Demon Hunters 1: Blood Sacrifice (Stand Alone Series) (Demon Hunters.) (2 page)

Alyssa slowly came to. A pounding in her head and a horrible taste in her mouth let her know she was alive. She tried to move her arms. Panic rushed through her when she couldn’t. They were tied above her head. The rest of her body could move and she twisted, realising she was on a narrow, metal-framed bed.

A scream threatened to escape and Alyssa held it in. As she twisted to see more of where she was being held, her foot brushed against something at the end of the bed. A sudden indrawn breath, fists clenched and teeth clamped together was enough to hold in the scream a little longer. She lifted her head and saw it was her handbag. She let out the breath she held.

The room was nearly empty. Grey light shone feebly in from an uncurtained window. The light of predawn did little to dispel the darkness in the small, featureless room. Other than the bed, there was only a solid looking armchair. The room was also devoid of other people.

Alyssa strained her ears, but could hear nothing. She was alone. As hard as she tried to convince herself being alone was preferable to being with one of the men who’d kidnapped her, the thought of being tied up and unable to escape seemed far worse. No one knew where she was. She didn’t even know where she was. The thought of being tied up for days until she starved raced through her mind. Her stomach growled as if to highlight her predicament.

Alyssa fought a wild urge to laugh. Hysteria, she thought. And I can’t even slap myself out of it. More laughter threatened. A quick indrawn breath turned into a half sob. “Think,” she whispered to herself. Her foot brushed against her bag again. The image of her phone flashed into her mind. Carefully, so she didn’t knock it off the bed, Alyssa tugged at the bag with her feet. She moved up on the bed, until she sat with her back against the bed head and her arms held awkwardly to one side. She hooked her foot around her bag and pulled it ever closer. She had her boots on and they made the procedure difficult. As did her skirt.

A sudden scrape at the door made her freeze, her eyes darting towards it. She began to tremble. Her breath shuddered in and out as she tried to control the urge to scream. She was worried if she started she’d never stop.

The door swung open and Nathan stood in the doorway, a tray of food balanced on one hand. “And sleeping beauty wakes right on schedule.”

“Why?” The word came out as little more than a croak.

“If you be a good girl I’ll untie one hand and let you have something to eat.”

“I want to go home.” Alyssa could only manage a whisper.

“I hope you’re not going to cry. Tears annoy the hell out of me.” He placed the tray on the floor beside the bed and straightened to stare down at her.

Alyssa looked into the same dark eyes that had been her last vision before this room. The faint hint of amusement was back in them. Anger started to course through her, chasing away the fear.

Nathan laughed. “And don’t you look like you could go several rounds in the ring right now. It’s not going to help you know.”

“I need to use the bathroom,” Alyssa said coldly, a sharpness to her tone. Anger she knew. It was almost a friend.

His eyes narrowed. Then, with a single nod, he untied Alyssa from the bed frame. He held her wrists tightly and stared into her eyes, all amusement currently gone from his. “You try and escape and next time you need to go to the bathroom I won’t be taking you.”

Alyssa didn’t answer, only returned his stare. Behind her anger was the fear she’d felt on waking. The mind numbing fear that had gripped her before the drug had done its job last night. And she didn’t want to let it take over again. She fought to hold onto her anger, but a persistent thought kept trying to force its way past it. Nathan hadn’t bothered to hide his face. She could describe him in perfect detail to the police if she was ever released. She could think of only one reason he hadn’t bothered to hide his face. And that reason involved her not being able to tell anyone.

Nathan let go of her wrists and stepped back. “You’ve got fifteen minutes. Turn right, second door on the left.” He motioned towards the door he’d left open.

Alyssa glanced towards him and then the doorway. She automatically grabbed her handbag and started to slide off the bed.

“The bag stays here.”

Alyssa’s fingers tightened on the strap before she forced them to let go. She concentrated on standing up from the bed and watched as her boots touched the wooden floorboards. She continued to stare at them as she took a hesitant step forward. It was easier to watch where her feet landed than to give any attention to the man who stood to her left. Easier to focus on putting one foot in front of the other than to let unsettling thoughts enter her head. One foot in front of the other. She paused in the doorway, her eyes drawn to the left. There was a closed door several metres from her. She looked towards the right and saw the corridor ended in a T intersection.

“Time’s ticking, Princess.”

Nathan was so close she could feel his breath graze her cheek. Her head flew up and she stumbled into the corridor as she spun to face him. His grin made the anger in her burn brighter. She turned away from him and forced herself to walk at a normal pace to the bathroom. What she really wanted to do was run. Run as far and as fast as possible. And scream. She wanted to scream until she was so hoarse she could scream no more. And even then, she thought she might continue. Only silently. Mouth open. Sound absent.

Seeing the second door on the left, Alyssa stopped in front of it. She focused all her attention on the door. Anything to prevent herself from sending a fearful glance to Nathan. Was he standing in the doorway? Had he followed her silently again? She reached out and turned the doorknob. The door opened easily and she stepped inside the bathroom. She leaned against the door once she closed it and saw it had a lock. The sound of it clicking into place was satisfying.

Still leaned against the door, Alyssa glanced around. White tiles, pale blue trim. It was only large enough for a shower, toilet and a vanity with a large mirror on the wall behind it. Even the window was small, three short louvres set high up on the wall above the toilet. Alyssa started to slide down the door, her knees wanting to give way.

But she didn’t know how much time she had left. She forced her rubbery legs to carry her to the toilet and once she’d used it, leaned against the vanity, staring at herself in the mirror. Her eyes looked too large for her face, haunted green pools. Too large and too full of emotions she didn’t want to admit to. She splashed water on her face and tried to clean off the smeared makeup. A handtowel hung on the wall beside her and she used it to wipe most of it off. She left the discoloured cloth on the vanity, not caring if it was ruined. She hoped it was. Grim satisfaction momentarily arrowed through her. She cupped her hands under the tap and drank, the water doing little to ease the hunger pains. While the water ran over her hands, she realised her watch was missing. What else had been taken from her while she slept? She couldn’t focus on that thought so she looked up, away from her bare wrist. In the mirror, she could see the small window.

She had to get out. Panic rushed at her, stealing her breath and making her cling to the vanity as her legs gave out. She slid to the floor. Her hands clung to the edge of the vanity and her head pressed against the doors. A shuddering sob tore through her.

“Time’s up. Get out here now,” Nathan ordered from the other side of the door.

Alyssa started to shake, and her teeth chattered as if she was cold. The water continued to run in the basin and Nathan banged on the door. Alyssa couldn’t move or talk. It was all she could do not to scream.

“If I have to break down this door, you won’t like the consequences.” Nathan spoke softly, but Alyssa had no trouble believing he meant every word.

She crawled across the floor, unable to stand and with a trembling hand reached up and unlocked the door. She moved to the side as the door swung open. She kept her head down so her hair fell forward to hide her face. Her eyes closed so she didn’t have to see her surroundings. She wished she was somewhere else. Anywhere else. Her body continued to shake and if her teeth hadn’t been clenched so tightly, they’d have chattered.

The silence stretched out and she was tempted to open her eyes and see if Nathan still stood there. But she’d rather keep them closed and imagine he’d left. Keep them closed and think about the party she was supposed to go to. She thought of Erin, probably frantic by now. Would she have called her parents? Would people be looking for her?

Her thoughts were brought to an abrupt end as he grabbed her arm and dragged her roughly to her feet. Her head snapped back and her eyes flew open. She stared up at Nathan.

How could I have gotten into a car with him? So he’s good looking. Big deal. Don’t they say some of the worst serial killers are?

“You’ll ring the girl you were with. And tell her you’re fine.” Nathan pressed her phone into her hands.

“No.”

“We can track her down. Do you want us to do that? It’d be best if she had no reason to describe us to the police.”

Alyssa’s fingers closed around her phone. “It’s probably too late.”

“You’d better hope it isn’t. Now ring her. And make sure you don’t say the wrong thing. Be convincing. I don’t leave loose threads behind.”

Alyssa trembled at the lack of emotion in Nathan’s voice. She couldn’t look away from his eyes. Even the amusement from earlier was gone. Now they were as emotionless as his voice.

“Why?” The word came out like a plea and Alyssa cringed to hear herself.

“Ring your friend now.”

Nathan let go of Alyssa and she stumbled, catching herself on the wall. She knew her legs wouldn’t hold her for more than a few seconds, they trembled that hard. She slid down the wall until she sat at Nathan’s feet. It was the last place she wanted to be, but she had little choice in the matter. When Nathan looked pointedly at her phone again, she turned it on. She cringed back against the wall as Nathan moved towards her. She shuddered in relief when she saw he was only turning the tap off.

When her phone finished turning on, she stared at the date and time displayed over a photo of her and Erin. Nearly six a.m. Yesterday her life had been normal. Yesterday her biggest problem had been her parents.

“What are you waiting for?”

Alyssa glanced towards Nathan before she called Erin. Her friend answered instantly, which was amazing at this hour of the morning.

“Where are you? I’ve been frantic. I even called the police, but they said you hadn’t been missing for twenty-four hours and you went with them of your own free will and-” Erin fell silent for about five seconds. “Oh god, no. It is you, isn’t it? Speak to me.”

“It’s me.” Alyssa tried hard to make her voice sound normal. “It’s just impossible to talk over you.” She closed her eyes and blocked out her surroundings, concentrating on Erin. She had to keep Erin safe.

“Where are you?”

“Nathan’s house.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. What the hell do you think you’re doing? Are you mad?”

“Probably.”

“What’s the address? I’ll get one of my brothers to pick you up.”

“Erin. I’m fine. I’m going to hang out with Nathan today.”

“But you don’t even know him. For all you know he could be a serial killer.”

Alyssa started to laugh. She tried hard to stop, but it seemed impossible. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she tried to convince herself it was from laughter.

“Allie? You okay? You sound…. I don’t know. You’re not in some kind of trouble are you?”

“Sorry. But it was just… so funny.” Alyssa forced herself to stop laughing by reminding herself Erin needed to be kept safe. “Did you say anything to my parents about… last night?”

“Nearly. But, well… I didn’t want to get you into more trouble. I didn’t know what to do. I mean you just hopped in the car. And then you weren’t at the party. You should have called me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah well, don’t you ever do that to me again.”

“Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll give you a call later.”

“Make sure you do. I’ve been so worried about you. Call me every hour so I know you’re alive.”

“Really, Erin. That’s overkill. It’s something my parents’d say. I’ll call you later when I get a few minutes. We’ve got things we’re planning to do.”

“Like what?”

“I’ll tell you everything when I see you next.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, Erin. I promise. After all, you’re my best friend. And isn’t that what best friends do?”

“Aww, don’t go getting mushy on me.”

“Talk to you later.”

“Okay.”

Alyssa hung up and let her hand drop into her lap. Her eyes stayed closed and she didn’t have a clue if Nathan stood there watching her. Her cheeks were damp with tears and her throat ached with trying to hold the rest of them back. Something nudged her leg and her eyes flew open. It was Nathan’s boot. Her eyes travelled up the black denim that covered his legs and stopped at the dark green shirt he wore. She couldn’t bring herself to look at his face. To look into his eyes. If they were filled with amusement she knew she’d be tempted to strike him. Well, she would if she could figure out how to make her body move.

“Back to the room now. Before I drag you.”

“Drag me then,” Alyssa muttered.

“Then don’t bother asking to use the bathroom again,” Nathan warned.

“Bastard!” She tried to struggle to her feet. She closed her eyes tight for a second before she opened them again. This time she met Nathan’s eyes, her hand held out towards him. “Help me up.” It took an effort. Nearly a minute before she could bring herself to mutter, “Please.”

He made her wait long enough she began to think he wouldn’t bother. She was about to put her hand down when he grabbed it and dragged her to her feet. She swayed as she held tightly to his hand. It was a lifeline. A reluctant one. But she was even more reluctant to fall flat on her face. As soon as she was steady, she let go of his hand and walked back to her prison. Her phone was clutched tightly, her knuckles white from the pressure.

Alyssa paused in the doorway, her eyes drawn to the bed. She looked at the armchair. That was her only option. She couldn’t bring herself to go anywhere near the bed. As soon as she reached the chair, she collapsed into it.

“Back on the bed. I can’t chain you to the chair.” Nathan stood in the doorway.

“I-” Alyssa stopped speaking the moment she looked into his eyes. Pleading would be a waste of breath.

“And your phone. Hand it over. You can keep the rest of your junk.”

Alyssa glanced to where she’d left her handbag on the bed and noticed the contents had been dumped out. Anger surged through her and brought her to her feet. “How dare you-” she broke off at his laughter.

“You’re more amusing than the last one.”

“Last-” Alyssa seemed to be having trouble finishing sentences. She took several steps towards the bed. She wanted to gather all her things and hold them tight. It was irrational. She knew it was. They were things. Unimportant. Having her bag searched was nothing compared to being drugged and kidnapped.

“Your phone, Allie.”

Alyssa looked at it. Her only contact with the rest of the world. She took several reluctant steps towards Nathan. As she started to hand the phone to him, it began to ring. She nearly dropped it. She glanced at the display before she looked at Nathan. “My parents.”

“Answer them. And don’t forget I know where they live. I saw the address on your license.”

Alyssa nodded and answered her phone.

“I’ve been out of my mind with worry all night. We won’t tolerate this sort of behaviour.”

“Sorry, Mum. But you’re suffocating me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re our child. Of course we’re going to protect you. Where are you?”

“With a friend. Look, I’m going to stay here for a bit. As much as I love you and Dad, I really need a break from you.”

“Stop acting so childish and tell me where you are,” Grace snapped. “Do I have to wake your father to talk to you?”

“I’m sorry for everything. I love you, Mum. I’m turning my phone off now and leaving it off. I’m really sorry.” Her words broke on a reluctant sob. Alyssa turned her phone off before she could cry and handed it to Nathan who pushed it into the back pocket of his jeans.

“On the bed.”

Alyssa turned towards the bed and froze. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t make herself walk to the bed. She knew he was going to tie her up, but then what? And what last one? How many had there been before her and what had happened to them? A push against her lower back caused her to stumble forward, and she had to step sideways so she didn’t land in the tray of food beside the bed. She lost her balance and tumbled onto the bed, trying to avoid falling on her things. She twisted as she fell so she lay on her back, staring up at Nathan as he stood above her.

“I have a little present for you.” With a sneer, Nathan pulled a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket and roughly grabbed one of her hands. He had her attached to the bed head in moments. “Don’t go away now. We’ve got some fun planned for this evening.”

“What sort of fun?” Alyssa was certain she didn’t want to know, but the question seemed to escape on its own.

“If you’re a good little girl I might tell you when I come back.”

“You’re going?” Hysteria threatened to erupt again.

“No one can hear you if you scream.” Nathan’s lips curved into a malicious smile. “I’ll be back before dark. Midnight at the latest.” Then he was gone and the door was locked behind him.

Alyssa focused on the fact she should’ve rechecked the time before handing over her phone. Time. Time seemed to be in short supply. Midnight. Was that it? Was that all the time she had left? How many minutes had she used talking on the phone? How many minutes were left? Once again she fought the scream that tried to escape. He expected her to scream. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. There had to be some way out of this. Never had she imagined her life would end like this. Sure, she’d read books, seen movies, even read articles in newspapers and watched the news. But things like this didn’t happen to people like her. Other people maybe. Not her. Maybe it was a nightmare. Alyssa latched onto that idea. Of course. A nightmare. She sat up, and looked around.

The room was in clear focus. Everything was sharp, unlike her usually blurred dreams. “Won’t think about it,” Alyssa muttered. Her eyes fell on the tray and she reached towards it. Her hand curled into a fist and she quickly withdrew it. Was it drugged? How could you tell? Her stomach growled. Her fist opened and her hand pressed against her mouth. Saliva filled it at the thought of the food sitting there, taunting her. She forced her eyes away from the tray. They fell on the scattered contents of her bag. In amongst everything, she spotted a chocolate bar and pounced on it. She quickly tore off the wrapper and took a large bite. It was gone within seconds and she was searching through the rest of her things. She found a small packet of chips and a nearly empty bottle of water. She drank the last mouthful of tepid water before starting on the chips.

Her stomach still felt hollow. She put everything back in her bag, one item at a time, hoping she’d missed spotting some food. All she managed to find was a brightly wrapped butterscotch. She popped the sweet in her mouth and tried not to think of the food on the floor. She could manage. Hadn’t she held in the scream that echoed in the back of her head? Not touching food should be simple.

But it wasn’t. It called to her. Mocked her. Determined, she stood up and pushed the tray away from the bed with the toe of her boot. She sat on the floor and lay down. She stretched out as far as possible, her arm high over her head and the handcuffs cutting into her wrist. She pushed the tray across the room with her foot. Now it’d be impossible to reach. She crawled on the bed. She couldn’t give in and eat it. Satisfied, she stared sightlessly at the ceiling. In a minute she’d have a look at the handcuff. There had to be some way of getting out of it. How many movies had she seen where they’d picked the lock and escaped? How hard could it be?

A wave of despair washed over her and she closed her eyes. She fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Instead she focused on her breathing. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. She focused so hard on her breathing she fell asleep.