Thanks to everyone for reading and to the people who have reviewed, as with Sandi's review this is not a warm and fuzzy story and this chapter is definately in no way nice pretty or anything remotely comforting, it's a definate viewer descretion is advised chapter. though I am a really pleased with how the last part turned out I don't like it all that much I actually hate myself a bit for doing it, but it's necessary and it also marks the beginning of the end. Thanks for reading, let me know what you think

Kate

Chapter 9

July broke in Colorado Springs, June had passed without incident, the weather passed into summer but it was pleasantly warm and not scorching as it had been in the previous few years and the town had yet to see any issues relating to water shortages. The quietness gave the residents of the small town time to recover from the dreadful months and all that had gone on. Things were finally returning to a state of normalcy, Loren had finally regained use of his damaged hand and was back to running the store, Jake had begun his long road back to recovery and once the news about Katie had broken, the town for the most part had been supportive and understanding. There had of course been the expected comments but for every negative remark there was three people stood there waiting to back the Sully family up.

Sully looked up from his work to cast a look at Katie. With Michaela's return to work and the news about Katie spread around town Sully had taken to bringing his daughter to work with him, instead of working from home, as it meant that should the young girl have any questions or need help, her mother was only a few moments away as opposed to the 15-20 minutes it took to get to town from the homestead. It also meant that Joy could come by after school and keep Katie company, something which Sully was sure was the only thing that got his miserable daughter through the day. Most of the time Katie sat quietly by herself, doing her work that the teacher set for her or drawing. She had withdrawn into herself the last few weeks as the birth drew closer and with only just over 3 weeks left before her predicted due date, it seemed as though she only wanted to talk to Joy. Thankfully Sully's fear that Katie would take after her mother and carry big had not come into fruition and Michaela assured him that she was in fact measuring small for her due date. Even so because to her age or maybe because he was so conscious that it should not be there, it appeared to Sully that her small body was dominated by her belly. He observed his daughter for a few moments studying her face, taking in her troubled expression as she stared down at her abdomen. "You alright Katie?"

"It's like it's trying to escape" Katie told him not looking in his direction.

Sully rose and crossed to her kneeling beside the chair she was sat in to take a better a look at what Katie was staring at. Sure enough, beneath the tight fabric of her dress he could make out the violent movement of the baby as it stretched and wriggled inside Katie. He reached out with his hand and placed it tenderly on the bump "Try and get comfy," he spoke gently to the child inside his daughter "so she can take get some rest"

Katie gasped with glee "It's stopped" she gave Sully a beaming smile "You got magic hands Pa" The sound of Horace yelling broke their tender moment "What's going on?" Katie asked curiously, straining to see out the window from her seated position.

Sully moved to the doorway and opened it. Horace had grabbed hold of the rope of the warning bell and was ringing it violently.

"Horace what is it?" Sully asked joining the growing rank of men.

"Message come through from Soda Springs, little girl got abducted. They got her back before anything could happen but he's heading this way" Horace shot an apologetic look at Sully "He's heading this way. It's him Sully, it's him, message says it's him, the one what hurt Katie"

Sully turned to look towards the old clinic. Katie stood in the doorway her eyes wide. Sully rushed towards her but he knew she had heard. "Katie" he reached for her to take her into his arms.

Katie took a step back retreating into the safety of the room, shying from her father's offered embrace. Her hand moved down to her stomach, her thin fingers tracing the rounded surface, feeling the movement inside. "You need to go"

Sully watched her awkwardly unsure how to proceed. "I should stay with you; Your Ma doesn't want you..."

Katie's fierce and emotional eyes bored into him like knives "You got to go Pa, if I need anything, Ma's only down the road" she took a deep shuddering breath "You got to stop this from happening to anyone else" Sully gulped his daughter appearing in that instant so much older than her 13 years. Katie turned away from him suddenly very interested in the territory map that adorned the office wall. Sully knew that this was her way of forcing him to go and that for him to stay would only provoke an argument, wordlessly he slipped out, to join the men who would search for the monster who had damaged his daughter so much.

Mercifully the streets of Colorado Springs were quiet. Harrison kept to the shadows, creeping his way along in the shadows so that he wouldn't be seen. He knew that if he could get to the train he could escape this region, get away from all the young girls that resided in this area, all the young girls that fuelled his urges, making him act in this irresponsible way. He was taking too many risks but it was becoming too difficult to hold out on what he needed. His choices not satisfying him like they had in the past, the pleasurable memories fading far too quickly.

Harrison froze as he caught sight of the old shop keeper as he exited the store. Harrison was surprised the old man had made it, especially considering how hard he had struck the old man in his last escape from this town. Harrison took a look at the clock on the bank, he had at least an hour till the next train was due and he could not wait out in the open. It was far too dangerous, and to sit and wait at the station was out of the question. He would need somewhere to hide. Somewhere which was close enough to the station, but empty. There was only one place that sprang to mind.

Katie sat up at the sound of glass breaking in the back of the building. She scowled, it was not the first time that someone had done this. In the past few weeks several of the meaner boys from school had thrown things at the building, the last time they had thrown a rock covered in spoiled meat, a metaphor for how they saw her. She threw open the door to the small room at the back of the room and let out a gasp of shock.

Harrison stared at Katie with surprise, he had not been expecting that anyone be in the building let alone her, he studied her for a fraction of a second, taking in the wide eyed look of terror that she viewed him with. His study travelled southwards and his mouth dropped open, shocked beyond words to see her belly stretched with child. He reached out, grabbing her at the stomach.

Katie gave a yelp as Harrison lashed out at her, his strong grip forced her against the door jamb while his other hand pushed, almost too hard, against her distended abdomen, almost as if he was trying to push it in. Her skin crawled as he handled her, but she was frozen to the spot. She wanted to scream, but now he was touching her it was if her vocal chords had ceased to be, and no noise would come out from her other than her rapid rattling breath.

Harrison squeezed the hard surface of the young girl's stomach with disgust, this was the cause of it, he knew it, he had taken her and she had been too old and now his body was fighting to overcome the trauma by urging him to take more and more girls the right age. Roughly he pulled the frightened girl into the small room and released her. Her forward momentum and lack of balance causing her to stumble and hit the wall. Harrison quickly lowered the blind that covered the window. Closing the door behind him, he fixed Katie with a vicious stare.

Katie gulped as Harrison stared down at her, she felt ill now, and not just from the sight of the despicable man, she felt peculiar. What she wouldn't give to have her mother or father come into the building right now. She gulped down the wave of nausea that coursed through her. Harrison approached her again, his coarse and calloused hands ripping at her dress. Katie gasped realising that this was probably what it had been like for him the first time as well, the time when he stole her innocence. Her breath exited her body in short noisy bursts, as he groped at her. A scream finally escaping her lips as he ripped her dress open at the stomach.

Harrison grimaced at the sight of the taught, stretched flesh in front of him, she was completely ruined. He took a step closer to her, pinning her against the rough wooden wall with his hands, she gave a small cry of pain but he took no notice "We're just going to sit tight for a little while" he hissed at her, shoving her downwards with force so that she landed heavily on the floor.

Katie landed on the floor with such force that her breath was knocked out of her. Winded she ran her fingers along the floor. Her fingers made contact with a sharp sliver of glass from the broken window. She closed her fingers around the shard tightly, to the point where the glass almost pierced her skin. She knew she only had one chance at escaping it. Composing herself she pushed herself onto her knees and lashed out her arm. The pointed edge of the glass slashed down Harrison's face, slicing his flesh. The man gave a bellow like the animal he was and clutched at his face in pain. Katie seized her chance, she forced herself into a standing position and then her legs to move into a run.

Harrison grabbed wildly at the girl as she tried to run away, his fingers caught up in the skirt of her dress he pulled hard.

Katie back landed against the desk hard, her swollen body falling onto the wood floor. She kicked out her legs crying for help, trying to get his horrible hands off of her. Freeing herself from his grip once more Katie crawled along the floor trying to reach the door. But his hands reached out for her again.

Harrison grabbed at the crawling girl; he forced his weight on top of her, stopping her from moving, his hand finding her mouth stopping her from screaming. Now he had her pinned he could not fathom what to do with her. She was still writhing beneath him, her hands lashing out hitting him, but he knew the minute he released her she would attempt to get away again or scream, and if she did he knew that his freedom was over.

Katie's hand skirted across the dusty floorboards, her finger brushed the shard of glass, the broken piece of window that she had dropped when she fell. She gripped it and struck him.

Harrison yowled in pain as he felt something enter his left side. He pitched to right, falling off Katie as he clutched his side in agony.

Katie struck at him again aiming for his leg. She missed his leg as he moved instead hitting the base of his torso. Harrison screamed in pain, his cry even more animalistic then the last. Katie pulled herself free from his legs and dragged herself across the floor towards the small room, away from him. She let out a pained cry as she felt her muscles clamp down across her belly, a different and new type of pain to one she had ever experienced. As it subsided she recommenced the process of dragging her body across the floor, desperate to get away from the man who had caused her torment. She reached up to haul her overwhelmed body into a standing position, her hand reaching for the door handle to provide something solid to assist her in rising. A new sensation engulfed her before she had a chance to grip the cold metal handle, she gasped as she felt something give within her and let out a cry of shock as fluid rushed from between her legs.