the bush and put the Mustang into park. Both got out and walked closer. As they approached, tire prints became evident in the dirt. They led deeper into the forest. Web followed them. He saw the path. He looked at Sandy standing next to him. She looked back, a grin of satisfaction planted on her face.

  "Has anyone ever told you you're pretty smart for a blonde?"

  The grin broadened. “All the time."

  Turning around, Web said, “Let's follow this and see where it leads."

  After the engine roared to life, Web backed up so the car pointed toward the path.. Stepping on the gas pedal, the back tires, which were the only ones on the pavement, spun. He gave Sandy a sheepish look. “Guess I'm more anxious than I thought."

  "Me too."

  The bush disappeared and a path wide enough for the car appeared. They followed if for a couple of miles, both hoping it was not a wrong move. Before long, an abnormal thick wall of vines hung in their way.. Web stopped and got out. He walked up to it and pulled a section back. A SUV came into view. It was a blue Dodge. He peered in the windows; it was empty. Excitedly, he waved for Sandy to join him.

  "Is that it?"

  "It sure is.” He walked the perimeter and found what he was looking for near the back. “Sandy, look here, boot prints go this way.” He pointed up a narrow trail leading into the trees. “And look, two sets of bare footprints follow.” He started up a narrow trail, anxious to find Nature.

  Sandy hesitated. “Web, do we need to call someone and let them know about this?"

  "Who am I going to call? Franklin?"

  "As a matter of fact, yes. I don't like the idea of going after a killer without someone knowing it."

  "Fuck ‘em. That asshole can go to hell.” He spun around and continued up the trail. He yelled over a shoulder, “You coming?"

  Sandy sighed and ran after him, catching up in a few strides. “I hope we won't regret your stubbornness."

  "We won't."

  Chapter Twenty

  The man paced around the inside of the cabin.. Something was bothering him. Something felt out of sorts. He didn't know what it was or why. He just knew. He fiddled with the fire then moved to the window before returning to the fire. He fingered his penis while he walked. It was a nervous habit he had acquired over the years.

  Nature gripped the straps holding her arms. The man had released the handcuffs and spread her extremities so he could lay on her more comfortably. The feel of the other girls ran through her. It helped her to remain quiet. It helped her to plot a way to get free. While the man slept last night, she became angry. Angry at what he had done, angry at how he took life so easily, as if it wasn't important. The angrier she became, the more determined she was to end his destructive spree.

  The man walked over and sat beside her on the bed. His free hand reached up to finger her breast. Nature felt his evil ebb into her. Each time, it washed deeper into her soul, threatening to consume her. She still had a problem seeing his face when the visions of the girls overtook her. She wished it were the case now as he sat next to her, touching her with his soft caress.. His outer appearance was handsome, by today's standard. The darkness inside made him ugly. Unable to stop herself, she flinched in disgust.

  Sadness filled the man's eyes. He had felt her resistance the first time he showed her his pleasures, but hoped The One would come around. Unlike the other girls, she remained distant. Unlike the others, his patience was growing thin. He wanted peace. He wanted the inner turmoil to go away. Her eyes were vacant when he tried to please her. They filled with hatred during the interims. He saw it, even if she didn't realize what she was doing.. Maybe she was not The One after all. His finger circled her nipple while he thought. With a sigh, he crawled on top of her.

  He kissed her taped lips. Wanting to savor her taste, he jerked the silver strip off. Her eyes widened and her breath rushed in as the shock of removal hit her. She recovered immediately. The man knew he was going to miss her. She was calm, unlike the others. She helped ease the restlessness for a short time. Unfortunately, it wasn't long enough. He felt it pacing in the background, ever-present. The restless beast always found a way back. He kissed her lips softly, inserting his tongue into her mouth. As gently as he kissed her, he inserted his erect penis into her.

  Nature felt his body against hers as he disappeared deep within.
The evil permeated into every pore. She arched her head sideways when the man moved his lips down to her neck. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to not cry out with disgust. He started gliding in and out. The feeling was sickening. His hands roamed over her body. She wished he would die. But then, so would she.. Because of the remote location of the cabin, the likelihood of anyone finding her was zilch. Thus, she suffered through his gentle assault until he ejaculated in her.

  The man lay there, kissing her, the muscles of his penis expanding and contracting as the semen exited. He wondered if he should keep her, but decided he did not want to waste any more time. He had to hunt for The One. He had to find her so the beast would go away. The decision made, he got up and started releasing her.

  Nature saw him stand and undo the restraints holding her legs. She wondered what he was up to. While she watched, he moved to her arms. He helped her sit before retying her hands together, this time in front, not behind as before. Nature had been in the bed for two solid days, her extremities unable to move. The ability to do so now, was therefore reduced. When he helped her to her feet, she collapsed back onto the bed. Her legs tingled with the return of circulation. Her arms, too. The man began to rub them,

  After a couple minutes of brisk rubbing, he assisted her to her feet once more. This time she managed to stay up. He slipped the collar back in place. It was removed when she lay restrained on the bed. Picking up the leash, he pulled her outside. He guided her to the left, onto a worn path. The sun was high in the sky; it gave no warmth to those beneath it. The air had a chill of the coming winter to it. It blanketed Nature's exposed skin, making goose bumps rise. She shivered. The man had his back toward her. He missed the shiver.

  They walked into an open area. Nature stopped, causing the leash to go taunt between them. The man halted. He glanced over a shoulder. He saw the look of horror on Nature's face. He gave her a faint smile and tugged on the leash. She resisted. He tugged harder. She reached up with her hands and grabbed the leash while planting her heels in the soft ground. She wasn't concerned about whether it made the man angry or not, not with where he had taken her. Beyond the struggle lay an open pit. The man had brought her to meet the others.

  His face became a mask of rage. He pulled on the leash so hard that Nature wasn't able to stay upright. She flipped over, landing hard on her left shoulder before rolling onto her back. In an instant, the man was on her. He straddled her, pinning her with the weight of his body. Nature twisted and tried to pivot under him. His fist hit her face with full force. She tried to block him with her arms. He grabbed them and held them out of the way.. He hit her over and over. When he stopped, blood ran from her nose and split lip. Her eye started to swell. It matched the swelling on her cheeks and jaw.

  The brutal attack seemed to excite the man. He was erect by the time he had her subdued. He moved backwards so he could lift her legs, making access to her easy, allowing one last ride before he set out. As he guided his penis toward her ass, he heard a scream.

  Miranda leaped onto his back, wrapping her arm around his throat, pulling it tight with the other. The man fell away from Nature, struggling to get the surprisingly alive woman off. He grabbed at her arms, her face, at any part he managed to reach. She clung to him like a leech. Nature barely made out the combatants. Her head swam and the swelling made it difficult to see. Her ears worked fine, though.

  "You only needed me! You had to ruin everything by bringing that bitch here. I could have satisfied you for years but noooo, you had to ignore what you had and dip your wick elsewhere.” Her loud words echoed across the area. “If I can't have you then no one can, especially some worthless slut who doesn't appreciate what you have to give!” She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled her arm tighter around his neck.

  The man brought his arm forward and slammed the elbow into Miranda's ribs. The woman let out a cry of pain. Her grip loosened. The man felt the change. He grabbed her wrist and gave it a wicked twist. Even through the numbing haze, Nature heard the pop. That pop seemed to energize her. It enabled her to get to her feet and run. She stumbled and fell many times because of the reduced vision caused by the swollen eye. The screams, which followed her down the path, ended abruptly. Nature knew Miranda had not cheated death this time. She picked up as much speed as her battered body would give.

  The man released his grip on Miranda's head. He had managed to work his way behind her and, with a quick twist, broke her neck. This time, he made sure a pulse was absent. Nothing beat under his finger. Rising to his feet, he saw the other woman was gone. He wasn't concerned, he would find her quickly. Her trail was easy to see. He walked in a calm determined fashion after her.

  Nature stumbled past the cabin. She turned her head in all directions, trying to locate the way out. Before she could find it, she heard a male voice echo through the trees.

  "I'm coming for you. It's only a matter of time before I find you. You can't delay me from finding The One. Why not give in and embrace what you truly want."

  The silence that followed was unnerving. She gave up on the path and ran into the trees. She could hide in their cover.

  The man stood at the edge of the clearing and watched as the False One disappeared from view. He casually made his way across the open area and followed her. He smiled. The hunt and the final ride would be glorious.

  * * * *

  Sandy and Web had been on the path for more than four hours. Others had branched from it but they remained on the main one, certain it would lead them to their destination. As the fifth hour was coming to a close, the trees parted to reveal a cabin. It was quaint. Both halted in their tracks. They dropped to the ground and waited. Nothing moved. No sound came from it. Web pulled his gun from its holster and advanced toward it, indicating for Sandy to wait until he checked it out.

  He placed his back against the wall and listened. He still heard nothing. Moving toward the door, he slammed it open and darted inside, crouching low just in case. The place was unoccupied. Web saw the straps hanging by the bed, empty.. His heart fell. Where were they? They had to be here somewhere. They had to be. Stepping back outside, he indicated for Sandy to come over. She was making her way to the cabin when a shout reached her. It was a male voice. It came from the left.

  She faced the forest and listened. The voice sounded again. Web walked toward her. She darted toward the left edge of the small clearing. He ran after her. She pulled up short of the forest, trying to listen for which way to go before entering. Web met her, giving her a quizzical look. He hadn't heard the voice.

  "What the he..."

  Sandy cut him off with a frantic wave of her hand. He shut up. Off in the distance, he heard, “I'll find you ... the others want to you to stay with them; they're lonely.."

  The hairs on the back of his neck stood. It was the voice of the killer, he was sure of it. He tried to hear more, but the voice never sounded again. Sandy started into the trees. He held her up, letting her know he was going to parallel her a few yards off to her right. She nodded her head. Separating, each stepped into the trees, heading toward where they thought the sound came from.

  * * * *

  Nature ran as fast as she could. Her bare feet and body were grabbed by every tree branch. They cut into her, leaving blood trails all over her. She stopped for a breather; the voice followed her. It sounded like it was right behind her. She bolted away from the tree and fell over a root sticking out of the ground.. Her ankle twisted and pain shot up her leg. Rising to her feet, she limped deeper into the forest. She was hopelessly lost.

  The man saw Nature go down. He saw her rise and start to limp. He knew she was his, and that she would be with the others soon. Then he could get back to finding The One. He was about to move from the protection of the overgrowth when a snap sounded close on his left side. He lowered himself and waited. A slender woman with blonde hair appeared. She hesitated, glancing around before heading in the same direction as the False One. The man waited. He wanted her. She might b
e The One and he wasn't going to lose the opportunity to find out.

  Again, he almost moved when another noise sounded, this time on his right. A man appeared. He was carrying a gun. The man froze. He seethed at the intrusion. He had to find the False One and the other woman before they disappeared. He watched the intruder move in the same direction taken by the women. Gliding with the quiet of someone long accustomed to secrecy, he followed.

  * * * *

  Web saw Sandy off to his left. She moved carefully, trying not to make too much noise. Occasionally a snap sounded, indicating she had stepped on something. He cringed ever time he heard it. If he heard it, then the killer probably did also. He moved deeper into the thick growth, gun held ready.

  * * * *

  Sandy kept her vision focused ahead. She thought she heard someone moving several times. Each time she looked, no one was there. As if reading her mind, a crashing noise sounded. Sandy caught a glimpse of movement through the trees. It looked like a person. She picked up speed. It might be Nature.

  Web saw Sandy pick up speed, ignoring the fact that she was making a lot of noise. He heard the crashing that drew her attention, He moved faster. He didn't care about the noise either. If it was Nature, she would need them in a hurry and that wasn't going to happen if they remained silent.

  * * * *

  The man watched the others picked up their speed. He heard the False One as she crashed through the forest. He knew what they were following. He trailed them, silent as a snowflake falling from the sky. He kept a discreet distance between them. When the opportunity arose, he would know it. He would use it to end the interfering man's life, thus freeing himself to bring the False One to the others and to sample the other woman; the woman he hoped was The One.

  * * * *

  Nature heard the man running after her. It sounded weird, like it was coming from two different directions. She tried to increase the speed her body gave. The wounded ankle reminded her of its displeasure at such an idea. It finally rebelled by buckling out from under her. She sprawled face first onto some leaves. They made her landing less painful. She rolled over, ready to fend off her attacker, knowing she would loose in the end. She braced for the inevitable struggle just as Sandy flew into sight. She practically sobbed with relief.