HELL BENT
Chapter 1

'Hello,' Lori answered her mobile phone as she walked around her local park in New York, neither the phone nor Lori herself had recognised the number.
'Hello Lori,' the voice was extremely deep and sinister, as if it was deliberately done that way and those two words alone unnerved Lori a little.
'I'm sorry I don't recognise your voice who is this?'
'You don't recognise my voice because you have never heard me talk before and I've never heard you until now. I thought you'd have a pleasant voice and indeed you do.'
'So we've never spoke before? Sorry I still didn't catch your name.'
'It doesn't matter what my name is right now.'
'Yet you know mine.'
'Clearly.'
'Look I'm sorry I really don't like talking to strangers, not even on the phone.'
'Oh come now, what harm could I do you on the phone.'
'Unless you've got something important to say I would suggest that this is just a waste of your phone bill.'
'Oh indeed I have something very important to say, I'd go as far as to say that it was a life or death scenario.'
'If that's the case please tell me that news, but if you are just wasting my time then I'd like to know.'
'I'll tell you all you need to know in good time.'
'All right, look I'm sorry but I'm strongly suspecting you are wasting my time so I'll be going now.'
'Hang up and you'll die right there bitch!'The voice was raised for the first time. 
Lori stopped walking and stood rooted to the spot.
'That's right Miss Jordan, you'll die right there in the park. Do you think that jogger will notice? What about the old couple on the bench? I know one thing the gunfire will scatter those pigeons just before the bullet scatters your brain.'
Lori stayed stood still, took deep breathes, ran her left hand through her hair and looked around the park.
'You won't be able to see me Lori.'
'Okay, you've got my attention. What do you want with me?'Lori managed to speak with a degree of calmness.
'I'm sure I could think of a lot of things given time, I'm sure most guys could.'
'This doesn't sound like a regulation sex pest phone call to me,' Lori somehow managed an element of defiance.
'You are correct in that belief. I have a very particular reason to be talking to you.'
'You going to tell me what that is?'
'All in good time.'
'Look I don't mean to upset you but just because you can see me doesn't mean you can kill me.'
'I can see those pigeons too don't forget.'
'So?'
Within seconds there was a quiet sound of something flying past Lori and sixteen of the pigeons flew away, leaving one behind. Lori tentatively walked over to the stationary bird. Leaned over to inspect it then let out a gasp as she saw the blood coming from the deceased pigeon. Covered her mouth, stood upright and frantically began to look around the park again.
'Told you already, you won't be able to see me. Do I have your attention now?'
'Absolutely.'
'Really? I'm not convinced, perhaps you need a human sacrifice. Let's see, how about the old couple on the bench, or the kid playing with the ball or maybe one of those two about to jog past you.'
'No please, that won't be necessary. Leave them out of it just tell me what you want,' Lori begged as her breathing became less controlled and she came close to tears.
That same quiet noise again and then one of the joggers collapsed to the floor grabbing his leg and screaming in agony. Lori was the only one in the park who knew what had happened, even the jogger himself had no clue what the instant sharp pain was in the back of his upper thigh.
'Oh God no! Please stop!'Lori held a hand to her forehead and lost control of her breathing. Nobody in the park noticed her staggering away from the scene, gradually people became aware of the stricken joggers plight, if not the reason for the blood pouring out of his leg. 
'Don't worry Lori, if I shoot you I'll shoot to kill, so you won't feel a thing. Where do you think you are going bitch?'
Appeared that she was staggering nowhere in particular but Lori was attempting to get to the nearby rubbish bin. 
'I...I need..need a..a. I..I am..am pro...pro...prone...to....pan....'
'Panic attacks? Oh sorry dear I didn't realise. Not going to kill you is it? I wanted to have much more fun with you.'
Lori frantically rummaged around in the bin with one hand whilst holding the phone in the other. Down towards the bottom she found what she was looking for and pulled out the brown paper bag that had been used to carry some fast food or other, a few other things came out with it but Lori shook the bag quickly, so soon it was the only thing in her hand. Horrible shortness of breath more than overrode her worry of any germs on the bag, put it to her mouth and started to breath into it. About a minute of this passed before Lori felt in control of her breathing again.
'Don't you have some sort of inhaler?'
'Yes but I was just planning a walk around the park and that wouldn't normally come close to setting off an attack. So what do you want me to do?'
'You see that black BMW to your right?'
'Yeah.'
'Get into the back seat of it.'
Lori was in no mood to be calling his bluff so she did as she was told, whilst having a look around the park in another vain attempt to catch a glimpse of her tormentor.
	Whilst the driver of that vehicle was clearly in on the phone callers plan, he was not the caller himself as Lori continued to hear from the caller on the phone whilst in the car. Told her that she was to be driven round to a man's house and she had to convince him to get in the car with her. Driver had a gun with him and Lori was told he wouldn't hesitate to use it if she tried to escape from the car. Journey to the mystery mans house wasn't all that far. Car pulled up at the end of the longer than average drive on a street lined with large houses. Lori's instructions were simply to get the man into the back of the car, but neither of them were allowed to converse with anybody else. Failure to get him in the car or telling anybody else of the goings on would result in her death. 
	Lori couldn't help but look all around her as she walked up the drive. Realised it could easily have been paranoia but Lori still felt like she was being watched. Walked slowly and tried to control her breathing, her heart rate was proving more difficult to control as it pounded away. After knocking on the door she had no idea what to expect, for all she knew it could be the man on the phone that was to answer the door. That thought in her head was given some credence when the man who opened the door was holding a phone to his ear.
'Hi. Erm, okay. I know you don't know me but I need you to do me a really big favour.'
'That was an attention grabber. Please go on.'
'This is a bit crazy, actually it is a lot crazy. But I need you to get into the back of that car with me.'
'I see. On the face of it that's one of the best offers I've ever had. But I can't help thinking there's a little more to this than your letting on.'
Despite the extreme situation Lori managed to produce a smile at the young mans comment. 'Sorry, not really getting my point across here. Didn't mean to give you the wrong impression.'
'Don't worry, I couldn't get too carried away because of the phrase 'too good to be true' ringing in my head.'
'The thing is I need you to get in the back of that car. In fact my life kind of depends on it. Please I know this is a massive leap of faith but I really need you to believe me right now.'
Strong quizzical look on his face. 'Sorry Joe I'll have to call you back,' he spoke into the phone and hung up. 'Look I want to believe you, but I've heard of these sort of door step scams before and I hate being gullible.'
'Look please!'Lori started to get the feeling she was going to die on this strangers doorstep, sweat broke out on her brow and another asthma attack didn't seem too far away. 'I'll tell you straight out. There's a guy on the end of this phone that says he's going to kill me if you don't get into that car.'
'Oh come on, you were doing quite well as the pretty lady con-artist, but you've completely over done it now. Sorry lady maybe you can try next door,' he went to shut the door only for Lori to forcefully push it open fully.
'No! It has to be you,' Lori begged then screamed as the window next to the front door was shattered by a bullet. 'Please you've got to help me, there's nobody else who can keep me alive right now. I know you don't know me but please don't let me die here,' Lori spoke amongst big sobs of tears and heavy breathing.
Momentarily stunned by what happened to his window he didn't take in all of what Lori said but he fully captured the sentiment and Lori's tearful state didn't look like any sort of act.
'Okay, calm down mate. What do you need me to do? Just get in that car?'
'Yes please, I'm so sorry,' Lori's breathing got worse.
'You all right?' he checked as he put his hands on her shoulders and tried to make eye contact as Lori stooped a little.
'I might be having...hav..having an pan...pan.panic attack.'
'Oh wow, you're not having a good day are you? You got an inhaler?'
Lori pulled the bag from the bin out of her pocket and started breathing into it. 
'I'm sure I've got a better bag for you somewhere,' he said and went to go inside to look for one.
'No!'Lori managed to shout out, stopping him in his tracks. 'He might ki..kill me if you go inside.'
'Let's just get in the car.'
'Please.'