as she watched him. Her eyes grew huge. Hysteria assailed her. He numbed his mind to her panic. He had to do this. He was her only chance.
“No, help!” She thrashed and twisted, trying desperately to escape. With a steady hand, he opened the vial to pour the contents onto the rag.
“Please, stop.” She was sobbing, her body jolting beneath him with each breath. He couldn’t take it anymore; he needed to get her unconscious. He picked up the rag and brought it down on her mouth, smothering her pleas. Her head shook from side to side as she tried valiantly to breathe in fresh air.
“Shh…it’s okay.” He couldn’t help himself. All he wanted to do was reassure her and stop her from crying. After only a minute, her head lolled to the side and she lay completely still. He waited an extra couple of seconds, then removed the rag. Her cheeks and chest were wet with tears. Acid burned the inside of his stomach at the sight. He had been here much longer than he’d anticipated. Lana Vanderpoel had put up a damn good fight. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her. Had she been a man, she wouldn’t have lasted two seconds.
He got to his feet and searched her room. He couldn’t walk out with her slung over his shoulder. He grabbed a dark blanket off the bed and bundled it around her limp body. He had originally planned to buy her some clothes to wear, but hadn’t gotten around to it. Spotting her dresser against the wall, he strode over to the drawers and pulled out a sweater and sweatpants. He knelt down and tucked the clothes into the blanket with her. He picked up his bundle and tossed her over his shoulder. Lana was small, probably no more than 110 pounds, but dead weight was difficult to manage.
He gripped her thighs tightly and weaved his way through the dark house, not daring to turn on a light. Although he had managed to cut off her screams, she had made some noise. He doubted anyone had heard, but nonetheless, he needed to get the hell out. Once he reached the door, he opened it a crack and waited for the camera. At the right moment, he slipped out and shut the door behind him. He was at the gate in less than thirty seconds. He punched in the code, the gate swung open dutifully, and he strode out as if he were no one other than the mailman.
Tomorrow would be Sunday. No one would suspect that she was missing until Monday, when she didn’t show up for work. He climbed into the back of the utility van he had borrowed from a friend, which had the name of a popular plumbing company embossed on the side. He unwrapped her.
She was out. Her chest rose and fell in peaceful sleep. Due to the amount of chloroform he had given her, she would probably be out cold for a while and would wake disoriented and nauseous. He had rented a cabin that was nearly a two-hour drive away. It was in a secluded area on the beach. They wouldn’t be able to stay there long, but he needed to buy them some time while he devised a plan. Before he headed to the cabin, though, he would stop, change vehicles, and ditch the plumber’s van.
Lana moaned softly in her sleep, pulling him out of his trance. He reached into his bag, pulled out a roll of duct tape, and began to tape her wrists. He didn’t waste time doing her ankles. If she woke up before they arrived, she would be so groggy that she wouldn’t even be able to get to her feet. He covered her from head to toe in the blanket and climbed into the front seat.
After twenty minutes or so, he pulled up to his own truck and loaded her into the back seat. It was spacious, and with the seats folded back there was plenty of room. She was still blissfully asleep, but not for long. How was he going to explain to her why he’d taken her? Would she believe the truth? Leaving her to sleep, he slid into the driver’s seat and began the commute to the cabin.
Chapter 4
A sick feeling in the pit of her stomach was the first thing that tugged her out of the deep sleep.
Cramps?
No. That wasn’t it. What the heck was the matter with her? Her body rose and dropped involuntarily. Nausea bubbled in her throat. She wanted to sit up, but her head weighed a ton. Why was she so dizzy? She pulled her knees in closer to her chest. She reached for her stomach…but couldn’t budge her hands. She tried again. Something tugged on her wrists. An alarm went off in her head. She dared to open one eye, just a slit.
This wasn’t her bed. It wasn’t even soft. What was this rough, scratchy blanket around her? She opened both eyes. Nausea hit her like a punch to the solar plexus. She closed her eyes on another wave. She was moving. No, she was in something that was moving—a vehicle.
Her heart beat rapidly against her breastbone. Terror sank its sharp teeth into her flesh. She was lying on the floor of a vehicle, her wrists bound, her body covered. She took a soundless deep breath and tried to calm herself. What was the last thing she remembered?
She had gone out, that’s right. To a nightclub, and she had gone with friends. Carly had given her a ride home. She remembered the whole night—had she even been drunk? She had gone to bed, she was sure of it. She remembered washing up and curling up in her cozy, warm sheets…but nothing after that.
No, wait. Something had scared her.
The rest flooded back with the force of a tidal wave. She could still taste the sweet-smelling rag.
She had to stay calm. Had to stay calm and think. From where she lay, she couldn’t see the driver, but she was able to see the front passenger seat, and it was empty. She glanced to her side, only to discover that there weren’t any seats for any other passengers. She was in a pickup truck with the back seats folded up. Either this man was the one and only kidnapper, or he was the one doing the kidnap and delivery. If he wasn’t the mastermind, he was surely bringing her to that person.
Her best—and maybe only—chance at escape would be when he came to remove her from the vehicle. He would expect her to be unconscious. If he was alone and not meeting anyone, she might just have a chance. Her mind was foggy, but she remembered one thing for sure: This guy was big. Not fat, but very fit and muscular. She couldn’t say how tall he was because she hadn’t been standing next to him, but judging by the length of his body against hers, he was tall as well. He had been strong. Even though he had overpowered her easily, she had sensed that he had been holding back.
The restraints at her wrists bit into her skin. Even if she found a weapon, she wouldn’t be able to use it. The radio was on, but it was barely audible. If she moved at all, he would surely hear.
Why, oh why, had she been so darn stubborn about those self-defense classes her father had wanted her to take? He had been pushing them on her for as long as she could remember. She worked out regularly, and did yoga and Pilates, although she doubted any of that would help her. Unless she could throw him off with her three-legged-dog pose.
Her only option would be to attack him when he opened the door. The idea of putting herself into an upright position turned her stomach. There would only be one window of opportunity. How long had they been driving? She couldn’t see anything except the dark night sky whizzing past the window. Her head spun. She closed her eyes to fight off the nausea. She needed more time, at least another hour or two. She noted the sound of the ocean crashing against the shore. They were somewhere along the coast. That could be anywhere, but at least she had an idea of her surroundings. She would do anything she had to do to get away. This pervert might think he had picked an easy target, but he was sorely mistaken. Anger surged through her. If she had to, she would gouge his eyes out with her fingers. There was no way she would let him touch her.
No way. She would die protecting herself.
She lay as still as she could and took soft, deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth. She had to stay calm and levelheaded. The more oxygen she could get in, the better, right?
They traveled for another half hour, without any signs of stopping. She was still struggling with calming her nerves when her body rolled forward and her nose went under the driver’s seat. Were they slowing down? Her pulse kicked up and knocked against her throat so hard she was afraid he would hear it. He turned onto what sounded like a gravel road. The uneven terrain bounced her around. She bit her tongue and tried to keep her body from rolling. A few minutes later, the vehicle lurched to a halt. She had to stay calm. If he suspected that she was awake, she would have a snowball’s chance in hell