Christmas Stalking

Jade cringed. Had she pushed him over whatever edge of sanity remained?

“You’re good, lady.”

“What do you mean?”

Max glared at her, his desperation obvious. “I’m not stupid, Jade. You will tell me what you know.”

“I don’t know anything other than that you’re wrong. My father is an honest, hard-working public servant. He would never allow himself to be compromised.”

He snorted. Shaking his head, he walked to the television and turned it on.

“You know, if you untie me, I’ll be a lot more likely to listen to reason.”

“Right.” Max moved to the refrigerator and opened it, the commercial for maxi-pads coming from the TV as incongruous as it was uncomfortable. “You have a choice between the frozen fried chicken, or the frozen meat loaf dinner.” He opened the packages and put them in the oven.

“Super.” Jade shifted uncomfortably. “Uh—Max? I could use a bathroom visit.”

He looked at her for a moment as if he didn’t believe her. But after a sigh, he came to her chair. “Yeah, okay.” He untied her and with a hand on her elbow, escorted her to the bathroom.

“Thanks.” She stepped inside and reached to close the door, but he stopped it with his hand.

“Don’t be long.”

“I wanted to wash up a bit.”

His gaze swept the small bathroom, lingering on the useless miniscule window, and then he gave her a curt nod.

She closed the door, sank against it and sighed. Decorated in the same rustic fashion as the rest of the cabin, the bathroom walls were paneled wood. Two pictures hung above the commode, both antique prints of Victorian women on washday. The sink had a rust stain running under the spigot, but it looked clean enough. The floor, a spotted linoleum, had two area rugs, both in a shaggy brown. Sure enough, there was no way out other than the door.

She turned the water on in the sink and used the sound to cover a quick search of the medicine cabinet and drawers, but there was nothing that she could use as a weapon. Only a few personal items: aspirin, a comb, toothpaste, some new toothbrushes, floss. The only razor was electric, and she doubted she could shave him into letting her go.

Hurriedly, she washed her hands and face.

She turned the water off and, through the thin wall, heard Max moving about in the kitchen. If she could get to the car and get her cell phone…

As cautiously as she could, she opened the bathroom door and crouched behind the half wall. The door to the garage was only a few feet away. She hadn’t noticed before, but the wood floors were cold. Her toes, encased in nothing but panty hose, curled.

She started when Max called out. “How you doing in there?”

She held her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound and said, “Fine. Out in a minute.” With her heart pounding so loudly she was surprised he couldn’t hear it, she detected movement near the stove. If he stepped out past the wall, there was nowhere to hide.

She made the mad dash, holding her breath, and reached for the doorknob, turned it. The door opened silently and she edged into the darkness of the garage and held the door until it closed.

The cold concrete was worse than the floor inside and she stumbled forward until she bumped into the car. She wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but she thought he’d dropped her purse on the floor on the front passenger side.

With shaking fingers, she felt her way around the car. The hood still held a hint of warmth from their trip, but the rest of the metal was cold.

When she reached the passenger door, she touched the frigid handle and took a deep breath. She planned her actions—open the door, climb in and hit the locks, then grab the purse, dig out the cell phone and dial 911. The Virginia police could triangulate the phone, and she could hold Max off with the mace.

She let her breath out with a whoosh and opened the door.

As it registered that there was nothing at all on the floor of the car, the garage suddenly flooded with light. Max stood in the doorway, her purse in one hand and the gun in the other, pointed right at her head.

His eyes were more sad than angry, and so was his voice, when he said, “Are you looking for this?”

Chapter Three

Dinner was a glum affair. Max had hauled a pair of handcuffs from his luggage, and Jade found herself eating her meat loaf dinner with only her right hand, her left shackled to the chair arm. She was aware that Max had stuck his gun under his butt, where he could grab it if she made so much as a move. Despite her attempts to get him talking, he’d been sullen and silent since he’d pulled her in from the garage.

Max, looking even more haggard, gnawed at the fried chicken. He avoided her glances. The television droned in the background.

She ate, even though the meal tasted like cardboard. She hadn’t had a TV dinner in years, but they couldn’t actually taste this awful. Fear tainted everything, including her taste buds.

As she forced another spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth, Jade noticed there was a third fork partially hidden by a stack of paper napkins. It wasn’t much, but it was something. If she could get it. She pushed her cup forward. “Could I have more coffee?”

Max grabbed her cup and went behind the counter to fill it. “That’s one Sweet ’n Low?”

“Please.” She was surprised he’d remembered, but it didn’t slow her down as she grabbed the extra fork and slid it uncomfortably in her bra. She had to push it to the side so it wouldn’t be noticeable, and it poked her just under the armpit.

Max set the cup near her and resumed his seat, eating silently and staring at the table.

“You can’t blame me for trying to escape.”

Max looked at her, bleary-eyed. “No, I can’t.

“I could get you money, legal help.”

Max laughed wryly. “How long have you been in D.C., Jade?”

“My whole life, basically.”

“And you’ve been around politics all that time, right? Directly involved for what, ten years or so?”

“What’s your point?”

“I’ve kidnapped a senator’s daughter. The odds of my getting a break legally lie between zero and none. Even presuming you’re not lying, the best I could hope for would be not getting shot as I turned myself in. Not to mention that if the Geotech people think you’re working with me now, I’ve endangered your life, too.” He stared at his plate for a long moment, then looked back at her. “If you are innocent in all this I’m sorry for that part.”

“Aren’t you being a little melodramatic?”

“C’mon, Jade. Money and power is what drives the government. Why would a man making millions run for president to make a couple hundred thousand a year? Power. Your father’s also a powerful man, and there are hundreds of millions riding on his vote. Hell, wars have been started just so people could make money. What’s a few deaths to these people?”

Jade shook her head vehemently. “You don’t know my dad.”

“I wouldn’t count on that. At the very least, I know another side of him.” Max put his fork down and pushed away his half-finished meal. “Tell you what. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Tomorrow I’ll show you what evidence I have. It’s enough to at least make you listen.”

“Why tomorrow? Show me now.” Of course she still didn’t believe he had anything that would indict her father, but if she could keep him talking, gain his trust…

“No, we both need to get some rest.”