ChasingShadows Read Online Free PDF Page A

lips
and uttered a faint zipping sound.
    She copied the act, struggling to contain a grin.
    The only sounds audible were the faint rustling of their
clothes and their excited breathing.
    Exultation wrapped around him as he climbed out into the
moonlit night. His triumph was complete when he joined his silent witness—the
full moon—watching from the star-filled sky.
    * * * * *
    Her grip tightened on his hand and her back stiffened as
they stepped into the dark house. They walked into the living room and he
hurried to flick on a couple lights. The girl glanced furtively around the
meagerly furnished room.
    In a small, distressed voice, she asked, “When will Mommy
be here?”
    He crouched down, peering into her face. Tears welled in
her eyes.
    “Where’s my mommy?” The tears trickled unchecked down her
cheeks.
    “She’ll be here soon.” His lies came easy, and warmth
trickled through him. “You’ll go back to sleep. When you wake up, your mommy
will be here.”
    Had he given her enough sedative? The next dose would
definitely be stronger. The last thing he needed was a loud, distraught child.
    He lifted her into his arms and carried her down the hall
into a dimly lit bedroom. A dresser, matching nightstand and bunk beds with dragonfly
bedspreads furnished the room. Coordinating wallpaper covered the walls and a
thick pink curtain hung over a portion of one wall, pulled open to expose
wallpaper where the window used to exist.
    * * * * *
    Juliana tossed and flailed about on the disheveled bed. The
sheets wrapped around her, binding her like a mummy. “No, no!” The uninvited
words jolted her awake.
    Her head throbbed with the intensity of a full-blown
migraine. The malevolence permeating the dream sank deep into her soul.
Goosebumps broke out over her body as her skin crawled with his exhilaration
and satisfaction.
    The kidnapping had happened.
    She’d managed to claim a few hours’ sleep before the vision
played through her head. Juliana had witnessed the crime along the fringes of the
kidnapper’s mind.
    Morning sunlight streamed through her bedroom window,
seeping through the sheer bed enclosure. The warm summer rays offered a sliver
of relief. But she knew she wouldn’t see a moment’s peace until the child was
returned to her home, safe and sound, however long it took. Even though yesterday
she had known the actual kidnapping would follow her premonition, the reality
never ceased to fill her with sorrow and dread.
    Juliana leaned against the carved headboard, tugging at the
entwined sheet and throwing it off. She grabbed the TV remote from the night
table and punched the “on” button. After flipping through several satellite
channels, she found a local news program. A commercial break ended, and the
news team returned with day’s top story. The abduction. No surprise there.
    Her Persian cat jumped on the bed, craving attention. She
absently hugged his silky, fluffy body to her chest, engrossed in the unfolding
news story.
    The newscast reported the details of the crime before
proceeding to the child’s identity and background. “Lisette Chamber is the
six-year-old granddaughter of billionaire Grantham Chamber II, founder and
chairman of GC Media Corporation.”
    Juliana could barely concentrate on the victim’s name and
her family as the kidnapper’s leftover taint dissolved. Her headache receded,
but her blood flowed icily. She squeezed her cat until he squealed and squirmed
for freedom.
    “Sorry, JB.” She released her hold and set him on the bed. He
arched his raven-black body and rubbed his head against her bare thigh, purring
madly. The unconditional love of her cat relaxed her for a heartbeat, until she
began searching her mind for details of the crime, particulars from the
kidnapper’s mind.
    The more deeply she delved into his mind, the more she
realized he possessed strong electrical currents in his brain. He had connected
easily with her powerful and receptive mind. It wasn’t unusual