SECONDS TO DIE a totally gripping serial killer thriller with a twist (Detective Claudia Nunn Book 2)

by Rebecca Bradley

Fear gripped her stomach at the memory.

  What happened?

  Where was she?

  Something about slippers?

  Things had gone fuzzy then, and all she remembered was fighting the darkness that was grabbing her brain, pulling her down into the inky black. Before it had taken her, she had been pushed into the back of a car.

  Shit.

  Her eyes flew open.

  The darkness barely changed. She blinked to make sure she’d opened her eyes. She was awake.

  She was no longer on the back seat of a car as she’d recalled, she was in the boot. Her face pushed towards the carpet and she could smell . . . oil and something else. Something dark and off-sweet. But it was a crude scent. Urine.

  This was how he’d transferred the bodies.

  But who was he?

  The drugs he’d injected her with — she recalled the prick — had left an imprint on her brain. A fog. But she tried to focus in on the face of the man who had approached her when she’d been at the marked police vehicle.

  The cops! They’d been down. Injured in some way. Were they okay? Were they still alive, or had he killed them to get to her? She couldn’t remember through the haze of her muddled memory, what she’d found when she got to them. Oh, how she hoped with everything inside her that they were still alive. That it wasn’t too late for them. No one should be hurt in the task of protecting her.

  But the killers face? All she could recall was the fact he was in a dressing gown. No one walked down the street in a dressing gown unless they’d just walked out their house.

  That was how he’d gotten so close.

  But now she tried to focus in, there was something familiar about his face. She couldn’t place it, but that it was familiar should have been a warning shot at the time.

  Damn him. Damn her own arrogance.

  The car bumped over something and jolted her bones.

  Claudia tried to move, to find a more comfortable position, but she couldn’t. She had been bent into a shape to fit her surroundings and both her hips and her knees were shouting out in acute pain. Her wrists were tied. She twisted her neck, tried to ease the discomfort, but there was little room for manoeuvre.

  She flexed her wrists, tried to see how much give was in the ties, but they were tight.

  Behind her was a huge blanket. Rough against her bare arms. She shuddered as she thought about why he’d want a blanket in the boot. To transfer a body?

  Fear was eating her up. Slowly, second by second, it crawled onto her skin. Owning her.

  She shook her head as much as she could. She wouldn’t allow this to happen. No matter how things looked now, she would not be his next victim.

  The team would have been alerted. The whole force would be looking for her, in fact. They’d not rest until they found her. Until then, Claudia had to rely on her own wits to keep herself safe. To prevent this man from fulfilling the act he had her in here for. That was her one job. To stay alive until the cavalry came.

  And thinking of the cavalry made her think of Sharpe and the close-protection detail she had turned down. How arrogant of her to think she could deal with this alone. But she hadn’t been alone. Her father had been with her.

  Yet she was still here. Locked in the killer’s car, going who the hell knew where.

  This guy had proved time and again that he was capable of swerving their investigative lines of enquiry and not only locating his target but doing the job he’d intended all along. She’d still thought she could beat him.

  The car turned a corner and she rolled, her shoulder jamming up uncomfortably against the wheel arch. A dull ache ran down her arm. She was desperate to stand up and stretch her limbs.

  She should have taken her orders from Sharpe as a subordinate did, instead of arguing her case. Feeling superior to the man in the driving seat.

  Who was superior now?

  CHAPTER 70

  A partial number plate was coming in from the house-to-house enquiries. Claudia’s neighbours, it seems, were nosier than Dominic gave them credit for. The reason given for noticing the vehicle was that the man seen getting in and out of it was dressed strangely. He was wearing a dressing gown and slippers, and people tended to notice these things.

  One neighbour saw a man in his slippers and dressing gown supporting Claudia, who appeared to be in need of help. She was unsteady on her feet, and he helped her into the back of his car and drove away. Presumably, the neighbour said, to get her help. She was horrified she hadn’t done something sooner now the police were at her door suggesting something nefarious had occurred.

  Dominic was furious, but he couldn’t be too angry with these people. Claudia had been in his care and he himself had allowed her to slip through his fingers and be spirited away right under his nose.

  Some neighbours had identified the car as an old Toyota Corolla. Not in the best condition. Not well cared for. Dark grey in colour.

  Now with a partial number plate, they had to work through the multiple possible owners it could be.

  Dominic was pacing the room while the rest of the team worked.

  His mind was scrambled. He could barely focus. What he needed was something targeted he could go and deal with — a solid lead he could chase up, somewhere he could go. Waiting for information to come in and come together was driving him insane.

  The helplines were lighting up with callers. More staff had been pulled in to cover them. Suggestions of where the location could be were pouring in, all written up on a board at the front of the room, though nothing jumped out as a serious suggestion. People wanted to be involved in a high-profile case.

  ‘Dom?’ The voice behind him made him jump.

  He turned.

  Adam Blackwood stood watching him intently. ‘Do you want to go for a walk?’

  Dominic looked around the incident room at everyone doing their best to get his daughter back. No one was messing about. No random conversations happening. The mood was sombre. He trusted them. They loved Claudia. She was one of them. Could he leave them to it? What if something came in while he was outside getting some air?

  ‘I have my phone on me.’ It was as if Blackwood was reading his mind. ‘If something happens they can contact me immediately. Let’s get out of here.’

  Dominic gave a curt nod and the two men headed out the incident room and into the now darkening sky of the summer night.

  ‘It’s cold,’ Dominic said. ‘She’s going to be cold.’ Like she was a little girl who needed wrapping up.

  Blackwood did him the courtesy of not mentioning that the cold was the least of Claudia’s problems. Dominic understood that, but it had struck him as they had left the building and the chill had seeped into his bones.

  They exited by the main doors onto the steep road that was Snig Hill.

  ‘How’re you bearing up?’ Blackwood asked as they headed up the hill.

  Dominic shoved his hands into pockets. ‘As you’d expect.’

  Blackwood was quiet for a moment. ‘I only met Claudia recently, but she struck me as a very competent officer. If anyone’s going to keep themselves alive as we get closer, it’s her.’

  The thought of her not living through this nearly strangled Dominic. He paused where he was. A car drove down the hill past them, its headlights brightening the way in front of them. Traffic was light at this time in the evening.

  ‘Look,’ said Dominic, ‘I appreciate you bringing me out of the office for a break, but I’d rather be in there in case something comes in. It’s making me a little itchy out here. Not knowing, you understand?’

  Blackwood inclined his head and turned back the way they had come. ‘Let’s get you back.’

  The two men walked in silence for a few minutes, Dominic lost in thoughts of what Claudia could be facing. His mind racing away with him. He wanted to shut it off. Quiet it. The scenarios that were running through his head were terrifying. The trauma the Artist could be subjecting her to. He was going to cause this man grievous harm.r />
  With his hand on the door, Blackwood turned to Dominic. ‘What do you need from me?’

  ‘I need you to bring my daughter home.’

  CHAPTER 71

  Eventually the car stopped. It parked up.

  They were obviously at their destination.

  Whatever was happening, they were here.

  Claudia remembered the drawing. The woods.

  The blade in her chest.

  Whatever she did, she had to stop him putting that blade in her chest.

  She couldn’t save herself once that was in there.

  Her feet weren’t tied up. She would kick him when he opened the boot. It was a weird angle laying in the boot, but she was in a position where she had to fight for her life.

  The engine clicked off and silence blanketed her.

  It was like a layer of fear being laid over her.

  She shifted her hips so that her bottom was further back, giving her legs room to push outwards when the lid of the boot was lifted above her. Her hands were bound in front, so she could use them as a weapon if need be.

  There was no way he was going to put that blade in her chest. She had to fight until she was found by the team, or until she escaped herself.

  There was another click as the boot lid unlocked, probably from a mechanism at the front of the car. Thoughts flew through Claudia’s head in a flash. To try to climb out and run before he got to her or wait and fight him? If she tried to clamber out with her wrists restrained she could struggle to escape and he could catch her. Her best bet might be to fight when he’s not expecting it.

  Time was up.

  Footsteps down the side of the car told her they were on solid ground. Concrete, asphalt of some description. A road.

  He’d be here any second.

  She steadied herself, ready to launch. Decision made.

  The fear completely overwhelming. Her heart racing. The feeling growing. Like it was going to explode. Her whole body shaking.

  She had to push this away, she was about to be in the fight of her life.

  Claudia held her breath. She would come face to face with the Artist. But that was just a name. What he did was very real, though. The pain and death he inflicted and the pain he had planned for her, she just wasn’t up for feeling it.

  The lid of the boot opened. The darkness of night closed in around her and a face peered down.

  In the split second her mind caught the image of his face there was recognition. She’d seen him before. But there was no time to think of where. With everything she had she forced her feet up at the body in her way. She felt the contact and whoomp as the air was knocked out of him in surprise. He scrambled as his feet clamoured for purchase on the ground. But he was gone.

  Claudia pulled her legs back in and twisted so she could get on her knees and climb out of the boot, hands ready to push and fight off anyone who came at her.

  As she struggled over the lip of the boot, she saw the man lying on his side. He must have hit his head on his way down because he wasn’t moving.

  She had to get out of there.

  They were on the side of a road in a lay-by next to some woods. She twisted her head for a better look around. Down the road she saw a building.

  Safety.

  She clambered down, the fear making her sluggish, as well as the remnants of whatever he’d put in her. With gentle steps, afraid to move for waking him up, she manoeuvred around him so she could head towards the building down the road and hopefully get help.

  From here she couldn’t make out what the building was, but it appeared larger than a house.

  She was a couple of steps away, ready to run though her head was still fuzzy, when an arm snapped out and grabbed her by her ankle.

  Claudia couldn’t help but yelp. Like a frightened schoolgirl.

  He was awake.

  Then the tip-toeing and stealth stopped. Suddenly it went from quiet and slow to a flurry of movement as Claudia’s fear jolted to another level and she tried to bounce out of his grip, pulling and tugging for her freedom. Help was so close.

  The man on the other end of her leg scrambled on the ground to keep his grasp and yank himself up. His fingers dug into her ankles. A guttural groan escaped as he struggled to maintain a tight hold. His knees and feet scrabbled as he pulled himself upright to grab her properly.

  Claudia was off balance with her hands tied in front of her, her body unsteady and ready to fall. Tears welled in her eyes as she fought to keep her legs free so she could run, but it was a losing battle. With each second that passed, he was climbing to his feet and pulling himself up on her body and gaining better purchase. She would soon be his again, and the frustration was bitter in her throat.

  She screamed out, willing someone to hear. But the road was silent, and the moment she had released the sound a hand clamped around her head, encompassing her mouth and shutting her down.

  CHAPTER 72

  He had to get her into the woods as quickly as possible. The pub down the road was closed now. He’d waited until closing hours, but he couldn’t risk the owners coming out to investigate the racket she’d made.

  He just hoped they experienced many strange noises out here and would think it was one of the usual. Possibly wild animals fighting. They’d want to stay out of the way. His hope was that they’d be tucked up in bed.

  His plan had been for the drugs to keep her out cold so he would wrap her in the blanket and carry her over his shoulder into the woods, quietly with little fuss, but everything was turning to shit.

  He obviously hadn’t used enough in the syringe, and she’d turned out to be a fighter. She was a cop, after all.

  Her legs were free because he hadn’t thought he’d needed to tie them.

  Stupid mistake.

  Now he had a tight hold of her, but she was bucking and fighting him every second.

  He really needed to get her off this road.

  The Artist drew his right arm back, and with all the force he could muster he punched Claudia on her temple. Her head swung back as his fist impacted with bone, a whump escaping from deep within her before her eyes rolled and she went limp in his arms.

  Control returned to him. He allowed himself a small sigh of relief before he dropped her to the floor in a pile. Then he grabbed the blanket from the boot, closed it and threw the blanket over Claudia, scooping her up and over his shoulder.

  Things were going to plan again.

  She wasn’t heavy. She wasn’t a large woman. He shifted her into a better position and strode off into the woods with her. His exhibit would now start to go to plan.

  CHAPTER 73

  They had a breakthrough. Further house-to-house enquiries had completed the registration mark of the vehicle that had been involved in the abduction of Claudia.

  Electricity ran through Dominic’s veins.

  Graham tapped the details into the computer and waited for it to return the registered keeper’s details.

  They were about to find out who had his daughter.

  The screen filled with the answers they needed.

  Sean Marlin. Thirty-four years old. Sheffield.

  They had a name and address.

  They had the name of the man who had taken Claudia.

  Sean Marlin.

  It cycled through Dominic’s brain on a loop.

  Blackwood clapped his hands together. The room hushed. ‘Okay, that’s who we’re up against. Rhys, I want you to dig into Mr Sean Marlin. Find out everything there is to know about him.’

  ‘Will do.’ Rhys tapped at his keyboard.

  ‘We have his address. It’s highly unlikely Claudia will be there, but we need to do a search of his property to see what information we can discover. What information Sean Marlin has left behind for us. We’re not going in blind, though. We go in when we know who he is. Get prepared. Graham, can you organise a warrant for the address, please?’

  Graham nodded.

  ‘And in the meantime, I’ll update Sharpe and C
onnelly.’

  Blackwood moved towards Dominic, took his elbow and steered him to a corner of the room. ‘We’re one step closer, Dom. We’re getting there. You have to hold on. Please don’t do anything rash. He’s not going to be there. And if you go in without a warrant, you’re going to screw up any evidence we might find.’

  Dominic gritted his teeth. There was no point getting into a discussion about it. He’d get nowhere and they might physically restrain him. What did he care about evidence? It was nothing to him. What mattered was getting Claudia back safe. He’d nod and keep his cool. ‘I know. Hurry it up though, Adam.’

  Blackwood patted his arm, appeased by what he’d heard, then turned and strode out of the incident room.

  Seconds later Dominic was out of there. The night air had changed. It was damp. A light rain was falling, the kind that was barely visible, but that soaked you through. Dominic pulled his collar up to fend it off and stalked to the car park.

  As he drove his mobile rang. It was Blackwood. He ignored it. Then it rang again. He ignored it again. Then Sharpe rang. Dominic shook his head. They would not stop him from doing this. He couldn’t turn his phone off in case they had new information he needed to know, but right now he was taking a gamble. He reckoned the only reason they were calling was because he was no longer in the building and they’d taken a reasonable guess at where he was heading.

  Traffic was light. It was easy enough to find Marlin’s home and get there at speed.

  The lights were out when he arrived. The man either lived alone or any other occupant was in bed.

  Dominic knocked on the door first and knocked again when there was no response. He checked around the property, looking in windows to see if there were any signs of life. There was nothing. It looked completely empty.

  There was an obvious risk the cops were going to be called on him by this guy’s neighbours, but they were on their way anyway. He was on a clock. He had to do this. Claudia was running out of time. Marlin didn’t have his victims long before they turned up in the way the drawings depicted, and Dominic wouldn’t allow Claudia to become a drawing.