"Hey there, sweet cheeks…"
The haunting voice of her childhood tormentor sent shivers through her body and bile rise to her throat. She took a breath and steadied herself. "Feeling a little under the weather, darlin'?" he asked.
"Where are you?" Jess called, flicking the light across the room, highlighting boxes but no kidnapper, and certainly no Lizzy, "Show yourself."
He stepped into the light, his hands raised. Exactly like she remembered, only a few wrinkles showing the passage of time. Those same dark, almost black, eyes. Those eyes she associated with pure evil.
She raised her gun, "Where is she?"
Mulvane tutted and shook his head, "I wouldn't point that at me. I get… nervous around guns. I might do something… stupid." It was then the lighted glinted off the blade in his hand.
"Put the knife down and tell me where she is."
"What's it worth?"
"Don't fuck with me, Mulvane…"
"No!" he reached behind a box and pulled her whimpering form out in front of his own body, using her as a shield, "Don't you fuck with me!" He put the blade to Lizzy's throat, who gasped and sobbed.
"Okay…" Jess raised her own hands, "okay… just don't hurt her."
"Drop the gun, the cuffs, and the torch and slid them to me." She followed his order. The torch went out. "Jacket… off."
"Why?"
"Just do it!"
She did as he said.
"Turn around."
"What?"
"Turn around, so I know you don't have another weapon."
She did that too.
"Good… now, move." Mulvane moved between her and the door, as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. "Sit!" She did as he asked and throwing Lizzy at her, he picked up the gun and aimed it.
She grabbed the 15-year-old and pulled her to her. "I'm so sorry…" Lizzy sobbed, "I didn't know…"
"Shush…" Jess stroked her head, "It's okay."
He watched them calmly, "Jessica, Jessica, Jessica, how long has it been?" he looked at her, at Lizzy and smirked, "Almost… sixteen years, I think." He bent down in front of her, "You always were my favourite…" he ran a finger over her cheek and she pulled away repulsed. "…the one that got away."
He stood and walked across the room, "But, of course, I could never let that go. No-one gets away." He turned and looked at her, "Imagine my surprise when I discovered you had moved to right here… in good old NYC. Right under my nose this whole time. So… I asked myself… what should I do?"
He lifted her handcuffs, "And it just came to me… in the night. It's time to finish what I started."
He moved menacingly towards her.
"No!" Lizzy cried out and threw herself at him. He easily slapped her back to the ground.
"Lizzy!" Jess reached for her. Mulvane grabbed her wrist and dragged her up, attempting to snap the handcuffs onto her.
Jess pulled back, his arm extending towards her. She swung underneath and brought his arm up behind his back, twisting it. She pulled the handcuffs from his hand and, snapping them around his wrist, pushed him against the wall.
"Thomas Mulvane, you are under arrest for the illegal kidnapping of one Elizabeth Stewart two days ago, and-"
"Oh come on, Jessica," he cut her off, sneering, "We both know that's not her name. Not her birthright."
"… and the rape and murder of no less than nine American girls. You will be extradited to the United Kingdom to the face trial for the rape and murder of British teenagers. You do not have to say anything but anything you do say can and will be used as evidence-"
"You can't hide forever Jessica…"
"…in a court of law." She pulled his other arm down to meet his right, "You don't know anything about me; don't assume you do."
"I know your secrets…" he whispered. His head snapped back suddenly, connecting with the bridge of her nose. She stumbled backwards, temporarily blinded. "I know all the skeletons in your closet!" he yelled at her, "Shall we air them?"
