Chapter 9

The wind howled through the trees as she ran recklessly through the thick underbrush, branches catching and ripping her clothing and slapping across her face. She was afraid to look back, afraid she'd fall or find him right behind her, reaching for her. Her hand went frantically to the shoulder rig she wore, reaching for the 9mm that she kept in the holster. Empty!

Her heart raced, breath whistling in and out of her lungs as she pushed herself to go faster. A clearing loomed ahead, the moon shining dimly through the clouds. She'd have to cross it to get through to the other side of the park. Terror gripped her as she reached the edge. Her head pivoted frantically as her eyes searched the gloom of the trees for the figure that was stalking her.

A snap of a branch made her whirl one way, the brush of a leaf against a body turned her the other. The low gasping sounds of her breathing seemed incredibly loud to her ears. Every shadow seemed to claim an indistinct figure, every trembling branch caused by a dark form pushing past.

Jenna forced herself to try to be calm, shoving the damp wispy bangs off of her forehead with a trembling hand that left a streak of dirt to mix with the blood from where a branch had cut her face. She searched the clearing and the surrounding woods as carefully as her fear would allow, flinching at every sound. The waiting was killing her, waiting to see if her pursuer was still following, if maybe she had lost him. She couldn't stand it anymore.

She found a nice size branch that had blown down in the last storm and picked it up like a club. Then she took her first steps out into the clearing. She looked like a doe, her head up, nose to the wind to check for scent of predator. Her movements were slow, almost jerky, her body shaking in fear.

"Ahh, there you are." His voice sent chills of terror skittering down her spine almost making her freeze.

Jenna turned quickly, spying him at the edge of the clearing, his body a dark blurry presence in the sheltering shadows. His white teeth flashed though, showing brightly in a grin of perverse pleasure at her fear.

"Scared?" He laughed, his head tipped back. "You should be. I've waited for months to find you like this, Jenna, to be alone with you like this. You owe me and now," she saw his body move as he shrugged his shoulders, "I get to kill you."

Jenna started backing away, the branch held out in front of her like the blade of a sword. It was feeble protection at best but all she had.

The man started forward, slowly following her into the midst of the clearing, enjoying his game of cat and mouse. He would move off to his side, forcing Jenna to turn to keep him in her sights. Her steps would change direction and soon she was heading back towards the dense part of the park and away from the relative safety of the lights. She tried to keep him in sight and also to glance around, searching for escape.

He reached out suddenly, the knife a glimmering blur as he slashed at her. He missed, but his eyes gleamed in the light and she knew he meant to miss her that time.

Suddenly screaming as loudly as she could, she brought the branch down, trying to hit him with it. Instead, he ducked back and the momentum carried her around, knocking her off balance. She stumbled, desperately trying to stay up, her ankle twisted, sending shards of agony through her and she collapsed down on the ground.

He was on her before she could move, knocking the branch away from her and pushing her down to her back. His big body knocked the air from her lungs and he took the opportunity while she struggled to catch her breath, to grab her wrists. Using a zip tie he pulled from the back pocket of his pants, he fastened them together, and held them above her head with one hand.

His other held the knife, a huge thing that glittered evilly in the dim light of the clearing. She fought him, fought his seemingly massive weight as he ground his hard body into her softer one. His hips pressed against hers, his thighs forcing her legs apart until she had no choice but to feel him, hard and throbbing through the layers of their clothing.

He let the knife slide down her cheek, watching as her eyes followed its path, the tip barely pressing against the softness of her skin. It slid down over her jaw line, leaving a thin, red line against her throat before stopping at the top button of the blouse she wore.

She struggled furtively under him only stopping when the tip of the knife pressed into the upper swell of her breast, pushing through the skin. The pain was horrible, a red hot slash that had a scream backing up in her throat. She instantly stopped moving, her breath a furious panting. He watched the small wound fill with blood and start to drip, leaving a trail of red that in the dim light of the clearing shone an eerie black.

"Why?" Jenna heard herself cry out and berated herself for the weakness. Men like these didn't need a why. Men, no, animals like this one did it for the pleasure, for the thrill, to dominate and to subjugate. There was no why here, only pain and most probably death. She had to find a way out.

Fresh air circled around her skin as the knife made its slow path, cutting off the buttons to her blouse until her upper torso was bare but for the lacy, thin covering of her bra. She felt his tongue against her breast, licking at the trail of blood. His mouth opened over the wound, his tongue laved at it sending bright flickers of pain and making her moan.

"Just as I thought," he hissed, staring down at her, the light behind him leaving his face still shadowed and unrecognizable. "You're just like the rest of them. A little force, a few kisses and you all want the same thing, every one of you. You want this," he said, thrusting his hips against her groin, letting her feel him heavy and thick against her. "You're a slut. I thought you'd be different, I'd hoped... But it doesn't matter now, it's too late. You'll die like the rest of them, screaming and begging for mercy."

She cringed back as his face came towards her, felt the heavy, hard strength of his fingers twisting her jaw cruelly and holding her still as his mouth ground down on hers. He kissed her brutally and with such strength that her lips mashed against her teeth, cutting the fullness of them so that blood filled her mouth.

Her body bucked and fought under this new onslaught. She had to fight, she just couldn't allow him to take her, to amuse himself with her body while she lay like a dead piece of meat. She knew that he'd kill her. She knew it. This, the sex, for him was nothing more than foreplay leading to the final thrill. Her death.

Jenna tore her mouth out from under his, feeling blood from her torn lip dripping down her jaw. She fought, writhing under him, trying to dislodge him from her body. Her hands throbbed, the zip tie digging into the flesh of her wrists, making them bleed. She heard a strange keening sound and knew it was coming from her but she had no more control over her actions and only one primal thought left, to get away, to live.

He cut through the waistband of her jeans pushing them off her struggling legs with barely a sign of effort. Bare, her long legs gleamed in the shadowy light. She used them, kicking at his legs, at his thighs. She screamed, long and loud and he just laughed. With a flick of the knife, her bra was sliced open. He pulled the cups to the side, admiring the rounded perfection they exposed. The knife tip traced across the firm buds of her nipples, pricking with tiny precise flicks of his wrist.

He dropped the knife next to him but out of her reach, moving to grasp the delicate lace of the tiny red silk panties she wore and ripping them from her easily. Then his hand moved and she felt it fumbling at her stomach as he undid his own clothing. A mere moment of fumbling and suddenly she felt the hard head of his cock nudging at the dry flesh between her legs.

The light of the moon shone out from behind the clouds that had dimly veiled it, giving her, finally, a chance to see her attacker. Her heart stuttered, disbelief and horror warring with pain on her face. Her breath stilled in her chest as it suddenly became full of more than pain, betrayal a worse sort of emotional angst that tore at her heart. Her head shook slowly as she tried to deny what her eyes were seeing.

"God, Ethan?" The question in her voice brought his eyes to her face, a gentle smile touching crazed lips. "You're doing this? You're killing..." She shut her eyes, trying to ignore the harsh, poking thrusts between her thighs, thrusts that burned and hurt as he started to force himself into her unprepared body. "Why?"

He leaned over her, holding her hips still with one hand, the other still above her head. "Because of you," he whispered eerily into her ear and thrust hard into her.

Jenna sat up, screaming and pushing the smothering blankets off her body. Her heart raced as she stared around the room, looking for Ethan. The pain faded as the dream did until it's hold upon her was psychological instead of physical and she grabbed a pillow, holding it to her stomach as tears streamed down her face.

"Just a dream, Jenna," she whimpered, rocking herself. "Come on, it was just a dream, get yourself together." A sob caught her unprepared

She forced herself out of bed, staring in horror at the clock. She'd slept no more than two hours, but knew she wouldn't be going back to bed. She couldn't climb back into that bed right now, not with the horror of that dream still fresh in her mind.

Ethan, why would her subconscious chose him to portray the brutal rapist/killer in her dreams. She knew a psychologist would have a field day on her right now. Murder cop with night terrors that deal with psychopaths that are killing her and they have the face of the man she thought she was falling for.

She needed to do something, she needed action to put this out of her mind. She quickly stripped out of the boxers she'd slept in, and throwing on a pair of bike shorts to go with the tank top she still wore, she went into her office. She bypassed the weight equipment, needing something fast and physical, something that would sweat the poisons of the dream out of her system.

Her heavy bag hung in the corner, her light gloves hanging next to it from a hook. She ignored the gloves, wanting to feel the punishment on her hands today. Stretching her legs, she could feel the muscles protesting slightly then starting to warm. She stretched one arm above her head, grabbing it with her other hand just at the elbow and pulling. She repeated with the other, shaking and rolling her head. She stepped barefoot to the bag, lifting her hands and fisting them as she eyed her opponent.

The first tentative punch sent a slight zing up her arm, the next, not quite so tentative, tingled the muscles. She punched and ducked, weaving a little around the bag, using her knee to kick and then the side of her leg. As she warmed up, her movements became more sure, her fists punching the leather harder. A duck then a sweep with her leg under the bag, made her smile at the rightness of the movement.

Her mind took over, numbing to all else around her. The bag took on features of different people, Kevin Elliott received a snap kick to his face and then a punch with all the force she could put into it. The captain got a broken nose for his troubles. Sweat streamed down her body, plastering the lightweight tank top to her curves. Her hair clung to her head in wet ringlets.

And when her arm was grabbed, startling her, she turned, leading with a right hook.

Justin jumped, staring at the fist that stopped just an inch from his nose. "Whoa, I give up. Take it easy slugger."

Jenna dropped her arms, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. "What are you doing here?" She went to the tiny fridge she had next to her desk and grabbed a bottle of water. Breaking the seal, she opened it and drank half of its contents in one long pull. She grabbed a towel from off a shelf and wiped off her face, looking at him while she waited for his answer.

"Killer? Bodies? Police officers?" He sighed. "Any of this sound familiar to you?"

"You're a riot, Justin. Why don't you go make some coffee and I'll grab a quick shower."

Justin smiled and tugged at the towel she'd thrown across her shoulders. "I could scrub your back?" he offered. "I know, it's a rough job, but some..."

"Justin, shut up and go make coffee." She took the end of her towel away from him and snapped him with it when he turned around. Smiling, she went to her room and into the bathroom beyond, stripping out of her sweat soaked workout clothes to get in the shower.

The hot water pounded on her body, finishing the job of releasing all the stress the dream had given her. She stood under it, just enjoying the steady pulsing flow after washing. She finally felt she could think now.

The shower door opened, startling her. A cup of steaming caffeine was shoved at her. She took it, staring once more at Justin's face as his eyes roamed up and down her naked body.