“I won’t leave you,” she mumbled.
“You have to. I want you to. You mean more to me than my life. I could die if I knew you were safe. And if you get away, you can make sure Fisher’s punished for everything he’s done. If we both die, he gets away with it all.”
“Don’t ask me…”
“I’m not asking, I’m pleading. Please try to escape. For me.”
Elgin raised her head and blinked back the tears. His face brushed against hers, their tears running together. “I love you, Elgin.”
As their lips touched, Fisher grabbed her and pulled her away. “Leave her alone,” he bellowed, the back of a giant hand catching Harm’s face at the jaw line, the rough knuckles traveling across his mouth like steel. A trickle of blood trailed from the corner of his mouth down to his chin.
“Come on,” Fisher ordered, yanking Elgin by the elbow toward the door. He dragged her next door, pushing her to the bed in full view of the window. Releasing her from the handcuffs, he stood back, almost drooling with anticipation.
“Okay now, strip. Nice and slow for me and your secretary.”
Elgin glanced up at the window. She couldn’t see him but she could feel Harm in the darkness.
Fear engulfed her and she felt as if she were drowning, her heart pounding, her lungs starved for air. A wave of nausea and she thought for a moment she’d be sick or even pass out.
“Now!” The sharp edge of his voice hit her like a physical slap.
All right, she thought, fighting to regain the upper hand of her mind and body, calm down. Think. Our lives depend on you keeping your head.
Trembling, Elgin forced herself to look up, her gaze sweeping the small area in front of her. The slightly rumpled bed. A small wooden nightstand with drawer and an open shelf. Her already racing heart felt as if it would explode in her chest at what she saw.
A vibrator, a little bigger than a regular flashlight lay on the shelf. Cream-colored plastic, a large round knob on one end. From the look of it, Elgin knew it was hard, solid, powered by at least two “C” batteries. If she could take him by surprise…
“Strip!” he barked again, “now.”
Slowly, Elgin reached for the button holding the thin strap that crossed over her shoulder and connected to the front of her sundress, just above her breast. She never took her eyes off the vibrator, her mind churning.
She’d have to make a grab for it. How far? Not more than a foot, eighteen inches perhaps, but almost at her knees.
“Turn around,” he ordered.
As slowly as she dared, Elgin turned toward him, inching backwards as she did so. Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice anything but her front.
Her shaking fingers fumbled with the button a little more. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do this.
The beggar had been a fluke, a purely instinctive reaction, requiring no thought. This meant life and death, literally and had to be planned as carefully as possible in the blink of time she had.
Perhaps if she gave him what he wanted…
His eyes riveted on her breasts, a cold mesmerized look in those now alien eyes, his face filled with naked, animal lust. He wasn’t Jim Fisher anymore. He’d become a predator whose only satisfaction would come from blood and pain and death.
With agonizing slowness, Elgin put a hand behind her, fingers stretching, searching blindly until they brushed the front of the nightstand. Fisher, still focused on the dress, didn’t seem to notice.
The button gave way and her strap slipped off her shoulder and down her back. He swallowed hard, the tip of his tongue just barely visible between his lips. The predator, having stalked her for so long, enjoying the last moments of the hunt before striking for the kill.
She moved her fingers to the other button, watching his eyes as they followed her.
With a last deep breath, Elgin popped the button. The strap fell, lowering the top of her dress and revealing a flash of breast. Pretending to collapse, she bent backwards, clutching the nightstand as if to catch herself from falling. Almost by themselves, the fingers of her right hand wrapped themselves tightly around the vibrator and she swung her body slightly so that her back stood to him, hiding her makeshift weapon.
“Ellie,” he yelped as he came to her. “Are you all right?”
A last dizzy second before she felt his hand on her shoulder, strangely gentle as he turned her. In his eyes, she thought she saw a flicker of concern.
With all the force terror fueled adrenaline could give her, Elgin brought the vibrator up almost from the floor, her arm rising as she turned, swinging an arc as she came.
Plastic shattered with a sickening “thud,” shards splintering, the knob exploding in a spurt of blood, batteries flying like tiny missiles. Impact waves shuddered through her hand, arm and shoulder as the vibrator connected with Fisher’s temple.
Startled, he released her and stepped back, the gun slipping from his hand, bouncing once off his heavy boot and skittering under the bed. Putting his hand to the gash in slow motion, he instantly pulled it away, looking first at the blood and then at her, apparently shocked by Elgin’s attack.
Oh God, she thought, frozen now with panic. She hadn’t finished him; even knocked him out. She’d only wounded the crazed animal.
Fisher’s mouth moved a little but no sound came out. Blood poured down his face, filling his left eye and dripping from his chin.
Wordlessly, he collapsed, twisting slightly as he fell face down almost at her feet, sprawled like huge sleeping bear.
She stood for a few seconds, paralyzed by terror and disbelief. Perhaps she’d killed him.
Camp!
The thought snapped her back to reality. Not able to take her eyes off the body almost blocking her path, she managed to tiptoe around him and dash out the door.
“Elgin!” Harm screamed as she crossed the room to him. “For God’s sake, get out of here. Run. Now.”
“Not without you,” she answered firmly, starting to unbuckle the first of two small straps holding the larger one in place.
“Don’t argue, damn it! I’m telling you to get out. Call the police. I’ll be fine ‘til you get back.”
Abruptly, Elgin stood up and glared at him.
“Campbell Harm, did you mean it when you said you loved me?” she asked angrily.
“This is not the time…”
“Did you meant it?” she repeated.
“Of course I meant it,” he replied, totally exasperated that she’d pick now to discuss the subject. “I didn’t want to die and not tell you how I feel.”
“And if I was tied in that chair, would you leave me?”
“Elgin…”
“Would you?”
“Of course not,” he yelled, “but that’s not…”
She grinned down at him.
“Of course it’s the same thing,” she finished. “I love you, too. So why don’t you stop wasting precious time acting like a macho horse’s ass and let’s get the hell out of here.”
Bending down, she kissed his lips quickly and went back to the buckles.
“As soon as I get your hand free, I’ll start on your ankles while you free your other hand.” The second buckle opened, releasing him.
Instantly, she dropped to her knees as he began working on his other wrist.
“By the way, that was pretty clever with the vibrator.”
“You’d be utterly amazed at how inventive I can be with my sex toys, given the proper motivation.” Elgin laughed as the last strap came off this ankle.
Standing up, he grabbed her hand, helping her to her feet as they embraced tightly and kissed passionately.
“Really? I guess I’ll have to file that for future reference. In the meantime, I think you’re right about getting the hell out of here.” Grabbing her hand, they ran to the door.
Besides the two small rooms, there was only a large, windowless area, dirty gray cinderblock walls and some old cardboard boxes and trunks strewn around. In the far left-hand corner rose a flight of rickety wooden steps.