Innocence Taken (28 page)

Having her arms restrained behind her made the man's weight on her uncomfortable. She put up with it.. If she moved or shifted in any way, it might wake him and set him off. She wanted to see Web and Sandy again. The thought of the two most important people in her life sustained her through the long night. The man changed his position a couple of times. His mouth always returned to her breast. By morning, after he was up and outside, she wished she could wipe the feeling of wet slobber off.

Web's face throbbed. It felt like a 300-pound gorilla had used it for a basketball. He flexed his jaw and opened his eyes. Sandy lay next to him; her hair sprawled in different directions. He watched her eyes open..

"What happened?"

"Franklin decided we were in the way. He put us out of commission temporarily."

"You look like shit. You're going to have a nasty bruise later."

"What else is new? Help me out here. We have to get free so we can find Nature. Roll over and put your back against mine, let's try sitting up."

Sandy did as instructed and they were sitting up a second later. His head swam. It took a moment for the world to stabilize. Once it did, he glanced at the coffee table. The folders were still there. An envelope sat among the papers. Getting up onto his knees, he stumbled his way to it. Writing was on the front. It was from Franklin.

"Sandy, the asshole left us a present. I have a guess at what it contains.” He bent over and picked it up with his teeth. Shaking his head, he heard the sound of something solid sliding inside. He worked back to her and dropped it in her waiting hands. She tore it open. A key fell out. “Yup, it's what I thought. It's the key to the handcuffs."

He backed up to her and grabbed it. Feeling around, he inserted it into the opening located on the metal. The cuff fell off with a twist of the wrist. She brought her arms forward and rubbed circulation back into them. Web waited patiently. She freed her other wrist, then released his. Rising to his feet, he returned to the table. His eyes fell on the place on the map where he thought Nature was. Sandy joined him. Her eyes followed his line of sight.

"Web, what if the area where the girl was found eleven years ago, and the more recent one, were not the right spots. What if it was more south of that?"

"But Nature said it was near a mountain, in a little used forest area. It fits the profile."

"Think about it.” She looked at Web. “If you were killing girls, would you bury their bodies in your backyard? Or would you take them a short distance away, somewhere still close enough for you to visit when the need arose."

"Web stared at the map, “You know ... it makes sense. It makes more sense than mine.” Glancing up at her, he said, “Where do you propose we look?"

Her slender manicured finger touched directly north of their present location. The one Web had pointed to was more in line with the road, more east of where she pointed.

"We better get rolling. Nature has been with that shit for three days now. That's three days longer than I like."

Outside, they were glad to see all four tires on the Mustang remained loaded with air. The departing men had not punctured them. Web started the powerful engine and guided the vehicle down the dirt road, back onto the paved one. He turned right, heading the way they came last night. The sign for Route 28 showed where to turn. Once they were on the road, both kept a sharp eye out for any indications of where a vehicle might have pulling off. The sign for Cherry Grove welcomed them 17 miles later. Pulling the Mustang over, Web blew out a frustrated breath.

"I didn't see anything."

"That doesn't mean it's not there. We just missed it."

"What if we're looking in the wrong area? Damn!"

Sandy reached over and laid her hand on his. “We'll find her."

"He gripped the hand with his free one. “I hope you're right, Sandy. I don't think I could stand to lose someone I love again."

She kept her voice level. “Let's drive the road, again and again if we have to, until we find what we're looking for.” She gave him a warm smile, which he returned.

"Okay."

He pulled a u-turn and pushed the gas pedal downward. They met Route 250 without seeing anything. Web grew more frustrated with every passing mile. He was smoldering by the time he pulled the car to the side of the road.

"Web, I need you to do another pass."

"Why!” He barked the word out. “So we can waste more time and allow that dick to kill Nature?"

"No ... so we can save her.” Her voice remained level, her words soft. “Web ... please."

He said nothing as he slammed his foot down, causing the Mustang to whip around. Smoke rose up and long black stripes showed where they recently sat. They were about eleven miles from the interchange when Sandy shouted, “There!"

Web slammed on the brakes. Thankfully, both were wearing seatbelts, preventing them from being hurled into the windshield by the sudden stop. Web glanced where she pointed. He didn't see what she was so interested in. The only thing he saw was a lone holly bush. That wasn't unusual. They grew wild in this area.

"That bush. Do you see it?"

"Yea. So what? They grow here."

"Yea. But do you see any other holly bushes around here?"

He twisted his head around. Not another one was in sight. “No. Hey, I wasn't paying attention to bushes. There's probably more farther along."

"There aren't. I watched. This is the only one."

He focused his attention on her. “So what are you thinking?"

"I think the killer planted it to mark a pathway.” Her features showed her excitement. It was infectious. “If we go over and check it out, I think we'll find what we're looking for."

The tires spun. Again, black stripes showed on the road. Web pulled up next to the bush and put the Mustang into park. Both got out and walked closer. As they approached, tire prints became evident in the dirt. They led deeper into the forest. Web followed them. He saw the path. He looked at Sandy standing next to him. She looked back, a grin of satisfaction planted on her face.

"Has anyone ever told you you're pretty smart for a blonde?"

The grin broadened. “All the time."

Turning around, Web said, “Let's follow this and see where it leads."

After the engine roared to life, Web backed up so the car pointed toward the path.. Stepping on the gas pedal, the back tires, which were the only ones on the pavement, spun. He gave Sandy a sheepish look. “Guess I'm more anxious than I thought."

"Me too."

The bush disappeared and a path wide enough for the car appeared. They followed if for a couple of miles, both hoping it was not a wrong move. Before long, an abnormal thick wall of vines hung in their way.. Web stopped and got out. He walked up to it and pulled a section back. A SUV came into view. It was a blue Dodge. He peered in the windows; it was empty. Excitedly, he waved for Sandy to join him.

"Is that it?"

"It sure is.” He walked the perimeter and found what he was looking for near the back. “Sandy, look here, boot prints go this way.” He pointed up a narrow trail leading into the trees. “And look, two sets of bare footprints follow.” He started up a narrow trail, anxious to find Nature.

Sandy hesitated. “Web, do we need to call someone and let them know about this?"

"Who am I going to call? Franklin?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I don't like the idea of going after a killer without someone knowing it."

"Fuck ‘em. That asshole can go to hell.” He spun around and continued up the trail. He yelled over a shoulder, “You coming?"

Sandy sighed and ran after him, catching up in a few strides. “I hope we won't regret your stubbornness."

"We won't."

The man paced around the inside of the cabin.. Something was bothering him. Something felt out of sorts. He didn't know what it was or why. He just knew. He fiddled with the fire then moved to the window before returning to the fire. He fingered his penis while he walked. It was a nervous habit he had acquired over the years.

Nature gripped the straps holding her arms. The man had released the handcuffs and spread her extremities so he could lay on her more comfortably. The feel of the other girls ran through her. It helped her to remain quiet. It helped her to plot a way to get free. While the man slept last night, she became angry. Angry at what he had done, angry at how he took life so easily, as if it wasn't important. The angrier she became, the more determined she was to end his destructive spree.

The man walked over and sat beside her on the bed. His free hand reached up to finger her breast. Nature felt his evil ebb into her. Each time, it washed deeper into her soul, threatening to consume her. She still had a problem seeing his face when the visions of the girls overtook her. She wished it were the case now as he sat next to her, touching her with his soft caress.. His outer appearance was handsome, by today's standard. The darkness inside made him ugly. Unable to stop herself, she flinched in disgust.

Sadness filled the man's eyes. He had felt her resistance the first time he showed her his pleasures, but hoped The One would come around. Unlike the other girls, she remained distant. Unlike the others, his patience was growing thin. He wanted peace. He wanted the inner turmoil to go away. Her eyes were vacant when he tried to please her. They filled with hatred during the interims. He saw it, even if she didn't realize what she was doing.. Maybe she was not The One after all. His finger circled her nipple while he thought. With a sigh, he crawled on top of her.

He kissed her taped lips. Wanting to savor her taste, he jerked the silver strip off. Her eyes widened and her breath rushed in as the shock of removal hit her. She recovered immediately. The man knew he was going to miss her. She was calm, unlike the others. She helped ease the restlessness for a short time. Unfortunately, it wasn't long enough. He felt it pacing in the background, ever-present. The restless beast always found a way back. He kissed her lips softly, inserting his tongue into her mouth. As gently as he kissed her, he inserted his erect penis into her.

Nature felt his body against hers as he disappeared deep within. The evil permeated into every pore. She arched her head sideways when the man moved his lips down to her neck. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to not cry out with disgust. He started gliding in and out. The feeling was sickening. His hands roamed over her body. She wished he would die. But then, so would she.. Because of the remote location of the cabin, the likelihood of anyone finding her was zilch. Thus, she suffered through his gentle assault until he ejaculated in her.

The man lay there, kissing her, the muscles of his penis expanding and contracting as the semen exited. He wondered if he should keep her, but decided he did not want to waste any more time. He had to hunt for The One. He had to find her so the beast would go away. The decision made, he got up and started releasing her.

Nature saw him stand and undo the restraints holding her legs. She wondered what he was up to. While she watched, he moved to her arms. He helped her sit before retying her hands together, this time in front, not behind as before. Nature had been in the bed for two solid days, her extremities unable to move. The ability to do so now, was therefore reduced. When he helped her to her feet, she collapsed back onto the bed. Her legs tingled with the return of circulation. Her arms, too. The man began to rub them,

After a couple minutes of brisk rubbing, he assisted her to her feet once more. This time she managed to stay up. He slipped the collar back in place. It was removed when she lay restrained on the bed. Picking up the leash, he pulled her outside. He guided her to the left, onto a worn path. The sun was high in the sky; it gave no warmth to those beneath it. The air had a chill of the coming winter to it. It blanketed Nature's exposed skin, making goose bumps rise. She shivered. The man had his back toward her. He missed the shiver.

They walked into an open area. Nature stopped, causing the leash to go taunt between them. The man halted. He glanced over a shoulder. He saw the look of horror on Nature's face. He gave her a faint smile and tugged on the leash. She resisted. He tugged harder. She reached up with her hands and grabbed the leash while planting her heels in the soft ground. She wasn't concerned about whether it made the man angry or not, not with where he had taken her. Beyond the struggle lay an open pit. The man had brought her to meet the others.

His face became a mask of rage. He pulled on the leash so hard that Nature wasn't able to stay upright. She flipped over, landing hard on her left shoulder before rolling onto her back. In an instant, the man was on her. He straddled her, pinning her with the weight of his body. Nature twisted and tried to pivot under him. His fist hit her face with full force. She tried to block him with her arms. He grabbed them and held them out of the way.. He hit her over and over. When he stopped, blood ran from her nose and split lip. Her eye started to swell. It matched the swelling on her cheeks and jaw.

The brutal attack seemed to excite the man. He was erect by the time he had her subdued. He moved backwards so he could lift her legs, making access to her easy, allowing one last ride before he set out. As he guided his penis toward her ass, he heard a scream.

Miranda leaped onto his back, wrapping her arm around his throat, pulling it tight with the other. The man fell away from Nature, struggling to get the surprisingly alive woman off. He grabbed at her arms, her face, at any part he managed to reach. She clung to him like a leech. Nature barely made out the combatants. Her head swam and the swelling made it difficult to see. Her ears worked fine, though.

"You only needed me! You had to ruin everything by bringing that bitch here. I could have satisfied you for years but noooo, you had to ignore what you had and dip your wick elsewhere.” Her loud words echoed across the area. “If I can't have you then no one can, especially some worthless slut who doesn't appreciate what you have to give!” She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled her arm tighter around his neck.