The Bad Boy, Cupid And Me

chapter#22

Chloe couldn't look.She clenched her teeth waiting for the pain.
Waiting for the cold blade to slice into her skin.
But there was only pressure on her wrist. .and the winning noise of the saw.
Then the noise stopped.
Chloe opened her eyes and shuddered.She saw Greg standing tall,the saw at his side.
"Chickens!" He cried."I was just cutting off your handcuffs," he said."You won't be needing them now.I have other plans for you."
Chloe's pulse hammered in her ears as he revved up the saw again and cut the chain between Allie and Jade.
"What do you want from us?"Chloe asked.
"That's better,"he said ,ignoring the question .He slid the saw onto a metal table.He glanced at Jade."Those kidnappers were amateurs.Where'd you find them?"
"They're my cousin's friends,"Jade said meekly.
"Yeah? Well they didn't know the first thing about kidnapping."
He pulled a chair up in front of Chloe and straddled it so that he could look her squarely in the eye.She shivered violently but she didn't want him to know how frightened she was.
She could recall Reece words clearly when he was showing her how to kick.
Never show your enemy how scared you're. He will feed on it.
"What's the matter Chloe?" he asked in a mocking voice."Missing your boyfriend?"
She looked straight in his eyes with a cool face like they were discussing the weather over tea.
"Poor Chloe.You won't be able to hide under the covers anymore.Do you miss your cushy blue quilt?"
She shuddered as he laughed.
"Are you wondering how I know about that?" he asked.
My blue quilt. . .
She shook her head.She remebered how she had found mud around the edges.And the tracks leading from her window.
"I know everything about you,Chloe," he said,his dark eyes glimmering with pride.
"Everything. I saw you in the cemetery.And under the bleachers kissing your boyfriend.Crying over your chemistry exam in the cafeteria. I've touched the photos in your locker,the lockets on your dresser.I've been watching you."
"I don't get it," she said ,trying to keep her voice steady."Why me?"
"You have the perfect life my sister should have had," he said quietly."Good grades.Pretty.Popular.Perfect boyfriend.I started watching you because you reminded me of Beatrice.Of what she should have been. . ."
The thought that Greg following her made Chloe's skin crawl.She felt robbed.
"Once I tried to talk to you .I thought that you might be nice the way Betty was. . ." His voice trailed off for a moment.Then his eyes shone with anger.
"But you weren't!" He sneered.
Chloe's mind whirled back as she tried to figure out what he was talking about.She vaguely recalled his coming up to her..she remembered it because it was the first time Reece had given her flowers.She had been annoyed when Greg had cut into their conversation.
Now she realized with a sinking feeling that she must have been so wrapped up in those flowers that she'd totally brushed Greg off.
"I didn't mean to treat you bady ,Greg." She said gently.
"Too late,Miss perfection."
Reaching up,he unlatched another giant meat hook from the overhead belt.
She shuddered a he shoved it under her chin.
The icy prong pressed against her skin,ready to pierce.
"How are you going to get yourself off the hook,Chloe?" He snarled.

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Chloe whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut.But she could still picture it
The huge hook stabbing through her chin.
Plunging into her skull.
Gouging her brain.
Her muscles clenched as she waited.
But there was no pain.
Nothing.
She opened her eyes and Greg laughed.
"I'm not going to kill you," He waved the hook infront of her face."I want to have you around.At least for now."
"Can't you please untie me then?" She managed to ask in a normal voice ,trying her best to reason with him.
"As a matter of fact I can," he said.
This might be a trick,Chloe told herself, flinching as he put the hook aside and leaned toward her.
He unfastened the cord around her.
She rose from her chair.
Greg nodded and turned to Allie."Come on,you next," he said ,untying her." Just so long as you know not to disobey me."
When they were all standing in a line before him, he reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small travel alaram clock.Grinning he wound it then fiddled with the button that set the timer on the back.
"You have five minutes," he said placing the clock on a narrow metal table.The ticking was almost deafening ,echoing throughout the empty room.
"Five minutes for what?" Chloe asked warily.
"Five minutes to work up the little routine that these two are will perform for me." He pointed at Jade and Dana."I want you to show me how well you can make them perform for me."
Greg paced back and forth infront of them.
"I want perfect cheers," he went on."That's what I want to see when I get back.I know how you cheerleaders get upset if anyone misses a step or claps out of time.I get upset too.So if anyone messes up-even the slightest bit-somebody dies.How does that sound?"
None of them answered.The only sound was the ticking clock.
"Don't even think of trying to escape.Even if you can't see me,I'll be watching you the whole time.And if anyone so much as tries to run away ,you'll will die.I think that's fair,dont you?"
None of them replied.
"Good.I'll be back when the timer goes off."
He walked away,swinging the flashlight at his side.
Something brushed against Chloe's foot.She glanced down.
A rat!
It squealed and scuttled over the toe of her shoe.
She turned to Jade.Her chin was quivering and her cheeks were wet with tears."If we do what he says,maybe he won't hurt us," she said gently.
"But how are we going to cheer perfectly without messing up?" Dana asked."I mean look at us Chloe!Look at Jade!"
She was right,Chloe realized.Jade was falling apart,on the verge of becoming totally hysterical.
"We'll get through this if we work together," Chloe said,stroking Jade's arm."We have to stay focused.You will pretend like you are at the school."
"Yeah right," Dana said sarcastically."Do you hear that?"
Off in another part of the warehouse,Greg was banging on something metallic.
"What's he doing?"
"I don't know," Chloe answered .There was no way to predict Greg's next move.
He kept hammering.
"Lets hurry up and figure out which cheers you will be doing," Chloe said above the noise.
"Are you crazy? We can't cheer! We've got to get out of here!"Jade sobbed."I can't take this anymore!"
"Okay okay.Calm down," Chloe said, sounding more confident than she felt."If we stick together maybe we can-"
Her words were interrupted by the shrill ringing of the alarm.
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