Page 136 of The Night Before (Savannah 1)

Caitlyn strained, inched her hand forward. Amanda’s back was turned. Obviously she thought Caitlyn couldn’t move, nor had she noticed Hannah slowly getting closer, inching her body near enough that Amanda, with one false step, could trip.

“What’re you doing?” Amanda suddenly demanded, glaring at Hannah. “You never learn, do you? I guess I’m going to have to teach you a lesson.” She reached for the scissors and swiped them off the table. “Maybe I should show you what happened to Josh?”

Hannah shook her head, began scooting frantically away.

“He bled to death, one little drop at a time.” She advanced on Hannah who was cowering between the desk and the rest of the room, wedged

and unable to move, just below Caitlyn.

Amanda leaned down, but instead of untying one of Hannah’s hands and reaching for her wrist she grabbed a handful of Hannah’s hair and pulled it back, exposing her sister’s throat.

Oh, God.

The gun! Where is Charles’s damned gun?

Caitlyn searched wildly, saw it on a corner of the tarp, seemingly miles away. She could never reach it in time. All too slowly, the drug in Caitlyn’s bloodstream was wearing off. She could move. Her toes wiggled slightly. Bit by bit, her muscles were responding. But she didn’t have time to wait and she couldn’t reach the damned pistol. Amanda was drawing an imaginary line on Hannah’s throat and Hannah was quivering in fear, trying to pull away, but tied in such a manner that she could do nothing but cry and whimper.

“Watch, Caitlyn. Can you see?” Amanda asked. “You’re next. That’s what the tarp is for, to catch the blood splatter. As soon as Hannah passes out, it’ll be your turn. Now.” She opened the scissors. The blades glimmered wickedly. Ever so slowly, drawing the drama out, Amanda placed the open blade against Hannah’s white throat as she struggled. A drop of blood showed against her skin.

It was now or never.

Do something. Do it now!

Caitlyn strained. Her hand moved with a jerk. In her peripheral vision, Amanda saw her and reacted. Sliced quickly. Just as Hannah squirmed away. Blood spurted as she lunged at Caitlyn, bloody scissors raised. “You little bitch. You thought you could get away?”

The blades swung down, straight at Caitlyn’s face, but she shifted, threw all of her weight to one side and Amanda missed, the scissors hit the desk hard and Caitlyn kicked, one shoe jamming into Amanda’s abdomen.

Startled, Amanda fell backward, tripping over Hannah. Caitlyn scrabbled for the scissors as they clattered across the desk. On the floor Hannah was gurgling and spitting blood. Oh, God, it was all over.

More noises. Amanda finally heard the sound of footsteps as she nearly fell onto the gun. “What the hell?”

“Police. Open up!” A man’s voice rang through the underground rooms.

“Shit.” Amanda grabbed Charles’s pistol and her eyes were bright with anger. She glared down at Caitlyn. “This is your fault, isn’t it? You led them to me.” Her eyes narrowed.

“This is the police. Open the door. Now!”

“Go screw yourselves,” Amanda muttered and leveled the gun at Caitlyn’s head. “This isn’t what I had in mind, Caitie-Did, but it’ll have to do.”

With a muted squeal, Hannah rolled under Amanda’s feet. Blood smeared over the tarp.

Caitlyn swept the scissors into her hand and lunged, throwing all her weight at her sister.

The leap was clumsy, awkward.

Amanda stumbled. She fell backward over Hannah with Caitlyn atop her.

The gun blasted. Rocked the tiny room in a deafening roar.

Hot pain screeched through Caitlyn’s abdomen. With all her strength she plunged the scissors deep into Amanda’s neck and rolled away.

In a horrifying red plume blood spurted from Amanda’s throat and she screamed hideously.

The door to the room crashed open.

Caitlyn was gasping, in agony, her skin on fire. Hannah, oh, God, please don’t let Hannah die!

Weapons drawn police officers burst through the doorway. Guns pointed at her as the blackness came, pulling her under, a balm against the hot pain in her stomach.

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