"As to where we're going, I'm taking
you to a cabin near Big Bear. In fact, if you want, I can
pick up some food for you at the next rest stop and whip
something up for you once we get there. You must be
hungry."
She was starving. "I could eat something," she said. Her
mind was racing: Be calm, don't do anything to set him off
If he was going to kill you, he would have done it by now.
And on the heels of that: Why is he taking me to this
cabin?
She wondered if she should tell him she was pregnant.
She had heard from would-be rape victims that telling
your attacker that you were pregnant was a possible deterrent. Would it work with Mr. Smith? She was just about to mention it when he started talking. "I don't want to
hurt you," he said, eyes on the road. "In fact, if I didn't
need the money I wouldn't be doing this. That whole scenario that happened back along the interstate? Like I
said, that was just to separate you from your husband. My
name's really not Mr. Smith, and this van isn't even registered to me. Nobody will know what happened to you. I
cleaned up at the motel, wiped everything down, even
used gloves after I knocked you out. I took your luggage
and your purse-they're in the back with you somewhere. I left your car at the motel because that will be the
first thing they look for, and a stolen car is easy to trace.
This is going to work out." It sounded like he was saying
this aloud to reassure himself that what he had planned
was going to work, rather than attempting to explain to
her his intentions.
He's going to rape and kill me, she thought, a sudden
lump rising in her throat. That's why he's taking me to this
cabin. That's why he didn't take my car. When he's done,
hell bury me somewhere in the woods and nobody will
know. Nobody will ever find out.
And on the heels of that: But if he was going to rape
me, why did he say that he wouldn't be doing this if he
didn't need the money? Is he kidnapping me for some
kind of ransom?
"I'm pregnant," she said, not really knowing if this revelation would be an influence. It wasn't; Mr. Smith
laughed.
"If you think that's going to get you out of this, you're a
bigger fool than I thought. But I admire you for trying
anyway. I know what it must feel like."
"You have no idea how I feel. And I'm not lying about
being pregnant, either."
"You don't look pregnant."
"I just found out early this morning."
"Really?" He paused for a moment. "Have you told
hubby yet?"
She didn't know what to say. "No," she said in a whispering tone.
"But you were gonna tell him, weren't you? This weekend?"
Lisa felt the anger and hate come boiling back. She
could picture his cold gray eyes watching her in the
rearview mirror. "Maybe I was. What is it to you, anyway?"
"Just that I want to know what I'm dealing with. I can
understand now why you were so feisty back there at the
motel. Your maternal instinct kicked in. You weren't just
thinking about saving your own skin, you were thinking
about the unborn baby in your womb. Weren't you?"
'flying to push the anger down, she nodded. "I guess
you could say that."
Mr. Smith sounded like he was considering this. "If
what you're saying is true, then they might actually like
this."
Those words had a chilling affect on Lisa. She felt a pit
of ice creep into her belly. "What do you mean? Who are
they?'
"Later," he said, dismissively. The rest stop is coming
up and I'll be pulling over. Remember. One peep out of
you and you are one dead bitch. Got that?"
She had been forced to remain silent, struggling
silently with her tears as he gagged her, then exited the
van. The few minutes he spent in the AM/PM mini-market
felt like hours, all the while safety and freedom only a
shout away as other travelers pulled up beside them and
people walked past the van to the convenience store.
She had tried maneuvering around in back of the van in
a vain attempt to see if she could chance opening the
door and
you to a cabin near Big Bear. In fact, if you want, I can
pick up some food for you at the next rest stop and whip
something up for you once we get there. You must be
hungry."
She was starving. "I could eat something," she said. Her
mind was racing: Be calm, don't do anything to set him off
If he was going to kill you, he would have done it by now.
And on the heels of that: Why is he taking me to this
cabin?
She wondered if she should tell him she was pregnant.
She had heard from would-be rape victims that telling
your attacker that you were pregnant was a possible deterrent. Would it work with Mr. Smith? She was just about to mention it when he started talking. "I don't want to
hurt you," he said, eyes on the road. "In fact, if I didn't
need the money I wouldn't be doing this. That whole scenario that happened back along the interstate? Like I
said, that was just to separate you from your husband. My
name's really not Mr. Smith, and this van isn't even registered to me. Nobody will know what happened to you. I
cleaned up at the motel, wiped everything down, even
used gloves after I knocked you out. I took your luggage
and your purse-they're in the back with you somewhere. I left your car at the motel because that will be the
first thing they look for, and a stolen car is easy to trace.
This is going to work out." It sounded like he was saying
this aloud to reassure himself that what he had planned
was going to work, rather than attempting to explain to
her his intentions.
He's going to rape and kill me, she thought, a sudden
lump rising in her throat. That's why he's taking me to this
cabin. That's why he didn't take my car. When he's done,
hell bury me somewhere in the woods and nobody will
know. Nobody will ever find out.
And on the heels of that: But if he was going to rape
me, why did he say that he wouldn't be doing this if he
didn't need the money? Is he kidnapping me for some
kind of ransom?
"I'm pregnant," she said, not really knowing if this revelation would be an influence. It wasn't; Mr. Smith
laughed.
"If you think that's going to get you out of this, you're a
bigger fool than I thought. But I admire you for trying
anyway. I know what it must feel like."
"You have no idea how I feel. And I'm not lying about
being pregnant, either."
"You don't look pregnant."
"I just found out early this morning."
"Really?" He paused for a moment. "Have you told
hubby yet?"
She didn't know what to say. "No," she said in a whispering tone.
"But you were gonna tell him, weren't you? This weekend?"
Lisa felt the anger and hate come boiling back. She
could picture his cold gray eyes watching her in the
rearview mirror. "Maybe I was. What is it to you, anyway?"
"Just that I want to know what I'm dealing with. I can
understand now why you were so feisty back there at the
motel. Your maternal instinct kicked in. You weren't just
thinking about saving your own skin, you were thinking
about the unborn baby in your womb. Weren't you?"
'flying to push the anger down, she nodded. "I guess
you could say that."
Mr. Smith sounded like he was considering this. "If
what you're saying is true, then they might actually like
this."
Those words had a chilling affect on Lisa. She felt a pit
of ice creep into her belly. "What do you mean? Who are
they?'
"Later," he said, dismissively. The rest stop is coming
up and I'll be pulling over. Remember. One peep out of
you and you are one dead bitch. Got that?"
She had been forced to remain silent, struggling
silently with her tears as he gagged her, then exited the
van. The few minutes he spent in the AM/PM mini-market
felt like hours, all the while safety and freedom only a
shout away as other travelers pulled up beside them and
people walked past the van to the convenience store.
She had tried maneuvering around in back of the van in
a vain attempt to see if she could chance opening the
door and
Similar Books
