Jason walked back into the living room and scanned again.

There has to be something. Wait, what’s that?

On the far wall was a white spot, unusual in the dirt that surrounded it. There must have been something there until recently. He looked on all the tables and furniture for a frame the size of the white spot and found one.

Jason picked up the photo of two boys. One was obviously Norman, the Port Wine stain told him that, but he didn’t know who the other boy was.

Why is this off the wall?

Did he go to this boys house?

Did it have anything to do with where Vanessa was?

He examined the picture closer and something in the background caught his eye. He flipped on his flashlight and wiped the dust off the photo with his sleeve.

Arnold Park.

The picture was taken at Arnold Park.

Is that where he took her?

I know where that is!

It was all he had, so he ran with it. As he went back to his car, he called the lieutenant.

Chapter  18

The hatch door to the truck topper swung open. Vanessa could see trees behind Norman but there weren’t any streetlights. The tailgate dropped and Norman grabbed her feet, pulling her towards him. Her skin complained as it was pulled across the bed of the truck.

She watched as Norman reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folding knife. He opened it and cut the ties on her feet. She felt instant relief to have her feet separated, but blood oozed from the lines that were left from the ties.

He pulled her, by both feet now, making her sit on the tailgate. Vanessa looked at her surroundings. She recognized where she was. Arnold Park on the south side of town. They were parked on the long road that does a winding loop from the entrance of the park to the back and then around to the entrance again. Vanessa had driven it many times on patrol, both at night and during the day. She was strengthened by the knowledge that this was familiar ground.

Norman pulled his gun out and bent over to pick up a bag that was laying on the ground. Vanessa saw her chance. As he straightened up with the bag, she kicked out with both feet at Norman’s groin. She could tell she was on target by the “umph” that was followed by a groan. Norman fell to the ground and she took off running.

Vanessa was a fit person but running with your hands tied, and when you haven’t had food or water for almost 24 hours, was more than her body could deliver. Even with the adrenaline coursing through her, it was only a short distance before she was winded and slowing.

The footsteps behind her got louder and louder until she knew he was right behind her. A blow to the back off her head sent her reeling into the grass. When she gathered her whit’s about her, Norman was standing over her in a rage.

“You will pay for that, Marcie.”

The duct tape on her mouth had come loose.

“I’m NOT Marcie!”

He didn’t appear to hear her. He slipped behind her and she felt herself being lifted by her arms. He placed the gun to her head and forced her to walk back towards the truck. When they got there, he opened the passenger door. Grabbing an oily rag sitting on the seat, he turned, ripped the tape off her mouth, and stuffed the rag in. She choked.

Taking her by the arms, he led her to the back of the truck where he picked up the bag he’d dropped. She then felt herself being steered towards the trees next to the road.

Vanessa struggled to get loose but it was no use. She didn’t have enough energy left and he wasn’t going to be caught off guard again.

They were only ten yards or so into the trees when he jerked her around to face him and pushed her to the ground, her back against a large tree.

****

Jason shut his lights off just before getting to the park entrance. As he went through the small gate, he turned off his engine. The car coasted to a stop on the grass and he climbed out the window. He didn’t want to alert Norman to his presence with motor noise or door closings.

When he was on the ground, he stood very still, listening. He didn’t hear anything that didn’t belong. That wasn’t to say it was quiet. Crickets and frogs played a non-stop symphony, something he usually enjoyed, but tonight they just interfered with what he wanted to hear.

After a few minutes, he began to move up through the park. The night was warm and a quarter moon offered a small amount of light. He stayed on the grass and moved as silently as he could. Jason figured that Norman probably took Vanessa to the back of the park, but he knew that was just a guess. In truth, he didn’t even know for sure that she was here.

After several minutes, Jason had made his way nearly half way back into the park with still no sign. He slowed to a walk as doubt began to set in. He looked at his watch.

It glowed 3:45 am.

Vanessa had been missing nearly 21 hours. He knew that if he’s guessed wrong about the park, her 24 hour window may be up before they find her. If he was wrong, and it was looking more and more like he was, and Norman didn’t take her to his previous dumping grounds, they will run out of time.

He was thinking of what he would tell Rob when the light in the cab of a truck came on. It was less than 300 yards away and it illuminated two figures. Jason dropped to the ground in a crouch, drawing his weapon.

Was that Vanessa? It had to be.

I’m not too late! Gotta move fast.

The light went back off.

Where was that light exactly?

He pin-pointed in his mind the spot where he had seen it and began moving in a crouch. He circled around to the tree line on the other side of the road and moved up towards the spot where he last saw the two figures.

In the woods, the moon wasn’t much help but it did reveal the truck. As he got closer, it reflected off the hood. He figured they would be in the woods opposite the truck.

Coming up on the back of the truck, he used it for cover and peered into the woods. Not ten yards away, he saw Vanessa sitting at the base of a tree and Norman pointing a gun at her chest.

****

Vanessa looked down at the gun resting on her chest. She didn’t look at the man that was going to end her life. She didn’t want his face to be the last thing she saw in this world.

She could smell the metal and gun powder coming off the gun and thought of what it would be like. Would she hear the gun go off or would things just suddenly go black. She hoped it wasn’t too painful. She had been shot before. A flesh wound really, but it had still hurt like hell.

Vanessa realized that it was taking him a long time to pull the trigger. She looked up to see him staring back at the truck. Her heart leapt.

Was someone there? I didn’t hear anything.

She scanned the darkness as well but didn’t see anything. All at once, the park was filled with noise.

“Police! Freeze!”

JASON!!

The gun left her chest and fired. The sound was deafening and made her ears ring. Norman fired again. She gathered herself enough to understand Norman was firing at Jason.

Oh, no you don’t!

She mustered all the strength she had left and thrust both feet out at the man standing in front of her. She heard a loud crack as his knee gave way. He tumbled on top of her with a scream, his gun dropping to her side.

Vanessa’s hands were still tied and his weight had her pinned. He groaned as he felt around for his gun. She watched in horror as his hand fell on it.

“You twitch, and I’ll blow your head clean off!”