AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There’s a dark figure seated on the front porch. It has to be Ramsey, and at his vantage point, there’s no way that I can get closer without him spotting me. He’s holding something metal that glistens in the light from the windows. The front door’s open behind him, and I strain my neck but can’t see anything inside.
I take a deep breath and step out onto the driveway. He sees me and stands under the porch light, exposing the fireman’s ax that he holds in his hand. I step closer and he moves down a step, blocking my entry to the house.
“I’m here for Sara,” I say without preamble.
“Took you long enough. Wonder how your girl would feel if she knew you saved the dog first,” he chuckles darkly, and I think that if I’d done it on purpose, knowing Sara, she’d be proud.
“Where is she?” I demand.
“She’s safe inside…for now.”
I size him up and realize that we have similar builds. He’s my height and could probably hold his own in a fight, but I doubt he’s ever come across someone like me. He has someone that belongs to me, and she’s the most important thing in my life. I’d take on three of him at once if that’s what it takes to protect her.
“Why don’t we settle this man-to-man?” I say. “It’s me that you have a problem with, so why not just fight me? How ‘bout you and that ax against me? Sounds fair?”
“Oh, I have no doubt that you and I are about to scrap, but even with the ax, I don’t like these odds. I’d like to add another level of difficulty for you to even the playing field. How’s this?” he asks and grins as he walks back up the porch and tosses a lit match through the door.
The carpet inside ignites, and I lose all sense of self and run across the lawn at him. He raises the ax and takes a swing at me, but I duck and grab hold of the handle. He tugs it one way and I pull it the other, but he refuses to let go, so I use my left hand to punch him in the jaw. His head pivots back, but he tightens his grip on the ax handle and smirks at me, so I let go and allow him to swing again. He raises the ax above his head, and I pound relentlessly on his ribs until he drops it. I pick it up and launch it into the front yard.
Sara cries out from inside, and I try to push past him to get to her, but he grabs me from behind and yanks me back out the door. I punch him once in the center of his face, cracking his nose, and watch blood stream down his face. He laughs and strikes me on the cheek. It’s a solid punch, but I’m teeming with adrenaline and know that he’s the only thing standing between me and Sara’s safety, so I take the blow and wrap my arms around him and pull him off the porch and onto the grass. We topple to the ground together, and I scurry to my feet. He’s fast and gets up with me. I try to weave past him, but he grabs hold of me, and we trade blows again as the fire inside rages.
He’s a good match for me and the fight might have gone on forever, but my sense of panic overtakes me when I hear Sara scream again—louder this time. I grab Ramsey by the face and head-butt him hard, three times. The third blow rocks him, and he stumbles, so I shove his chest and watch as he falls to his knees.
I leap onto the porch and through the door with no thoughts of my own mortality. The fire slaps my coat, and I use my bare hand to extinguish the flames that dance on my sleeve. I shield my eyes and try to see through the rising smoke. I call out, “Sara!”
“Here, in the kitchen,” she yells back, and I move full speed down the hall. She’s tied to an old chair in the center of the room, with flames gathering on the walls around her and the ceiling above her. My lungs are filling with smoke, making it hard to breathe and slowing my movement, but I have to reach her. I hear the ceiling beams creak and cave behind me, and I know that I’m out of time.
Mustering all of my will, I pick Sara up, chair and all, and carry her to the backdoor. The door is locked, and I have no time to fight with the molten metal lock, so I kick it until the hinges give, and I carry Sara to safety. I untie her and drop to my knees beside her.
“Did he hurt you? Are you okay?” I ask her, quickly examining her for injuries.
“No,” she answers and drops out of the chair and into my arms. “You saved me.”
“I don’t know what I would do if he hurt you.” I pull back and tip her chin up. “I love you.”
“I love you,” she breathes.
I cradle her in my arms where she belongs, and I don’t ever want to let her go. But then, I remember Ramsey. This has to end tonight. I don’t want him getting away and Sara looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life. That guy will never hurt anyone ever again.
“Stay right here. Fire and paramedics should be on the way,” I tell her.
“Wait, don’t go out there.” Her face is full of fear and worry, so I tighten my hold on her and kiss her forehead.
“I have to put an end to this. It’ll be alright,” I assure her and rise to my feet.
Sirens blare in the distance, and I hurry to the front of the house. I need to make sure Ramsey doesn’t try to run when he hears them. He isn’t in the grass where I left him, and I scan the yard, frantically fearing that he may have already escaped. To my surprise, I find him on the porch attempting to enter the house. I guess he decided that this fire would be his swan song and that he would leave this world in a blaze of glory, but I won’t have it. He doesn’t get to choose how this ends.
With all of the strength left in me, I run to the door and grab him. He fights hard to escape my grasp, but I’m driven by more than anger or a desire for revenge. It’s justice that I want and justice I’ll get. I drag him off the porch and force him to the ground, holding him there until the others arrive.
“Why couldn’t you just let me die? You’d be done with me then,” he spits out.
“Because you don’t get to decide how this ends. I’m the one who makes the rules.”
Detective Milton is first on the scene. He cuffs Ramsey and reads him his rights then stuffs him in the back of his car. Sara hears the commotion and comes around the side of the house. I put my arm around her and walk her to the waiting ambulance so that she can get checked out. She sees the blistering on my hand and arm and insists that I get checked out, too.
The paramedic offers me an oxygen mask, but I wave him away. Sara needs it more than I do. The Chief arrives and beacons for me, so I give Sara a kiss and tell her that I’ll meet her at the hospital. Once the ambulance leaves, I walk over to Milton and the Chief. Ramsey is still seated in Milton’s car. He scowls at me through the window, and I stop and glare at him through the glass until he turns and looks away.
16
