Page 40 of When You're Broken
A wave of raw determination flooded him.He pocketed the bloodied shard of wood, a makeshift weapon.Then he rose to his feet, wincing at the throbbing in his calf.The gash would hamper him, but he refused to slow down.Amelia needed him now.Stumbling across the debris, he found a battered side door that led back into the stairwell.Limping, he ascended as fast as he could, ignoring the swirling rush of dizziness.
Back on the second floor, the corridor was deserted, but he could trace where the fight must have moved—scuff marks in the dust, a shoe print smear near the wall.Gasping for breath, he clutched the door frame, scanning the adjacent rooms.“Amelia!”he rasped, but no answer came.If Wendell’s got her…
He forced himself onward, checking each door.One room’s door was jammed half shut.He pried it open and shone the beam around.The gloom revealed a figure on the ground.It wasn’t Amelia.It was a man.
Brendan?
Finn recognized the man’s silhouette from their case files—Amelia’s missing brother.He was unconscious, wrists bound with rope, ankles similarly tied.
Finn’s heart leapt.So Wendell must have moved him from the mall to here.He hurried to the man’s side, dropping to his knees.The man’s shallow breathing told him he wasn’t dead, just out cold.Finn used his flashlight beam to check for obvious injuries—a few bruises, possibly needle marks on his neck.Nothing lethal at first glance.
He rummaged for a pocketknife, cursing inwardly that he had no standard kit.“Hang in there,” Finn murmured, even though Brendan was unresponsive.He carefully undid the restraints, tugging the rope free.The man groaned in a faint stirring.Freed, his arms slumped to the dusty floor.
“Brendan?Brendan Wilson?”Finn tried, gently tapping his face.“Can you hear me?I’m with the police.”
A moan, then Brendan’s eyes fluttered open, watery and disoriented.“Police…?Thank God…” His voice was cracked, parched.He coughed.“He kept me… I’ve been… Where’s Wendell?”
Finn exhaled relief.“He’s here somewhere.My partner’s chasing him now.”Or being chased,a dark voice in his head corrected.“We need to get you out.”
Brendan sat up with Finn’s help, grimacing in pain.“I can stand,” he muttered, though he looked shaky.“I… I think I can walk.”
Finn took a moment, forcing calm as his own leg screamed in protest.“We don’t have time for a full explanation, but I’m Finn Wright.Wendell took my partner, Amelia.I have to save her.”
A flicker of confusion crossed Brendan’s face.“Amelia…”
Finn clenched his jaw, realizing he might have just dropped a bombshell.“I know this sounds crazy.But she… She’s your estranged sister.We discovered you were siblings.It’s a long story.But right now, you must get out of this building.The police should be arriving soon—Amelia has messaged for backup.They’ll help you.”
Brendan’s eyes widened.“Wait, Amelia—she’s my sister?Are you sure?”He sounded incredulous, but the faint glimmer of something, maybe hope or shock, lit his eyes.
Finn stood, ignoring the searing pain in his calf.“We’ll explain everything once we’re safe.Right now, Wendell might kill her.I can’t let that happen.”He paused, adjusting his stance to keep from collapsing.“You have to leave, Brendan.I can’t take you with me to face Wendell.I need to move quickly.Go downstairs, there’s a door that leads outside—someone from the police will be near.”
Brendan steadied himself, rising unsteadily on limbs that threatened to give out.“No.You’re bleeding… And I… I can’t just run away if my sister’s in danger.”He swallowed thickly, pressing a palm to the wall for balance.“Let me help you.”
“We don’t have time to argue,” Finn said, though relief flickered in him.This is Amelia’s brother, all right—a dash of that same stubbornness, and courage.“If you’re sure you can manage, I won’t stop you.But trust me, I’m barely on my feet as it is.”He gestured to his bandaged leg.“We have to move carefully.”
Brendan nodded, inhaling sharply.“Just lead the way.”
Finn gave him a grim smile.“All right.”He offered his hand, and Brendan clasped it.Together, they shuffled to the broken threshold.“We need to be quiet,” Finn added.“He might still be on this floor, or the next.Watch your step—some sections are caving.”
They slipped out into the corridor.It was eerily silent again, no sign of Wendell or Amelia, no echo of a struggle.The hush set Finn’s nerves on edge.He signaled Brendan to keep behind him, the improvised wooden shard tucked in Finn’s belt.
With that, they edged away from the room, each footstep a muted thump in the dusty corridor.Somewhere in the distance, a rattle of shifting debris might have been the wind or might have been Wendell.Finn couldn’t dwell on it—Amelia’s life hung in the balance, and they had to move.
Wendell was near, and time was short.Amelia was alone with a killer who’d sworn to break her.They had to hurry.The dust swirled around them as they moved.Finn paused, steeling himself for the battle to come.
He pressed a finger to his lips, motioning Brendan to stay silent.Then, together, they stepped further into the bleak darkness.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Finn limped through the abandoned police station’s corridor, one arm braced against the cracking wall, the other aiming his flashlight forward.Every step sent pain lancing through his bandaged calf, but he pressed on.Brendan, walking unsteadily a half-step behind him, looked as though he might collapse at any moment.Yet neither man wavered.They had to find Amelia.
The building around them was a maze of half-collapsed offices and flickers of broken overhead lights that no longer functioned.Specks of dust like phantoms drifted in their flashlight beams, swirling with each cautious footstep.Signs of the station’s past—faded posters detailing rights and procedures, battered filing cabinets, a large coat rack—cluttered the halls, all coated in a thick layer of neglect.Occasionally, loose tile would crunch underfoot.
"How many floors are in this place?"Brendan asked, his voice hushed yet echoing in the emptiness.His breath came in shallow gasps—weak from his captivity, he was doing all he could just to keep pace.
Finn paused by a corner, shining the flashlight around before motioning Brendan to follow.“Probably three main floors, plus an attic storage.Seems it’s in terrible shape, though.I doubt we’ll see anything stable on the upper levels.”He turned to check on Brendan.“You sure you’re up for this?You’ve been through a lot.”
Brendan gave a grim nod, determination flickering in his tired eyes.“I have to.If Amelia’s here… I can’t stand outside waiting.”He put a hand on the wall to steady himself, then caught his breath.“I hardly know her, but she’s my sister.I owe her that much.”
