“When injected into a person’s veins, it causes complete skeletal paralysis.” Hayes slowly ran his fingers along her left arm. “It’s used during surgery to ensure the patient remains still. Of course, we administer other medications with it, so the patient is unconscious and completely unaware of their inability to move.”
“As much as I appreciate the science lesson—”
He grabbed her wrist, pulling it backward to the point Riley thought he was going to break it.
“Ah!” she cried out against the pain.
“It’s very rude to interrupt someone while they are speaking.”
Jesus, this guy’s seriously off his rocker.
“S-sorry,” Riley offered an apology she hoped he bought. A rush of air left her lungs when he released her hand and continued on with his teachings.
“Agent Crenshaw, however, was given no such drugs. Once the succinylcholine took effect, he simply laid there, waiting to die.”
Wait, what?
“I thought he died of a heart attack.”
“That’s what everyone thought.”
Riley couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Why murder Crenshaw?”
“The man was incompetent, at best.”
“So you killed him for it?”
“He arrested the wrong man!” Hayes burst with anger. “He gave that transient...thatbum...credit formywork. Then he went on T.V. and bragged about what a wonderful job he’d done. The press celebrated him, and for what? The only thing he did was allow me the chance to start over.”
“That’s why you moved to Colorado.”
An almost sadness filled his eyes, which didn’t make sense. The man was a psychopath. They didn’t feel emotions the way most people did.
“You left, another man went to prison for my crimes...I thought it was a chance to start over. I even tried having a normal life. One without the inconvenience killing caused.”
Inconvenience?
“But then I saw a woman walking the streets. She reminded me of you, and I realized how much I missed playing our little game.”
“This isn’t a game, Hayes. You’re playing God with people’s lives.”
“Well.” He grinned. Raising the hand he’d been keeping by his side. “There’s a reason surgeons are known for having a God complex.”
Riley stared at the scalpel. Her eyes focused on the way light shimmered off its pristine blade.
No!
He was going to mark her. Cut into her skin just like all those other women.
“You don’t need to do this.” She hated the raw panic filling her voice as she pulled against the cuffs again.
“I thought you understood.” He brought the scalpel toward her. “Doing this...killing you this way... It’s exactly what I need.”
****
“It’s been too long. We’re not going to find her.”
Eric’s head hurt, but it was the pain in his soul that was killing him. With every second that passed, he felt less and less hopeful.
