Page 29 of No Escape

She controlled her breathing and let it pass.

“Are you okay?” Suzie whispered.

Valerie hadn’t gotten used to Suzie being the one more in control. It made her feel unsettled. She had always been the one to take care of things, and now, ever since her breakdown, Suzie had been accidentally taking that role from her.

Valerie nodded, pushing away her worries and taking a deep breath. “I wish Charlie was here,” she said sadly. “He always has an amazing sense of hearing. It’s saved us during several manhunts.”

“Maybe this won’t be one of those,” Suzie said hopefully. “Any luck and the police will already have him in custody.”

But Valerie knew that was unlikely. The local police department didn’t know John Murphy the way she did. She had studied his every move. She knew it was never simple with him. He would be difficult to catch.

Valerie took a step away from the door, ready to move further into the house. With one last glance back at Suzie, she took a deep breath and stepped forward, feeling her mouth dry with apprehension.

A creak sounded from another room. Suzie’s eyes widened in fright. Valerie put her finger to her lips in a gesture of silence as they both waited for whatever was coming next.

The silence which followed left Valerie feeling like they were being watched. A cold draft coming from the other room caused her heart to beat faster as she tightly gripped Suzie’s hand, believing it would keep them safe.

Valerie motioned downward with her head as she pulled something out of her pocket.

“The knife from Joshua Murphy’s kitchen?” Suzie asked in a whisper.

Valerie nodded. It wasn’t a gun, but it would have to do.

The air was thick with tension as they made their way through the dark house. Everything around them was still and quiet except for the occasional movement of something unseen in their peripheral vision and distant whispers echoing through the walls. Valerie tried to blot out any oncoming hallucination.

She shuddered and quietly moved forward, her eyes roaming in search of what might be hidden here. Everywhere she looked there were signs of abandonment; furniture overturned, windows broken, items strewn about haphazardly—all evidence that what was once a home was now consigned to a trash pile.

Valerie and Suzie moved cautiously through the dimly lit house, the floorboards creaking beneath their feet. The musty air hung heavily around them, and the place had an eerie, abandoned feel to it. As they approached a closed door, Valerie heard a faint rustling sound coming from behind it. She motioned for Suzie to stay back as she slowly inched toward the door, her knife at the ready.

Without warning, the door was flung open, and a tall, powerful man with a grubby black scarf obscuring his face burst out. He lunged at Valerie, who barely had time to react before she felt the impact of his body against hers. She tried to defend herself with her knife, but the man’s strong grip wrenched it from her hand. In the chaos, Suzie was knocked to the ground, her breath knocked out of her.

Valerie quickly got back on her feet and faced the attacker. She felt rusty, her movements slower than they used to be, but her hand-to-hand combat training soon kicked in. She dodged the man’s wild swings, countering with precise strikes of her own. They grappled, exchanging blows, and Valerie slowly gained the upper hand.

Seeing an opportunity, the man suddenly broke free and bolted for the door. Valerie was hot on his heels, chasing him out of the house and across the street.

Her lungs burned and she felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

The man leaped over a hedgerow and Valerie followed. She then saw him trip on a plant pot and stumble.

This was her chance to close the gap.

She threw herself forward and grabbed the back of his coat. He swung his fist backwards, catching her on the jaw. As she stood dazed for a moment, he pushed her down onto her knees and then continued running.

“Valerie!” Suzie’s voice screamed somewhere in the distance.

Valerie stood up and rushed forward again, following the man’s movements. They ran along a street and then to the side of an old stone bridge.

The man seemed to be tiring, and Valerie caught up to him again. This time, she swept the back of his heel with her foot. He stumbled forward and then fell down a grassy embankment into a fast-moving stream.

Without hesitation, Valerie dove in after him, fighting against the current to reach the man before he could be swept away. She managed to grab hold of him, pulling him to the bank and then to safety. Gasping for breath and soaked, she tore the scarf from the man’s face, revealing his sharpened features.

It wasn’t John Murphy.

Disappointment and confusion washed over Valerie as she tried to catch her breath. She had been so sure that she’d cornered the elusive killer.

She grabbed him by the collar. “Who the hell are you?!”

“Leave me alone,” he coughed, water dribbling out of his mouth.

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