This wasn’t the same man she’d trusted with her life the last six years. This was a desperate man. A monster.
“Okay. I’ll go.” She walked slowly forward. “You’ll never get away with this.”
“Don’t worry about me. They’ll be so worried looking for you, they won’t notice the fireman on scene. Now shut up, or I light you up.”
She didn’t want to test him.
He directed her through several hallways and into an expansive room lined with walk-in freezers. All of the freezers had two-by-fours jammed under the handles to keep the doors locked.
Even if Liam was able to determine they were in this building, he wouldn’t know which freezer they were in. Was he going to be able to save them? Assuming he even made it in time.
Until then, it would be up to her to save them.
“Where are the girls?” She scanned the room, determining the layout. Desperate to find a way to stop him.
“I know what you’re doing. I’ve already done the assessment. Distance. Airflow. Vapor weight.” He lifted the gasoline container. “I can set you ablaze and be gone before you hit the ground.”
She knew how gasoline vapors behaved. They didn’t rise. They sank. Three to four times heavier than air meant they were pooling on the floor. Waiting for the slightest spark.
“That one.” He pointed to the third door from the left. “Move the board and get in.”
She stepped forward and grabbed the board. A tiny bark sounded from inside the freezer. Sophia must have had Blossom when they were taken.
She gripped the board. She could use it to knock him out. Then she could grab the gun and hold him until help arrived. Except he’d been smart enough to bring a lighter he could simply toss at the gas. If he dropped it, the fight was over.
She’d just have to hope Liam made it on time.
And perhaps pray that the Lord would be with her the same way he had been with Joseph.
Right there in the middle of her troubles.
She opened the door. Light filtered across the space, revealing two figures huddled in the corner.
“Get in there.” Dean shoved her, and Sam hit the floor, causing pain to radiate through her body.
The door slammed shut behind her, enveloping them in darkness.
She stood up and pounded on the door. It was no use. Dean had already wedged the two-by-four under the handle.
“Sam!” Isabella yelled.
Sam turned and kneeled down. “I’m coming.” There hadn’t been enough light or time for her to make out everything in thefreezer. She crawled toward the scared teenagers a foot at a time, swiping her hands out and feeling for things as she went. “Talk to me.”
If they talked to her, she could follow the sound of their voices.
“I’m sorry, Sam,” Bella cried.
“We’re going to be okay.” She wished she believed what she was saying. She needed to keep the girls calm. Freaking out wouldn’t do them any good.
“You were in the hospital, and Liam had been attacked,” Sophia croaked.
“Dean was at Liam’s house,” Bella sobbed. “He said Liam had called him and that he was supposed to take us back to the hospital. We didn’t know he was the one behind all of it.”
“None of this is your fault.” Sam continued her crawl. She reached out her hand and felt denim material.
Her best friend was an arsonist and murderer, and he’d been grooming teens to do his bidding. Was he trying to distance himself from the crimes they were committing? Using kids like pawns?
She wanted to be sick.
