Every inch of my skin feels like it’s prickling. The realization of what happened begins to form around me like a dark cloud.
I left Jamie alone, and it only took three minutes for the bastard to grab her.
What the fuck have I done?
No deal was worth her safety. No amount of money can justify the fact that I left her unprotected.
I dart forward to search for her when Joseph calls out, “Mr. Reyes.”
Noticing campus security right behind him, I don’t stop running as I shout back, “Search for Jamie Truman!”
Running into the trees, I begin to shout her name over and over. “Jamie!”
My jacket gets snagged by a branch, and I quickly yank it off, dropping it on the ground as I keep moving.
“Jamie!”
Fear makes me push harder.
I have to find her.JamieComing to, the world spins while it feels like my head is going to explode.
I hear leaves crunching near my head, and the sound makes my pulse speed up until my blood is rushing through my veins. My mind clears a little as my thoughts begin to race.
The janitor.
Oh, God.
My eyes snap open, and with blurring vision, all I can make out is a hulking black mass looming over me, and it has panic and dread bleeding into my soul. I push up and try to move away, but the janitor lunges forward, and wrapping his hands around my neck, he slams the back of my head against the ground until stars explode behind my eyes.
I try to fight the dizzying haze enveloping me. Knowing I can’t pass out, I fight the woozy feeling and blink faster so my eyes can adjust to the night.
I’ve never felt fear like this before. It paralyzes my body for a precious moment. With my vision fading, I fight to focus on the man in front of me, and in horror, I watch as he smiles down at me.
I’ve greeted this man.
I’ve seen him around campus multiple times.
My skin crawls at the realization, and my mind freezes in absolute terror as he tightens his grip around my neck. I gasp for breath as my eyes bore into his.
He looks different from what I thought he would.
He comes across as a normal man in his mid-thirties, and his smile almost looks loving.
I shake my head to rid myself of the shock that’s prickling over my skin like tiny thorns. Everything begins to slow down around me until it’s hard to focus on the reality. It’s hard to make sense of what’s happening. All I can hear is my thundering heart.
I manage to throw my body to the side, and it has him letting go of my neck. Feeling unsteady, I crawl backward to get away from him. I struggle to my feet even though my legs feel numb from the dread soaking into my skin.
He comes at me again, and I lunge to my right to avoid contact, but his hands wrap viciously around my neck, and he shoves me back down, slamming my head repeatedly against the ground. The brutal force steals my vision.
I hear a groan, but it sounds like it’s miles away. Slipping in and out of consciousness as I fight not to pass out, his hands tighten their grip on my neck.
Fight, Jamie.
You have to fight.
Feeling out of it, I struggle to lift my arms but finally manage to grab hold of his hands.
I dig my feet into the ground and try to lift my body so I can throw him off of me again. His fingers slacken, and it gives me a moment’s reprieve. Digging my nails into his skin, I scratch at him, but it only makes him tighten his hold on my neck again.
The sound of me gagging brings some clarity to my frazzled mind.
This man is going to kill me.
An isolated feeling wraps around me, making me cold as shivers rush over my body. My mind begins to race, searching for a way to free myself from this nightmarish moment.
“Jamie!” I hear Hayden’s voice.
Hayden.
Hope floods through me, lending strength to my body.
“Hayden,” I choke.
Digging my nails deeper into his skin, I yank against his hands and manage to scream, “Hayden!”
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” the janitor begins to repeat over and over. He bashes my head against the ground again, causing a blinding pain to shudder through me.
“Jamie!”
Julian.
Hearing his horror-filled shout makes strength return to my body, and I yank harder against the janitor’s hold.
“I’m here!” I scream as loud as I can.
They’re here.
I’m going to be okay.
Fight, Jamie.
I keep yanking, and suddenly he lets go of me. I suck in desperate breaths as I watch him dart to my left as he runs deeper into the woods.
Feeling drained, I sob, “I’m here!” I struggle into the sitting position, my hand gently wrapping around my bruised neck.