Mr. Norman

"Boss, what should we do with this woman?" a muscular man asked.

Alex, who was still bandaging the bloody gash on his palm with a strip of cloth, glanced at the woman trembling violently beside the wheel. His expression remained impassive. "Woods, make it quick. Leave no trace."

His voice was cold and devoid of emotion.

"Got it." Woods replied, picking up a foot-long iron bar and heading toward the woman.

Grace's body trembled uncontrollably, and a voice screamed inside her mind: Her parents were still alive. She had followed the Lord's teachings her entire life. How could she accept such death in the wilderness? And then there was Adrian, who loved her. He was waiting for her to join him.

She really shouldn't have driven alone on this country road. She shouldn't have assumed the car would keep her safe. She shouldn't have braked out of kindness when she saw someone lying in the road. She should have floored it and run them over!

But it wasn't the time for regret or self-blame.

Death was closing in.

"Please, don't kill me! I'll give you the car, the money—everything! I won't call the police. I beg you, just don't kill me!" She whimpered, crawling on her knees toward the cold-eyed man seated by the roadside. “Please, don't kill me. For the sake of having stopped to save you, can you let me go? I won't say a word. Tonight, I encountered nothing. I swear to God!"

She is clever, Alex thought to himself, lifting his eyes to study her more closely. Her tear-streaked face and blue eyes brimming with desperation showed her will to survive. Still, he remained unmoved, merely lowering his head to bandage the wound on his hand, which he had received when he jumped from the truck and his palm slammed against a jagged roadside rock that nearly sliced it in two.

The woman continued to bow her head at his feet, sobbing and pleading. He felt irritated. Tying the knot with one hand was awkward, so he held out his palm to Sean, the tall, thin man beside him. Then he asked Woods coldly, “What are you dawdling for?”

Woods approached, scooped her up, and dragged her toward the roadside bushes.

Grace struggled fiercely, but she dared not scream. In this desolate wilderness, no one would come to her rescue—it would only hasten her death. So she continued to plead, weeping and begging.

"Woods, wait!" Sean, who had been bandaging Alex's palm, was the first to soften. He called out to Woods and asked Alex cautiously, "Boss, let's keep this woman alive. She's just a woman. She's no threat to us."

Alex frowned, but Woods couldn't resist mocking Sean. "Looks like you're the one about to explode down there."

Sean chuckled, his eyes fixed on Grace's heaving chest as she struggled. He made no effort to hide his desire. He retorted, "Yeah, I haven't been with a woman in months."

Under the bright moonlight, Woods looked down at the woman he held by the hair and felt desire stir within him. She was undeniably young and beautiful, with delicate features and an alluring figure.

Both men wavered, their eyes turning to Alex simultaneously.

Alex's cold, ruthless gaze swept over Grace, who was already frozen in terror. "We're running for our lives. If you want to play with women, you can do whatever you want once we're safe."

Grace shuddered uncontrollably, fighting to stay conscious. She cast a pleading look at Sean, grasping at her only chance to survive. "Sir, I'll do anything you want. Just don't kill me."

Sean was tempted, but he steeled himself and grinned at Alex. "Boss, it won't take long if we do it now. I'll be quick."

Before Alex could respond, Woods laughed. "Look at you, such a pushover!"

Despite the scolding, he didn't drag Grace any further away. Instead, he and Sean stared at their leader with expectation.

They had shared life and death with him. Alex glanced at them, plucked a blade of grass from the roadside, and popped it into his mouth. For the first time, his angular face showed something other than coldness. With a hint of impatience, he said, "Hurry up!"

Sean cheered and leaped up beside Alex, striding straight toward Grace. Woods chuckled and released his grip. "You go first, bro."

Grace didn't dodge, submitting to Sean's force while pleading, "Don't kill me! I beg you, don't kill me. I won't say a thing.”

"I won't kill you! Just do as I say!” Sean replied, his hand already reaching forward impatiently to grab Grace's chest. The soft, warm, feminine flesh beneath the fabric filled his palm, making him even more eager. Glancing around frantically, he dragged her toward the bushes.

"The car. Let's go to the car," Grace whispered, her voice barely audible. Yet it still alerted the man in the distance. His gaze fixed on her, sending a chill down her spine. She stammered out a hasty explanation. "The backseat is more comfortable. It won't prick you."

Blinded by lust, Sean dragged her toward the car parked in the middle of the road. He yanked open the back door and shoved her inside. Alex watched coldly, giving Woods a slight nod. Woods understood the signal and followed behind.

The car was a white SUV, tall and spacious. Woods leaned against the vehicle, peering through the half-open window and teasing Sean, "Did you already come?"

Sean mumbled an indistinct “Fuck off.” The sound of rustling fabric and muffled female gasps came from inside. After a stifled, pained whimper, the car began to rock rhythmically, accompanied by the man's excited panting.

"Fuck!" Woods's body reacted involuntarily, and he cursed aloud. He stood up, stepped away from the car, and called back to the occupants, "Easy there, you bastards! Don't wreck her for me!"

"She's a virgin!" Sean's voice carried surprise and triumph as he gasped, "I hit the jackpot today!"

Woods froze for a second, spat on the ground, and grinned at Alex, who had been standing nearby in silence. "Boss, check out the energy!"

A virgin? That was unexpected. Alex's lips twitched slightly in a mocking smile before he slowly withdrew his gaze.

The car continued to sway relentlessly, heightening the tension inside with its rhythm. This only spurred him on. He thrust harder. His mouth spilled incoherent cries of “baby,” and he repeatedly leaned in, attempting to kiss the person beneath him.

Grace bit her lip in endurance. Though she tried to accommodate him, the sharp pain was unavoidable. She took a deep breath, wrapped one arm around his neck, and endured his penetration while subtly pressing his body downward. Her other hand reached for the bag behind the passenger seat.

Inside was a small, razor-sharp fruit knife. The last time Adrian drove her camping, she had dozed off in the backseat on the way home. When she woke up, she peeled fruit for him with that same knife. Back then, she sat in the backseat, cutting apples into small pieces with the knife and feeding them to Adrian. Suddenly, he'd bite her finger, teasingly licking her fingertip with his tongue amidst her startled cries. He refused to let go.

I have to survive, Grace repeated to herself over and over. Her parents and Adrian were waiting for her. She couldn't die here, not after such a humiliating and degrading rape and murder.

Grace finally found the knife. Though the assailant still pinned her down, she’d never felt so calm. Her hand slid over his back, searching for his heart. But she couldn’t be sure. She feared the knife was too short to pierce his heart and kill him instantly.

The man's movements grew faster. Grace knew she couldn't hesitate any longer. She hooked her fingers around the back of his head, tilted her own head back, and forced her mouth onto his. Unaware of her intent, he seemed surprised by her reaction. His arms tightened around her waist, and he kissed her fiercely.

As his body tensed uncontrollably, Grace plunged her knife without hesitation into the back of his neck.

It was a spot that could kill with a single strike. The man's gaunt body froze rigidly. He jerked his head upward, his eyes wide, as if trying to see the woman pinned beneath him. But he never got the chance. Grace's legs were wrapped tightly around his lower body. Her hand was pressed firmly against the back of his head, and her other hand gripped the knife handle. With all her strength, she drove the knife downward, cutting through cervical vertebrae, major arteries, and windpipe.

What a fine blade—worth the several hundred dollars she'd spent.

Blood spurted like a fountain. She had to cover her face with her hands; half her body was drenched and her vision was nearly obscured by the crimson haze. Only then did the person beneath her cease struggling; the warm body was now reduced to faint, spasmodic twitches. Grace dared not relax her grip. She stole a glance outside the car. The fierce, towering man stood nearby, while the other "boss" sat farther away.

The engine was still running. She hadn't turned it off when she got out earlier to check. She had to avoid alerting them, quickly crawl to the front, lock the doors, and drive away.

This was her only chance to survive.

Grace took a deep breath and gently pushed away the gaunt man who was still pressing against her.

Alex rested his eyes while strategizing their next move. They had already fled over a thousand kilometers, and Seattle was within reach. Yet, the road ahead remained uncertain. Perhaps he really shouldn't have indulged Woods and Sean at that moment. But the two had followed him throughout the entire bloody escape. They hadn't relaxed for a single day during the thirty-plus days and nights of flight. What harm could a few hours of foolishness do?

His mind drifted as his nerves finally relaxed. He didn't hear the faint click of the car door locking until it was too late. The headlights, dimmed to avoid attention, suddenly blazed on. He looked up in shock just as the white SUV careened toward him at an insane angle.

The blinding glare momentarily robbed him of his sight, but in the blink of an eye, he recognized the driver. It was the woman from earlier, the one who had cried and begged. Now, half of her face was covered in blood while the other half was deathly pale, like a ghost. Only her eyes remained the same jet black. No longer veiled by tears, they were now filled with a burning, mad hatred that was almost blinding.

"Boss—" Woods screamed, lunging forward to shove Alex aside without hesitation before he could react. Without thinking, Alex's body rolled instinctively toward the roadside. The wheels scraped past his shoulder while Woods was slammed by the front of the vehicle. He flew over ten meters before crashing down with a dull thud.

The car didn't slow down at all, crushing Woods' legs before speeding away.

Grace gripped the steering wheel with both hands and stomped on the accelerator as the car raced down the country road. Only when it burst onto the city's brightly lit streets did she slam on the brakes. Her entire body shook uncontrollably; her hands trembled so violently that she couldn't hold her phone, let alone dial Adrian's number.

"Aaah—" She let out a low growl and bit down hard on her wrist until the pain stopped the shaking. Only then could she dial Adrian's number. She was sobbing as she said, "Call the police, Adrian. Call the police. Something's wrong."