AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They reached a heavy wooden door, locked from the outside. The cries for help grew louder, more desperate, as if the captive sensed their presence. Amelia pressed her ear to the door, listening intently.
"Please, help me!" came the terrified woman's plea.
"Stay calm," Amelia called back soothingly through the door. "We're here to help. What's your name?"
"Sh... Sheryl," the woman stammered, her voice quivering with fear.
Suddenly, something else sounded nearby.
"Footsteps," Finn whispered. "We have to think fast. Someone is coming."
"Okay, Sheryl, I need you to trust us," Amelia said, her reassuring tone contrasting the urgency of their situation. "We're with the police. We're going to get you out of here."
"Please, hurry," Sheryl begged, her voice cracking.
Finn could practically feel the terror emanating from behind the door. He exchanged a determined glance with Amelia, his mind racing to find a solution. They needed to unlock this door and save Sheryl before it was too late, but every second that ticked by only heightened the stakes.
"Sheryl, we need you to be as quiet as possible," Finn whispered through the door, his eyes scanning the dimly lit cellar for a hiding spot. "Someone's coming. We're going to hide, but we'll be right here to get you."
"It's going to be okay," Amelia said.
As Amelia offered reassuring words to Jessica, Finn pulled her into a nearby side room, the darkness swallowing them whole. They pressed themselves against the cold stone wall, their breaths shallow and controlled. Finn could feel Amelia's heart racing in sync with his own, the tension shared between them.
The sound of footsteps grew louder, echoing menacingly in the confined space. Finn clenched his fists, preparing for whatever came next. Amelia, ever the perceptive detective, mirrored his stance, her eyes locked on the doorway.
"Did you hear that?" one of the approaching men asked, his voice gruff and impatient.
"Probably just rats," the other replied dismissively. "But we'd better check on our guest anyway."
As the two men entered the room, they were unaware of Finn and Amelia's presence in the shadows. Their discussion chilled Finn to his core, only fueling his determination to save Sheryl from their clutches.
"Once we're done here, this little problem will be taken care of for good," the first man said, jangling a set of keys in his hand.
"Good," his companion replied, pulling out a knife and running his thumb along the blade. "She's caused enough trouble as it is. If they can't do as they're told, then they're no use to The Boss."
Finn's mind raced, calculating their best course of action. He knew that Amelia would follow his lead, trusting his instincts despite the mounting danger. The lives of all three of them now rested on his shoulders.
"Stay close," Finn whispered to Amelia, his voice barely audible even to her. He watched the men carefully, waiting for an opening.
"We'll stick her in the tunnels," the man with the knife said, his tone cold and calculated.
"Right," the other agreed, moving toward the locked door.
Finn's muscles tensed, ready to spring into action. He knew they had one shot at stopping these men and saving Sheryl. With years of experience behind him, he also knew that sometimes, the outcome was far from predictable.
As the two men approached the door, Finn shared a last glance with Amelia, their silent understanding passing between them. It was time to act, and they were ready for whatever consequences lay ahead.
"Okay, on my signal, take the guy with the keys..." Finn whispered, his heart pounding in his ears as the moment of truth drew near.
"Ready," Amelia whispered, her eyes locked on the man with the knife.
"Go!" Finn signaled, launching himself from their hiding spot. With a burst of speed and agility, he closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. His powerful leg extended as he executed a well-timed jump, his foot connecting squarely with the face of the man holding the knife. The impact sent the man reeling backward, the knife still in his grasp.
Then Finn smacked the keys from the other man's grasp. They skidded across the ground,
"Get the keys!" Finn shouted, his focus shifting to the other assailant.
Amelia wasted no time. As Finn kept the knife-wielding man occupied, she dove for the keys. Her fingers brushed against the cold metal just as the second man lunged at her. Using his momentum against him, she twisted her body and forcefully threw him into the room's door. The collision echoed through the cellar, followed by a dull thud as the man slumped to the ground, unconscious.
