Deana shuddered.
Christ, I got him riled again. What am I, a fuckin’ moron?
His mouth quirked in a humorless twist.
“Well, now. Ain’t you the funny girl? Just call me Uncle Mace, honey. That’ll be fine by me.”
“Sorry, Mace. Didn’t mean to upset you,” she said in a small voice.
“You didn’t upset me none. Me, I’m just your nice, friendly ol’ uncle Mace.”
“You joined the police so’s you could find Tania? What did you do before that?”
He grinned. “Smart kid, ain’t ya? Oh, I bummed around ’Frisco, working bars—pumpin’ iron. Knew all the gyms in the Bay Area. Boxed a little; this ’n’ that. Then Mom got sick. She was an old lady by then. I went back to Wahconda, but she was dead already. Only inheritance she left was the cabin I was born in—and that letter…”
Deana almost felt sorry for him. He sure was a mixed-up guy. Yeah. Sick. Dangerous. But sad, too.
Suddenly, he was on his feet, staring out the window again. His hands went up to his hips, his jacket lifted, and she caught the bulge of his hip holster.
“Mace?” she ventured quietly. “Why don’t you let me go home? Keeping me here isn’t gonna do you any good. People’ll be looking for me. They find me and—”
“Find you? What makes you think anybody’s gonna find ya, sweetheart?”
“Well, they’ll search for me. Probably trace me to here.”
“No way. Nobody saw you go. Nobody’ll find you here. Reason I use this place is because nobody ever comes up here. ’Cept me.”
Then he was standing over her. His legs apart. Grinning. Stroking her hair. Smoothing the dark strands resting on her shoulders. Over and over again.
She winced.
Too scared to move.
Her eyes leveled with his crotch.
Saw him jerk inside his pants.
God, no. He’s gonna rape me. Please God. NO!
He grabbed her head, pressed it to him. His hard-on rose some more. She felt it throb against her face.
Breaking away, she squirmed back across the mattress, edging off it, landing on her knees.
She scrambled to her feet.
“Just let me go, Mace. Before we both do something we’ll regret.” Her eyes wandered to the chair. One quick smash and it’d be in pieces.
I could use one of the legs to hit him with.
Kill him, if I have to.
Oh yeah? You an’ whose army?
His eyes mocked her. “Don’t do anything stupid, Deana. Remember, I could break ya pretty li’l neck, just like that.”
He swiped the air with a swift karate chop.
She blinked. Picturing his hand coming down, whistling toward her.
Watch it, Deana.
Maybe I’ll get him while he’s asleep…
If he falls asleep…
She shivered, suddenly getting the feeling he was reading her mind.
Instead, he looked confused, bewildered. Shaking his head. Heaving a sorrowful sigh.
“I’m gonna have to put y’away, Deana. Y’know that?”
“Put me away? Whaddya mean, put me away?”
“Put you someplace where you’ll come to no harm. Where you’ll be safe. Come to Uncle Mace, li’l girl.”
He beckoned, smiling. Like he was offering candy to a baby.
She glared back. Not moving.
“C’mon, sugar. Uncle Mace might turn nasty if Deana doesn’t come when she’s called.” His voice had a singsong lilt to it.
“So, whaddya gonna do, Mace?”
“Something I shoulda done right from the start.” He picked up the twine from where it had fallen earlier. She watched him advance, slowly, winding it around his hands.
She backed away, stumbling against the cabin wall, her arms shooting out, spread-eagled against the wood slats.
“C’mon now, Deana. There’s a good girl.”
Fascinated, she watched him twist the twine around his fingers. Her hand rose to her neck.
“No, Mace. Please don’t,” she panted. “DON’T DO IT, MACE!”
She lost it…somehow got caught up in a swirling black cloud.
Screams rang out, shattering the deathly quiet…
Vaguely, she wondered who it was, crying out like that.
The screams died.
Then she heard sobs…tiny, whimpering sounds.
FIFTY-SEVEN
“Just calm down now, honey. Uncle Mace ain’t gonna hurt ya. Yet.” He stood over her, busying himself with the twine. Wrapping it neatly, tightly, around her legs. The way he went about it, she could tell he’d done it before.
Probably many times.
She struggled, trying to kick out at him, but all she did was make futile little scuffles with her feet.
Goddamn shit’s hobbled me—like a horse!
Tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks.
Mace’s mouth curved in a bright smile.
“Now, now, darlin’. No struggling. A gal could get hurt that way.”
He slapped her face. Her head jerked up, sideways, then flopped. Her hair swung around her shoulders. Giving a little cry, she gasped, ready to give him a mouthful.
Thinking better of it, she clamped her lips tight.
No use goading him. I could wind up dead.
Gonna wind up dead anyhow.
“Hey, sugar,” he whispered. “Didn’t y’care for that?”
No reply.
Catching the defiance in her eyes, he whacked her again. With the back of his hand.
Seems like Uncle Mace is having himself a rare old time.
Stay with it, Deana
He wants you to crack. Break up. Plead for mercy. Okay. Like he’ll wait forever. No way is the shit gonna see I’m scared…
He studied her face; saw the tears, her clenched jaw. The defiance still there.
His smirk broke out again.
“That’s a good li’l gal. Uncle Mace don’t like gals who get flighty…”
She wriggled her feet.
The twine sliced into her calves and ankles.
She pulled a face. Struggling only worsened the pain.
Mace is one sick fuck, she fumed inwardly, but he sure knows how to tie a person up.
In desperation, she stared at her legs: pale, puffy, crisscrossed with twine. “Dear God, Mace,” she gasped. “This hurts—I’m gonna get gangrene if you don’t untie me.”
Suddenly, the full realization of what Mace could do hammered home. The damage…the pain he could inflict.
She began to shake.
“Scared, honey?”
Her lips stayed shut. She shot him a sour look.
“No reply, huh? Maybe you’d care for another crack?”
The next one rocked her jaw.
Harder this time.
Starting up the pain where Nelson had slugged her two weeks ago.
“Uuugghh…,” she gasped, shaking her head. She felt a gush of blood spurt and rise inside her mouth, but her top teeth seemed to be embedded in her lower lip. She eased them free. Blood flowed out and down her chin.
Do this one more time, the fucker’s gonna break my neck.
Cringing with pain, her hand flew to her jaw. Her lips felt slick and rubbery. She scowled, clenched her teeth, and muttered, “Up yours, shit-face.”
His brows lifted slightly.
“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that, sugar…”
She glared at him. But he seemed distant, as if his mind was on other things. It was.
Tilting his head, he looked at her, admiring his handiwork. The swollen eyes, bruised mouth, cut lips, the trickle of blood sliding down her chin…
Then, reaching forward, he slipped her blouse off one shoulder.
Not satisfied with that, he pulled it down some more, until her breast peeked out.
Deana cringed. Went taut. Goose bumps squirmed all over her body.
Gently, Mace fingered her breast, tracing swirls around it, touching up the hard dark nipple.
Her stomach shriveled. She pulled away from him, scarcely breathing.
His eyes held hers for a moment.
Daring her to move…
She lurched forward, thinking about screaming, throwing herself at him, clawing at his face, blinding him with her nails…
Then he was stepping away, like an artist assessing his masterpiece.
Deana gave up. She went still.
Now for the final touch…
That long black hair.
His hands came at her, reaching out, holding the dark shiny strands between his fingers…savoring the silky feel. Then he fussed around, arranging it over her shoulders.
“Mmmm—huh!” He seemed pleased with the effect. Humming under his breath, he took a little time poking around in the holdall. He brought out the Nikon and several unopened reels of film.
No need for Polaroids today. The light’s okay.
Everything should go according to plan.
He was about to create another Mace Harrison masterpiece. A surge of satisfaction, anticipation, welled up inside him. It felt good and warm.
Lifting his eyes skyward, he gave a cynical smile.
“This one’s for you, Daddy,” he whispered.
FIFTY-EIGHT
Mace bunched his lips in a fake kiss.
“Smile for the birdie, sweetheart,” he murmured, putting the camera to his eye. Moving back slightly, he extended the lens and adjusted it, twisting it around between finger and thumb.
He wanted all of Deana in the frame. First off, standing against the cabin wall. It’d be the perfect foil for her pale, bruised body. Plus the fact there’d be no giveaway clues…
Just Deana and the shitty ol’ pinewood wall.
Deana: tears coursing down her cheeks, jaw hanging loose, bloodied lips all swollen…eyes dark, frightened, pleading…
He aimed to cover every angle.
Left side…
“Stay still, sugar.”
Front.
Then the right side…
“I’m comin’ in now…”
He zoomed in. Getting one or two head shots in close-up.
Engrossed in his work, Mace clicked away for fifteen minutes or so, changing the film when necessary.
That done, he replaced the camera in the holdall.
Deana blurted a gasp of relief. She slid down the wall, feeling the floor cold and damp beneath her buttocks. She felt wrecked. Salt tears welled, spilling down her cheeks, nipping at her cut lips.
Eyes on Mace the whole time.
Watching him warily, like a mouse in the thrall of a cat.
Mace beamed, showing his rows of straight white teeth. “How ’bout breakfast?” he said, zipping up the holdall. “I’m starvin’!”
Over at the food box, he brought out a sandwich. “Here,” he said, peeling down the wrapper. “Take a bite.”
Deana couldn’t stop the rush of blood rising to her head.
“Get some therapy, Mace,” she spat through thick, puffy lips. “Think I’m gonna do exactly what you want? Go fuck yourself. You’re a goddamn sicko and you know it! When they find me, you’re gonna fuckin’ pay for what you’ve done!”
Mace shrugged his shoulders, set himself astride the hardback chair, bit off a chunk of bread. He began to eat, grinning around his food, crumbs flying from his mouth.
He pointed the sandwich at her.
“You don’t wanna eat, then don’t eat. And I ain’t gonna kill you. Yet. Things to do first. But you’ll regret not eatin’, sugar. Could be days ’fore I decide to…”
She trembled, holding on to her voice, keeping it low and level trying to form the words without showing how much he’d hurt her. It wasn’t easy.
“Before you decide to do what?”
“You’ll see, sugar. You’ll see!”
Done with his sandwich, he bent down and picked up the blanket. Opening it out, he threw it over her head, held it tight over her shoulders.
Deana spluttered, screamed.
Kept on screaming and struggling.
Pulling her close, calming her down, Mace was amused. He huffed out a short laugh. “May as well stop that, honey. There’s no one around to ride to your rescue—least of all that prick of a boyfriend a’ yours. Whassisname? Warren? Huh! Warren cocksucker Beatty?”
Mace was in jovial mood; he chuckled to himself, like he had just made the joke of the year. Still holding Deana tight.
Then, snatching away the blanket, he grabbed at her top, gripped it tight, twisting it around till she almost choked.
He wasn’t laughing now. Instead, he had that wild-animal look again. Baring his teeth, he lifted her off the floor, slammed her against the wall, and held her there.
A mirthless grin twisted his mouth.
He let go. She slumped forward. Then, quickly, he began winding the blanket around her.
Holding her up with one hand.
Unbuckling his belt with the other.
Snapping it like a bullwhip, looping the belt around her, trapping her arms.
Drawing it tight.
Buckling it up.
Still holding her upright.
Deana wasn’t screaming now—she’d almost stopped breathing.
Can’t breathe…and scream at the same time.
Gotta breathe.
Short, shallow huffs.
Panic welled. Her head hurt.
Sweat oozed, slick and hot, from every pore.
My God. He really, really means to kill me!
I’m gonna die, and no one’ll ever know…
Hoisting her onto his shoulder again, he shifted around, his bulk kneading her guts as he balanced her weight. Her head swung low, and the blood throbbed and pounded, hard.
He stepped forward, catching her head as he went out the door. Smashing it sideways with a sickening thud.
She felt blinding, flashing pain. Her head spun…
A rush of vomit surged in her throat…
Mace was outside now. His breath coming quick and heavy as he traveled over rough terrain—undergrowth, bushes—snagging his boots. With each step, each lurching jolt, his shoulder humped into her belly, pummeling her aching gut. She gasped, heaved, not knowing how much more she could take…
Through the blanket, the sun scorched her back. Nausea rose again. She retched, forcing it back down.
Then she hit dirt, feeling hard knobbly humps beneath her buttocks. She rolled over, steadied herself…and came to rest on her back.
Listening to Mace stomp away.
Seconds later, a door opened.
Mace returned. Hoisted her onto his shoulder again.
A sudden draft caught at her legs. Earlier, jolting along on his back, it’d been hot.
Now…it’s icy cold…
Where am I? Where’s he taking me?
Deana started to cry.
Wishing that Warren were here.
If—when Warren finds me, he’ll get even with Mace. Pound his brains out. Tear him apart. Kill him with his bare hands. Then he’ll take me home.
She smiled faintly, feeling Warren’s hand caressing her thigh, his mouth hard on hers, moaning as her fingers curled around his shaft…
