Perfect Victims (Formerly Kidnapped: Stolen in the Night)

Chapter 13.

Kelly found herself alone in the freezer. Leon was gone as were the cots and chairs. She took a deep breath.

"Now what?" she wondered aloud.

She whirled around at the sound of children giggling and found herself on what looked like a loading dock. Four jet black vans were parked next to the dock. She recognized the signs on the rear doors as being from "Stork Express Delivery Service." The door of one of the vans was partially open.

She heard the giggles again. They seemed to be coming from the van. Slowly she moved to the door and pulled it open.

There was nobody inside.

There was a narrow bed on each side of the vehicle. Carefully she entered noticing the wheels on the two cots. They were stretchers liked those used in ambulances. These however were covered in snow white satin. A silken quilt was neatly folded at one end with a large bed pillow at the opposite end. Padded leather restraints were connected to the metal frames of the beds. In addition to the wrist and ankle bonds, a trio of wide straps dangled down from the frames.

The compartment was closed off from the driver's area with a shelf on the wall separating them. She could see what looked like a sandwich in a plastic bag, a brown bottle, and leather book. Cautiously she moved to the shelf and began to examine the items. She picked up the bottle and read the label.

"Chloroform!" she said with quiet surprise. "Definitely looks like a kidnapping." She put down the bottle.

She found the "sandwich" to be a gauze pad. It was slightly larger than a slice of bread and more than an inch thick. The bag itself was one that could be resealed. Putting it back on the shelf, she picked up the leather case and opened it.

Four hypodermic syringes were secured to the left side. Each was prefilled with a clear liquid. A tab was connected to a flap covering a second compartment. She was about to open it when she heard the children laughing again. She quickly replaced the case on the shelf next to the bottle of chloroform and the gauze-filled bags. She rushed out of the back of the van.

She was back in the warehouse.

The quick changes of location were starting to disorientate her.

She jumped when something touched her arm. She whirled around, throwing herself up against the nearby wall.

The four children from the park were standing there. The older of the two girls, maybe four, stepped forward as the younger girl giggled.

"Hello," the older girl said.

"Hello," Kelly said trying to her heartbeat to slow down. "You shouldn't be here."

"It's okay. They aren't after us anymore." This time the two boys joined the younger girl in giggling.

One of the boys stepped forward with a box and handed it to Kelly. The crank on the side told her it was some kind of Jack in the box. Curious, she slowly turning the handle as the young children backed away.

Expecting the "Pop goes the weasel" tune, she was surprised when it instead played "Brahms Lullaby."

"Rockabye baby,' the children began to sing in unison. Confused, she continued to turn the crank as the children sang.

She jumped when the lid popped open.

It wasn't a clown that popped out, but a figure in a ski mask with lenses over the eye holes. She dropped the box as the figure began to grow in size. Expressionless, the four children back away, disappearing off into the shadows.