Murder List

Chapter Forty-seven

Eric cage only needed a minute alone with her. That was more than enough time to do what he intended. He almost wished she would get away, and yet he knew he couldn’t let her escape. He had to kill her.

Walker Madison had put his sweet, innocent Nina through hell, but Eric wouldn’t make Regan Madison suffer the way his wife had. No, the kill would be quick. And justice would at last be served.

The demon would burn with rage, but it would end today. Eric was determined. It would end with Regan’s death.

Still, he wanted to give her a fighting chance. That was the fair thing to do. Wasn’t that why he hadn’t killed her when she’d been standing at the wall looking at the trees? He’d let a perfect opportunity slip by. She was sweet and innocent like his Nina, and he hoped, before she took her last breath, that he could help her know, help her understand why she had to die. He would tell her, just as he had told Nina, that none of this was her fault.

Run, Regan. Try to save yourself.

Regan didn’t move. Like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, she froze with terror as she stared in shocked disbelief across the ravine at the crazed man. She didn’t see the gun in his hand until he was lifting it up. He fired twice in rapid succession before she even had time to turn. The first bullet scraped the top of the stone wall and sent bits of rock flying up in her face. One fragment nicked her right cheek. The second bullet ripped a piece of bark off the oak just inches away from her. The noise from the gun blast was horrific and felt like a fist slamming against her eardrums.

She flew into the trees. She dared a quick look back and saw him circling the ravine. He was running so fast he looked like a blur.

She didn’t dare take time to look back again. Faster, faster, she had to run faster.

Her mind couldn’t make sense out of what was happening. She desperately tried to concentrate. She remembered the broken path wound back around to the ravine. She didn’t want to go back that way; she wanted to get to the street, but her sense of direction was all screwed up, and she wasn’t sure which way to turn.

She was running flat out through the trees, staying off the path, her head down as she raced ahead.

He fired again. The bullet grazed her thigh. It burned, but the pain didn’t slow her down. It shocked her, though, that he was that close. She’d thought she’d put some distance between them, yet she could feel him closing in.

She had to run faster. He fired again. The bullet tunneled into the ground in front of her, and a clump of mud splattered her legs. She could feel the scream building in her throat, but she didn’t make a sound as she began to cut back and forth through the trees and the brush so she wouldn’t be such an easy target.

Where in God’s name were all the runners? Was the race over? Had they all gone home? She had the insane urge to look at her watch to find out what time it was. Had she veered that far off the beaten path? Hadn’t anyone heard the gunshots? My God, it sounded like cannon fire to her.

She thought she heard someone shouting her name, but she couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from. Had she just imagined it, or had someone really called out to her? Maybe Sophie and Cordie were looking for her. Dear God, she hoped not.

She kept running through the woods, the wild brush scraping her legs. If she could just make it to a street, she could get help. Faster, faster, she chanted. She didn’t have to look behind her to know he was gaining on her. She could hear him crashing through the brush.

No. Wait. The sound wasn’t coming from behind now. She strained to listen. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly where it was because her own heartbeat was roaring in her ears.

Run, run. She had to keep running. There it was again… branches snapping back, but the noise was coming from her right now. Oh, God, he was parallel to her. She understood what he was doing then. He was working his way around to get in front of her.

And then he would stop and wait, and she would turn right into his arms. It was a game to him. All this time she’d thought she was staying ahead of him, outrunning him, and he’d been leisurely toying with her.

She barely slowed as she changed directions. Even in her panic and near hysteria, she was careful not to twist her knee or pivot. She’d drop then, and he’d have her. She leapt over a thorny, dried-up bush and kept going. Then she changed directions again… and again.

Where was everyone? Should she scream in hopes that someone would hear her? No, she shouldn’t do that. Even though she was pretty sure the maniac knew exactly where she was, she couldn’t be positive, and she wasn’t about to give him any help.

She couldn’t keep up this pace much longer. The muscles in her legs were on fire. In another minute or two, they would give out on her and she would collapse.

Oh, God, it was hopeless. No, no, don’t think that way. Don’t give up. Run, just keep running. Her legs were shaking now and burning with pain. The muscle spasm in her calf made her want to cry out, but she kept going. She would not give in. There was too much to live for, and she wasn’t going to let a maniac snatch her future away.

What she needed was a plan to buy her some time. Okay, okay, what could she do? Think… He had a gun. She didn’t. He was obviously in much better shape, and he was stronger. He was also faster.

But she could have one advantage. She could be smarter.

And then it came to her, and she knew exactly what she was going to do. Her plan hinged on her finding her way back to the ravine. She had to keep running. She broke through the bushes onto the path and saw the wall directly ahead of her. Which way should she turn?

The maniac made that decision for her. He was on her left now, and so she ran in the opposite direction. She didn’t dare stay on the open path, though, and so she raced in and out of the trees, keeping the wall in sight.

There. There it was. She could see it up ahead, that huge oak with the branches hanging out over the wall. That had to be the spot she was looking for.

She broke through the brush again. Do it. She had to do it. He was coming up fast, but she didn’t think he could see her yet. She wiped her hands down her sides, and with one final burst of speed, she raced down the path and vaulted over the wall.