Page 52 of Bringing Chelsea Home

“Amen,” Griff repeated. “We know from one of the victims who escaped, that the girls have been next door only since late Thursday night or early Friday morning. I also know from my Aunt Sally, who rented the building to a Mr. Smith–how original is that?–gave him the keys only last Thursday afternoon so there’s a good chance Big Daddy and or The Cadre hasn’t had a lot of time to secure the building completely. I hope. Any questions?”

The rain’s steady tempo on the roof picked up, and in the distance, a low rumble sounded. Otherwise, the room was silent. Patrick Danton stood at the back of the room, arms crossed. He nodded at Griff, gave him the thumbs up, and mouthed the words, Sempre Fi. Always Faithful. Words that Marines live by.

Griff inclined his head for a moment in his own silent prayer. Then grinning, he addressed the waiting assembly. “OK, folks,” he said. “Let’s go take ‘em down.”

“So, we meet at last.”Big Daddy slowly walked around Elaine. “You’re a good-looking woman,” he said. “Even if you are a first-class bitch.”

The room where she now stood contained only a large bed, a cheval mirror next to it, and round, covered table. The windows, she noticed, were uncovered, and in the distance the Sunsphere gleamed like a second moon. Hard to believe it was only eight days ago when the Sunsphere postcard arrived at her office, setting this incredibly crazy week in motion. From somewhere downstairs, she heard recorded music and wondered ifThe Honeyswere being forced to practice.

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” she asked now. “Me and my dye-job hair?”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Obidiah Collins,” Elaine taunted. “But you’re not as smart as you think you are. You’ve tried three times to kill me, and you keep screwing up. Why is that?”

His stinging slap across her face was hard. “Oh, I have plans for you, little girl,” he snarled. “Kinda glad you stayed alive ‘cause you made me mad and what I’m going to do to you is gonna be slow and it’s gonna hurt a lot. Count on it.”

“You’re a coward and a thief, Obidiah,” Elaine continued. “And a bully. Only a coward and a bully hits a woman, particularly his own woman.”

He grabbed her and shook her like a ragdoll. “Tell me what you did with Lulu and where I can find her,” he raged. “I might kill you more quickly if you do.” He shoved her away and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I don’t know,” Elaine admitted, rubbing her arms. They were both going to hurt tomorrow. “I’m only a cog in the wheel. She could be anywhere, but I really don’t know. And I wouldn’t tell you if I did.”

Something flashed outside the window and Big Daddy jerked. “What was that?”

“Gases?” Elaine guessed. “The Northern Lights? Global warming?”

The music seemed to be louder now. His eyes reduced to slits, Big Daddy slowly took a large knife–larger than Josie’s– coming forward and held it up to Elaine’s face. “Do I start by cutting out your eyes?” he snarled. “Nah, I want you to at least look good when I take you. And I want you to watch me while I do it.

His knife cut the dress’s flimsy fabric at the shoulders, and he yanked it off, leaving her in a transparent slip. “OK, Prescott,” he said. “Payback time.”

Outside, lightning crackled and cracked with a deafening cry, turning the sky into to a silver-hued tapestry. Thunder rolled and rumbled its answer in a long, bass moan like a beast in pain.

“NO!” Obadiah ‘Big Daddy’ Collins screamed. Dropping the knife, he ran first to one corner of the room and then another as a flash of lightning lit up the room and the thunder roared. Amazement transfixed Elaine to stillness but only for a minute. She grabbed the knife from the floor just as another ear-shattering lightning crack and thunderclap screamed outside the building. Big Daddy’s scream of terror was even louder.

“Oh, God, oh, God,” he wailed. “I gotta hide. Gotta hide”

Running to the bed, he tried to crawl under it but he was too big and the bed was too low. Then he rushed to a table, but it was far too small for him to cower underneath. Screaming, he ran to another corner and curled himself into a ball, whimpering one minute and wailing the next.

And then, in the sudden silence from the storm, came a furious pounding and a beloved voice outside the door. “Elaine? Are you in there?”

“Griff!” Elaine had to raise her voice over Big Daddy’s wails to be heard. “Yes, it’s me!”

“Stand back!”

Strong pounding, battered against the door again and again until it finally gave way splintering the wood down the middle and fell to the floor. Another lightning flash illuminated the open doorway, cascading Griff in steely light like he was a superhero as Elaine rushed into his arms and a thunderclap was punctuated by a long, high-pitched wail from the corner.

“Are you alright?” he whispered against her hair.

“Yeah. But, I’m not sure about Big Daddy though.”

Griff looked past her at the quivering bulk of one of East Tennessee’s notorious criminals “What the fu–”.

“Language, Marine,” she warned.

“Sorry. What did you do to him?”

“Nothing. He’s terrified of thunderstorms.”

“What the hell?” Grant Miller stood in the doorway with Patrick looking over his shoulder.

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