Page 31 of Vanished in the Mist (A Mystic Lake Mystery #2)

In spite of the frightening speed at which her captor raced his four-wheeler through the woods, it seemed as if they’d ridden forever until he finally began to slow.

Although she’d tried to keep her bearings, to figure out where they were going, the thick canopy of trees blocked out most of the sun.

It was impossible to be sure in what direction they were headed.

But judging by the turns they’d made, they seemed to be going in a somewhat straight line.

That meant most likely they were still heading out of town, parallel with the lake.

But where, exactly? She clenched her fists in frustration.

Her one chance at escape may have been when they’d exited the mine.

She should have made a run for it. Even half-blind from the sunlight she might have had a better chance than now, with her arms duct-taped behind her.

He had no plans of ever letting her go. That was obvious, since he hadn’t blindfolded her, as he’d done with Sam.

He wasn’t worried about leaving a witness behind.

Earlier she’d hoped that Kaden would find her, that he’d somehow manage to rescue her.

Now, with time potentially running out, she hoped for the opposite.

She prayed he wouldn’t put himself in danger for her.

Somehow, she’d managed to fall half-in-love with him in an incredibly short amount of time.

Love at first sight? Such a cliché, but she felt it deep within her soul.

She couldn’t bear the thought of him getting hurt, or killed, because he tried to help her.

The vehicle finally slowed, then stopped. He grabbed his knife and pulled her out. Then he slashed her bindings as he’d done shortly after entering the mine.

She rubbed her aching wrists. “Thank you. That feels so much better.”

“I only did it so you can keep your balance. I don’t want to have to keep picking you up and pushing you along.” He prodded her forward. “Not too much farther. You’ll see.”

Going as slowly as she dared, stalling for time, she tried to get more information.

“Is there something I can call you other than the Phantom? It seems so…impersonal. We’re friends, right? You saved me from a bully.”

He gave her a sideways look. “The Phantom is all you’ll get. It’s been my name for the past twenty years. No reason to change now.”

“Twenty years. You’ve lived in Mystic Lake that whole time?”

“Mostly. Why?”

“I’m just…making conversation. Have you…saved…others? Like me?”

His eyes narrowed. “Why all the questions?”

She shrugged. “I just… I want to know more about you. You’re my hero, right?” She nearly choked on the words, struggling to keep a straight face. “But I don’t even know how you heard about me, or knew about Troy.”

“That guy at your cabin? The one who threw a knife at you?”

“Yes.”

He shrugged and jerked her arm, forcing her to move faster.

“I’d heard around town about you and that boat guy looking into my business.

Didn’t know about this… Troy. I went to your cabin to send you a warning.

I was going to leave that other bully’s body as a message to tell you to keep your nose out of my business or you’d end up like him.

But when I got there he was threatening you.

That’s when I knew what I had to do.” He nodded sagely, as if his explanation made perfect sense.

“And what is that?” she asked.

He frowned and shoved her again. “Just like you said. That guy was bullying you. That’s when I knew he needed to learn the lesson and that you were the one who needed saving. What are you, stupid or something?”

“I’m sorry.”

He grunted and trudged along, every once in a while jerking her arm to make her go faster.

She skirted close to bushes and low hanging branches, hoping to catch some fabric on one of them as a bread crumb, a clue, for someone to find if they did come looking for her. But every time she got caught he stopped and carefully removed any trace of fabric, smiling as if he knew her game.

A few minutes later, she tried again to learn something, anything that might help her figure out what was going on and what kinds of weaknesses he might have. She needed leverage of some type if she was going to either talk her way out of this situation or plan an escape.

“Did you, ah, teach a lesson to anyone else that I might have heard of? Besides Troy. Did you teach Tristan a lesson? Jessica?”

His smug smile was his only answer. But she understood the answer as if he’d shouted at her. He’d killed both of them. Her insides ran cold. She was in the woods with a psychopath. And he’d turned his latest attentions on her.

She started to shake.

He glanced sideways at her again, not slowing.

“Something wrong with you? You’re shaking like you’re cold.

You sick or something?” He jerked her to a halt and whirled her to face him, holding up his knife.

“I don’t want you to get me sick. There ain’t any doctors up in these mountains and most of the cabins will be filled up with tourists in the next few weeks and months.

Medicine’s going to be scarce and hard to find without risking being seen.

” He pressed the knife’s tip against her throat. “Answer me. Are you sick?”

She lifted her head ever so slightly, trying to avoid the sharp blade. “No. I’m not sick. I swear. I’m just…nervous. You know, around new people.”

He narrowed his eyes again as if weighing her words for truth. Then his dark eyes widened as if in understanding. And he smiled. “You’re scared ain’t ya? Scared of old Phil?”

“Phil? Is that your name?”

He roared with rage and slammed a fist against her jaw.

She whirled around and fell onto the ground, gnashing her teeth against the pain to keep from crying out. She didn’t want to give him that satisfaction.

He stood over her and leaned down until he, and his knife, were inches from her face. “I told you my name is the Phantom.”

She should have said something, begged his forgiveness. But her jaw ached and throbbed. And she was so angry she didn’t think she could speak right now without telling him exactly what she thought of him. He’d probably slash her throat to shut her up. So she remained silent.

He finally straightened and stepped back. “Get up.”

She was eye level with a sensitive part of his anatomy, thankfully covered by grimy jeans. She wondered if she could slam her fist against him hard enough to drop him to his knees before he could stab her.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, then slashed the knife against her left arm, leaving a streak of red across it.

She swore and grabbed her arm.

He laughed, then sobered, pointing. “Move. We’re almost there.”

Hate wasn’t usually in her vocabulary. But she didn’t feel an ounce of remorse about hating this man right now. She marched forward, holding her throbbing arm. One benefit was that it hurt so much she barely noticed her aching jaw anymore.

A moment later, the trees seemed to fall away as they entered a clearing. She stopped so quickly he ran into her, then swore.

“I didn’t tell you to stop. Move.”

She stayed rooted to the spot, staring at the remains of the last bonfire that had been held here, and at the lake beyond.

She’d been right after all. KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Everything came back to where it had all begun, this place.

Where Tanya’s life had ended and the bullies who’d killed her began to disappear or die, one by one.

He hadn’t admitted it, but she’d heard enough, seen enough to no longer have any doubt.

And if she didn’t do something she was going to become his latest victim.

The water sparkled off to her right. How many times had she dived into a pool, felt the thrill of the water rushing over her, the satisfaction of well-toned muscles pulling her through it like a fish.

All she had to do was run, jump in, and swim away.

This Phantom—Phil—was tall and strong. But he was older than her, past middle age.

And she was fast in the water, or had been. Olympic champion hopeful fast.

Go. Run. Jump.

She tried to make her legs move. But she was frozen in place.

Images of the last time she’d been in the water flooded her vision.

Her hair, pulling her down. Trapped. Bubbles of air escaping her lungs, rising to the surface above her.

And when she couldn’t hold her breath another second, the burn of chlorine spilling into her lungs as they filled with water.

Her hands fisted at her sides as she stared at the lake. But she couldn’t make herself move.

He grabbed her arm, swearing when she fell. “What’s wrong with you?” He grabbed her again and yanked her up, then pushed her away from the water, past the bonfire area, circling behind a large boulder.

She stopped in confusion.

“In there,” he said, motioning her toward a tree in front of one of the boulders.

“I don’t… What do you mean? There’s nowhere to go.”

He chuckled. “Sure there is. That tree is hollow. Duck down. You’ll see. The cave is dark, so anyone looking at the hole in the tree won’t see it. I discovered it years ago.” His mouth scrunched up in a sneer. “Go on. She’s waiting.”

“She?”

“Tanya. You’re about to join her.”

He was going to kill her. Right now.

She lashed out with her foot, trying to sweep his legs out from under him.

He jumped to the side, laughing, then shoved her down and pushed her inside the hole in the tree.

She brought her hands up to protect her face from being slammed into the back of the tree. But she kept going, falling forward to the ground.

He was right. There’d been a hole in the back of the tree. She was on the cool, damp ground. A cave?