Rachel watched as Mickey argued with himself, and her. She had gotten him started on the topics, but he had fallen into his own rabbit hole and had been doing all the talking for the last 15 minutes. She thought she had seen the flash of a shadow in the window, but she tried not to get her hopes up too much. They would get here, but she couldn’t blow it with a look or the wrong shift of the eyes.
“Do you think she’ll still love me if I kill him? I mean, she says she will, but will she really? She might be upset because then the money will run out, where, if he were alive and married her, it would just keep going. But invest! Invest! Invest! I can do that!”
He was rambling, and Rachel tried to keep up, but she just didn’t think it was possible. She gave her ropes a tug instead; maybe she could work at them while he was distracted. They may have been tight, but there was a chance she could slip out of them. Rachel began to squirm a bit, trying to keep her shoulder still as her wrists worked to free her hands from their bindings.
He continued to pace, and she watched with weary eyes as he did so. He was becoming more manic, and she knew that couldn’t be a good sign. She looked over to Tom; excitedly, she realized his eyes were now fluttering open.
He swallowed hard and his droopy eyes glanced around the place. He tried to swallow again, but his mouth was so dry he couldn’t manage. His eyes opened a bit more, and at awareness of the situation, they snapped open. He looked around frantically, and his eyes met Rachel’s. She shook her head feverishly for him to stay low. He stopped moving and looked at Mickey, who had his back turned and was now yelling to no one in particular.
Rachel gestured toward the ropes and then pretended to be a sleep. Then she gestured again, as Tom watched. He nodded and laid his head on his chest, but she saw him trying to work at his own ropes. She sighed in relief. While company was great, having a disruption may have been what put him over the edge. Or maybe when he was coming at her with one of those tools, Tom could surprise him and buy more time. Rachel had no clue, but she had to do something.
Mickey turned back around with a sneer on his face. Salvia dripped down his lips in a foamy substance, and his eyes were wide and dilated.
“It’s all your fault!”
“Oh no,” Rachel whispered. He had turned on her.
He went over to the table of tools and slowly ran a hand down it. He had even taken such care as to lay down a red table cloth for them. It draped over the table like dripping blood.
He picked up the hammer and studied it. He flipped it in his hand and felt its weight. Rachel felt the chills go up her spine and the bile form at the back of her throat. She felt absolute terror rip through her body as she watched him study the weapon.
“Maybe,” he said to himself and then set the tool back down.
Next he picked up the hacksaw, and Rachel thought for a moment that she might pass out as her life was quickly becoming a real life horror movie.
He shook his head, “No, no, too slow and messy.”
Next he picked up the drill and a huge, toothy grin curled on his face. His brow narrowed, and he held the tool in awe.
“Ah! Yes!”
He whirled around and looked at Rachel.
“Now, now I can make you just like her, just like my Mel Bel. Never again to walk, hell, to breathe, really, but first your legs need to match hers. I'll go right through those little kneecaps, and then the shins, ankles, tendons, and toes! You’ll just bleed and bleed, all for my sweet baby.”
He stepped closer, and Rachel’s eyes swept the room for one last escape. She was stuck. Adrenaline flooded her, and she just knew this was the end, that it was all over.
“No, Mickey, you don’t want to do this. You don’t, you’ll go to prison for life. They might even kill you!” Rachel gasped out, her final attempt to distract.
“Please, Riley,” she whispered to herself.
Mickey stood and thought for another moment. He lifted his fingers to his face and briefly considered.
“Do you suppose they would put her with me? Probably, not, no? They don’t do that, but it won’t matter! It won’t, no it will not, because then I’ll kill him and take the money and seek her out! It’s my perfect plan, little bunny, remember that!”
With that, his finger pulled the trigger on the drill, and he stepped toward Rachel with his face contorted in rage. His eyes glowed furiously, and she felt the sudden weight of his presence and a breeze from the spinning drill. She screamed—the shrill, pure screech of terror cut through the room and over the drill.
What happened next was all a blur. The drill was right by her cheek, his gnarled teeth in her face and his hot, putrid breath in her nostril. The door burst open behind him, and startled, he turned around. Rachel looked back and saw Riley, his eyes narrowed and a sneer of rage on his face. He launched himself at Mickey, full tilt and every muscle coiled at the ready. He flung himself over the distance in two short strides and tackled the man to the concrete. The drill went flying through the air, still whirling, and landed next to Tom’s feet.
Riley had the man pinned, and with the ferocity of a beast, he pulled his fist back and sent a blow full force to his cheek. It collided with a clack, Mickey’s tooth flew from his mouth, and blood splattered the wall. Riley pulled the other fist back and whaled him with a second punch. This time a tooth from the opposite side was spit out and more blood poured from his mouth. He reached up with those skinny arms, but it was no use—Riley was out for blood.
He reached down and took his opponents wrist; with a quick motion, he snapped it over his knee, and Mickey screamed in agony. Riley pushed himself off the man and stood over him for a moment. Mickey looked up at him with a bloody grin, and Riley pulled his pistol forward and aimed it right at Mickey’s heart.
“Riley! No!” Rachel screamed. She couldn’t fathom losing him to prison, no matter if that psycho had almost killed her.
Riley looked up at her. His ruthless eyes gleamed in the yellowed lights. He was breathing heavy, nostrils flaring and sweat dripping. He looked back at Mickey and lowered his gun. Mickey laughed in return.
“Knew you wouldn’t.”
Riley raised his gun and shot two bullets, one in each kneecap. Rachel flinched at the sound and the spray of blood.
Rile leaned down as Mickey cried in agonizing pain, writhing as blood spewed from his legs, and he pat the wounded man on the shoulder.
“There, now you and Melissa match.”
At that, he rushed over to Rachel’s side. Titan came in behind him and started to untie Tom. Rachel pulled her hands free and reached up to Riley’s face. She pulled him to her, and he kissed her passionately, wrapping his arms around her to feel and assure himself that she was really there. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him all over, tasting the salty sweat and inhaling his scent. She had thought she would never see him again.
“It’s over, gorgeous, it’s really over,” he whispered to her, and she felt the tears well in her eyes as she held him close.
He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He held her so tight she could hardly breathe. He stood up and she pulled back to look him in the eyes.
“I thought I was going to lose you,” she said as the tears began to stream down her face.
He shook his head and his own eyes welled in tears. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly.
“I thought I was going to lose you too,” he whispered.
He leaned his forehead into hers, and they paused for a moment to take it all in. They had survived. Together they had defeated these crazy monsters and made it to the other side, hand in hand. Rachel kissed his beard mindlessly. She just needed to feel him right now, be close to him, and know he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Say, how do you feel about heading home?” he asked her softly as he began to walk toward the stairs.
She nodded, wrapped herself around his neck, and collapsed in compete exhaustion.
“I like that plan.”
Mickey was still screaming, but Titan had pulled Tom to his feet. Riley turned and looked at him, “You need anything else from me?”
Titan shook his head and looked at the man who was bleeding nearby.
“Nah, I already called the cops and the ambulance; we’ll make sure he doesn’t die.” Titan chuckled and waved them off.
Riley headed up the stairs, a small smile on his face as he realized it was over and Rachel was safe in his arms. The men watched him head past the basement door, through the kitchen, and to the back. The full moon peeked from behind the clouds and lit them in a pale blue light. Rachel looked up and sighed.
“Is it really over?” she asked quietly.
Riley shrugged, “I think so. But now we know we can make it through anything.”
Rachel let out a small laugh. “I guess you’re right.”
He chuckled. “I mean, how many couples make it through not one, but two stalkers all within their first two months of dating?”
Rachel gently patted his back; usually it would have been a playful slap, but she simply didn’t have the energy.
“That’s true,” she replied with a small laugh.
“I have a doctor waiting at home. Do you mind being checked out when you get there?” Riley asked as he approached the car.
Rachel shook her head. “No, he can check.”
Riley opened the door and put her in the passenger seat, then he lifted a hand to her face and kissed her forehead. He looked at her with concerned eyes, searching her face for any sign of harm.
“Did he hurt you? Or touch you, do anything to you?”
Rachel shook her head again. “No, he only threatened. You got there just in time.”
He nodded. “Glad I did. I don’t know what I would have done if—”
She cut him off with a kiss. He took in the feeling of her warmth and relaxed. She pulled back and put her hand on his cheek, mindlessly stroking his beard.
“Don’t worry about it, handsome, or even think of it. You made it, and we’re both ok.”
He nodded and kissed her forehead again, holding her in a hug that he never wanted to let go.
“You’re right, let’s get home, beautiful.”
With that he went to the driver’s side, hopped in, and tore away from the scene. The cops would be at his place in the morning, but right now all he wanted to do was get Rachel home and seen by the doctor. Then they could shower and fall into a peaceful sleep. He knew the last part wasn’t likely to happen for a few weeks for either of them, but he could hope. He reached over and squeezed Rachel’s hand.
“I love you,” he said simply, his eyes meeting hers.
She smiled back. “I love you too.”