“It started with small animals, like birds and whatever else I could my hands on.” Terry’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.

It was sick that anyone would hurt innocent animals. I kept my feature free of the horror I was experiencing.

“I never really at that point felt a need to escalate my fascination.” His voice was steady.

The way he spoke about himself was something I had never witnessed before. The calmness in his tone, the way his eyes moved over me.

He wasn’t seeing me. He was seeing his next victim.

“And then that night happened.…it changed everything.”

He was silent for a while, it was almost like he was reminiscing.

I was watching a monster transform from someone I trusted completely. The cop. The one who upheld the law and protected victims. It was a mirage, underneath was a serial killer who slaughtered girls.

It was in that moment I realized how easy it was for them to be so normal no one would realize it.

Jack would not see it. No one would.

I would die here and no one would figure out who was responsible. I would be another victim. A face in a collage of victims. He would discard me like he had them.

Even as I was staring at my own demise I couldn’t help but think about Jack. My heart ached for him. This would destroy him, I knew it. He had not been able to keep me safe.

I had been right that it had been someone close but I had been wrong in pinning it on Dallas.

I could nothing but listen to the man across from me say the most vicious things and not react for fear it would escalate the situation.

“Mistakes were made but you learn from them. Don’t you?’

I frowned. “Mistake?”

“You weren’t supposed to escape that night. I’ve got better at tying knots.” He smiled.

Oh. My. God.

I trembled inside.

“I was lucky you couldn’t remember anything, if you had it would have been over before I got a real chance to expand my expertise.”

I swallowed, not liking the way he was looking at me.

“Alice was so greedy for attention but you weren’t, were you?” He lowered his eyes to rest on my cleavage. “You were always so quiet, like wall flower. Blending into the background.”

He leaned closer and I tried not to recoil. He extended a finger that touched my cheek. It slowly moved down to my chin. He wrapped his hand around my throat.

I held my breath.

His thumb pressed against my wild pulse. “So scared.” He was enjoying every moment of my fear.

I couldn’t even pretend that I was anything but. He looked deep into my eyes as his grip tightened. I tried not to panic, keeping my gaze steady with his.

“You know what. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this but I think I was wrong.”

I continued to hold my breath.

“You were unlucky to be with Alice that night but you managed to escape. Imagine my surprise when Jack called to tell me that he had found you. I thought it was over. But when I realized you couldn’t remember anything I knew I had been given a second chance. The need to make people suffer became a need I couldn’t resist.”

But there was not point in considering what could have been, it didn’t change what was going to unfold.

He released his hold and I took a deep breath. He was making it known that he was in complete control, he would decide when I took my last breath.

Had Alice experienced the same turmoil I felt? Hers would have been worse. She had slept with him. She must have cared for him only for her to realize when it was too late what kind of a monster he really was.

I ached with a wave a new heartache for my friend and I swallowed hard.

“If you had not remembered I wouldn’t have been forced to do this to you Had.”

His fingers trailed down my chest. I lowered my eyes briefly, well aware I could not stop him. He would do whatever he wanted and there wasn’t anything I could do.

“Did you…Dallas?” I asked nervously as he removed his hand and lowered it into his pocket.

My relief was momentary. He pulled a small object. He flipped it open. It was a knife.

“Did I kill Dallas?” He finished.

I nodded, my eyes completely focussed on the sharp edge of the knife. Had he used the same knife on Alice?

“No. He’ll wake up with a mean headache. It’s a good thing I know the layout of that apartment like the back of my hand. I managed to sneak up on him. He had no idea what hit him.”

He chuckled, taking the knife and slicing my shirt in half.

I gasped. He smiled as his finger traced the edge of my bra. “Not bad Had. Who knew you had such a great rack underneath all those dull clothes.” His eyes feasted opening and brazenly upon me.

I hated how he could do whatever he wanted and I could not stop him. I was weak and he had all the power. This was the game, the power the predator had exerted over their victim.

“You always looked so much better without clothes.”

I didn’t want to cry but it was impossible not to close my eyes briefly and feel the tear slide down my cheek. There was no escaping, no getting away. I would be forced to endure whatever sick fantasy he wanted and then he would take my life.

“I’m just annoyed I didn’t get there before Jack did.”

My eyes shot to his. Jack had told him. It felt like a betrayal.

“He wouldn’t talk about you. I know what that means. I’ve known him for years, I can read him like a book.”

His admission made me slightly better.

“You were supposed to be mine all those years ago but you escaped. This time you will not get away Had. I will have you like I was supposed to,” he assured me with a confidence I would not argue against. There was an intensity in the way he looked at me, it was not normal and it sent a shiver of fear through me.

“You don’t have to do this,” I found myself saying, knowing it would not get me anywhere but I couldn’t stop myself. It was fear and desperation.

“Unfortunately that’s where you are wrong. You were remembering things Hadley. It was only a matter of time before you recalled something that would lead them straight to me and I couldn’t let that happen. That’s why you’re here. Honestly after you got hooked on hard drugs I just assumed you would over dose and my problem would be solved but you just kept going and going. I never thought for a second you would get clean but you did. Who knew you had that type of strength in you.”

It was crazy that he was blaming me for his actions.

He shut the knife and put it back in his pocket. I breathed deeply.

“As much as I want to finish this right now I can’t. I have to go and be the concerned friend.”

I frowned. “Jack?”

He stilled and then nodded. “It would definitely be suspicious if I don’t drop everything to help him through this difficult time.”

The lump in my throat was hard to swallow. Terry seemed to be able to slip into whatever role he had to to keep anyone from seeing who he truly was. No one would see it and I would become his next victim. And Jack would feel responsible even if there had been nothing he could have done to stop it.

Terry had fooled us all.

While my intense thoughts had keep me preoccupied I noticed Terry had an injection his hand. Horrified I pulled at my restraints.

“This is to make sure you don’t get away this time.” He smiled, as he injected the clear substance into my arm.

I grimaced at the acute pain.

“What is it?” I asked, feeling panicked.

“A sedative.”

He studied me. The effect was almost immediate. My eyelids began to grow so heavy I could barely keep my eyes open.

No matter how much I tried to fight it, the black abyss consumed me.