Driving away from Billings, I couldn’t quit thinking about Brett. Tears welled in my eyes and trickled down my cheeks. I had made a mistake by letting myself get attached to him. I knew I would miss him and hoped he wouldn’t try to find me.
I had no idea where I was going. Wherever I ended up, I’d need money. My parents had left me an appreciable amount. I planned on getting a funds transfer when I reached the next large city. That way if it could be traced, it wouldn’t be traced to my final destination. I had never drawn on that account while I was in Billings.
Three hours later, I stopped for gas. Filling the tank, I sensed someone standing behind me. My hands trembled as I put back the nozzle and looked over my shoulder.
“Going somewhere?” Brett asked.
“Have you been following me all the way from Billings?”
“Yes. You passed me when I was headed back to the hotel. Since you left for work before I did, I knew something was up, so I followed you. I called your cell phone. You didn’t answer. Then I called the hotel and Ralph told me you had checked out. What’s going on?”
“I planned on calling you later. Why were you following me?” I asked, feeling my eyes narrowing, irritated he was keeping track of me.
“There’s a diner next door. We can talk inside,” he suggested.
“No. I want to be farther away from Billings before it gets dark,” I said tersely, and then I saw his eyes dim and the hurt look on his face. “Let’s sit in my car, and I’ll explain.”
We got in. I drove away from the gas pumps and parked. “My picture is all over the news. Now the people that I didn’t want to find me will know where I am. I can’t stay in Billings any longer. I thought it would be better if I called and told you I wouldn’t be coming back.”
“Better for whom?”
“Better for me. I didn’t want a farewell scene. I’m sorry. Eventually, you’ll be leaving Billings. I thought you’d be the one leaving first. It was inevitable we’d part.”
“When I get an assignment for another location it doesn’t mean we’d never see each other. I care for you, Sara.”
“I’m sorry, Brett. Really.” I gripped his forearm and held on tight. “Just not now, maybe never, no matter how hard it is for me. I can’t give any more than friendship.”
“You’re not even giving that since you’re running away from me.”
“I’m not running from you. You don’t know anything about the people I’m running from. They’re ruthless. You can’t fight them. They’ll kill you just like they’ll kill me because I know too much. I don’t want that to happen to you. It’s better if we’re not friends.”
“You’re not the only one with a past. You don’t know any more about me than I know about you.” He held my hands. “I am quite capable of defending you against anyone who shows up.”
I knew Brett was strong. He’d lifted my sofa and moved it to another wall by himself, but petroleum engineers weren’t fighters. “They use knives and guns,” I said, feeling anxious. “You’ll be in danger.”
“I know how to handle guns and knives along with some other weapons. I can protect you. Also, where do you think you could hide? Your picture is on the national news. You’ll be recognized wherever you go. The Billings’ cops will send your picture to police departments all over the country when they find out you left in a hurry. They might believe you had a hand in the spider cases.”
Convinced he was probably right, I said, “You win.”
“Rex’s place is about twenty minutes from Billings. It would be better if you followed me. Can I trust you to do that?”
“Yes.”
A faint smile crossed Brett’s lips as he got out of the car.
3
Rex’s Place
Driving down a remote gravel lane, I saw a two-story stone house surrounded by heavy woods. Through the thick foliage, I couldn’t see any neighboring houses.
Stepping over the threshold, Brett said, “Look around while I take the luggage upstairs.”
It was a wonderful old house with high ceilings, crown moldings, and oak floors. The walls were all painted a soft green. To the right of the entry was a den with a large oak desk and bookcases lined two walls.
A grey and dark green striped sofa, two dark green leather chairs, a coffee table, and two end tables stood in the living room. An armoire was next to the archway leading into the dining room. From the way it was positioned, I assumed it housed a television. A landscape painting above the sofa caught my eye. In the center of it was a cave with part of the opening blocked by a huge boulder. Something about it looked inviting, but I couldn’t pinpoint why. As I continued staring at it, a strong urge to go there bubbled up inside me.
“You must be hungry,” Brett said, coming down the stairs.
“Is this cave located somewhere around in this area?” I pointed to the picture.
He shrugged. “Don’t know. I’ll ask Rex when he gets back in town. Why don’t you unpack while I see what I can find for dinner?”
When I finished putting everything away, I glanced out the window that overlooked the back of the house. It appeared as if the woods continued for miles. Outside of the unlikely event that someone had followed us, the Crussetts wouldn’t be able to find me here. Then suddenly, I smelled the appetizing aroma of spaghetti sauce and my stomach began growling as I hurried downstairs.
“I had no idea you knew how to cook,” I said, walking into a modern, oversized kitchen with the latest appliances.
“Like I said, there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me. Hopefully you’ll like all the things you learn and stick around awhile. And on top of my great attributes, I’ll try to entice you more with a Jacuzzi out back. Wanna give it a try after dinner? I guarantee it’ll help you relax.”
“Sounds great. This place is really secluded. Your friend must like his privacy.”
“Rex has a reputation. He needs a lot of privacy.” A mischievous smile crossed his lips and he winked.
I smiled back. Rex was probably a ladies’ man. That would account for the Jacuzzi.
We sat down at the table in the dining room, and Brett poured two glasses of wine from a carafe.
I lifted my glass. “What type of wine is this?”
“I’m sure you’ll like it,” he replied, without answering my question.
I took a sip. It sent a surge of warmth through my body. I did like it. “It tastes something like a Merlot. Is that what it is?”
“No.” He grinned.
Between bites and sips, I asked, “Is it a Cabernet Sauvignon?”
He shook his head indicating my guess was wrong
I held my glass up to the light, as if I were a wine connoisseur, and tilted it. “Is it a Zinfandel?”
He shook his head again and filled my glass.
I took another swallow. “A Shiraz?”
“Nope.”
“Could it be a Pinot Noir?”
“You’re not even close.”
I hiccupped. “Sorry about that.”
“You must be enjoying the wine.”
“Yes, I certainly am. Whatever the grapes, vineyard, year, or blend, this stuff is divine.” Tomorrow, I would look through the recycling bin for the bottle.
After we finished eating, I went upstairs to slip on my one-piece, black swimming suit while Brett got the Jacuzzi ready.
Gradually easing into the Jacuzzi, I felt the warm, comforting water envelop my body. Springtime in Billings is a wonderful season, but soaking in the serene setting amid lush trees gave me a glorious feeling.
Brett handed me another glass of wine. “Enjoy,” he said and left to change into his swimming trunks.
I leaned back, appreciating the solitude, and gazed at the stars. I listened to low soothing music and saw Brett standing above me. I sat up and stared at him. I knew he had a good build from the way he appeared in his clothes, but I had no idea. Oh, his broad shoulders, muscular arms, and pectorals took my breath away. He was gorgeous.
As he moved into the water, his deep blue eyes were mesmerizing. He put his arm around my shoulders, and his hot breath drifted over my bare skin. A burning desire for him soared through my body. I turned toward him, kissed his neck, and ached for more. What was I doing? This wasn’t what I wanted. I hadn’t felt like this about him before. It wasn’t like me to behave like a vixen.
With a mischievous smile, he took a drink of his wine.
Had he changed his mind about me and decided to play hard to get? I stroked his arm. What was wrong with me? I should have slid away from him; instead, I moved closer. I wanted him. As soon as he put down his glass, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I continued kissing him even when I gasped for air.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered.
“Oh, yes,” I sighed as my heartbeat raced and my breathing became more erratic. I kissed him again.
He picked up our glasses and handed me mine. “To our new relationship.” He clicked my glass.
I exhaled and drank, knowing I was going to get what I wanted. A second later, we got out of the Jacuzzi and carried our glasses to my bedroom.
Brett barely closed the door before I shoved him onto the bed and climbed on top of him. My cravings for his body turned to almost animalistic urges, and I bit his lip with such roughness it surprised me. My insatiable desire for him accelerated into aggressiveness as my nails dug into his flesh. Brett reacted to my ferocious appetite with gentle yet intense responses, never missing a beat. After an hour of uninhibited love making, we stopped to catch our breath. He gasped several times, and his gorgeous chest muscles twitched from our carnal encounter as he refilled our wine glasses. I thought Conner was a great lover, yet he was no match for Brett. No one could possibly be better. And to think, I was going to leave him without ever having known this ecstasy.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I’m wondering why I waited so long for this.”
He smiled, put both wine glasses on the nightstand, and slowly ran his hand down my body.
Feeling someone tugging on my legs, I opened my eyes. Through foggy vision, I saw two women with solemn expressions on their faces pulling me out of bed. I felt dizzy. I tried to talk, but only gibberish came from my mouth. The woman with long black hair put a robe on me. The other one slipped shoes on my feet. I wanted to float away. They held my arms, preventing me from rising. With my feet hovering above the floor, they led me down the stairs and through the house to the backdoor. Were they angels taking me to see Mom and Dad? The black-haired woman put a blindfold over my eyes. Then I heard a door open. They continued holding my arms while I glided between them.
A crisp, cool breeze hit my face. The women remained quiet, not saying a word, as we moved along. The rustling of leaves surrounded us. I smelled pine trees. If they’d just let go of me, I could drift to the tree tops.
“Bring her here,” a man yelled.
My blindfold was removed. I found myself inches from the man with the penetrating, dark eyes I had seen at the hotel. He must have followed me. I felt a convulsion of terror seize my body. I squirmed and wiggled, trying to free myself from the hands that held me firmly. He wouldn’t release me. I gave up. I was trapped.
The dark-eyed man held up my trembling hand and placed a spider in my palm. I marveled at the warm, chestnut-brown color with specks of black dribbled through it. I gently touched it. Then the dark-eyed man turned over my hand and tapped it against a metal container. The spider tumbled inside, landing next to three others that looked just like it. He snapped the container lid in place and slipped it into his shirt pocket.
He led me through a cluster of cobwebs that clung to my face. He brushed them away and placed my hand on a person. I glanced down and saw spiders crawling on the stout man whose wife had been bitten in the hotel. He was lying on something that looked like a granite table. His eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead. Blood oozed from deep scrapes on his arms. His face was pale and immobile. Was I at his funeral?
The dark-eyed man guided me to a chair, sat me down, and held onto my shoulder to stop me from rising above the ground. I opened my mouth to speak. No sound escaped. My eyes darted around looking for Brett; he wasn’t anywhere. He wouldn’t have left me. Something must have happened to him. My heart started beating faster. The dark-eyed man ran his hand up and down my cheek. My heartbeat slowed down.
Three people blocked my vision as they moved between me and the stout man on the table. I watched as a slender blond-haired man carrying a knife walked in front of them and passed out of my sight.
The dark-eyed man lifted his hands from my shoulders. A woman put her hands there so I wouldn’t drift away. He walked toward the table. I couldn’t see what he was doing. I heard voices without comprehending what was being said. The dark-eyed man returned with a glass full of a deep red liquid. His face glowed and his lips eased into a smile as he held it to my mouth. I swallowed a big gulp and felt surprised it tasted good. I glanced around. Everyone was drinking, talking, and laughing.
After I took another sip, the two women who brought me here strolled out of the crowd toward me. They held my arms. I rose to my feet. I scanned the trees, wanting to float above them. The black-haired woman tugged at my arm. I looked down and saw the stout man. His eyes were gone, leaving two sunken holes. His arms hung down over the table. Blood drizzled from his wrists into containers that stood on the ground. The blond-haired man with the knife cut the skin off the stout man’s stomach. My pulse raced, and I gasped for air as a wave of terror shot through my body.
The dark-eyed man gently stroked my cheek again. I no longer felt afraid. He covered my eyes with the blindfold and tied it behind my head. The women led me back to the house, slipped off the blindfold, and held onto me to keep my feet on the floor. After they removed my robe and shoes, they laid me down on the bed. I closed my eyes. My body floated to the ceiling.
4
More Victims
The early morning sunlight streamed through the window when I awoke. I turned and saw Brett, dressed for work, sitting on the edge of the bed and gazing at me.
“Are you going to work today?” he asked and kissed my cheek.
“Where were you last night?”
“Right here, lying next to you.”
My hands became clammy as I thought about the woods, the dark-eyed man, the knife, the man on the table, and feeling weightless. Was it all a dream? It seemed so real, except I knew I couldn’t float away.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes.” My skin tightened as hair raised on my body.
“I want to drive you to work in case any unwelcome visitors show up in Billings.”
“Yesterday, I called the office and told them I had a family emergency, so I’d be gone for a few days. I’ll tell them the emergency passed and everything was okay. If the police want to talk to me again, I’m easy to reach at my workplace. I’d never tell them to come here. I don’t even know where here is.”
“Just as well. Rex wants the location of his place to be kept a secret. Since I’ll be driving you to work, you don’t need to know the address.”
“Sometimes you work late. If that should happen, I’ll need the address to get back here.”
“I can always bring my work home. I don’t need to do it at the office.”
He put his arm around me. “Don’t look so worried. I’ll make sure you get back and forth.” He stood and headed to the door. “I need to make a few calls before we leave.”
I didn’t like not knowing where I was. At the same time, I certainly enjoyed his company.
On the way to work, he drove in and out of so many streets, there was no way I could memorize all of them. Some of the signs were hidden by trees and poles so I asked him for their names. Each time I did, his brows drew together in an irritated frown, and he claimed he didn’t know it.
When Brett stopped for a red light, I glanced out the passenger window and saw a woman with long black h
air walking along the sidewalk. Her face came into focus as she got closer. She looked like a model with her high cheek bones, ivory skin and soft brown eyes. She was the black-haired woman who had escorted me out of the house last night. How could I have dreamt about her?
“Do you know her?” I asked, tapping on the window.
The light turned green as Brett quickly glimpsed in the direction of the black-haired woman. “No,” he replied, pushing on the accelerator.
When we reached the accounting office building, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed me as if we had a pleasant drive to work.
After I finished all my rush jobs, I tried to remember every detail of my dream, though I now questioned whether it was a dream at all. If it wasn’t, where was Brett and why would those people want me to see something like that? If they planned on killing me, they had the opportunity last night. Maybe I could find some answers at Rex’s place. For the remainder of the day, I found myself staring at the clock on the wall, unable to focus on my work.
Brett’s car wasn’t parked by the entrance when I walked out of the building. I called him on my cell phone.
“Hi, Sara,” he answered. “I’m running late. Should be there in fifteen minutes.”
“I’m standing outside the building. I’ll wait for you here.”
“See you soon.”
A black limo pulled over to the curb. A tall man with medium-brown hair got out and turned toward me. It was Conner. My hands trembled. I saw three men staring at me from inside the limo. My eyes darted around. There was no place I could run; I was trapped. Straightening my posture, I took several deep breaths as he approached.
“Hello, Sara.” A faint smile lit up his face as he stretched out his arms to embrace me.
I backed away.
“Is this how it’s going to be?” His light brown eyes dimmed, and his face creased with concern. “I wanted you to be part of my life. I still do. Why did you leave?”
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