Drake Sisters 04 - Dangerous Tides

pounding, her throat raw with fear.

    "Libby. Oh, Libby. Don't you want to play with me? I saw how you liked to play with Ty."

    His voice was chilling. Sam sounded as if he were enjoying the cat and mouse game, wanting to heighten her fear—and it was working. Had he sounded closer? She heard the drip of water. Was that his breathing? Libby closed her eyes, but that terrified her more and she snapped them open, her gaze Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    darting around the small chamber. It was so dark. Too dark. Wrapping her fingers around the small flashlight, her only weapon should Sam find her, she held it in close to her body, concealed in her fist.

    "I took a lot of pictures of you, Libby." The voice floated to her out of the cold and dark. "Standing there up against the glass, whoring yourself out for money."

    Libby pressed her hand over her mouth to keep a sob from escaping. His voice was turning creepy. Evil.
    Hate spewed out of him, coloring his tone as he taunted her.

    "You're such a little slut. I'll bet it turns you on knowing I was watching. You must have been pretty good for him to want to marry you. I never would have guessed."

    His voice definitely sounded closer. There was a slight echo in the chamber. Did that mean he was standing near the entrance? Had he come from behind her, or ahead of her? She couldn't freeze up. She had to think, not panic. She wanted to scream for Tyson. For her sisters. She wanted Sam to go away.
    She couldn't answer him. She had to keep silent or it would give away her position.

    Without warning a picture sprang to vivid life in her mind. Tyson battled his way through a burning house, flames all around him, above and below, streaking up the walls and running across the ceiling. The images were so dramatic that she knew she was sharing her mind with Elle. She clung to her sister, holding the connection tightly, terrified for Tyson, frightened for herself.

    A light suddenly bounced through the chamber, swept past the crevice and continued in a circle. Libby shrank back as far as she could, choking back an audible gasp, unable to take her petrified gaze from Sam. She couldn't make out any features as he stood behind the light, but he seemed taller. Broader.
    Stronger. More a monster than a human being.

    To her horror, the light swept in a second circle, went beyond her hiding place, hesitated, and slowly traveled back, to spotlight her. "There you are. I knew you couldn't have gone far." The voice sounded smug this time. Much more like Sam.

    Libby struggled out of the crevice, standing upright to face him, chin up, eyes steady. Her hands shook, but she had the presence of mind to keep the small flashlight hidden, tucked safely in her fist against her leg. She was afraid to speak, knowing her voice would wobble, and she wanted to appear fearless.

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    He snickered. "You look like a deer caught in the headlights. Your eyes take up half your face you're so scared. How the hell could Ty ever fall for a little mousy thing like you?"

    So much for looking fearless. Libby remained silent, trying to figure out how she could get around him to get back into the tunnel.

    "I suppose Ty, ever the hero, is upstairs trying to save me." Sam sighed. "I tried to warn him. I tried to keep him safe. Burning is a hell of a way for him to die."

    Her heart contracted painfully. Abruptly Sam switched off the light, leaving her in total darkness. She heard a whisper of movement and her sister's alarm echoing through her mind. Libby sprang forward, determined to get past Sam. She was small, she could be the little mouse he thought her and squeak by.

    Sam caught her hair, yanked her backward. She stumbled, crying out at the pain. He transferred his hold to her wrist, dragging her to him. Libby slammed the bottom of the flashlight as hard as she could on the back of his hand, turned her wrist and drove the metal into his cheekbone. He let go of her, cursing, swinging his fists at her as he stumbled away from her. One punch caught her in the chest, knocking her back. It wasn't a hard blow—just enough to make her lose her balance, forcing her to take a couple of steps back. She hit air.

    Frantically she threw out both arms, trying to find something to save her. She fell straight down through the hole in the floor of the cavern, to the rocky surface below. She hit hard,