Trapped With A Killer

Chapter Two

Eventually footsteps approached. I recognized them from the parking garage. I don't think I'll ever forget that sound that filled me with icy fear, permeated with anticipation. A heavy door creaked open slowly, flooding the room with dim, yellow light. I groaned and squeezed my eyes closed as a spike of pain was driven into my brain.

The footsteps came nearer before I heard him kneel down. He was so close his body seemed to radiate heat. I tried to gulp through the bile that rose up my dry throat as he just sat there. Did he think I was still asleep or was he just messing with me?

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to use my core to sit up, prop myself against the wall, and turn to face him. Flinching, I felt his gloved hands grip my shoulders and help me. Blinking back the water filling my stinging eyes I tried to focus on his face. It was dark, silhouetted from the light coming in from the open door, but I could tell he wore a full face mask, maybe leather? It even wrapped around his head, hiding his hair.

I glanced around the room, but it was small and I couldn't see much past him. But it didn't look like Quinn was in here after all. Where could he be keeping her? Was she alright? God she must be so scared!

I panicked and tried to lean away as his arms reached around me, but he just tugged at the knot holding my gag in place. Once it was removed I swallowed, trying to return some moisture to my swollen tongue. I brushed my tongue across my teeth, one of which appeared to have been knocked a little loose last night. I sat there, waiting for him to say something.

"Reyna..." he said finally. My name sounded sour in his distorted voice. I wondered if he had some kind of voice changer built into the mask. It made it difficult to pin down an age. "I have some questions for you. If you answer them I'll untie you, understand?" Biting my inner cheek with anxiety I nodded. The leather mask shifted slightly, and I wondered if he had just smiled.

"What were you doing in that parking garage?" he asked softly. I thought about lying. It might sound pretty incriminating to say that I was searching for the Tintail killer, and I was almost positive that this was him. I wasn't sure last night, but it was too much of a coincidence. Then I thought of Quinn. If he questioned both of us like this it was too much of a gamble to assume we would say the same lie. So, I went with the safest option.

"I was looking for evidence... of the Tintail killer..." My voice sounded cracked and foreign, like I was listening to myself from far away. The man nodded.

"I see, at least you're smart enough not to try to lie. The other girl wasn't as smart." I could just hear the grin in his voice as my entire body clenched up in fear.

"Please, don't hurt her. It was all my idea, and she had nothing to do with it-" His gloved hand shot out and squeezed my cheeks. I clamped my mouth shut.

"As curious as that is, that is all irrelevant. She tried to lie to me, and that is a very, very bad idea," he spoke firmly. I nodded, and he released my face. I realized where he had hit my jaw last night was swollen and his touch only further ignited the pain.

"So, why were you looking for evidence in that specific parking garage?" he asked. Looking anywhere but his creepy mask, I stuttered out my answer.

"I just... mapped out all the other locations: the disappearances, where you dumped the bodies. I thought I might have found a geographical pattern. A comfort zone of sorts." I was talking on autopilot, just pretending he was someone who was interested in my hobby.

"People disappeared near their homes, and so I figured he was probably stalking them for a while beforehand. I thought malls and grocery stores would be a good place to find middle-aged targets. Someone has been disappearing every couple of months, and so I started checking for suspicious activity around those places a couple days ago. That parking garage was in the geographical area I predicted, and it has a history of security camera failures. It was just a hunch, but then I found the van. I saw the chains and crowbar and stuff and well..." I trailed off.