Edward stands on the street with his coffee, staring at the house and wavering between staying put and starting his investigation. The dead cop is a major turnoff. What the hell happened in this damn house yesterday that’s worth a cop’s life?
And then he catches movement in an upstairs window. It’s dark, but the street lights give enough of a glow to see by. Still, he decides it's only his imagination and takes another sip of coffee. The world is quiet at this time of morning, and the ground is wet from the overnight rain. Streaky clouds hover over the moon, further restricting his vision. Thinking he’ll call Jasper again, he turns to his truck.
Thump. Thump.
Edward looks over his shoulder apprehensively.
Thump. Thump.
What in the fuck could be making that noise?
Thump. Thump.
Dropping the cup on the edge of his truck bed, he stares at the charred doorway of the house before he pulls the gun from his waistband. Right about now it resembles a gaping maw, ready to devour him into its dark void. He crosses the street, not taking a second look at the cruiser, and heads up the front walk. With his gun held low, he pulls back the slide to chamber a round before raising it to just below eye level and cautiously climbing the front steps. He glances around the foyer before heading inside, then he looks to the left into the burnt room before looking to the right at the untouched room.
Thump, thump, thump.
The sound is definitely coming from the second story, so Edward carefully makes his way to the kitchen and peers out the window of the back door. The door to the shed is standing wide open, and when he checks the back door, he finds it unlocked. I know I locked it back before I left. He makes a slow arc toward the staircase and peers into the unknown above him. He releases the safety on his gun and begins the climb.
Thump. Thump.
“Here goes nothing.”
Jasper curses loudly as he hears Cullen’s voicemail greeting. Frustrated and too tired for this shit, he leaves a terse message.
“Cullen, this is Lieutenant Hale. Caius Volturi left the hospital AMA. That can’t be a good thing. Mrs. Volturi’s cell phone has been located; the ping came back as being within a one-mile triangulation around the area where their home is located. In other words, her phone is most likely in the home.” Jasper sighs heavily, scrubbing his eyes with his fingers. “Whatever you do, do not go into that house. I’m beginning to think you were right, and this is all a massive cover up for murder. I’ve sent a squad car, and I’ll be there shortly. Just stay put.”
He hangs up the phone, a feeling of dread in his gut, and grabs his jacket and his keys before heading out.
Stupid fucking bitches and their need to stick their nose in every fucking thing. He swings the bloody shovel at the control panel again and again. Sweat drips from his temples, but he ignores it. He has to get to them before the police discover them hiding out in the safe room.
“Just open the door, Jane!” he screeches in frustration.
Fucking cunt whore bitch!
He swings again, and a piece of the plate covering the panel falls off. Fueled by fury and a demon’s rage, he beats on it over and over and over.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His efforts are rewarded when another chunk of metal hits the floor. He takes a second to wipe the sweat off his forehead and catch his breath. The safe room is soundproof if he remembers correctly, but he’s tempted to yell at his wife and mistress some more. If one of them would just listen and open the door!
Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump!
Caius bangs incessantly, laser focused on one thing and one thing only.
Covering up his secrets, at any cost.
Bella tried to scream, but his hands closed around her throat before she could get enough air down into her lungs. He squeezed, spurred on by the drugs racing through his system. He felt invincible, because no one was going to spill his dirty secrets if he had anything to say about it. Her face started to change color, and he smiled at the way she clawed at his hands. Stupid girl should have known he couldn't be stopped; he was all-powerful. Giving her a shake made her eyes widen further, and he chuckled.
She kicked, trying to reach any part of him that she could. She caught him in the balls, and he dropped her on the floor like a ragdoll. Bella dragged in air, feeling it scrape its way down her ravaged throat. Kicking him didn't have the intended effect, though. He only became more enraged, stalking her across the floor as she tried to scramble for the door. With a roar, he grabbed her by the hair and flung her, sending her sailing into the table leg. The pain in her skull was enough to make her teeth ache and her eyes water. She shrieked, but he reached down and wrapped his hands around her neck again, cutting off her air supply, and therefore her scream. Bruises were already forming, giving him something to smile at. His salvation would be in her death.
He pressed his thumbs into her trachea, hoping to crush her windpipe. Her pupils were blown out and her body was slow to react. She lost consciousness as he ruthlessly compressed her throat between his large hands. Satisfied, he dropped her to the floor and then kicked her lifeless body once for good measure.
Caius looked around for something to wrap the body in; he’d bury it in that empty lot just a few doors down from his house, and then he’d have time to go to the stupid party his wife insisted on throwing. He found a thick blanket and rolled the body into it, throwing it over his shoulder and carrying it down in the service elevator to the parking garage. He popped the cargo hold on his SUV and dumped it in there without remorse.
Whistling, he rounded to the driver’s seat and climbed inside. He’d have to stop somewhere and buy a shovel, but it was worth it. The cement truck would cover any evidence left of his vindication. Everything would be back in its rightful place by the end of the night.
Edward hears shouting now, a male voice. He swears he hears the name of the homeowner’s missing wife, Jane. Now that he has solid proof that someone is in the house, he’s even more careful with checking rooms.
Thump! Thump!
The bastard is back to beating on something. Edward can't figure out what the guy’s doing, but it can't be good if the fire and the dead cop are any indication. He feels like Captain Idiot for going into the house, but he can’t shake the thought that the wife is here, somewhere. He would feel a million times worse if she died while he was sitting in his truck.
Thump. Thump.
He wonders if the crazy man is tiring out. He's not knocking as loud as he was.
Either that or he's accomplished his goal.
Bella wakes with a start, realizing that the thumping in her dreams is actually coming from outside the door. She jumps up and scurries to the very back of the room, her eyes wheeling around her in panic. She can’t remember where she is, but if Caius comes back for her, she’s truly dead this time.
Thump! Thump!
Thump. Thump.
She spots the wife in the corner nearest the door. She’s holding a piece of a metal shelving unit in her hands like someone would wield a baseball bat. Slowly, Bella shuffles forward. Her entire body hurts, every joint and every muscle, the tendons feeling overstretched and her skin on fire. Her throat is a desert without an oasis, wrapped in sandpaper.
She taps the other woman on the shoulder, then cowers with her hands up when Jane swings the metal piece in her direction, stopping just before hitting her.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Jane puts the shelving bracket down and hugs Bella. “How are you feeling?”
Bella shrugs and touches her throat, then points to the door.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
As if to confirm her unspoken question, he beats on the door this time.
“Caius is trying to break in,” Jane says quietly. “I don't know what will happen if he succeeds, but I do know I’m not going down without a fight.”
Bella nods and looks for a piece of metal to pull off the set of shelves for her own protection. Standing side by side, the two women take up defensive positions just inside the door.
The thumping stops, and Jane curses the sound proofing. She can't figure out why, but it seems as if he’s stopped trying to gain access to the safe room.
Several minutes pass, and Bella’s arms are weeping with the weight of the makeshift weapon in her raised hands. If he’s given up, then they can relax. She taps Jane again, and gestures for her to put down her pole.
It seems that so much time is passing, so they sit down again near the door. Their weapons are at their fingertips, just in case. Bella starts to doze off again when she hears it. She taps Jane on the arm; she had just fallen asleep with her head against the wall.
There’s a terrible squawking sound, and the door begins to shudder. Panicked, the women jump up, swiping at the sleep in their eyes and drying sweaty palms on their clothes before preparing to defend themselves from the crazy man they both made the mistake of loving.
The door shifts again, and a crack opens. Jane whimpers, and Bella places a reassuring hand on her arm.
Light begins to just barely show through the tiny opening. Then the beam grows as the door opens wider. Swallowing hard and wincing from the pain, Bella leaps in front of Jane and brings her piece of metal down hard.
Oh fucking hell. Caius is a crazy son of a bitch!
ReplyDeleteYes, he truly is.
Delete