had injected me with and I had been stupid enough not to resist at all. I remembered the intense pain I had felt when he had injected me with his serum and started to panic. What was it supposed to do? Was it going to eventually paralyze me so that I couldn’t leave, or was it some sort of date-rape drug which would make me completely incapable of putting up a fight? What had he done? Why had I let it happen? How stupid was I?
Putting on his charm and pretending to be the nice guy was probably all an act. Hadn’t I already seen a glimpse of his real face when he had acted so strangely when questioning me about the clinical trial? He had looked agitated as if he had barely been able to get his temper under control.
And then, when he had returned minutes later and had suddenly looked all calm and normal again, wasn’t that a sign he was unstable, maybe schizophrenic?
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
I wanted to scream. What if he was a serial killer?
Was there a serial killer on the loose in San Francisco? I scanned my memory for any news articles I had read in the past few weeks, but nothing jumped out.
There had been the strange story of the Austrian girl who had been kidnapped by a man and kept in his basement for over ten years. Nobody had even suspected anything. But that was in Europe. What if he was a copycat?
My throat was suddenly dry and I had trouble swallowing. He had asked me whether there was anybody he could contact for me. I had volunteered that I had nobody. He knew that nobody would come looking for me. How could I have been so stupid?
I was panicking now. I pressed the power button of the remote and the screen went blank. I didn’t want to watch any longer. I needed to think clearly and figure out a way of how to get out of the situation I was in.
I tried to familiarize myself with the apartment as much as possible. How could I escape? I couldn’t outrun him, not with my injured leg. I wouldn’t even make it to the door, let alone through it.
Besides, I had no idea where I was. Was I still in the City or was this place outside of San Francisco, maybe in a wooded area? How far would I have to go to find help?
I couldn’t believe that only hours ago I had been so infatuated with him. Maybe I had been in shock. But now I could see clearly. I had to get away.
Nothing made sense anymore.
“Annette.”
I shrieked as I heard his voice behind me. I hadn’t heard him come back up.
I looked at him and he seemed to be taken aback by my reaction.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.” His voice was smooth again. Ah, how he could turn on the charm! He looked dead sexy in his khaki pants and t-shirt. I noticed how muscular his arms were, and how broad his chest was and knew instantly that if he wanted to hold me down I would have no chance in hell of fighting him, not even if I wasn’t injured.
He seemed to notice my pained expression. He stretched out his open hand.
“I’m sorry, I forgot the painkillers I’ve promised you.” He handed me two white pills.
I looked at them suspiciously, and had no intention of swallowing them.
“It doesn’t hurt that badly,” I lied.
“If you say so.” He seemed oddly resigned, but wasn’t pressing me.
“I’ll go get your suitcases. Do you need anything else while I’m out?”
Here was my chance. If I could keep him out long enough, I could figure out a way to escape. What other errand could I send him on so he wouldn’t be back too soon? My stomach growled as if on cue.
“I’m hungry.” I knew that except for steaks he had virtually nothing in the refrigerator.
“Would you like a steak?”
“Sorry, I’m a vegetarian,” I lied again. I would have loved a juicy steak, but instead I needed to send him on a fool’s errand. “Do you think you could stop by somewhere for some Chinese?”
He raised his eyebrow. “You know that stuff’s no good for you; it’s full of MSG.”
I gave him a pleading smile.
“But if you want Chinese, I’ll
Putting on his charm and pretending to be the nice guy was probably all an act. Hadn’t I already seen a glimpse of his real face when he had acted so strangely when questioning me about the clinical trial? He had looked agitated as if he had barely been able to get his temper under control.
And then, when he had returned minutes later and had suddenly looked all calm and normal again, wasn’t that a sign he was unstable, maybe schizophrenic?
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
I wanted to scream. What if he was a serial killer?
Was there a serial killer on the loose in San Francisco? I scanned my memory for any news articles I had read in the past few weeks, but nothing jumped out.
There had been the strange story of the Austrian girl who had been kidnapped by a man and kept in his basement for over ten years. Nobody had even suspected anything. But that was in Europe. What if he was a copycat?
My throat was suddenly dry and I had trouble swallowing. He had asked me whether there was anybody he could contact for me. I had volunteered that I had nobody. He knew that nobody would come looking for me. How could I have been so stupid?
I was panicking now. I pressed the power button of the remote and the screen went blank. I didn’t want to watch any longer. I needed to think clearly and figure out a way of how to get out of the situation I was in.
I tried to familiarize myself with the apartment as much as possible. How could I escape? I couldn’t outrun him, not with my injured leg. I wouldn’t even make it to the door, let alone through it.
Besides, I had no idea where I was. Was I still in the City or was this place outside of San Francisco, maybe in a wooded area? How far would I have to go to find help?
I couldn’t believe that only hours ago I had been so infatuated with him. Maybe I had been in shock. But now I could see clearly. I had to get away.
Nothing made sense anymore.
“Annette.”
I shrieked as I heard his voice behind me. I hadn’t heard him come back up.
I looked at him and he seemed to be taken aback by my reaction.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.” His voice was smooth again. Ah, how he could turn on the charm! He looked dead sexy in his khaki pants and t-shirt. I noticed how muscular his arms were, and how broad his chest was and knew instantly that if he wanted to hold me down I would have no chance in hell of fighting him, not even if I wasn’t injured.
He seemed to notice my pained expression. He stretched out his open hand.
“I’m sorry, I forgot the painkillers I’ve promised you.” He handed me two white pills.
I looked at them suspiciously, and had no intention of swallowing them.
“It doesn’t hurt that badly,” I lied.
“If you say so.” He seemed oddly resigned, but wasn’t pressing me.
“I’ll go get your suitcases. Do you need anything else while I’m out?”
Here was my chance. If I could keep him out long enough, I could figure out a way to escape. What other errand could I send him on so he wouldn’t be back too soon? My stomach growled as if on cue.
“I’m hungry.” I knew that except for steaks he had virtually nothing in the refrigerator.
“Would you like a steak?”
“Sorry, I’m a vegetarian,” I lied again. I would have loved a juicy steak, but instead I needed to send him on a fool’s errand. “Do you think you could stop by somewhere for some Chinese?”
He raised his eyebrow. “You know that stuff’s no good for you; it’s full of MSG.”
I gave him a pleading smile.
“But if you want Chinese, I’ll
Similar Books
