Darkness Lurks

by J. L. Drake

  When I was still a few yards away, I heard a shout, and I saw the man lunge toward Davis. He grabbed him across the chest. It looked like he had a gun. I froze. What the hell was going on?

  “You come to the dock, Emily, or I’m going to blow his head off!” the man yelled.

  Davis shook his head no. He mouthed, “Swim!”

  I didn’t know what to do. Davis slowly shifted his eyes to his hand. The man kept watch over his shoulder. “Come on!” he screamed at me.

  Davis stuck out three fingers and mouthed, “Swim!” again.

  I nodded to show him I understood what he wanted me to do. He started one finger, two fingers…On three, he elbowed the man in the gut, sending him back and making him release Davis.

  “Go, Emily!” he screamed. His words seemed to echo off the mountains. Davis kicked the man and knocked him backward. The man got back to his feet and lunged at him. I turned, took a deep breath, and ducked under the water.

  I swam as fast as I could. I tried to get my brain to focus to keep my legs and arms in unison as they bolted through the water. I held my breath till my lungs were about to burst and my vision became blurry. I came up quickly and took a huge gasp of air, then turned to see where I was. I was almost to shore on the other side.

  Finally, my feet touched the ground, and I ran up a hill and into the woods. I came to a cabin a short distance away. I looked in the windows, but no one was home, so I reached around and found a rock. I gripped it tightly in my hand and smashed a window.

  I heard a gunshot a distance away. It traveled through the woods and hit me like a brick. “Oh my God, Davis,” I whispered, a wave of sickness coming over me. Please, he can’t be dead!

  “Come on!” my braver side shouted at me. “Move, McPhee.” She basically slapped me back to reality.

  I reached up and pulled myself through the window. I felt a sharp pain in my calf and fell to the floor where blood formed a small puddle under me. “Shit,” I whimpered as I covered it with my hands.

  I looked around. My heart pounded in my ears as I stood up and held onto a chair for support. It looked like people were here; there were clothes scattered about, along with the smell of freshly used sunscreen. I hobbled over to the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it tightly around my leg.

  I moved into a bedroom, slipping a few times on the hardwood floor from my wet feet. I left blood and muddy hand and foot marks wherever I touched. I didn’t care. I needed to get out of there. I tore through the closet as I looked for something to wear. I finally found a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers. I shoved them on.

  I pulled too hard on the bedside drawer, and it fell to the floor and spilled its content everywhere. I dropped to my knees, and my hands fumbled for…something. I sobbed when I came across a cell phone and some bullets. I looked all around for the gun. “Come on…” I hissed. My shaky fingers ran along the bottom of the bed, then inside the bedside cabinet…I came up empty.

  Suddenly, I heard voices. I scrambled to the doorway and peeked outside. Shit. I grabbed the phone and opened the back window carefully. I flung both my legs out and jumped. The impact hurt, but I made it to my feet and ran.

  ***

  Seth

  Garrett and I pulled up to the cabin. We had started to take the bags out of the trunk when we caught sight of Davis crawling up the hill toward us. Garrett dropped his bag and went running over. “Davis, what happened?”

  I pulled out my gun and ducked down to the ground, my eyes scanning the area.

  I watched Garrett pull Davis’s arm away from his body, trying to find the bullet hole.

  “Emily,” Davis spat out. “She swam across the water.” He pointed. “He’s after her! He thought I was dead. He’s in a dark blue Camry.”

  I bolted over. “Is he all right?” I asked Garrett.

  “Gunshot to the shoulder.” Garrett’s words were rushed.

  Davis grabbed my hand. “I’m so sorry.”

  Garrett looked at me, terror written all over his face, and I was sure mine looked the same. “He said she swam across the lake over there. But the guy went after her.”

  I shook my head and tried to get my thoughts in order. “Get him some help. You’ll be okay, Davis. Just hold on.”

  I jumped in the car. My hands shook as I tried to put the key in the ignition. I tossed the gear in reverse and floored it down to my neighbor’s cabin.

  When I reached their driveway, I noticed people were outside. Some were on their phones.

  An older man in a red hunting jacket swiftly walked up. “Seth, we’re so glad you’re here. We’ve had a break-in.” He pointed to the window.

  “Did you see anyone?”

  The man shook his head. “But Tracy did.”

  His daughter came up. “I saw a girl in my mom’s clothes running into the woods. She must have cut herself, because there’s blood all over the window and house.”

  “Stay here,” I ordered as I ran into the house and looked around. I saw where she had cut herself. There wasn’t a lot of blood, but enough to know she’d be hurting. Oh, baby, where are you?

  I waved the older man to come inside. “Anything else missing?”

  The shaken man looked around at the smeared, bloody handprints and followed them into the bedroom. He moved to the bedside table and bent down, picking a bullet off the floor. Making a face, he pushed aside the mess of papers and random knickknacks. Then he shifted his weight forward and felt behind the night stand.

  “She didn’t find my gun. But my cell phone is gone.”

  I looked out the window where Emily had jumped. “I’m going to need the number.”

  The man wrote it down and then eyed me. “Should we be worried?”

  “No.” I walked out and left the family to clean up the mess. That was the least of my worries.

  I slammed the car door and started to drive down the road. I quickly texted the number.

  Unknown Number: Em, find the road and I’ll pick you up.

  ***

  Emily

  I had a death grip on the cell phone that lit up and vibrated my hand. I flipped it open and my heart jumped. Seth! I went to text back, but then I stopped myself. What if it wasn’t really him?

  Emily: What did you whisper to me about Davis’s bet?

  I waited for the reply.

  Unknown Number: I would have bet all day.

  I was so relieved, my fingers fumbled as I tried to calm down enough to remember Seth’s cell number by heart. Finally, I hit send and waited three rings before I heard his voice.

  “Em, where are you?” His tone was sharp. I could tell he was terrified.

  “Seth!”

  “Emily, tell me where you are.”

  “Umm, I’m not sure.” I stood up and looked around. “I think I’m pretty deep in the woods.”

  There was a pause. “Can you hear anything?”

  I listened. My heart pounded so loudly it was hard to focus. I heard a twig snap off to one side, and I saw a few branches move.

  “Em?” Seth asked impatiently.

  My breathing stopped as I slid back down to the ground and slowly leaned against a tree. “Seth, I don’t think I’m alone,” I whispered as tears started to gush down my cheeks.

  “Emily.” He paused helplessly. “Listen to me. Get down on the ground.”

  “I can hear footsteps,” I nearly sobbed. My skin was hyperaware that something was coming.

  “Focus, baby. I’m going to honk my horn. Tell me if you can hear it.”

  I listened and heard a car horn beep three times.

  “Yes! Yes, I can hear it,” I whispered. The footsteps stopped.

  “Em, face toward where you heard the horn. When you look at the sun where is it to you?”

  “Ahh,” I looked up. “It-it’s in front of me.” A panting sound found me from the right. I slowly looked in that direction. “Ohhh-myy.” I felt my whole body tighten. “I s-s-see a pit bull.” My heart tripled in beats as panic shot throug
h me like a bullet. “He’s staring at me.”

  I heard Seth’s car door slam through the phone.

  “Hold still. Don’t move, baby. I’m coming in now.”

  The phone shook in my hand. “Seth, if anything happens to me, just know I—”

  “You’re going to be fine, baby. I’m almost to you.”

  Suddenly, the dog bolted toward me. I screamed and felt someone cover my mouth with something damp. The phone slipped between my fingers and the sun became blinding.

  Everything went black.

  ***

  Seth

  I screamed, “Emily!” as my feet beat along the forest floor. Nothing registered as my stomach fought for room in my throat.

  There was a strange noise, and then someone breathed into the phone. “You lose, Officer Connors,” a voice purred. The line went dead.

  I braced myself against a tree in shock. I fumbled while I dialed. “Garrett, he has her. I was so close, but he got her!” I suddenly heard a noise and raised my gun and scanned the trees. “Call it in!”

  Within forty-five minutes, there was a whole army of people on the scene. Search dogs, helicopters, rangers, and everyone else who could possibly be of help had shown up. Detective Michaels came over and put his hand on my shoulder.

  “Connors, I’m so sorry. We’ll find her.” I didn’t look up. I couldn’t. I lost her. I was so damn close, but I lost her.

  Johnnie came up and handed me a bag that had my vest and badge inside. I nodded and started to suit up. I needed to keep my shit together or Sarge would pull me from the case.

  Garrett handed me my 40mm and a radio. “Let’s go find her.”

  The Sergeant stood next to a makeshift table. “All right, listen up.” Everyone stopped and turned their attention to him. “First, thank you all for responding so quickly and for letting the Orange Police Department take over the reins. We know this is out of our jurisdiction and we appreciate the cooperation. This is a family member we’re looking for, so understand it’s going to be extra sensitive.” He paused and took a moment to let that last part sink in. “As of 8:43 a.m., Emily McPhee, age twenty-two, was abducted from somewhere in this fifty-foot area. There has been no contact with her in two hours.”

  As we listened to the sergeant’s plan, Garrett squeezed my shoulder. “We’ve got this!” he whispered into my ear. I nodded at him and turned my attention back to the sergeant as he finished up.

  “All right, men, this is personal. You know what to do.” He looked at me. “Let’s get her back.”

  The End

  Coming…September 2015

  ***Sneak Peek***

  Chapter One

  Day 1 in the basement

  Emily

  A dripping sound echoed through my ears. My eyes started to flutter, but the bright light was too intense. My head pounded, and I tasted blood. There was something in my mouth. I tried to push it out with my tongue, but it wouldn’t budge.

  My eyes opened again. My vision was fuzzy, and I blinked a few times to clear it. I tried to move my hands, but they wouldn’t respond. My eyes strained to focus again. Christ, that bright light.

  Then I saw the black zip ties that held each of my wrists to the wooden chair. My feet were bound to the legs of the chair as well. There was a wrap around the cut on my calf. It was soaked with blood but otherwise seemed to hold up all right.

  My heart raced and I felt lightheaded. I yanked my arms upward and tried to kick out with my feet, but that only caused sharp pains to bite at me. I tried one more time and pulled with all my might. Nothing but more pain.

  I began to sob, but the rag in my mouth made me choke. Breathe my brave side insisted. I did, in through my nose and out through my mouth. I repeated this three times and managed to calm myself. Okay, good, it was a start. I struggled to keep my head clear and forced myself to focus.

  Then a door opened, followed by a quick clicking noise. My brave side took a dive as my heart fought to get out of my chest so hard it surely left a bruise. A moment later I heard footsteps, and my body started to shake violently.

  A man in a dark mask came into view. He dragged a metal chair…well, scraped it along the cement floor. The sound pierced my ears. He sat down in front of me and crossed his legs. He snapped his fingers, pointed to the ground, and the gray pit bull from the woods obediently sat at his feet. He seemed quite relaxed, which sent a double dose of fear through me. The bright light was behind him, so it was hard to see his face. He tilted his head to one side to study me.

  “You’re a hard woman to catch.” Holy shit. Lasko. He entwined his fingers on his lap. “Your security team has been impressive, Emily.” He had an interesting way of pronouncing each word just so, like every word was just as important as the next. “And now they’re desperate to find you. Little do they know, you’re closer than they think.”

  My stomach tensed. I scanned the room. I was in a basement, because I could tell there was a room above me. Sunlight shone through a floorboard. What did he mean? Could they hear me if I screamed?

  His phone rang. His long, bony fingers pulled his cell out of his jacket pocket, and he listened. “You left it where you were supposed to?” He listened some more. “So they just found it? Excellent.” The hair on my arms stood at attention, and I wondered who was on the other end of the line. His lips curled and showed a hint of a smile. He clearly enjoyed some private joke. “Well done.” His eyes flicked back to me, then he hung up and tucked his phone away.

  I couldn’t stop the painful heaving action my chest produced. Em, you gotta calm down.

  Lasko studied me and then slowly leaned over and tapped a button on the keyboard. The computer screen flashed on. Suddenly, Seth’s face appeared on the screen.

  “Oh my God,” Seth’s voice boomed over the large speakers that seemed to be all around me. I looked at Lasko, and he pointed to a camera on the computer.

  “Smile, darlin’, you’re on camera,” he whispered.

  “Can she hear us?” Seth barked out to someone. I looked at the camera and nodded in utter shock.

  Seth’s face dropped as he moved closer to the screen. “Oh my God, baby.” His face looked terrified. “Are you all right?”

  I shook my head no as tears poured down my cheeks. The sound of his voice was heart-wrenching. Garrett called out for the sergeant to come over.

  Garrett came into view. “Emily, are you alone?” My eyes shifted to Lasko. He smiled then waved a hand to let me know it was all right to answer. How kind of him. I looked back and shook my head. Lasko got up and moved slowly behind me. I couldn’t take my eyes away from screen.

  Seth’s jaw tightened as Lasko ran his hand around my neck, and his touch felt almost like it left a corrosive burn. I tried to pull away from him, but he quickly grabbed my hair and held me in place as he leaned down and smelled my hair. My eyes closed as I tried to calm myself.

  “Officer Connors, your girlfriend smells divine,” his voice purred. He enjoyed his complete control.

  Seth’s eyes darkened. “Lasko, I know that’s you. Take the fucking mask off.” His jaw clenched.

  Lasko moved to my side and gave a small nod as he thought. “I agree. Let’s make this more personal.” He removed the mask and revealed his face, just like the picture. “Hello, Seth. Yes, it’s me, Jimmy Lasko. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” His formal demeanor frightened me in an odd way.

  Garrett whispered in Seth’s ear, and he nodded once in agreement.

  “Hello, O’Brian.” Lasko ran his hand along my collarbone.

  “What do you want with her?” Garrett’s face was gray.

  Lasko touched my shoulder, and I froze. He laughed slightly as he grabbed my chin and bent down. “I want what Seth wants.” He licked from my jawbone to the corner of my eye. I jerked my head away from him in disgust. I thought I might vomit. I could feel his saliva burn into my skin.

  Garrett grabbed Seth’s arm. “He just wants to make you mad,” his voice soothed through the s
peakers. Garrett was great at keeping Seth calm, but right now I didn’t know how well it would work.

  Lasko laughed and moved closer to me.

  “Just give in, darlin’. It will make it easier.” He ran his hand down my arm. I tried to kick and move my arms. It was maddening being pinned to the chair.

  Lasko turned to the camera. “Is she normally this feisty, Seth?”

  Seth stood perfectly still, and Garrett leaned in. “We’ll find you, Emily. Just hang in there.” I nodded and started crying again.

  A slow chuckle emerged from Lasko as he pulled my hair off my neck. “If you’ll excuse us, gentlemen, we have a dinner date, and my darlin’ needs to get cleaned up. Say goodnight, sweetheart.”

  I heard Seth yell. Panic suddenly swept over me as Lasko grabbed hold of my arm and quickly stuck me with a needle. Everything went blurry fast.

  ***

  Seth

  I felt Garrett pull me away from the computer and grab my shoulders. “We’re going to find her. Just stay with me.”

  I folded my arms as my head spun and sweat broke out across my forehead. “Yeah,” I breathed out. She’s still alive.

  Detective Michaels came up. “They’ve covered every inch of the area. There’s nothing there. We’re moving to a different location. We’re leaving in ten.”

  Garrett and I followed behind Michaels’s SUV to a hotel. Michaels got out of a van along with Johnnie, Riggs, Campbell, Avery, and Matthews.

  Avery walked over to me. “We’ve got a great team. She’s one of ours, so let’s go get her back.” I nodded once and moved toward the building. I didn’t want to hear about hope, I just wanted to get her back and be left alone with Lasko in an empty room for ten minutes.