Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: REALLY sorry about the long wait, everyone. I just sort of lost interest, I guess. Anyway, here's another one for you, please read and review!
Joe gritted his teeth as he tried once more to force open the shutter, but it wouldn't budge. He had to face it: there was no way he could get that thing back up without help. Or time. Neither of which he had.
The truck slowed to a complete stop. Joe racked his brain for options. The men were sure to open the door, but when they did, should he pretend to be unconscious, or attack? Should he run, or try to take the truck?
Footsteps on the gravel outside forced him to make a decision. Silently, Joe made his way over to the door and stood, poised to attack.
There was a clang, and a sliver of light sliced through the darkness in the truck, slowly becoming wider. Joe knew he shouldn't attack a group of who knows how many henchmen who may be armed without knowing what he was up against, but he didn't have time to analyze the situation now. He had to make a move while he still had the element of surprise. As soon as the shutter was high enough, he grabbed it in both hands and slid under it, kicking one of his captors in the face. The man stumbled backward, holding his nose.
Out of the corner of his eye Joe saw a second man reaching for his gun. Joe snapped around, aiming a karate kick at the man's solar plexus. He went down without a fight. Frank would've been proud.
The first man rushed at Joe, his fists bared and nose bloodied. Joe easily sidestepped him, and then knocked him out with a hard punch to the jaw.
Joe scooped up the second man's gun and circled the truck quickly, making sure there was no one left inside. He had been lucky. There were only two this time. But what to do with them? Joe glanced around. The truck was on a dirt path in a relatively wooded area, but a few meters in the other direction was a deep lake. Joe knew he couldn't leave them here. Well, he thought. Back in the truck.
Joe pushed the shutter into an open position and grabbed several lengths of the rope the men had used to tie him and his friends. Using several ropes per person, he bound the men's wrists and ankles. Reaching into the first man's pocket, he found the thing he was looking for. The keys.
Joe hauled the unconscious men into the truck, closed the shutter, climbed into the cab, and started the engine. Looking around, he realized he had no idea where he was. But that had never stopped him before. He turned the truck around and headed back the way they had come, searching for any signs of Bess or the police officers. He didn't see any, and he hoped that meant Bess had been able to get them out of the road and revive them. Finally, the truck came to an actual paved road. Soon after that, Joe saw a sign: River Heights, 2 miles. With a tight smile, Joe concentrated on the road, praying he could get to Nancy's house before it was too late.
Nancy had stopped crying. It wasn't over yet. This was not the time to cry. Instead, she stared defiantly at Daniel as he outlined his plan to kill her.
"…I'll be long gone before the police discover that you are dead. There are no witnesses, and everyone who knew about me has already been taken care of…"
Nancy was amazed by how calm and logical his voice sounded. Only someone who was completely insane could make murder seem reasonable. Reminding herself how unstable he was only scared her more. Any second he could snap and…
Suddenly, Daniel produced a switchblade from his pocket and flipped it open with a satisfied grin. Nancy choked back a gasp as he held the knife to her throat. She could feel her whole body shaking, but she didn't allow herself to panic. Daniel pressed the knife harder and a drop of blood trickled down her neck and onto her t-shirt. His eyes lit up, and he shook his head with malice.
"Just remember, you deserve this, Nancy Drew. You're going to die now, and it is all your fault. You deserve this. You deserve this."
He repeated it like a mantra as he pressed the knife harder, slowly widening the cut... slowly...
A/N: Okay, still a bit short, but a short update is still an update! Please, please review; your comments and ideas really help me. Thanks much!