Page 91 of Her Last Whisper
The sound of human footsteps hurried right next to her—so close that she thought she could reach out and touch them. Turning, she followed the noise as quietly as she could. A line of heavy bushes and evergreens crowded between the trails, making it difficult to see over to the other side.
There was someone there—a figure moving stealthily, watching her—there was no doubt in her mind. They appeared to be lean, wearing dark clothes, a hoodie, and had the build of a man.
Katie kept up the brisk pace and when she couldn’t wait any longer, she yelled, “Identify yourself!”
The figure took off running at a fast pace, but she kept up with him. Breaks in the foliage gave her glimpses as she gave chase.
“Stop! Sheriff’s Department!” she yelled again.
She knew it wouldn’t stop them but she wanted this guy to know she was on to him. The forest barrier would soon end as the path spilled into a parking lot.
She pumped her arms faster to get to the parking lot first. By her calculations, she would run right into the guy. That was her plan anyway. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep up, much less be able to pass him. With every ounce of energy she had left, she pushed her stride and pace as hard as she could, praying she didn’t trip. Seeing the outline of the parking lot up ahead, Katie thought that she could just make it in time.
As soon as her feet reached the parking lot asphalt, she turned to her immediate left and was about to confront the person when he collided directly into her. He weighed more than she did, so she took the brunt of the impact. Katie slammed to the ground—and the person barely slowed, regaining their balance once again, and then continued on their run.
She could hear Cisco’s bark echoing around the park.
Winded, Katie rolled to her side in agony. A strangled sound escaped her lips as she tried to breathe. In the distance, she watched the unknown assailant enter a storage building at the side of the parking lot.
Still gasping for air, Katie felt her lungs begin to function again. She managed to get her legs and feet underneath her and stood up.
She took off at a full run until she reached the entrance to the building. She stood still, readying herself, gun drawn, in case the unknown man decided to suddenly exit.
“Come on out!” she said. “You have nowhere to go. Come out slowly with your hands up!” she insisted.
She heard a muffled clunk sound from inside.
Katie made a quick decision and slowly pushed the door open, with her flashlight shining inside. There were shelves and equipment, but no sign of the man. She took a few seconds to assess where he was. “C’mon, quit playing games and come out now.” She moved deeper into the storage building.
That’s when she heard the door slam behind her.
Dammit!
Katie was angry that she had fallen for the trap. She tried the door, but something was jamming it. She walked deeper into the storage area and knew that there had to be a way out—that was how the man had escaped. Behind the stacks of compost, she saw the window. She felt the cool air blow inside. Climbing up on the large plastic bags filled with redwood chips, Katie managed to get through the window and jump down. She ran around the building and saw that there was a long handle of a broom that had been wedged under the door. She continued to run toward the parking lot.
Nothing.
There was no sign of the man.
She directed the flashlight beam at the ground and could vaguely see the track of a single tire mark—a bicycle.
Of course.
A bike was how he was able to get away so quickly and quietly from the Basin Woods Development.
Defeated and mad at herself for falling for the ruse, Katie began to walk back to where she had left Cisco, her breathing becoming normal again. As she turned the corner and headed down the hill toward the crime scene area, she ran into McGaven and Cisco.
“What’s going on?” said McGaven.
“I ran after a guy that had been following me,” she said, still slightly winded. Her pitch sounded higher than usual.
“Who was it?”
“I couldn’t see him.”
“What did he look like?”
“Average, slender, hoodie, and fast as hell. Remind me to add an extra workout at the gym this week.”
