"Okay, okay," he shouted. "Enough. Whatever it is you want, you've got it. Just tell me what you want from me."
"I thought that would be obvious." She hovered the knife over his chin. "I want you to suffer the way you've made so many others suffer." Laughter bubbled up inside her. "No, that's not true. Actually, I want you to suffer far more."
"What others?" he asked. "Who have I made suffer? I've never done something like this to anyone. Not ever."
She nipped his chin with the knife. "Physical torture is the only thing you understand, because someone has to have a heart and a soul to suffer mentally and emotionally. And we both know that you don't have either a heart or a soul."
"Don't do this. Whatever it is you think I've done wrong, however you think I might have hurt you, I'm sorry. Just let me go and I swear I'll make it up to you. Whatever you want, you-"
"I'm getting exactly what I want right now. You're begging. You're scared. And you're suffering." She reached down and cupped his scrotum in her hand. "But the fun has only just begun."
While Dallas drove toward the Upton Farm, Genny tried once again to call Jazzy. She'd been trying on and off for the past twenty minutes, but no one had answered. She'd just contacted the phone company and was assured the line was in proper working order and suggested that the phone might to be disconnected at the source.
Damn! Jazzy was in the habit of occasionally unplugging her phones when she didn't want her sleep disturbed. But why this morning of all mornings? If Genny had time, she'd go into town and wake Jazzy, but time was of the essence if they wanted to save Jamie's life. Genny could sense his life force beginning to drain from him.
"No luck?" Dallas asked.
"No. She's taken the phone off the hook again."
"Since Jacob has called in his deputies and I've got every available man on my force joining forces with Jacob's guys, I don't have anybody who can check on her. Why don't you call Caleb and see if he'll go over and let Jazzy know what's going on?"
"Good idea, but I don't know his phone number and all the Cherokee Cabin Rental numbers are unlisted. I'll have to wait until someone's in the office to get the number."
"It's not going to hurt to wait," Dallas said. "After all, maybe by the time you reach Jazzy, we'll have found Jamie and have his would-be killer behind bars."
"If only I could believe that…"
Dallas made a sharp turn as he kept the SUV on the road going down the mountain. "Are you picking up on something you haven't told me about?"
Genny shivered. "I'm getting strange vibes. Like I told you, I'm sensing Jamie's life force draining away. If we don't find him soon, he'll die."
Ten minutes later, they stopped at the open gates in front of the driveway at the Upton Farm. The roadway was lined with vehicles and Big Jim Upton stood beside Jacob's Dodge Ram, which blocked the drive. Sally stood by the truck bed, where she'd already placed Peter and Paul. Jacob waved at Genny and Dallas as they pulled to a stop behind his truck.
Dallas got out, rounded the hood, and reached the passenger door of their SUV in time to help Genny onto the ground. "If I see you're getting too tired or if you get sucked into the darkness too deep, I'm taking you home. Understand?"
"Yes, Dallas, I understand." She loved him for being so protective.
Side by side, they approached Jacob and Big Jim. When they drew closer, Genny saw the strain on Jim Upton's face. Jamie had put his grandfather through hell for years, but the old man still cared about his only grandchild.
"We're all set," Jacob said. "Big Jim provided us with a pair of Jamie's socks. The ones he wore yesterday, so we're set to let Peter and Paul loose once you head us in the right direction."
Genny nodded.
"I can't tell you how grateful I am that you're willing to help Jamie," Jim said, his expression somber. "Considering how Jamie has treated Jazzy. I know she's your best friend."
Genny laid her hand on Jim's arm and squeezed comfortingly. "The only thing that matters right now is finding Jamie. And I'll do my best to help." She didn't tell the man that she wouldn't let any living creature die if it were within her power to prevent it, not even a sorry son of a bitch like Jamie.
"Is what Jacob said true?" Jim asked. "Did you… did you see him being tortured?"
Genny's gaze shot to Jacob's face, and she immediately understood that he'd had no choice but tell Big Jim everything, otherwise he wouldn't have believed Jacob.
"Yes, it's true. Someone is holding Jamie captive. She is torturing-"
"She? It's a woman who has him, a woman who is… God help him. It could be anybody. That boy has no conscience when it comes to taking advantage of women." Jim looked directly into Genny's eyes. "Do you know who she is?"
Genny shook her head. "No. I can't see the woman clearly." Only her short red hair.
Jim drew in a deep breath and nodded. ''Then we'd better be off, hadn't we? It'll be daylight soon, and I don't want my wife or Laura and her family to know anything about this, unless it's absolutely necessary. Jacob was good enough to call me first before he showed up so I could meet him down here at the gate. If anything happens to Jamie, it'll kill my wife."
"We're ready." Jacob looked to Genny. "Which way?" Genny turned back to Dallas, who stood only a couple of feet away. She wanted him near, in case she needed him immediately. Sometimes when she delved too deeply, she had difficulty reemerging. Dallas had become her lifeline to reality. He possessed the ability to draw her back from the obsidian depths.
With Dallas at her side, Genny closed her eyes and concentrated, praying that her sixth sense would pick I up something on Jamie's whereabouts. Darkness descended quickly. Swirling, malevolent darkness that indicated evil.
Pain. So much pain. Unbearable suffering. She could hear Jamie's pitiful cries inside her mind and the gentleness within her could barely endure the knowledge of what was happening to him. The darkness turned a deep red, a thick, cloudy crimson covering everything. Blood. Blood. Oh, God, so much blood.
Concentrate on where Jamie is and not on what's happening to him, she told herself. Connect with the place, not with Jamie.
Although she was unable to visualize the exact location, she did recognize Scotsman's Bluff when she tried to picture the place where Jamie was being held. Only a few months ago, a vicious serial killer had murdered an innocent seventeen year old not far from Scotsman's Bluff. The place was deep in the forest, high in the mountains. Secluded. Dotted with caves. Plentiful with wildlife. And a few old, deserted cabins still stood here and there, within sight of Scotsman's Bluff. Jamie was in one of those cabins!
"He's somewhere close to Scotsman's Bluff." Genny opened her eyes. And although she had been able to return to the present moment without any difficulty, she felt a sudden and powerful weakness. When she swayed slightly, Dallas cursed under his breath. "I'm all right,"
she assured him.
"Okay, let's get organized here," Jacob called out. "Mr. Upton will ride with me, as will Genny and Dallas." He looked at Sally. "You take Genny's SUV and stay right behind us. Leave Peter and Paul in the truck with us." Sally nodded. Dallas tossed the old woman his keys. "Everyone else will follow us and stay in radio contact at all times. I don't want anybody doing anything without my specific orders."
Once they headed back up the mountain, Genny rested her head on Dallas's shoulder and tried her best to concentrate on where Jamie was located. Scotsman's Bluff could be seen from miles around, which meant it could take hours to search the vicinity. Genny felt certain that Jamie didn't have hours. She sensed that the woman who held him captive was growing weary of torturing him, especially now that he kept passing out from the pain.
* * *
She opened the thermos, tilted it, and poured water over Jamie's bloody face. He didn't respond. Damn, he was such a lily-livered weakling. A little pain and he passed out. Oh, well, she'd had her fun with him. He had suffered the torment of the damned. And his pretty boy face and perfect body were neither pretty nor perfect any longer. She stepped away from him and admired her handiwork. His face and body were covered with numerous cuts and burns. She had sliced his fingertips and toes with razor blades and nipped off his tiny male nipples with a pair of pliers. She had used the hot poker repeatedly; however, she had one final destination for that particular instrument.
Kneeling beside him again, she patted his face. Blood soaked her hands. The human face had so many tiny blood vessels that with a few cuts, it looked as if a person was bleeding to death.
"Wake up, darling. I've got another surprise for you." Jamie's eyelids eased halfway open. "That's a good boy."
He tried to shake his head, but couldn't manage. His burned mouth formed the word No. Using her fingers, she wiped the blood from his forehead where it was dripping into his eyes.
"It's almost over. All my fun. And all your pain. But then when you die, you'll go to hell, and the suffering there will last forever." She laughed at him, laughed with the giddiness bubbling inside her.
She got up and walked over to the fireplace. The poker should be red hot now. She lifted the poker from the flames and carried it with her as she stood at Jamie's feet. She knelt, picked up the sharp butcher knife, then eased up between Jamie's spread legs. She laid the poker aside for a moment while she lifted his scrotum. Then, in one swift slice, she took off his genitals. Tossing the knife aside, she picked up the hot poker and rammed it into his anus.
Leaving the poker imbedded in him, she crawled up beside him and took a good look at what was left of Jamie Upton. She forced his mouth wide apart and stuffed his bloody penis into his mouth. Then she stood, wiped her bloody hands off on her bloody body, and sighed.
''That's that. Job all done." If he wasn't dead, he would be very soon.
Now you have to clean up, she told herself. Gather up all your things, put them in the garbage sack, and get ready to leave.
Andrea Willis woke at six o'clock. Something was wrong. She could sense trouble. It was unlike her to wake so early, especially after she'd taken a sleeping pill. And whenever she got a sense of foreboding, it usually involved Laura. Suddenly she remembered that neither Laura nor Sheridan had come home last night. She didn't worry so much about Sheridan. That feisty young woman could take care of herself. But what about Laura?
Andrea got out of bed, slipped into her house shoes and robe, exited the bedroom where Cecil was still sleeping, and walked down the hall. She knocked on her daughters' door. No response. This time she didn't wait She simply flung open the door and turned on the overhead light. Neither of the twin beds had been slept in. Both were still made up from yesterday morning.
What was that odd sound? Where was it coming from? She stopped dead still in the center of the room and listened. Someone was weeping, and the pitiful sobs were coming from the adjoining bathroom. Had one of the girls returned? Was Sheridan or Laura crying? If Jamie Upton had done something to hurt Laura again, she didn't know what she'd do. Yes, she did. She'd make Cecil forbid Laura to marry the sorry son of a bitch and they'd take Laura home today.
When Andrea eased open the bathroom door, she gasped when she saw Laura, totally naked, standing in the shower. The shower was off, but Laura was soaking wet and shivering. Tears streamed down her face.
"Laura?" For a couple of seconds Andrea couldn't seem to move. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Laura turned her head slowly and gazed at Andrea. That's when Andrea knew that Laura had had another spell. She rushed to her daughter, grabbed a large towel from the rack by the shower stall, and wrapped it around Laura.
"Come on, sweetie, let me help you." With great gentleness, Andrea urged Laura into motion, helping her step out of the shower. She rubbed Laura's body dry, then took another towel and wrapped it around her head turban-style. Taking Laura's trembling hand, she led her daughter into the bedroom, where she eased her down on the edge of the bed. Laura continued weeping. Softly. Mournfully.
While she searched the closet for something suitable for Laura to wear, Andrea thought about what must be done. Cecil would fight her, but she didn't care how much he objected. Laura needed help. If she couldn't make Laura leave Cherokee County today and if Cecil wouldn't back her up, she'd call a local doctor and see if he could at least give Laura some medication. Something to soothe her nerves.
Andrea worked quickly, helping Laura dress in loose-fitting lounge slacks and top. Then she combed Laura's long blond hair, and all the while she spoke softly, soothingly to her troubled daughter. When Andrea sat down on the bed beside Laura and took her hand in hers, Laura stopped crying.
"Feeling better?" Andrea asked.
Laura nodded.
'What's wrong? Tell me about it. Why were you crying?"
"I don't know," Laura said. "I-I can't remember."
"Where were you last night and early this morning? I checked in here and both you and Sheridan were gone."
"I don't know." Laura squeezed Andrea's hand. "I remember Jamie kissing me good night and I came upstairs to get ready for bed. Sheridan wasn't here. I was alone."
"And then what?" 'That's all I remember until a little while ago. I-I was in the shower, scrubbing my body. And I was crying."
"Are you saying you don't remember where you were all night?" Andrea's heart caught in her throat. Please, God, please, don't do this to us. Laura isn't to blame for the way she is. And Cecil, my poor Cecil, can't go through this again.
"Oh, Mother, it's happening again, isn't it?" Laura flung herself into Andrea's arms. "I'm losing my mind. I'm having another nervous breakdown, aren't I?"
Andrea hugged her daughter fiercely. Protectively. "No, no, sweetie, you'll be all right. No one knows you weren't here al
l night. And you mustn't tell anyone. Everything will be all right. Trust me to take care of things, to take care of you."
"Oh, Mother, what would I do without you?" She laid her head in Andrea's lap.
Andrea stroked Laura's damp hair. Help us, dear God, help us.
* * *
They had let Peter and Paul loose the minute Scotsman's Bluff came into view. The sheriffs deputies and policemen had followed the bloodhounds, running at top speed to keep up with die lumbering dogs. Big Jim waited with Genny and Dallas outside Jacob's truck, parked on the side of die road. Jacob radioed to the truck several times, giving diem updates, letting them know the dogs hadn't lost the scent.
The Last To Die Page 15
