Page 30 of Captured

I jerked up almost immediately, the light slumber I’d been in fraught with ugly thoughts and desires that I’d had no control over. As soon as I sat up, a flash of lightning tore across my window. I’d forgotten I’d left the blinds open, staring up at the stars as if they were a beacon of hope. God, another freaking storm.

A strange foreboding sense tore through me as a rumble of thunder shook the house. Or maybe it was my imagination. The number of storms we’d had in Boston lately had kept me rattled, more so than before. It felt hot in the house, as if the air was off, beads of perspiration almost instantly forming over my top lip.

I scanned the darkened room. My door was still closed, no sounds inside other than my scattered breathing filtering into my ears. But I could swear I’d heard a creak of the floors outside my room.

My instinct told me I’d been right in my thoughts before. Tonight was the night. I was positive of it. Why was a small part of me excited, the longing returning? I should feel disgusted, not euphoric.

“You’re imagining it,” I said in a hushed whisper, clutching the sheets closer against my chest. Another bolt of lightning pushed an ugly whimper up from my throat. I had a sense something was very wrong. I crawled out of bed, reaching for the small lamp next to my bed. When I turned the switch, only darkness greeted me. “It’s just the storm.”

Still, a cold shudder washed through every muscle as I threw back the sheets, holding my arms even though the humidity was thicker than normal. As soon as I moved to the window, peering through the blinds, another flash of bright light assaulted my senses. What the fuck? I could swear the dancing blue neon highlighted something odd in the back yard. Was I crazy?

My God. It appeared to be a body.

That was impossible. Both Jessup and Carson carried weapons and knew how to use them. I’d known that for years. Yet on this moonless night, I couldn’t shove the horrific thoughts from my mind.

Something was out of place, as if my world was about to be torn off its axis. I turned around, studying the shadows, moving toward my closet and grabbing a pair of shoes. I had to see what was outside. Before walking out of my room, I grabbed a flashlight from my dresser drawer. As soon as I flicked the switch I groaned. How long had it been since I’d changed batteries?

At least it was enough light to provide some sense of seeing where I was going. I grabbed my phone, sending a quick text to Jessup. Only then did I notice there were no bars. With the power out, the internet was as well. Damn it. I had no choice but to venture outside the room.

I moved toward the door, pressing my ear against it, listening for any sounds whatsoever. There were none. Very slowly I turned the handle, trying to keep my cool before flinging it open, immediately shining the limited light into the darkened hallway. There were no monsters in the shadows, only a reminder that the huge house was empty.

The rumble of thunder continued, the bright purple light of Mother Nature powering in through the oversized arch top window at the end of the hall. I suddenly felt as if I was a part of a horror movie all over again, the damsel in distress locked inside a dungeon of doom. As I took a single step down the stairs, I was certain I heard a thumping noise. Where was it coming from?

I took another step then another, finally racing down the stairs. The front door was still closed and locked, although the blipping lights of the security system were dark. Of course. The power. My breath remained rattled as I moved through the house, trying to remember where the housekeeper had placed the drawer full of batteries. I rushed into the kitchen, doing everything I could to keep from hyperventilating, yanking open one drawer after another until I found what I was looking for. I plopped the flashlight onto the counter, torn from the idea of turning it off for even a few seconds so I could replace the batteries. There was no other choice. The light was already dimming even more than before.

Humming softly to myself, my fingers felt stiff as I tried to switch out the batteries. Now I was almost grateful for the additional light outside even though I jumped every time another bolt flashed across the sky. When I was finally finished, I swung the flashlight toward the back door. There was something odd outside, smoke appearing from somewhere.

Was something on fire?

Oh, God. I’d told myself I wouldn’t be terrified but right now, I could barely move without fear crushing my system. I headed toward the door, swinging the flashlight back and forth. Something caught my attention, but I couldn’t tell what it was through the haze. As soon as I opened the door, I gathered a stench of smoke. However, it wasn’t from a wood burning fire, the stench more chemical in composition. Burning wires maybe?

I sucked in my breath, tired of being frightened of what could turn out to be my imagination only.

Then where did the roses come from?

Again, I couldn’t put it past Mr. Romero to do something so disturbing. He was creepy as hell in a leisure suit kind of way. Most people thought him harmless. I knew by his lecherous actions and the way he’d always dragged his tongue across his bottom lip when I was in the room that he’d led everyone to believe he was a decent guy.

Great. Inventing stories to try to keep the paranoia from getting the better of me. This was exactly the kind of darkness that had consumed me after my mother’s murder, my imagination turning into bouts of horror and make believe, insisting there were boogeymen inside the house when there hadn’t been what Jessup would call a snowball’s chance in hell of them getting past the cavalry.

My father hadn’t been patient with my antics, even considering having me admitted to a restful facility, as he tried to explain to me. I’d learned to hide my fear, bottling my depression.

I took a deep breath, easing outside onto the covered porch, swinging the flashlight from one side to the other. The rain was picking up in intensity, which was at least starting to clear the air. “Jessup? Carson?” I called, although I wasn’t certain the meager sound of my voice carried over the rumbles and pelting against the roof of the porch.

There was no obvious sign of a situation or danger, but I was cautious as I moved closer, sucking in and holding my breath.

“Guys. Are you out here?” Why couldn’t I see anything? I found myself shuffling my feet, which was completely ridiculous. What was that going to accomplish? If the big, bad wolf was hiding in the shadows, I certainly wasn’t going to stop him by acting like stupid B-rated movie scream queen.

I almost laughed, which I did when I was extremely nervous before forcing myself to walk to the edge of the patio. I blinked several times, the smoke continuing to clear. It dawned on me that it reminded me of a smoke bomb used in television shows and movies. This time, I couldn’t keep the snort from escaping.

My steps still tentative, I moved away from what seemed like the security of the portico, determined to find my bodyguards. My heart was thudding so rapidly that even though the rain was pelting against my face, I could still hear the rapid beating as echoes in my ears.

With another two steps taken, I swung the light once again. A slight glint caught my attention. What was that? I took another step, tripping over something. Down I went.

Hard.

The light slipped from my fingers, pitched forward and rolling several feet away. Ouch. A pain tore through my hip, my leg stuck on something. My palms were also muddy, the slick substance covering them. Where had that come from? My father insisted on perfect grass, which is why he’d hired a full-time landscaper. I held them up, finally turning my attention to the light.

Then I let out a bloodcurdling scream, the wide beam illuminating a face and haunted eyes. “No. No. Jessup.” I struggled to get up, realizing only seconds later I’d stumbled over the body of Carson. I spun around on my knees, issuing another horrific bellow. As I held my hands into the air, the sudden stench wafting into my nostrils was unmistakable. Blood.

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