Page 56 of No Escape

Suzie smiled.

“Time’s up,” Charlie said.

“Now or never,” added Will.

Without a word more, they followed the sound of water from out in the darkness. Once out and standing on a sprawling, overgrown rear lawn, all of their fears were confirmed.

They saw John Murphy standing on a small platform next to the river. In a boat moored to the platform were three people, bound and gagged—Maxine, Julian, and another man Valerie did not recognize.

“Don’t be alarmed,” John said, pointing a gun at his hostages. “This extra one is not some long-lost family member. He’s a poor unfortunate who got caught up in all of your wickedness.”

“Our wickedness?” Valerie said. “Because we stopped you from killing your family the last time?”

“Yes,” John answered, succinctly. “This gentleman is the owner of the car I had to commandeer to get here. But make no mistake, should he be killed in the crossfire because you make a foolish move, that’s on you, not me.”

John moved the gun in his hand, likely the weapon he’d stolen from the police officer back at Julian’s house. His eyes were wild, filled with a burning rage that sent a shudder down Valerie’s spine.

“Throw your weapons in the water,” John shouted, his voice cold and menacing.

At first, Charlie hesitated, defiance etched on his face. But then John pressed the gun to Maxine’s head, and Valerie could see the fear in her eyes.

“Charlie, don’t,” Will murmured, his voice tense. “Everything I know about body language tells me that John is being truthful. He will kill them.”

With a look of anguish, Charlie complied, throwing his gun into the water.

“This is nuts,” he grumbled.

“Is that it?” John asked.

“I don’t have a gun,” Valerie said. “I was at Shady Pines Psychiatric Retreat just like you, remember?”

Valerie, however, kept the knife hidden in her pocket, her fingers gripping the handle tightly. She knew they had to find a way to end this, and she wasn’t ready to give up her last line of defense.

John’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the group, landing on Tom. “Who’s the other man?” he sneered. “I know the rest of you.”

Valerie stepped forward, her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her. “His name is Tom. He’s my fiancé.”

John laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. “How unlucky for you, Tom,” he said, amusement in his voice. “Your decision to be with her brought you here. Bet you regret it now, don’t you?”

Tom’s gaze met John’s, and Valerie saw a steeliness in his eyes she’d never seen before. “You couldn’t be more wrong,” Tom replied, his voice unwavering. “I love Valerie, and I’m proud of her. Unlike you, she’s a force for good in the world.”

John smirked. “How poetic,” he said. “If she’s a force for good, then I’m a force for justice.” He paused, his eyes glittering with malice. “And justice supersedes good.”

John pointed to a second boat moored next to the platform. “I want Charlie, Will, and Valerie to get in that boat and follow me. Any funny business, and I’ll execute the hostages immediately.”

“No,” Tom said firmly, his eyes locked on Valerie’s. “I won’t leave you.”

Valerie reached up and kissed him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “Take care of Suzie,” she whispered.

Suzie protested, insisting she go with Valerie, but Valerie shook her head. “I took an oath as an FBI agent ten years ago, and I knew then that it would put me in peril. I won’t let that oath put you and Tom in any more danger.”

Suzie’s eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t back down. “Valerie, please,” she begged.

But Valerie stood her ground. “Someone has to take care of Mom, Suzie. If both of us die tonight, she’ll be alone in that psychiatric ward. And we’ll never get to the truth of what happened to our dad.”

Valerie kissed Suzie on the forehead, her heart breaking as she looked into her sister’s tear-filled eyes. “Please, Suzie. You have to be strong.”

Looking like a defeated man, Tom took Suzie’s arm, leading her away from the riverbank as she sobbed. Valerie, Charlie, and Will climbed into the boat, tension as thick as ice as they prepared to follow John Murphy into the unknown.

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