by J. E. Taylor
“Can it wait until my boys are on the bus?” she asked, glancing at her watch. “It should be here in about ten minutes.”
“Of course, Mrs. Ryan,” Sarah said and offered a smile she hoped would disarm the woman.
“Please, call me Jessica,” The smile obviously worked because Mrs. Ryan waved her into the house.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“That would be great.” Sarah smiled.
The two boys finished their breakfast at the table. One eyed her suspiciously and the other boy gave her only a glance before returning his attention to the cereal in front of him.
“Boys, say hello to Detective Connelly. She is a police officer in New York City.” Jessica said. “This is CJ and Tommy,” she said to Sarah.
“Pleased to meetcha,” Tommy said with a mouthful and a nod.
CJ acknowledged her with a nod. He was a spitting image of his father with the hard blue eyes that made her feel as if he was seeing into her soul.
“My pleasure,” Sarah replied and turned her attention to Jessica Ryan, a beautiful woman with thick dark hair that fell just beyond her shoulder blades and the most intriguing eyes. Her eyes defied characterization, they were a conglomerate of blues, greens, lavenders and grays surrounded by a thin border of brown. Her eyes looked like the sky at sunset. Beautiful and haunting.
Jessica smiled. “What do you take in your coffee?” she asked crossing to the refrigerator. She grabbed both the creamer and the orange juice, setting them both on the table as the boys got up. “Make sure you have your homework,” she called after them, clearing the morning mess. She poured a cup of coffee and set it on the table. “If you will excuse me a moment.” She waved toward the boys.
“Of course,” Sarah said and poured the cream into the cup.
Jessica collected the boys and walked with them to the open gate as the bus pulled around the corner.
“Mom?” CJ said before the bus pulled up. His gaze traveled to the front door where Sarah stood with her cup of coffee watching them.
“It’ll be fine, CJ,” Jessica said and smiled at her son, kissing both of them on the cheek. “Have a good day. Remember, your grandparents will be here this afternoon when you get home.” After the call last night, she had made the decision to surprise Chris for the weekend.
CJ nodded and climbed the stairs, casting a glance over his shoulder at his mother. Tommy blew a kiss and disappeared into the seat with his brother.
Jessica waved at the driver and watched the bus disappear up the road. She waited until it was out of sight before she turned and headed back toward the house. She was not looking forward to this conversation. The questions swarming in the detective’s head were too close to home. She couldn’t let this city cop uncover the truth.
Halfway up the driveway, a sudden sting bit at the back of her neck and within a blink, she was on the ground, unable to move. Her body completely shut down but the panic, the panic made her skin burn and she wondered if she just died.
The sound of the coffee cup smashing on concrete followed by the same ‘oof’ of another body crumpling to the ground reached her ears and confusion overrode her senses. What the hell is going on?
A van backed down the driveway, stopping a few feet from Jessica and the driver got out. His footsteps crunching the driveway approached her, stepped beyond her and then she heard the scraping and clinking of porcelain. The bastard’s cleaning up the broken cup? Why can’t I move or speak for that matter?
“We wouldn’t want to set off any alarms,” the voice said and opened the back of the van, putting the broken cup in the corner. He picked up Jessica’s limp body and tossed her into the back, disappearing from Sarah’s view.
Jessica stared at the gurney and the almost empty intravenous bag that hung dripping on the floor because it was no longer hooked to the gurney’s occupant. The silhouette looked familiar. Oh, Jesus, that’s Steve’s wife!
Outside the van, she heard him speak to Sarah.
He chuckled. “Hey, beautiful. My name isn’t really John and I know why you looked so familiar to me,” he said and laughed as he threw her into the van.
Whistling, the man pulled out of the driveway. “We are going to have such fun today.” He laughed and turned on the radio, singing off tune to the raunchy rock and roll lyrics.
Four hours later the van pulled off the smooth highway, stopping and starting until it turned onto uneven pavement, bumping to a stop. Jessica strained to listen, to figure out just where they were but the busy street traffic and the driver’s thoughts kept intruding.
She thought Frank Aris was bad, but compared to this psycho, Frank was a pussycat. This was the man who killed her son and his plans for the three of them included some pretty sick torture techniques. Jessica prayed for some dexterity before he got them to their destination.
The van doors opened and he stared, his gaze bouncing between her and the officer lying next to her and he licked his lips. Grabbing the bag stored under the gurney, he reached inside and pulled out a full syringe.
Jessica flinched, her fear of needles prickling under her numb skin and her mouth went dry. She tried to swallow as he grabbed her arm.
“Hope you don’t mind sharing,” he said and stabbed her with the needle, compressing the shot halfway.
It took a couple of blinks before blackness pulled her under.
* * * *
Kyle leaned into Jennifer’s ear. “I’m going to save you for last,” he whispered and then hauled Jennifer over his shoulder. He brought her up to the room laying her out on the table in the far corner, shrouded by the shadows, not bothering to bind her in any way.
He strolled over to Sarah, running his hands over her torso before ripping her shirt open, stripping it off. He crouched over her taking in her athletic and shapely familiar form. A slow smile formed on his lips. “You must be a wild one in bed. Just like your sister was.” Her pants came off next and he picked her up, carrying her to the table situated in the middle of the room. He stretched her out face down feeling her skin with his hands. He leaned over and licked her from her shoulder down her back to her ass where he took a bite, breaking the skin. Out cold. Disappointment laced his mouth; he would have preferred some sort of whimper rather than the limp non-reaction. Later, when I have an audience.
The thought sent a burst of sexual energy through him as he looked at the large wooden cross hanging from the rafters.
An audience of at least one.
He stood, wiping his mouth before he went about the task of tying her face down with her legs spread wide and her ankles tied to the bottom of the table legs.
Turning, he let his gaze drift over Jessica.
His ten million dollar prize.
He crossed to her and wiped the hair out of her face. “You and I are going to get acquainted today,” he purred, running his hand under the sweater finding a silky camisole under the thick cotton. He pulled the sweater off, leaving the silky fabric on her. He ran his hands over her chest; he pushed the fabric up and ripped the bra off, smiling at her full breasts, taking them in his hands and squeezing until his fingernails embedded in her flesh, leaving little red crescent moons behind.
“I am so going to fuck you every way I can until I get my money back,” he said to her unconscious form and pulled away. He stripped the jeans and underwear off her and left her in the camisole, picking her up and sliding her into a chair.
From memory, he tied her to the chair in the same way that Aris guy had bound her. Her wrists clamped to the arms and her legs threaded through the sides with her ankles bound to the lower rear rung of the chair. He knew the psychology of the position itself, as well as this particular place would breed terror.
* * * *
The horrid stench of smelling salts assaulted her senses and Jessica turned her head sharply away from the burning smell. Her eyes batted open and she coughed. When she tried to move her arm, the sensation of rope binding her wrist in place snapped her eyes into focu
s.
The cop was bound half on and half off a table, her legs spread wide and still unconscious. She couldn’t see where he brought Steve’s wife but when her eyes drifted toward the rafters, her heart hit triple time, feeling as if someone had reached in and ripped it out. The cross. Oh my God, that’s the cross.
She knew where they were. Chris had died on that cross five years ago and her gaze snapped back to her captors face.
“I thought this was a pretty slick set up.” Kyle looked around the room and back at her. “The building’s condemned, but I’ve got this little generator here that will give me all the light and power I need and this room is pretty well blocked off from any windows and doors. I certainly understand why that woman chose this place.” He ran his fingers up the inside of her thigh. “It’s a great place for me to take all the time I need with you and your friends.”
Jessica struggled against the binds. “You son of a bitch!”
“It took me a little while to figure out just who Ty Aris was and then I ran across the news articles about your husband and I’ll bet he’ll pay ten times what your brother-in-law stole from me just to get you back.” He pulled his hand away and stood, flipping the phone open.
Chapter 55
Steve heard the phone ringing and walked out of the kitchen with a sandwich in his hand. He grabbed the phone and flipped it open without looking at the number. “Williams here.”
“What the fuck did you do with my daughter?” Joe swore through the phone line.
Steve cocked his head. “Excuse me?”
“Jenny. She’s gone. They said you had her transferred.”
Steve’s legs gave way and he sat on the couch. “When?” The question came out in a harsh whisper.
“Don’t give me that shit! Where is she?”
“I don’t know.” Steve swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and turned looking out over the city.
Joe was silent. “You don’t know?” Fear crept into his voice.
“No.” Steve answered. The second line beeped and Steve looked at the caller ID. It was a restricted caller. “I need to take this.” He cut off Joe’s angry protest.
“You better tell your friend I want my money back or else I’ll kill Jessica Ryan.” Kyle growled.
Steve froze in place, his eyebrows furrowed and he clenched his teeth. “What did you do with my wife?”
“I’ve got Jessica Ryan and I’m holding her for ransom.” Kyle ignored the question.
“What the fuck did you do with my wife?” Steve bellowed. He closed his eyes.
Kyle chuckled.
“Where are you?” Steve concentrated. The image he received could only be from Jessica and his eyes shot open.
“Somewhere near and dear to Mrs. Ryan’s heart. Let me talk to Ty Aris?” Kyle demanded.
“Ty Aris is dead,” Steve answered. His mouth went dry and his heart felt dislodged like it was bouncing around his chest.
“He answered your phone yesterday,” Kyle said, frustration filling his voice.
“Bullshit,” he paused, “I know where you are,” Steve said and flipped the phone closed. He grabbed his gun and bolted out of the apartment. The elevator took forever and he moved from foot to foot, unable to contain the impatience while he watched the floor counters descend to the garage. Wasting no time, he hopped into his car and peeled out of the garage.
Chapter 56
His voice broke through the darkness and Jennifer shivered clamping her eyes shut. A frightening thought gripped her and turned her insides to liquid.
What if all this was a dream and Kyle still had her at the house?
What if she woke with him standing over her with that knife, carving patterns in her skin?
What if her daughter was alive?
The last thought brought her to the brink of breaking the surface and then his evil chuckle filled her ears.
Jennifer plunged back into the black abyss, welcoming the silent depths.
Chapter 57
Steve made it to the warehouse within twenty minutes and ran inside, stopping and getting his head together before he climbed the stairwell. His heart thundered in his chest and the adrenaline pumped oxygen in and out of his lungs in quick succession as he stood, closing his eyes and counting to ten.
Easy. He told himself and opened his eyes, taking the first step and flipping the safety off his gun. The stairwell was narrow and the drywall crumbled in some areas, revealing the metal studs underneath. The dust tickled his nose and he stopped, squashing the urge to sneeze.
He slid into the third floor hallway, glancing at the gaping hole to his right for a fraction of a second.
A sudden sting bit at his chest and Steve looked down. A dart poked out from his shirt. “Fuck,” he uttered and his body shut down, crumpling to the ground.
Laughter rolled down the hallway.
Kyle turned him over and pulled the tranquilizer dart out of his chest. “Hello, Stevie boy.” He grabbed the collar of Steve’s shirt and dragged him into the room, dropping him to the ground and leaving to retrieve the gun.
Steve couldn’t move, staring at the joists of the high ceiling. Helpless, he closed his eyes. Stupid jackass, you should have called Chris first.
Where’s Chris? Jessica’s voice invaded his mind and he opened his eyes.
I don’t know. Where’s Jenny?
I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her since we arrived.
Kyle came back into the room, closing the door behind him and pushed a button on the wall.
The large wooden cross lowered to the floor and Steve felt the numbness turn cold at the sight of the stained wood.
Oh, Christ. Steve knew what he had in store. He didn’t need to hear Kyle’s gleeful thoughts to confirm his intentions. He was going to be crucified today and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it.
Kyle stripped Steve’s shirt, shoes and socks before dragging him to the cross and balancing him on the thick stud, with his arms laid out on the crossbar. He stepped out of Steve’s line of sight, coming back seconds later with a power drill and screws, waiving them in front of Steve’s face.
“You may not be able to move, but you will feel everything.” He smiled and lined the first screw in the middle of Steve’s wrist. He pushed the drill into the bit and turned it on, keeping it in line as he pushed the screw through Steve’s flesh and bone and deep into the wood.
Steve couldn’t react to the crippling pain—the most he could conjure up was a low groan from the wells of his chest, the tranquilizer rendering him helpless. Tears sprouted at the corner of his eyes, blurring his vision and his stomach clenched. The second screw produced the same guttural sound of agony.
Kyle stepped back, grinning down at Steve. “This is much more fun than last summer. You’ll die slowly and painfully and I fuck the life out of the three of them while waiting for my ransom money.” He pointed behind him and checked Steve’s pockets, pulling out the cell phone and slipped it into his pocket before he continued.
Three? Who else is here?
Kyle reached down and pulled off the patch. He stepped back, his eyebrows arching in shock at the sight of a perfectly good eye staring back at him.
Steve was able to make his lips curl a fraction at Kyle’s reaction and he made a point of following Kyle’s movements with both his eyes.
“Leave him alone,” a female voice with a thick Brooklyn accent said from behind Kyle.
Steve’s eyebrows arched despite the tranquilizer. Sarah?
Kyle caught the subtle change in Steve’s expression. “You know Detective Connelly? My, oh my, this is going to be so much more fun than I thought.” He placed Steve’s right foot on top of his left on the small jut of wood at the base of the cross and lined up the largest screw, pushing it through both Steve’s feet with the help of the power drill until the head of the screw touched the top of his foot.
The wrists weren’t nearly as bad as the feet and the room swirled for a moment. Steve blinked to keep conscious, hi
s throat convulsing, threatening to allow the sudden burning acid to erupt from his stomach. “Bastard,” the hissing word formed on his lips.
Kyle left his field of vision and a low hum filled the room. The chains holding the cross began to move and the wood rose slowly off the floor, each jerk sending debilitating pain through Steve. His head lolled and he had a view of the warehouse floor. Sarah lay face down and naked on the table, her arms and legs spread eagled. Jessica tied to a chair, her lower half stripped and the silk camisole barely covering her.
The cross jerked to a stop close to seven feet above the floor and his vision doubled, then tripled as the burning, brutal pain gripped his arms and shoulders. His head leaned back against the wood and he closed his eyes.
Please God, please don’t let him get away with this.
He opened his eyes, willing them to focus and lowered his glance, his heart stopped for a moment. Jennifer was there in the far corner of the room still wearing the hospital Johnny. He hitched his breath in and the power of the bellow that came from his chest filled the room. “Son of a bitch!”
Kyle laughed and walked over to the table where Jennifer was. “Transfer orders signed by you.” He smiled waving the bogus forms at Steve. “I’m saving her for last.” He ran his hand over Jennifer’s body, sliding it under the hospital gown between her legs, chuckling.
“I am going to kill you.” Steve’s head lolled on his neck, and tears spilled from his eyelashes.
Kyle pointed to the screen he had hung on the opposite wall and pressed a button. “I’ve been fucking your wife for months and I figure you can watch my adventures over and over until you die.”
Jennifer’s hospital room filled the screen and Steve roared, finding the strength to struggle against the metal holding him to the wood. The momentary rush fizzled and his body sagged, again a prisoner of the tranquilizer Kyle shot him with.
On the display, his greatest enemy violated Jennifer’s comatose form.
Tears sprouted and Steve was unable to tear his eyes away from the screen. Pain and fury mixed in his blood and kept him from drawing a breath. The thought of Kyle raping Jennifer night after night while he slept less than two hundred yards from the building made him physically ill and he swallowed the bile burning his throat.
