Sweetie's Diamonds by Raymond Benson

Author:Raymond Benson [Benson, Raymond]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Mystery, Suspense & Thrillers
ISBN: 9781594144554
Publisher: Leisure
Published: 2006-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

26

The van crossed the state line into Iowa as the sun was setting. For the last few hours since he had been abducted, David carefully considered his options. Unfortunately there weren’t very many. While the van was on the road the man named Emo kept the doors and windows locked, so David couldn’t pull a Hollywood stunt and jump out of the van. His only hope was to try and get away when they stopped. Eventually they’d have to stop, wouldn’t they? What about bathroom breaks or the need to fill up with gas? Where the hell were they going, anyway?

“Where are we going, anyway?” David asked.

“Hollywood, David,” Emo Tuff answered. “Ever been to Hollywood?”

“No.”

“The City of Angels, it is. You’ll love it.”

“How long will it take?”

“Just a couple of days,” the man answered. “I don’t need much sleep, you know. I can drive straight through. We’ll be stopping for food and gas but not much else. Don’t you worry, I’ll get you there safe and sound.”

“I’m not worried,” David said. Actually he was very worried. The medicine he took for Marfan syndrome was at home. He had to be careful and not become too agitated. “Why are we going to Hollywood?”

“There’s a man out there who wants to see your mother. He figured this was the only way to get her to come out and see him.”

“You’re not going to hurt me, are you?” David asked.

Tuff smiled. “Nah, I ain’t gonna hurt you, David,” he answered. Then he turned and looked at David with absolutely no warmth. “Not unless I have to.”

A shiver went down David’s spine. Now he was sure this guy was dangerous. He was nice during the trip so far but David could sense that underneath the friendly exterior there resided an evil person. Hell, he looked like a pirate. And he had kidnapped David in broad daylight. No, David told himself, this man was not a friend.

“I just thought of something, David,” the man said.

“What.”

“Do you have a cell phone?”

David wished he did. “No.”

Tuff nodded. “That’s good.”

The van passed an exit warning sign that displayed the icons for food and gas. David figured it was now or never.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” he said.

“Already?” Tuff asked. “Can’t you wait until we have to fill up?”

“No.”

Tuff frowned and moved into the right lane. “Now listen, David. We gotta have some ground rules on these stops. You understand?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t try to get away from me. I’ll just catch you again, I promise you. And if you try anything like that, I can’t keep my word that I won’t hurt you. It’ll make me real mad if you try to contact a cop or someone else. It’ll make me real mad if you try to escape. You don’t want to know me when I’m mad, you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

He took the next exit and the van moved off the highway. An Amoco gas station that was also a convenience store stood at the end of the ramp. Tuff pulled into the driveway and parked on the side of the building.

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