"HIDDEN FLAME" by Sarah Ryniker

STORY LAST UPDATED ON 20/05/2002

Hidden Flame Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

CHAPTER EIGHT

The plan was in place. All I had to do was take the bag of money to the house. But how could I do it? I felt sick to my stomach as I walked from the direction of the bus stop. Richard and another detective by the name of Julie Mason had dropped me off. Police weren't around for miles. Richard and Julie would turn the tapes into them the next morning. It was evening, so I knew he would be home. I took a deep breath and walked up to the house.
    I knocked. I knew I truly didn't need to, but I did anyway. To my surprise it wasn't the young boy who opened the door, but Alec himself. I knew I looked shocked, in spite of trying to hide it. He smiled at me and looked down at the bag in my hands. His smile widened as he looked back up at me. "Come on in, Phoenix," he said, standing back from the door. He looked behind me and then shut the door. With the sound of the click, I felt my heart stop. Then I heard the door lock and I knew that I should have followed my instincts and ran as fast as I could away from this place.
    He led me into the living room and wouldn't sit, just made me sit. I held the bag against me tightly, as if it could somehow protect me from him. He looked like a complete madman. His hair was wild and the look in his eyes made him look like a true devil. I could almost see a red gleam in his eyes. It gave me a chill and I shivered.
    "Cold?" he asked. I simply shook my head and held tighter to the bag. "Well, that's good. So, Phoenix, how did you know to bring the money here?"
    "I just thought maybe you could help me," I replied weakly. My excuse was flimsy. I had warned them that I was unable to act. Now I was wishing that my acting ability were much better. In fact, I was wishing I actually had some of the talent.
    He shook his head and let out a laugh on a sigh. "Oh, Phoenix. You're a horrible liar. Was it your detective convincing you I was a bad, bad man?"
    I shook my head. "I put it together myself, Alec. I just don't understand why you would do this." This time my voice was stronger.
    And this time he nodded. "Now you're not lying. Good girl." He paced back and forth in front of the couch. "Phoenix, how much money did you bring me?"
    "All of what you wanted, Alec. Where are my girls?" I felt my temper rising, lessening my fear. I wasn't drugged this time. I was sure I could take him on until somebody came to help me.
    "Hand me the bag and we'll discuss your girls." He held his hand out.
    I shook my head. "Discuss them now or I won't hand over the money."
    He laughed. "Phoenix, don't you know anything? I know you're pretty damn naïve, but never thought you were a complete idiot." He shook his head, as if he were speaking to one of the most idiotic people in the world. "You do not negotiate with somebody who is holding the life of your daughters and yourself in his hands."
    I bit my lip and forced myself not to cry. I handed him the bag. I listened as he counted it out. "It's all there; no need to count it."
    He ignored me and finished counting. "Good job. You take orders well." He flashed me a smile. "You know, Josh only wanted some of your money. He wanted to hurt you. But you should have seen him beg me for his life. He promised to give the girls back to you. As if I cared." His laugh sent a spike through my heart. The man was ruthless.
    "Why are you telling me this?" I was trying to not to show my fear and cry. But my entire body was shaking.
    "Well, I thought you would have liked to hear Josh was dead. After all, didn't he take away the girls?" He looked at me with his eyebrows raised.
    "I wouldn't truly want him dead. And he didn't have my girls as I had thought. You have them."
    He laughed again. "How did you get the money, Phoenix? I made sure to find a way to freeze your funds." His smile stayed upon his face. "This isn't your money, is it? It's the police's money. You're wearing a wire, aren't you?"
    I shook my head. "No, Alec, I'm not wearing a wire." Which was the truth. I had a microphone hidden in the anklet I was wearing. There was a sock around it, so he couldn't even see my anklet.
    "I don't believe you," he growled, his smile fading. He was over to me before I could move. He ripped my shirt open. "No wire," he muttered to himself. "You didn't go to the police?" he asked incredulously.
    I shook my head, finding that I truly did have acting ability. "No, Alec. I just want my girls back. I had funds you didn't know about. It's the girls' trust fund for after my death. Please, just give them back to me."
    "I can't do that just yet," he said, his eyes still watching my chest. It was rising and falling with every breath I took. I feared him and I knew he could tell. It excited him and that made me more scared. I knew it was pointless, but I shoved myself farther back into the couch, wishing I could get away from him.
    Suddenly, he yanked me to him and kissed me. He yanked at my clothes wildly. I was powerless as he held me. He yanked off every piece of jewellery or clothing. I knew that he was making sure there was no wire. When he spotted the anklet, he knew. The knowledge shined in his eyes. He had me pinned down to the ground, my arms above my head as he straddled my legs. He looked at me and with a terrible force he slapped me across my face over and over again. When he was finally finished, he ripped the anklet from my ankle. Then spoke directly into it. "You come into my house and she's dead. Now you're going to listen to me as I finish what I started the other night."
    I screamed. Over and over again I screamed. They were idle screams. I knew Richard and Julie could hear me, but they had to find a way of getting in without him killing me. Barging in would make things worse. So they listened as he shoved that male part of him in me over and over again. It hurt so badly, considering I definitely wasn't ready for him. But it only seemed to excite him more.
    After it was over, he rose and zipped up his pants. Then he walked over to the microphone again. He picked it up and laughed into it. "I hope you enjoyed the show." Then he dropped it to the floor and with one quick thrust of his leg, he crushed it with his foot.
    "As for you, Phoenix," he began, turning towards me again. "You're going to die. So are your girls. And you're going to die in agony. I am going to kill those two pretty little things in my attic right in front of you. And when you want to die, I'll make sure to make it nice and slow." Then he knocked me over the head with force enough to knock me unconscious.
    When I woke up, I was in the attic. I could tell it was the attic by the many boxes and the musty smell, plus the shape of the ceiling. I sat up and realised that my hands were tied behind my back, but my legs were free to move. I would soon find this to be his way of taunting me. I could do nothing with my hands, but I could listen to them scream and I would come running, even if I was helpless.
    And boy did I hear the scream. "Mommy! Mommy, help!" I heard Kit's voice float to me.
    Oh God, no! I thought to myself, shoving myself back into the hole I had been shoved in. The screams were bad enough. I couldn't watch him kill the girls.
    When Kit's cries stopped, I knew that she had to be dead. I just couldn't stop wondering where was Richard and Julie and the police. Why weren't they here? Didn't they know? My God! How was I going to get myself out of this alive? But as I listened to the screams of my oldest daughter, I didn't want to make it out alive. Just as he had said, I wanted to die. I had no reason to live. He was killing all that I had left.
    Then all went quiet. No footsteps, nothing. Then I heard him walking. His footsteps were getting closer and closer to where I sat. Then he was there and so was his fist. My head flung back as his fist connected with my chin. I fell back against a wooden box.
    "Don't think they'll come save you, Phoenix. Or the girls, because they are not dead yet. You have much more of listening to their screams. But they will not find you because you are not in the attic that you think you are in. Oh, you would have been, but I moved you and the girls. I couldn't take the chance." Oh my God! Where had he put us?
    With that, he walked away. I heard a door shut and lock. I had no idea where I was. But I needed to see the girls. Even if we weren't going to make out of this alive, and no matter how horrible they looked, I had to see them. I don't know how I managed to get up. He had put me in a bag-like gown and my body was sore. I knew he must have taken advantage of my being knocked out and possibly raped me more and beat me.
    As I finally got to my feet, I heard the soft whimpering from two voices. They really were still alive. I walked around the boxes, calling their names. It only took once before the girls were calling back to me. I followed the sound of their voices. I found them behind a tower of cardboard and wooden boxes.
    "Oh, Gabby! Kit!" I burst into tears as I fell to my knees. I was so happy to see them, though both had bruises all over their beautiful faces. He had cut both of their hair to their ears and they were wearing the same kind of gown I was. They rushed to me, in spite of the obvious pain they were in. Gabby went right to work at the ropes that were cutting into my wrists.
    "Oh, Mama! We've missed you so much!" Kit cried, her arms holding me as tightly as they could. It was so sad that her hug was as tight as she could get it, but it was so weak. Gabby was the same way.
    As soon as my hands were free, my arms were around both of them. I held them close and kissed their faces. "I'm so happy to see both of you. I missed you both so much. I've been trying to get you back. I'm so sorry. I love you! I love you! I love you!" I said over and over again, kissing them, rocking them back and forth and crying. I couldn't stop the onslaught of tears. How could I watch him kill them? I had to get us out of here. I had to. I couldn't let it happen.
    As we sat there, calmer than before, I held them to my sides. I listened in horror as they told me what had happened over the past week. The week had felt as if it had lasted years and years. I knew that it hadn't only felt that way to me, both of the girls had been through enough torture to age them both considerably. It brought tears to my eyes each time.
    I didn't know how many hours had passed before both girls were curled up next to me sleeping. I watched them sleep. They were so beautiful to me, even with their poor faces bruised and swollen. I looked at Gabby, wishing that I had listened to her. Lord, why hadn't I listened to her? She had told me that she didn't like him. But I had chosen to ignore it, thinking it was merely anger over Jacob's death. What had I done?
    And then it happened again. I heard the door unlocking, and then his footsteps. I began to cry right away, knowing what was about to happen. No, God. Please God, no! I begged and prayed and held them tighter to me. I would do what I could to keep them safe, but I knew that it wouldn't do any good. He was stronger than I was.
    When he came around the boxes, he smiled down at me. Without a word, he reached down and grabbed Kit by her hair. "No!" I screamed and reached for her.
    He laughed and began shaking her hair. He smacked her body into the boxes behind him over and over again, as if she was a rag doll. His laugh was chilling and, if I lived, would haunt me for years to come.
    I got up to stop him, but he shoved me roughly to the ground and continued to beat Kit. Her screams echoed over and over in my ears, and I curled up and slammed my hands over them. I shut my eyes to the horror before me, yet I could still see what he was doing and still hear her screaming. I cried harder than I had ever done before in my life. And then I felt her thin, limp body thrown against me. I was shaking all over, inside and out.
    He had his way with Gabby. He raped her right in front of me, and though I didn't watch it, I heard her screaming. I cried as I held Kit's limp body close to me. She was hardly breathing. He was going to be true to his word. He was going to kill all three of us.
    I had heard their screams before, but now - being right there with them - was even worse. And when they were both unconscious again, the silence was even worse than their screams. He left us alone for the remainder of the night and I kept awake, fearing his return, and making sure they were both still breathing. Gabby kept waking off and on, but Kit remained still and limp. Her breath was shallow and I was sure she wouldn't make it through the night. I couldn't help but wonder what my family had done to deserve this. Why did he want to hurt us? Especially two little girls? How could he do this and laugh about it?
    I knew we needed a way out of this. It couldn't keep going on. If it did, the girls would surely die, as would I in the long run. I couldn't let him kill the girls. And I vowed then and there to protect them as much as possible. No matter what it took, I would keep them from him.
    I stood up with Kit in my arms. I found a wooden box with holes in it. It was hidden in a dark corner in the back of the room. It had taken me hours to find it, and it would surely take him just as long. I placed both of the girls in the tiny box. Gabby, who was conscious enough to walk, squeezed into the box with Kit. She looked up at me as I slid the lid shut. "If he kills us, Mama, it's not your fault. You've done what you could. We both love you and always will." I cried and without a word, for I couldn't utter a single thing, I slid the top over the box the rest of the way.
    If he killed my daughters, he would definitely have hell to pay. No, I wouldn't let him kill me, too. No, I decided, I took that back. He wouldn't kill the girls, either. I would kill the bastard before he could touch either of them again. He would regret laying a single finger on either of them. I had to find a way to get a hold of Richard. But first I would have to know where the hell I was.

Hidden Flame Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

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