Alarm shot through Avery. This man planned to kill again. From her current state of bondage, she suspected she would be next.
As her mind further cleared, her thoughts shifted to Bree. She’d been with her before everything had gone black.
“Would you like to choose which of your daughters will go first?” the man asked.
Avery had heard that voice. With her head still swimming, she couldn’t quite place it.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll choose for you.”
A soft moan sounded as if from a distance.
Avery tried to move around to see what was going on but didn’t want to draw attention to herself. Not until she had a chance to weigh her options, come up with a plan and get the hell out of wherever she was.
Another moan sounded. Closer. Behind her. Something moved, touched her back.
“Avery,” a soft voice sounded nearby.
Bree. She was alive.
Relief flooded Avery, followed by a sense of doom. They were alive now. The monster who’d been killing other women now had them for his next conquest.
Avery refused to let that happen. She’d only just found her sister. They’d just begun getting to know each other. This couldn’t be the end. Not now. Not until they were well into their nineties. Even more, Avery planned to spend time with the people she loved. Her newfound sister. Her ex-husband, she hoped, could be convinced to give her a second chance. How she wanted to tell him she loved him, to be held in his arms and kiss him again. No. This was not the end.
So, what was she going to do about it? She was trussed up like a prized pig being prepared for the spit. If only she could break the zip ties and free Bree, they would have a fighting chance.
* * *
She looked around the dark interior of the room he’d brought her to. Room was an overexaggeration. It was more like a derelict warehouse or abandoned factory. She glanced up at the sky through the massive hole in the roof. Mildew spread dark tentacles across the concrete and some of the abandoned furniture.
If she could get close to something sharp to scrape against the zip ties, she could free her hands.
Free of her bindings and whatever drug they’d injected into her, she had a fighting chance to stop the monster from following through with his reign of terror.
The rusted skeleton frame of an old metal bookshelf might just be what she needed.
Moving slowly, she inched toward the rusted metal frame, easing backward, ready to freeze should her captor discover her ploy.
Bree scooted out of her way, her gaze on the killer, moving about in the corner of the room.
“You chose to abandon Baby B first. Perhaps we need to start there.”
Avery pushed a little closer to the rusted metal frame and rubbed the hard plastic of the zip tie against the ragged, rusted edge, her gaze fixed on the man moving toward them.
No. She needed more time. She couldn’t fight someone so much larger than she was with her hands secured behind her back. If only she could break free.
The closer he came, the faster her heart beat. Would he choose her to go first in his sick, twisted plan?
Avery couldn’t see who he’d been talking with if he’d been talking to anyone at all. The man was obviously insane. He’d already killed three women and had plans to kill two more.
Not if she could help it.
As he approached, Avery tensed, rubbing even harder while she strained against the tightness of the plastic bindings.
Just as the man bent to lift Bree, the zip tie around Avery’s wrists snapped free.
Avery rolled onto her hands and knees and then launched herself at the man, driving him backward until he stumbled and slammed against the wall of the building, shaking the frame. Glass cracked and fell from old windows high above, landing around her feet, breaking into small, sharp shards.
Before she could regain her balance, the man grabbed her arms and roared in her face. “Bitch! I’ll show you who rules around here.” He slapped her hard across her cheek. “You’re as worthless as that pathetic excuse of a mother who tossed you out like so much trash and then disappeared.”
