Page 55 of No Escape

Suzie and Tom exchanged nervous glances before nodding their agreement. Valerie could see the fear in their eyes, but also a steely resolve. They were in this together, and they would see it through to the bitter end.

As they stepped out of the car, the chilling night air wrapped around them, raising goosebumps on their skin. Valerie led the way, her flashlight cutting through the darkness as they ventured down the trail. The woods around them closed in, an oppressive weight bearing down on them. Valerie couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched.

Her thoughts raced as they moved cautiously along the path. What would they find when they reached John Murphy? How far would he go to exact his twisted sense of justice? And, perhaps most importantly, how would they stop him?

A rustle in the underbrush startled Valerie out of her reverie. She whipped her flashlight around, searching for the source of the sound, but saw nothing. Her heart hammered in her chest, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

“It’s just the wind,” Suzie murmured, trying to reassure herself as much as Valerie.

“Let’s keep going,” Tom said quietly, his voice tense. “We don’t have much time.”

As they pressed on, the river’s murmur grew louder, a constant reminder of their destination. Valerie’s thoughts turned to Maxine and Julian. She desperately hoped they could reach them in time, that they could somehow save them from the fate that John Murphy had planned.

The trail opened up, revealing a clearing with a dilapidated house perched on the edge of the Redcreek River. Its once-white paint was now peeling and discolored, the windows dark and empty. A sense of foreboding settled over the group as they approached the house, the air heavy with the anticipation of what lay inside.

Valerie paused at the front door, her hand trembling as she reached for the doorknob. She could hear the whispered prayers of Suzie and Tom, their fear evident. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob, pushing the door open with a creak that echoed through the night.

As they entered the house, the atmosphere grew even more oppressive. The air was thick with the scent of decay and damp, and the darkness seemed to swallow them whole. Valerie’s flashlight flickered as they moved cautiously through the rooms, searching for any sign of Maxine, Julian, or John.

In the living room, they found the first indication of John’s presence. A crude altar had been set up, surrounded by lit candles that cast flickering shadows on the walls. A framed photograph of John’s wife sat at the center of the altar, her eyes filled with a sadness that seemed to reach out and touch Valerie’s soul.

Valerie’s heart pounded as she and the others continued their search, the tension in the air almost unbearable. As they moved deeper into the house, they heard a sudden noise.

They froze.

“What was that?” Tom whispered.

“I don’t know,” Valerie said.

“I… I’m scared, Val,” Suzie said.

“Courage, sis. We’ve come this far.”

They stepped forward and heard the noise again. This time, it was closer; an intermittent creaking sound. Valerie felt for the knife in her pocket as she stared at a darkened doorway that led deeper into the house. But before she could pull her knife out, Charlie and Will appeared from around a corner, startling them.

“Charlie, Will!” Tom gasped, relief flooding his voice. “We wondered where you were.”

“Sorry, guys. I heard a scream,” Charlie replied, his voice strained. “I followed it here. But we didn’t find anything. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Before anyone could respond, the sound of John Murphy’s voice reached them from behind the house.

“Come out, come out!” the voice yelled in the night. “It’s time for justice to be settled.”

“Wait,” Will said. “Maybe we shouldn’t go out there. If he wants us out there, it’s a trap.”

“Agreed,” said Valerie. “But he holds all the cards… for now. We don’t have any choice, and backup won’t be here for another twenty minutes. If that cop’s word is good.”

“I don’t like it either, Will,” Charlie added. “But Val is right. If we wait any longer, he might kill the hostages. If they aren’t dead already.”

“But you said you guys were now in the firing line,” Tom reminded them. “He wants you here to kill you. I don’t think you should play into that.”

Then John Murphy’s voice echoed again from outside. “You have ten seconds or I put a bullet in Maxine’s pretty head!”

“We can’t wait,” Suzie said. “I don’t want to have her death on my conscience.”

Suzie stepped toward a hallway that led to an open back door.

Valerie hurried up to Suzie and squeezed her hand with pride. “You know, the last few days… If you had ever joined the FBI, I think you would have made one hell of an agent.”

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