Chapter 13: Campus Shadows
Star City University - Few days ago
The campus library stayed open until midnight during finals week, its fluorescent lights casting harsh shadows across study tables where exhausted students hunched over textbooks and laptops. Maria Santos preferred the quiet corners on the third floor, where she could spread out her sociology notes without distraction.
At twenty-one, Maria had worked twice as hard as most of her classmates to get here. First-generation college student, daughter of immigrants who cleaned office buildings to pay her tuition. Every grade mattered, every assignment was a step closer to the social work degree that would let her help families like her own.
She glanced at her watch: 11:47 PM. Thirteen minutes until the library closed, then the long walk across campus to her dorm. Maria had made this journey dozens of times without incident, but tonight something felt different. Wrong.
She'd noticed him three hours ago—tall, athletic build, expensive clothes that marked him as one of the wealthy students who treated SCU like their personal playground. He'd been sitting two tables away, but she'd caught him staring when she looked up from her textbook. Not the casual glance of someone daydreaming during study sessions. Something more focused. More predatory.
When she'd moved to a different floor, he'd followed. When she'd switched study rooms, he'd appeared again ten minutes later. Always maintaining distance, always with a book or laptop as cover, but Maria had grown up in neighborhoods where you learned to recognize when someone was hunting you.
"Attention students," the librarian's voice echoed through the building's PA system. "The library will be closing in ten minutes. Please gather your belongings and proceed to the exits."
Maria packed quickly, shoving notes and textbooks into her backpack with trembling hands. Around her, other students began their own exodus—yawning, stretching, complaining about tomorrow's exams. Normal college students doing normal college things.
She waited until a group of girls from her dorm headed toward the stairs, then fell into step behind them. Safety in numbers, her mother had always said. But as they reached the library's main exit, the group scattered toward different residence halls.
Maria stood alone under the harsh security lights, looking across the quad toward Campus Hall. Two hundred yards of open space, then the safety of her locked room. She'd made this walk countless times, but tonight every shadow seemed to hide potential danger.
She started walking, keys ready in her hand the way campus security had taught them during orientation. Walk with purpose, stay alert, trust your instincts. Her sneakers made soft sounds against the concrete pathway, mixing with distant music from a fraternity party somewhere across campus.
Halfway to her dorm, Maria heard footsteps behind her. Measured, deliberate, matching her pace. She sped up slightly—the footsteps sped up too. She slowed down—they slowed down as well.
Her heart hammered against her ribs as she turned to look. The same student from the library, now maybe fifty feet behind her. Close enough that she could see his face clearly under the security lights. Handsome in a cruel way, with dark hair and predatory eyes that reminded her of documentaries about serial killers.
Maria broke into a jog, abandoning any pretense of casual behavior. Behind her, the footsteps quickened as well. No longer hiding, no longer pretending this was coincidence.
Campus Hall loomed ahead, its entrance bright with security lighting. Maria ran now, backpack bouncing against her spine, keys cutting into her palm where she gripped them like weapons. Fifty yards. Thirty. Twenty.
A hand seized her shoulder, spinning her around with shocking strength. She found herself staring into Danny Hayden's face—she'd seen him around campus, heard other girls whisper warnings about staying away from him. Rich boy, police captain's son, someone who'd never faced consequences for anything in his privileged life.
"Where you going so fast, Maria?" Danny asked, his voice carrying the slight slur of expensive alcohol. "I've been trying to get your attention all night."
"Let go of me," Maria said, trying to keep her voice steady. Students moved past them in the distance, but no one seemed to notice the interaction. Just another late-night campus encounter to outsiders.
"Come on, don't be like that," Danny stepped closer, his grip tightening on her shoulder. "I just want to talk. Maybe buy you a drink, get to know you better."
"I said let go." Maria tried to pull away, but Danny's grip was iron-strong. His other hand moved to her waist, fingers pressing against her hip in a way that made her skin crawl.
"You know, I've been watching you for weeks," Danny continued, as if she hadn't spoken. "All those nights in the library, working so hard. I like that about you—the dedication, the focus. I bet you'd be very... focused... on other things too."
Maria drove her knee upward, aiming for his groin, but Danny twisted aside with practiced ease. He laughed, the sound sharp and cruel in the night air.
"Feisty. I like that too." His hand moved higher on her torso. "My apartment's just off campus. Much more comfortable than trying to get to know each other out here."
"Help!" Maria screamed, her voice echoing across the quad. "Somebody help me!"
Danny's expression darkened. His hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her cries, while his other arm wrapped around her waist. He was stronger than he looked, lifting her off her feet despite her struggles.
"None of that," he hissed in her ear. "You want to make this difficult? Fine. But you're going to come with me either way."
He began dragging her toward the parking lot behind Campus Hall, where his BMW waited under broken security lights. Maria clawed at his hands, tried to bite his palm, kicked at his legs—nothing worked. Danny had done this before, she realized with horror. He knew exactly how to control someone smaller and weaker.
They were twenty feet from his car when salvation appeared in an unexpected form.
"Hey!" A male voice called from across the parking lot. "What's going on over there?"
Danny froze, still holding Maria against his chest. She could feel his heart racing, could smell the expensive cologne mixed with sweat and alcohol.
A campus security guard approached, flashlight beam cutting through the darkness. Officer Reynolds—Maria recognized him from the night shift, an older man who actually cared about student safety unlike some of the rent-a-cops.
"Everything okay here?" Reynolds asked, hand resting on his radio.
Danny's grip loosened slightly. When he spoke, his voice carried none of the menace from moments before—just the practiced charm of someone who'd talked his way out of trouble his entire life.
"Oh, thank God you're here, Officer," Danny said, still holding Maria but making it look supportive rather than restraining. "I found this girl wandering around the parking lot, completely drunk. I was trying to help her get back to her dorm safely."
"I'm not drunk!" Maria gasped as soon as Danny's hand moved away from her mouth. "He was following me! He grabbed me!"
Reynolds looked between them, his expression uncertain. Danny Hayden—he knew the name, knew the reputation. Captain Hayden's son, major donor to the university, someone who could make problems disappear with a phone call.
"Sir, I'm going to need to see some identification," Reynolds said carefully.
Danny smiled, reaching for his wallet with practiced ease. "Of course, Officer. I completely understand your concern."
As he handed over his license, Danny leaned close to Maria's ear. His voice was barely a whisper, but the words chilled her to the bone.
"If you keep making noise, I'll make sure you regret it. I know where you live, where you work, where your little sister goes to high school. One word from my father, and your family's immigration status gets reviewed very carefully."
Maria went rigid. Her family had been legal residents for eight years, but Danny's threat carried weight. Captain Hayden had connections throughout law enforcement, connections that could make life very difficult for a family of immigrants.
"Actually," Maria said quietly, hating herself for the words, "maybe I did have too much to drink tonight. I'm sorry if I seemed confused."
Reynolds looked at her with concern. "Are you sure, miss? If someone was bothering you—"
"No, it's fine," Maria said, her voice hollow. "Danny was just trying to help."
The security guard clearly wasn't convinced, but without a complaint from the alleged victim, his hands were tied. "Well, let me at least escort you both back to your dorms."
"That's very kind," Danny said smoothly, "but I can make sure Maria gets home safely. I know exactly where Campus Hall is."
Reynolds hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "All right. But I'll be checking back in twenty minutes to make sure everyone made it to their rooms okay."
As the guard walked away, Danny's mask slipped back into place. His hand found Maria's arm again, fingers digging in just hard enough to bruise.
"Good girl," he whispered. "You're learning. Now, here's what's going to happen. You're going to come with me to my apartment. You're going to have a few drinks, relax a little. And then you're going to show me just how grateful you are for my help tonight."
"Please," Maria whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't do this."
"Oh, I'm going to do whatever I want," Danny replied, guiding her toward his car. "And you're going to let me. Because if you don't, if you even think about reporting this, I'll destroy your entire family. My father has friends in ICE, friends in the DA's office, friends who can make people disappear."
He opened the passenger door of his BMW, gesturing for her to get in. Maria looked around desperately, but the campus was nearly empty now. No witnesses, no help coming.
"Get in the car, Maria," Danny said, his voice patient but implacable. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
With shaking hands, Maria climbed into the passenger seat. Danny closed the door gently, then walked around to the driver's side. As he started the engine, classical music filled the car—Mozart, played at low volume.
"See how civilized this can be?" Danny said as they drove off campus. "You just need to understand how things work in the real world. Sometimes, people like me get to do whatever we want to people like you. It's not personal—it's just the way things are."
Maria closed her eyes, praying to saints she hadn't spoken to since childhood. Praying that someone, somewhere, would notice she was missing. That someone would care enough to look for her.
But as Danny's BMW disappeared into Star City's night traffic, her prayers seemed to disappear into the darkness with her.
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