him for the murders instead.”
John was insane, but in an utterly scary way. He planned and plotted his horrors.
“I missed having Derrick watch me kill. An audience just makes things more interesting.” John ambled over to Emilia. He leaned down until his nose was in her hair and breathed in. “Now I have you to watch me, my pet.”
Disgust roiled her stomach. Emilia swiped out with her leg and knocked John off his feet. He landed on the floor in a heap. She kicked again, her heel landing in his side, smashing into his injury.
John howled in pain and rolled away. The table with the knives tumbled down as he knocked into it. Curses flew from his mouth.
Emilia frantically tugged on the zip ties, using her weight as a counterforce. She needed to break them. There was no chance of survival if she didn’t get free. The pipe rattled with the force of her movements, but the zip ties held.
John groaned. He lumbered to his feet, holding his side, but stayed out of striking distance. His face was red with pain and anger. “I’m going to make you pay for that, my pet.”
Lightning streaked across the sky followed by a window-rattling boom. The lights went out, plunging the room into darkness.
Thank you, Lord. Every minute helps.
John cursed again. Emilia couldn’t make out his facial features, but his large form stumbled to the other table. Fabric crinkled as he tugged on his raincoat, muttering something about circuit breakers. He exited using a door attached to the kitchen. A light flickered on as he flipped on his cell phone flashlight.
Emilia waited until it disappeared from view. Then, again, she frantically yanked on the binds around her wrist. The zip ties refused to snap.
Her eyes were adjusting to the darkened room. Gretchen’s small form was tucked into a ball. The knives from the table were scattered on the floor near her.
“Gretchen, I need your help. My name is Emilia and I’m a police officer. We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Silence. Emilia tugged on the zip ties again. “I know you’re scared and hurting. But I need you to pick up one of those knives with your free hand and cut yourself loose.”
She waited one heartbeat. Two.
A sob broke the silence. Gretchen’s body shook. “I can’t. He’ll hurt me more.”
The sound of the other woman’s fear ate at Emilia. But they had a small window of opportunity. She prayed to God for the right words. Something inside of Emilia went still and quiet. Her fingers found the cross on the end of the bracelet Bennett had given her.
“This is the most terrifying moment of your life, Gretchen. I know that. But in your darkest moments, God is with you. You’re never alone. And sometimes He sends someone to help you. Someone who will get you through.”
How could she have been so blind? God had heard Emilia’s prayers for healing. He’d sent her exactly the help she needed to mend the broken pieces of herself. Bennett. His love, dedication, and gentleness were the support she needed.
And Emilia was what Bennett needed too. Hadn’t she restored his faith in love? Her honesty, her strength, and resilience meant she stuck around when things got hard. She wouldn’t leave him at the first bump in the road.
God had been guiding them all this time. And he was guiding Emilia now.
Tears clouded her vision and thickened her voice. “God has put the two of us in this room to help each other, Gretchen. We have a fighting chance, but we have to work for it. Say a prayer and pick up a knife. Please.”
The only sound was Gretchen’s sobs and the rain hitting the windows. Then the scrape of a knife against the floor. Gretchen grunted as she cut the tie on her wrist.
Emilia’s heart leapt. Her gaze darted to the back door. No sign of John, but he was close. There was no time to waste.
Gretchen tried to stand and fell. She cried out in pain.
“Don’t walk,” Emilia said. “Just crawl to me. You’re doing great, Gretchen.”
Gretchen maneuvered across the distance between them. Her breathing was rapid and tears fell down her cheeks. “I’m coming. Hold on.”
She used Emilia’s body to steady herself and then cut the zip ties. Emilia’s hands flew free of the pipe and she caught Gretchen before the woman fell. Lightning lit up the room followed by more thunder.
There was no sign of John. Where was he? Probably somewhere in the backyard. That’s where