**My Killer Saved My Life (Preview)

Chapter 1: Taken

I felt my chest tighten as I stared at the burning building in the distance. My computer bag was now hanging limply on my arm and I could do nothing, but stare as the flames rose higher and higher, sending huge puffs of black smoke into the clear air. Hundreds of red and orange ashes danced above my house, lighting up the night sky.

I spotted an ambulance out of the corner of my eye as it flew past me, blaring its siren. My heart pounded against the inside of my chest as millions of thoughts raced through the back of my mind, making my body feel numb.

What if Stephanie got home early?

What if she's inside the house right now?

My heart sank into a puddle of fear at the sight of two paramedics carrying a stretcher to the back of the ambulance. On it, laid a thin white sheet draped over a body-shaped lump. I wanted to run towards it. To make sure it wasn't what I thought it was—Who I thought it was.

I tried to move, but my body was frozen. Tears blurred my vision as I stood there—Helpless. The strong smell of smoke was suffocating. I tried to scream, but my voice got caught in my throat. My hands shook uncontrollably, causing my purse to fall to the sidewalk with a soft 'thud.'

Just as the shaking began to subside, I felt a small gust of hot air blowing on the back of my neck.

"Get in the van," a deep, raspy voice spoke softly into my ear, making the hair on the nape of my neck stand up.

My eyes shifted down to see a small pistol being pressed into my ribcage. My heart began to race; pounding so hard against the inside of my chest, I thought for sure it would burst out of my body. My throat started to close up, making it impossible to scream for help.

"I said get in the van!" He screamed, millimeters away from my ear, causing my body to jerk away involuntarily. Tears began flowing rapidly down my cold face. I didn't know what to do. My head screamed for me to "run," but my feet were too stubborn to listen.

I was frozen with fear. I could feel him jamming the gun deeper into my side as he cupped a slightly warm, damp cloth over my mouth. I didn't know what was on it, but it definitely wasn't water. Within seconds, my vision began to fade, followed by a massive headache that felt like a bullet shooting through my head.

For a second, I couldn't breathe. Then, everything went black.