Corri Bonds left the classroom later than usual for a Friday. She had stayed to correct the spelling tests from her fourth grade class. She wanted to get them out of the way so that she would have time to spend with her boyfriend, Koban, over the weekend. They were planning to go down to visit her mother in Kentucky. It was not a trip the young school teacher was looking forward to. Her anxieties were growing as she thought about it. She doubted that her choice of a companion would be met with approval. Her perfectionist mother would surely pick Koban apart. She was stressing out just thinking about the rain of criticism which she anticipated pouring down on her in the inevitable phone call after the meeting.
As she was leaving the building, she noticed a man standing by the curb looking at her. She looked away and walked away. As she did he came over to her.
"Hey there little girl, you got a light?"
She looked at the man with disdain. "No sir, I don't, I don't smoke." She walked away again.
"Oh, c'mon now Corri Ann, there's no need to be that way, after all I'm just looking for a light for my cigarette."
Corri turned and looked at him again. "How do you know my name?"
"Oh, I know quite a lot about you actually. I know you're cute and innocent and you got a great pair of legs and those are all things I really like."
She looked at him more closely. He was dressed in a ragged black raincoat with the collar raised up around his neck. He was in his early forties but his unshaven face and disheveled appearance made him look older. He had an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth.
"Sir, I am not interested. Leave me alone!" She again walked away, this time with the determination not to respond to him again.
"Sure thing, baby. Whatever it is you want, I'll give it to you."
Corri quickened her pace as she crossed the street. She wanted to get out of the sight of this repulsive looking man as soon as possible. Turning a corner a couple of blocks away, she began to relax. She had a long walk ahead of her but it was a nice day so she didn't mind so much. Her Porsche was in the shop until Tuesday. Her thoughts drifted off to the weekend plans as she made her way through the parks area. She decided to take a shortcut through the woods, a primitive path that cut a few minutes time off the walk. It was just starting to get dark.
Halfway down the path Corri stopped to get a stone out of her shoe. As she was shaking it out, she glanced behind her. About a hundred yards back she could see the man in the black raincoat walking toward her. Corri's heart started pounding. The man was frightening enough on a public street but on a deserted path in the woods, he was terrifying. Corri hurriedly put her shoe back on and started walking at a very fast pace. Looking back it was clear that not only was she not getting away but he was actually catching up. Corri started to run. She wanted to scream but with no one else around it would be useless. At the bottom of a steep hill she took a detour across a short wooden bridge over the creek which flows past the abandoned mill. It was unusual for Corri to go through the millyard but she wanted to be out of the woods as fast as possible.
Upon reaching the pavement, the frantic teacher looked back again. The man was gaining ground. He too was running. Corri sprinted as fast as she could. She wanted to get around the edge of the old brick building so that she would be out of his sight. Rounding the corner, she was moving between two vacant buildings, the mill and the boarded up power plant. Looking back she could see that the man had yet to come around the corner. Corri ducked into an alley that separated the two sections of the power plant. She crouched down under a set of metal stairs and hid under the lowest step. She listened intently. A few seconds later she heard the footsteps of her pursuer go by.
Her ploy had worked. He would now be in a situation where he would have to choose between several different paths to take. Corri hoped he would end up thinking he had taken the wrong choice and give up. But she was taking no chances. She decided to stay put for awhile, at least an hour. Only then would she venture back out. She looked at her watch. It was 6:30. She vowed not to move until 7:30. She was very frightened but relieved because she had outwitted her stalker.
After about ten minutes she heard footsteps in the alley.
"Corri Ann, you in here? Hey girl, you there? Come out, come out wherever you are! Yoo hoo, you there little princess?"
Corri's heart pounded harder and faster than it had ever pounded before in her life. The man was only a few feet away. Corri was as still as a stone.
"Could you be here? Is it possible?" There was a long pause. "Oh well, I guess not."
The footsteps faded out as the man left the alley. Corri calmed herself down. She waited. She wanted to be sure he was long gone before coming out of her hiding spot. She checked her watch frequently. At 7:40 she squeezed out from under the stairs. It was pitch black in the alley. Corri moved slowly back toward the mill. She was scared but determined. Reaching the corner she peeked out slightly and looked both ways. There was no sign of him. She moved along the edge of the power plant wall. At the next corner she crossed over and walked next to the mill. At the end of the building she would enter the front millyard where it would then be only another fifty yards or so to the safety of the well lit street. As she neared the end Corri felt safe again.
The moment she cleared the corner of the building he was upon her. He ran into her with a force that lifted her off the ground and knocked the wind out of her. He carried her a few yards and slammed her into the side of his white cargo van. He pinned her and covered her mouth. Corri was absolutely helpless as his great strength overwhelmed her. The man was breathing heavily. He was in a very agitated state.
"All right, little girl, I got you. You thought you could get away, but now I have you. You're gonna do it my way now, do you understand?"
Unable to speak, Corri could only look at the man with wide open terrified eyes. He pulled the girl forward and then smashed her back into the van.
"Do you understand?" His voice was strained and angry. Corri let out a muffled response and was able to nod her head very slightly to show her assent. As she did he dragged her to the back of the van. Quickly opening the doors, he threw her in. Corri bounced and slid a few feet. He jumped in and grabbed her by the hair. In an instant he applied duct tape to her mouth. Pinning her to the floor, he pulled both her arms behind her back. In a flash her hands were tied. Just as quickly her legs were skillfully bound. In less than two minutes she was completely subdued.
"Lay still, bitch, we're going for a ride."
With that the cargo doors were slammed shut. Her abductor got in behind the wheel and started off. Corri lay on the cargo floor, paralyzed with fear. She was not able to move at all. The ropes were very tight. She was desperately trying to breathe in enough air through her nose but it was difficult as her quivering body gasped for more oxygen. She was a prisoner. And as bad as her situation was, she was afraid that it was only going to get worse. Much worse.
The ride took twenty minutes but for the hapless girl it seemed much longer. The driver was obviously in a hurry. He seemed to be speeding. Corri thought that perhaps the cops might notice but the siren never came. Going around corners Corri slid on the floor of the van. As there was no way to brace herself she hit the walls each time. She tried to struggle against the ropes but the knots had been skillfully and securely tied. Escape was not a possibility. Finally the van came to a stop. Corri heard the sound of a garage door opening. As the vehicle pulled in a new and stronger fear came over her. This apprehension grew as the door shut. Her kidnapper got out and went into the house. Corri was left alone in the darkness for several minutes. The waiting brought her to a panicked state. She wondered if she could endure much more.