Marshall's Law

by Denise A. Agnew

  Tommy and his parents beamed from the first row. Tommy had come through a terrifying situation, and that mattered more than this stupid plaque and ceremony. Marshall looked for Dana in the crowd. Seconds before he’d seen her in the back, snapping photographs. When they’d first arrived at the center she’d watched him, her gaze almost hungry. It had lit a fire in him so deep he’d almost torn through the crowd, grabbed her wrist and tugged her into the pantry for a quick, blazing display of passion she’d never forget. He’d pin her against the wall and they’d bang away at each other—

  “Speech, speech,” the crowd urged.

  Silence hung. Dana no longer stood at the back of the crowd. She’d disappeared.

  A million thoughts launched through his head. All of them bad.

  Marshall realized the crowd looked at him in anticipation, some with worried frowns. He cleared his throat. “Sorry. All this attention has made my head swell so big I can’t pry my mouth open.”

  Laughter filled the room, but Marshall didn’t feel happy. Finish the speech, and be quick about it.

  “Thank you to everyone who put this beautiful plaque together for me, and for everything you’ve done. Thanks to Tommy and his parents for thinking of this commendation.” His words felt valueless on his tongue. He meant what he said, but his thoughts remained on Dana. “Thank you to the mayor, and Sheriff Pizer for putting up with me.”

  Then it hit him. Deep in the gut like a punch. Dana would still be taking photographs unless…

  She is in trouble.

  His gaze scanned the crowd one more time and saw no sign of her. “Thank you very much.” Without another word he left the small stage. People whispered, no doubt surprised at his abrupt speech and exit, and he heard their murmurs as he stepped into the main area and looked for Dana.

  His heart quickened in a furious rhythm as he barged through, checking rooms as he went. People went by, trying to add more congratulations. He acknowledged their praise far faster and more abruptly than he would have in other circumstances.

  Sheriff Pizer grabbed his arm. “Hey, what’s the rush? We’ve got a cake and punch. My wife has it all ready—”

  “Have you seen Dana?”

  “No—”

  “Damn it to hell.”

  A few people looked around, and Marshall realized he’d raised his voice above the murmur of people filing out of the central room. He didn’t care. He left the sheriff standing with his mouth hanging open.

  Oh God. Something is wrong.

  A search of the pantry room revealed nothing. His heart seemed to jackhammer in his chest. Hurry. Hurry.

  He burst out the back door. Then he saw the camera and Dana’s purse on the ground and his knees almost folded. His heart seemed to stumble and stop. He’d failed her. He’d allowed his own stupidity to make him forget that he’d vowed to guard her. As he tore back in the building to call for backup, one thing crystallized.

  He loved her more than anything. And he would get her back or die trying.

  I’d give anything for an aspirin.

  Dana drifted in and out of consciousness for what seemed an eternity, feeling the sway of the vehicle as it bumped over uneven roads. She wondered where Jenny planned on taking her. Her eyes refused to open, her skull pounding with a dull throb. She’d had no time to avoid Jenny’s vicious blow, and it had driven her to her knees. Instinctively she’d pressed her left hand to her head to stop the pain.

  She’d attempted to cry out, but Jenny had grabbed her arm and told her if she made a sound she’d shoot her. Deciding the bitch meant what she’d said she had let Jenny shove her into the big SUV nearby.

  “Try anything and I’ll kill you,” Jenny’s nasty little voice had taunted. “I’ll leave you by the side of the road for the buzzards.”

  Now Dana knew that stupidity had gotten her into this predicament. She had, like a bat with no sonar, slammed right into the cave wall. Could I have been any denser?

  Dana’s mind, fogged by pain, grasped the idea that no one had seen her with Jenny. Jenny had stayed out of sight in the hallway, coaxing her away.

  Seconds later Dana felt the car come to a swift stop, the sound of gravel spitting out from under the wheels. Dana couldn’t hold back a groan as dizziness swamped her. Fine and dandy. Jenny has given me a concussion.

  “Open your eyes. We’re here. Time to take our final walk.”

  Our final walk? Doesn’t she mean my final walk?

  Dana heard the reality in her captor’s voice and lifted her head, unable to keep back a groan. She opened her eyes and the waning sunlight filtered by clouds hurt her eyes. She looked down and saw her clothes splattered with something reddish. Her own blood. Looking down at her hands, she realized they were smeared with crimson that was slowly turning dark brown. Cold with dread, she shivered.

  Dana glanced at Jenny and realized for the first time how disheveled her captor appeared. Jenny’s blonde hair hung in straggles about her slim shoulders. It looked as if she hadn’t washed it for some time. Her face, so smooth and youthful under other circumstances, had aged. Dana thought she caught hints of dark circles under the young woman’s eyes, though she couldn’t say for certain in the dim light.

  Jenny opened her door and slid outside. “Get out.”

  Dana shoved open the passenger door of the SUV and almost fell out of the seat.

  Dana held onto the door, her knees trembling and threatening to give way. Stunned, she absorbed the true reality of the situation. Jenny Pizer had smacked her with a gun, kidnapped her, and now—what?

  Jenny Pizer was planning her death.

  Why did Jenny want her dead?

  With a dark twist of humor, Dana thought about all the things that would be solved if she died. She wouldn’t have to finish her second novel and hope it sold as well as the first. And last but not least, she wouldn’t have to cope with the knowledge that she’d missed her chance to tell Brennan Marshall that she loved him.

  Marshall. Did he know she’d been taken? He must realize something bad had happened by now. Though uncertain of how much time passed since the abduction, Dana received the vague impression not more than twenty or thirty minutes had gone by since they left the community center.

  She sucked in deep breaths of air. Night gathered at the edges like a hovering demon, waiting to cloak them in darkness. Lightning arched overhead and thunder reminded Dana of lurking danger. Her limbs suffered a fine trembling and her stomach twisted with anxiety.

  Through thick pines Dana saw a narrow trail. Jenny had pulled off the road, almost into a ditch. They’d gotten this far, but from the rutted, washed out condition of the road, it didn’t look safe to use the vehicle from this point.

  “What are we doing?” Dana asked through lips that felt like rubber. “It’s getting dark.”

  Jenny pulled on a backpack, dressed out for hiking with thick boots, a waterproof jacket and a determined smile. She held the weapon in her right hand and a flashlight in the other.

  Jenny flicked on the flashlight. “You’re going to die.”

  Dana sighed, unable to control her anger. “What did I do, break a church rule?”

  Dana knew she’d done it then because Jenny started toward her. “Don’t mouth off to me, bitch.”

  As Dana took an involuntary step back, Jenny halted, smirking with satisfaction. She’d managed to show her advantage by scaring Dana into retreat. “You know Marshall is never going to find you. You’re never going to see him again.”

  “Are you doing all this because you’re jealous?” Dana flapped one hand in dismissal. “I’m out of Macon shortly and then he’s all yours.”

  At first Dana thought Jenny might whack her with the gun again. Instead, the smaller woman stayed immobile. “You’re mouthy, did you know that?”

  Though her words came out scathing, Dana thought she heard an element of hurt in Jenny’s voice. Jenny gestured with her weapon. “Move it out. Up that trail.” She pointed with her other hand. “When we get to the
top you’ll wish you’d never been born.”

  How original. Dana wanted to scream at the deranged woman that she ought to get better lines. “What is it you want?”

  “Start moving or I’ll shoot you where you stand. And believe me, I wouldn’t miss.”

  Dana did as told. Better to live longer and maybe formulate a plan. She touched her father’s ring. Please, Daddy, give me strength. Give me something I can use to survive. Please, Marshall. Please find me.

  The narrow avenue between the trees started gentle and fast became steep. They weaved through the first stand of spruce and stumbled over rocks. Thunder growled like an angry god, intent on warning them of a transgression. Dana realized, to her surprise, that she didn’t care about the threatening storm. More immediate danger wiped thoughts of phobia out of her mind. Still, she would rather be somewhere safe and warm when the beast lunged. She looked from side to side, hoping to see a building somewhere, but gave up that idea almost as quick as it came. Dana got the impression they’d traveled into a remote region near Macon with no homes nearby. Heavy cloud cover masked the area and she couldn’t say which direction they headed.

  “It’s getting hard to see out here. Since I’m in the front maybe I should have the flashlight,” Dana said.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Dana slipped on the sandy soil and her right ankle gave a painful wrench. She dropped to one knee with a hiss of pain and a curse. “Son of a—”

  Jenny jabbed the weapon into her back. “Get up!”

  Dana swayed to her feet. “I’m up. I’m up.”

  As Dana started forward her flats slipped on rocks, unable to keep traction. At this rate she’d sprain something worse. Her ankle already throbbed.

  “Walk.” Jenny poked her in the ribs with the gun.

  For what seemed like miles, Dana struggled to keep balance as blisters cropped up on her feet. Her breath was heavy from exertion, her head protesting with a continuous pounding.

  Although Macon’s altitude was about eighty-five hundred feet, Dana guessed they’d climbed much higher than that. With the higher altitude and approaching darkness came the onset of cooler temperatures. An occasional flicker of lightning and rumbling from the heavens never let her forget a tempest could settle upon them any time. Add cold temperatures to getting waterlogged, and hypothermia became a definite possibility. Dehydration could kill her right along with the weather. Maybe Jenny had no intention of shooting her. She’d leave her out here, helpless, until she died of exposure.

  No. I won’t give in to defeatist thinking. I can survive if I keep my cool. I am not helpless.

  As the winding trail evened out, the rain started. Dana’s breath gasped out as cold water splashed onto her in a great torrent. Unlike Jenny, she wore no rain gear. Her throat felt raw and her eyes gritty. A deep cough issued from her chest.

  She must survive long enough to see Marshall’s face again. To kiss him and tell him that she loved him. Thinking positive seemed difficult at a time like this, but negative thoughts would mean a quick death.

  Night sounds intruded, the howl of a coyote or dog, the hoot of an owl, the screech of another unknown animal.

  For an eternity they walked, and when they reached a slight clearing in the trees Dana saw a small cabin. The logs looked rough-hewn but almost new, and sitting next to the structure was a sedan.

  Dana came to a halt. “That’s the car that ran me off the road.”

  Jenny grunted. “Good guess. Aren’t you smart?” For the umpteenth time she prodded Dana in the ribs with the weapon and this time it hurt like hellfire.

  Dana cursed, vowing she’d snatch that gun away from this fruit loop and then break her arm. “You don’t have to keep doing that. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  Jenny pursed her lips. “Oh, really? Didn’t your mommy teach you right? Don’t you have a mind of your own? Or are you going to follow like a little lamb? Would you jump off a cliff if I asked you?”

  Dana decided not to answer.

  “Open the door,” Jenny snapped, shoving Dana toward the cabin so that she almost stumbled. She jammed a key into Dana’s hand.

  Obeying, Dana unlocked the door and opened it. She pocketed the key, hoping Jenny wouldn’t notice. Jenny nudged her through the door, and once inside Jenny flipped on the light switch. A couple of lamps flooded the small room with light. From what Dana could see, the cabin consisted of a living room and dining area, kitchen and possibly one or two small bedrooms. It appeared to be built for vacation and not for roughing it.

  “Who owns this place?” Dana asked.

  “My father.”

  Incredulous, Dana turned and glared at her captor. “Does he know you’re doing this?”

  Despite rain gear, Jenny’s jeans looked sopping wet. She didn’t seem to care. “Of course not.” She pushed a strand of hair back from her face. Water dripped from her nose, but she didn’t seem to care about that, either. Her face, devoid of the usual tons of makeup, had a bizarre innocence overlaid by unrepentant evil. “But then my father doesn’t really care much what happens to me.”

  When Jenny stared at her without saying another word, Dana decided now would be the best time to extract answers from this crazy package. “You don’t have to do this, you know. Marshall doesn’t love me.”

  Jenny laughed. “I saw the way he looked at you at the ceremony. At first I thought I’d just kill you. That way when you were gone I’d comfort him and he would have come to love me. He would have seen that I’m far more woman than you’ve ever been. I could have given him what he needs. But now it’s too late.”

  Dana saw then what she hadn’t recognized earlier. More than anger and jealousy motivated this woman. Insanity ran unchecked through the girl’s eyes, hard and glassy.

  Dana slipped her hand into her pocket and gripped the key, holding it between her fingers like a short knife. “Hey, is there a first aid kit around here? I’d like to patch up this cut on my head.”

  “You aren’t getting any first aid, or food or water. You’re going to die, remember?”

  Dana swallowed hard. “How?”

  Jenny laughed. “You’ll find out soon enough.” Jenny walked toward her, slow and methodical, a gleam of satisfaction mixed with hate.

  “I don’t understand why you hate me so much.”

  “Because you’re the stupid bitch that took Marshall from me. I’ve always wanted him. I’ve wanted him since I was a girl. Then you came to town.”

  “All this because you’re in love with him?”

  “Oh, no. There’s more.”

  A wave of dizziness assaulted Dana, and she leaned against a wall. She wanted to slide down the rough surface and land on her butt for a rest, but she had to remain alert and prepare to run. Her head hurt, her feet hurt, her ankle throbbed and cold slithered up and down her body like a snake. At least in the cabin she escaped the weather. Rain drummed on the rooftop with an unrelenting beat. Thunder and lightning came closer.

  “So, if I’m going to die, at least tell me what more is,” Dana said.

  Jenny’s toothpaste white perfect smile showed how far she’d lost it. Jenny hadn’t taken off her raingear or pack and she kept her flashlight and weapon. Dana estimated how she might leap forward and knock away the gun long enough to stab Jenny with the key. Nope. Jenny would blast her with a bullet before she could say Mother may I.

  Jenny moved around the room a little, as if observing things about the place she’d never noticed before. When she didn’t speak, Dana pressed on. “Did you have something to do with the strange occurrences at my aunt’s house?”

  Jenny’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “How about Gregory and Neal. Did you attack them for some reason?”

  Jenny sneered, then burst into laughter. Her shoulders shook. “Those two clods. They never knew I was using them until it was too late.” Her amusement disappeared. “Too bad they didn’t die.” Her laughter stopped abruptly. “Another
example of my failure.”

  “You attacked them?” Dana asked, incredulous. “Two grown men—”

  “Oh, come on. You don’t think all women are as weak as you, do you? I’m in good shape.”

  Outstanding. I’m stranded on a mountainside with a madwoman from purgatory. Super bitch extraordinaire.

  “Why did you hurt them?” A horrible thought came to Dana, one that seemed beyond belief. “Were they in on this with you?”

  Jenny’s curses filled the room. She waved the gun around, and Dana hoped Jenny had put on the safety. “No. I’ve been screwing them for the fun of it.” She leaned forward and tapped her chest with the gun barrel. Dana’s breath sucked in. If that thing went off all her troubles would be over. “I’ve been tempted to shoot you before. In front of anyone and everyone. But I’m not like my mother and father think I am. I’ve got control. I’ve been in control my whole life.”

  While she never would have believed Jenny capable until now, a macabre picture formed in Dana’s head. “You slept with Gregory and Neal because you love Marshall?”

  Jenny shrugged. “Why not? They wanted me and I wanted them.” Jenny’s cold, hard eyes said it all. “You’re not one of those dumb bitches that believe a man loves you just because he has sex with you?”

  Dana ignored her statement. “The night you attacked Gregory and Neal…what set you off?”

  “While I was with Gregory I messed up and called him Marshall.” Jenny pushed back the hood on her rain jacket and her hair flopped forward into her face until she looked up. “He got mad and told me that he didn’t want me talking like that while we were screwing. I got pissed and told him I was also making it with Neal. That made him even madder and he left the hotel. I followed the bastard to your aunt’s house and stabbed him. He didn’t even see me. Then I headed to Neal’s hotel room.”

  Jenny paced for a second, and in the lamplight Dana saw Jenny’s forehead and cheeks bathed in perspiration. Though feverish and feeling like someone had run over her with a backhoe, Dana knew she must remain alert.