Page 61 of Riding Danger

Everyone pitched in, except for the three women and Owen who had done most of the cooking. The dishwasher was on the second run when Holden asked that I take the trash outside.

We’d managed to collect quite a bit over the course of the day.

Between the wrapping paper, food bits that could not be eaten and empty disposable containers, it turned out that twelve adults and three kids could accumulate quite a bit of trash.

Three full trash bags to be exact. I needed to be careful. If I didn’t carry the bag properly, the bottom would break and I would be cleaning up the trash from the floor.

I decided that carrying the bags one-by-one would be the best solution. I placed it in the wheelie bin and as I made my way back inside, I heard a noise. A scratching sound from the other side of the garage. Both Maggie and Tiffany’s car were parked in the garage that was usually used for storage. With so many of our friends at home, it made sense to keep the driveways clear for the other cars. I looked over my shoulder but saw nothing. It was possible I had imagined something. I’d had more than a few beers and I was buzzing. But not drunk. I shrugged off the noise and stomped back inside.

Holden opened the door for me. “I’ll take this one.” He pointed to the last bag. “Why don’t you tie up that one and bring it out.”

“Cool.” For a moment I wondered how these guys became so close. Were they taught to look out for each other? Was it something they were born with? Maybe it was a combination of both. I certainly wasn’t taught this behavior but I loved it. And more importantly, it seemed to come naturally to me.

By the time I had tied the last bag, Holden had stepped back inside. “Fuck. It's cold outside.” That was an understatement.“Just be careful, I spotted a raccoon out there. Hopefully I scared him off.”

“Aaah. That’s what I must’ve heard.”

Once more I held the trash bag in a way that prevented it from exploding on my way to the wheelie bin.

I hefted the bag into the bin just as I felt a sting in my neck. I swatted away whatever insect had tried to bite me, but all I felt was fingers around my wrist.

“Easy.” The female voice was soothing. “Just relax. We’ll be having some…”

I didn’t hear much else as my world went black.

And when the world around me reappeared, I knew I was in hell.

A breeze on my legs told me I was down to my boxers, I was strapped to a… bed? I tried to look around and I could make out something yellow. I was on a gurney. “What the fuck?”

“Tut tut tut.” The female voice was the oddest combination of soothing and maniacal. “Stay still, Ryder. You’ve been a naughty boy. But before we can get to your punishment, I first need to let the authorities know who our next naughty boy will be.”

The searing pain on my back had me biting down. A blade? Was this sicko carving into my back? I was torn between screaming to make sure someone heard me, and shutting up and not giving this bitch any sort of satisfaction. I knew who she was. Well, not precisely, but I knew she was the killer that Shi was chasing with Lilly and that Agent dude who worked on my nerves.

I figured if she had been getting away with this for as long as she had, then we were somewhere where no one could hear my screaming.

As the pain continued in my back, I gritted my teeth. I jerked my body as much as I could from side to side. If she needed precision, I wanted to make her life as difficult as possible.

Then, once again, I passed out.

When I came around, the bitch was dragging me across the floor. I had no strength to fight back. I just about had enough to turn my head and make out my surroundings. The room I was in was pretty deserted. We stopped and she rested me against the wall and I passed out once more. When I woke up, she was shoving my body around. I couldn’t be sure but it felt like she was trying to fit me into a box. It was only once the lid was closed that I realized I was shivering.

The bitch stored me in a freezer.

28

SHILOH

Ihad all the files out in front of me. Earlier in the day there were only three of us in the conference room. Finding the unsub was on our list of things to do. Now, however, things had changed. Drastically.

When Ryder didn’t return inside from taking out the trash, I went to the garage to find him. Instead, I found the garage door open, the trash can turned over and drag marks in the dirt. I knew immediately what had happened and called everyone I could to help.

Holden was pouring over one file while Cat and Owen each did the same with another. Cat turned to Lilly. “Can I get access to Jared’s database please.”

“Why?” I turned to Cat. Fear threatened to drown me. But I knew I was of no use if I gave into that fear. Ryder needed me to do my job “Did you find something?”

“I don’t know.” She turned on the laptop which sat in the conference room. “According to the ME’s report, the last two victims hadn’t been frozen completely. And there has to be a reason why.”

Owen nodded. “Her timeline was off because the kidnapping site was further away.”

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