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Vengeance

by Suzy Elkins

158 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-0766; ISBN 1-4120-2938-4; US$17.50, C$19.96, EUR14.00, £10.00

Tense and terrifying, Vengeance is the chilling tale of a journey through fear, a glimpse of how an ordinary life can be turned upside down, shattered and through trust in vain... lost.

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about the book      about the author      excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book The rural town of Cedar Ridge is a tranquil place. Nestling in the shadow of dense forest it slumbers timelessly... forgotten, uneventful... dull. Until one icy winter's day gray fear descends on the quiet halls of Cedar High, seeking out Lena Masters, probing her ideal life and finally tearing in to destroy it. It begins innocently enough. A simple accident plunges Lena into suspicion, questions that can't be answered invade her waking hours, brutal nightmares plague her sleep. Those she trusts turn against her and her perfect dreams become terrifying reality. Then the chilling phonecalls begin. Cruel, fearful, threatening. Inexplicable 'accidents', heart stopping flight from an unknown terror, darkness clawing at the door to her bright world. Beyond reason Lena must face her fear and so begins a race against time to unravel the mystery of the source behind her torment. Tense and terrifying, Vengeance is a glimpse of how an ordinary life can be turned upside down, shattered and through trust in vain.... lost.

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About the Author Suzy is 32 years old. A graphic designer, she lives in Wiltshire with her husband Darren and lunatic rescue dogs Charlie, Sid and Hamish. She loves to write - and talk! - in equal measures and is currently working on a sequel to Vengeance and an adventure novel for children.

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Excerpts

1.
...A heavy mist hung low over the parking lot, clinging damply to the cars and tying knots in the darkness. Lena tried to catch her breath silently. Each time she sucked in the chill air it clung to her throat, choking her with its weight.
She scanned the parking spaces, straining her eyes for the distinctive vehicle that had pursued her but the secretive shadows revealed nothing.
She soon tired of the sickly glow of the streetlamps and after a last perfunctory look, turned to go back inside.
A distant noise made her whirl round.
It was almost as if someone had swung open a car door, yet she could hear no sound of approach.
Puzzled she took a step forward.
And that's when the first blow hit.....  

2.
..."Hello?" she said softly.
Silence.
The light from the lamp made flickering patterns on the wall and suddenly Lena's courage began to drain away.
There was no-one here.
The message had been a hoax.
A noise behind made her jump.
She shuddered at the gleeful shadows and edged her way gingerly along the line of wooden posts, holding her breath as she approached the doorway.
What was waiting for her out there?
Had she been lured into a trap?
Sucking in a great gulp of air she plunged into the blackness, following the hopelessly small puddle of yellow thrown out by her flashlight. It failed to cut through the rising mists and she had no warning when she ran headlong into the broad, muscular figure that waited for her in the yard.  

3.
..."Is it there?" Lena asked, not daring to focus on the impenetrable shapes thickening across the door. "Can you see anything?"
There was no reply.
She repeated her question, eyes searching the faces of the others. Nicole held one hand across her mouth in fear and Stefan stood stock-still, every muscle in his body tensed for flight.
"Ross?" she croaked, stretching one hand into the blackness.
They were greeted only by a deathly hush.
She looked from one to the other.
"This is ridiculous," she said, "he can't be more than six feet away, the wall's right there."  She gently eased Nicole's hand from her arm and stepped forward.
Without warning a terrifying scream slit the air.
It was Ross.
Crying out, Lena pushed the others away and ran headlong into the musty, dust-choked darkness....  

4.
...The rain was thoroughly disorientating and Lena found it impossible to get her bearings. The clearing was nowhere to be seen and she suddenly realized she had walked too far.
Finding it difficult to breathe she broke into a run, shoulders hitting against trees, laces snagging on twigs and roots that poked up out of the undergrowth. Pausing, she thought for a second she heard footsteps.  Slow, ruthless slaps against the cold mud.
"Who's there?" she breathed, not daring to turn round, her heart feeling like it was about to explode in her chest. Silence.
Only the whisper of the dark wind in the leaves and the spatter of rain hitting the trees.
She slid down a nearby trunk and fumbled in her pocket for her keys. She gripped the cool metal thankfully and reached for the plastic square of the alarm.
Holding it up high she pushed hard on the central button and listened for the sound of the answering beep. Sure enough the car replied with a shrill blip and, sighing thankfully, Lena staggered to her feet and stumbled in the direction of the noise.
Quickly she swung open the door, threw her keys onto the seat and waded through the lengthening pool of water to place the first piece of wood beneath the wheels.
Before she could reach the other side a distant crack startled her and she leapt up, her eyes fighting against the evil gray fog.
Another crack, nearer this time.
The car door creaked suddenly and she glared as it swung from side to side.
Someone was there.
She could see nothing but her senses told her she was no longer alone in the clearing.
A rustle of leaves behind pushed a tremor of fear up her spine and, without thinking, she staggered forward through the thick mud and lunged for the open car door. Her body slammed into the edge of the wing and an icy blade of panic jabbed at her chest.
Something wet lashed out through the rain.
A hand.....  

5.
...Pressing her lips together to stifle a scream Lena stepped back until she could edge no further and slid her palms along the mirrored wall, searching frantically for the elevator panic-button.
She felt only smooth, cold glass and her heart sank in her chest. The stranger regarded her with bright eyes, his hands clenched at his sides.  For several seconds they stared at each other, his gaze burning painfully through her skin. There was a sudden jolt as the elevator hit the ground floor and the connection was broken. Lena dived for the slot of light that appeared as the door slid open.
She ran out, refusing to glance over her shoulder. The ground seemed to tilt beneath her feet, enticing her to fall at any second and the only sound she could hear was the steady thud, thud of her heart beating high in her chest.
Or was it the rhythmic pounding of feet on the tiles behind?
She quickened her pace, ignoring her bag, the straps cutting into her shoulder. She could see the blackness sucking up against the exit door ahead and realizing she had no choice, she headed straight for it. The heavy glass yielded unwillingly as she threw herself against the pane and she was out, tearing into the night.......  

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Catalogue Information

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