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Book: Her Dangerous Promise - Part 1: (Romantic Suspense Serial) by Ashley Stryker
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Authors: Ashley Stryker
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hadn’t removed the blindfold, so Mary left it in place. Awkwardly, she stumbled up several steps and he guided her out of a door.
They were outside. She could feel the nippy autumn breeze chill her bare arms and flap her long skirt around her legs. Leaves and long unshorn grass crunched beneath their feet. She thought about struggling. She thought about calling out but did neither. She’d gambled and made a promise. He said he’d let her go and he would, wouldn’t he?
Mary could see enough below the edge of the blindfold so she didn’t stumble. He didn’t make a good guide, tugging her along faster than she confidently could cope with, but Mary didn’t complain if it meant escaping even one second sooner.
They walked together over the uneven turf for what seemed like forever and not once did they walk across concrete. A field or woods, Mary thought, he’s leading me away from people, from help.
For all she knew, once he’d led her into the woods he might still kill her. If she were not already trembling, that thought would have caused it. The nip in the air froze the tip of her nose and raised an army of goose bumps on her flesh but Mary refrained from rubbing her skin to warm it.
Finally, they stopped walking. Taking her by the shoulders, he spun her around and around until she became so dizzy she nearly dropped to her knees. He helped her to sit down on a muddy slope. The cold, wet ground soaked through the thin fabric of her skirt and froze her bottom. He said, “Count to one hundred, then you can go. Follow the telephone wires, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Don’t break your promise.”
Had she heard a hint of malice in his tone? “I won’t.”
“I’m not kidding.” Definite malice that time.
Mary clutched the wet grass beneath her. “Me, neither.”
“Okay. Start counting. Do it slowly.”
Mary counted out loud, slowly. She heard him hurrying off behind her. Before she reached thirty she could no longer hear him. He might have left her alone in the middle of nowhere, or he might be watching, toying with her. So close to freedom, she wouldn’t risk losing it now on a technicality. Squashing her urge to hurry, or to simply stop counting and run, she maintained her pace all the way to one hundred before removing the blindfold.
Chapter Two
Inspector Thom Brady stabbed a white pushpin into the map that wallpapered one whole wall of his office. He stepped back, leaned against the desk and considered the network of streets before him, willing the kidnapper’s route to reveal itself. If only someone had seen something—a man, a vehicle, any lead he could track.
The map failed to speak to him, so Thom returned to the contents of the file scattered across his desk. The first twenty-four hours of a missing person’s case were the most crucial. Six precious hours had already ticked away. In that short period, he had a thick sheaf of papers detailing every known fact of Mary Seeton’s life. As far as the background went, she didn’t have any apparent criminal connections. She’d never filed a complaint or restraining order which might have led him to a disgruntled ex-boyfriend.
Employment records from Stony Bend Elementary painted a portrait of a dedicated teacher. Mary Seeton received her bachelor’s degree in education seven years ago and worked at Stony Bend Elementary while completing her Master’s Degree. The children she taught in her first year were only in the tenth grade now, so her former students were not suspects. Perhaps a parent of a former student? Thom jotted a note to himself to check into that possible angle. He realized he was grasping at straws but right now straws were all he had.
Thom shuffled aside the professional documents and found the original report. The principal of Stony Bend Elementary, one Juwanda Barnard, had walked with Mary Seeton to their cars in the school parking lot. When Mary Seeton asked Mrs. Barnard for a copy of the intermural activities calendar, the
They were outside. She could feel the nippy autumn breeze chill her bare arms and flap her long skirt around her legs. Leaves and long unshorn grass crunched beneath their feet. She thought about struggling. She thought about calling out but did neither. She’d gambled and made a promise. He said he’d let her go and he would, wouldn’t he?
Mary could see enough below the edge of the blindfold so she didn’t stumble. He didn’t make a good guide, tugging her along faster than she confidently could cope with, but Mary didn’t complain if it meant escaping even one second sooner.
They walked together over the uneven turf for what seemed like forever and not once did they walk across concrete. A field or woods, Mary thought, he’s leading me away from people, from help.
For all she knew, once he’d led her into the woods he might still kill her. If she were not already trembling, that thought would have caused it. The nip in the air froze the tip of her nose and raised an army of goose bumps on her flesh but Mary refrained from rubbing her skin to warm it.
Finally, they stopped walking. Taking her by the shoulders, he spun her around and around until she became so dizzy she nearly dropped to her knees. He helped her to sit down on a muddy slope. The cold, wet ground soaked through the thin fabric of her skirt and froze her bottom. He said, “Count to one hundred, then you can go. Follow the telephone wires, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Don’t break your promise.”
Had she heard a hint of malice in his tone? “I won’t.”
“I’m not kidding.” Definite malice that time.
Mary clutched the wet grass beneath her. “Me, neither.”
“Okay. Start counting. Do it slowly.”
Mary counted out loud, slowly. She heard him hurrying off behind her. Before she reached thirty she could no longer hear him. He might have left her alone in the middle of nowhere, or he might be watching, toying with her. So close to freedom, she wouldn’t risk losing it now on a technicality. Squashing her urge to hurry, or to simply stop counting and run, she maintained her pace all the way to one hundred before removing the blindfold.
Chapter Two
Inspector Thom Brady stabbed a white pushpin into the map that wallpapered one whole wall of his office. He stepped back, leaned against the desk and considered the network of streets before him, willing the kidnapper’s route to reveal itself. If only someone had seen something—a man, a vehicle, any lead he could track.
The map failed to speak to him, so Thom returned to the contents of the file scattered across his desk. The first twenty-four hours of a missing person’s case were the most crucial. Six precious hours had already ticked away. In that short period, he had a thick sheaf of papers detailing every known fact of Mary Seeton’s life. As far as the background went, she didn’t have any apparent criminal connections. She’d never filed a complaint or restraining order which might have led him to a disgruntled ex-boyfriend.
Employment records from Stony Bend Elementary painted a portrait of a dedicated teacher. Mary Seeton received her bachelor’s degree in education seven years ago and worked at Stony Bend Elementary while completing her Master’s Degree. The children she taught in her first year were only in the tenth grade now, so her former students were not suspects. Perhaps a parent of a former student? Thom jotted a note to himself to check into that possible angle. He realized he was grasping at straws but right now straws were all he had.
Thom shuffled aside the professional documents and found the original report. The principal of Stony Bend Elementary, one Juwanda Barnard, had walked with Mary Seeton to their cars in the school parking lot. When Mary Seeton asked Mrs. Barnard for a copy of the intermural activities calendar, the
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