Chances Are - By Christy Reece Page 0,62
it still haunted him.
“Thing is, no matter how prepared you think you are, shit happens. Angela has been trained to handle the unexpected, just like any operative.”
“Hell, McCall, how can you say that after what happened in London?”
The LCR leader shrugged. “I’ve known her for years. Know what she’s made of. She’s strong. And she’ll come through this even stronger.”
Jake didn’t respond. McCall hadn’t seen Angela after her scare. There was no way she was anything but terrified. Just because she had assured him she could do this didn’t mean it was true. He had to get to her before the maniac caused her even more damage. Determination settled in his gut…nothing would stop him from saving her.
McCall hissed a vicious curse.
“What?”
When McCall didn’t answer, Jake shot him a look. The bleak expression in his eyes chilled Jake’s blood.
“What the hell’s wrong?” Jake barked.
“The GPS went dark. We have no way to track her.”
The determination in Jake’s gut turned to dust. Angela was on her own.
Chapter Seventeen
The cessation of movement jolted Angela back to consciousness and reality. Like the first sprinkle of raindrops before a downpour, half-formed facts appeared in her mind. The Red Rose Killer. Abduction. Drugged.
She shook her head to clear it and full knowledge of the events poured down on her. How long had she been unconscious? When had the van stopped? Would he leave them here in this hellish box or let them out? She remembered that in one of her more lucid moments, she had tried to lift the top with her back. It hadn’t budged. Until he deemed it time to let them out, they were here for the duration.
“Clarissa, are you awake?”
“Yes. Thank God you are, too. We’ve been traveling forever and you’ve been mumbling about all sorts of bizarre things.”
“Sorry. Whatever he drugged me with made me hallucinate.”
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes.”
“Will you be able to fight him when he lets us out?”
The hope in Clarissa’s voice was painful to hear—all the more because Angela wasn’t sure of the answer. Without drugs, she could handle the maniac, no problem. But she was still disoriented. On top of that, her extremities had gone numb. The moment she was released from this compartment, she’d love to think she could spring out of here and take the killer down. Truth was, she didn’t know if her legs would hold her.
“I’m going to do my best.”
“What…” Clarissa cleared her throat and asked, “What does he do to his victims?”
Facing reality was one thing, but Angela saw no point in describing the horrific things this monster had done to his other victims. Apparently Clarissa wasn’t one to watch television news or read newspapers. What the women went through before their deaths had been all too accurately reported. What purpose would it serve for her to know that he tortured his victims in a variety of ways before he slit their throats?
“There’s no need for you to worry about that. We’re going to get out of here, I promise.”
Silence descended. How long was he planning to keep them in this box? He couldn’t travel all the way back to London, could he? If he tried, she’d scream bloody murder until someone heard them.
“How did he get you to Paris?”
Clarissa gasped softly. “We’re in Paris?”
“Yes. At least, we were.”
“I don’t know. I’ve been so out of it.”
The monster had kept this poor woman in a box for how long? “Has he let you out at all?”
“I know I’ve been to the bathroom and I’ve had something to drink. Not sure how or when.”
A sound outside the compartment made both women stiffen with dread. Though unbearably uncomfortable, within the confines of the compartment they had felt relatively safe. Footsteps and other noises were dreadful reminders that this man had something evil planned for them.
As the top of the compartment rattled, indicating they were about to look upon the eyes of their abductor once more, Angela issued final instructions: “Stay out of the way and don’t draw attention to yourself. If you get the chance to run, don’t hesitate. Run like hell. Find a place to hide. Remember, help is on the way.”
As the lid was lifted, Angela whispered one last instruction “Be brave” but wasn’t sure if that was for Clarissa or for herself.
“Welcome to my world.” Derrick Delacourte smiled down at the two women who would soon fulfill his dreams. His Dark Angel lay on her stomach and he couldn’t see her face. The blonde woman looked up at him