Fear the Past Read online

  Approaching the car, the keyless entry system registered her presence and the car unlocked itself. Opening the boot, she placed the shoulder bag, containing her laptop, flat inside. Removing her coat, she lay that alongside it too. Shutting the lid, she was forced to turn sideways and slip down between the two vehicles. Whilst assessing how much of a gap would be needed to enable her to get into the driving seat, something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Looking across the parking level, she tried to see what it was. For a moment she thought she’d heard something and seen a flicker of movement.

  The level was well lit with only the huge concrete supporting pillars and the occasional parked car interrupting her line of sight for fifty yards. She waited, straining to see or hear what had alerted her but there was nothing. Only the rattling sound of the overhead ventilation ducts carried in the space. Realising that she was holding her breath, she dismissed her overactive imagination. The mobile phone in her pocket began to vibrate and she took it out. It was Tomas. She directed the call to voicemail, putting the handset back in her pocket and grasped the door handle of her car. The sliding door of the van opened and before she could react, something struck her in the back. Intense pain tore through her as her body went into spasm before her legs gave out and she collapsed. The fluorescent strip lights hanging from the roof appeared to swing from left to right as someone took a firm hold of her.

  Then, there was only darkness.

  Something was wrong. Opening her eyes, her lids felt heavy. Gritty. The darkness of the night was all encompassing. The smell of the outdoors, a close proximity to damp soil carried to her. Something was wrong… very wrong. Attempting to stand, she found herself held in place somehow, panic flared within as for a fleeting moment she feared she’d been in an accident and was paralysed or worse still, dead. Relieved by the fact she could still feel her extremities, despite their apparent cold, she cast her mind back. Leaving the office, speaking to Marcus and arriving at her car… but then, nothing. There was something restricting her mouth, taut and unforgiving. She couldn’t move her lips. Trying to call out gave off a muffled sound, elevating slightly in pitch as her call became a scream. Only when trying to reach up with her hand to free her mouth did she realise that she couldn’t move at all.

  No amount of struggling or exertion, using all of the strength she could muster could move her even the slightest. She cried out again, as loudly as she could, but her muffled screams passed into despairing tears as frustration turned to fear. A thud sounded nearby, not particularly loud but it drew her attention nonetheless. Her eyes were slowly beginning to adjust to the darkness and she looked around but couldn’t make out what had made the noise. Then there was another, only this time much closer. A third sounded behind her, a little way off. Then silence returned.

  The wind passing through nearby trees appeared to whisper something to her and then realisation struck. The sounds and smells of a woodland walk were all around her. The damp soil, the trees… the cold. Shadows moved in front of her. It was hard to judge but she thought it was a person, perhaps twenty feet away but she couldn’t be sure. Craning her neck, she tried to make out any detail but moving caused her discomfort. All of a sudden, she was bathed in bright light. Screwing her eyes tightly shut against the intense glare, she screamed again but to no avail. Slowly opening her eyes, she squinted in order to shield herself from the beams of the car headlights. They illuminated everything around her.

  Nearby, she saw a rock, perhaps the size of a closed fist. To the right was another. They looked somehow out of place, as if recently deposited where they lay. Another thud. Another rock, landing to the left of her head. She screamed. Something struck the top of her head sending a shooting pain across her skull. Her screaming ceased, replaced by confusion. Then another. This one struck her forehead before dropping to the ground in front of her. Liquid flowed across her eyebrow and trickled into her right eye.

  She felt dizzy, surprised. She was bleeding. Something else passed through her line of sight, striking her on the cheek. Horrified, she silently begged for help but none was forthcoming.

  Another strike. Her vision swam… and the darkness returned.

  The Sixth Precept

  Dark Yorkshire - Book 6

  Pre-order from Amazon here;

  https://geni.us/The_Sixth_Precept

  Also in the Dark Yorkshire series;

  Divided House

  (DARK YORKSHIRE – BOOK 1)

  Terrifying, dark and complex. Divided House introduces us to DI Nathaniel Caslin, a man navigating both personal and professional nightmares against a backdrop of conspiracy, torture and murder.

  http://geni.us/Divided_House

  Blacklight

  (DARK YORKSHIRE – BOOK 2)

  A frightening thriller that chills the soul. Kidnapping and murder come to York where the lines between victim and suspect are increasingly blurred.

  http://geni.us/Blacklight

  The Dogs in the Street

  (DARK YORKSHIRE – BOOK 3)

  Haunting, fast-paced and intense. Ghosts from the past return to bring murder to the historic City of York, drawing Caslin into a world of Intelligence Agency secrets amid those seeking redemption.

  http://geni.us/The_Dogs_in_the_Street

  Blood Money

  (DARK YORKSHIRE – BOOK 4)

  A series of random deaths draws DI Caslin into the corrupt world of high finance and extremist ideology, directly threatening those who prefer to live in the shadows.

  http://geni.us/Blood_Money

  The Sixth Precept

  (DARK YORKSHIRE – BOOK 6)

  A warped serial killer stalks the streets of York, meting out ruthless punishments in response to the perceived sins of the victims in this chilling thriller.

  https://geni.us/The_Sixth_Precept