Chapter TEN: 

… Marti shook her head and ran her fingers through her tangled curling hair.  Her eyes stung with exhaustion and her body was drained.  She stripped off her clothes, dropped them in the hamper and ran her bath.  She made sure she had shut off the ringer on the phone, and she lit a few lavender candles around the jetted tub.  She hoped the aroma and steam would help her relax, but her head was pounding too loud with the over clutter of information and threats.  She closed her eyes and tried to think happy thoughts…

Marti opened her eyes to find a gun in her face, aimed right between her petrified blue eyes.  She couldn’t move a muscle as she stared into the barrel of the .44 Magnum.  She could see past the riffling to the bullet ready to be fired into her skull.  She tore her eyes from the gun to look at her assailant, but his face was covered by a ski mask.

He stared at her naked form under the water of the tub.  “It’s almost a shame to waste you looking like that.”  The corners of his mouth turned up in a grin.

She felt a chill crawl up her spine as she saw the grin spread across his lips.  “Who are you?”  She was thrilled her voice didn’t shake when she spoke.  It was difficult to be brave when you were naked and had a gun pointed to your head.

“Who I am doesn’t matter.  I warned you to mind your own business.  You didn’t listen, so here I am.”  He moved his thumb and flipped off the safety on his gun.  His arm stiffened as he took aim.  “Say hello to the devil for me when you get to hell.”

“Fuck you.”

The man squeezed the trigger and there was an earth shattering bang as the bullet came barreling out of its spot.  Marti could almost see it as it was about to make contact…

What the fuck was that?  Marti practically jumped up a foot from the tub.  Her moments of relaxation had turned into nothing less than a nightmare.  She hopped out of the tub and reached for her robe and her gun.  It was all so real.  She checked her bathroom and bedroom to be sure it was all in her head, but she couldn’t stop her gun from shaking.  Not even when she was on vice had she ever had dreams like that.  She was completely unraveled and totally unnerved.

She walked to the stairs and started her way down when she heard her front door squeak open, then shut.  She stood in the center of the staircase, straightened out her shooting arm and aimed toward the door.  She had the gun gripped so tight her knuckles had turned white…