Ice Cold Heart_A Monkeewrench Novel by P. J. Tracy

Author:P. J. Tracy [Tracy, P. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1643851322
Amazon: B07NTX8TGH
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Published: 2019-09-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

38

ANNABELLE WOKE UP to absolute darkness and a screaming headache she was certain would split her skull any moment. She’d never felt such devastating white-hot pain before and it was frightening. Something was very, very wrong, but she didn’t know what. Her body ached almost as much as her head, but when she tried to turn over onto her side, she couldn’t move. Her limbs were numb, heavy, useless, her thoughts furred and disjointed.

What happened?

Intermittent images flashed through her mind: leaving the protest to thaw out in a coffee shop, or was it a bar? Strangers everywhere, then the thud of someone falling. No, not just someone, her. She had been upright, drinking something warm, then suddenly her cheek was pressed against a cold floor with no memories before that. Gasps, voices, a strong hand pulling her up off the floor and a distant, foggy voice …

I’m sorry, excuse me, my friend is sick …

What friend? She hadn’t been with a friend, had she? A name started to form in her mind, and a face to go with it, but the image suddenly fragmented, flared brightly, then went black.

Why can’t I move? Why can’t I think? Why can’t I see?

Minutes, or maybe hours, later, her senses were gaining sharpness, enough to nurture a sickening panic. She tried to call out for help, but her mouth was dry—cottony and foul—and she started retching. When the vomit had nowhere to go, she slowly began to understand her situation with escalating horror. She was gagged. And bound. And blindfolded. That was why she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, couldn’t see.

A scream built deep inside, but it was trapped, choked by vomit, stifled by the gag. A chill racked her body … her naked body. She was naked.

And splayed out like a gutted carcass.

Her eyes stung with tears, but she couldn’t brush them away as they escaped the blindfold and dribbled down her cheeks. That simple helplessness shriveled her soul as she became aware of her reality: she was dead—maybe not yet, but she would be. How long it would take wasn’t clear, but her destiny was fixed. Dead, dead, dead. Just like Delia.

She heard a sound—the creak of a door. A sliver of light bright enough to penetrate her blindfold. Soft footsteps, then gentle hands touching her face while something soft circled her neck like a silky snake.

“Annabelle. You’re just as lovely as your sister was. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.