Page 1 of Hunter

Prologue

Kathryn Kelley reached the doorway of the darkened room and stopped short.

Damn. She’d been looking forward to a relaxing swim to wash away the tensions of testifying at today’s child custody trial. But no way was she going into the silent, eerie pool room.

What had happened to the lights, she wondered, her gaze probing the watery darkness. She could see almost nothing but felt thick, chemical-tinged mist wafting toward her from the blackness. It sent shivers over her skin as it collided with the cooler air of the hallway. Trying to dispel the sudden chill, she rubbed her hands along the thick sleeves of her robe.

It was Friday evening, and since the moment she’d opened her eyes on Monday, she’d sensed that something was wrong. She’d tried to ignore the oppressive sensation, but it was like a storm gathering around her. The feeling of apprehension made her glance quickly over her shoulder to confirm that the corridor behind her was empty.

She’d half expected James Harrison to be standing there. He had a charming smile and an easy manner, unless you looked below the surface to the rotten core carefully hidden inside.

She hadn’t wanted to believe he was back. Yet deep in her subconscious she must have known. He’d been confined to the Illinois Institution for the Criminally Insane for the past three years, and he’d sworn to get even with Dr. Kelley for helping put him there.

But of course, he wasn’t there. She made a wry face, annoyed at the tricks her mind was playing.

She turned to go back to her apartment, when the door behind her crashed open and strong hands grabbed her. She tried to struggle, but whoever had captured her tore off her robe, dragged her across the cement deck, and tossed her into the water.

Shocked by the sudden violence and the cold water, she clawed her way to the surface and gasped in a breath.

“Got ya!” a familiar, low voice echoed off the hard surfaces in the room as the beam from a flashlight blinded her.

She had been hoping against hope it wasn’t true. Now she pictured a slender man with blond hair and blue eyes standing between her and the only door, the only escape route.

She’d moved away from Chicago, started over again in a new place with a new job and new friends. And she’d picked an apartment building with a locked door and a security desk. Time had dulled the memory of the curses he’d hurled at her. Until this week, she’d felt safe.

He tossed the light aside, pitching the room into darkness again. A small splash told her he had eased into the water, was stroking toward her. She dragged in a lungful of air and dove deep, praying she had a chance to escape. Surfacing at the edge of the pool near the door, she felt along the side, found the metal ladder and began to scramble up. But he must have been planning this carefully, must have studied the layout of the pool. Strong hands closed around her thighs, dragging her back down.

She had time for only a quick gasp of air before he pulled her under, pushing her below with the weight of his body. Trapped, she flailed in panic. But the thick, watery world muted the impact of her blows. All she could do was rake her nails across his ribs. The attack didn’t have any apparent effect.

Frantically, she tried to struggle upward. Cruel hands held her under. Then for a moment he let her up, long enough for her to get a blessed gasp of oxygen before he pulled her down into the dark water again, molding his hands around her breasts.

She knew then that he was toying with her, prolonging her agony for his own sick satisfaction. With all her strength, she tried to pull free. She tried to hit him. He only shifted her in his grasp, his fingers like tentacles on her water-slick flesh. Someone had told her once that drowning wasn’t such a bad death. She took no comfort in the snatch of memory.

Her chest was bursting, and bright dots danced before her eyes. Soon it would be impossible to hold her breath, and the water would fill her lungs. James Harrison would finally get his wish—her death. Yet she kept fighting him.

Her flailing hand brushed the edge of his swimsuit. She followed the fabric downward until she encountered sensitive male flesh, then dug her nails into his testicles, squeezing with all her remaining strength. Through the muffling water, she heard him scream. As his grasp loosened, she wrenched away, put distance between them. Breaking the surface, she dragged in life-giving air.

“You bitch!” He made a grab for her, his fingers grazing her shoulder. Hardly able to think, she maneuvered into open water, heading for the opposite ladder. When his hand grazed her foot, she screamed and kicked harder.

Before he could catch up again, the lights flashed on. Blinded, Kathryn kept flailing toward the far side of the pool.

Seconds later, a voice boomed over the water. “What the hell’s going on in here?”

Reaching the ladder, Kathryn gave a heartfelt cry of thanks and scrambled up. But she didn’t get any farther. As the air hit her body, she crumpled and lay panting on the cold cement. In the glow from the overhead lights, all her eyes could make out was an indistinct figure standing in the doorway.

“Listen up. You’d better have a good explanation, or I’m going to call the police.”

Even with the echo bouncing off the walls, she recognized the voice. It was Mr. Clemson, the building superintendent. “God, yes, call the police,” she croaked.

A flash of movement on the other side of the pool made her cringe toward the wall. She saw James vault out of the water, hurtle toward Clemson, and pause to give him a mighty shove before charging through the door and disappearing.

The building superintendent went sprawling and landed hard on his bottom.

Barely finding her legs, Kathryn wobbled toward the wall phone near the door and dialed 911.

Chapter One

She was in a prison.

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