Hunted

by T. M. Bledsoe

  Her lungs were burning from strain and her muscles were screaming out from the effort of being forced to sustain a breakneck speed they weren’t used to, but she kept going. She could not stop until she reached the safety of the people gathered across the park.

  It seemed to take an eternity of running and running, an eternity of waiting to feel hands on her, ripping her backwards into the night, before the glow of the candle light finally came into view and when it did, even though her lungs were struggling for air, a sob burst out of her. She was close. So close! Close enough that someone might hear her scream! Only, she didn’t scream. She kept running, her feet pounding the earth, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. She kept her attention on that golden glow of light, watching it grow in size, watching it until the shapes of people came into view. She ran onward, ignoring her searing lungs and her throbbing muscles, running until she was just out of reach of that circle of golden light, until she was within only a few yards of the large crowd of people, people who would help her if she needed it, people who could hear her if she screamed.

  Then, of its own accord, her body suddenly slammed to a halt.

  She was gasping for air and her limbs were shaking uncontrollably, but she’d made it back to her friends, back to her dad. There were people right there, only a few steps away, and all she wanted to do was open her mouth and scream bloody murder.

  As she stood there, trying to pull enough breath into her lungs to let out the blood curdling shriek working its way up her throat, her gaze took in the scene before her and her mind began trying to comprehend and sort out what she was seeing and hearing. Pastor Hawes was still standing by the table that held the pictures of Stacy and he was leading the group in…in singing a Hymn, which meant that she hadn’t been gone for very long.

  Strange. It seemed like hours.

  Pulling her gaze away from Pastor Hawes, Lanie scanned the crowd, finding herself searching for someone that she was suddenly desperate to see. She finally spotted him standing with Deputy Sterling, off near the back of the group, still holding his candle, his handsome face set in a somber expression. He wasn’t singing along with everyone else. Sam Bancroft hated to sing in public.

  Still trying to get her lungs filled with at least one full breath, Lanie realized that she wouldn’t be able to scream to get his attention, so she started forward on legs that were as weak as water and threatening to drop from beneath her. Entering the circle of candle light, she began elbowing her way through the horde of people, wishing she could block out the Hymn they were singing.

  What she’d seen…what was happening in Fells Pointe…it had nothing to do with God. She honestly doubted God could save them.

  As she pushed past the wall of bodies made up by the football team, Chase Wylie, who she had to shove out of her way, glanced at her, his eyes going wide and the Hymn he was belting out dying on his lips.

  “Lanie! What’s wrong!” he asked, his stunned tone causing several people nearby to quit singing, also.

  Lanie glanced up at him, but said nothing. She just continued pushing her way through the crowd, determined to get to her dad. That was the only thing she could think about right then. Moving through the crush of bodies, she realized she’d put her hands over her ears in an effort to block out the voices all lifted in song.

  Fools! They could all sing until they were all blue in the face and it would not help them! God had nothing to do with this! If anything, this was something dredged up right out of Hell!

  Somehow, Lanie finally jostled her way to the other side of the crowd and over to her dad, whose gaze locked with hers, stopping her in her tracks. His eyes went wide and his handsome face went hard and he rushed forward to close the gap between them, dropping his candle onto the ground so that he could take hold of her wrists and pull her hands away from her ears.

  “Lanie, what’s wrong?” he demanded, his deep voice laced with a hint of panic.

  Lanie looked up at her dad, feeling a wave of relief hit her so hard that it nearly buckled her knees. “Daddy,” was the only word she could force past her constricted throat.

  Instantly, Sam Bancroft went into work mode. He knew something had happened and he knew it was bad. Shooting a quick glance around, he put his arm around Lanie and whisked her through the people still warbling out their mournful dirge, taking her a few yards away from them before stopping and turning her to face him.

  “What’s going on, Lanie?” he demanded, keeping his voice low.

  Looking up at her father, it was suddenly all Lanie could do not to completely break down. Those few minutes out in the darkness rose up inside her and overwhelmed her, sucking what little breath she had out of her and twisting her insides into a painful knot. Fighting to hold it together, she opened her mouth to tell her dad…what? What was she going to say to her dad about what had happened to her out in the park? Was she going to tell him…what she’d seen?

  “Lanie, tell me what’s happening?” Sam urged.

  “You saw it with your own eyes. He can’t get involved or he will get himself killed.” Those words echoed through Lanie’s head and she had to believe they were true because…of what she’d seen.

  How could she tell her dad about…what she’d seen? How could she put into words…how could she describe…that pale, grey face, those hollow cheeks, those colorless lips pulled back over those gleaming, needle-like teeth, those enormous eyes that shone like two polished rubies…or two pools of freshly spilled blood.

  “Chase, do you what’s going on?” Sam questioned, looking past Lanie.

  Startled, Lanie glanced over to find Chase Wylie standing next to her, his handsome face heavy with worry and confusion. “I have no idea. She…she came walking up looking like this,” Chase answered helplessly.

  “Walking up from where?” Sam demanded, turning his sharp gaze back to Lanie. “Lanie? Where were you?”

  Lanie stared up at her dad, a hard lump now blocking her throat. She had to answer. She had to tell her dad about…the person who was still lying out there in the darkness! Guilt struck Lanie like a slap to the face. She’d momentarily forgotten about…her.

  “I-I…went for a walk,” Lanie heard herself croak out in a voice that was hoarse and thick with the threat of tears. “I-I saw—“

  “You went off into the park! Alone? After what I told you!” her dad cut her off, his expression falling and a little spark of anger flashing in his blue eyes.

  Lanie didn’t have the wherewithal to argue that point. “Daddy, someone’s lying out there in the park! I-I…think they’re dead!” she forced the words out, her voice breaking from the effort.

  Sam’s spine stiffened and his hands shot out to take hold of her shoulders. “Lanie, are you sure?” he bit out the words.

  Lanie nodded, her breathing sounding almost as harsh as it had while she was running.

  “Who was it?” he asked her, his tone harsh.

  “I-I didn’t get close enough to see,” she whispered, tears suddenly spilling down her cheeks.

  “Chase, take Lanie—“

  “Daddy, someone else was out there!” she heard herself spew out the words before she even realized what was happening.

  “What!” Sam growled, his hands tightening on her shoulders. “You saw someone else out in the park!”

  She nodded, unaffected by her father’s anger. She was too full of everything else to bother being upset over that.

  Sam gritted his teeth for a second. “What were they doing? Did you see who it was?”

  Lanie assessed those questions for a brief instant before opening her mouth to do something she’d never done before in her entire life. Lie to her father. “I saw…him. I-I…saw…him…standing over…the body.”

  Sam’s eyes widened and he let go of Lanie to motion to someone behind them. It was only a second before Deputy Sterling appeared next to them. “Which way, Lanie?”

  Lanie pointed in the direction she’d come from. “It’s…they’re…straight
through over that way,” she whispered.

  “Roger, head over there and keep your eyes open. There’s…there’s another possible victim and the perpetrator might still be in the area,” Sam told his deputy. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  Deputy Sterling’s brows lifted in surprise, but he spun and hurried away without a word.

  “Who did you see out there, Lanie?” Sam demanded. “Do you know them? Exactly what were they doing when you saw them?”

  Lanie pulled in a hard breath. “He-he…he was…standing there, just looking at the person on the ground.”

  “Who was it?” Sam questioned through his now clenched teeth.

  “I-I’ve never seen him before,” she whispered, feeling fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. She was going to lie to her father again. But, she had no choice. “But, it wasn’t…it wasn’t him, Daddy. It was…someone else.”

  It was…something else! It was something else! Her mind was screaming at her, urging her to tell her father, who could go out into the park and look for the thing she’d seen, but she couldn’t say it. She knew…she knew…she’d seen…her dad was no match for what was out there in the darkness. Her dad would get himself killed. Just like he’d said.

  “Are you telling me it wasn’t the person you saw by the cemetery yesterday?” Sam asked. “Are you absolutely sure?”

  “It wasn’t him. I swear, Daddy. It wasn’t him.” That was not part of her lie. She knew it was not the young man who had left that body lying out in the park. He’d said he hadn’t killed her. And she believed him because…she’d seen…

  She just needed her dad to believe her. She needed her dad to stop looking for the young man…who had saved her life. He knew how to…fight…the thing she’d seen out there. He knew how to fight the thing that had picked her up in its…in his…arms and nearly carried her away into the night.

  “What did he look like?” Sam urged.

  Lanie braced herself. This was where she had to lie again. “I-I think he…he had light hair and dark clothes. But…it was so dark, I-I couldn’t see much.”

  “Did he see you, Lanie?” Sam demanded.

  Yes. He’d seen her. “No. I-I don’t think he did.”

  Sam turned his gaze back to Chase. “Take Lanie home and stay with her until I get there. Don’t leave her, Chase,” he ordered, pulling his flashlight out of his belt and hurrying away into the shadows.

  Chase’s arm was instantly wrapped around Lanie’s shoulders and he was sweeping her away from the crowd, which had stopped singing to listen to Pastor Hawes recite another prayer.

  A sudden thought occurred to Lanie, jolting her. “W-wait! Devyn and Johnna! They’re supposed to ride home with me!”

  The last thing she wanted was to leave her friends stranded at the park right now. She might never see them again.

  Chase whipped his phone from his pocket and pecked out a text with his thumb. “I’ll tell Finn to give them a ride,” he said.

  Phone back in his pocket, Chase hurried Lanie through the park and toward the gravel lot and every step of the way Lanie expected a monster with gleaming, ruby red eyes and needle-like teeth to swoop in from out of the darkness, descend upon her, and drag her away. But, they made it to the parking lot without that monster making an appearance and Chase headed them toward her yellow Bug.

  “Give me your keys,” he said as they approached it.

  Lanie didn’t argue and dug her keys out of her pocket, dropping them into Chase’s outstretched hand. The passenger door was unlocked and Lanie was ushered into the seat. Chase jumped behind the wheel and started the engine, but had to help Lanie with her seatbelt because she couldn’t manage it. Once she was belted in, he threw the car into gear and sped them out of the parking lot.

  It wasn’t until they were driving away from the park that Lanie finally drew in a full breath. It wasn’t until she absorbed the fact that she was safely inside a moving vehicle that she began to try and sort out just what had happened to her out there in the darkness.

  “Lanie, are you okay?” Chase asked, reaching over to put a hand on her knee. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”

  Lanie glanced down at her hands, fisted in her lap, realizing that her entire body was quaking so hard it looked like someone was physically jarring her.

  “Lanie? Are you alright?” Chase urged when she didn’t answer.

  “I-I…I don’t know,” she croaked out.

  “Did you really see…a body out in the park? I mean, are you sure?” Chase asked, sounding as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to believe her.

  She wished she could tell him that she wasn’t sure. She wished she hadn’t seen anything at all out there in the darkness. “I’m sure,” she told him weakly.

  “And you’re sure you saw someone else out there with…it?” Chase questioned her.

  She nodded her answer.

  “Damn, Lanie! Whoever was out there could have killed you!” Chase told her, his hand tightening on her knee.

  Whoever…whatever…was out there had tried to kill her. Whoever…whatever…was out there would have killed her if…he hadn’t been there.

  “Are you sure he didn’t see you?” Chase went on in a stunned tone.

  Yes. He had seen her. “He didn’t see me,” she squeaked out, turning her gaze out the window and into the darkness.

  “Well, even if he did see you, you’ll be okay,” he told her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Lanie appreciated the boy’s sentiment. But, if he…if it…decided to come after her, she knew that Chase Wylie would not be able to help her. She knew…she’d seen…

  She’d seen…

  CHAPTER NINE

  It was two o’clock in the morning and Lanie was sitting in the kitchen with Johnna, Devyn, and Chase, watching her dad pace up and down the room, raking his hands through his hair and trying very hard not to give in and yell at his daughter. Again.

  “Tell me again what happened, Lanie,” he said, his voice strained and his blue eyes sharp. “Go through it all one more time and don’t leave anything out.”

  Her father was angry with her, but there was something else in his tone, an edge that Lanie had never heard before and one that brought an inexplicable tightness to her throat. It almost sounded like…fear. Only that couldn’t be because Sam Bancroft wasn’t afraid of anything.

  Drawing in a steadying breath, Lanie repeated the events that had unfolded in the park. She’d had to leave the candle light vigil because all the crying had upset her. She’d walked a little ways into the park, had stopped to collect herself, and that’s when she’d seen the shape lying on the ground and the person standing next to it. That person had light, almost white-blonde hair and had been wearing dark clothing. She hadn’t been able to make out the details, but she was certain it was not the young man she’d seen near the cemetery the day before. Once she’d realized what she was seeing, she’d turned around and ran straight back to the candle light vigil.

  The story came out easier this time and she would stick with that version until she had no choice but to change it.

  “So, was there another…someone…out there?” Devyn asked quietly, her eyes enormous in her face.

  Sam let out a breath and stopped pacing for a minute. “Yes. We found another body in the park.”

  “A body? So, the person was…dead?” Johnna whispered the word as if it was an epithet.

  “Yes. The person was dead,” Sam answered, sounding official. “But, I can’t give out any more details until I inform the next of kin.”

  Lanie swallowed hard, her heart thudding. “Dad, was it like what happened…to Stacy?”

  “I can’t tell you that right now,” Sam said, but Lanie was looking at his face and she knew, without he dad having to say a word, that it was the same.

  The person lying out in the park had been killed the same way Stacy Miller had been killed. And she knew, without a doubt, that neither Stacy nor the other person had their throat slit. She kn
ew the Sheriff’s office had their own reasons for telling everyone that Stacy had her throat slit, but that wasn’t the truth.

  She knew. She’d seen…

  “You kids don’t need to worry too much about this right now, but none of you should be out running around on your own,” Sam said seriously. “And Lanie, you will not leave this house unless someone is with you. If one of your friends can’t be with you, then you do not go out, is that clear?”

  Lanie nodded. Her dad didn’t have to worry about that. She would not be leaving the house, alone or otherwise, until she’d heard from the young man who’d saved her life.

  “What…a-about the other person?” she hedged uneasily. “The person with the yellow car? Are you still looking for him?”

  “I am,” came the answer. “If he’s still in town, I want to talk to him, find out what he’s doing here and when he plans to move on.”

  “But, it wasn’t him. It just…wasn’t,” Lanie stated as firmly as she dared. “I-I don’t want someone who didn’t do anything to get in trouble.”

  “No one is in trouble yet. But, I have to question anyone I can think to question, anyone who stands out, just to be thorough. There have been two deaths in the past forty eight hours. And I don’t know how many people might be involved,” Sam stated, his words falling like stones in the silent room.

  As far as Lanie had seen, there appeared to be only one…person…involved.

  Sam pulled in a deep breath and raked his hand through his hair again. “It’s late and tomorrow is a school day. Everyone needs to get some rest,” he said, sounding tired himself. “I’ll drive you home, Chase. Lanie, make sure you lock the door behind me. I have to go back out to the scene and wait for sunrise so we can start processing things there, so don’t expect me home for a while.”