Minutes later, a sound caught my attention. I pulled over and slammed down on the brakes. Then I listened, barely breathing. 

I flinched as a female scream sounded in my ears. A kid. The cry was high-pitched, as if pained.

An image of myself screaming in agony as a teenager flashed before my eyes. But the memory wasn't alone. It was accompanied by the images of Cassandrea, Miley, and Belinda lying on the ground; their killer on top of them, drawing the life from their bodies as they thrashed in his deadly grasp.

Could this be another victim?

My question was answered by another cry--this time a weakened scream.

If the killer had picked his next target, I was determined to see that he didn't succeed this time.

After whipping out my Sig, I jumped from my vehicle and sprinted to the alleyway the screams had originated from, adrenaline spiking through my veins. I had to focus.

Back against the wall, firearm in my hands, I made my way through the dead-end alley, my ears straining to hear any sound that might give away the fact that I wasn't alone.

Another scream sounded, this time right behind me. I spun around and aimed my gun, ready to scream orders to a psychotic serial killer. But ice chilled my spine when I saw an object lying on the ground.

A recording device.

I had been lured into this alleyway.

Just as the realization dawned on me, a hand clamped over my mouth, preventing me from alerting some passerby of what was happening. I felt something bring my wrists together behind my back, cutting into my skin.

A zip tie.

No. This couldn't be happening to me.

In one fluid motion, whoever was behind me inserted a gag into my my mouth, effectively crushing any opportunity to attracting attention. They clutched both my arms and dragged me against their body.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness and my heart rate returned to a manageable level, I saw a man leaning against the building, his arms folded across his chest and an evil smirk plastered across his face.

"My, my." He said in a near whisper as he walked closer. "What a treat to see the invincible Justice Taylor gagged and tied, not having the slightest control over her own body. It's been a while since you were in this position, hasn't it? How does it feel, sweetheart?"

Like I'm about to kill you! I wanted to scream, but the gag made me sound more like a wild animal than a human being.

The man snickered. "Oh, well, since you're muzzled and we don't really have time for the theatrics, I think I'll put this on the fast track. He pulled a pair of brass nuckles from his pocket, sliding them onto his hand.

I inhaled deeply. I might not have complete control right now, but I did have control over my emotions. That was all I needed to make it out of this alive.

Just as the man drew his arm back to hit me, I leaned into the person holding me and lifted myself off the ground, landing a hard kick to his chest. I gritted my teeth and threw my head back, hitting the other criminal in the mouth. He momentarily released me, just long enough to let me out of striking distance and frantically search for something to cut the zip tie with. Quick. I could have broken it without anything, but I was running out of time and letting my guard down for even a second could prove to be deadly.

Seconds later, I realized just how much trouble I was in.

Two more figures emerged from the shadows, both of them armed and clearly capable of holding their own. They grabbed my arms, holding me between them in an ironclad grip.

If only I weren't in these gosh durn cuffs.

A painful blow slammed into my stomach, stealing my breath. Before I could think, another punch was directed toward my diaphragm, this time bringing me to my knees.

God, I was really going to die tonight.


© Shelby Pryor