Beware. Part 6

"I have a locked room for her, grates on the windows. So far, I haven't lost anyone."

"She thinks she'll have help."

"You made sure you weren't followed?"

"In that fog, it would've taken Rudolph to follow us."

Dr. Miles grinned. "Any red noses in the rearview mirror?"

"Not a one."

"We should be all right, then. n.o.body knows where she is except you and her parents."

"They'll know," Alice said from the floor.

"She thinks they'll find her through telepathy."

"I'd say that's remote."

"Hope so," Dukane said. "Laveda's gang believes in all sorts of hogwash, but if they have any special power, I haven't seen it in action. I observed one of their meetings, infiltrated it, even had contact with Laveda herself. If she's some kind of mind reader, I think she would've known I didn't belong. She acted as if I were just another member of the group. They all did. So I think their magic is a lot of talk, not much else. It's a dangerous bunch, though. They think they've got a handle on magical powers, so they act as if they do. They're basically fearless, think they're invulnerable."

"We are," Alice said. She sat up, crossed her legs, and looked up at them, smirking.

"They do fear burning."

"Fire," said Dr. Miles, "has traditionally been a.s.sociated with purification. I've dealt with satanists who actually exhibit a phobic response to it."

"There's something else I should tell you. They practice human sacrifice. I saw a young woman murdered at their meeting. The others drank her blood. Even Alice, here."

Dr. Miles stiffened slightly.

"So it's a blood thirsty group."

"You could be in a great deal of danger if they do find out, somehow, that Alice is here."

"Well..."

"It might be wise for me to stick around."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary."

"I'd feel easier about it."

"I don't think you realize-the process could take weeks, depending on the depth of her conditioning. Besides, I really don't imagine there's much cause for concern. Her location's secret. As for telepathy, I agree with you that it's hogwash. I've been involved with these matters for several years, and haven't lost a patient yet."

"All right," Dukane said. He felt a bit rebuffed, and realized his offer had been motivated by more than simple concern for her safety. He was attracted to her, wanted to spend more time in her presence. "Well, I'll check in occasionally."

"Better that you don't. We wouldn't want to compromise her location."

"What ever you say. But be careful, all right?"

"I always am."

"For all the good it'll do," said Alice.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Lacey woke up, and wished she hadn't. She lay on her back, eyes shut. Her arms, stretched overhead, were numb. Moving slightly, she felt a sheet beneath her. She wasn't covered: a mild breeze stirred against her skin, probably from the window above her bed.

She tried to lower her arms, but a tightness around the wrists held them in place. They were tied.

She moved her feet. They, at least, were free.

She licked her lips. No gag.

But she was blindfolded. She could feel it. She tried to open her eyes, but couldn't raise the lids. From the sticky stiffness against them, she guessed they were taped shut.

Lying motionless, she listened. The only sound in the bedroom was the hum of her electric clock. Through the open window came sounds of birds, a car door banging shut, a power mower somewhere in the distance.

So it's morning.

And I told James I wouldn't be coming in. Neat play. Somebody'd come by to check on me, if I hadn't told him that.

Just as well. This maniac would only kill him.

If he's here!

Lacey realized, with a dizzying sense of relief, that he might very well have departed-tied her up, took her car, and headed for distant places. Why not?

Because, as David Horowitz always says, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

He's still here. Probably watching me right this second. Does he know I'm awake?

Lacey tried to breathe slowly and deeply, feigning sleep.

What does he want? she wondered. Why the h.e.l.l hasn't he killed me like he did the others? Don't worry, he probably will.

Unless I get him first.

Fat chance.

You can't kill a man you never see.

She hadn't spotted him in the car, though he'd been in the backseat on her way home from Hoffman's. She and Cliff had missed him when they searched the house-unless he sneaked in later.

But how, in G.o.d's name, did he get into the bathroom? That door never opened, she was almost positive. And he sure didn't climb in through the window. He was just suddenly there. A magician, a regular Houdini.

How do you kill a guy like that?

Easy, you don't.

But maybe he is gone.

No, he's here. Still here.

But why?

Because he likes you.

Scream, c.u.n.t, and I'll rip off your head. Sure he likes me.

The doorbell rang.

Footsteps raced toward her.

She opened her mouth to yell, and a hand slapped across it.

"Don't make a sound," whispered the low, scratchy voice from last night.

The bell rang again, loud in the silent house. Who was there? James or Carl coming by to check on her, after all? Cliff? It rang again. She kicked her legs high, twisting to swing them off the bed, but an arm hooked them behind the knees and stopped them. She bucked and writhed. The powerful arm pressed, curling her back, raising her rump off the bed, forcing her legs down until her knees mashed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

She shook her head, tried to bite the hand. But it stayed tight on her mouth. Her teeth couldn't find flesh to bite, only sc.r.a.ping it without doing damage.

Mouth covered, compressed as she was, she couldn't bring in enough air through her nostrils. She stopped struggling and tried to breathe. Her lungs burned.

The doorbell rang again.

Go away!

She sucked air in through her nostrils, but couldn't draw it in deeply enough, couldn't seem to get it to her lungs. She felt as if she were drowning. The man seemed to realize this, and pressed his hand slightly upward to block her nose.

No!

A roar filled her head. She sucked against the hand. No air came through. She kicked, but the man pressed her knees harder against her chest. Her heart thundered as if it might explode.

Then the arm stopped pushing at her legs. As she lowered them, the hand left her mouth. She gulped in air.

"I oughta kill you," the man whispered.

Lacey kept gasping.

He shoved her legs apart, and she felt his mouth. Then he was on top of her, pushing inside her, ramming. Lacey didn't struggle. She lay still, trying to catch her breath, trying not to think, to build a wall in her head that she could hide behind, away from the pain and filth and terror.

"I'll untie your hands," he said when he was finally through.

Lacey nodded.

"You can't hurt me. You can't get away from me. Don't try."

"I won't."

He removed the bonds. Lacey tried to lower her arms. At first, they wouldn't move. They burned and tingled as feeling slowly returned to them. At last, she was able to bring them down. She rubbed the deep indentations on her wrists.

"What do you want?" she asked.

He made a nasty laugh. "I've got what I want. You. And your house."

Reaching to her face, she touched the adhesive tape over her eyes. Her hands were slapped away.

"Leave it."

"Who are you?"

"If I told you that, you'd know."

What kind of answer was that? "Do I know you?" she asked.

"d.a.m.n right."

"What did I do? Did I do something to you?"

"It's what you didn't do. But we've taken care of that, haven't we?" Lacey flinched as he put a hand on her breast. She didn't try to remove it, didn't dare. "I've always wanted you. Now I've got you. Want to know what's next?"

She nodded.

"I'm gonna be your guest for a while. For a long, long while. This is a lot better than the market. The market stinks. No bed, no p.u.s.s.y to curl up with. This is just what I want, and I'm gonna stay."

"Are you...hiding out?"

"Oh yes. And they're a sharp pack of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. They'll come looking. Might even check here, but we're too smart for'em. Lacey's gonna answer the phone, Lacey's gonna answer the door, Lacey's even gonna go to work after today, just like everything's normal. But she won't let no one in, and she won't tell our little secret, and she won't try to run away.'Cause if she does, I'll do horrible disgusting things to her."

She couldn't believe it! He would actually let her leave the house? "All right," she said.

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, soon as I let you free, you'll run off to the cops. If the cops don't get me, you'll leave town. Either way, you'll be safe from me. But you're wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. You can't escape."

The hand went away from her breast, picked at the side of her face, and ripped the tape away. It came off with a sound like tearing cloth, stinging her skin, uprooting brows and lashes. Lacey clutched her eyes until the pain subsided. Then she lowered her hands. She opened her eyes. Squinting against the light, she looked up. Then to the sides.