Unwanted Obsession

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Kate's piercing scream seemed to echo in the afternoon air. The few people at various gas pumps stopped what they were doing to see what was going on.

"Please, somebody, help me!" Kate pleaded desperately. She could only see the shoes of other people, as she was looking out from underneath Todd's car. Her body wasn't visible to others. If only she had rolled out the other side.. But, then again, that's where Todd was so it really wouldn't have helped. "Kate Watson! My name is Kate Watson! I need help!!"

The sound of the car trunk opening was what Kate heard next, and her head arched upward to see what was happening. Her mouth opened wide in horror.

Todd was removing a large rifle from the trunk of his car.

"No, no, please don't!" she yelled. Her eyes went from Todd to peering out from underneath the car again. She could see a pair of footsteps approaching the vehicle...

"Run!" she tried. She had to get the person away from danger!

But Todd already had the gun in his hand. And he already had it aimed at the innocent bystander. A shot rang through the air.

The next thing Kate knew, she was staring wide-eyed at the face of the person she could now see, because he'd fallen to the ground on the other side of the car.

Several more shots were fired, but Kate barely heard them. She couldn't stop looking at the helpless victim who was dying right before her eyes. He was choking and coughing up blood. It was a horrible sight.

Finally, as the man's last breath was sputtered, Todd walked up to Kate's very still body. She'd just witnessed death. It was horrendous.

Cursing loudly, Todd came up right beside her and proceeded to kick her unmoving body. "You stupid little bitch!" His brow narrowed as he noticed her lifeless face. He growled. "Come on." Todd lifted her still-bound body off the ground and roughly placed her on the backseat of his car again. They had to move quickly.

Looking at her one more time, he shook his head before closing the car door and getting in the front seat.

Then, he drove away.

"You know what, Kate?" Todd finally spoke for the first time after what seemed like a long time. His voice seemed much calmer now. "That could've been prevented."

Kate was lying on the back seat staring upward at the car's ceiling. She felt numb from it all. He was right, though. Her impulsive actions had caused a disaster. It was all her fault.

"Those people didn't have to die," Todd continued. "I was willing to spare them and make it a quick stop. But then you had to go and mess things up. I couldn't let what was about to happen actually happen. I had to step in. You gave me no choice."

"I- I'm sorry," Kate muttered. And she really was.

"Sorry?" He chuckled. "You aren't sorry... But you will be."

Kate didn't have the will to be scared of his words. I deserve to be punished for what I've done. 

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Gas Station Killer/Kidnapper Strikes Again

Chad Thompson read the headline of the newspaper in his hands with a heavy heart. Todd Delozier had done it again. He'd murdered seven innocent people at a gas station in Sevierville, Tennessee. It was a sick and tragic blood bath. 

But what were they doing in Tennessee? It was a long way from home..

The only conclusion anyone could come to was that they were headed towards the Smoky Mountains. Todd wanted to get away from people, and what better place to do that than in the hidden seclusion of the mountains?

Chad had to admit that Todd's plan had been pretty smart. But, he'd made a mistake. He'd stopped at a gas station and slaughtered more people.

The hideous crime served as the FBI's only clue.

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Kate fell asleep at some point during the drive. She was suddenly jerked awake again by a pair of strong hands shaking her. 

"Get up," Todd commanded, standing right outside her open car door.

The ties that were previously around her ankles and wrists were gone now. Memories of what had happened at the gas station immediately came back to her as she awoke. And with them also came a familiar feeling of hopelessness. Kate got out of the car quietly, not even looking at her surroundings. Instead, her eyes were focused on the ground.

Todd proceeded to pull her hair back into a bun and put a ball cap on her head. Then, he put a heavy jacket on over her T-shirt. She was already wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes from earlier when he'd dressed her at the house. Lastly, he forced a heavy backpack onto her shoulders. "Look at me."

Kate did as she was told with expressionless eyes. She noticed that he was wearing a hat, jacket, and backpack, as well. She also saw that they were in a shady, wooded area.

He assessed her appearance. "Good, nobody will recognize us. Now come on, we have a long way to walk." Todd grabbed her hand and they began walking, but then he stopped again. "Oh, and let me just say... Try anything, anything at all, and more people will die. I have a loaded gun in my pocket and I'm not against using it.  You got that?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

Seeming to accept her response, they began walking again. Todd had a plan. It was to get as far away from his car as possible and deep into the mountains. There was food and water bottles stocked in each of their jackets and backpacks. Thin sleeping bags were in their backpacks, too. And he also had an assortment of weapons.

Todd felt that they were more than prepared for this adventure.

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I may have started a new story, but I definitely haven't forgotten about this one :-) 

I hope this chapter was enjoyable. Thanks for reading!

-Lauren