Page 86 of Unbroken

Hesitantly, I lifted my fist and knocked on the worn, paint-chipped door. Then I waited. I waited for several seconds, my anxiety climbing, and nervously fidgeted with my hands stuffed in my jacket pockets.

When nothing happened, I raised my hand again when the door to my left opened and a woman stepped out. Blakely’s neighbor stopped short and looked at me with wide eyes.

“Umm…good morning,” she said, obviously unsure of the large man standing at the next door over.

“Good morning. I’m sorry, I’m afriendof Blakely’s, but she’s not answering.” I stumbled over the words. It didn’t feel right to only consider myself a friend, but I couldn’t think of a better explanation at the moment. And I didn’t think this woman wanted the full explanation either.

“Oh, yes,” she said, pointing at me with her keys. “I remember you leaving a few weeks ago, but I haven’t seen Blakely since yesterday. That’s not really unusual, though. She’s a homebody, that one.”

I mustered a small smile and thanked her as she walked toward her car. I waited until she got in before I turned back and knocked again. I counted down from thirty, but while I waited, I found Amanda’s number and dialed her.

On the last ring, she finally answered, “Hey, Dev, we’re about to jump on a call with our lawyer, can I?—”

“Have you heard from Blake?” I asked quickly, not really caring that I’d just cut her off.

“Umm…since when? She texted me yesterday evening that she got home, but that was it. Why?”

I scrubbed a hand over my face and then pushed it through my hair. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

“Try me,” she challenged.

With a deep breath, I said, “She hasn’t responded to me at all, so I’m at her place.”

“You’re at her house?” The disbelief was evident in her voice, but I brushed it off.

“Yes, we promised we’d talk last night, and look, I know I sound fucking nuts, but her car is here, and she’s not answering the door.”

Amanda was silent for a few seconds, and when I was about to snap at her to say something, she finally said, “Maybe she’s in the shower?”

I sighed and groaned loudly, pulling the phone away from my ear to collect my thoughts. “Okay, thanks,” I conceded. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Wait, Dev,” Amanda said quickly. “You know her better than anyone, if you think something is wrong, then I trust you.”

I blew out a deep breath and pushed a hand through my hair. “Thanks, Amanda.”

“Let me know, okay? We just got back into town, so one of us can come over if you need us to.”

I said goodbye and pocketed my phone. Glancing around, I had one last, desperate option, so I rounded the house and trudged through the grass until I was standing in front of her small, cement patio. There was a black fence surrounding it that came up to about chest height.

Next to the sliding glass door, there was a dog bowl and a collapsable wooden chair. Although there weren’t any blinds covering the windows, there were curtains that blocked most of my view inside. But as I crept closer, I saw a small sliver of space where the curtains separated.

At first, all I could see were lights reflected on the glass and on the TV hung on the wall that I knew was opposite her bed. I could see the carpet and the outline of her dresser, but not much else.

As I squinted, trying my hardest to seeanything,Tato’s head appeared in the space between the curtains. His tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, and he pawed at the glass. Then he turned and walked away.

“Wait,” I called after the deaf dog, and I immediatelychastised myself. I was so desperate and concerned that I was willing to use Tato to my advantage.

But he was back a second later. The little white and brown pit bull pawed at the glass, repeating the motion over and over again before he looked back behind him. When I heard him whine, I leaped over the fence without a second thought.

My boots hit the concrete, and I was reaching for the door handle. Closer to the window, I had a better view into the room, and since Tato hadn’t moved, it was easy to see between the curtains.

Beyond her dresser and the door to her room, I could see into her closet and the form lying on the floor inside. Panic struck me, and I tugged on the door handle. It didn’t budge, so I gripped it with both hands and tugged harder.

Of course, it was locked, so it barely moved.

I knocked on the glass with my palm. “Blakely!” I yelled, but my voice cracked. I tried again. “Blakely!” There was no way she couldn’t hear me, but she didn’t move. A sense of dread and urgency washed over me.

With both hands wrapped around the handle, I jerked it hard and ripped it open. Tato jumped all over me as I pushed the broken door aside and stepped into her apartment.

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