Page 80 of One Night Years Ago

“Hunter …”

Still clutching his midriff where Hunter had hit him, Ford rushed to the door, which was falling off its hinges. He wasn’t going to be able to lock it again, but he pushed it back in place without too much trouble. Unless somebody tried to open it, they probably wouldn’t notice anything amiss.

“Your idiot boyfriend is smarter than I gave him credit for,” Ford snarled, his face contorting into a mask of fury. Natalie wondered how she hadn’t seen the man’s crazed eyes before.

“Please don’t hurt him,” Natalie said. Inside she was screaming, but the words were coming out ever so slowly.

Ford sneered. “I wasn’t planning on having an audience, but I can work with this. Sit down and wait for me,” he said, pushing her down onto her couch. “I’m going to explore.”

Natalie willed her muscles to move, but it was as if she were deep inside her own body. The drugs were taking over and every minute that went by she felt less capable of moving.

Ford strolled back into the living room a minute later.

“Nice that you have a guest bedroom down here, Sheriff. I kind of wanted to do this in your bedroom, but don’t really feel like dragging his sorry ass all the way up the stairs. Wait there, angel. I’m just going to get him ready, and I’ll be right back for you.”

Humming a tuneless song, Ford grabbed Hunter’s leg and pulled his body easily along the wooden floor towards the back bedroom at the back.

Natalie found herself alone in the living room again.

You need to get out of here. Get help.

She forced her legs to move, convinced herself she was going to stand up, only to find herself crumpling on the rug instead. Inch by inch, she pulled herself towards the door on her elbows. The rug scraped her skin, and she was grateful for the pain, as anything was better than this horrendous detachment she felt.

She looked up. The door was still miles away.

A moment later, she heard some steps. Ford stoop right above her, sneering. “I’ll give you this, Sheriff, you’re determined. Taking into account the dose you ingested, you should be sitting exactly where I left you, yet here you are, trying to run away from me.”

He picked her up easily and slung her over his shoulder. She bobbed up and down as he walked. The nausea she was feeling threatened to come to a head, but she willed it back down.

He laid her down on the heather gray bedspread. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the world to stop turning, then opened her eyes again. Ford had pulled the armchair forward, moving it from the corner of the room so it was centered in front of the bed. Hunter was tied to the chair, his arms bound behind him and his legs tied against the wooden sides of the chair. Head hanging down and his chin touching his chest, he was still unconscious.

Standing to the side of Hunter, Ford surveyed the scene. “Not bad, huh, seeing how I’ve had to improvise. I’ve never had an audience before, but I think in this case I’m going to enjoy it. Hunter and I have a prior relationship, of sorts.”

“A relationship?” she said weakly.

“He went to prison for me. Surely that binds a man to another. And when we’re done here, it will look like he and I were partners in this. A partnership gone wrong. It’s kind of poetic.”

“You won’t …. get away with this.”

“Actually, I think I will, angel.” He looked at his watch. “Can you try and lift your arm for me? The drug I gave you should have reached its full effect.”

Despite herself, Natalie found herself trying to do as he said. She couldn’t lift her wrist an inch above the bed spread.

“Perfect. I enjoy this so much more when I don’t have to tie them down.”

“Why?” Natalie said. Her tongue was thick against the roof of her mouth.

“That’s a loaded question, angel. Are you trying to distract me? Or is it professional curiosity, perhaps?”

“Why me?” she croaked.

“Ah, that is a better question, and one that has an easy answer. You were my first.” He started taking off his shirt, folding it neatly and placing it on the side of her dresser. Under the shirt, Ford was built like a linebacker. His arms and shoulders were thick and strong, his chest powerful. He must spend a lot of time at the gym. His belly was the only part of him that was starting to go to fat. Natalie saw a large bruise already spreading on the doctor’s belly from the fight with Hunter and, just above that, a bird tattoo. The tattoo seemed to mock her.

“I’ve kept myself in shape all these years. Just for you,” Ford laughed. “I was wearing a mask last time, but I must admit it was almost a disappointment, when you didn’t remember me afterwards at the hospital. Then I saw the potential when that idiot went to prison for me.”

Natalie felt her eyes fill up with tears again.

Ford took off his belt and his trousers. His legs were muscular. Natalie noted his whole body was completely hairless.