[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.But she decided to see what the hell was going on first—and kept walking.Behind the motel, there wasn't much.A Dumpster full of garbage.A thin ribbon of pavement that wound around from the front.And beyond that, a rolling stretch of unmown grass that ended at a patch of spindly trees.Stormy walked across the field, heading for the trees.Max swallowed hard, giving one last glance back toward the motel, wishing she had alerted Lou.Too late now.If she went back, she would risk losing sight of Stormy.She shrugged the blanket from her shoulders, dropped it in the middle of the grass and then kept walking even as Stormy disappeared into the trees.At least there would be some sign where she had gone, in case she didn't come back, Max thought.She considered calling out to her friend but wasn't sure that would be the best thing to do.Didn't they say you should never startle a sleepwalker awake? Grudgingly, she admitted to herself that she was afraid of just who or what might wake up if she did."Hell." Max trudged on.She stepped on pointy twigs and bristly patches every few yards.She stumbled and hopped and fought to avoid the unseen hazards on the forest floor, though it was little use in the dark.Stormy had no such problems.She walked smoothly, steadily, either intuitively placing her feet in the right spots or simply oblivious to the discomfort of bare feet on the forest floor, and twigs and branches in her face.Max pushed the branches away as she went and thought she must be the noisiest thing in the woods this night, the way she was crashing through the underbrush.Stormy, on the other hand, didn't seem to be making a sound.Then again, Max thought, she might not hear Stormy over her own ruckus, anyway.Even keeping her friend in sight was becoming a challenge.And then it wasn't a challenge, it was impossible, because Stormy was gone.Vanished.Max strained her eyes in the darkness, but she couldn't see her.She hurried forward, racing toward the spot where she'd last sighted Stormy.The woods ended there, suddenly and without warning.Max emerged onto a steep embankment and came to a startled halt.The slope angled sharply downward, dirt, gravel and sand.Hardly any grass grew there.At the bottom there was water, a tiny cove where the ocean lapped at the shore.A small boat sat on the beach off to one side, and a still, pale form lay nearby."Stormy!"Max jerked into motion, starting down the slippery slope.The surface was loose and fell away under her feet.Her legs slid downward, and she leaned back in an effort to keep her balance.In another heartbeat, her hands were grasping the ground behind her, her butt and legs skimming downhill fast, even though she dug her heels in to try to slow her descent.And then she was at the bottom, scrambling to her feet and hurrying to where Stormy lay on the ground.Her friend's nightgown was wet, the ocean waves rolling in gently, reaching to her legs.Max fell to her knees, grasping Stormy's shoulders."Storm? Honey? Come on, wake up" She lifted her friend's upper body in her arms and searched her still face.She'd obviously taken a fall.God, had she broken her beautiful neck?"Stormy? Jesus, talk to me!""She's still alive.There's no need to panic."Max jerked her head up at the sound of the deep male voice coming from very nearby—instantly aware that it didn't belong to Lou or to Jason.And then she saw him, standing on the shore with the waves lapping over his feet and the sea wind lifting his long, black hair from his shoulders.Clouds parted, and the moonlight bathed his face.The same face she'd seen earlier tonight, in the drawings done by his victims.Instinct told her to back away.She didn't.In fact, she moved closer, rising to her feet to put herself between him and Stormy."You'll leave here if you know what's good for you, " she said.His brows rose."Courage? Or foolishness?""Probably a little of both.Now, get the hell out of here before the rest of my friends arrive and stake your sorry ass." She was painfully aware she had no weapon.Nothing to use to fight him off."Stake me? That's actually rather funny." He stepped closer.She bent quickly and snatched up the biggest rock within reach."Calm down, Maxine Stuart.You have no friends coming, and I think you know that rock in your hands can't harm me.""I also know it's going to hurt like hell when I cave your skull in with it." She lifted the rock."Stay back."He lowered his eyes to Stormy.Then they widened.Max stole a quick look downward, too, afraid to take her eyes off him for more than an instant.But Stormy's own eyes were open [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]