CHAPTER TWENTY
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Brody’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket as the elevator signaled the doors were about to open. Too many events were happening at once, as well as too many people in such a small space. The alcove wasn’t nearly large enough to accommodate five people, though it was clear Remy disagreed. She wasn’t counting on whoever might be exiting onto this floor.
Remy’s position was too close to the elevator doors for his liking. He managed to pull her away from the commotion as he withdrew his cell to see whether he was receiving a call or a notice from the software he had running back at headquarters. The only drawback from this type of setup is that the software was delayed by a good sixty seconds, maybe even longer considering the reception in this damned building.
“Bruce? Elliott?”
Remy called out her colleagues’ names right as the image of a man wearing a medical face mask was displayed on Brody’s phone. One of the hospital’s security feeds had caught on camera enough of the male figure’s bone structure as he’d been adjusting the mask that the software had made a positive identification.
“What happened?” Remy rushed forward before Brody realized what she was doing. “Oh, my God. Please tell me Carol is okay!”
“Son of a—”
Brody didn’t get out the rest of his words as madness ensued. That was the only way to describe the next five seconds as numerous events unfolded all at once.
Brody had already drawn his weapon as he reached for Remy to drag her away from any potential endangerment, having already made the connection on how Varan had known way too many details of Remy’s movements.
Julia Forsythe had been the traitor all along. Brody couldn’t concentrate on that realization, though. His only priority was reaching Remy, but Elliott was pushed forward with such a force that he slammed into Brody while a surprised Bruce gave a shout of warning to anyone in the vicinity.
Julia was screaming for help as she held onto Ralph’s hand, though the aide had already cleared the alcove and was running down the hall to summon the two uniformed officers.
It was too late.
Remy had been dragged forward and hauled into the elevator with enough force that one of her black heels had been left behind. Brody didn’t hesitate as he aimed his firearm, setting his sights directly on…Remy. Varan had positioned her just right, fully aware that no one would take such a shot as the doors were shutting closed.
Brody’s intention to pull the trigger evaporated instantly as Remy’s blue eyes stared into his with absolute terror.
And just like that…she was gone.
“No one leaves this floor,” Brody yelled, lowering his weapon as he caught sight of the two uniformed officers. He pointed toward the group of people in the alcove, specifically targeting Julia Forsythe. “They are all in custody until I say otherwise! I want this hospital on lockdown now!”
Brody didn’t stay around to ensure the officers would do as he instructed. He ran for the stairwell, hitting the door open with his shoulder and taking the first two stairs before the metal even touched the wall. There was no way in hell Varan was leaving this building with Remy in tow. It wasn’t going to happen.
“Move! Gangway below!”
Brody barely avoided knocking two people down the cement stairs as they hastily backed up to prevent being hit as his momentum drove him forward. He barreled out into the lobby to find four policemen taking up position in front of each elevator shaft. The numbers above each bank told him nothing, but he still zeroed in on the one that contained Remy.
“Tell me they’re descending,” Brody managed to get out, only allowing himself to drag in enough air to inflate his lungs fully. He pointed the barrel of his weapon toward the illuminated number. “Where the fuck are they?”
“Stopped, sir,” one of the officers announced, already speaking with the security guard. Brody continued to stare at the red numerals, going through numerous scenarios of how this could play out. “The elevator shaft was purposefully stopped between floors three and two.”
Brody wanted to rail against these four uniformed men for allowing Varan to even enter this hospital, though they wouldn’t have spotted him in a crowd of people if he’d been wearing that surgical mask.
The same one Julia Forsythe had provided him in his quest to kill Remy. The nurse’s comment had been so out of the ordinary, that Brody berated himself for not catching the verification of the older woman’s involvement. So many things were starting to add up, but he didn’t have time to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. It was easy to figure out the overall picture.
The bottom line was that it didn’t matter Julia’s reasoning. Brody would see to it that the woman paid dearly for her role in this ambush. As far as he was concerned, death wasn’t even good enough for the betrayal she’d just imparted to Remy.
“I want in that elevator shaft now,” Brody declared as he holstered his weapon with more force than necessary. A firearm would do him no good now. He tamped down his boiling rage as he struggled to see clearly what needed to be done. “I want eyes on that elevator camera, and someone tell me how to access that fucking elevator shaft! Get fucking moving!”
*
The tip of the blade cut into Remy’s flesh as if her skin were made of nothing but butter.
David was holding her so tight against him that it was all but impossible for her to reach into her purse for her firearm. She closed her eyes tight as she waited for the blade to sink even deeper into her neck, ending it all. The only saving grace was that Brody’s face was the last thing she’d seen before her certain death.
He had given her more than anyone else had, without even realizing it.
Brody had made her feel more alive last night than she had in her entire life.
“You understand finally, don’t you?” David’s repulsive voice graveled in her ear like he was dragging his nails down a chalkboard. His warm breath was even more nauseating as it caressed her skin. “I’ve been sent to destroy you, Adramelesh. I know your name.”
Remy went completely still as David finally released his hold around her as he ran his hand up her arm, though still keeping the tip of the blade just inside her skin. A trail of warm blood dripped down the front of her chest. It was a reminder that she was still alive. Ever so slowly, she reached into her purse until her fingers grazed the rubber grip of her weapon.
“Do you know how I’ll do that, demon?” David shifted his arm so that his free hand rested against her abdomen. “I’m going to make small cuts into Remy’s body, giving you multiple ways to leave her soul. I will stare into Remy’s eyes with each bloody slit I make, watching for when you depart, and once you’ve left…she’ll love me. Yes, I will make love to you, Remy, before you take leave of what’s left of your own body, so that you will know that you weren’t left to die alone. You’d like that, right, Remy?”
It was apparent that David was waiting for her to respond, but she honestly didn’t understand what he was talking about. She was too caught up with how he planned to kill her and the visions of the torture her sister had endured at this monster’s hands.
Demon? He thought Anna had somehow been possessed by a demon?
“It was my fault, really,” David all but whispered in his plea of what sounded like forgiveness. Remy stopped herself from withdrawing her firearm too soon, as he was now leaning over her left shoulder. She cringed when his moist tongue ran up the side of her neck, swallowing against the bile that rose in her throat. “I didn’t know you’d be there. The demon is a truly devious sort, you know. He burrowed into your soul before either of us even realized it had jumped.”
Remy forced herself to open her eyes as she stared up at the illuminated numbers. David had stopped the elevator from descending. She had no choice but to wait for the right time to restart the winch. That meant keeping him occupied and it appeared that this sick bastard wanted to talk.
So be it.
“How do I get rid of this terrible demon inside of me, David?”
Remy hadn’t expected such a violent reaction, but David literally shoved her forward with such a force that she didn’t have time to bring her hand out of her purse to break the impact. Her cheekbone met with the door of the elevator with a resounding crack, and it took her a moment to regain her senses.
“Are you trying to trick me, vile creature?” David yelled, his confusion mixed with anger. He waved the knife in front of her as she turned around to face him, apparently attempting to figure out what she’d meant. He was much too close for her to draw her weapon out of her purse. She had no doubt that he would sink the blade into her all the way to the hilt upon any sudden movements. “Is that you, Abramelesh?”
“No,” Remy was quick to say, trying desperately to turn the gun around in her purse without him realizing what she was planning. “It’s me. Remy. Anna’s sister.”
“Does he know you’re talking to me?” David asked in somewhat awe that she could break through the veil and be able to speak with him. He stepped even closer up against her. It was beyond spine-chilling, the manner in which he looked into her eyes. It was as if he could literally see someone inside of her. His face suddenly lit up with happiness. That alone sent terror racing through her veins. “I can help you. You only have to let me. I—”
Remy squeezed the trigger several times in quick succession.
The empty clicking sound was the most horrifying noise she’d ever heard. David’s dull blue eyes held confusion at first, but then rage beyond what she would ever understand. They both screamed for different reasons, but she reacted fast enough to drop to the floor as he shoved the knife forward. The tip of the heavy bladed knife embedded itself deep into the door, giving her time to activate the elevator. Unfortunately, she’d pressed other buttons in her attempt to pull out the emergency stop switch.
Remy kicked off her lone heel as she brought up her knee to slam into his groin. It was with enough force that it caused him to stumble backward into the wall. She spun around and grabbed the handle of the knife, but he was faster. He twisted her around with his hands on her throat, squeezing until she was sure she’d hear the sound of her own neck snapping in two.
No oxygen was available to her brain.
Her lungs burned with the need to draw breath.
Colorful lights flashed in front of her, erasing David’s heinous features.
This was it, but it was better to die this way than what he’d formerly planned.
Neither of them had anticipated the elevator stopping, or for the door to swoosh open. The movement behind her caused his grip to loosen ever so slightly and they both stumbled out into an empty corridor. Remy was instinctively dragging air into her lungs as they both continued to fall to the ground, trying to gather enough oxygen to scream for help.
David’s fingers slipped from around her throat, giving Remy the opportunity to scramble away from him. He immediately stopped her progress by grabbing hold of her ankle and dragging her back toward him.
Remy yelled as loud as she could, kicking out at him with her other leg and fighting with every ounce of strength. Her heel must have caught him in the face, because he released her ankle and fell stunned to the side.
She didn’t waste any time as she scrambled to her bare feet and started to run, somehow taking in the fact that they were now in the basement of the hospital. They had to be. The floors were cold tile, the walls were cream-painted cement, and there was only one long line of iridescent tubes on the ceiling for lighting. There were also double doors to her left, which she immediately sought shelter in as she hit the heavy wood with both hands.
Empty.
Another sob caught in her throat as the reality that she was on her own down here settled in. She’d always thought morgues were in the basement of hospitals, but she didn’t even have the dead to help her fight David.
Remy tried to think rationally of the numerous choices ahead of her, not doubting the fact that David was seconds behind her. She vaguely remembered the knife falling to the floor when the doors opened, but she hadn’t been able to waste time in locating it. Getting as far away as possible until help arrived was her only option that breached the surface once she was free of his grasp.
Brody would come for her. She had to believe that.
Remy’s heartbeat was so loud in her ears that she kept looking over her shoulder to make sure it wasn’t David’s footsteps behind her. It was when she caught sight of the doors opening and seeing David’s silhouette in the doorway that she realized this could be the end that she’d always believed would come.
This could be the end.
*
The demon had tricked him.
He experienced a rage he’d never known before, causing him to momentarily forget his ritual of loving the soul left behind.
Remy must have known it as well, for she fought against him and the demon for her last chance of being loved by him.
He was proud of her…so proud she had chosen him.