Disclaimer: Still don't own Mort Rainey or anything from/in the film or book, Secret Window.
AN: Reviewers rock my world! Thanks so much for the support, I love you all! Oh, and things start getting a bit...touchy-feely in this chapter, so if you don't like it, just skim through it. Enjoy!
Chapter 4: Frightening Discoveries:
Amber's POV:
I slowly woke with a blazing headache and a beam of muted sunlight in my face. Since I could feel that everything was swaying gently, I figured that I must be in something that was moving, and moving quickly.
"Where am I?" I croaked, trying to keep my eyes closed and the sunlight out. As I tried to swallow, I realized my throat was dry and that I seriously needed some water; my stomach told me that some food would be nice, too.
Groaning with pain, hunger, and thirst, I cracked my eyes open and slowly looked around. I was in the back of a fairly large van with pillows and rugs under and around me, probably to make me comfortable during whatever journey I was being taken on. Behind me was a strange, pitch-black plastic wall that separated me from my kidnappers. The interior of the van was painted black and lit only by the sunlight coming in through the tainted windows, and from the looks of things, it was quickly getting dark outside.
Then I remembered my walk and the van I had seen, the van I was undoubtedly in right now.
'I've been kidnapped!' I thought, shocked. Who would kidnap me? My parents were average middle-class workers; they didn't have the money to pay off a ransom demand! Who would be desperate enough to capture a middle-class girl during broad daylight?
Looking around, I saw the van come to a stop under a traffic light and saw a lit up announcement board under a bank sign. It read 7:00 p.m. and today's date: I'd been missing for eight hours! Silently praying for my life, I didn't notice that the van had pulled into a deserted rest area until I heard the engine shut off and the driver's side door open and close. Footsteps moved towards the rear of the van, pausing before backtracking to the driver's door, which again opened and shut.
I waited, holding my breath as I prayed that whoever kidnapped me would change their minds about this whole thing. Hopefully they would release me unharmed when they realized that I wasn't worth anything. I suddenly heard keys rattle and something unlock behind me. Looking closer, I realized there was a door built into the plastic wall between me and the front section of the van, and the door was moving! Swallowing hard, I backed away to the rear doors, keeping as much distance from me and my jailers as possible. When the door slid open, the person staring back at me was the last person I wanted to get taken by.
It was Mort Rainey.
Mort's POV:
Stopping the van for the night in a rest area, Mort rubbed his eyes before getting out to stretch his legs. He'd been driving for hours, and was extremely glad to see that he was almost out of the state. A few more hours of driving and he'd be home free! After that...well, he'd have to wait and see what happened.
After taking a moment to stretch his legs outside the van, Mort climbed back in, shutting and locking the door behind him. The last thing he wanted was for some criminal to break into the van as he and Amber slept that night; he was especially glad that this van's windows were shatterproof, as well as bulletproof. Reaching into the glove compartment, he pulled out the sandwiches and chips he'd bought not long ago and pulled out two bottles of water from a cooler under the passenger seat. Then, unlocking the sliding door, Mort prepared himself in case Amber was ready to attack him. Opening the door, he saw her slide all the way to the rear of the van, distancing herself as far from him as possible. It didn't matter, though. Seeing Amber in the fading sunlight made her look more beautiful and angelic than he'd ever seen her before. Smiling, Mort held up the food he'd brought.
"Hi," he whispered, slowly moving closer. "Are you hungry?" She nodded, slowly, and he handed her a ham sandwich, watching her unwrap it to take a small bite. "I got some chips and water, if you want them," he offered. She accepted those as well, and the two of them ate in silence, Mort watching her the whole time. Seeing her bolt down the sandwich, he wished that he'd fed her earlier, but with the chloroform he had used on her, he didn't know when she'd wake up. Next time, he wouldn't use so much...that is, if there was indeed a next time.
"How do you feel?" he asked, watching Amber rub her eyes after finishing her food. "Is there anything you want?" Mort watched as she swallowed, hard, before answering.
Amber's POV:
I hadn't realized I was hungry until Mr. Rainey had offered me the sandwich. I could feel my empty stomach urge me to take the food, and before I knew it, I was half way through the sandwich and bag of chips. The water he'd given me had been wonderful for my throat, and when the food was gone, I was already tired.
'Probably still feeling the effects of the drugs he used,' I thought, rubbing my eyes.
"How do you feel?" he asked, staring at me. "Is there anything you want?"
The question was unexpected, and I swallowed hard before answering.
"Sleep," I whispered. I knew I couldn't ask for my freedom because there was no way he was going to give it to me. And since I was too weak to fight my way out of the van and run for help, I would have to wait for the opportune moment to escape. For now, though, all I wanted to do was sleep.
Mr. Rainey smiled. "Of course," he replied, reaching over to caress my face, his eyes soft and gentle. I was too tired to protest his touching me.
"Thank you, Mr. Rainey," I whispered, rubbing my eyes again as he gently helped me to lie down.
"Please, call me Mort," were the last words I heard before sleep once again claimed me.
Mort's POV:
Helping Amber to stretch out on the pillows on her back, Mort tried extra hard to make sure she was comfortable as she drifted off to sleep. Yes, he would definitely have to use less chloroform, if it was needed again. After all, he couldn't have her in a drugged daze forever, and it wouldn't be good for her. Watching her fall asleep, Mort reached to turn on the small overhead light to see her better, but quickly turned it off when she squirmed and whimpered as the light hit her. Shrugging, he stretched out next to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight embrace to keep her warm. Mort then pulled a blanket over them, trapping their body heat to keep the two of them warm for the night.
Listening to her breathing, Mort tried to resist the urge to make love to her unconscious form. It was wrong of him to want to take her so soon, especially when she wasn't even awake, but he couldn't help it. It had been so long since a woman had graced his bed, and now here she was, sleeping in his arms! He had to resist, but somehow his body did not obey his mind. Before he could so much as blink, Mort found his body covering Amber's unconscious form, his lips hovering a fraction of an inch above hers. Unable to resist the temptation, he pressed his lips to hers, savoring their soft feel. His hands slid under her shirt and began caressing her sides, gradually gliding up until they reached the edge of her bra, but going no further. Sighing in bliss, Mort kissed even harder, slowly sliding his tongue along her lips to taste her, but not enough to wake her. His hands had not been idle, for they had moved down to her hips, caressing the skin there as they continued to move up and down her body.
'She's so soft and warm,' Mort thought as he pressed himself even harder against Amber's body, his lips trailing to the right side of her neck. Oh, he couldn't wait until he got her to his cabin! They'd be alone together, and he'd show her how much he loved her!
He immediately stopped when he felt her stir underneath him. Quickly pulling away, Mort saw her eyes crack open slightly before fluttering shut once more. Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd be holding, Mort moved and lay down on the far side of the van, putting as much distance as possible between his body and Amber's. He didn't know how long he could control his urges, but it would have to be for a while; he would not take her if she didn't want it.
Sighing, Mort laid himself down on his back and fell asleep to the sound of Amber's steady, peaceful breathing.
The next morning: Amber's POV:
I once again opened my eyes to muted sunlight and a gently swaying van. Rubbing my eyes, I saw something glimmer on my wrist and thanked the Powers Above that I'd put my watch on. The numbers told me that it was noon.
'Wow, I must have been either really tired or drugged really hard!' I thought, rubbing my head. Oh, man, my skull felt like it was going to split; what I wouldn't give for a bottle of aspirin!
Groaning, I snuggled down into the pillows and made myself comfortable. However, since there was nothing else to look at or do, I was quickly bored, so I tried to keep my hopes of escape up by thinking of ways to get out of this, quickly. The best that I could think of was to keep calm and patient, and not get too angry or hostile towards Mr. Mort Rainey. He was my kidnapper, after all, and I had no idea where I was or where we were going. If I wanted to escape and get home, I had to "play nice" and learn where he was taking me, not to mention why he had taken me. If I got mad (or worse, got him mad), I could kiss all hopes of freedom goodbye! He might keep me locked up in the back of this van until Armageddon, or even worse, kill me! Though, if I thought about it, Mort didn't seem to want to hurt me, but people could turn violent at the drop of a hat. So, calm, pleasant, and patient it would be. Later, I might want to physically hurt him later for what he did to me, but I'd let the cops at the prison he'd be in beat some sense into him.
Those thoughts done, I turned my gaze to the ceiling. I was seriously debating going back to sleep when I felt the van pull to a stop. I thought we'd reached another stoplight and would start moving again, but perked up when I heard the engine turn off. The sliding door jiggled a bit and I could hear keys in the lock on the door. Scooting back to the other side of the van, I saw the door open and Mort slip in.
"Hi," he said, his voice soft and oddly happy. "How are you feeling?" Concerned brown eyes scanned me up and down, seeming to check for injuries. "Are you feeling alright?"
I rubbed my head. "I could use some aspirin," I said, avoiding his eyes. 'Keep calm, keep calm,' I silently repeated to myself.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Mort said, reaching into his pocket. "I should have realized I used too much chloroform." He tapped out a couple of pills and handed them to me. "I'll get you some water."
A split second later, he was back with some water and some fast food bags. The scent of burgers and fries made my mouth water, and I was reaching for the bags before I could stop myself. Mort smiled and held out the water first.
"Here, take your pills before you eat," he said, brown eyes warm with amusement. I quickly swallowed the tablets, and as soon as they were down, Mort settled down in front of me, putting himself between me and the door. "I didn't know what you liked, so I got one hamburger and one chicken burger. Which do you want?"
"Chicken," I replied, rubbing the side of my head, praying for the aspirin to work faster.
As he handed me the sandwich, I tried not to drool at the smell of grilled chicken, warm lettuce, tomato, and mayo. I loved chicken burgers; they were my favorite fast food item! Quickly unwrapping the sandwich and biting into it, I instantly felt happy.
I can be the strangest person sometimes; everything could go wrong that day, but hand me one of my favorite foods, and I'd be the happiest person in the world! Presently, that was the case; I managed to become so focused on my burger and fries that I managed to ignore the fact that Mort Rainey was staring at me while I ate. When I was finished, my headache was gone, my stomach was full, and I had a serious craving for some soda. Apparently, Mr. Rainey's telepathic, because he saw that something was up as he took the trash and tossed it on the passenger seat.
"Is something wrong, Amber?" he asked, obviously concerned.
"No," I said, smiling at him a bit. "Just a serious hankering for a soda, that's all."
Mort grinned. "That's easily fixed," he said, heading for the sliding door.
He leaned over the passenger seat and pulled out a small cooler, one that couldn't hold more than five or six drinks. Scooting closer, he set the container between us and opened it. Inside were four cans of soda: Sprite, Pepsi, Coke, and Mountain Dew.
"I still don't know much about you, like what kind of soda you like, so I bought the more popular ones," he explained.
I reached for the Pepsi. "Thanks," I said, opening the can and taking a small drink. As I swallowed, I saw Mort watch me as I drank. After a few sips, I looked down at the cooler. "Aren't you going to have one?" Despite the situation, I felt bad about drinking in front of other people.
Mort looked at me in surprise before smiling. "Don't mind if I do," he said, opening the Mountain Dew and drinking it down quickly. He was completely done in seconds, and I wasn't even a quarter of the way through mine!
As I sipped my soda, I avoided looking at my kidnapper. Instead, I thought about why this guy had taken me from my home, my friends, and my family. I mean, I'd only known the guy for, what, an hour at most, and here I was, drinking a soda with him in the back of a van! It was insane!
'But then, maybe he is insane,' I thought, sipping my Pepsi. That wasn't a comforting thought; if Mort Rainey was insane, I was in huge trouble.
Well, there was only one way to find out.
"Uh, Mister...I mean, Mort?" I asked, setting aside my now empty soda can. I saw him look at me with his intense brown eyes. "Could you tell me...why I'm here?"
Mort's POV:
If there was one thing he had been expecting, it was not this! He knew he'd have to explain himself sooner or later, but not this soon! Still, Amber deserved to know why he'd taken her with him. As he watched her fiddle with the empty pop can, Mort sighed. They had time, so why not?
"It's a long story," he said, looking her in the eye. "Make yourself comfortable."
Mort watched Amber intensely as she began rearranging pillows to lean back on. Looking at her, he realized that he had to buy her some more clothes and let her take a shower...oh, Amber wet in the shower....Mort could feel his groin tighten at the thought, but pushed the though away. There'd be plenty of time for that later, once they got home! Snapping out of his thoughts, Mort began his story.
And so he began his tale, one which spoke of heartbreak, loneliness, and chaos. He spoke of being married to Amy and how they were having a baby before having unexpectedly lost it. His soul had lost its warmth, and he'd retreated to his work, hoping that it could offer shelter from the pain. Mort continued to tell how he didn't realize Amy's unhappiness until it was too late. He spoke of tracking Amy and her lover, Ted, to a small hotel and catching them in bed together before moving out a few weeks later. He'd gone to a cabin in a small town called Tashmore Lake, hoping the surroundings would help heal his spirit and give him writing inspiration; he'd been wrong.
Then Mort talked about Shooter, telling about how, one day, a man named Shooter came by and accused him of stealing his story and demanding that Mort change the ending, and how he, Mort, had ended up doing everything he could to prove that the story was his and not Shooter's. Soon, everyone and everything Mort loved disappeared: his dog was killed, Amy's home was burned down, and two innocent people he knew were murdered.
Mort particularly watched her alarmed expression when he explained that Shooter was actually a part of his mind, a created character that was made to carry out all of the things Mort was too afraid to do: he had killed his best friend, a town local, his own dog, and soon after, Amy and her lover. He was a living Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
"After Amy and Ted's murder, Shooter was the dominant personality of my mind," Mort explained, rubbing his hands together. "The people of Tashmore Lake collectively excluded me from town, and I was forced to go elsewhere for food and supplies. Soon, my body was completely in Shooter's possession, and I was locked away within my own mind. Months later, a year after the murders, I was freed and Shooter left my body. I could understand why; everything I loved was gone, and I was alone, and it was probably the loneliness that drove Shooter away. I had no dog, no girlfriend or wife, and no story inspiration. I was lonely." He looked up and locked eyes with the woman sitting across from him.
"Suddenly, six weeks ago, my agent called and told me about taking a book tour...and that's when I saw you." Mort reached over and stroked Amber's soft, reddish-brown hair. "We were meant to be together, Amber, don't you see that?"
Amber's POV:
Oh, man, this guy is so nuts, I don't know what to think! He had a separate personality that had murdered four people, killed his dog, and burned down his ex-wife's house? If he thought I'd feel better about hearing this, he had another thing coming!
Swallowing hard, I was too scared to protest him touching my hair. I was stuck in the back of a van with a psychotic author who was in love with me...oh, God, someone has to help me! What if his 'alternate personality' showed up and didn't want me alive? From the sound of it, if Mort ever got pissed off at me, this "Shooter" would show up and do what Mort couldn't do himself...and murder definitely counted towards that! I had to get out, before it was too late!
Reacting to the danger in the "fight or flight" mentality, I slammed myself against Mort's unsuspecting body, knocking him backwards against the side of the van. Moving quickly, I crawled as fast as I could towards the sliding door, but was stopped when a pair of amazingly strong hands gripped my ankles and pulled me backwards. Before I could blink, I was on my back, my arms pinned above my head. Now extremely scared, I realized I was lying under the very fit, and very heavy, body of Mort Rainey, his face barely two inches from mine. Looking up at him in terror, I was amazed to see love and affection in his eyes.
"You shouldn't have tried that, baby," he said lovingly, smiling down at me. "You've definitely got spirit, and I like that in a woman." One of his hands slowly left my pinned wrists, drifting down to stroke my body, and I couldn't help but shiver in fear of what he might try to do to me.
Unfortunately, Mort thought my fear was something else. He grinned down at me and crushed his lips against mine, his facial hair scraping my face as his free hand began touching me everywhere he could reach. I heard him moan in pleasure as he roughly kissed me and caressed my body, and was surprised to feel something very hard digging into my hip. Oh, no, that couldn't be what I though it was...the guy doesn't even know me and he's already turned on by my struggling to get away? I closed my eyes and prayed that I wouldn't be forced into anything.
To my surprise, Mort suddenly pulled back and gave me a quick kiss on the lips before a rag covered my mouth, and all I knew was darkness.
AN: Wow, Mort's getting a bit naughty in this chapter, isn't he? The next one should have an 'intimate' scene, so if you don't like it, skip the part that is labeled, okay? Don't say I didn't warn you; simply read chapter one's notes, okay? Until next time!