“Not a sound,” he said, his gun digging into her side.
She stood close to him, her body shivering with shock and cold, and they both watched the lights come nearer. Faintly the wail of a siren split the air.
Raven showed his teeth. It was a Federal car, then. He waited, holding his breath as the lights grew larger.
Then with a snarl and a roar the car swept past the turning he had taken and roared on into the night.
Raven relaxed limply. He wiped the cold sweat off his face. “Come on, you,” he said to Marie, “we’ve got a little walk on.”
Then, as she moved slowly towards the car, he suddenly realized that he couldn’t take her any further. Now was the time to finish her, not later.
In the misty moonlight he could see her tall white body with its graceful lines, and again he wanted her.
Throwing caution aside, he took two quick steps towards her and pulled her round. She gave a gasp of terror when she realized what he was going to do. She began to struggle and he was startled at her strength. They swayed together on the uneven ground and then she began to scream.
Raven broke away and swung his fist. It landed on her cheek−bone, high up. She staggered and, still screaming, fell to the ground. Raven knelt at her side, pinning her flat. “Shut up!” he said, gripping her arms viciously. “Make another sound an’ I’ll finish you.”
She stopped screaming, but she still fought, twisting and pulling, trying to get free.