Laura Marie Henion - Cops Daughter: Victoria

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Lachesis Publishing
www.lachesispublishing.com

Copyright 2008 by Laura Marie Henion

First published in 2006, 2006

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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

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All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the publisher, Lachesis Publishing, is an infringement of the copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

I dedicate this book solely to my Father, Vernon J. Geberth. He is a man to be proud of and to honor for all his achievements in life, but most importantly for his dedication to his family. I love you, Daddy, and you are an inspiration.

You have always encouraged me to do my best, influenced me in making the right decisions, and have always stood beside me.

Our relationship is strong and your continued support is treasured forever.

All my love,

Laura Marie

Victoria felt the softness underneath her body, then the sound of flowing water echoing in the distance.

Struggling to open her heavy eyelids, the weak and exhausted sensation overwhelmed her. Each muscle-sheltered bone sent waves of aches and pains with the slightest movement. Cautiously, blinking her eyes open, she made certain she was alone. As tired as she felt, she couldn't forget her captor.

The man was strong, enormous. His anger and determination was enough to destroy a whole army. The realization told her she didn't stand a chance.

The last couple of blows he inflicted upon her had knocked the wind out of her. And the ones that followed sent her into a deep sleep, like the one she had just awoken from. How long have I been here? What does he plan on doing with me? Didn't anyone hear my screams?

Glancing around the room, noticing it was a dump, she wondered if anyone else were around. No one would ask questions, or take notice of a man practically dragging a young woman along with him.

This location remained abandoned and known to harbor crack heads and other strays the town attempted to hide. That was until some keen, ambitious businessman decided to buy out the owner and improve the property to the town board's standards. Six months later and halfway through construction, the company fell into financial ruins. Claiming bankruptcy, the businessman left the site mid construction. There was no hope that even a stray could provide Victoria assistance.

Her captor had held the gun against her ribcage, threatening to kill her on the spot then go after her mother if she continued to fight him.

A chill ran through her body, up her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. Feeling the moisture reach her eyes, Victoria took him seriously. She knew he could easily get to her mother just as he was able to get to her.

No one suspected him of anything.

The pain in her head and stomach increased with the knowledge she now possessed. How could he be the one?

The police would be searching for a ghost, a suspect with no name, no face, and no apparent motive.

The odds were against her. No one was coming.

Sighing heavily, she tried to ignore the nervous sensation that consumed her.

If he were going to kill me, wouldn't he have done it by now? He's toying with you, Tory. It's all a game.

Raising her knees to her chest, sensing her desire to quit, give in to her captor's demands, she held on to the tiny bit of hope and determination to escape.

The battle between a desire to live, and the facts of the case, the crime scene photos, and her captor's abilities, left her breathless.

She would not accept defeat. She would attempt escape again. She had to give it a shot.

The need to close her eyes, to rest her weary mind and body consumed her. Like waves crashing against a border of mountainous rocks came the visions of what had occurred earlier.

Each sensation of wanting to survive, having to escape her captor, then accepting defeat, weighed a toll on her mind and soul. Yet in this weak position, she promised herself next time she wouldn't underestimate his abilities.

She recalled the brightness of the sun and yearned to see it again and feel freedom. She could remember hearing the highway in the distance and instantly she planned on running in that direction if she had the chance. The scenes flashed through her mind. Her body shook in fear as she fought against herself, her emotional weakness, in the hopes she could get out of this situation.

She had been through the toughest of times, had battled against the evil of the criminal mind in her professional career.

This was different. This was personal.

Eyes feeling heavy, she closed them tightly as her mind recollected the series of events.

She had watched her captor reach into his pocket to retrieve the car keys. In her mind, she saw each scene vividly as if it were all happening again.

The parking lot was empty. The motel looked abandoned. Being the end of June, schools were getting out, families planned vacations, and no decent, law-abiding citizen would be spending their time in a dive like this.

Looking around, the fear and anxiety of dying in such a place set in. There wasn't a soul in sight.

She watched him, and when his ring caught on the pocket of his jeans, she pulled away. A quick duck and turn, she was free of his grasp, sprinting in the direction of the highway.

She vaguely felt the hardness of the pavement under the soles of her shoes as she struggled to recall any other details, as if she would remember seeing another escape route that would benefit her in the future.

The highway was a short distance after the parking lot. If she headed that way, she'd attempt to stop a car, get someone to notice her, and yell for help.