Remember Me

Excerpt

Did he actually see a man trying to drag a woman -- who obviously did not want to be with him -- across the vacant lot toward the abandoned apartments?

A vague masculine figure was definitely pulling something or someone. It was hard to tell, as the fight -- if that was what it had been -- was gone out of it. The figure looked in his direction, dropped whatever was in his possession and took off running.

Paul hurried to the corpse-like figure lying a few feet away now. Curled in a fetal position, its back to him, he made out a small female form, dressed in a lightweight jacket, wide legged pants and flat shoes. She was utterly still; not a hint of sound came from her. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest it hurt as he reached over her in search of a pulse at her neck. His hand seemed to tingle from the faint beat of life as it came away from her soft flesh, wet and sticky.

Red and blue whirling lights atop the car telegraphed the arrival of the police. Who said a cop was never around when you needed one? he thought absently as he stepped across the female in a state of controlled hurry. He straightened her body gingerly and kneeled over her. Instantaneously, as he slid his hand behind her neck to tilt up her head, a high beam of light, nearly blinding in its intensity, shone in his face.

"Hey you! What are you doing? Get your hands up where I can see them!"

Paul disregarded the command, lowered his head over the face of the woman, and found her mouth with his.