Adelle Laudan - Killer Scents

“Well, then let’s grab a couple of men and take a ride over there.” Randy ushered Jacob’s lover from the room. “Why don’t you try his number more time?”

Jeffery held his cell phone between them and pushed redial, letting it ring until it went to voicemail. “Jacob, I’m here with Randy. You need to call us when you get this message. We’re on our way over there. I’m very worried about you.”

Chapter Twenty-three

“Fuck!”

Becca startled awake to a phone connecting with the wall and pieces of it flying around the room. She was no longer in the bathroom but gagged and tied to a kitchen chair, and this time she wasn’t alone. Jacob now sat across from her. Blood dripped from a nasty gash at his temple and his chin rested on his chest. He appeared to be oblivious of anyone or anything around him.

Danny ran toward her. “We have to get out of here now!”

She squeezed her eyes shut preparing to die. A flood of relief brought tears to her eyes as Danny cut the tape from her wrists and ankles. Her joyous moment was short-lived when the all too familiar cool metal of his gun pressed against her forehead.

“You’re going to help me get him to my truck. I got no time for fucking games. If he’s not out there in less than five minutes, I’ll put a bullet in both of you and fly out of here solo.” He pushed the gun against her skin. “Understood?”

Becca nodded, unable to respond with the tape still stretched across her mouth. She shifted her attention to the window. Why the sudden urgency to get away? Randy? Are you coming for me? None of it really mattered if she didn’t do what he wanted. She dropped to her knees and began frantically pulling at the tape wrapped tightly around his ankles.

“For fuck’s sake!” Danny shoved her aside and ran his blade between Jacob’s ankles, biting into shin flesh, too.

The tape muffled Jacob’s pain-filled cries. The slice must have been excruciating, but his eyes remained closed.

“You take the other side.”

His menacing tone quickened Becca’s step. They literally dragged Jacob outside and into the back of the SUV—ironically the precinct’s vehicle. Do I dare take the tape from my mouth? No, he’s already teetering on the edge. I’ll wait it out.

Seconds passed before the passenger door opened. “Get over, you’re driving.”

Becca scrambled over the console and slid in behind the wheel while Danny put the keys in the ignition and started the truck. The entire time he kept his gun trained on her.

“Drive. When you get to the road don’t stop, just turn right and step on it.”

Where are we going now? She glanced in the mirror and saw Jacob in the exact same position they’d left him. What set Danny off? A phone call? A message? Please let this mean help is on the way.

Randy punched the wall. “Dammit!” The feeling of déjà vu was becoming all too familiar. He stooped to pick up a part of what once was a cell phone. Pieces of it lay strewn across the floor amidst broken furniture and puddles of blood. He swallowed the lump in his throat at the prospect of Becca being hurt.

Chief grabbed hold of his shirtsleeve as he ran past him toward the door. “Come on! Let’s go! They can’t have more than a four or five minute lead.”

Randy squelched the rage rising up in him and sprang into action, reaching the SUV at the same time the chief did. He barely shut the door before gravel flew up from under the tires and the car lurched forward. Chief flipped on the lights, following the strip of rubber at the end of the lane, and then stepped on the gas.

“Where could they be headed in this direction? There’s only farm land for miles.” Randy strained to see the passengers in passing vehicles.

“Danny can be somewhat anal when it comes to details. Trust me, he knows exactly where he’s going.”

Randy shrugged. “Maybe not. How could he know Jacob would show up? If it wasn’t for Jeffery’s message, we would’ve arrived unexpectedly.” He smacked the dash. “Why did I ask him to call?”

“Give yourself a break, kid. We had no way of knowing he’d take Becca there.”

Randy raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think he planned to. He probably got wind of the dogs coming and didn’t know where to go, so he went to the closest place he knew.”

“Look, up ahead.” Chief pointed at fresh skid marks turning into a storage unit facility. There had to be a hundred of them, side by side, row upon row.

Chief pulled in at a portable office. A sign on the door stated: Call for Assistance.

“Get the guy with the keys over here right away,” Randy barked the order at the officers in the back seat. “We’re going to need a few men out here or we’ll be days going through these entire units one at a time.”

Becca couldn’t shake the mounting despair after leaving the storage unit. By now a team of officers were going from one unit to the next in search of her and now Jacob. They’d have no reason to suspect Danny’s clever diversion. He had her driving down a dirt road towards an old farm house with a For Sale sign at the end of the lane.

Did Danny already know about this place? Surely he can’t be winging it as he goes along?

Jacob now moaned much of the time, undoubtedly in a great deal of pain from his various injuries.

“Pull in around back.” Danny straightened in his seat. The second she put the truck in park, he reached over and took the keys. “Get out and help me carry him inside.”

Physically and emotionally drained, it took everything in her to help carry him to the house. The old wooden door swung open with a kick, and they brought Jacob inside. Sparse furniture littered the main floor they passed through to lay Jacob on an threadbare sofa.

He waved the gun under her nose. “Grab a chair.”

Reluctantly Becca did as asked, knowing full well it was meant for her. Danny held her firmly in place with strength belying his size. This time he wrapped the tape from torso to ankles, leaving her no chance of escaping.

Once he’d finished with her, he pulled another chair to sit between them. He slipped his hand in the side pocket of his khaki’s. Everything seemed to freeze in place once he held the syringe up between them.

“Now, I do believe I’ve bought us a little time to do things properly.”

Jacob looked over at her. “Becca,” he rasped.

“How wonderful of you to come back to us. Your timing couldn’t be more perfect.” Danny flew from his chair and drove the needle into Jacob’s arm, injecting half of the clear liquid.

She screamed into the tape. Jacob’s body bucked once before becoming completely still. Oh, my God, no!

Danny smiled devilishly and turned Jacob’s head to face her. The blocker had done its job. Not enough to kill him, but seemingly the right dosage to render Jacob a virtual prisoner in his own body.

Becca made a futile attempt to get free from her bindings as Danny stood and sashayed across the room, needle in hand. Every expression, every move of her captor resonated shear madness. His laughter chilled her to the core. The Florist smiled and straddled her.

“You look like you have something to say.” With no regard, he ripped the tape from her face, drawing blood.

“Danny, please, you don’t have to do this. Jacob hasn’t done anything wrong.”

He snarled. “Oh no? That prick took the only man I have ever loved from me. He deserves everything I have planned for him, and more.”

“Danny, I’m begging you not to use that on me. I’ll do anything you tell me to do. I can help you get away. I have a little money tucked away. It’s all yours, just please—”