thud, as if her head was a coconut. Catching her as she groaned and collapsed, he lifted her limp body and draped it across his shoulder, and then he trotted into the trees. In the inky shadows of the Big Thicket, he alternated walking fast and jogging for several miles along a narrow, zigzag path through the thick trees and underbrush, beneath faint moonlight that filtered at intervals through the tree canopy. He exploded into a small clearing and laid the bat and the unconscious woman on the ground near a tree. Although his shirt was splotched with sweat, he was not out of breath.
Race covered the woman’s mouth with duct tape, pulled her arms behind her, and wrapped her wrists and lower legs with tape. A heavy chain was secured around a tree near the woman. He encircled her waist with one end of the chain and joined chain links behind her back with a metal clasp. He tested the chain; it was snug around her waist.
Race tossed dry wood into a campfire pit in the center of the clearing. After a few minutes, a blazing fire lit the clearing. He turned as the woman opened her eyes and moaned, his body and face reflecting the flickering yellows and reds from the flames.
He pulled a long knife out of a nearby backpack and swaggered over to her, smirking as he held the gleaming knife in front of him. He leaned down, his contorted face inches away from her wide-open eyes.
“Remember me? You were mean to me in school.” He spat on her. “You’re not mean to me now, are you?”
Chapter 14
The big day has arrived, Aaron thought as he walked into his clinic. He pumped his fist in the air. My date with Marley is tonight.
Midafternoon, Stella approached Aaron in the hallway. “Dale McCorkindale is here. He wants to ask you something.”
“That’s Boots, the car dealer, right?”
“One and the same. He likes to be called Dale.”
Aaron walked to the waiting room and spotted Dale sitting in a chair.
Dale stood and they shook hands. “What can I do for you today?” Aaron said.
“You ever been fishing?”
“No.” Aaron raised his hand. “Well, I take that back. I went once as a Boy Scout. I don’t remember much about it.”
“I like to take new folks fishing. Why don’t you and I go one weekend morning?”
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
“Good. You’ll find it relaxing.”
Dale stopped at the front door. “Don’t forget about my offer on the pickup truck.”
Aaron snorted. “I won’t. Maybe someday.”
Aaron was about to enter a patient room when Stella stopped him.
“This guy is an odd one,” she whispered. “Be ready for a wacky story.”
“What was his name? I saw it on the computer.”
“Cam Fillmore.”
Aaron nodded and walked into the room. A lanky man with long dirty blond hair sat on the examination table, a guitar hanging from his neck.
“How can I help you, Mr. Fillmore?” Aaron said.
Cam strummed a few chords. “I’m out of my medicine. I haven’t taken it for a while. My doctor says I need it.”
That’s easy enough, Aaron thought. He’d read in the patient record that the man was on an antipsychotic medication.
“I can help you with that, and I’m glad you’re following your doctor’s wishes.”
He strummed a few more chords. “Sometimes I don’t think I really need the medicine.”
“Just remember, it helps you think straight.”
“I guess so.”
“Where is your doctor?”
“Montana.”
“You’re a long way from home.”
“I moved here not too long ago.”
“Montana must be a nice place. Why did you move away?”
Cam strummed more chords, louder this time. “I had to get away.”
“So it was time for a change.”
“I had to get away from them.”
Aaron raised his eyebrows. “I see. Anyone in particular?”
“The
Race covered the woman’s mouth with duct tape, pulled her arms behind her, and wrapped her wrists and lower legs with tape. A heavy chain was secured around a tree near the woman. He encircled her waist with one end of the chain and joined chain links behind her back with a metal clasp. He tested the chain; it was snug around her waist.
Race tossed dry wood into a campfire pit in the center of the clearing. After a few minutes, a blazing fire lit the clearing. He turned as the woman opened her eyes and moaned, his body and face reflecting the flickering yellows and reds from the flames.
He pulled a long knife out of a nearby backpack and swaggered over to her, smirking as he held the gleaming knife in front of him. He leaned down, his contorted face inches away from her wide-open eyes.
“Remember me? You were mean to me in school.” He spat on her. “You’re not mean to me now, are you?”
Chapter 14
The big day has arrived, Aaron thought as he walked into his clinic. He pumped his fist in the air. My date with Marley is tonight.
Midafternoon, Stella approached Aaron in the hallway. “Dale McCorkindale is here. He wants to ask you something.”
“That’s Boots, the car dealer, right?”
“One and the same. He likes to be called Dale.”
Aaron walked to the waiting room and spotted Dale sitting in a chair.
Dale stood and they shook hands. “What can I do for you today?” Aaron said.
“You ever been fishing?”
“No.” Aaron raised his hand. “Well, I take that back. I went once as a Boy Scout. I don’t remember much about it.”
“I like to take new folks fishing. Why don’t you and I go one weekend morning?”
“Okay. Let’s do it.”
“Good. You’ll find it relaxing.”
Dale stopped at the front door. “Don’t forget about my offer on the pickup truck.”
Aaron snorted. “I won’t. Maybe someday.”
Aaron was about to enter a patient room when Stella stopped him.
“This guy is an odd one,” she whispered. “Be ready for a wacky story.”
“What was his name? I saw it on the computer.”
“Cam Fillmore.”
Aaron nodded and walked into the room. A lanky man with long dirty blond hair sat on the examination table, a guitar hanging from his neck.
“How can I help you, Mr. Fillmore?” Aaron said.
Cam strummed a few chords. “I’m out of my medicine. I haven’t taken it for a while. My doctor says I need it.”
That’s easy enough, Aaron thought. He’d read in the patient record that the man was on an antipsychotic medication.
“I can help you with that, and I’m glad you’re following your doctor’s wishes.”
He strummed a few more chords. “Sometimes I don’t think I really need the medicine.”
“Just remember, it helps you think straight.”
“I guess so.”
“Where is your doctor?”
“Montana.”
“You’re a long way from home.”
“I moved here not too long ago.”
“Montana must be a nice place. Why did you move away?”
Cam strummed more chords, louder this time. “I had to get away.”
“So it was time for a change.”
“I had to get away from them.”
Aaron raised his eyebrows. “I see. Anyone in particular?”
“The
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