Chapter Forty-Seven

Maddy tried again to turn on her side. Slowly she shifted her body, moving as silently as she could. Reaching down, she managed to touch her ankle. Yes! But her fingers kept slipping on the tape, and she couldn’t locate an end or a loose corner.

Her body swayed again, bumping hard against the front seat. Something was happening to the truck. It was lurching, jerking. Now it was slowing. Was he stopping?

She’d hoped to loosen her bonds before they stopped, if she had any chance to get away. But she hadn’t made any progress. She wasn’t ready. An icicle of fear clutched her stomach. She could hardly breathe.

It’d be obvious, the first time he looked at her, that she’d moved. She did her best to shift onto her back again and stretch out her legs. She closed her eyes and lightly pressed the tape strips back over her eyes and mouth. She pulled the blanket back into position and concentrated on not moving.

The truck stopped. She heard a scratchy sound just above her and guessed that Daniel was leaning over the back of his seat.

Lie still. She’d heard of animals playing dead. Instinct told her that was now her best option.

****

The truck still jerking and almost stalling, Daniel pulled in behind a warehouse. He hoped he’d be out of sight here, invisible from the street.

This wasn’t at all what he’d planned. He’d wanted to find a secluded, wooded area in the country to drop her in. He stared around him at the empty parking lot; at least he had the space to himself, it being Saturday, but this was still within city limits. Not a lot of options here for disposing of a body.

The far side of the paved parking area ended abruptly at a vacant lot filled with scrubby brush. Daniel eyed it speculatively. It wasn’t the ideal place to leave her, but it might work. The bushes were thick enough that the deeper part of the lot was hidden. He could dump her there.

It could be days before she’s found. By then you’ll be long gone.

He’d need to get to a service station, get them to fix whatever was wrong with the truck, but then he’d be on his way.

But first he had to deal with her. He pulled ahead, stopping as close to the vacant lot as he could get, and turned off the motor.

He got out and opened the back door. She was lying just as he’d left her, on her back, covered with the blanket. Pulling on her ankles, he dragged her toward him so he could get hold of her. Her body was limp; it sagged until he got a grip on her, the blanket falling away as he pulled. Holding her with one arm, he propped her body against the seat so he could grab the blanket and wrap it around her again. It would help disguise her shape. She’d be a lumpy package, not—at first glance—obviously a girl.

He struggled to get a purchase under her knees and shoulders, heaving to pick her up. Well, this would be the last time moving her.

He’d find a spot deeper in the bush and drop her there.

****

Marie called Bob’s cellphone, on speaker. I could hear frustration in her voice. “Kazan has left the Queensway. We were just ahead of him, about to pull him over, but he swerved and took the turnoff at Carp Road. Now we have to drive to the next exit so we can turn around.” The median on the divided highway prevented U-turns.

I knew Bob was already on high alert, but at this news his shoulders rose and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. “We’ll be at Carp Road in a couple of minutes. We’ll find him.”

My nails bit into my palms, and I was practically vibrating with anxiety. “Faster—we can’t lose him now!”

“I know. We’re almost there. Watch for a dark green pickup.”

A minute later we pulled into the exit, which curved off to the right and ended at a T junction. Oh my God. Which way did he go?

Bob didn’t hesitate. He barely stopped before turning right, revving into the intersection.

****

When the truck door opened, the sudden cold air startled Maddy, but she was careful not to move as Daniel gripped her ankles and pulled her toward him.

Her heart jumped in terror, but with a huge effort she forced herself to stay limp and keep her breathing shallow. She felt herself start to slip as he pulled her out of the truck, and willed herself not to react. She hoped he wouldn’t realize she was awake and alert.

His grip tightened, and he seemed to have her in balance, though he soon shifted her position again so she was slung partly over his shoulder. He was moving quickly as he carried her, his footsteps thudding dully below.

Oh my God. Where’s he taking me?

His breathing was loud in her ear, and the smell of his sweat filled her nostrils.

She fought down panic and tried to think past the fog that still filled her head.

In all the movement, the tapes over her eyes and mouth had come loose again. She risked a one-eyed squint. The way he had her positioned, Daniel couldn’t see her face. She opened her eye wide. Her field of vision was narrow, letting her see just a sliver of their surroundings as they moved along.

A branch slipped past her head, almost bare of leaves. A bush. Another bush. Farther back she could see an empty parking lot and a low building beyond it.

As they passed a third bush, a car pulled into the parking lot. The car doors opened, and two people jumped out. One was a small woman with dark hair. Maddy stared. Mom? She almost gasped, filled with relief. Mom was here.

She came.

****

“Is that Daniel’s truck?” I asked as we pulled into the otherwise empty parking lot.

Our tires squealed as Bob pulled up behind the vehicle. “Yup, it’s his license plate.”

My eyes on the truck, I flung open my door and leapt out. In the absence of anything resembling a weapon, I kept a firm hold on the heavy flashlight I’d found in the side pocket of the car. I could hear Bob’s steps behind me as we ran.

The truck’s back door was gaping wide, but the cab was empty. “They’re gone,” Bob said.

There were sounds in the bush ahead of us, beyond the parking lot. I heard a voice that I’d know anywhere. “Mom! Help!”

I raced toward the bush, Bob pounding behind me. Up ahead I glimpsed a figure careening through the underbrush. Daniel. He was moving awkwardly, overbalanced by the bundle he was carrying, a bundle that was now wriggling mightily.

Maddy.

I ignored the thin branches whipping against my face as I gained on Daniel. He was lurching, Maddy in a bundle across his shoulder. Suddenly he let out a yelp and stumbled, just as I reached him with a final burst of speed. I lifted the flashlight and hit him across the back of his head with all my strength, every frustration and fear I’d felt for the past days flowing into my arm.

Daniel fell to the ground, dropping Maddy.

****

Maddy hit the ground hard, air driven out of her lungs. Daniel collapsed next to her, unmoving.

Mom had done something—had she killed him?

Maddy lay there, catching her breath as her mom gathered her in her arms.

Some other people arrived. One called for an ambulance, and another put handcuffs on Daniel.

Maddy felt herself drifting away.

****

I knelt beside Maddy and wrapped my arms around her. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her breaths coming in shuddering sobs. She was partly wrapped in a dingy blue blanket, strips of duct tape hanging off the side of her face. More tape bound her wrists and her ankles.

Tears poured down my face. “Oh, sweetie. We’ll get you out of here. I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you.”

Bob turned to me. “Well, you stopped him all right. We need an ambulance.”