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Chapter twenty-five
Kasey
I’msittingnextto my sister in this nasty basement, listening to her soft sobs. It’s been about an hour, maybe less, since Helen made us record that horrible video.
“Shhh, Lindsey. At least now they know who has us. I’m sure they’re working on finding out who Helen is and where she lives right now.” At least I hope that’s the case. Who knows if Donovan even got the text. Helen hasn’t come back down. Thankfully, she hasn’t shot us up with anything to knock us out again. Bad move on her part. I’m still working the handcuffs, shredding the skin on my wrists as I go.
Light peeks through where I saw the steel door earlier. I thought we were lucky having Helen gone, but it looks like she’s returned. Lindsey squeezes her eyes shut. Sorry, sister, that isn’t going to stop her from noticing you’re here. Just a couple of seconds later, I see a figure appear out of the shadows.
Donovan.
Oh my God, he found us.
I hope this isn’t some weird after effect of whatever Helen shot me up with and I’m hallucinating. Please God, don’t let this be a hallucination. I blink several times and look over at my sister. She’s staring at him too. I see him look at me with relief as he takes a deep breath and heads toward us.
He kneels down in front of me first, putting his hand on my face.
“Thank God I found you. Are you hurt?”
I shake my head, with tears pooling in my eyes. “No, well, my wrists, but it’s not too bad, I think.”
He looks at where I’m shackled to the pipe and at the blood around the cuff. His jaw clenches and I can see the pain in his eyes from the injuries I have.
“Lindsey’s are worse. She’s been here a week, Donovan.” My voice cracks with the admission. Guilt is eating away at me. While we were enjoying our newfound freedom together, Lindsey was being held prisoner by a madwoman. The guilt I feel is almost unbearable.
“I’m going to get you both out of here.” He takes out a small pick and begins trying to unlock my handcuff. The movement of the cuff makes me wince. He sees the pain in my eyes and I see the apology in his. We don’t have time to waste on being gentle, though. We need to get the hell out of here before that crazy bitch comes back.
He gets one cuff off and begins working on the next one when the basement door at the top of the stairs opens and I hear someone stomping down the stairs.
Shit.
“No, no, no. You aren’t supposed to be here. I wanted Jackson here, not you. Where is Jackson? Did he come with you?”
Donovan stands and turns toward Helen, who has a gun pointed at him. She is obviously taken aback by his presence, judging by the wild look in her eyes and the shaky hand holding the gun. From Donovan’s position, I can tell he’s trying to shield Lindsey and me from the crazy woman with the gun. Lindsey is watching wide-eyed as the scene unfolds in front of us. How the hell are we going to get out of here when Helen now has a gun? The fear and resignation on my sister’s face are killing me. I’m not ready to give up. We are going to get out of here alive, and somewhat well. I won’t accept any other outcome. Lindsey, however, doesn’t seem to share that opinion. She swallows, takes a breath, and hangs her head in defeat. I’m trying to get her attention quietly so as not to draw attention from Helen. I stare at the side of her head and whisper her name, but she’s already closed off to me, accepting her fate.
“Jackson is here. He’s waiting for you outside, but he sent me in here to get the girls first. He said if you let them go, you guys can talk. That’s what you wanted, right? To talk to my brother?” Trying to fool this bitch won’t get us anywhere. I’ve already tried.
Helen leans around Donovan and glances at me.
“Do I look okay?” she asks me. “I wanted to look pretty for him today.”
Complete whack job.
“Yes, you look perfect,” I reply.
Donovan takes the opportunity of Helen’s distraction and charges her, tackling her to the ground. Oh my God, is he insane? She still has a fucking gun in her hand. I hear her grunt and scream and Donovan trying to pry the gun from her that’s between them. I don’t want to watch, but I can’t look away. Helen is thrashing under Donovan’s weight, screaming for Jackson the whole time. I hear the gun go off with a head-splitting bang, then silence. No one moves and my ears are ringing from the gunshot. Helen rolls Donovan off her and he lies on his back, motionless. No, no, no. That is not how this happens. Helen gets up from the ground, pointing the gun at Donovan’s prone body, shaking even harder than before. The smell of gunpowder is making my eyes burn as I watch the blood stain spread across Donovan’s T-shirt.
Footsteps rush down the basement stairs just as Jackson comes through the steel door, quickly surveying the scene in front of him. He sees his brother on the ground just as Helen turns to him.
“Jackson, you really are here,” she says with a smile.
Aiden is at the foot of the stairs, pointing his gun at Helen, but Jackson doesn’t see him and lunges toward Helen to get the gun from her. Oh God, not again. I don’t want to see another Hayes shot by this woman. Aiden can’t get a clear shot as Jackson struggles to get the gun out of Helen’s grasp. He forces her arm down and it’s now between their bodies as he tries to get a better grip on the weapon.
Bang.
