Johnny approached the police car and immediately something seemed off. Normally the officer was out of the car as soon as he saw Johnny, but the guy hadn't moved.
Johnny peered into the car and saw blood trickling out of a hole in his head. Johnny checked for a pulse, but found none. Someone had killed the officer. The realization of what happened hit Johnny like a punch to the gut. He took off running toward the house only to be flattened by a block of wood from the wood pile. Thinking he'd tripped over the wood, Johnny tried to get up.
He was immediately grabbed and yanked to his feet and pulled to the deck. Before he could react, he was tied to a post and a gag stuffed in his mouth. As his vision cleared he saw a face.
The face leaned down and got in his face.
"So, you're the guy that got my Julianna. She is something special isn't she. She's a little fighter. Course you probably don't know how she likes it rough. She does have a tendency to take things too far. That's how I got this," the face said, showing the large scar on his cheek that was hidden by a false beard. "All she had to do was tell me to stop, but I think she liked it. That's why she's alive. But she had to go and soil what we had by marrying you. I'm sure it didn't take long for her to convince you to take her to bed. She knew I wouldn't like that. I looked and looked and couldn't find her. Until I remembered what I'd heard in the hospital. I came to LA and found her brother and it didn't take long find her. So tell me, Mr. Paramedic, don't you agree that Julianna's the best you've ever had? I know I do. But that experience will be in the past because I'm going to kill her. I should have done that first, but she was just so good, I had to get attached. Hope you said you loved her this morning because those are the last words your precious wife is ever going to hear from you. Nighty, night," the face said.
Johnny felt the bile rise in his throat at the things the man was saying about his wonderful, beautiful wife. He was desperate to get to the man, but he hit Johnny in the head and he immediately blacked out.
Julianna had been waiting for Johnny to come back to the house for an hour. It wasn't like him to take so long and she was afraid something had happened. She hated when he was in the barn alone. Especially around that horse. She slipped on her shoes and headed outside and down to the barn. She was shocked to find Johnny tied to a post sitting on a chair. At first it didn't compute in her brain what had happened.
"Johnny! Oh, my God, what happened," she said.
"Hello, Julianna," a voice she'd never forget said.
She turned around and screamed. He clamped a hand over her mouth. Johnny started stirring when he heard Julianna scream. He opened his eyes and shouted, "Juli, no."
"Shut up. She's coming with me," he said.
"I'm not going anywhere with you," she said, clenching her teeth to keep from screaming.
"Oh, yes you are. If you don't, I'll kill your husband, your brother and all those friends you've come to have. Do you want more blood on your hands, Julianna," Hastings asked.
"Don't listen to him, Juli," Johnny said, trying desperately to get out of his bindings.
"I have to go with him. If I don't, he'll kill you and I can't stand the thought of that," she said.
"He'll kill you," Johnny said.
Julianna looked at her husband. "I love you," she said, tears pouring down her cheeks.
"Isn't this sweet, but I don't have time for this," Hastings said. He took some rope and tied her arms behind her. He then grabbed the chair Johnny was tied to, remove the binding at the pole and shut Johnny and the chair in the tack room and locked the door.
"Now, we're all alone, Julianna. Care to tell me how much you've missed me," Hastings said.
"Go to hell," she said.
"Come now. Such language for such a sweet little girl," Hastings said.
Julianna, who'd been pushed down into a chair, was trying to get her hands free. She had to keep Hastings talking because she didn't want to die and she didn't want to lose Johnny to this psycho.
"You going to shoot me right here," Julianna asked.
Hastings produced a gun. "I knew you were smart. I was thinking a lover's quarrel. I kill you and then shoot your husband and put the gun in his hands. They'll think he snapped because of the stress of the situation. His wife's brutal beating and rape being played out in the media would be enough for anyone to crack, don't you think," Hastings said, holding the gun at her chest.
