Beyond the City Lights

Chapter 5

City lights lit up the night as the man cruised down main street. He had his window down and a cool breeze wafted in all the smells of the city. The good and the bad, but he enjoyed them all.

He had his phone connected to the car through Bluetooth and was playing Jay Z's Empire State of Mind ft. Alicia Keys.

The music was fairly loud, but he could have sworn he was hearing a subtle knocking coming from behind him. He turned down the music to make sure.

Boom. Boom.

A couple more knocks echoed throughout the car. They were coming from his trunk. She must be awake, he thought to himself.

For most people, finding a vacant spot in the city was a hard thing to do. However, for a man who knew the city streets like the back of his hand it was easy.

The man pulled into a neighborhood of apartment buildings currently being gentrified. It was dark and the workers had gone home for the day, which meant little to no foot traffic even close to the area.

He cut the engine and walked around to the back of his car. With a gun in his hand, loaded and ready, he opened the trunk and anticipated the woman thrashing about and fighting for her freedom, however, that wasn't the reaction he received. Instead the woman slowly sat up with tear stained cheeks and glared at her masked captor.

"Such beautiful green eyes," the man mumbled to the pretty brunette from the bar the other night. He used a low, deep throated voice to disguise himself.

The woman held her stare while more tears spilled down her face.

"You're a monster," she managed beneath the gag.

"No, just a thrill seeker," the man said in that same deep throated voice. "A thrill seeker who is giving you a chance out of this. We're going to play a game."

The woman couldn't see it beneath the clown mask, but a wide smile spread across the man's face.

When she didn't say anything he continued, "It's not a very complicated game. Simple really. I'm going to untie you and set you free. All you have to do is run. Get out of here. Escape." The man paused a moment for dramatic effect. "Then I'm going to look at my watch until five minutes has passed and come find you. Now, you're probably wondering how you win this game..."

The woman wasn't wondering. She knew how to win. She had to get away. Find people and get help. That is, if he was really going to let her have a five minute headstart.

She looked around and didn't recognize the buildings being remodeled and it didn't seem like a place where people would be nearby. She was Athletic though, so she would use that five minute headstart and run like hell.

"Stay hidden from me until tomorrow and you're free, but... If I find you... I kill you. Some would call it a hunt. I call it giving you a second chance at living. No matter how this plays out, we're both going to feel alive tonight."

The woman did her best to prepare herself, but being tied up, the best she could do was mental preparation.

"Oh, I should mention, I know where you live so if you go to the police then I'll simply kill you when you return home. Your best chance at survival is staying hidden. Let the games begin," the man said as he untied her and stepped back.

Without a moments hesitation, she ran as fast as she could. Calling on her every muscle to propel her forward.

She rounded the corner of apartment buildings and saw bright sodium lights illuminating a pathway to a convenient store. Could she make it there in five minutes?

The convenient store had one car in the parking lot. Behind it... endless buildings. Limitless places to hide, but it was so far away. He'd surely catch her before she got there.

She looked up and down the road for cars. There were none. No midnight walkers. Just her, with her heart thumping and her legs tiring.

Slowing down without thinking she stared up at the empty apartment buildings currently under construction. Why not hide in there? After all, there were at least six different buildings. How would he know which one she went into?

Although, what if he knew the city was just out of reach and had intended for her to go in there?

She didn't care. She had to act quick, so she made up her mind and sprinted into the empty apartment building where she would play a cat and mouse game with her captor in the hallow halls.

The man was relaxed, but also excited. He was learning to live in a state of bliss through these murderous thrills.

He checked his watch... One minute left. Like she'd know the difference. He took off, on foot, after her.

First he ran to the street and glanced down the road to the convenience store with the city in the background.

There was no sign of her, which meant she must have gone into one of the apartment buildings. He smiled, stopped running, and listened.

He couldn't hear anything at first with the noisy city beyond, but when he got close to the last two apartment buildings he could hear, very quietly, footsteps echoing from somewhere within.

He wasn't sure which building the sound of footsteps was coming from, so he decided to go with the one closest to him.

He entered the building and heard his own footsteps echoing in the halls, so he stopped and listened. Nothing.

He began walking and still could only hear his own footsteps echoing.

The woman had climbed to the top floor, found a closet, and tucked herself into the shadows of the night. She held her breath and waited. Wondering to herself if running toward the city would have been the better choice.

She flinched every time she heard his footsteps echo. Drawing closer.

More footsteps. Then silence. Then the footsteps grew louder. He was getting close.

The anticipation was suffocating. She could feel her heart thumping violently against her chest. Every breath getting stuck in her throat, struggling to give her life.

More footsteps. Closer.

Just outside the room.

Silence.

Now rapid breaths. Loud and revealing. He was going to find her.

He was outside the closet. She could see his shoes.

She still had control of the situation, she told herself. She could choose the way she went out. Who knows what this man would do to her if he caught her again.

Without another thought she sprinted toward the open window.