Janet McNulty - Mellow Summers 03 - An Apple a Day Keeps Murder Away by Janet McNulty Page B
Authors: Janet McNulty
Ads: Link
toed boots.
I crashed through more bushes. My lower leg stung a bit as a sharp thorn cut my skin. I continued to run blindly into the overgrowth.
I paused ducking behind a bush. Footsteps came closer. My kidnapper hesitated nearby me. Desperately, I slowed my breathing trying not to make any noise. The darkness prevented me from being able to see his face and probably hid me as well. He stomped around a bit, swore, and walked off.
I released a slow breath relieved that he hadn’t found me. My predicament was far from over and I knew it. I jumped back to my feet wishing that my hands were free.
Carefully, I picked my way through more of the brush. I had hoped to make my way back to the road, but I had gotten so turned around in my attempt to get away that I had no idea where I was.
“Rachel,” I whispered. I really needed her.
My foot caught in an upturned tree root. Instantly, I found myself falling face first toward the ground. With my hands bound I had no way of catching myself. Air escaped my lungs as I landed on my stomach.
I rolled onto my back gasping for air. A twig snapped. He was close. With an immense amount of effort, I hauled myself to my feet and took off once more. I ran as fast as I could unaware of where I headed. Breathing heavily, I chanced a look behind me. Nothing.
Suddenly, my kidnapper jumped out from behind a tree. I stopped. Before I could turn and escape, cold fingers wrapped around my arm and shoved me against a tree trunk.
Now, I finally got a look at my kidnapper’s face. It was Jeremy.
“Thought you could get away,” he sneered.
The growing light in the east showed a mad gleam in his eyes. The picture of calm he had presented to my aunt had disappeared to be replaced by a madman. Sirens sounded in the distance.
For a moment I had hoped they would get here in time. That hope was quickly dashed when Jeremy pulled out a knife.
“What the hell is going on?”
Jeremy didn’t answer my question at first.
“Why have you kidnapped me?” I asked.
“I told you once that this wasn’t over,” he said. “It was I that took you after you left the blood bank. At first I was just going to scare you, by letting you wake up in that motel room covered in blood.
“But that stupid kid Byron ran into me that night I stole the blood. I didn’t mean to kill him. It just happened. Afterward, I realized it would work out to my advantage. So I drained his blood and dumped his body in the river.
“I never meant for him to be found. Stupid fishermen.”
“You’re insane,” I said.
“You could have gone out with me,” said Jeremy ignoring my outburst. “All I wanted was one date.”
“Are you listening to yourself?” I still couldn’t believe it. This man was certifiably nuts. It was as though a monster lay beneath his calm facade.
“Shut up,” he spat slamming me against the tree.
The sirens grew louder. Please, I begged silently, get here in time.
“Why?” I asked in an effort to buy time.
“If I can’t have you, no one can,” he replied. “You should have seen yourself this past week. All your efforts to solve your own mystery. It was hilarious.”
Now the sirens seemed to be almost on top of us. But they were still a mile away and all Jeremy had to do was stab me with that knife of his.
“Jeremy, please,” I said.
“No! You’re mine!”
He had a demented look on his face. It twisted and contorted in such a way that I immediately thought of a horror movie. Unfortunately, this was no movie and his insanity was quite real.
“And no one is going to save you.”
Jeremy brought the knife up. He paused. The engine to his car revved itself. We both turned and looked at it. The vehicle backed up and turned until it faced us. The lights flicked on. Again the engine revved itself. I had one thought: Rachel.
The tires squeal ed as the car charged toward us. It crashed through the bushes. In his moment of distraction, I tore away from Jeremy and dodged out of the
I crashed through more bushes. My lower leg stung a bit as a sharp thorn cut my skin. I continued to run blindly into the overgrowth.
I paused ducking behind a bush. Footsteps came closer. My kidnapper hesitated nearby me. Desperately, I slowed my breathing trying not to make any noise. The darkness prevented me from being able to see his face and probably hid me as well. He stomped around a bit, swore, and walked off.
I released a slow breath relieved that he hadn’t found me. My predicament was far from over and I knew it. I jumped back to my feet wishing that my hands were free.
Carefully, I picked my way through more of the brush. I had hoped to make my way back to the road, but I had gotten so turned around in my attempt to get away that I had no idea where I was.
“Rachel,” I whispered. I really needed her.
My foot caught in an upturned tree root. Instantly, I found myself falling face first toward the ground. With my hands bound I had no way of catching myself. Air escaped my lungs as I landed on my stomach.
I rolled onto my back gasping for air. A twig snapped. He was close. With an immense amount of effort, I hauled myself to my feet and took off once more. I ran as fast as I could unaware of where I headed. Breathing heavily, I chanced a look behind me. Nothing.
Suddenly, my kidnapper jumped out from behind a tree. I stopped. Before I could turn and escape, cold fingers wrapped around my arm and shoved me against a tree trunk.
Now, I finally got a look at my kidnapper’s face. It was Jeremy.
“Thought you could get away,” he sneered.
The growing light in the east showed a mad gleam in his eyes. The picture of calm he had presented to my aunt had disappeared to be replaced by a madman. Sirens sounded in the distance.
For a moment I had hoped they would get here in time. That hope was quickly dashed when Jeremy pulled out a knife.
“What the hell is going on?”
Jeremy didn’t answer my question at first.
“Why have you kidnapped me?” I asked.
“I told you once that this wasn’t over,” he said. “It was I that took you after you left the blood bank. At first I was just going to scare you, by letting you wake up in that motel room covered in blood.
“But that stupid kid Byron ran into me that night I stole the blood. I didn’t mean to kill him. It just happened. Afterward, I realized it would work out to my advantage. So I drained his blood and dumped his body in the river.
“I never meant for him to be found. Stupid fishermen.”
“You’re insane,” I said.
“You could have gone out with me,” said Jeremy ignoring my outburst. “All I wanted was one date.”
“Are you listening to yourself?” I still couldn’t believe it. This man was certifiably nuts. It was as though a monster lay beneath his calm facade.
“Shut up,” he spat slamming me against the tree.
The sirens grew louder. Please, I begged silently, get here in time.
“Why?” I asked in an effort to buy time.
“If I can’t have you, no one can,” he replied. “You should have seen yourself this past week. All your efforts to solve your own mystery. It was hilarious.”
Now the sirens seemed to be almost on top of us. But they were still a mile away and all Jeremy had to do was stab me with that knife of his.
“Jeremy, please,” I said.
“No! You’re mine!”
He had a demented look on his face. It twisted and contorted in such a way that I immediately thought of a horror movie. Unfortunately, this was no movie and his insanity was quite real.
“And no one is going to save you.”
Jeremy brought the knife up. He paused. The engine to his car revved itself. We both turned and looked at it. The vehicle backed up and turned until it faced us. The lights flicked on. Again the engine revved itself. I had one thought: Rachel.
The tires squeal ed as the car charged toward us. It crashed through the bushes. In his moment of distraction, I tore away from Jeremy and dodged out of the
Similar Books
