Fatal Vendetta

by Sharon Dunn

“She doesn’t like you.” Her stalker spat out his words.

  “How do you know that?” Zach intended his words to cut through the man’s delusions. “I’m the one who spends time with her.”

  “She likes me. You need to stay away from her.” He hit Zach on the back of the head with the barrel of the gun.

  White-hot pain seared through his head. So getting the man riled was not a good choice. The man still loomed over him. He was at a disadvantage sitting on the ground.

  Zach spoke through gritted teeth. “What are you waiting for? Shoot me already. Elizabeth is not stupid enough to stumble into your trap.”

  The man turned slightly, his shoulders slouching. Zach placed his weight on his hands and swung his leg out to hit the back of the bigger man’s knees. As soon as he crumpled to the ground, Zach was on top of him. The two wrestled. Zach landed a blow to the man’s cheek. Moonlight provided him with a clear view of the man’s face just before he reared up and hit his forehead against Zach’s. Bone crunched bone. Zach tumbled backward from the blow. Still reeling and unable to focus, he glimpsed a blurred figure running past the window. Elizabeth. The stalker saw her, too, and bolted after her.

  Though he swayed from side to side, Zach pushed himself to his feet and chased after the man. He saw flashes of movement, indicating that Elizabeth was diving and hiding behind old equipment and then jumping up and running.

  She had lured his attacker away from him with her tactics. Smart girl, but it made her a target. He had to get to her before the man did. As if aware of Zach’s thoughts, the man turned around and shot at Zach. He dove behind a pile of logs as the bullet richocheted off metal.

  His heart pounded in his chest. Adrenaline shot through him. He peered above the log. He could see the attacker shrouded in shadows, but he didn’t spot Elizabeth anywhere.

  A tap on his back caused him to jump and whirl around. Elizabeth placed her finger over her lips. He wanted to hug her. She’d been so smart in how she’d entered the camp and tricked her stalker.

  He turned back around. The man was lumbering toward them. Zach did a hand gesture that indicated they should split off in separate directions. She nodded.

  Maybe they could catch this guy, and it would all finally be over for Elizabeth. Zach took off running, using the light color of the man’s jacket to track his movement.

  He couldn’t see Elizabeth anywhere. He’d have to trust that she was able to stay one step ahead, as well. If they both jumped on him at the same time, they might be able to take him down and restrain him.

  The stalker slipped behind a large piece of rusted metal. Zach sprinted toward it.

  A gunshot shattered the silence. It hit the metal of the rusted truck behind him making a pinging noise. He dove to the ground and crawled soldier-style, seeking cover behind a steel cylinder. He couldn’t see the man anymore.

  He waited, listening for footfall. The evening breeze brushed over his skin. He scanned the entire camp. Silence. His heartbeat drummed in his ears. Where had they gone?

  Their attacker had to be hiding, waiting for them to move. So he could shoot Zach and grab Elizabeth.

  A minute passed. Zach studied the camp again, this time more slowly. He saw a flash of movement and then another as the man dashed toward Elizabeth. Zach sprinted across the camp. A gunshot whizzed past him. He kept running. In an effort to get away, Elizabeth crawled up on a piece of equipment that had a long conveyor belt connected to a slab of slanted metal.

  The man raced to her, shaking the bottom of the belt until Elizabeth fell. Zach’s heart seized up. He wasn’t going to get to her in time. He watched as she was lifted off the ground. Elizabeth twisted her body and kicked in an effort to get away, but she couldn’t dislodge the grip around her waist. The man lifted the gun with his free hand and aimed it at Zach.

  Zach plunged to the ground. The stalker turned his back and was hauling Elizabeth deeper into the forest as Zach jumped to his feet and took off running. He willed his legs to move faster.

  He prayed he would get to her in time.

  TWELVE

  Elizabeth twisted her body to break free of the man’s iron grasp around her waist. Her arms as well were locked by his grip.

  “Let me go.”

  He squeezed her tighter, lifting her feet off the ground. Where was he taking her?

  In the distance, she heard sirens. The sheriff would go to the café first, and they were too far away to scream for help. He wouldn’t get here in time.

  “Please, stop hauling me. I’ll do what you say.”

  “You lie, Elizabeth. You can’t be trusted.”

  Her resistance seemed to feed his anger. She stopped struggling. Her body went limp. She caught a flash of motion to the side of her, Zach sneaking through the trees waiting for the right moment to jump the stalker.

  She saw a black truck parked at a distance along a country road. Once he got her in the truck, it would be over, little or no chance for escape.

  She turned her head and sunk her teeth into the man’s shoulder. His grip loosened enough so she could wiggle free. He grabbed for her, tearing her shirt. She sprinted four steps before his big hands clamped down on her shoulders. She swung around and kicked him in the shin.

  Zach jumped on him from behind, taking the stalker to the ground. Elizabeth looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon. She picked up a stick and cracked it across the man’s shoulders. The piece of wood broke, and the man continued to assault Zach, clamping his hands around Zach’s throat.

  “She belongs to me,” he said through gritted teeth.

  Panic shot through her. The man meant to strangle Zach.

  Elizabeth wrapped her arm around the man’s neck so his chin rested in her elbow and then she yanked backward. The man rose to his feet and shook Elizabeth off.

  The sheriff emerged through the trees.

  Their attacker took off running toward his truck, yanked open the door and jumped in, spitting gravel as he tore up the country road. The sheriff fired a single shot that missed. The truck disappeared around a corner into the forest.

  A moment later, the sheriff’s SUV, probably driven by a deputy, appeared on the road. The sheriff ran up to the driver’s-side window and pointed up the road where the truck had gone. The SUV sped away.

  Zach stood beside Elizabeth. He turned to face her. “You all right?”

  She was beaten up and out of breath. “I’ll live.” She felt as though her internal organs were shaking and vibrating.

  “You handled yourself really smartly. You’re not a bad fighter either.”

  Through the whole battle, she hadn’t been afraid. Instead, her focus had been on defeating the man who’d brought terror back into her life. That was a change from the fear that controlled her before. “Yeah, but he got away.” She didn’t hold out a lot of hope that the deputy would catch up with him.

  The sheriff strode over to them.

  “I got a look at his face,” Zach said. “I think I would be able to identify him if I saw him.”

  “I only caught glimpses,” she said.

  They stood shoulder to shoulder facing the sheriff.

  “I’ll let you know if my deputy catches up with him.” The sheriff tipped his hat. “I’m going to wait back at the café. We will need you two to come in and give statements.”

  The sheriff took the lead, walking in front of them. They walked side by side back to the café. The sheriff went in. She turned to face Zach.

  “I suppose those burgers are stone cold by now.” He stared down at her arm and touched her elbow lightly.

  “I’m sure of it.” She didn’t jerk away from his touch. In fact, she wished there could be more between them. She knew Zach was a good man. But when he’d kissed her, all the old fears came back. Her head told her Zach was exa
ctly who he appeared to be, but her heart just couldn’t let him in.

  She was struck all over again by the injustice and the unfairness of how her rapist was still controlling her life. Craig Miller should have gone to jail. Instead she was the one who was imprisoned.

  “After we give our statements, why don’t we grab something to go and you can drop me off at my place,” he said, never taking his eyes off her.

  The sadness washed over her like a wave and she pulled away. “Yes, let’s do that.”

  They purchased some sandwiches and drove back to town. As she eased by his apartment, she counted three news crews in the front and two in the back.

  “They’ve got to go home sometime,” said Zach.

  “Why don’t we go to the park and eat our food. Maybe they’ll be gone by the time we’re done.” She circled the block and headed up the street.

  “A couple more days and this will blow over.”

  She pulled her car into the lot. The park was virtually abandoned at this time of night. She found a flat, grassy spot beneath a tree. Zach handed her one of the to-go boxes. When she took the first bite of sandwich, she looked out across the park. A dark-colored truck eased by on the street.

  Her back stiffened and she was alert, but the fear no longer overwhelmed her.

  He scooted in close to her. “I see it, too. That truck is blue, not black.”

  “I will always be looking over my shoulder until that guy is in jail.”

  “I definitely think he’s some sort of obsessed fan, judging from the things he said to me,” Zach said. “He’s delusional and unstable.”

  She felt a tightening through her rib cage.

  Zach continued. “I don’t want to scare you. I just think you need to know what we’re dealing with.”

  “I know.” Resolve and fear wrestled within her. “His actions are confusing. Why didn’t he kill me or take me when he had the chance when I was in the river? Why did he want to make sure I was scared at the country club?”

  Zach shrugged. “It all messes with your mind—maybe that’s his main goal. He seems a little obsessed with you, too.”

  Rain sprinkled from the sky and quickly became a downpour. They both jumped up from the grass, carrying their food and running toward a pavilion that provided shelter. Droplets pattered on the metal roof of the structure creating a restful rhythm.

  They settled down on a picnic table that was under the pavilion, finishing their sandwiches and staring out at the rainfall. No words passed between them for a long time. She took the last bite of her food and closed the takeout container.

  She scooted closer to Zach so their shoulders were touching. The longing for it to be more than just shoulders touching was always there. She didn’t know how to navigate that fear.

  But as she sat with her friend, a man she admired, she knew now she could get beyond her fear over the man who had abducted her. This stalker would not control her by being inside her head. She was stronger than all that, and she had a friend who was willing to stay by her side through all of it.

  * * *

  Elizabeth stared up at the monitor where the story she’d just edited was playing.

  Wilson Degrasse, the weatherman, poked his head in the editing room. “See you tomorrow,” he said. “Good broadcast tonight.”

  “We only make it happen by working together,” she said.

  Wilson gave her a fatherly smile. “You know I’m on the downside of my career.” He touched his bald head. “Your talent deserves to be utilized in some place far greater than a little Podunk station in Montana.”

  She thought about it. She knew her career had been stalled out. First by what had happened in Seattle and then with taking care of her father. If things had happened differently...who could say? But that didn’t mean she was unhappy where she was. “Guess I have fallen in love with Montana more than my career.”

  Wilson nodded. “Just remember, the scenery is part of your salary. Don’t forget to set the alarms. You’re the last one in the station.”

  “I’ve got a little more editing to do.” She listened to the sound of Wilson’s footfall on the carpet in the hall before turning her attention back to the footage of another story.

  They were all slice-of-life and fluff pieces, but in a small town that was what most of the news was. The winning football team, the change in fishing or hunting regulations, the women’s group that decided to help orphans halfway across the world.

  Her phone rang. Zach. She clicked on. “Hey.”

  “How’s the workload? I thought we could do some dinner.”

  “Can you bring some takeout to the station? I have just a little more to do before I can put this news day to bed,” she said.

  “See you in twenty.”

  In the two days since the attack at the logging camp, their lives had fallen into a comfortable routine of racing to news stories during the day. Both of them still able to get the friendly competitive barb in now and then. Sometimes they would eat dinner together and talk.

  Her stalker was still out there. He hadn’t been caught or identified. But Zach’s description had at least allowed them to put together a drawing of the culprit. The black truck had not been found.

  Going to each news story still caused her angst, but she was able to hold it together. She was beginning to doubt the man would ever be caught.

  She continued to view the footage of her news story. The buzzer on the security door sounded, and she unlocked it so Zach could come up to the second floor with their food. She sent out several emails concerning potential stories for the next week.

  Her stomach growled. Zach sure was taking his sweet time. She went downstairs to where the administrative and ad sales desks were. No Zach.

  She ran back up the stairs to get her phone and clicked in his number. “Zach, where are you?”

  “Long line. I’m just getting back into my car. Gotta drive, can’t talk.” He hung up.

  “Wait.” He’d clicked off before hearing her protest. She stepped back from the black monitors as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on edge. If Zach hadn’t arrived, then who had she let in?

  She ran toward the door of the control room prepared to lock it and dial 911. The door slammed against the wall, and her stalker filled the doorway. He lunged at her. She skirted away from him but there wasn’t much space to maneuver around the chairs and monitors.

  Had he been waiting for the right moment when she was alone, watching her this whole time?

  She backed into a corner. Her phone lay on the carpet. He crushed it with his foot and then reached his huge hands out for her. She swung at him. He grabbed her hand at the wrist and twisted her arm behind her back, pushing her arm up at an uncomfortable angle.

  Zach was seven minutes away at the most. She could fight him off for that long.

  Her attacker wrapped his arms around her. “Why won’t you just come with me, Elizabeth? We were meant to be together.”

  Her heart raced but her mind was crystal clear. “Please, you’re really hurting me.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you. You make me hurt you because you won’t do what I say.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Her gaze flicked up to the clock. How many minutes had passed? Two...or maybe three?

  “You play games.” He lifted her off her feet and hauled her through the door. He had her locked in his arms so tightly that she was almost immobile. “And now I’m in trouble.”

  She tried to drag her feet, digging in her heels. Her loafers fell off.

  He pressed close to her ear, squeezing her even tighter. “Stop it. You need to be good so we can be together just for a short time.”

  What did he mean by that? That he would kill her after that?

  She was helpless to resist as he carried her throu
gh the station out the back door. He tossed her in the backseat of the black crew cab truck. Before she could recover, he leaned into the cab and placed duct tape on her mouth.

  “Give me your hands.”

  She shook her head.

  He slapped her once. Pain radiated from her cheek to the whole side of her face. Her eyes watered. While she was recovering from being hit, he grabbed her hands and wrapped the duct tape around them.

  He landed another blow to her head. As consciousness faded, she wondered how long he would keep her alive before he decided to kill her.

  THIRTEEN

  Zach was surprised to find the security door unlocked, but thought that maybe Elizabeth had opened it knowing he was coming. Yet from the moment he stepped across the threshold, the atmosphere shifted. Something wasn’t right.

  He dashed up the stairs, calling out Elizabeth’s name. He checked each room. Elizabeth’s smashed cell phone was flung on the carpet of the control room.

  His heart hammered a little faster as he sped downstairs. Her leather loafers were by the back door. When he flung open the door, he saw a black truck racing through the parking lot. Zach sprinted back to his own car and jumped in.

  He headed up the street where he’d seen the truck going. Traffic was light at this hour, and it wasn’t hard to spot the truck. As he drew close, the truck sped up and turned to head out of town, red taillights glowing like a monster’s eyes.

  If the truck hadn’t figured out he had a tail, it would become obvious now. They were the only two cars on the road.

  He thought to phone the police, but didn’t want to risk slowing down to make a safe call. The truck zigzagged through the rural roads. Zach couldn’t get close to him but at least he kept him in view.

  The truck increased speed. Zach pressed down on the accelerator, going as fast as he dared on the gravel road. At too high a speed, the tiny rocks would act like marbles and flip his car.

  The truck disappeared over a hill. When Zach rounded the crest, he saw no sign of the truck. He slowed, wondering if the kidnapper had turned off somewhere and killed the lights.