The Last to Die (17 page)

ke-ep her the-re.

"It was bad, wasn't it?" he sa-id in a mat-ter-of-fact way. She nod-ded. "It was hor-rib-le."

"Tell me abo-ut it." He had le-ar-ned that it was es-sen-ti-al for Genny to sha-re her vi-si-ons, that she ne-ver had a vi-si-on they da-red ig-no-re.

She cud-dled clo-ser, bur-ro-wing her small body aga-inst him. "The vi-si-on was abo-ut Jamie aga-in. Very si-mi-lar to the first one, but… but mo-re grap-hic." Re-ac-hing up to clutch Dal-las's na-ked sho-ul-ders, she lo-oked him in the eyes. "I can't be cer-ta-in, but I be-li-eve eit-her he's be-ing tor-tu-red right now or he will be very so-on. Wit-hin the ho-ur." "What did you see?"

"I saw him na-ked. His body mu-ti-la-ted. She-she… oh, God, Dal-las, she ram-med a hot po-ker in-to his mo-uth!" Genny fell apart then, te-ars fil-ling her eyes as she trem-b-led un-con-t-rol-lably.

He ha-ted it when the-se damn vi-si-ons rip-ped her apart Des-pi-te lo-ving her and be-ing the-re for her, the-re was only so much he co-uld do. So-me-ti-mes he wis-hed he co-uld ta-ke away her po-wers so that she'd ne-ver ha-ve anot-her vi-si-on, but he re-ali-zed how sel-fish that wo-uld be and that wit-ho-ut her spe-ci-al gift of sight, she wo-uldn't be his Genny.

He held her tight and let her cry. Of-ten simply hol-ding her was all he co-uld do.

Several mi-nu-tes la-ter, she lif-ted her te-ar-sta-ined fa-ce.

"We ha-ve to do so-met-hing-you and Jacob and I," she sa-id. 'Jamie is in a ho-use, an old and de-ser-ted ho-use. I sen-sed that he and the wo-man we-re alo-ne and they're he-re in the mo-un-ta-ins so-mew-he-re, so that me-ans it's Jacob's juris-dic-ti-on. Call him. Call him now!"

"I'll call him, if you pro-mi-se to lie down and rest."

"I will… la-ter. Af-ter we've ma-de the pho-ne calls and then fo-und Jamie." 'The pho-ne calls? Who el-se are we cal-ling, ot-her than Jacob?" 'Jaz-zy."

"Genny, you don't think that she-"

"No, of co-ur-se Jaz-zy isn't the one tor-tu-ring Jamie. But so-me-how this is go-ing to hurt her. It's go-ing to ca-use her gre-at pa-in and thre-aten her li-fe. Don't ask me how I know, I just know."

"That's go-od eno-ugh for me. And it'll be go-od eno-ugh for Jacob and for Jaz-zy." He sco-oted ac-ross to the ed-ge of the bed and sat the-re, then glan-ced back at her. "I'll get the pho-ne, call Jacob, and then let you talk to him. That is what you want, isn't it?"

"Yes, thank you."

Dallas re-ac-hed over on-to the nig-h-t-s-tand and pic-ked up the te-lep-ho-ne re-ce-iver. He di-aled Jacob's ho-me num-ber, then wa-ited for the she-riff to pick up.

"Butler he-re," Jacob grow-led in a sle-epy vo-ice.

"Sorry to wa-ke you," Dal-las sa-id.

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"It's okay. I was half awa-ke an-y-way. What's wrong?"

"Genny had anot-her vi-si-on abo-ut Jamie Up-ton. This ti-me she's cer-ta-in that this mystery wo-man is tor-tu-ring Jamie, eit-her right at this very mi-nu-te or wit-hin the ho-ur."

"Let me talk to her."

Genny wrig-gled her fin-gers in a gi-ve-me-the-pho-ne ges-tu-re.

"Yeah, su-re. She wants to talk to you." Dal-las han-ded her the pho-ne.

''Jacob, she's in-sa-ne. To-tal-ly in-sa-ne. But she's cle-ver. De-vi-o-us. And she ha-tes Jamie pas-si-ona-tely. I can fe-el her hat-red. It's thick and smot-he-ring and to-tal-ly black. She do-esn't just want to kill him, she wants him to suf-fer un-mer-ci-ful-ly be-fo-re he di-es."

"You ha-ve any idea whe-re they are?"

"They're on the mo-un-ta-in, but not ne-ar. You ne-ed to call Sally and get the blo-od-ho-unds. Bring them he-re and Dal-las and I will go with you. I'm al-most cer-ta-in that I can le-ad them in the right di-rec-ti-on."

"We'll ha-ve to con-tact the Up-tons in or-der to get a pi-ece of Jamie's clot-hing, "Jacob told her.

"How the hell do I ex-p-la-in this to Big Jim?"

"It do-esn't mat-ter. Just do it and do it qu-ickly. We don't ha-ve any ti-me to was-te."

"I'll be the-re in twenty mi-nu-tes, twen-ty-fi-ve at most. Ha-ve Dal-las call Sally and tell her to me-et us at the Up-ton Farm. That'll sa-ve us so-me ti-me."

"All right. We'll ta-ke ca-re of the pho-ne calls. I'll even ha-ve Dal-las pho-ne Big Jim." Genny pa-used, then lo-oked at Dal-las be-fo-re she fi-nis-hed her te-lep-ho-ne con-ver-sa-ti-on with a star-t-ling re-ve-la-ti-on. "Jacob, she's do-ne this sort of thing be-fo-re. Jamie isn't the first per-son she's tor-tu-red to de-ath. And-and he won't be the last one."

"My God!"

"Hurry. Ple-ase, hurry."

Dallas saw how we-ak Genny was when the pho-ne slip-ped from her fin-gers and lan-ded on the rum-p-led co-vers. He lif-ted the re-ce-iver and rep-la-ced it on the stand.

"I ha-ve to call Jaz-zy," Genny told him. "Use yo-ur cell pho-ne to call Sally and tell her to me-et us with Pe-ter and Pa-ul over at the Up-tons as so-on as pos-sib-le. Then call the Up-ton Farm and ask to spe-ak to Big Jim. Tell him we sus-pect Jamie's be-en kid-nap-ped and we're put-ting Sally's blo-od-ho-unds on the tra-il. If he do-esn't want to co-ope-ra-te, tell him exactly what I saw in my vi-si-on."

Chapter 10

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She sto-od over her han-di-work and smi-led with gre-at sa-tis-fac-ti-on. Jamie's eye-lids had be-en flut-te-ring and he'd even tri-ed to open his eyes, so it was only a mat-ter of ti-me be-fo-re he awo-ke and re-ali-zed his pre-di-ca-ment. She wal-ked aro-und him, from his he-ad along his body to his fe-et.

He was he-avi-er than he lo-oked, and it had re-qu-ired all her strength to ma-ne-uver him in-to po-si-ti-on. It hadn't ta-ken the drug in the wi-ne very long to ren-der him hel-p-less. His limp body had be-en as pli-ab-le as putty, co-ope-ra-ting fully as she la-id him out on the wo-oden flo-or, spre-ad-eag-led. Whi-le she'd po-un-ded the he-avy me-tal spi-kes in to the flo-or alon-g-si-de each arm and leg, he hadn't even mo-ved.

Kneeling alon-g-si-de him, she tes-ted the thick le-at-her straps that bo-und his wrists and an-k-les to the me-tal spi-kes. Then she lo-ose-ned the gag in his mo-uth. So-me-ti-mes she de-ri-ved mo-re ple-asu-re from a man re-ali-zing he co-uldn't spe-ak, but with Jamie, she de-ci-ded that she pre-fer-red to he-ar him beg and ple-ad and scre-am. And he wo-uld scre-am. She re-mo-ved the cloth gag.

Her hand skim-med his body from neck to na-vel. A per-fect ma-le spe-ci-men, a yo-ung man in his pri-me. But be-ne-ath all that ex-te-ri-or per-fec-ti-on exis-ted a vi-le, cru-el mon-s-ter who pre-yed on wo-men, ma-king them pro-mi-ses he ne-ver in-ten-ded to ke-ep, bre-aking the-ir he-arts and des-t-ro-ying the-ir li-ves. She in-ten-ded to ma-ke him pay for his many sins-un-for-gi-vab-le sins.

Ever-yo-ne who knew Jamie Up-ton re-ali-zed he didn't de-ser-ve to li-ve. The world wo-uld cer-ta-inly be a bet-ter pla-ce wit-ho-ut him.

And her baby wo-uld be sa-fe.

Jamie gro-aned. She ro-se from her kne-es, adj-us-ted the plas-tic glo-ves she wo-re and pic-ked up the cur-ve-tip-ped iron po-ker. Jamie ope-ned his eyes and clo-sed them se-ve-ral ti-mes.
He's co-ming
aro-und
, she told her-self.
Get re-ady to gre-et him in a spe-ci-al way
. She wal-ked to the fi-rep-la-ce, whe-re she'd kept the bla-ze bur-ning for the past few ho-urs. As she stuck the po-ker in-to the fi-re to he-at it, she he-ard Jamie grunt and call out to her.

"Hey, what the hell's go-ing on?"

She glan-ced over her sho-ul-der and smi-led at him. "I tho-ught you'd ne-ver wa-ke up, dar-ling.

I've be-en wa-iting for you to open yo-ur eyes so we co-uld ha-ve a lot mo-re fun."

"What?" He strug-gled aga-inst his bon-da-ge. "Hey, I didn't ag-ree to an-y-t-hing qu-ite this kinky.

What did you do, drug me?"

"Yes, so-met-hing li-ke that," she told him, as she re-mo-ved the po-ker from the fi-rep-la-ce and wal-ked to-ward him, na-ked as the day she was born. Ex-cept for the pro-tec-ti-ve glo-ves of co-ur-se. She didn't want to le-ave be-hind any fin-ger-p-rints.

Jamie's ha-zel eyes wi-de-ned when she sto-od over him, the red-hot po-ker in her hand. "Hey, baby doll, I'm not in-to the sla-ve part of ro-ugh S and M. This isn't my ti-ling at all. I li-ke to oc-ca-si-onal-ly gi-ve a lit-tle pa-in, but, heck"- he la-ug-hed ner-vo-us-ly-"w-hat you've got in mind co-uld scar a guy for li-fe."

She lo-ved the fact that he still wasn't qu-ite cer-ta-in abo-ut her mo-ti-ves. He pro-bably tho-ught she was te-asing him, ti-til-la-ting him, yet a part of him was just a lit-tle sca-red at the pros-pect of her bran-ding him. She lo-we-red the po-ker un-til it was al-most to-uc-hing the cen-ter of his chest. He lo-oked up at her, re-al fe-ar in his eyes. She let the tip of the po-ker ba-rely to-uch him. He yel-ped in
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pa-in.

"Damn it, that hurt." He strug-gled aga-inst the le-at-her ti-es that bo-und him. "Co-me on. Eno-ugh of this shit Get on top and fuck me or un-tie me. I told you I'm not-"

She let the po-ker reply for her as she slid the hot ed-ge down his body, from his chest to just be-low his na-vel. He scre-amed as the he-at se-ared his flesh with third-deg-ree burns.

With te-ars fil-ling his eyes as the pa-in ra-di-ated thro-ugh him, Jamie cri-ed out, "What the hell's the mat-ter with you? Are you crazy?" He tri-ed his best to bre-ak free, but qu-ickly re-ali-zed strug-gling was use-less.

"What's the mat-ter? Don't you li-ke the way I play, lo-ver boy?"

Before he co-uld res-pond, she car-ri-ed the po-ker back to the fi-rep-la-ce to re-he-at it, then bent over the he-arth and pic-ked up a lar-ge, sharp but-c-her kni-fe. When she tur-ned and sno-wed Jamie what she held in her hand, he crin-ged, every mus-c-le in his body stif-fe-ning with fe-ar.

"You're fuc-king in-sa-ne, you bitch! If you know what's go-od for you, you'll let me go now.

Ot-her-wi-se you're go-ing to reg-ret the day you we-re born."

She knelt be-si-de him and brus-hed his damp ha-ir away from his fa-ce. "Oh, such a bad, bad boy.

And so spo-iled. Do you think yo-ur silly thre-at sca-res me? You're the one who sho-uld be af-ra-id."

She ran the tip of the but-c-her kni-fe down his right che-ek, just ba-rely ope-ning the skin. Blo-od oozed from the fresh wo-und. Jamie whim-pe-red. "Such a pretty boy. The girls just lo-ve that han-d-so-me fa-ce, don't they?" Whi-le he con-ti-nu-ed strug-gling use-les-sly, she slid the kni-fe down his left che-ek so that he'd ha-ve mat-c-hing scars.

"Okay, okay," he sho-uted. "Eno-ugh. Wha-te-ver it is you want, you've got it. Just tell me what you want from me."

"I tho-ught that wo-uld be ob-vi-o-us." She ho-ve-red the kni-fe over his chin. "I want you to suf-fer the way you've ma-de so many ot-hers suf-fer." La-ug-h-ter bub-bled up in-si-de her. "No, that's not true. Ac-tu-al-ly, I want you to suf-fer far mo-re."

"What ot-hers?" he as-ked. "Who ha-ve I ma-de suf-fer? I've ne-ver do-ne so-met-hing li-ke this to an-yo-ne. Not ever."

She nip-ped his chin with the kni-fe. "Physi-cal tor-tu-re is the only thing you un-der-s-tand, be-ca-use so-me-one has to ha-ve a he-art and a so-ul to suf-fer men-tal-ly and emo-ti-onal-ly. And we both know that you don't ha-ve eit-her a he-art or a so-ul."

"Don't do this. Wha-te-ver it is you think I've do-ne wrong, ho-we-ver you think I might ha-ve hurt you, I'm sorry. Just let me go and I swe-ar I'll ma-ke it up to you. Wha-te-ver you want, you-"

"I'm get-ting exactly what I want right now. You're beg-ging. You're sca-red. And you're suf-fe-ring."

She re-ac-hed down and cup-ped his scro-tum in her hand. "But the fun has only just be-gun."

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While Dal-las dro-ve to-ward the Up-ton Farm, Genny tri-ed on-ce aga-in to call Jaz-zy. She'd be-en trying on and off for the past twenty mi-nu-tes, but no one had an-s-we-red. She'd just con-tac-ted the pho-ne com-pany and was as-su-red the li-ne was in pro-per wor-king or-der and sug-ges-ted that the pho-ne might to be dis-con-nec-ted at the so-ur-ce.

Damn! Jaz-zy was in the ha-bit of oc-ca-si-onal-ly un-p-lug-ging her pho-nes when she didn't want her sle-ep dis-tur-bed. But why this mor-ning of all mor-nings? If Genny had ti-me, she'd go in-to town and wa-ke Jaz-zy, but ti-me was of the es-sen-ce if they wan-ted to sa-ve Jamie's li-fe. Genny co-uld sen-se his li-fe for-ce be-gin-ning to dra-in from him.

"No luck?" Dal-las as-ked.

"No. She's ta-ken the pho-ne off the ho-ok aga-in."

"Since Jacob has cal-led in his de-pu-ti-es and I've got every ava-ilab-le man on my for-ce jo-ining for-ces with Jacob's guys, I don't ha-ve an-y-body who can check on her. Why don't you call Ca-leb and see if he'll go over and let Jaz-zy know what's go-ing on?"

"Good idea, but I don't know his pho-ne num-ber and all the Che-ro-kee Ca-bin Ren-tal num-bers are un-lis-ted. I'll ha-ve to wa-it un-til so-me-one's in the of-fi-ce to get the num-ber."

"It's not go-ing to hurt to wa-it," Dal-las sa-id. "After all, may-be by the ti-me you re-ach Jaz-zy, we'll ha-ve fo-und Jamie and ha-ve his wo-uld-be kil-ler be-hind bars."

"If only I co-uld be-li-eve that…"

Dallas ma-de a sharp turn as he kept the SUV on the ro-ad go-ing down the mo-un-ta-in. "Are you pic-king up on so-met-hing you ha-ven't told me abo-ut?"

Genny shi-ve-red. "I'm get-ting stran-ge vi-bes. Li-ke I told you, I'm sen-sing Jamie's li-fe for-ce dra-ining away. If we don't find him so-on, he'll die."

Ten mi-nu-tes la-ter, they stop-ped at the open ga-tes in front of the dri-ve-way at the Up-ton Farm.

The ro-ad-way was li-ned with ve-hic-les and Big Jim Up-ton sto-od be-si-de Jacob's Dod-ge Ram, which bloc-ked the dri-ve. Sally sto-od by the truck bed, whe-re she'd al-re-ady pla-ced Pe-ter and Paul. Jacob wa-ved at Genny and Dal-las as they pul-led to a stop be-hind his truck.