Gabe screamed and ripped himself away. Lilith scooted out from under him, grabbed the knife and stuck it in her pocket. Then limped to the car. The cut on her leg burned like hellfire. By the time he got to his feet — demented and one-eyed — she had hold of the rifle she’d taken from him. Pointing it at him, she said, “Now it’s your turn, Gabe. Strip.”
“What the –?”
“DO IT!”
“You’re crazy!” Maybe she was crazy.
She was so seeing-red furious that it burned away any remaining fear.
The bastard had tried to kill her. He’d tortured and beaten her sister and Carmen. She didn’t even know if Hannah would survive. And he’d scalped the two women he’d murdered.
The only thing she could think about was giving him a taste. And as she raised the rifle to her shoulder, she saw his expression shift when he realized she would shoot him if he didn’t do as she ordered.
His finger fumbled with the buttons on his hunting jacket and shirt.
“How does it feel knowing you’re going to be hunted like an animal?” she asked. Guilt had motivated her to find Hannah and ID him. Revenge was a stronger motivation, and she certainly had reason enough. “Does it give you a curl of anticipation deep down inside? Or are you terrified like they must have been?”
“You’re just like the others. You don’t have the stomach for it.”
“Don’t underestimate me, Gabe. I survived three years under the thumb of a bastard like you. And then I made sure I would never be any man’s victim again. Face it. You’ve met your match.”
His chest was now bare. He hesitated as if he was rethinking things. She aimed at his right arm and shot. The bullet ripped through the outer flesh and passed through, leaving a new splatter of blood.
“Bitch!”
“Don’t fuck with me, Gabe. Faster!”
Gabe stripped off the rest of his clothes, wincing when he moved the wounded arm. “You don’t want to do this to me. I can take you, remember. I can make it worse than you ever dreamed.”
“You didn’t let me win that match in class,” Lilith said, then, when he was naked, she stared at him and shook her head. “You don’t even look like much of a man to me.”
PUCINSKI BRAKED his car with a screech mere feet from a Forest Preserve entrance sign. “This is the place.
“It better be,” Wyndham said. “Go!”
Pucinski aimed the car on the road to the parking lot, but as the beams swept along a curve…
“There!” Wyndham pointed. “Tire tracks across the grass.”
Pucinski followed the trail left by O’Malley’s car. He flashed his beams on bright until he spotted it, doors open. He jumped out of the car and saw the signs of a struggle. And found a pile of men’s clothing, just as the squad car pulled up behind him.
A shot echoing through the trees made him jump. “Son of a bitch!” He looked to Wyndham.
Without a word, they both ran all-out into the stand of trees, the uniformed officers following.
LILITH HELD the rifle. Waited. Listened to the thrashing sounds ahead. Ignored the pain telegraphing from the cut on her leg. Anger still fueled her, made her feel bulletproof.
She’d given him a ten-second head start.
Five to go.
She gave him three. Took off, followed the sounds of his running feet deeper into the woods. When they stopped, so did she.
Where was he?
Guarded, she made her way forward, slowly swinging the rifle in an arc. She might be the hunter, but she was cautious. Eyes wide, breathing shallow, she licked her lips as she swung her gaze around her surroundings. She might know how to use the weapon, but this was his territory, not hers. So many trees and bushes. So many places to hide.
As her rage settled down, she could hardly believe what she’d done, not in successfully defending herself, but in turning the tables on Gabe.
She wasn’t him. She wasn’t a killer. She’d never believed she could shoot someone, not even to wound him as she’d already done. All she’d ever wanted was to save her sister and stop him from killing again.
So what the hell was she doing?
And where the hell was he?
She could hear her own heartbeat. Maybe why she couldn’t place the rustling sounds until they were nearly on her. She was swinging in an arc when he ambushed her, coming at her from behind a tree. They fell to the ground together. Still holding the rifle, she rolled and got to her feet, but he was just as quick.
Gabe grabbed the rifle barrel with both hands. He was stronger. She was losing it. He laughed.
Rage renewed, Lilith lunged forward toward the rifle and him and snap-kicked, the ball of her foot making contact with his knee. With an agonized yowl, he let go and toppled backward.
“Bitch! You women are all alike. You enjoy emasculating men.”
“Sounds good to me.” So angry that she was shaking inside, she aimed the rifle lower. “Did they beg you, Gabe? Beg me.”
“Get real.” Gabe was breathing hard, staring up at her, hatred burning in his eyes.
She squeezed the trigger. The bullet chewed up the ground between his thighs. She kept the rifle aimed low.
“Were they afraid, Gabe? Sweating inside like you are? Did they beg you? But you killed them anyway, didn’t you?”
She shot again. The earth next to his ear churned. “I really could kill you.”
“So why don’t you?”
“Because I’m not you. I don’t want to be you.”
“Then what do you want?”
“I want to see the happy faces of your ex-wife and kids when the jury votes to fry your ass.”
That got to him. His expression morphed into a mask of fury. His body grew tense, and she knew he was getting ready to strike again. She used the rifle to indicate he should get to his feet.
Suddenly, Gabe relaxed. His expression grew cunning. “Okay, okay. I’ll go easy, but I can’t get up alone.” He held out his hand for help.
She gave him a disbelieving look. “You’re the crazy one.”
Never taking the rifle off him — nor her eyes for more than a second at a time — Lilith searched around until she found what she needed. Carefully, she stooped and picked up a broken tree limb, then threw it at him.
“Help yourself up. And hurry.”
Gabe grabbed onto the tree limb and with muttered curses, used the makeshift staff to steady himself as he got up on his one good leg. Lilith backed off. He tried a few steps. His face contorted in pain, and he dragged the bad leg.
“You fucked up my leg good.”
“You’re lucky that’s all I messed up. Be glad I’m such a good shot. Not that you’re going to get the chance to make any more kids. Poor little bastards with you for a father.”
Talk of his kids seemed to fuel Gabe. His expression went from angry and cunning to cold and hard.
“So what was your sister’s excuse? You? You make her into the little tramp I took off the street?”
His words cut through Lilith as sharply as any knife. Gabe hobbled a couple of steps, glanced back as if to make sure she was still following.
“I did her good, you know. She didn’t make me just for the apartment or the intro to Sal. She liked it. Wanted it.”
More likely, Hannah had simply been desperate to be off the street.
“Shut your filthy mouth, Gabe, before I cut out your heart!”
An empty threat. Lilith knew she couldn’t kill Gabe, no matter that she would like to see him dead.
“Hannah spread her legs for me every chance she got,” Gabe said. “She trusted me. Even gave me the key to her loft. Thought I cared about her. That’s what made it so easy to take her.”