Rufus slipped out of his seat and snuck up behind the guy. Before the man noticed him, Rufus had grabbed the guy’s head with both hands and twisted it violently. Pop.
The geezer never even made a sound. His body went limp. Rufus heaved him into the trunk like a sack of potatoes.
By then, Maude had seen too many dead bodies to get her blood pumping anymore. She exited the red sedan to keep a lookout for trouble. The coast remained clear.
Rufus searched the man’s pockets, then tossed a set of keys to Maude. He placed the bags in the trunk before closing it.
“I’ll drive but hop into our new ride while I move the red car behind the building.”
She grabbed her purse and her bag of snacks then checked to make sure they had left nothing behind in the red sedan. Rufus backed it up and drove off.
She unlocked the fancy car’s doors and sat in the front passenger seat. Didn’t feel any regret for the old guy. Who knew how long he would’ve lived anyway? She reapplied lip gloss using the vanity mirror built into the sun visor.
Rufus strode up to the car and sat behind the wheel. “Now, this is more my style. A fucking Mercedes.”
He changed the satellite radio station until he found rock ‘n’ roll and turned it up.
-o-o-o-
Lenny was passing through Empire, a small old mining town, when his phone rang. He answered and listened for a moment.
“No shit? We’ll be there in ten.” He hung up and did a U-turn. Hit the lights and siren.
“What shit?” Sid asked.
“The Georgetown cops just found an unexplained red sedan behind a local store. It doesn’t belong to any of the staff or the shoppers, and the engine is still hot. Unfortunately, the store’s camera outside isn’t working.”
They found the store and drove behind to the red sedan.
“Looks like the right one,” Lenny said.
Athena agreed. A cop in uniform was standing at the building’s back door. He motioned them in. Athena left Hagrid behind, and he stretched out over the whole backseat.
After introductions, the cop said, “I’ve taken a look at the video feed of customers entering and exiting. No sign of your two suspects, the victim Skye Dunbar, or any signs of violence. Maybe they met somebody here, or maybe somebody parked their car here to stretch their legs for a while.”
“Well, shit,” Lenny said. “Things have gone from bad to worse. Now we don’t even know what the Gacys are driving.”
“Might as well continue on to Winter Park,” Athena suggested.
-o-o-o-
Ski cabin
Thanks to Skye’s nonstop sawing, she’d made it all the way through one iron bar blocking her exit and most of the way through a second. Her hands ached from holding the broken piece of the hacksaw blade, but she kept working at it like her life depended on it. It probably did. Maude and Kane didn’t need her help much anymore, and she’d seen and heard too much.
While she’d worked, she’d kept an eye out for other vehicles passing by the house, but none. The fancy cabin had to be near the end of the access road, so nobody had a reason to drive up this far.
The sun had just gone down, and a chilly breeze had kicked up. Her ears were constantly searching for the sound of an approaching vehicle. She couldn’t let herself get caught sticking partway out of her open window.
Finally, she heard tires crunch on packed snow. She backed out of the window and slid the open half shut.
Just in time. She’d expected to see the pickup, but instead, a fancy white sedan drove up the driveway and parked in front of the garage. Was this her chance to attract attention from somebody else?
But Maude stepped out of the car’s passenger side. She walked with a huge burly guy with short, light-brown hair toward the front porch. But after opening the front door, Maude returned to the car and drove away.
What the bloody hell?
A chill ran down Skye’s spine when she realized the guy had to be Rufus. He wasn’t coming to apologize for kidnapping her. Maude probably hadn’t wanted to be anywhere close by while her son raped Skye.
Chapter 27
Rufus didn’t waste any time in finding her room. The deadbolt on the door clicked open.
Time to defend herself with anything handy. At least, she was wearing heavy boots. Hopefully, her Muay Thai training had been worth all the hours of relentless training. And she had the makeshift knife she’d hidden under the clawfoot dresser. But before she could grab it, Rufus pushed the door in.
The bastard was enormous. He filled the door frame.
“Here you are, pretty girl. We’re going to have some fun. Mom’ll come back later, maybe with pizza.”
What a weird bastard! Skye’s mouth went dry. He looked like he weighed a hundred and thirty kilos, around three hundred pounds. She was less than half as big. Her only chance was to catch him by surprise.
No room to maneuver. The furniture left only a narrow corridor from the door to the window. No chance she could slip by him and escape. And he made extra-sure by locking the door and shoving the key into his flannel shirt’s pocket.
A maniacal, demonic grin split his face as he stepped toward her. He spread his long arms wide apart, like a vulture’s wings.
Dammit! She stumbled backward until her butt hit the windowsill. Get a grip! The only way out is past him. Time is up.
With a scream, she rushed him, driving her right boot into his crotch with all her strength.
He growled and jerked sideways, but too late. Her boot found its target.
Rufus wailed like a little baby and bent over, grabbing his crotch with one hand. With the other, he reached for her.
She backed up a step to avoid his grasp. As soon as he doubled over, she drove her left knee into his face.
His nose crunched—oh so satisfying—and his head snapped back. But his flailing free hand clamped down on her arm.
He dropped to his knees, howling like a beast, and pulled her closer.
She yanked her arm, trying to get away. No good. His fingernails sunk into her wrist like an eagle’s claws.
She kept yanking her arm backward and kicked at him.
With his overwhelming strength, he dragged her closer. He swung his other arm, and his massive fist crashed against the side of her head.
Her eyes went dark as her brain registered incredible pain. Then, nothing.
When she came back to reality, she was lying on her back. His weight pinned her down. One of his hands pressed her head sideways against the carpet. His other hand clawed at her jeans and yanked them open. With a howl of victory, he ripped her panties and pants down.
She could hardly move under his weight. Punched the side of his head with her fists.
He didn’t even seem to mind.
When she pulled her right fist back to hit him harder, she rapped her knuckles against the dresser.
The knife! It had to be close. Her hand shot under the clawfoot dresser, reaching for the weapon.
Rufus cackled as he fumbled with his belt.
Her hand felt around under the dresser. Couldn’t find the knife. It had to be there. She reached farther, but could barely move the pig’s massive body.
He straddled her, forcing her legs apart. Panic flooded through her. With her last ounce of effort, she twisted sideways underneath him. Screamed for help even though no one but Rufus could hear her.
Her fingers stretched to their utmost—felt something smooth—masking tape—the crappy handle she’d made. Her fingertips pulled the knife closer. She grabbed the handle. You still have a chance!
Rufus buried his nails in her face.
Skye wouldn’t be distracted, but she couldn’t see to be sure of her target. Had to strike before he realized she was holding a weapon.
She swiped at him with the knife, stretching as far she could reach. Met some resistance. Pressed the blade in as deep as it would go.
Rufus howled. The co
ppery smell of blood filled the air.
Joy flooded through her. She’d hurt him badly.
His hand slipped off of her face, and she could see. She’d sliced open his cheek. Now! Lower!
She slashed a second time, cutting across his neck just below his jaw.
Blood sprayed everywhere, covering Skye’s face, blinding her.
A fist punched her in the forehead, but this blow had no force.
He jerked back, gurgling, yelling.
Then, silence. The bastard’s huge torso slumped forward. His enormous body pinned her down.
-o-o-o-
Skye could barely breathe under so much weight. She couldn’t squirm out from under him. What if Maude found her like this? Skye’s death would be slow and painful.
That thought gave Skye new strength. She took a couple of deep breaths and used her hands braced against the carpet to squirm out from under him. Her eyes slowly cleared as she blinked, but they remained bleary.
She moved an inch, but her left boot snagged on something, maybe his groin. She twisted her leg to try to free the boot. A sharp, stabbing pain ran up her leg from her ankle, but the boot popped loose from whatever had snagged it.
After a couple of deep breaths, she pushed away with her arms again, as forcefully as she could. Her body slid several more inches.
Finally, she could breathe freely. By squirming and twisting, she slipped out from underneath him. Her legs tingled as blood flowed back into them.
As soon as she was free, she sat up. One leg ached where she twisted it to free her boot. After pulling up her panties and jeans, she tried to stand. It took a minute because her legs wobbled. The ankle she twisted couldn’t bear any weight. By leaning against the dresser, she managed to remain upright. How can I get away like this?
It was dark outside, and it had to be cold. Skye didn’t know how far she could go, but she had to try. Maude would come back at any time. Skye grabbed her coat and a knit hat from the closet. Just in case she ran into the old witch before she reached help, she stuffed her makeshift knife into her coat’s pocket.
Skye’s upper body was drenched in blood, but she had no time to wash up. She reached into the asshole’s shirt pocket where he’d stuffed the key. Her hands shook so badly she almost dropped it while trying to unlock the door.
As soon as the deadbolt clicked, she yanked the door open and shuffled toward the front door. Hopping on one foot wouldn’t work for long. She opened a coat closet and found a pair of cross-country skis and two poles. She grabbed one and used it as a crutch to keep the weight off her left foot.
The front door was unlocked, and she opened it. Out in the darkness, the air seemed cleaner, bracing. But she was alone. Even after hobbling down the driveway, she couldn’t see any other buildings, vehicles, or signs of life. Clouds partly obscured the moon, which was rising in the east. Even so, it provided enough light to show the area around her.
The road rose up an incline to the left. About two hundred meters away, the road turned into a solid wall of forest. There was only one way out of the area, down the gentle incline to the right.
She crept as fast as she could down the road but ants could move faster if they weren’t frozen deep underground. Her ankle belonged in a cast. Plus, she had to worry about slipping in the darkness and breaking a leg, or maybe her skull. And there was always the chance Maude hadn’t driven away. She could be parked a few hundred meters down the road. That would’ve been far enough to muffle Skye’s screams.
Skye kept her bleary eyes open and searched for an outline of a vehicle parked along the road ahead. Nothing close.
She kept shuffling down the middle of the plowed road despite her throbbing ankle. The road turned back on itself in a wide U, and as she followed the curve, another house came into view. A thrill ran through her. A chance to live.
But as she approached, she realized the driveway hadn’t been plowed. Worse, the house was completely dark. She trudged through a snowdrift up to her waist to reach the front door. Although she rang the doorbell a dozen times, no response.
Skye tried to peer inside, looking half-blind through a small pane of glass embedded in the door. Couldn’t see anything inside. Keep going, girl. Have to find help before Maude returns and you freeze to death.
The snow had soaked her jeans, and she began to shiver. That made walking even harder, but she pushed onward, hobbling ahead for another kilometer until the road bent again.
Just as she thought she couldn’t walk any farther, she spotted another house around the bend. Her heart skipped a beat as she noticed a large pickup in the driveway. Even better, light spilled out of a window facing the road.
But she wouldn’t allow herself to celebrate. People often left lights on when they drove away from home, hoping to deter burglars. And even if they were there, what if these people knew Maude? Skye had to take a chance. She couldn’t walk much farther on her ankle in this bitter, cold night.
Finally, some good news. The driveway had been plowed, and the truck was free of snow. She approached the front door and heard a young girl’s peal of laughter. That settled Skye’s stomach. At least one person inside was happy. How long had it been since she’d heard a peal of laughter?
Skye punched the glowing doorbell a couple of times because her hand shook so badly. The voices inside stopped immediately. No glass in the door, just a peephole.
The front porch light turned on, and somebody gasped. The door swung open, and a middle-aged man with a deeply tanned face and blond ponytail said, “Oh my God, girl, what happened? A car accident?”
Skye’s throat tightened with emotion. She could barely get words out “P-please, call p-police!”
The guy grabbed a cellphone from his shirt pocket and dialed 911.
She couldn’t stand any longer and collapsed at his feet.
Chapter 28
Winter Park Police Station
Athena, in her persona as Carol Winter, was sitting in the conference room with Beau, Lenny, and the police chief. Most of the local cops were out looking for Maude, Rufus, and Skye, but Athena was brainstorming other ways to find Maude and Skye with the bosses.
The phone on the credenza behind the chief rang, and he picked it up.
After listening for a moment, he said, “Thank God! Get two patrol cars and an ambulance over there right away. Patch the call through to me.”
He put his hand over the mouthpiece. “Hot damn! Skye got away and ran to a neighboring house. She’s distraught and has twisted her ankle, but otherwise seems okay.”
Athena sighed with relief. “Praise the Lord!”
The others cheered. Finally, they’d caught a break.
The chief went back to talking on the phone. “Wilson, if you were standing here, I’d kiss you smack on the lips. Is Skye up to talking with me?”
Then, he said, “No, well, then tell me what you know.”
The chief listened and asked questions for a few minutes. Finally, he said, “Next time we get together, your steak is on me.”
As soon as he set down the phone, he said, “We don’t have much time. Rufus seems to be dead, but Maude’s still on the loose. We’ll need a quick plan to capture her. She’s due to return at any minute to the house where she and her son were imprisoning the victim.”
-o-o-o-
Ski cabin
Beau, Lenny, and Hagrid sat in the semi-dark house Kane Erickson had rented, waiting for Maude’s return. Sid hid outside behind a tall juniper at the corner of the garage, and one of the town cops was waiting in the shadows on the opposite side of the garage. Beau’s main worry was that Maude might’ve taken off for good, despite the fact that the local cops had kept the news about Skye to themselves.
Athena was helping Skye at Winter Park’s urgent care center, which was at the ski resort. The girl remained shaken up, but Athena claimed her condition was improving fast.
As soon as Beau and the others had first arrived at this
fancy ski chalet, he’d checked Skye’s bedroom to confirm her story. There, he found the mortal remains of a certified asshole, one Rufus Gacy. Skye had told them she’d killed him to avoid being raped, and every member of law enforcement was ready to believe her. But no need for simple belief. Every bit of evidence confirmed Skye’s story.
What a fucking nightmare this had to have been, but Rufus got what he deserved. It appeared that a hundred gallons of blood had sprayed out of him, coating most of the surrounding surfaces. Another one bites the dust.
Beau's thoughts were interrupted when Lenny’s radio came to life. They were waiting by a small window looking out onto the front porch.
“Wilson here. Subject spotted. Vehicle conforms to earlier description. She’s proceeding as expected.”
The chief had come up with the brilliant idea of parking a delivery truck near Wilson’s house, so as soon as Maude passed, one of his officers could swing the truck across the road and trap her inside the road that had no outlet.
A moment later, Beau spotted a pair of headlights illuminating the trees across the road from the chalet. A white sedan swung into the driveway. He couldn’t see Maude, but he heard a car door close.
They weren’t sure whether she’d walk in the front door, but if so, Sid and the local cop would arrest her. And if she decided to enter the house in through the garage, Beau, Lenny, and Hagrid would do the honors. The main point Beau kept reminding everyone was something he’d learned from Athena, who’d received a warning from Skye. Maude always wore a pistol on her hip.
Beau didn’t hear the garage door go up, so he expected Sid to step out of the shadows and grab her. Instead, a woman screamed, and Sid swore. Something had gone wrong.
Sure enough, Maude dashed across the front of the chalet. Beau yelled to Lenny and Hagrid, “Let’s go.”
All three raced outside.
Maude was heading for the back of the property. There, the ground sloped away and led to a thick forest. But Beau knew from seeing a map that a hundred yards beyond the trees, the road came around. If Maude reached that band of forest, she might escape still again.
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