Chapter 1

The sun began its descent behind the tree lined horizon. The heavily wooded area surrounding Snowy Pines Lake was falling into the ever deepening darkness of night. Fireflies danced with their lights aglow in the murky twilight. Nicolette Larson's older metallic blue Honda Civic pulled slowly onto the long gravel road that lead to Clayton Baxter's property. She had been sent to deliver a summons to Mr. Baxter. Rumors about the loner left her to wonder just how much of his reputation was based on fact and how much was simply hyperbole. The two most consistently mentioned tidbits were about his affection for violence and his hatred for strangers. It was a combination that would not bode well for the 23 year old.

She drove for miles down the deserted rural road until all signs of familiar life were long gone. The road came to an abrupt end with a large metal gate barring entry to the remainder of the worn dirt path. The heavy brush and downed trees that lined either side of the road made driving around the gate impossible. She would have no choice but to continue her quest on foot to the house. The sunlight was fading fast amongst the trees. The path was barely visible in the best of conditions. The vanishing light did not help matters in the least. On top of it all, her choice of footwear made the trek treacherous. Her three inch heels were not intended for such terrain. Still she had to continue on.

Nicolette locked her car, bringing only the papers and her keys with her on the expedition. Within the first 10 minutes of walking she managed to make decent time. The hard packed mud was relatively flat and easy to walk on even in heals. The further back it lead into the woods the worse it got for the young lady. Deep tire tracks replaced the smoother surfaces making each step harder to safely take. Between the ruts and the rock lined center hump there was nowhere to get sure footing. It was a miracle that she hadn't twisted her ankle or tripped over a large chunk of stone yet. The diminished light made seeing the nuances of the rough terrain much harder.

The faint smell of a wood fire gave her hope that she was getting closer to the home she sought. A very uneasy feeling also came over her as she crept carefully closer. Periodically she stopped, taking a moment to look around to see if anyone or anything was there. The feeling that she was being watched was growing stronger with each step. Every little noise from the surrounding woods made her more frightened that she already was. Out of the corner of her eye she swore she saw a tall dark figure following to the left of her but she could not seem to get a good look at it before it vanished into the trees again.

"Hello? IS anyone there? Mr. Baxter?" She timidly asked as she stopped.

The only response she received was the symphony of chirps and croaks that filled the woods. It unnerved her to the point that she considered turning back and running toward the car. She could hand the job off to someone else in the office and let them deal with the eerie walk. She stopped, looking over her shoulder once more. Just as she turned her head a rock came whizzing from the nearby trees and struck her solidly in the head. The blow left her dizzy, dropping her to her knees before she knew what was happening. Her hand reached up and touched the large bump. Blood trickled from the wound. She scrambled to her feet. Her heart was racing as she turned, looking around to see where the rock had come from. Several feet behind her loomed the figure that she had seen repeatedly. This time instead of disappearing it started toward her. Nicolette's heart raced as she started to back away. It moved swiftly toward her, causing her to turn and run like a scared rabbit. The gap between them was closing quickly. The filthy beast of a man had little trouble catching up to her.

Within seconds of his gaining on her she felt another sharp pain in the back of her head. This time it was the steel pommel of his bowie knife that struck her skull. The blow caused her to stumble and fall to her knees in a heartbeat. The angry figure moved in closer, standing above her as she stared up in terror. It was then that she realized that the shadowy man looming over her was the exact man she sought, Clayton Baxter. Before she could say a word he was on top of her with his large, dirty hands around her throat.

"Mister Baxt..." Was all that she managed to say before the lack of oxygen dragged her under.

When Nicolette awoke she had no way of knowing how long she was out. Her body had been flipped over onto her stomach. Her white silk blouse had been stripped from her body and was now in tattered strips. The others were used to secure her ankles and knees as well as her wrists which remained stretched above her head. His hand gripped her ankles as he dragged her over the rough forest floor. The strips of her destroyed blouse held a wad of the wasted material in her mouth to keep her from screaming as he pulled her along the ground.

Her arms, face, and torso were covered in scrapes and cuts from the debris that littered the woods. The girl began to flail wildly. Her hands desperately clawed at the earth in hopes that she could get a grip on something that would help give her a chance to pull away from his grasp. Her manicured nails broke and chipped as they dug into the soil. Her fingertips were soon bleeding. The front of her thin pale pink camisole shredded as the back remained untouched. The cups of the lace trimmed sheer white bra that she worn were torn as well. Blood soaked into the fabric around the underwire.