Lamia's Dream

Chapter 47

Sneaking into Malik’s bedroom had been easy.  On the way out, I wondered if he would wake up after I turned the car on.  I left a note that I had forgotten something at home and left it at that. 

On the way to the old Spencer Mountain mill, I thought about calling the police.  Not having a cell phone killed that idea.  Besides, “my girlfriend’s been kidnapped and I know where she is” at nearly 3:30 a.m. probably wouldn’t go over well. 

While I didn’t have my cell phone, I did have the metal bat I tried to use on Lynn.  The Hunter may have said that I couldn’t bring another person, but he didn’t say anything about weapons.  The Hunter presumably didn’t have advanced speed.  I should be able to get a hit in.

I parked the car a ways off from the mill.  I didn’t want the headlights to alert the Hunter of my presence.  I left the keys under the floor mat.  If the Hunter beat me to an unrecognizable pulp and stripped me of my clothes, no point in punishing Malik with keys that were forever lost.

I closed the door softly and jogged towards the mill.  Crickets stopped chirping when my feet came down in the unkempt grass near them.  The moon, the stars, and the surrounding darkness watched me dispassionately.  They were neutral spectators for the final act of the drama. 

My jogging against the backdrop of darkness and the sounds of the night reminded me of the first night I encountered the Hunter.  I was able to protect Valerie then only because the Hunter willingly left.  I knew that wouldn’t be the case tonight.

I stepped slower when I was a few yards away from the mill.  There were no lights on of course.  The mill looked more like a wide, dilapidated wooden shed.   It was only one story and had the width of a double wide trailer.  My grandparents had worked here.  I imagined with no more than 30 other workers at a time. 

I didn’t find the Hunter or Valerie in the first hole I peered through.  The moonlight shined inside from whatever openings the wood provided.  A pile of rusty objects sat in that first room.  If I lost the bat, I could risk tetanus by grabbing one of those.

I went to the back side of the mill, opposite the front entrance.  This hole was more promising.  A sliver of moonlight and small kerosene lamp revealed a bulky man.  His back was to me.  I could make out slender legs on the ground perpendicular to his.  They were tied up.  I peered through a smaller hole to confirm.  The tied-up body on the ground was Valerie’s.

The Hunter dug his feet at her ribs.

“Wake up,” he said flatly.

He was even smarter than I thought.  Keeping her awake would prevent Valerie from dreaming and contacting us.  Even if I had fallen asleep, it wouldn’t have helped.

I backed away from the hole.  While there was virtually no way they could see me from their location, I didn’t want to try my luck.  Now that I knew where they were, I needed a plan. 

But none came. 

It would be hard to see through the mill until I came to that back room with the lamp.  I peered through a few more holes but couldn’t find any objects worth using.  Not only that, but all of the holes were too small for me to enter through, so I’d have to go through the front door. 

It was absurd how, in the movies, the hero could make something out of nothing and save the day.  The old mill offered me no assistance.  I took a deep breath and told myself to calm down.  Getting frustrated would not do here. 

I had my metal bat.  And I probably had a speed advantage on the Hunter, given how bulky he was.  Worst case scenario, I hit him with the bat, grab Valerie, and run for the car.  None of that MacGyver stuff.