One Hundred Forty-Two
North Georgia
Derrick must have lost consciousness. When he came around, confusion muddled his brain and the wind rocked the car back and forth.
But panic quickly set in. He had to get out, get to Ellie.
He blinked through the fog and pushed at the airbag. Reaching inside his pocket, he retrieved his pocketknife and cut it away, then shoved at the door. Dammit, it was stuck. Fumbling for the window lock, he realized it was jammed, so he pulled his gun from the holster and used the butt of it to break the glass. Then he hammered the shards of glass away. Freeing himself from the seatbelt, he crawled through the window.
Pain ricocheted through his chest as he dropped to the ground. He probably had a broken rib and he tasted blood. But he had no time to dwell on it.
The clouds and ground seem to be meeting in the sky as a dizzy spell overcame him. Pushing to his hands and knees, he took deep breaths to stem the nausea and dizziness.
You have to find Ellie.
Clenching his phone, he called Ellie’s boss. Had to tell them he needed help. That someone had to go to the farm.
Captain Hale’s voicemail picked up. Dammit. He couldn’t wait.
Fear for Ellie drove him to push aside the pain in his ribs and take off on foot down the road. One foot in front of the other. Another and another.
He struggled for a breath. Every step cost him.
Suddenly the clouds unleashed themselves, rain pummeling him. His boots slipped on the wet asphalt, costing him precious time.
Another painful breath, another footstep, then he froze, heart hammering. He’d reached the turning for the farm, but smoke curled into the night sky, a bright orange blazed against the gray.
Was Ellie in there?
No… fire wasn’t the Weekday Killer’s MO. Although if the farmhouse was his holding spot for hostages, he might have set it to destroy evidence.
Picking up his pace as much as the pain would allow him, Derrick slogged through the wet grass and mud, taking the most direct route to the blaze. Lightning zigzagged, the storm gaining intensity, although the wind was dulling slightly as it moved toward the east.
Although it seemed like hours, it only took minutes for him to reach the abandoned house, which was now well ablaze.
He was desperate to see if Ellie was inside, but the windows exploded. He staggered back at the intensity of the heat.
Emotions choked him as he screamed Ellie’s name.
One Hundred Forty-Three
Ellie crawled over to Burton, checking his pulse. The first bullet had pierced his stomach. The second his thigh. He was covered in blood.
And he wasn’t moving.
She had to call an ambulance. But first, Shondra.
Pushing up from the ground, she struggled to steady herself, fighting against the wind. Weak from the beating, her ankle throbbed as she ran, and her chest ached. She tasted blood but swiped at her lip with the back of her hand, heading back towards the house. Flames were starting to ripple along the exterior and smoke curled into the sky.
Breath panting out, she saw sparks shooting from the front door, so she ran to the rear entrance. The weathered wood splintered as she kicked the door in. Smoke clogged the air, and flames were crawling along the door edge.
Hesitating to get her bearings, she searched for the door to the basement. The hallway. It was partially ablaze, but she dodged the burning embers and opened the door. Heat scalded her, and she was pitched into the dark.
Her breath caught. Her head swam. She clutched the wall to steady herself, then raked her hands across it in search of a light switch. She almost cried with joy when she found one and flicked it on.
Her body throbbed as she rushed down the steps, and nausea flooded her as she passed the first room with the cage where he’d held her. Upstairs, she heard wood splintering and the fire hissing as it spread.
Racing to where Shondra was trapped, she dropped to her knees, opened the cage door and dragged her friend out.
An explosion upstairs made her rush into motion. She yanked at Shondra’s arms and pulled her through the room toward the steps. But the fire had spread to the doorway and she didn’t think she could carry her up the steps.
Mind racing, she ran back through the basement and, to her relief, found a crawl space that would lead to the outside.
Ellie struggled against her fear of the tight space, but it was the only way out. Adrenaline firing her up, she pulled Shondra’s limp body into the narrow tunnel.
Panic nearly overpowered her and she had to close her eyes to regain control. She didn’t have time to break down.
She managed to slide herself to the doorway. She pushed and shoved at it, but it seemed stuck. A dizzy spell overcame her, and she lifted her head to the ceiling of the tiny space for air.
Ellie gave herself to the count of three before twisting around and kicking at the wooden cover with all her might.
One Hundred Forty-Four
Terror for Ellie forced Derrick into motion. The front of the house was completely ablaze. He had to go around back.
Two of the windows exploded on the side as he ran past. Wood crackled as the roof collapsed. The smoke stung his eyes. “Ellie!” he called.
Another sound broke through the roar of fire and the collapsing house.
Senses alert, he blinked through the smoke. A few feet away from the house he noticed a wooden board covering a crawl space. A fallen tree had partially blocked it.
Pulse hammering, and rain thrashing him, he rushed toward it, and heard the sound again.
Dropping to his knees, he shouted Ellie’s name. “Ellie? Ellie?”
“Help!” a muffled cry echoed through the wooden barrier. Fear fueled his strength, and he pushed through the pain, tugging and yanking until he dragged the tree away from the doorway.
Ignoring the pain in his ribs, he wrenched the hatch open. The opening was quickly filling with smoke.
“Ellie!” Leaning over the edge, he made out Ellie’s figure a few feet below.
“Shondra’s in here.” A coughing fit seized her. They had to hurry. “I have to get her body out.”
Precious seconds passed as the blaze reached toward the sky, black smoke pouring from the crawl space. He heard Ellie grunting as she pushed Shondra toward the opening.
Grabbing Shondra’s shoulders, Derrick pulled her out. He settled her on the ground, then returned to help Ellie. Her hands were already gripping the opening, and he dragged her the rest of the way out.
She rushed to her friend, gasping for air, eyes blurring with tears as she lay down beside her.
Ellie laid her head against Shondra for a moment, her tears dampening her friend. Suddenly she raised her head, a wild look in her eyes. “She’s alive, Derrick!”
“What?”
Ellie looked up at him imploringly. “She’s breathing. Let’s get her away from here.”
Scooping Shondra up, Derrick carried her across the yard away from the burning house, then laid her on the ground.
Ellie wiped soot from her battered face then pressed her hands on her friend’s chest, starting CPR. “She needs an ambulance.”
“So do you.”
“I’m fine, just make the call.”
Derrick punched 911 and gave the address, before turning to Ellie. “Where’s Burton?”