CHAPTER 22

Rose had just poured herself a glass of wine when there was a knock on the front door. She poured another glass for Cole and went to meet him at the door.

“Hi Rose.” Mike said as she opened the door and the strong wind slapped her face. “I’m really sorry I’m late, it’s been a rough day. If you have time I’d like to show you what we’ve found.”

“Mike.” Rose said surprised. “It’s been a rough day here as well, I completely forgot about our meeting.” She opened the door wider allowing him to step inside, mentally reminding herself to check the windows once he had left.

“Thank you. Like I said over the phone, we’ve told the police we have some information, but they weren’t interested so I wondered if you’d take a look and maybe you could try and persuade them.”

Rose’s frowned confused. “I’m sorry I thought you haven’t spoken to the police just yet?”

“Uhm well, we have mentioned it but we haven’t given them the exact details. They don’t take us security guards that serious.”

“Oh, right. Sure, why don’t you tell me and let’s decide what we’ll do about it.”

Mike laughed an easy sound. “It’s not here. It’s back at the security station at the gate. It’s video footage of the night you had trouble in your garden. We think it might be him trying to get away from the cops.”

Rose thought back to the figure in her garden, his build and profile. Maybe if the security footage was good enough she’d be able to recognize or at least give the cops a better description of the man. “Sure, let’s go.”

Knowing the security station was only a couple of minutes away Rose counted on being back before Cole. She closed the door behind her and followed Mike to his nondescript van.

“Excuse the van, I know it’s not much but I do some renovations on the side where it comes in handy.” Mike apologized as he slid behind the steering wheel.

Rose smiled. She wondered if Mike was married, he seemed like such a nice guy and yet he came across as nervous around her. “Don’t worry about it. As long as it works for you.” She soothed as the car pulled away from the curb.

A couple of young mothers were pushing toddlers in prams in the late afternoon even as other cars started trickling in to come home.

“It really is such a nice neighborhood; I really hope the police catch this guy so we can all feel safe again.”

“Yes, it would be such a shame for another woman to lose her life for selfish reasons.” Mike said as he turned away from the security station.

“What do you mean selfish reasons; there is no reason to kill. No reason is good enough to take another’s life.” Rose watched the car move further and further away from the security station and felt an eerie feeling something was wrong. “Mike aren’t we going the wrong way?” She asked easily hoping to keep the hitch she felt inside out of her voice.

Mike grinned at her, the first time Rose noticed something was off. Gone was the friendly smile and in its place was something darker and meaner as he spoke. “For what we’re going to do we’re going exactly the right way.”

Rose tried to open the door but found it locked. Her breath caught as her heart started to beat frantically in her chest. “Mike let me out. I’d like to go home now.”

“Nope, you’re not going home now sweet Rose. Not ever again. It’s time we took a walk in the woods.”

“Mike.” Rose said calmly. “If you’re the one that hurt Emmaline I forgive you, really it isn’t necessary to keep killing.”

“I won’t keep killing; I just need to finish my masterpiece…” His eyes turned from the road to meet hers. Cold and evil they watched her. “You.”

Rose wanted to scream, she wanted to claw at his eyes, scratch his arms but knew that would either cause a crash or make him kill her faster. Focusing on remaining calm she did a few deep breathing exercises.

The van moved deeper and deeper into the wooded area where the new development was yet to build more houses. Less people, less chance for escape was all she could think.

She thought of Mike finding her home empty without even a note and could only hope he would realize something was amiss. Patting the pocket on her jeans she realized she had even left her phone at home, she couldn’t even call someone or text Cole that she had been kidnapped.

Images of Emmaline dead and cold flashed through her mind, would she be next?

She refused to be! Rose started to think of all the series and movies she had watched and remembered one common thread that played across them all.

Remaining calm was your only hope for escape.

Remembering that she puckered up and swallowed down the fear that had bought bile with it and turned to Mike. “You know I’m actually glad you got rid of Emmaline. I only pretended to be her friend; she was actually a real nosy busy-body.”

“Don’t try that Rose, it’s not going to work.” Mike huffed as he navigated the narrow road in the wooded area.

“What? I’m being honest. I couldn’t exactly tell my neighbor she bothered me could I?” Rose could only hope Emmaline would forgive her for lying.

“Why not?” Mike asked glancing her way?

“Because I was new to the area, I didn’t have friends and you sure don’t go around telling people you don’t like them.”

“Life would be easier if we could.” Mike said under his breath.

“Exactly. Who don’t you like Mike?”

He sighed before glancing her way. “No one in particular, but rich folks make my list. They’re so goddamn entitled.”

“I know aren’t they? I don’t like rich folks either.” Rose said ignoring the panic crawling up her spine. “Anyone else on your list?”

“Pretty boys, like the one you’re fucking at the moment.”

Rose knew he was playing with her but she played right back. “Do you think I like him? Come on Mike, people like us will never fit in their world. I’m with him for the money. He’s paying to have a new security system installed in my house and I’m convincing him I need a condo in Miami.” Rose winked at Mike hoping she was convincing enough.

Mike laughed a thunderous sound in the small confined space and Rose used it as an opportunity to let her right hand explore the side pocket of the door. She carefully let her finger navigate through empty wrappers, a bottle of aerosol until her fingers found something of use. A pen.

She knew it wasn’t much but it was the only thing she had. She slowly slid it up her sleeve and watched as Mike took the final turn leading to the end of the road. Fat drops of rain started pounding against the windscreen, it would make escaping harder.

Knowing it was now or never she gathered all her courage and attacked.

Hands flailing she started slapping him hard enough to take his attention off the road. He slapped her with the back of his right hand, pain shot through her skull. A burning pain that made her vision blur for a moment.

But she didn’t retaliate. She went at him again scratching his face, hoping to at least get DNA under her nails should her body be found.

His hands left the steering wheel to clutch at the burning red marks on his cheek. “Bitch.” He yelled even as lifted his hand to strike again.

Rose knew her moment of glory had come. She slipped the pen from her sleeve and stabbed aiming for his face. When the blood started gushing from the wound and Mike’s surprise had him clutching his face she reached over him for the central locking button and unlocked the door.

She ripped open the door and jumped out rolling onto the twig covered floor of the wood. The wind and rain lashed out, both fighting for ground as Rose wiped the rain from her eyes. She felt her ankle twist as she landed, but ignored the pain and forced herself to get up when she heard Mike calling after her. “You’re not getting away that easily bitch!”

She could hear his footfalls thud behind her as she ran back towards the housed area, hoping someone would see her. Her ankle throbbed and pain shot up her leg every time she placed her weight on it. Rose blinked furiously through the tears and blurry vision as she tried to get away.

Taking a moment she glanced over her shoulder only to see Mike running after her, blood oozing from the hole in his check where the pen had landed.

Not today, she thought. She couldn’t die today. She still had too much to do, too much to see. She wanted to have that relationship with Cole, she wanted to revisit her decision not to become an attorney and she wanted to still have kids. As the heavy rain soaked through her clothes and fear was accompanied by the chill of the wind Rose made a decision.

Mike wouldn’t take that away from her, she wouldn’t let him.

Increasing her speed from a jog to run she heard the crack of bone as she placed her full weight on her ankle, it twisted beneath her. Darkness started to flood her mind even as she sensed Mike drawing closer.

“Cole.” Was the last words she spoke as Mike climbed onto her with a lanyard in his hand.