Murder Stalks

by Sara York

  Chapter 41

  Marissa’s brain was caught in a fog, unable to keep up with the sequence of events. Someone leaned over her, the big body blocking out the light. Recognition clicked in her mind and fear raced through her.

  “Sleep now, I’ll be back for you later.”

  The laugh echoed as she fought through the deep fog of sleep. Her eyes fluttered open to find a darkened room. Had she dreamt the person standing above her? Exhaustion overwhelmed her, sending her into oblivion.

  “Marissa.”

  The voice came from somewhere close. She pushed the strange feeling away. Someone clutched her shoulder, shaking her violently. Marissa fought the fog and opened her eyes. Ally’s face was stark and her eyes bulged.

  “Marissa, you have to wake up.”

  “Goway.” Marissa words were slurred from sleep, and her eyes stayed shut.

  “Marissa, I need you to wake up,” Ally begged, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Don’t want to.”

  “We have to leave,” Ally begged.

  “Too tired. Need more sleep.” Marissa rolled over, away from Ally.

  “No, Marissa. I need you to wake up and follow me.”

  Water splashed on Marissa’s face. She shot up, the shock of the cold pushing some of the disorientation away.

  “I found a bloody sheet.”

  “What?” Marissa asked.

  “In my garage. Someone stuck a bloody sheet in my garage. It had to be Michael. He was in there yesterday. He had the key to my garage. He’s done something bad and we need to go.”

  The doorknob to her room rattled and Ally’s face went white. “Be quiet and pretend to be asleep. I’ll get rid of him.”

  Fear caught Marissa in the middle, leaving her gasping for breath. She rolled over and covered her head. Exhaustion still played with her, making it hard to keep her eyes open. She heard Ally crack open the door and Michael speak.

  “Ally, is something wrong?”

  “No, I’m just changing for bed.”

  “Why’d you lock the door?” Michael asked, his voice sounded normal, but would she know if he was suspicious? She didn’t know anything about the man. Why had Ally been so trusting? Hadn’t she known something was wrong?

  “Marissa’s in here. I didn’t want you walking in while I was changing.” Ally’s voice wavered and Marissa cringed. What if he busted through the door and killed them both here?

  “You coming out soon?” Michael asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll be done in a minute or so,” Ally said.

  Marissa wanted to cry. They were stuck in the house with a madman. She should have stayed with Tony all day. God, she’d been so stupid.

  “I’ll be waiting,” Michael said and Marissa heard the door close.

  “Marissa, you have to get up,” Ally whispered. “Be very quiet and follow me outside.”

  Marissa pulled her shoes on and walked towards the door. Her legs shook and her head thundered with an ache that made her wish she had more water.

  “Not that way,” Ally said through gritted teeth.

  “My car. We could use it.” Marissa searched for her purse. “Where’s my purse?”

  “Shit. Michael took it.”

  “Why?” Marissa asked. She rubbed at her face, trying to make sense of Ally’s words and actions.

  “Shhh. Just follow me. We’ll have to go on foot.” Ally moved to the window, raised it and quickly climbed outside.

  Marissa struggled to get out of the window. “I need help.”

  “What? Oh, give me your arm.”

  Ally reached through and helped Marissa climb out. Marissa moved sluggishly through the bushes and over the green lawn. Her foot caught and she lurched forward. Her hands banged against her car and the noise echoed off of Ally’s house. Damn, if they only had her keys. A cool breeze washed over Marissa and her mind cleared a bit. Ally took off, running across the street and Marissa followed. As they neared a wooded park, Ally motioned Marissa into the shadows. They stopped, resting under the thick green draping of a weeping willow.

  “I don’t know if you heard me before, I think Michael might have drugged you. I was in the garage and I found a bloodied sheet. Michael was in my garage yesterday and he had a key to the garage. No one else could have been in there. I think he’s the killer,” Ally huffed out between breaths.

  Drugged her? The baby... She couldn’t think about that now. Michael was a killer. And he was after them. “Oh God, do you think he followed us?” Marissa checked behind them, she didn’t see anyone. “We need to get out of here.”

  “How far is the police station?”

  “Not far, but we’re going the wrong way. We need to head north, back towards the center of town.” They wouldn’t make it to the station. If Michael were the killer, he wouldn’t hesitate to follow them. “We’ll stick to the shadows, no one will see us.”

  Marissa led the way. Blood roared in her ears. She felt strangely detached from the situation. The silence of the night magnified the noise from every snapped twig or rustled leaf. She stopped, and placed a hand on her belly. The baby was fine, but she felt weak and dizzy from rushing around.

  “Marissa, we need to hurry. Any moment now he’s going to realize we aren’t there.”

  The hair on the back of Marissa’s neck stood up. Her eyes darted around, looking for the source of her fear. “I thought I heard something.”

  “Keep going, we have to keep moving. We can come out of the shadows once we’re closer to the police station.”

  Marissa and Ally moved quickly through the wooded park. They were almost to the end of Ally’s street when Marissa stopped again.

  “Why’d you stop?”

  “We have to run across the street, I wanted to make sure we were clear.”

  “I don’t see any cars,” Alley whispered behind Marissa.

  Another voice, deeper, reverberated behind Ally. “Neither do I.”

  Marissa let out a yelp then covered her mouth, stopping a scream from erupting. Her heart hammered in her chest and she broke out in a cold sweat. She wanted to run, but knew she would never make it. Michael Rains would go after her and catch her. She backed away from him, pulling Ally with her.

  “So, Ally, I guess you found this?” Michael pulled the sheet from behind his back. He twirled it between his fingers, smiling as he admired it. “You shouldn’t have run. The minute you locked the door to your bedroom I knew something was up. Ally, when will you ever learn that you’re not as smart as a man?”

  “Shut-up, you crazy bastard,” Ally shot back.

  “That’s the best you can do? Come on, we’re adults here. Surely you can come up with a better insult than bastard. I’m not crazy, though. I’ve known exactly what I’ve been doing since I started following Tony five years ago. I knew what I was doing when I took Ashley and found that mountain lion to finish the job for me. I drugged them all at the campsite, so you can’t blame the other parents. They never heard me. No one ever believes that their water source is tainted. It’s so easy to slip some drugs into water. You fell for it tonight, Marissa.” Michael circled around as he talked, blocking them from running across the street.

  Marissa heard Michael say the words but the reality still seemed distant in her drug-fogged brain. Then it all clicked. “Oh God, you killed Ashley.”

  “Yes, Marissa. And I’m going to take care of you next. Then it’ll be Tony’s turn. I know everything about you. Your fears, your desires. See, I knew your favorite movie. I’ve done my homework. I even knew you were pregnant before Tony did. Don’t worry; I’ll rub it in his face before I kill him.”

  Marissa moved her feet, backing away from Michael. The trees closed in around them. She could no longer see the street. Fleeing was their only choice. She looked back over her shoulder. The creek was behind them, full to its bank with running water. She would never make it across.

  Marissa tapped Ally on the center of her back then moved her fingers to the right, hoping she would u
nderstand they were going to make a break for it.

  Marissa broke into a run behind Ally. She made it a few meters when she tripped on a root. Her body slammed into the ground. Ally stopped and headed back to help her.

  “No, Ally, keep going,” Marissa yelled. But it was too late. Michael had caught up with them. Marissa stood with Ally’s help. They moved backward, away from Michael. He chuckled and Marissa shivered. If Tony were here, what would he do? She looked for a weapon, but the darkness of the park muted everything around her. She felt a tear slide down her cheek. Damn it, she wouldn’t cry, she’d be strong.

  “You’ll never escape me, Marissa. I know your habits. I know what you’ll do if you run. You can’t get away.”

  “Marissa, don’t listen to him,” Ally said, her voice shaky.

  “Oh, Ally. What good do you think you can do?” Michael taunted.

  “Shut up,” Ally yelled.

  “Such strong words, just like at the boys’ home. I remember you.”

  “What are you talking about?” Ally stopped moving and Marissa almost tripped over her feet.

  “I was there when you came in. I remember your daring escape. You’ll be caught, just like you were by Mr. John back then. You can’t get away.”

  Ally ran at Michael. He was ready for the attack and had her on the ground before Marissa could tell what happened. He pulled back his foot and kicked her in the ribs. Ally groaned, and rolled away. Marissa sidestepped to her, pulling her up so they could stand together.

  “Isn’t that special, the two of you sticking together. You’re making this easy for me. I’m only going to have to work half as hard to kill both of you.”

  Marissa turned and look behind them. They were trapped on a peninsula of land. Their only way out was either through Michael or across the creek. Icy fear clutched at Marissa’s chest and she gasped for breathe. She would never make it across the swollen creek. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. She and Tony had just reconciled. She couldn’t die now, not without saying goodbye to Tony.

  Chapter 42

  Tony fidgeted with the papers in front of him. He pushed his chair away from the table and paced around the room. He needed to be out there searching. Michael Rains was smart. He knew by now they were on to him. His shift wasn’t over with and he hadn’t checked in. Rex had Michael’s cell company triangulating the area where his last call originated, and Sally was having the phone company search for Ally’s address. Once they had the area, he would send his entire team out to canvass the neighborhood.

  The sun was down and the stars were out, but no moon hung in the night sky. They could walk within fifteen feet of Marissa’s car and never see it. A deep longing settled in his chest. He slammed his fist against the wall. Activity came to a halt as all eyes trained on him.

  “I’m going out there. Sally, have dispatch call me when we know what area to search in.”

  “Tony, wait,” Rex called across the room. He motioned for him to follow across the hall and into another conference room. The door shut behind them, locking them away from the frantic activity in the hall.

  “Tony, why don’t you stay here and let me go out and search for her,” Rex said.

  “No way. I need to be out there. Marissa’s life is in danger. She needs me.”

  “You aren’t going to do anybody any good if you get emotional.”

  “Damn it, she’s my wife.”

  “That’s why I think you should stay.”

  “I can’t. Marissa needs me and I’m going out to search for her.” Determination made Tony feel stronger. He wouldn’t back down from Michael Rains, or Andrew Carson, whoever the hell the bastard was. His future was in danger, and he would do whatever it took to save the love of his life.

  “Fine, but at least let me go with you.”

  “We’re leaving now.” Tony whipped open the door and jogged through the halls of the police station. He never looked back to see if Rex was following. He was in the parking lot before he remembered his car wasn’t at the station. Cars were everywhere, double-parked and a few people had even driven up onto the lawn. The entire department was on high alert. How the hell was he going to find a car to use?

  “Tony, let’s take my car. It’s over here.”

  For a moment, he’d forgotten Rex was with him on this. He ran to the Hummer and hopped in. They were rolling forward when someone started pounding on the passenger side window. Dickey Farris. Tony jumped then pushed the button to roll down the widow.

  “I found it.” Dickey smiled, his eyes bright with excitement.

  “What did you find, Dickey?” Tony barked.

  Dickey shot him a look then shook his head. “Her address. I talked to a woman who lived next door to Ally at her old apartment. She wasn’t home earlier. I checked with Sally, it matches the area the phone company just gave her.”

  “Give it to us,” Rex barked.

  “She’s on Live Oak. Eighty-one twenty is the street number.”

  “Good job, see you there,” Tony said before they rolled away.

  Rex took off, leaving Dickey Farris standing in the parking lot looking after them. Tony placed a call for backup. “No lights, no sirens. Everyone park on Elm in the eighty-one hundred block. We’ll approach on foot. Michael Rains has two hostages, Marissa Santos and Ally Underwood. He most likely knows we’re coming. Expect him to fight.”

  Rex sped down side streets, running lights when the traffic was clear. He pulled up beside two marked cars and Tony’s feet hit the ground before the car stopped rolling. He took a Glock from one of the uniformed officers, explaining that his was in lockup.

  Dickey Farris pulled up behind Tony and hopped out of his car. His eyes were overly bright and his movements jerky. Tony pulled Rex aside, “We need to approach cautiously. I don’t want any of the rookies too close. Let’s keep the invasion team to those with experience.”

  Rex pulled his gun from his holster, checking his ammunition. “Sounds good.”

  Tony organized the officers, telling the three rookies to circle around the block and stand in the park across the street from Allison’s house. If the suspect ran, they were to stop him.

  Janice showed up and joined the invasion team. The three of them approached the house from the front and another team was positioned in the rear. Tony turned the knob and the door swung open, letting out a loud metallic squeal before it banged against the wall. He crouched low, shining his flashlight into the darkened room.

  Sweat drenched his hair. The salty mixture ran down his forehead, and into his eyes. He swiped at his brow with his arm, wiping away the excess moisture and clearing his vision. Blood pumped through his veins at a frenzied pace. He would shoot Michael on sight and ask questions later. Rex entered the room behind him, hugging the wall and keeping low.

  Janice was in the doorway when gunfire cracked in the night air. Tony, Janice and Rex fell to the ground, searching for the source of the shot. A scream went up across the street. Tony was the first out the door, jumping over Janice. He raced across the street as Dickey Farris stumbled out of the trees. Before Tony could reach the young rookie, he fell to the ground. Blood flowed from Dickey and his eyes stared off in the distance.

  Tony bent down and touched his neck, searching for a pulse. Nothing. He placed his hand on Dickey’s upper chest and didn’t feel the solid shell of his vest. Damn it. He should have checked each officer for proper equipment. “Don’t they teach these rookies anything?” he muttered, fighting the sorrow that clogged his throat. “You wear your vest all the time.”

  Tony switched off his flashlight and let his eyes adjust to the dark. He saw movement in the trees up ahead. His white shirt would be a beacon, drawing Michael’s fire, but he didn’t have time to go back and change. He ran towards the woods, praying he wasn’t too late to save Marissa.

  Chapter 43

  The police officer stumbled away. Marissa wanted to go after him. He wouldn’t make it far with a hole in his chest. Tony ground his teeth together, anger
boiling over another senseless death.

  They’d all been stunned when the young officer had burst through the trees. Michael turned and fired before the cop could even reach for his gun.

  Ally had run at Michael but wasn’t fast enough. He turned, hitting her across the face. She dropped to the ground and didn’t move again. Marissa’s only hope was to make it across the creek. She ran as fast as she could but not fast enough. Michael grabbed her, crushing her to him.

  “You can’t escape me, I’ve told you that already.”

  Marissa flailed her arms, striking Michael in the face. He punched her in the side of her head, creating an explosion of light behind her eyes, knocking her breath away. Stars swam in her vision and hopelessness sunk in. She would die out here without ever seeing Tony again. Tears streamed down her cheeks and a sob escaped her lips.

  “Yeah, go ahead and cry. They all do before I take them. Marissa you’ve been a bad girl. I wanted this to end differently. We could have been so good together. I would have ruined you for other men. That puny little dick your husband has would have been nothing compared to me.”

  Michael ran his tongue up her face. Bile rose in her throat. She was going to be sick. He grabbed her breast and squeezed hard, hurting her. She cried out in pain. Michael spun her around and kicked at her. She skidded out of his way, but he caught her leg, knocking her to the ground.

  “Oh God, you are sick.” Marissa spit blood on the ground at Michael’s feet.

  “Don’t disappoint me. Beg for your life and I might spare it. Ashley begged,” Michael said with a chuckle. The grin on his face was evil, like a scary mask worn at Halloween.

  “You’re lying. You said you drugged her.” Marissa felt her control slipping. She wanted to rip Michael’s flesh from his face. He’d killed her baby.

  Michael reached down and grabbed Marissa’s arm, pulling her up to him. He was powerful, and she could do nothing to resist his clawing embrace. Pain shot through her head as he grabbed her hair and pulled her to him. In desperation, she fell against his chest, pushing him to the ground. They landed with her on top. She didn’t waste a moment in scrambling off of him.