Katie had jerked and kicked like anything as her cheerful-looking captor had removed her from the back of the van (Why me first? she'd wondered, frantically), but he'd handled her with ease, as if anticipating every move she would make. She'd barely gotten a glimpse of the garage where they'd parked before he carried her, slung over his shoulder, into a hallway and through a waiting metal door.

He swung it shut behind them, with an ominously heavy click, and Katie couldn't help noticing that there was no knob on this side.

The room was dark and windowless within; the only light was a single bright beam, focused downward to...