The Dark Places

by R. S. Whitfield

  “Is it about the case?” she asked.

  “What?” he replied.

  “Where you need to be urgently,” she added and waited.

  After a few seconds, he answered. “Yes, I think it might be.” He couldn’t mask the worry in his voice.

  “Pick me up, I’m coming with you, and I’ll fill you in on the way.”

  She immediately hung up the phone without waiting for his reply. Throwing on a jacket and grabbing her bag, she ran out the front door, slamming it behind her. Please turn up, she thought, as the elevator dinged to let her know she had reached the ground floor. She walked out the front of her building and sat on the bus stop bench. Please give me a shot, she thought and looked down the road, waiting and praying for his car to come into view.

  34

  Surin was cold, freezing in fact. “What the fu—” she mumbled and tried to turn her head to locate the source of the frigid air. It took a few seconds for her to register her nakedness and the inky blackness enveloping her body. Instinct told her to sit up, but as she attempted to, a loud clang followed by a sharp pain in both her wrists rendered her immobile.

  “Hello?” she said, her voice barely a whisper. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to clear her mind. What the hell is going on, she thought. Her tongue felt heavy and thick, and as she attempted to lick her lips, the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Panic started to snake its way through her limbs, and a crushing, suffocating fear overtook her. She started frantically pulling and yanking her body in all directions, screaming until her voice was hoarse and her throat ached. Stop it, stop it this instant, she told her herself. Pull yourself together and think!

  Closing her eyes, she attempted to calm her racing heart, breathe in, two, three, four; breathe out, two, three, four. The tears that had been threatening to explode started running silently down her cheeks. Trying to remember how she ended up in this predicament was like looking back down a long road shrouded in fog. “Come on!” she screamed, “think!” Closing her eyes again, she took a deep breath and tried to retrace her steps.

  Parker left, roast dinner with Mum and Dad, the necklace… then nothing. A sob forced its way out of her mouth. “Surin, stop,” she said, but her voice was weak. “Try again,” she scolded and squeezed her eyes shut so tightly they hurt. Parker left, dinner with Mum and Dad, the necklace, saying to goodbye to Wendy, her eyes flew open. “Oh my God!” she screamed, as the memories flooded back quicker than she could handle.

  “You remember then?” a deep voice said from behind her.

  Surin frantically tried to turn her head towards the sound. “You tricked me,” she sobbed, as a wave of nausea passed over her. “God, what did you give me!” she added, swallowing a mouthful of bile.

  “So clever,” he mumbled, and she cringed as his hand caressed her cheek.

  “Don’t you fucking touch me!” she screamed but knew she was wasting her breath. “Please, what do you want?” she asked as she heard him move around to the front of her.

  “Tsk-tsk now, Surin,” he said, clicking his tongue. “I didn’t pick you to be the begging type.”

  Surin clamped her teeth down on her tongue to stop herself giving him the satisfaction of her cries. His breath was hot on her neck as he bent to whisper in her ear. She turned away.

  “Although I have had the pleasure of seeing you beg before.”

  Her eyes flew open. In that instant, the temperature in the tiny black room felt like it had plummeted ten degrees.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, in a calm manner that she did not feel.

  “Oh, I think you do,” he replied. “So young, so beautiful, such a tease.” He laughed quietly. “I know you remember,” he said, running his hand over her breasts. “In the woods?” he continued as she started to cry quietly. “So many dark places.”

  ***

  1998, Town of North East, Cheltenham County, Maryland

  “Surin, wait up,” Eamon called out playfully and jogged up behind her, catching her hand in his. “What’s the rush?” he added with a cheeky grin.

  Surin turned and flashed a smile. “No rush,” she lied, “it’s getting dark, that’s all.” She continued to walk at pace as the shadows from the surrounding woods grew longer.

  Eamon chuckled. “You’re not afraid, are you?”

  Surin snorted. “Afraid?” She turned to face him, taking in his beautiful blue eyes. “You must have me confused with your other girlfriends,” she teased. “The ones that need to cling to your huge biceps when they walk through the dark forest on their own.”

  He laughed. “There are no others,” he whispered in her ear. “Not any more.”

  She smiled and let him run his hands seductively up to her shoulders, gently surrounding her neck. She tilted her chin up, accepting his open mouth, and moaned.

  “God, Surin,” he responded, grabbing her tightly around the waist, pulling her to the ground. Her arms fell naturally around his neck, and they kissed deeper and deeper. Time seemed to stop as she surrendered herself to his expert touch. Somewhere in the fog of her mind, she heard a nearby twig snap. She sat up instantly as her heart started hammering.

  “What’s wrong?” Eamon asked, clearly annoyed.

  “I thought I heard something,” she stammered.

  Eamon looked around, taking in the tall pines. “Sury, it’s the middle of the woods at dusk.” He turned her face back to him tenderly. “No one is hiding in the bushes,” he added with a grin. She smiled, feeling foolish. “It’s probably a deer or something,” he continued. “Now where were we,” he murmured quietly, running his hand up under her yellow summer dress. In a blur of movement, he was on top of her, kissing her hard on the lips, his breath was short as he mumbled her name over and over again. Surin threw back her head as his fingers finally found her most intimate part and without her even realising what was happening, he slipped her panties to the side and continued to stroke her until she felt like she was going to explode.

  “Eamon,” she breathed quickly, reaching the tip of euphoria when a sudden, sharp pain hurtled her back to reality. “No,” she cried as she felt him enter her again.

  “Surin, it’s OK,” he groaned and quickly pushed back inside her.

  “Eamon, no,” she begged, as tears spilled down the side of her face. “Please, not like this.” She pushed on his chest, but it was no use.

  “I love you, Surin,” he murmured, his breath quickening and he groaned with his final release.

  Surin lay under him for what felt like an eternity. She cried silently for what she had just lost, waiting for him to move. He rolled onto his side and kissed her shoulder, then her neck and softly turned her face to him.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, genuinely concerned. “Did I hurt you?”

  Surin stared at him in disbelief. “Hurt me?” she stuttered. “You forced me,” she said, as the rage began to build.

  “No,” he said, sitting up instantly. “No, you were there, in the moment.” He began to reach for her, but she pulled away abruptly.

  “No, Eamon, I wasn’t.” She stood up on shaky legs, pulling her dress down and fixing her now blood-stained underwear.

  “Surin, please,” he said, desperately scrambling to his feet. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just…” She glared at him, daring him to continue. “I couldn’t stop, I would never fucking hurt you,” he cried out.

  She could see the desperation in his eyes, the urge to reach out and comfort him was strong, but she refused. All of a sudden, a wave of sorrow passed over her. She knew in that instant that this was the end for them and that she had truly loved him.

  “Surin,” he pleaded again. “I love you. Please talk to me,” he stuttered.

  She could see tears begin to well up in his eyes. “I want to go home,” she said and turned towards the path. He ran up behind her and clasped her hand. She let him, knowing that it would be the last time they would ever touch. They walked the rest of the way in silence, Eam
on stealing occasional glances at her. She felt numb, like a hard shell had formed over her sorrow. Was it her fault, she asked herself? Nearly a whole year together, endless promises of next time and finally had he just not been able to stop. She shook her head. Eamon saw the movement and took the opportunity to try to explain himself.

  “Surin, please,” he begged, “talk to me.” He faced her, holding both of her hands in front. “I’m so sorry,” he said again.

  Surin stared at his impossibly beautiful face. She would miss the curve of his cheek and the way his dimples appeared when he laughed. She would miss his hands and the way he had made her feel safe and loved until now.

  “I have to get home,” she whispered, not trusting herself not to cry.

  “I’ll walk you the rest of the way,” he replied urgently.

  “No need,” she said coldly, instantly regretting her tone as she watched panic register on his face.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” he asked. “After graduation?”

  “Sure,” she replied, knowing it was a lie.

  He relaxed a bit and smiled shyly. “I love you, Surin. I want to spend my life with you. You know that, right?” She nodded, and as he leant in to kiss her, she turned her head so that his soft lips touched her cheek. “Night,” he said quietly, as she turned and walked down the quiet street towards her house. She knew he would still be standing there, but she couldn’t help wanting one last glance. As she turned, he lifted his hand up and waved. Tears came, thick and fast, and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

  “I loved you,” she whispered and took in the glorious sight of him for the very last time. She rounded the corner of her home, stopped and stared at the front door. She could still feel the slick stickiness between her legs, a mixture of blood and bodily fluids, and realised she could not go in and face her parents just yet. Instead, she decided to firmly shut one door in her life so she could open another.

  The night had grown cooler than expected. Her flimsy yellow dress offered no protection from the frigid wind as she walked the four blocks to Eamon’s house.

  She wrapped her arms around herself. A calm washed over her as she reached the tall white home. She had so many memories, so many nice memories of this place. A tear rolled down her cheek as she reached behind her neck and unclasped the necklace, letting it fall into her hands. She held it up one last time. It glinted as the moonlight reflected off the pendant. “E,” she whispered and placed it in the mailbox. “Goodbye.”

  35

  Baltimore, Maryland, Present day

  Parker wasn’t entirely sure why he was even considering picking her up. She hadn’t exactly given him an option, but the police officer in him also didn’t want a woman waiting out on the road alone, which he surmised was her plan from the start. He rounded the street and saw her waving at him through the headlights like a teenager at a rock concert. He had barely pulled the car to a stop when she ripped open the passenger door.

  “I can’t believe you actually came,” she said quickly and slipped into the seat.

  “Neither can I,” he grumbled in reply. “Seatbelt,” he said abruptly, pointing at her waist.

  “Oh yeah, sure, sure,” she replied and strapped herself in. “So, where are we off to?” she asked and reached forward, turning the air-con vent in her direction. Parker instantly smelt her perfume as it wafted through the car interior. He shook his head. This woman was good, he thought.

  “We’re going to North East,” he replied quietly.

  Madison shifted in her seat to face him, causing the split in her skirt to travel up past her thigh. “Are you shitting me?” she said.

  He took his eyes off the road quickly and looked at her questionably. “Why would I be shitting you?” he asked. “Madison, what the hell are you on about?”

  She sighed. “You know then?” she said with a pout, all her research, all the effort she was making to break this case and get her life back on track was going to be for nothing.

  “Know what for God’s sake!” he yelled exasperatingly. “You better start making sense, lady, or I swear I will leave you at the next gas station,” he growled.

  Madison started. “The post office box for the necklaces.”

  “What about it,” he replied.

  She looked at him and smiled. “It’s in North East.”

  ***

  Surin’s eyes fluttered open for the second time. She had no idea how long she had been held in the dank basement — time down there seemed to hold no measure. Waiting in silence, she tried to sense if she was alone, and after what felt like an eternity, she let out a long, ragged breath. Satisfied that she was the only one in the room, she attempted to shift her mindset from victim to cop. The pain in her wrist and ankles had lessened. He had loosened the restraints enough to allow circulation, but not enough to aid in her escape. Her mouth was swollen, and her head pounded like a bongo drum. So far, except for the initial attack, he hadn’t hurt her, but she was not sure that was going to last.

  The cool air brushed over her half-naked body like a feather, causing a ripple of goosebumps to rise on her skin. She had never felt so exposed and vulnerable. As silent tears threatened, she began to understand what the other girls must have felt. Her heart was hammering with an intoxicating mixture of adrenalin and absolute mind-numbing fear. Her eyes darted to and fro, searching each of the black corners for any hint of movement, but there was none. She squeezed them shut tightly as the realisation of hopelessness dawned upon her. He was going to come back, he was going to rape her, he was going to kill her, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Tears welled again as she thought of her life and what she hadn’t yet achieved, then two faces flickered into her consciousness like a reel on an old black-and-white movie. Eamon and Parker, over and over. She sobbed loudly and bit her lip. “Parker,” she whispered. Just saying his name out loud had an instantaneous calming effect on her heart. She took a few slow, steady breaths and opened her eyes again, just in time to watch as he entered the room. Her skin prickled, and involuntarily, her body started bucking and pulling on the chains that bound her.

  “Shh, Shh,” he whispered and ran his hand through her hair, causing her to shudder in disgust. “I’m here to talk, Surin,” he added. She could feel the smile stretching wide on his face.

  “What in the world is there to talk about?” she asked and immediately fell into a fit of rib-cracking coughs.

  He placed his hand on her chest, gently holding her down and carefully poured water into her mouth. His touch repulsed her, but she drank it thankfully, feeling the liquid put out the fire that was her throat.

  “Better?” he asked.

  She didn’t answer.

  “Oh Surin, so stubborn, it’s one of the things I love about you.”

  She listened to the movements as he placed the bottle somewhere and felt the bed compress as he sat down beside her.

  “I want to talk about Eamon,” he said.

  Surin felt herself begin to shake. Her body was compensating for the cold.

  “Oh,” he said quietly, “I would cover you, but that would be blasphemy.” He moved his hand up the side of her ribs and over her breasts, pinching her nipple almost sensually. She stifled a sob.

  “What do you want to know about Eamon,” she stuttered, trying to take his mind off her naked flesh.

  He laughed. “You don’t understand, Sury. I know all there is to know about Eamon.”

  She shuddered at the familiar way he said her name.

  “I want to tell you. I want to tell you everything,” he added.

  “I don’t understand,” she said, trying again in vain to pull her hands free.

  “Well,” he began, “let’s start with the night he died.”

  ***

  “What?” Parker said loudly. Madison turned back and faced the front of the car.

  “OK,” she started, “you watch the road, and I’ll tell you.”

  Parker glared at her but listened, fe
eling his heart rate pick up with each word.

  “You guys gave me, let’s just say it, the impossible task of tracking down the mystery necklace,” she began. “Bit of a wild goose chase, I’m no dummy.”

  Parker cleared his throat dramatically.

  “And I guess I kind of deserved it,” she mumbled. “What you didn’t know is that I have, well had, a source heavily connected in the dark web.”

  Parker indicated off the highway to head into North East. “The dark web,” he repeated.

  “Yes. Know much about it?” she asked, looking at him sideways.

  “Not going to lie,” he replied, “not a great deal. I have come across it a few times but never delved into it any deeper than needed.”

  Madison sat back and tried to tell herself she was not enjoying being this close to him. “Basically, the dark web allows people to evade surveillance and move around online without a hint of traceability.”

  Parker was silent for a few moments. “So, the necklaces he ordered on the dark web were untraceable?”

  “No,” she replied. “My friend, let’s call him that, although he would hate it.” She snickered. “He is able to use the dark web to find things, impossible things.”

  Parker nodded. “Useful friend to have.”

  She sighed. “Yes, he was. This, however, was the deal-breaker.”

  Parker looked over at her. “You used your last bargaining chip with a powerful source to help us on this case?”

  Madison shifted in her seat, surprisingly uncomfortable with his attention. “Yes, but make no mistake, I will get something out of this.”

  Parker laughed. “There it is,” he said with a smile. “Go on,” he said, gesturing that she should continue with her explanation.

  “Well, if I bypass days of technical jargon, the Onion Router, known as TOR, was developed by the US Naval Research Laboratory in the mid-nineties to protect intelligence officers and their identities. When a person uses TOR, their IP address is hidden and movements are bounced from server to server, making it impossible to track.” Madison stopped talking as Parker slowed the vehicle. “What are we doing?” she asked as he pulled into a gas station.