Forgetting Jane

by C. J. Warrant

  With each creaky step closer, Car’s cries grew louder.

  Jane stopped crying and listened. With her head turned away, she was only able to hear the woman’s agony.

  As quickly as she began, Car stopped crying. A calm before the storm?

  Jane’s chest burned from her slow shallow breaths. The sudden need to urinate jabbed at her bladder. But she kept her body still and her eyes closed while she focused on the surrounding sounds.

  The soft shuffle of feet on concrete brought a prickling fear straight down her spine. The footsteps stopped right by her. She sensed his boring eyes on her.

  Jane kept reminding herself to keep her eyes shut and her body limp. Don’t react.

  He kicked her leg. She remained still as the dead. It felt like an eternity before Jane heard the movement.

  “Shhh,” Tom said to Car.

  Jane relaxed a bit, but her ease was short-lived. Loud slapping reverberated in her ears. Car screamed out in pain.

  Jane bit her tongue and took in the anguish Car was going through.

  That bastard kept hitting her until her wails were silenced. Did he knock her out? She hoped so. Or did he beat her to death? Jane’s stomach lurched.

  Oh God, please let her be alive.

  The shuffling got closer again. Jane held her breath. She couldn’t hold it for too long and exhaled slowly. A stench of sweat and beer pillowed her face. The warmth of his rancid breath brushed her right cheek. He was very close.

  The deputy caressed her gently along her jaw line. Jane cringed inwardly. His fingertips were so light that it tickled her.

  His fingers trailed down her neck, along her collarbone and then between her breasts. He stroked down to her belly button and then back up to her face. Jane didn’t expect gentleness. His touch made her more uncertain about her survival.

  The soft gentle touch changed to a sharp jagged dig along her skin. His fingernail scored her from ear to cheek and dragged across her chin. He scratched down her neck to her left breast. He circled her taut nipple, scraping along her areola. Jane wanted to lash out, punch and kick, and get away from him.

  Jane’s skin was on fire. She clamped her teeth tight and forced down the pain. If he knew she was awake, would he hit her the same way as Car? Probably.

  He pinched her nipple hard. The pain lanced deep, but Jane fought to keep her body from jerking.

  The deputy mumbled something. “Wouldn’t rush” was the only thing she was able to hear. Rush what? Her death? He released her, snickered and walked off.

  Jane cracked open one eye and watched him walk away. He picked up a thin strip of leather off a small table—the same small table she remembered with all the knives. He swung once at Car and rolled the strip around his hand. The man stood there, arms crossed and studied his handiwork. Bastard.

  The deputy shook his head and chuckled, which brought a tremor through Jane’s body. He turned back, dropped the leather, and headed upstairs.

  She counted the creaks until he reached the eighth step. She heard metal scraping along the cement—like nails on a chalkboard. The soft light from the single bulb turned off.

  Darkness shrouded her again.

  A couple of clicks and that spotlight flashed on. It pointed to where Car was flat to the wall.

  Jane wouldn’t dare move to see if Car was okay. She wanted to be sure Tom wouldn’t come back down. She sucked in a few deep breaths to alleviate some of the pain he caused her.

  Once Jane felt safe enough to move, she was able to free one of her hands, then the other. She then worked on her neck. After she stripped off the neckband, Jane got up and began untying her ankles. She understood immediately why he used twine. It easily burned and dug into her skin every time she moved, though she wouldn’t give up. Once loose, she unraveled it and stood up.

  Jane got her footing quickly and carefully walked toward where Car was. She almost let out a loud gasp but stifled it. The woman was naked and chained in an X fashion, shackled tight from wrists to ankles. She had a dog collar around her neck that seemed too tight against her skin. She had lacerations all over her body. Her beautiful blonde hair was blotched red from her blood. The woman was beaten so badly, Jane gagged.

  Jane closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and opened them again. She needed to know if Car was still alive—hoping she was.

  As she took a nervous step, Jane paused. Something about the woman was familiar. The more Jane stared at her, the more familiar she looked. Oh my God, Caroline. The nurse she met in the hospital. She wasn’t the tall voluptuous blonde Jane remembered and hated.

  She looked like a rag doll, beaten and cut up. Her face was slashed up, swollen and black and blue. Deep welts along her breasts and inner thighs were thick and puckered. They were overlapped with cuts sliced in the opposite direction. Fresh blood dripped down her leg. Guilt seeped in. No one deserved what the deputy had done. Did she look like that when the hunters found her?

  Jane reached up and checked her pulse. It was very weak. “Caroline, can you hear me?” she whispered in her bloody ear.

  Caroline lifted her head slightly, exposing her face to the bright light. Relief reflected in the nurse’s bloody eyes and then dropped her chin down to her chest. Tired and weak herself, Jane leaned against the wall. She wasn’t sure what to do next.

  But one thing was for sure, Jane had to remove the cuffs around Caroline’s wrists and ankles and get her off the wall.

  She had to find something small to unlock the cuffs, and went over to the table. Luck must have been on her side, because keys to the handcuffs were sitting on top.

  Just after Jane took the dog collar off Caroline’s bruised and bloody neck, a chirp echoed off the walls. The loud scratchy sound made her jump out of her skin. She also dropped the keys.

  Overhead, there was a small stereo speaker screwed into the low ceiling joist.

  The deputy’s voice blared out. “It’s your turn, Christina. You won’t escape me this time. I left that slut on display for you to study and learn. This is what happens to whores. Are you a whore, or are you a good girl? Remember, you’re getting what you deserve. And your precious chief will never be able to find you once I’m done. I’ll be down there in a little bit to show you.”

  Jane’s throat constricted with each word that bastard said. A clear image of herself in Caroline’s place made her drop to the floor. Jane attempted to push the gruesome picture out of her head but with Caroline right there—vomit rose fast. She threw up all over herself.

  Who cares. Jane hugged her knees to her chest, put her head down and rocked in place. What was she going to do? Where’s Elias?

  Trembling out control, Jane was suddenly cold. An icy wind swept past her. She lifted her head and exhaled a breath—it frosted the air. Jane.

  “Jane Proster, I can feel you here with me,” she whispered.

  The metal cuffs on Caroline’s wrist and ankles sprang open and she crumbled to the floor.

  Jane launched forward and caught Caroline before she hit the cement.

  Caroline’s dead weight strained against Jane’s small frame, but she managed to drag her away from the horrid wall.

  “Thank you,” Jane called out. She hoped the girl heard her.

  As Jane pulled Caroline to the other end of the basement, a string that hung from the ceiling brushed across her face. Jane pulled on it and a small light turned on. With great relief, she found a small pile of rags and laid Caroline on them.

  Jane brushed back Caroline’s hair. One eye was completely swollen shut. Her other eye was staring up at her.

  “Are you all right, Caroline?” Jane touched her cheek.

  Caroline lightly shook her head no. With a shaky hand, she touched a part of her abdomen where the blood seemed fresh. “He st-stabbed me.”

  There was so much blood on Caroline’s body, Jane couldn’t see the wound and the low lighting didn’t help. She took one of the rags and wiped the blood away. There was a deep laceration just below her belly button
. The blood seeped out every time she breathed.

  Jane got up and quickly looked around the basement for something to stop the bleeding. She found duct tape on one of the shelves and used it to cover the hole.

  “I’m getting us out of here. You need to hold on,” Jane said as she put the last strip of tape on Caroline’s stomach. She found a small blanket in the pile and covered her.

  The blonde grabbed her hand. “Thank you,” Caroline said in a strangled whisper.

  “You’re going to be okay. Elias will find us.” Once Jane said the last word, Caroline closed the one eye and dropped her hand from Jane’s.

  Tear ran down Jane’s face. She shook Caroline. “Please, Caroline, open your eyes. You’re not going to die on me.” She checked her wrist and found no pulse. “Hold on,” she whispered into her ears. “Don’t leave me.”

  Jane knew it was too late. Caroline was dead. She took the blanket and covered Caroline’s face.

  Jane wiped away her tears with her forearm. Can’t feel sorry about this. The only way to survive was to stay strong and be smart. She sucked back her fear and sorrow and took a good look around.

  The one light bulb didn’t give enough light to see the full basement, but Jane walked around and found nothing to use as a weapon. She looked down at the rags Caroline was lying in and realized it was clothes. Women’s clothes.

  Jane rummaged through the pile, found a ripped up shirt and slipped it on. The shirt barely did any good. The hem reached her hips and there were so many holes, but at least she wasn’t totally naked.

  The floorboards above her began to creak. Jane heart raced faster with every footfall. She needed to get out of there before the deputy came down and pasted her in Caroline’s place.

  All the windows were boarded up except for the one in the far corner. She took the hanging light and pointed in the direction of the coal furnace. The pane was painted black and the hole was very small. Though, Jane was willing to try anything.

  Another creak from above made her heart slam against her chest. This was her only chance to escape. She took a few deep breaths before she slid behind the hot furnace.

  She grated herself against the wall. Broken bits of wall cut into her exposed abdomen. Jane felt the heat from the pipes on her ass, giving about an inch span between the hot metal and her rear end.

  Jane accidentally touched the pipe, which made her press harder against the rough wall. A few red blotches wouldn’t matter, if she was dead. The pain didn’t deter her. She scraped along the wall until she stood right under the window.

  She reached up and tugged at the frame. It was old and brittle from termite damage. Her luck. Jane nudged the lock handle up and pushed the window open. The cold fresh air was a welcoming feeling on her face and into her lungs. But there was no time to relax.

  After seizing the window with both hands, she had to figure out a way to climb up. The only way was to step onto a hot pipeline that jutted out of the wall. Jane wished she had wrapped her feet with the rags. Too late to go back. Rags or not, she had to get out of there fast.

  She took a couple deep encouraging breaths and stepped onto the pipe. The moment the bottom of her tender feet touched the metal she wanted to step off. Jane endured the scorching pain that seared her sole and shot up through her leg.

  Jane’s burning flesh fractured her concentration, but she pressed on. After planting her arms on the outside part of the window frame, her legs hovered centimeters over the furnace. Almost there.

  Jane used what little upper body strength she had left and wormed her shoulders through the opening. She had to turn partially on her side so her hips could squeeze through the window. Right before she slid her legs through, the deputy grabbed hold of her legs.

  With all she had, Jane kicked and twisted, trying to free herself. However, something sharp dug deep into her burned foot. She screamed out in torment as he kept gouging at her sole.

  “You’re not getting away from me, bitch." Jane heard his rant through her shouts.

  She turned on her belly and used her arms as leverage and kicked with all her might. Jane broke free and crawled out the window. When she tried to get up, searing pain shot up her foot, which made her collapse. Looking down at the damage, a small knife stuck out of her foot. Blood quickly pooled when she pulled it out. The bastard had cut open a part of her heel and exposed the bone.

  Jane had no time to worry. She had to get up to run, but the second she got up, Jane fell to the ground instantly. Everything spun. The mix of cold and pain made her dizzy. A whisper clung in the wind; it was the girl in the yellow dress, telling her to hang on.

  There were shrieks coming from inside the wretched house. Jane attempted to get up again but fell over.

  She couldn’t run. Her foot was way too damaged and bleeding terribly. Fighting back was her only choice. Jane got on her knees and with a firm grip of the small knife, she waited for the deputy.

  The world spun around her. Jane closed her eyes to help regain her focus.

  A hard kick across her middle knocked out her breath. She fell forward, face first onto the ground.

  She tried getting up but her body protested. In that instant, pain exploded across her face. Jane wasn’t sure what hit her; she didn’t see it coming.

  Her vision faded in and out. Jane’s eyes were playing tricks on her. At first, the girl in the yellow dress hovered over her, but then she changed. The deputy stood there naked, with a large knife in his hand.

  “Help,” Jane called out. Her head swam from one image to the next and back again. Nothing was clear anymore.

  She tried to stay awake, but between the blinding pain and cold, Jane knew this was the end and slipped into the dark.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Eli sped to the lake and found the state officers marking various areas. He couldn’t ask for their help. He had to find Jane on his own. Magda said Tom’s grandfather’s house was near the lake. With luck he’d find it.

  He backed up the truck and headed back toward his house.

  His cell phone went off. “Chief McAvoy.”

  “Hey, Eli, it’s Mike.”

  “Can’t talk right now—”

  “Wait. I completely bypassed one of the evidence you sent me,” Mike said quickly.

  “Which evidence?”

  “Your ripped up card. I put it together but didn’t get a chance to check for fingerprints.”

  “What did you find?”

  “I got three fingerprints off it. Yours, Jane Doe and your deputy’s.”

  “Thanks. Please fax this to my office right away.”

  “You’re welcome. Sor—”

  Eli hung up. He didn’t need to hear what he already knew as truth. When he sped back down Route 41, the familiar strangle in his throat caused him slow down. Tom played Eli like the fool. He repeatedly hit the steering wheel, blaming himself for not seeing the deputy as he was. A monster.

  Throughout this whole ordeal, he’d wanted this damn case solved, have the farm sold and to move his ass back to Half Moon. Now, all he wanted and cared about was to have Jane back safe and alive.

  When Eli drove around the bend, the girl in the yellow dress appeared on the side of the road. She pointed in the direction opposite his house, east toward Route U. He slowed to see her, but she disappeared. The hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up.

  Fear clawed at Eli’s composure. He pushed the ill feeling aside, turned around and drove as fast as he could. He should put the lights and siren on but he didn’t want to alert Tom.

  When he neared Route U, his cell phone went off.

  “Chief McAvoy, this is Holmes.”

  Eli’s body turned numb. He didn’t want to hear that they had found Jane’s body. “What?”

  “Jansig found out your deputy has his home off of Route U. Jane Doe must be there.”

  “What is the address?”

  “W6641 Birch Hill road. Do you know where this property is located?”

  He glanc
ed at his watch. “Yes. I’m about five minutes away from there. It’s before Sawyer county boundaries,” Eli said as he pushed the gas pedal down to the floor.

  “We are on our way. And you were correct about the two killers scenario. Your deputy and Chief Henley had worked together for many years. My officers found photos of them with the women they killed. Some of the victims matched the photos you found.”

  “They fooled everyone,” Eli said in disgust.

  “Your deputy’s house is really clean.” Holmes explained. “We are trying to get a court order to exhume Henley’s body for DNA samples. We think Tom killed Henley.”

  “Then why dig him up? If Tom did kill him, justice is served at that end.”

  “McAvoy, our ETA is fifteen minutes. Don’t proceed without us.”

  “10-4,” Eli acknowledged, then hung up. There was no way in hell he was about to wait for them.

  He took the serpentine road hard to the right, left and hard right again. Eli’s adrenaline reached the boiling point. He swerved on to Birch Hill Road and didn’t let up on the gas pedal until he pulled up to the dirt driveway.

  He grabbed the extra gun out from under his seat and tucked it in the back of his jeans. He left the truck door open and made his way along the left side of the driveway, using the tall bayberry bushes as cover.

  Gun drawn, Eli made his way up to the house. As he stepped onto the old dilapidated porch, he heard screams coming from the back. His heart stopped. Jane.

  Eli raced around to the rear of the old grey house and saw her on the ground. Ashen-pale and bloody—was she dead?

  Tom stood over her with a bowie knife in his hand and a gun in the other.

  Jane moved. She tried getting up but fell back to the ground. Agony etched across her face, until their eyes met. She gave him a small smile. His heart jumped in reaction. She’s alive. Relief flooded him as he turned his focus back to Tom. Now he wanted the son of a bitch to pay for what he had done.

  “Tom!” Eli shouted. His gun aimed dead center at Tom’s chest. He wasn’t taking any chances; he’d shoot to kill.