The Green-Eyed Doll

by Jerrie Alexander

  “Rules?” she said with a slight slur.

  An odd noise startled her, pulled her gaze to him. Danny slapped himself on the leg with a whip or a piece of wire. Smack. Smack.

  “What the fuck’s wrong with you? That shit should’ve worn off by now.” He pulled her upright. “Get up and go wash your face. Snap out of it, or you’ll get a taste of Mama’s hanger.”

  She stood and found wobbling her knees didn’t have to be faked. He pushed her toward the bathroom, and she meekly followed his instructions. Catherine struggled against the blood boiling through her veins. The urge to panic competed with the knowledge she had to remain calm when she stumbled back into the hall. Controlling her fear was more difficult than she’d imagined.

  His gaze raked across her body and settled on her breasts. His hand covered her left breast and squeezed hard. She sucked in a gasp of air from the pain. Tears filled her eyes, and his lips curved upward. His eyes and his mouth screamed satisfaction that he’d hurt her. This was the look of a lunatic. One she was all too familiar with. He wanted her to be terrified.

  “Don’t hurt me. Tell me the rules.” The words jarred old memories. She’d delivered them with a remembered sincerity.

  The blow to the side of her head came so fast and unexpectedly she cried out with surprise and pain. Her ear rang from the percussion and stars swirled in the blackness in front of her eyes. He followed with a stinging smack of the wire across her thigh.

  “Rule one. You’re here to please me. You don’t tell me what to do.”

  Danny went to the kitchen and opened a cabinet. He removed a red ribbon and a tube of lipstick, placing them on the counter. Next came a pair of scissors. His erection bulged and strained against his jeans, and he massaged himself. Catherine’s blood rushed to her brain, and she fought back the scream rising in her throat.

  “I’m going to cut you out of those clothes.” He waggled the scissors in his hand.

  “I’ll take them off for you.” She attempted a lopsided smile. Look subservient.

  His lip curled, and he advanced a step toward her. “Have you decided to be nice to me?”

  “I’ll do exactly what you say.” She intentionally rubbed her thigh to show him her pain.

  “You behave and we’ll have some fun.”

  “Okay. Let’s have some fun.” She rubbed her hand across her eyes, staggered, bracing against the wall for support. She had to make him believe the drug still had a strong hold on her.

  He lay the scissors down then reached behind his back and pulled the gun from his belt. Escape would be easy if she could get her hands on the pistol, but he wasn’t stupid. She had to catch him off guard, but he pushed her backward until she fell on the bed. He pointed the gun at her, pulled a small key out of his pocket, and then tossed it on the mattress.

  “Unlock the cuff and then strip. Do it right, or I’ll punish you. Got it?” He followed with a smack of the wire on his own leg.

  She nodded her understanding but deliberately fumbled with the handcuff, stopping once to rub her face and push her hair out of her eyes. Catherine removed the one remaining shoe she wore then pushed herself up on her knees and unzipped her wrinkled slacks. She stole a glance at Danny. His free hand busily stroked the front of his pants. The gun pointed in her direction, but his gaze and attention were between her legs. She stood up, and then hooked her thumbs in the sides and wiggled out of her pants.

  Catherine welcomed the surge of adrenaline rocketing through her system. The stronger the flow the more physical power she’d have.

  With one leg, she kicked the slacks at Danny’s head. Then she launched herself using the mattress as a springboard. The heel of her hand missed his nose, but her body slammed solidly into him. Pain shot through her shoulder when they hit the floor. The gun flew out of his hand, and she focused on its path as it skittered out of reach. When the pistol slid to a stop, she scrambled for it, but Danny recovered quickly and grabbed her foot. She kicked hard and pulled herself away. All she needed was a few more inches, when she felt the grip under her hand there was no hesitation. Catherine rolled and fired. The pistol jumped in her hands, the recoil vibrated up her arm, and the noise bounced off the walls of the trailer.

  Danny fell backward. He struggled to his feet, and one hand went to the wound in his chest. His eyes went wide and wild when he screamed with fury. “You bitch. I’ll kill you.” His face contorted into pure evil.

  He staggered toward her, grabbed at her arm, knocking the gun out of her hand. Catherine struck out with her foot. The force of the blow sent a sharp pain up her leg when she connected with his right kneecap. He howled and stumbled sideways, giving her needed seconds to reach the door first. She ran outside and down the long, dirt driveway into the darkness. Barefoot, wearing nothing but a cotton blouse, a bra and panties, she hurled herself forward blindly.

  The night was silent except for her heart pounding and labored breathing. She couldn’t slow down. He could be right behind her. At the end of the driveway, confusion hit her. Which way to safety? She scanned the horizon, found nothing but darkness. No lights or nearby homes to seek shelter. The sliver of a moon offered no help, and dark eerie clouds covered most of the stars.

  Danny’s pickup roared to life forcing her to make a decision. Catherine stepped onto the road and felt the warm pavement under her bare feet. Relief washed over her, a paved road meant civilization. Which direction? With no time to debate, she turned left and ran as fast as she could. What seemed like seconds later, the screech of tires warned her. She stole a quick glance over her shoulder. Shit! He’d chosen the same direction she had, and his headlights were coming up behind her. Fast. She couldn’t continue down the middle of the road. He was gaining ground. She had no choice but to cut across the ditch and run headlong into the woods.

  The sound of his engine dying and the door slamming sent a warning. He was coming for her. Run. Don’t turn around and check. Run.

  “You crazy bitch. I’ll kill you. It’s you, me, and the rattlesnakes.”

  She never broke stride, plunging deep into the dark trees, which were nearly impassable. Given a choice between Danny and rattlers, the snakes won hands down. Damn, if she’d only managed to get to the gun.

  Danny coughed a couple of times. He'd followed her into the ticket, but it was impossible to tell exactly which direction the sound came from. Fear rocketed through her blood. She couldn’t go back, and she couldn’t see to go forward. Using her hands to feel her way, she pressed on. Thorns jammed into her feet. She tripped and fell to her knees in the underbrush. The flesh on her legs and arms ripped and Catherine failed to stifle her moan. Had her gasp told Danny where to find her? She gritted her teeth, got up, and pressed deeper into the darkness. Getting caught meant sure death, and she was not ready to die.

  Oppressive heat stole her breath. Not a hint of a breeze found its way to give relief. Catherine tried to swallow, but her mouth and throat were parched and dry. Blood trickled down from where the undergrowth and mesquite thorns cut her flesh. Sweat covered her body, burning every scratch. A tree limb snagged and pulled at her hair, but she didn’t stop. She jerked the knot of hair loose and bit back the urge to cry out in pain. Leaves crackled and snapped with her every step, the sound echoed like gunshots.

  How far had she travelled? In which direction? Mosquitoes and flies flocked to her drying blood, sweat, and the smell of fear. Still, she moved forward. Or did she? In this darkness, for all she knew, she’d been stumbling around in circles for hours.

  The dry, barren trees looked like arms reaching out to grab her. None large enough to offer protection, they were mere outlines. She stopped and listened. The sounds surrounded her, seemingly from every direction. Unwilling to take chances, she kept moving until she stumbled onto what appeared to be a clearing. Catherine knelt down at the base of a tree and listened. She listened for the dull roar of car and truck engines. If a highway was close...nothing but the background music of crickets and the constant buzzing of bu
gs broke the silence. She remained in her position for what seemed like hours, jumping at each rustle of the leaves and readying herself for a fight. Pain in her knees forced her to rise occasionally, but here was where she would take a stand.

  ****

  Friday, September 8th, 11:00 p.m.

  “Jesus Christ. How could we not have known about Danny’s mother?” Matt tightened his grip on the steering wheel and pressed his foot on the gas pedal, praying this lead would pan out.

  “Just be glad Sue finally remembered.” Ash slammed his seat buckle home. “Sounded like Danny and his mama had been estranged for years.”

  “If Catherine is…” Matt couldn’t force himself to say the word, “it will be my fault.” The words had burned their way from inside his soul. A miserable failure, he couldn’t protect, much less find, the woman he loved. The woman who’d be safe if he hadn’t been such an ass.

  “Don’t start. Just concentrate on keeping this white tornado you’re driving on the road,” Ash grumbled.

  They followed Jake and Rey because nobody knew the back roads better than those two. Jake turned off the main highway and headed out the farm-to-market. Matt radioed them to kill the lights and run silent.

  His heart jack-hammered against his ribcage, reminding him that without Catherine, it had no reason to keep beating. The lead car slowed and a minute later, turned down a dirt driveway.

  The trailer came into view. The night was pitch black except for the light shining through the open front door. Bile that had settled in the back of Matt’s throat rose higher. He swiped his hand across beads of sweat on his chin. His muscles tightened, ready to fight as he brought the cruiser to a stop.

  “Let’s go.” He jumped out, Ash at his heels. Matt held up a finger to silence his deputies.

  Glock in hand, he quietly stepped through the doorway. His heart landed at his feet at the sight of blood smeared across the linoleum floor. A string of drops ended at the tip of his boot. Matt opened his mouth, but no words would come. Whose blood was he looking at? Please, God. Not Catherine’s. Careful where he put his feet, he moved through the house. Smells of urine, stale beer, and death assaulted his senses.

  “You don’t know it’s Catherine’s.” Ash stood close, his tone a futile attempt to comfort.

  “But it could be.” Matt’s throat closed, making it difficult to speak. Ash squeezed Matt’s shoulder. He pulled away. The last thing he needed was sympathy.

  “The place is empty.” Matt called out to his deputies when he and Ash finished their search.

  “We found a blood trail.”

  Matt hurried to where Jake pointed his flashlight in the driveway. The hard dirt provided the perfect path to follow for a few feet. Frustration exploded in Matt’s head, he jerked his hat off, and swiped at the sweat on his forehead with his arm. He reached deep inside, clinging to the belief that she was alive. Maybe she was in pain, somewhere needing attention, needing him.

  A search of the immediate area left Matt more baffled and frustrated than before. He had to assume Danny and Catherine had left in a vehicle. But which direction. Where to?

  “We’ll split up. Jake, you and Rey head North. Ash and I’ll go South.”

  Matt gave instructions, and Ash started the cruiser, waiting. Less than half a mile up the road, they spotted a pickup parked on the shoulder. Waves of dread spread through Matt’s system.

  “If that bastard has hurt Catherine, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

  “Beating him to death is an option.” Ash shined his light over the dried weeds.

  Matt pointed his flashlight at the ground, working in tandem with Ash. A blood trail led straight into the roughest, darkest part of the thicket.

  “Call Jake. I want a search party in these woods,” Matt said. Battling back the fear and panic trying to claw its way to the surface, he pushed forward, ignoring the vines and thorns grabbing at his limbs. About a hundred feet in, Danny Mason lay sprawled in the weeds. A hole in his chest, his lifeless eyes staring into the dark.

  “Catherine,” Matt called out. Louder and louder each time. She had to be alive, maybe wounded, needing him to find her. Where was she? He couldn’t lose her.

  ****

  Saturday, September 9th, 7:00 a.m.

  A sob rose up from Catherine’s chest when the sky turned a golden hue. Slowly, minute by minute, the darkness receded as shards of orange and pink accompanied the rising of the sun and the no-where-but-Texas blue sky. Tears flowed unchecked at the sheer beauty of the birth of a new dawn and perhaps a chance to live. More than anything, she wanted the opportunity to make things right with Matt. No more running. For a life with him, she’d stay and fight.

  She jumped to her feet at the sound of a bell in the distance. Fear moved her behind the skinny tree and away from the clearing. The clanging came closer and closer. A Holstein cow followed by two that looked identical walked right in front of her, completely oblivious to her plight. An old-fashioned cowbell hanging from a collar around the lead cow’s neck rang a steady rhythm. Their udders were full and hung inches from the ground. Didn’t matter if they were milked by hand or machine, human beings would be waiting for this small herd.

  Catherine’s hand flew to her mouth, and her lips trembled under her fingers. She was at the edge of somebody’s pasture. But whose? Should she follow the small herd? Fear and hope warred in her heart. Should she walk into the open? Danny could be anywhere. Waiting. Watching.

  Her mind and body rejected the thought of stepping out of her protected area where no trees or bushes provided a place to hide. Her insides rolled. If he was hiding in the shadows, she’d be an easy target. Would she feel the bullet? She had no doubt if Danny got the chance, he’d kill her. She’d be stripped bare without the thicket to hide her.

  She had to make a decision, because the cows weren’t waiting for her. Their mission was to go home. She couldn’t let them get out of sight. Catherine gathered her courage and ran into the meadow. No sound followed. No gunfire. Only the bell, getting further away. She cried and laughed, ignoring the pain in her feet. She rushed to catch up. She had the same goal in mind as the little Holstein herd.

  She gasped out a sob of relief when a white farmhouse loomed in the distance. This wasn’t Danny’s trailer. Adrenaline pumped renewed energy into her veins, and with a final burst of energy, she ran toward the white haired woman who’d walked outside to the gate where the cows gathered.

  “Pat,” the woman screamed at the top of her lungs when Catherine came staggering toward her.

  “Help me,” Catherine shouted, waving her arms in the air to show she was unarmed and harmless. A man ran from a small barn with a rifle pointed right at her belly.

  “Stop right there,” he commanded.

  “Please.” Catherine tried to speak, but thirst scratched at the back of her throat, and her voice came out a whisper. She extended her arms, begging.

  “I’ll shoot you graveyard dead if you take another step,” he yelled.

  He studied Catherine from a distance while the sky darkened and dark clouds gathered overhead. The wind stirred, blowing a hot breeze across her face. Catherine looked down at herself. Half-naked, filthy, bloody arms, legs, and feet and no doubt wild, tangled hair, she had to look like a mad woman.

  “Get in the house and call the sheriff,” he shouted to the woman. “You.” He braced the rifle against his shoulder. “You stay right where you are.”

  Catherine crumpled to the ground and curled into a ball, suddenly aware of how near naked she was. The tears she’d fought since Danny forced her into his pickup flowed freely. The silence she’d held herself to was broken by the sound of relieved sobs.

  The farmer had uttered the one word she needed to hear. “Sheriff.” He might not forgive her, but Matt would save her, because that’s what he did. It’s who he was. John Wayne would come.

  ****

  Saturday, September 9th, 8:30 a.m.

  Matt rushed past the old man and his wife straigh
t to the body on the other side of the fence. Please, God. Let it be her. Before he cleared the gate, the red hair spread across the dry grass pulled a cry from him.

  “Catherine!” he yelled, running while his heart shredded to slivers with each step. Please God. Let her be alive. He threw his hat on the ground, fell to his knees, and pressed his face down next to hers.

  “Catherine,” he whispered, swallowing back the tears begging to escape. He laid his hand on her back. “You’re safe.”

  She jerked away, slapping and kicking at his hands. Wild green eyes filled with unknown horrors searched his face. Her lips quivered as recognition skittered across her face. With the cry of a wounded animal, she scrambled toward him, her hands clawing him to her.

  He pulled her onto his lap, shielded her with his arms, and rocked her as if she were a child. “Thank God, you’re alive.”

  Matt’s heart ached while her body trembled and shuddered. Pressing kisses across her forehead, he winced at the cuts, scratches, and bruises on her arms and legs. Her feet were torn and raw. “You’re safe now. It’s all over.”

  She sat up, eyes wide, and scanned the horizon, pointing her finger in the direction of the thicket. “No. He’s out there. Danny. It was Danny, and he’s behind me.”

  “No, he’s not.”

  “You don’t know,” she protested. “You don’t understand.”

  “Listen to me, Cat. We identified Danny as the killer last night.”

  She hiccupped a breath and studied Matt’s face. Had his nickname for her registered? Eased her fears?

  “You’ve been searching for me?”

  “Lots of folks hunted all night. Sue remembered Danny’s mother dying and her mobile home out in the woods.” Catherine shuddered in his arms, her body shaking violently at the mention of the trailer. “We found his pickup on the side of the road and followed a trail of blood into the thicket. Did you shoot him?”

  “Yes.” She frowned.

  “I’m proud of you.” Matt hugged her tighter. What she’d endured, he didn’t know. But he’d spend the rest of his life making sure this brave woman never suffered again. If she’d let him.