Page 92 of Before the Night Falls
“Just a sedative. Enough to keep you quiet while I make my exit.” The mask tilted again. “I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer for our finale.”
Through increasingly blurry vision, Olivia watched as the figure extinguished the light, plunging the cellar back into darkness.
She heard the scrape of the wooden doors opening above, a sliver of daylight appearing and then vanishing as they closed again.
Then silence.
As consciousness began to slip away, one thought cycled through her mind: The final rose.
The final rose was coming next.
And she felt powerless to stop it.
* * *
Tyson ran as he’d never run before, lungs burning as he sprinted across his property toward the old root cellar. Detective Scarborough and his team were on their way.
But something told him there wasn’t time to wait.
The image of Stephen’s body haunted him.
How had someone taken the guard by surprise? Who would go to such lengths? And where was Donald?
The cellar doors came into view, partially hidden by the wild rosebushes Tyson had meant to clear away days ago. His heart sank when he saw the padlock lying broken on the ground.
He approached cautiously, straining to hear any sound from within. He didn’t want to set this guy off. But time was of the essence right now.
He heard nothing.
Drawing a deep breath, Tyson yanked open the wooden doors.
Sunlight spilled into the darkness below, illuminating a dirt floor and stone walls.
“Olivia?” He peered into the shadows.
No response.
Turning on the flashlight on his phone, he descended the earthen steps into the cellar.
The beam cut through the darkness, finally landing on a still form at the far end of the space.
“Olivia!” His heart dropped at the sight of her motionless body.
No . . .
He rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside her.
She was unconscious, her wrists bound above her head, her breathing shallow but steady.
Her pulse thumped against his finger.
It was there—strong, though slightly irregular.
Relief washed through him.
Something caught his eye—two roses laid carefully beside her.
Rage and fear churned in his gut as he worked to untie her bonds. Her skin felt cool to the touch, and she didn’t stir at his efforts.
