Page 13 of Above All Else
His position shifted above me, and I opened my eyes, daring a glimpse at my captor. My brows furrowed. “The…the man on the street?”
He raised a brow and cocked his head to the side. “Whoelseam I?”
I examined his face. Full black brows and lips, a thick head of hair, and a short trimmed beard. “I…I don’t know.”
The man jostled me, his grip taking hold of my chin. Fingers dug deep into my cheeks, cutting the soft flesh against my molars. Liquid metal tang burst against my tongue.
“Try again.” His jaw pulsed.
A parent?
Old boyfriend from college?
Kid I went to…
“C-Carter?” I frowned, and his hand slithered off my chin. I flexed my jaw and poked at my damaged inner cheek with my tongue, my stomach tumbling into a black tarry pit.
No.
This isn’t him.
It can’t be.
“And now we can begin.” Carter reached behind his back, and the air whooshed from my lungs, my hands fraught with tremors.
“You didn’t think I’d find out the truth, did you?” He pulled his hand out from under his jacket, revealing a needle, his voice harsh and cold. “You really thought you would get away withit?”
“Get away with what, Carter? What thehellare you doing?“ I shook my head, my chin trembling. “You...” My throat dried as sweat beaded down my spine, dizziness settling in my vision. “I don’t... What? What’s going on here?”
He put the needle cap in between his teeth, bit down, and pulled it with a pop. Spitting the cap on the floor, he watched as it settled, then turned back to me. “There’s no misunderstanding, June. I’ve been wanting to do this for years. I just never expected it to be you.” The needlepoint glistened in the lamplight as a bead of liquid balanced on the hollow end. “Now, hold still.”
I jerked my head to the side, my gaze landing on a lifeless Ethan, his drying dull eyes staring back at me.
“Don’t do whatever this is, Carter. I don’t know what you think I’ve done...” He hovered above, and I bucked, an upsurge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. He rocked forward, his chest landing on my face, and a solid metalbanghit the wall above me.
Carter grunted as a pinch hit my upper arm, causing me to still as though paralysis took hold in an instant. “Good one. You caught me off guard.” He sat back, blood trickling down his brow with a shrewd grin, the wrinkles deepening on his cheeks. “But now it’s only a matter of time.” He relinquished his grip on my sore arm and climbed off of me.
Where’s he going?
Whatdid he do to me?
What was a matter of time?
I clutched my upper arm, searching for the injection site.
What did he give me?
I need to get out of here.
Carter stooped, turning his back to me as he picked up the needle cap.
Seizing the moment, I swung my legs off the bed and dashed for the door, my head swimming as though I’d spun on a tilt-a-whirl. Pain settled in my chest, my heart jumping against my breastbone.
“You won’t get far.”
I turned back to him as he slid the goat mask over his murderous face and stalked toward me with steady, long strides.
My stomach lurched with dazed nausea as I wobbled into my kitchen, ripped my key off the ring, and rushed into the night. Warm air slapped at my cheeks as I stumbled over my feet towards my car, my blood-stained fingers shuddering over the key fob buttons.