Skulls Read Online Free PDF Page A

way home. She’d show them.
    A tiny fire of determination fluttered in her heart. She put her head down and trudged on, almost missing the sound of the approaching vehicle. A flicker of light drew her head up. Once more her heart danced in her chest at seeing headlights creeping up the hill.
    This time she wouldn’t let the car pass. She edged out onto the road and made ready, screaming and shouting, jumping about as it came close. The headlights washing over her and she heard the crunch of asphalt as the brakes were applied. Katie quickly stepped off the road as the car moved past, tires grappling with the wet road. It came to a stop about twenty feet beyond where she stood, but it had stopped. Katie held in a happy squeal.
    Trembling with both cold and excitement, she ran toward the car. The passenger door swung open as she approached. She could see her triumph now. There would be warmth first, and then the grudging adoration of her classmates who awaited her at the end of a short ride. A smile plastered across her dripping face, she slid into the car. She slammed the door shut and turned to thank her savior.
    The thick, black barrel of a pistol was her welcome.
    Her smile fell from her lips as the door locks clicked home beside her“Don’t scream,” a muffled voice told her. Dark eyes stared at her through a black ski mask.
    All the strength went out of her limbs and Katie sunk into the seat. Her eyes were locked on the gun. The car shuddered to life and circled back the way it had come. Katie whimpered softly, unable to even beg.
    The ride was a blur. Only the swaying of the gun barrel was impressed upon her memory. At last, the car came to a stop, the headlights illuminating only trees. Then there was nothing as the driver shut the lights off.
    The masked man opened his door and reached for her. His gloved hand encircled her wrist. Still she couldn’t scream.
    Slow, the barrel of the gun never wavering, the man led her from the car. He pulled her across the seat and out the driver’s side door.
    Once more the rain fell upon her, its icy touch warm compared to his. He shut the car door and her world was plunged into inky blackness as the tiny interior light was snuffed out. She trembled without control as terror seized her in the darkness. His gruff voice demanded her attention. There was no compassion in his words.
    He dragged her through the cold night as though she weighed nothing. Katie screamed, but only on the inside. Her courage had fled before the huge man and his gun. It grew more distant with every step they took into the blackness of the woods.
    She heard a gentle squeak as a door was pulled open before her, the shadows darker where it stood. Suddenly the rain was gone. Her nose was filled with the dry scent of hay as she gasped to draw a breath.
    She was dragged along and the shifting rustle beneath her feet turned into the muffled crunch of a plastic tarp. When they finally came to a stop, she was pushed against the cold solidity of a wall behind her. The hand at her wrist pulled away. It was at her throat an instant later. It held her tight, thick fingers sinking into her soft flesh. Something cold and hard was clasped about her ankle. It pulled her leg tight against the wall.
    Katie whimpered as her other leg was restrained in the same way. Then her arms were, too, the clasps set above her head. Katie was forced onto her toes to keep the cold metal from biting into her wrists. A steel collar replaced the hand at her throat. It wedged the back of her head uncomfortably against the wooden wall. She could hear the wet pitter of the rain just beyond it, feeling its gentle vibrations as it struck the wall.
    Tears spilled down her cheeks. The man’s breath huffed near her ear, the loose fibers of the mask tickling her cheek. She trembled. Her arms and legs shook despite the restraints. For a long moment he stood silent beside her. His face pressed against hers and her neck was warmed by his breath.
    Then