“A fire? We don’t have time for this shit, I want my woman with me now!” I usually don’t lose my cool with my brother, but my sanity is hanging on by a thin string.
“I know, brother. Just trust me. I need you to swallow down the silent killer because we don’t need him right now. I need you to be patient.”
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
MONSTERS EVERYWHERE
MINDY
I wake up slowly, feeling a stiffness in my neck and shoulders from lying on the hard concrete. I must’ve cried myself to sleep. Either that, or I passed out from the nauseating pain in my head. I’m still in the basement, but I don’t hear anyone walking above me.
I don’t know what Talia plans on doing with me, but hopefully, Luca knows I’m missing by now. I know he would search the earth for me, even though I have no idea how he would find me. I can only keep faith that he will.
I try to keep my thoughts from spiraling, but it’s hard, so I focus on finding a way out of here. I creep around looking for a door or a bigger window, but I don’t see anything. I let out a frustrated breath, but when I hear a faint noise, I go still, straining to listen.
What is that? Are those sirens?
I don’t want to get too excited because Talia was talking to a dirty cop, so there’s no telling what those sirens are. I hold my breath waiting to hear anything, and that’s when I smell it. SMOKE!
“Is this place on fire! Fuck! Help! Somebody help me!” I scream, jumping up and down, trying to reach the window.
I decide to go up the stairs and to the door, hoping Talia isn’t still here. I rush up, almost falling when a weak stair bends and creaks. I take my time going up the rest until I reach the door. I try twisting the knob, but it doesn’t move. I figured the door would be locked, but I had to at least try. I bang on the door screaming, but there’s no response. So, I make my way back down the stairs, looking around for something I could possibly stand on to reach the window, when I see a large trunk.
The trunk has a padlock on the outside, so I can’t look inside it, but it’s not bolted down, so I try pushing it. It scoots a little, so I put all my strength into moving it under the window. The smoke smell is getting stronger, and I’m out of breath from trying to move the heavy ass trunk, but I refuse to die in this basement.
I manage to get the trunk far enough under the window that I can reach it. It’s too small for me to squeeze through, but if I bang on it hard enough, maybe it will break, and someone will hear me. I beat on the window as hard as I can, but it doesn’t break. I don’t see anyone, but the sirens are loud. Finally, I hear voices, and I start screaming at the top of my lungs.
“Hey, there’s somebody in here! Ma’am, are you okay?” The fireman asks.
“No, somebody kidnapped me, and I’m trapped in here. Please don’t let me die in here! Please get me out!” I sob, begging for his help.
“Try to stay calm. Someone is on the way.” The fireman takes off.
I want to shout at him to stay with me, but I know he’s just doing his job. The tears are flowing freely down my face, but I won’t feel the relief until I’m out of this damn basement. Now that I know that help is here. I once again climb the rickety stairsto the locked door. I beat against it again, screaming even louder for help.
“Ma’am, stand back from the door. We’re going to have to force it open.”
I waste no time moving back. There’s a large bang against the door, and I step back a little further. The last thing I need is to go flying down these stairs and break my damn neck. I look back and gently get on the stairs. There are a few more hard bangs when the door finally gives and comes flying open.
“Are you Mindy Stewart?”
“Ye-yes, I’m Mindy.”
“We found her! Please come this way, ma’am.”
The fireman sticks out his hand, and I don’t hesitate in taking it. I exhale, finally able to breathe after being locked in a basement for who knows how long.
The fireman wraps a blanket around my shoulders as he leads me outside. I see smoke coming from the side of the house, but I can’t see what’s on fire. There are flashing lights, an ambulance, a fire truck, and a few people wearing robes and pajamas. But what makes me the most uneasy are the police cars.
When I see a crying Talia handcuffed in the back of one of the police cruisers, I relax slightly. However, that detective is nowhere to be found. I won’t be completely comfortable until they find her.
“Mindy! Thank god. Move the fuck out my way so I can get to my woman,” Luca’s voice booms over all the noise.
“Luca! Oh my god!” I rush to Luca, and he envelops me in a tight hug.
The sobs make my body shake, but I’m so happy that he’s here that I can’t stop crying. I instantly have a feeling of relief being in his arms. It’s a feeling like no other.
