Chapter 1

Darkness had fallen before the two young women left the lecture hall.

"I wish my husband could be like that," Jennifer Wales sighed.

"Tom's a very nice man," Rena Cole protested.

"Oh, he's nice enough," Jennifer said, "but he's just so dull. He never does anything exciting."

"And I suppose you'd like for him to fly planes and nearly get himself killed in far off places like our speaker did?" Rena questioned.

"Nothing so drastic," Jennifer admitted. "I'd just like for him to change a little. He's dull in just about everything he does, even in bed."

"Jennifer!" Rena said sharply.

Jennifer shrugged her shoulders. She knew her slim, dark- haired friend didn't like to talk about sex. Rena could be a real prude about some subjects.

"Jennifer!" Rena said.

Jennifer waited patiently while Rena fumbled in her purse for her car keys.

"Here they are," Rena said, and dropped them on the pavement. "Oh damn!"

She bent down to pick them up but suddenly a man was there snatching them off the ground.

Jennifer almost yelled but one look at the black pistol in the man's hand convinced her not to.

The man was short and squat, with thick shoulders and arms, He had been working out in the sun for his skin was tanned a deep brown a his hair was almost golden.

"Don't scream, ladies," he said. "I'm a desperate man. I don't mind shooting you both right here in the parking lot. Don't make any mistakes about that."

Rena couldn't have screamed if she'd wanted her skin had gone pale and she was leaning against the car for support. She was scared to death.

Jennifer was also scared but she was thinking quickly. She was remembering all the things she ever heard about this kind of situation. "You can have the car," Jennifer said, we won't scream or try to stop you. Just take it."

The man grinned at her. He had gleaming white teeth that remined Jennifer of some kind of animal, and Jennifer realized the car wouldn't be all he wanted.

"That's nice of you," he said, "but the car wouldn't do me any good if I had to drive it. The cops are looking for me everywhere. I wouldn't get a half mile."

"You're Dave Madden!" Rena blurted out.

Jennifer felt a coldness in her soul. She hadn't put it together as quickly as Rena had. Dave Madden was an escaped convict. It had been in all the newspapers. He had shot a guard escaping and the police were all over looking for him.

"That's right, lady," he said. "So now you know I'm a desperate man. I can't go back. So both of you will do exactly as I say and we'll get along just fine.

Jennifer had two choices. She could scream and hope that he wouldn't kill them both, or she could get into the car and hope he wouldn't throw them into a ditch somewhere. The first choice was not a very good one. She had a feeling that he would do exactly as he said.

They would be two dead bodies lying together before anyone could help.

"All right," Jennifer said slowly, "just tell us what you want us to do."

He studied them both carefully for a moment and then evidently made a decision. He put the gun away in a side pocket and gave the keys to Rena.

"You drive, honey," he said. "Just be real careful. Remember that I'll be sitting in the back seat with your girlfriend."

"Please," Rena said, "I don't think I can. I'm too scared."

"Drive, damn it," he said, "or you'll be dead."

He motioned her into the car and Rena went without argument. She dropped the keys a couple of times but she finally got them into the ignition.

Jennifer slipped in the back seat and he was right beside her. She could feel the bulge of the gun pressed against her side.

"All right, honey," he said, "drive and be careful."

Dave leaned back against the seat grinning. He couldn't believe his luck. He had been in that parking lot all evening just hoping for a chance. He hadn't expected two such lovely looking women.

"Why don't you get a little closer?" he asked Jennifer. "I want us to look like a couple of lovers in case some nosey cop looks into the back seat."

Jennifer could feel herself trembling as she pressed closer to him. She had a feeling that he wanted more than just her being close. He had been in prison. Men got horny in prison.

Jennifer steeled herself not to jerk away as his big hand touched the top of her head. He made a stroking motion with his hand, stroking her silky blonde hair.

"You're a pretty thing," he whispered. "Did you know I've been in jail for seven years?"

"No," she answered.

"Seven years is a long time," he said.

His hand kept gently stroking her hair and she was more afraid than she had ever been in her entire life. She wished she were back at home with dull Tom.

"You'd look much nicer in a short dress," he said. "I don't like women in pants. You and your friend should get short dresses and those high boots like they wear. Maybe a low cut blouse to show a little bit of your tits."

Jennifer closed her eyes. She was afraid she was going to be sick.

"Now I want you to be nice to me," he said. "I want you to be real nice to me."

Jennifer's first impulse was to break from him, but Jennifer had always been a thinking person. She had to think of the consequences. He was stronger than her. He could physically force her to do anything he wanted. She already knew he was a violent man and fighting him could only get her hurt.

Jennifer looked up and saw Rena's eyes frantically signaling her in the rear view mirror. At almost the same moment he saw the reflection of the police car.

Jennifer felt Dave stiffen and he put his hand inside his coat.

Jennifer knew there were only moments away from a shooting, and probably she and Rena would suffer the most. He would certainly kill them as he said he would.

Jennifer also knew what was going on in Rena's mind. Rena had heard the conversation in the back seat and she was already thinking of Jennifer going through a fate worse than death.

But Jennifer wanted to live and she was willing to do almost anything to keep living.

"My God, Rena," Jennifer said softly. "Don't do anything stupid. He'll kill us. Can't you understand that? He really will kill us."

Dave Madden said nothing. He just sat there as the police car pulled around them and sped away into the darkness. Jennifer breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"That's better," he said. "You're a smart girl."

He pulled Jennifer snugly against his broad, thick chest. His hand dropped to her shoulder he squeezed. Jennifer winced in pain as she felt his steely fingers digging into her flesh.

"Are you going to fight me?" he asked.

"No," she answered.

His fingers loosened and he started stroking her hair again.

"You really are a pretty thing," he said softly, "like a movie star or something."

She didn't try to draw away as his hand dropped once more to her shoulder and then around to cup one breast.

"It's been so long. "God, what a tit," he said.

She was wearing a pullover sweater and bra, but even through so much clothing she could feel the heat of his fingers. She could almost hate herself as she found herself comparing him to Tom. Tom had never gotten so excited when he touched her.

She leaned back as he pulled up her sweater and slipped his hand underneath. His fingers nearly burned her flesh as he slipped his hand up her silky feeling stomach to the swell of her breasts.