Into a Dangerous Mind (36 page)

would be a really good time.”
 
Taking a deep breath, she reached out and opened the inner auditorium doors and stepped through.

The Reaper stood too close to Kathy on the main stage just behind the orchestra pit holding a handgun that looked suspiciously like Zach’s Glock 9mm.
 
Cassidy quickly reminded herself Zach had to be alive or she would have sensed his death.

Kathy sat tied to a chair next to the Reaper.
 
Behind them, the stage was arranged for a band concert and contained dozens of chairs in a concert set, as well as various percussion instruments ranged along the back wall of the stage.

.

Kathy appeared terrified, but alive and unhurt.
 
Cassidy breathed a sigh of relief and made a mental note to be careful to keep Kathy away from the orchestra pit.
 
From here, Cassidy couldn’t tell if it was empty or full of chairs and possibly instruments.
 
But neither would be a soft landing from a six-foot drop.

“Run, Cassidy!”
 
Kathy screamed when she saw Cassidy standing in the aisle.

The Reaper turned and slapped Kathy hard across the face with the gun.
 
Cassidy’s anger boiled as her friend’s head lolled to one side and blood dribbled down the side of her mouth.
 
The bastard had knocked her unconscious.

“Join us.”
 
The Reaper’s cultured voice echoed throughout the auditorium.
 
A marked contradiction to his violent actions.

Cassidy said a small prayer and hoped that at least God hadn’t deserted her.
 
“Let Kathy go.”
 
She was glad her voice sounded stronger than she thought it would.
 
“You wanted me, and I’m here.”

He continued as if she hadn’t spoken.
 
“Come around to the side, up onto the stage with us.”
 
He reached over and caressed Kathy’s hair and ran a finger slowly down her neck then down over her breasts.
 
“And if you try using any of your gifts on me or contacting anyone, I’ll shoot you both.
 
Your powers can’t outrun a bullet, now can they?”

No, she didn’t think her powers were reliable enough to stop him, let alone stop a bullet.
 
Cassidy was glad Kathy’s unconscious state kept her from experiencing the Reaper’s touch first hand.
 
She promised herself he would pay for it.

Cassidy looked around frantically for something inspiring to do, but nothing presented itself.
 
She vowed she would find something.
 
Taking a deep breath she started up the small flight of stairs and then stepped out onto the wooden stage.

Once again, the memories of the last time she’d been on this stage assaulted her.
 
At least now she knew what her powers had been trying to tell her.
 
The smells and sounds of the auditorium made her feel seventeen again.
 
They rose up to assault her as she took those last echoing steps toward the man who wanted her dead.

She remembered thinking she was going to die all those years ago, sitting here on this very stage with a full auditorium watching her.
 
How ironic if she really did end up dying here tonight.
 
Morbid, but ironic.
 
A small smile curved her lips before she could stop it.

“You have nothing to smile about,” snapped the Reaper.

Wait, did he actually look more uncertain?
 
Maybe his ego could be the key to his downfall after all.

Interesting….

Cassidy considered.
 
She didn’t have any weapons, unless she could find one, but she had her wits and her mouth.
 
If she could taunt him into making a mistake, she might have a chance.

He leveled the gun at her.
 
“Come over here to me…Mother.”

your mother.
 
You killed her, remember?”

His face lit with the amusement only the truly mad possess.
 
“Yes, I remember.
 
But now I know you found a way for us to be together like we always should’ve been.
 
You’ve come back to me in this body.
 
That’s why Cassidy got away from me, to show me she was the one you would use.”

He reached out and grabbed her button-down shirt.
 
Cassidy pulled back from him and the shirt ripped down the middle.
 
Buttons scattered and the little pinging noises they made as they hit the stage echoed across the auditorium.
 
She gripped the remains of the shirt together in an attempt to cover the bra beneath.
 
No way was he getting a free show if she could help it.

She started to spin away, but he pressed the gun against her breast and she froze.

“What the hell do you want from me?”
 
She hated that her voice shook.

“I told you, Mother.
 
For us to be together as we should have been all those years ago.
 
Father is dead, so there’s no reason for you to be coy with me any longer.”

Cassidy’s fear and anger rose like bile in the back of her throat.
 
“I am not your mother!” she bit out.
 
“And even if I was, I totally understand why she wouldn’t want an impotent weakling for a son!”

instead.

rules now, Mother.
 
I’ve waited such a long time for us to be together.”
 
He stepped close, aiming the gun toward her middle.
 
“Are you ready to hear my rules?”
 
His voice sounded hopeful.

.
 
Maybe it could get her out of trouble here.
  
She slowly sat and then stood tall in front of him.

She opened her mouth and let the first thing that popped into her mind tumble out.
 
“You don’t have enough balls to face anyone—man or woman—on equal ground.”
 
She took a small step back, hoping to inch the Reaper as far away from Kathy as possible.

“You only feel superior when you’re holding a gun or hurting someone weaker than you.
 
You’re not even a real man.”
 
At the stricken look on his face, she continued, pressing her advantage.
 
“I’ll bet that’s the only way you can get it up, isn’t it?”

His gaze raged and she knew she’d struck a nerve.
 

“I’ll show you I can get it up, Mother.”
 
His voice fell dangerously quiet.
 
“Because I promised myself this time I would fuck you while you died.”

“What?” she demanded, forgetting her fear for the moment.
 
“You can’t be serious.
 
I’m not…” she trailed off as he stepped forward and pressed the gun to her temple.

 
Her mind whirled, then inspiration struck.
 
“You probably won’t even be able to get it up to fuck me, anyway.
 
By the way, Holly Peters was HIV positive and had genital herpes.
 
It seems Ms. Peters left you with a nice parting gift.
 
And I’m hoping your little shriveled dick falls off!”

He ground the gun into her flesh, but fear swam in his eyes.
 
She smirked as he reached down with his free hand to make sure his package was still in tact.

“I’m more than enough man to handle you, Mother.
 
I’m more man than my father ever was.”
 
He traced the gun from her temple down her breast.

She took another small step back.

.

“I don’t know about that, your father was a great lover.
 
He fucked me until I couldn’t think straight, and then we fucked some more.
 
Somehow I don’t think you could last long enough to get it out of your pants.”

The Reaper’s face turned purple.

She glanced around frantically for something to use as a weapon.
 
She started to lunge toward one of the music stands, but he turned the gun on Kathy and she stopped in her tracks.

When he finally spoke, his voice was confident and he’d gotten himself under control.
 
“You stay away from those and step over here toward the edge or I’ll kill her first.”

“Now, undress for me.”
 
He stepped back enough so he could watch her every move, but kept the gun pointed steadily at Kathy.

Not seeing any alternative, she reached up to remove the remains of her tattered shirt.
 
As the soft cotton fell through her fingers to the floor, she suddenly wished she’d worn more clothes.

He reached out with the hand not holding the gun and traced the swell above her breasts.
 
“Don’t stop now, I want to see all of you.”

She suppressed a shudder and stepped back away from him again, slowly squatting to unlace her tennis shoes.
 
If she was going to make a move, now would be the best time.
 
She might die in the process, but at least she’d die trying.

Taking a deep breath, she sprang out like a sprinter from a starting line and head-butted him in the gut.

His breath whooshed out, but he kept a firm grip on the gun.
 
He grabbed her around the waist and slammed her to the side, sending her sprawling into a sea of folding chairs and stands.

Pain lanced through her head and right arm, and little black spots danced in front of her vision.
 
A fist of nausea roiled inside her stomach as it did anytime she’d been hurt badly.

But then he was there, dragging her up by her hair to the front of the stage again.