The Lost Victim

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Otherwise, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Text copyright © 2023 by Jennifer Hunter All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by Thomas & Mercer, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Thomas & Mercer are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781662509339 (paperback) ISBN-13: 9781662509322 (digital) Cover design by Damon Freeman Cover images: © Nikki Dalonzo / Arcangel Images; © CreatoraLab, © fizkes / Shutterstock For you, the reader. Thank you for starting this journey with me. CONTENTS Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chapter One The shadows cradled him in silence and secrecy as the need pulsing inside him grew to a fever pitch. He’d picked the perfect spot to pounce on his prey. They made it so easy to watch them when they showed up at the park, ready to run. He liked to watch them step out of their cars, those brave souls who loved the night like him. They chose the park because of the lighted trails, but he knew where all the shadows shrouded the light. And a broken bulb here or there helped, too. Though they always looked around when they got out of their cars, assessing the few others who braved the night with them, they seemed to ignore the threat of danger inherent in running alone. At night. In the dark. Dangers they didn’t see lurking in the places they didn’t dare explore. They pretended those things beyond the light’s reach couldn’t touch them. But he could. He would. And he’d enjoy every scream and all their pain. He couldn’t wait. The thrill of the hunt consumed him. The anticipation drove him. The thoughts of what was to come, what he’d do to them, filled his mind and this night with possibilities. But the pain in his chest reminded him that this could be the last one. His time on this earth, like his heart, was winding down. He needed to make this special. He needed to ensure his secrets were kept. And there was only one way to do that. But first, he needed to wait for the one running right into his trap. She came around the bend and headed for him. The overhead light illuminated her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail that swished back and forth as she jogged. She was perfect. Just like all the others. Gray running shoes, black pants, a red sports bra, black hoodie tied at her waist now that she was warmed up a mile into the run, phone in a strap around her biceps, earbuds in—she’d never hear him coming. Her bent arms swung back and forth as she ran past his hiding spot, then she threw those arms out when her ankle caught the trip wire he’d put across the path. And down she went, hitting her knees, skidding on her palms, her chest and body crashing onto the dirt, wind knocked out of her. Her heart racing with the shot of adrenaline that came with the confusion and fear. It took only a moment for him to leap on top of her upper back in a straddle, his weight holding her down and making it impossible for her to get a decent breath to scream. Before she even thought to try to fight him off, he pulled out the rubber mallet he had strapped to the small of his back and cracked her in the side of the head. Lights out. Night night. Too easy. He didn’t have much time. Though there were few runners this time of night, one could come around the bend at any moment. Which amped his euphoric rush and made him work faster. He had a method that he’d honed early and perfected by his sixth or seventh victim. He’d been clumsy, too pumped up and greedy for the rush that came with a kill those first few times. But now, he liked to savor these moments leading up to his ultimate thrill. Like so many times before, he slipped the mallet back into the strap holding it at the base of his spine, then pulled the stakes out on both sides of the path that held the trip wire in place. He used the wire to bind the woman’s legs and ankles. Since she was still lying in a sprawl on her stomach, he simply pulled her hands together at her back, slipped a pair of black flexicuffs over her hands to her wrists, and pulled those puppies tight. He flipped over the stupid woman, plucked the earbuds from her ears, and stuffed them into the tight-as-hell sports bra against her breasts. Don’t want those falling out and announcing she’d been taken right here. He pulled her up by her shoulders, dipped his shoulder low, hauled her up over his back, and braced her hips with one arm wrapped around the backs of her thighs. He checked the area to be sure nothing had dropped on the ground, then walked back into the shadows like he hadn’t been there at all. The whole thing took less than two minutes. Speed, careful planning, and acute awareness of one’s surroundings were key to pulling off a successful abduction.