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From Chapter 1
Tears rolled down ???'s face as she began to cry, holding up her hands in an expression of surrender. She bleated, her words barely discernible amid the gulping cries that choked her. “Please!” she sobbed. “Don't hurt me! Please - I'll do anything for you... Please don't hurt me...”
??? watched in cold, agonizing dread as the lever pulled tension on the string while automatically loading the next of a series of short arrows into position. The weapon was reloaded in just over a second. So efficient, she thought, half-crazed with delirious terror...
The hunter, having enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, their game, had no patience for any more trivialities. ??? was unaware of what was happening, except for the presence of the cruel one, and a violent, searing pain. She gasped again, a noisier, more fervent sucking of air, nothing short of a long, grunted snort...
From Chapter 5
In ???'s mind the figure took on an evil, almost possessed look. Clearly the person was staring at her, the hidden face never moving as the cruel eyes bored into her. She turned her board to face the person in an attempt to hide... of course it was too late for that... She took a backward pace. Then another...
...the stranger closed the gap with ease. When ??? glanced behind again, the fiend was only five meters back... ??? stopped and faced the puffing individual, holding up her board once more between them. To her immense relief, the stranger stopped too...
From Chapter 8
Her mind was almost in shock, reeling against terror and agony, and yet refusing to surrender to the torture. A moment later she was driven to the brink of insanity, of total mental collapse as she saw a flash of silver and a khaki arm slip silently beneath her chin. ??? had seen the news the previous night... She knew what would come next...
And then, as though the storm of horror had ceased, the stranger did not strike.
???'s arms reached up and held to the drab forearm, her breaths heaving as the
stranger leaned close. The young woman feared desperately for her life, sure
that she would be butchered any second... and yet the attack had clearly paused.
The hidden figure leaned close, and in the deafening silence that reigned since
the demise of the pulsing stereo, ???
could hear the excited breaths of her attacker in her right ear.
From Chapter 10
"Anyone there?" she called...
Why should she fear? After all, just because she had been listening to the mindless chatter of gossiping fools who sounded as though they were almost enjoying the presence of a serial killer in their small town, there was no sound basis for her fear...
With the flashlight still held high in readiness for the strike, ??? took one
last look about her to make sure she was not being ambushed. There was no one,
she told herself. To be so afraid was ludicrous. So she pushed at the door...
Despite the thick, timber walls of the old building, combined with modern fire-retarding
materials added during the refurbishing process, a passing pedestrian was still
able to hear ???'s terrified, piercing scream.
From Chapter 11
“...It just might have escaped your attention that you fit the victim profile of this killer perfectly. Haven't you noticed? You're blonde, good looking and female. Open your eyes, Ma'am. If ??? does have anything to do with these killings, you just might have more to gain by thinking about it than anyone else around. Get it?”
Cheryl swallowed audibly and took a step away from the detective, who had allowed
her tone to become quite forceful, while still keeping her voice just above
a whisper. The lawyer's eyes opened even wider than before, her mouth gaping
slightly in unison. Cheryl did not reply, but stood stunned and silent for quite
some time.
She had definitely 'got it'.
From Chapter 11
“...It just might have escaped your attention that you fit the victim profile of this killer perfectly. Haven't you noticed? You're blonde, good looking and female." Detective Dorothy Shank's quiet words returned, crashing into Cheryl's mind with a force not proportional to the low volume with which they had been uttered. Cheryl swallowed hard.
"I could be a victim," she whispered, her eyes wide. The thought made her shiver.
Still, a country girl at heart and raised to be rough and ready, Cheryl had
been taught to work hard and to face the battles and fears of life. She held
the bat aloft and pulled open the door. Nothing. She stepped out, and immediately
felt the added chill of a cool easterly breeze.
"Meet the profile," she whispered. "That's right, Girl. You meet
the profile..." She took a key from a nail just inside the door, placed
it in a pocket and pulled the door closed behind her. Meet the profile, she
might, but Cheryl had resolved a long time ago to pay her way through life,
and never to run.
She began to patrol the grounds.
From Chapter 13
He's here! He's here! Her mind was screaming above the loud rasping of her heaving chest.
As though she was under the influence of a drug, ??? was aware of her hand pulling
the heavy weight of her automatic from the holster at her hip, and yet she could
not rush the move... She gripped the cold butt... her eyes still scouring...
for a target. And then ???'s eyes widened even more as the unmistakable movement
of two small eyes could be seen staring back.
Beneath the cold, staring eyes was the most frightening thing ??? had ever seen...
He's here, she told herself once more... He's here! Oh, no! That means he's going to... No! No! Not that... He's going to... She felt the warm touch of a hand raise her chin...
With the very last of her failing energy, ???'s left hand began to rise to grip the intruder's hand... Her mind screamed within the silent cavern of her gently lolling head.
???'s raised left hand struck the
protruding arrows, butted them twice more, and then dropped back to her lap
in defeat. For the last time her mind screamed at her to act, but her body refused.
Only a series of frantic panting breaths gave any sign that she was aware of
her torture, as her killer then leaned a large hunting knife before... her throat,
opened her wide, then pulled back on her chin to allow her blood to vent.
From Chapter 16
"That's not proof," ??? noted. "I mean, how do you know the killer is not me?... You said you feel safe with me around, but how do you know the man who killed all those girls isn't me?... I just want to know how you come to that conclusion."
??? nodded, surprised at the hidden tension rising to the surface... "Okay, she replied. "I take your point..." She smiled again. "And besides... I don't believe you're the killer..." She paused, eyeing him as a short silence ensued her comment.
"Are you?" she asked innocently.
He did not answer, but simply smirked
and shook his head as if to say that the question did not warrant a reply. For
the first time, ??? began to wonder if she was totally safe with the handsome,
young...
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