David
With no light at all, walking was difficult. I tripped over some fallen tree branches a few times before I made it to the structure I’d seen outlined in the scarce moonlight.
There were no windows on the front of the thing; it was more like a shack than anything else. The only door was locked. I’d expected that. And there wasn’t a sound to be heard. That, I hadn’t expected.
I listened for some sound that would let me know if anyone was inside the place that I recognized as their gym. I went around the side of the building to see if I could find a window I could peer into. And I found one, too. Only it was covered with a piece of plywood.
I found two more plywood-covered windows, one on the back and one on the far side. Had those two covered all the windows as part of a premeditated plan? All I knew for sure was that I had to get inside.
I decided to make a distraction to try to draw them outside. Hopefully, I could get them entirely away from the place, so I could get in to see if Kaye was there.
With the only way in and out being the one door, I grabbed a few rocks and went to hide. Throwing them at the car that was parked under the tree, I tried to smash the passenger window.
Three rocks in, the thing shattered, and it echoed through the dark night. I waited with my breath held, thinking at least one of them would come out to see what the hell that sound was.
Nothing happened.
I found more rocks and aimed for other window on that side. It took five rocks to make that one break. Another crash rang out in the night.
Again, nothing happened.
Pressing my ear to the plywood-covered window, I tried to listen as hard as I could. They had to be in there, and if so, they had to have heard the sounds I’d made.
Maybe they aren’t in there.
Pulling my gun out of the back of my jeans, I got ready to use it if need be. I wasn’t going to stand around and do nothing. If they hadn’t come out with all that noise, then they either weren’t there or were so dead asleep that my entrance would catch them off guard. I had to know either way.
The thing looked like it had been hand built. It wasn’t the most stable of buildings. Made entirely of wood, I was sure I could break the door down with no problem.
One kick had the wood splintering, and then with a good shoulder bump, I was inside. And all I found was pitch blackness.
Moving slowly, I crept inside, wary about how quiet it was. My foot bumped something that didn’t feel quite right. Leaning down, I felt it with my hand and realized quickly that it was a human. “Shit!” Running my hand along the wall, I found an opening and moved through it. “Is anyone in here?”
“David…” rasped a gravelly female voice.
“Kaye?” My heart sped up as I knew I’d found her. But what condition would I find her in? “Baby, are you okay?”
“Sort of.”
I approached the sound of her voice slowly; it sounded like she was on the floor. “What the hell happened, baby?”
“Jeffrey and John took me. They killed each other.” She coughed and let out a small shudder.
“Okay, first let me get you the hell out of here.” When I knelt down, I could finally make her out. She was on the floor tied to a chair, and John’s body was all up on her. “What the hell?”
“Just get me out of here…” she cried softly.
Putting my gun back into the waistband of my jeans, I pulled out a pocketknife and set to work cutting the ropes that held her to the chair.
Her arms were behind her back and I could feel cuffs on her wrists. “I don’t suppose you know where the key to these are, do you?”
“On Jeffery’s body,” came an answer I didn’t want to hear.
The last thing I wanted to do was mess with the dead bodies, but I wasn’t going to leave my wife locked up any longer. “Shit. Wait here. I’ll go get it.”
She wiggled around, and I helped her to sit up. “No! Take me with you! Don’t leave me alone!”
Picking her up, I held her close to my side as we went to find the key. The powerful smell of blood was everywhere, and it was awful. And Kaye smelled like it, too. “Have you been hurt?”
“No. That’s John’s blood on my shirt, not mine. God, I hope you’ve got some water with you, David. I’ve never been so thirsty.”
“I do.” My foot hit Jeffrey, and I let go of Kaye to lean down to feel for the key. My hand found so much more than that. “Oh, fuck!” I gagged as I touched the ragged place he’d been shot. Patting around jerkily, one finger encountered a hard metal object, and I grabbed at it. The key! “I got it. There’s more light outside—I’ll take them off out there.”
Once I’d gotten Kaye outside and the cuffs removed, her arms shot around me; she held on so tight I thought she might become an actual part of me. Then we both just cried like babies.
I had her in my arms once more, and all I could do was thank the Lord above for this miracle.