Love Lies Dying (52 page)

He leant forward, but that didn’t help.

Sherrie’s head turned as she passed Zoe.

Everything moved as if it were in slow motion.

John was sure he saw Sherrie reply, but he couldn’t hear what she said either.

And then Zoe took another step backwards.

And another.

Her hands moved up and she buried her face in them.

Sherrie continued past, walking faster now, reaching the spiral staircase in seconds.

She didn’t look back to check on Zoe.

Whatever she said had its desired result.

A quiet sob echoed around the church.

John watched Zoe, waiting for a trick or for a sudden movement. Waiting for her to change the game again. But she didn’t. She backed into the long wooden table. Her hip hit the corner of the table hard, dislodging the gauze that had been covering the wound she had received back at his house on Saturday.

So long ago now…

The gauze fell to the floor and he could see the fine red slice of the cut in her skin.

How did she do that again?

He couldn’t remember.

She stumbled as she cannoned off the table.

John’s eyes darted to Sherrie.

But she wasn’t on the stairs.

He couldn’t see her.

For a moment, panic sped through him.

Then he heard the sounds of the keys in the lock.

She’s trying to find the right one. She’s up there now!

John focussed back on Zoe.

She was staggering backwards between the table and the kitchen bench.

He stood and watched as she slammed into the wall of the church. Her back slapped the cold surface hard.

Another sob echoed around the church.

He watched her as a low roll of thunder broke the night.

He waited for a reaction from Zoe. The thunder was loud, but her face was still buried in her hands, and she shook her head back and forth.

Come on, you’ve got to get moving.

Huh?

To the door!

John dragged his eyes from Zoe long enough to check the door to the church was still open.

He only had to get there.

It’s not that far!

But it seemed a long way away.

Freedom was so close.

I need Zoe.

Huh?

To get to Fox!

Worry about that afterwards!

I have to know the truth.

Sherrie will help you. Just get out of here first.

I have to make Fox pay for what he did to Helen.

Later! You can’t worry about that now!

I need to make him pay for what he did to Zoe too.

LATER!

Slowly at first, John began to move around the railing.

He kept his eyes on Zoe, but she was still standing by the wall, her sobbing becoming louder.

As quietly as he could, he moved another step closer to the door, edging his way down the bed.

And then his foot landed on cold metal.

It clanked on the floor as he did so, but the sound was muffled and not very loud. He checked Zoe hadn’t heard the noise before he looked down at what he was standing on.

The handcuffs.

Yes!

You don’t need them.

Yes, I do.

Why?

I can get Fox. Use them on him. Show him what it’s like to be tied up and tortured.

Are you serious?

Revenge!

You can’t do it!

I have to – for Zoe and Helen.

Don’t be crazy!

He deserves to get a taste of what he gives to other people.

You can’t beat Fox!

I can try!

John bent down and picked up the handcuffs. They were cold and heavy. And strong.

Perfect!

He stood up.

His eyes darted to Zoe.

She wasn’t there.

Shit!

He took another step forward, quicker now, panic building again.

Where is she?

He could hear the keys still being tried in the hatch lock.

Come on!

Another wave of thunder rolled across the sky.

He froze until the sound had disappeared and silence had returned.

Where did she go?

He heard the click of the lock.

Yes!

Another step around the railing. Then another. Quicker now.

John’s eyes searched the church, looking for Zoe. He tensed himself, ready for her attack at any moment. He wanted to call out to Sherrie, but he didn’t dare risk it.

And then he heard another sob; loud and deep.

John stepped further into the middle of the church.

He saw her.

She was sitting on the ground, rolled into a tight ball, just as she had been after she received the call from Fox at his home on Saturday night.

She was rocking back and forth, squeezed into the little space between the table and the kitchen bench. The exact same spot where he had spent one long lonely night tied to a chair and face down on the floor. She’d slipped down the wall and just crumpled.

Her sobs were louder now and her whole body was shaking.

John took a step towards her.

Get AWAY!

She’s CRAZY!

Leave now!

John took a step closer to her. Her body was shaking with each sob. He could see her ribs through her skin.

He moved closer.

Lightning flashed through the nearest window for a second, reflecting off the tears on her cheeks and the gold pendant around her neck.

He reached out with his left hand.

“John!”

He swung around and looked up at Sherrie at the lectern.

She was holding his clothes and shoes.

“I’ve got them,” she said.

He nodded.

She started down the stairs.

“Quick, let’s go.”

John turned to look back at Zoe.

She was staring up at him now. Her face streaked with tears. She was trying to smile at him, but it would disappear as the next sob took hold. The scar across her left eyebrow looked longer and milky white.

John’s hand was still reaching out to her.

He let it drop.

Sherrie was by his side now. She threw the clothes and the key ring on the table.

 “Quick,” she said, taking the knife from him. “Get into them and we’ll leave.”

John turned from Zoe and reached for the clothes. He put the handcuffs on the table as he began getting dressed.

The clothes felt uncomfortable and heavy on him. He couldn’t believe how alien they felt after only a few days without them.

But he knew they would also be warm, and that was something he was craving.

Sherrie stood no more than six feet from Zoe, watching over her with the knife.

They stared at each other.

Zoe’s sobbing had subsided and she just sat with her chin on her knees and her eyes looking up at them.

I wonder what Sherrie’s thinking…

You probably don’t want to know.

John watched them both as he dressed, just in case either did something they would regret.

They were all silent. The night was getting darker, illuminated only by the poor lighting in the church and by random lightning through the windows. The thunder clashed once more, louder this time.

Getting closer.

As John completed dressing, Zoe opened her mouth to speak.

Sherrie jabbed the knife in the air.

Zoe closed her mouth and said nothing. Her brow furrowed.

“You ready?” Sherrie asked without turning to look at him.

John nodded.

“We’re going,” Sherrie said to Zoe.

Zoe’s bottom lip quivered and she looked to the ground. She nodded.

“Come on,” Sherrie said as she turned and headed for the door.

John stared at Zoe.

She raised her eyes, looked back at him and tried to smile once more.

He wanted to say something, but he couldn’t think of anything.

“It wasn’t meant to happen like this, Johnny,” she whispered.

John tried to smile, but it didn’t work. The ebbing pain in his cock wouldn’t let him.

“John,” Sherrie called from the doorway. “Quickly.”

He turned to face her.

Sherrie was waving for him to follow.

“
Now
, while we can!” she called.

John turned back to Zoe.

She had buried her head back in her hands. She was rocking back and forth again.

“This is wrong,” she was whispering to herself. “This is wrong. Wrong. Wrong. This is all wrong.”

Over and over again.

John turned to leave as lightning flashed through the windows.

He spotted the key ring and handcuffs on the table. He reached over and grabbed both of them.

Fox will pay. I promise you, Zoe.

He turned and headed for the doorway.

Freedom. At last!

He smiled at Sherrie as he walked towards her.

She smiled back, but she kept an eye over his shoulder, making sure Zoe wasn’t going to try anything.

Thunder rumbled around them.

As John walked to the door, he slipped the handcuffs into the back pocket of his jeans.

They’ll keep safe there until I’m ready to use them on Fox.

He climbed the step to the doorway and walked out into the night.

It was cold and dark, but he didn’t care.

He took another step into the darkness and the security lights came on, flooding the whole area with bright light.

“Thanks for dropping everything to come all the way out here to help,” he said to Sherrie as they stood outside the church.

“Looks like you needed it too!” she replied.

They kissed.

“Come on,” she said as they broke away from each other. “Let’s not hang around here. My car is at the end of the drive.”

Quickly, they headed off past the Jeep and down the driveway.

John fought the temptation to look back over his shoulder to see if Zoe was watching or following.

He didn’t want to know.

All he needed to do now was leave.

They left the safety of the security lights behind them and headed into the darkness beyond, followed only by momentary flashes of lightning and the broiling sound of thunder.

And as they walked, John hooked the key ring to the belt hook on his right hip.

Fifty-two

“I was so worried about you when you didn’t come to work,” Sherrie said as they sat in the car.

“I know.”

They stared into each other’s eyes.

“And leaving your card in my screen door freaked me out too. I didn’t know what to think. You come to see me, leave the card and then disappear! I was worried sick. I thought maybe you’d left without me.”

John ran his hand through her long curly hair and stared into her green eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “But there wasn’t much I could do about it.”

Sherrie nodded. “I know.”

“I’m just so glad you picked up my phone when I called.”

“Naturally,” she said. “I was hanging around it like a hawk. You had me beside myself with nerves.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, looking out into the darkness of the night, watching as the lightning flashed intermittently.

The car was parked over at the side of the road to Hepburn Lakes and at the end of the driveway to the church.

“Then I waited and waited down at the hotel.” Sherrie continued, staring out into the night. “Once it started to get dark and these storm clouds came over, I thought something must’ve gone wrong. I knew you’d said something about a church just out of town, and luckily this is the only one. A guy at the hotel gave me directions.”

“I’m glad you asked him.”

“Me too.”

“I don’t know how long I would’ve been tied up in there.”

Silence fell between them again.

John looked up at the sky. The clouds looked dark and heavy. It felt like midnight, but the clock on the dashboard said 7:18pm.

“Did…” Sherrie paused. “Did
she
do all that to you?” She looked at his wounded face and gently touched his left arm.

John nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been up here since Saturday night.”

“And Helen?” she asked in a quiet voice.

John let out a deep sigh. “I really don’t know any more. I think she’s dead.”

“
What?
”

“Well, the girl up there says she’s dead. And I think I believe her. I don’t think she’d lie to me about that. But then again, I don’t know what to think now. This whole thing is too confusing. I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“
Dead?
How?
Why?
”

John turned in his seat and took Sherrie’s hands in his.

“It’s a long story, my love. And it’s complicated.”

“It always is with you,” she replied as she smiled a sad smile.

“And I don’t really know where to start.”

“Probably from the beginning.”

“I know, but I don’t know if we have the time. There’s a madman on the loose out here. I think he killed Helen. At least the girl in the church said he did. I think he’s also the one responsible for the mental problems that girl has. And we have to stop him!”

“Madman?” Sherrie looked worried. “What are you talking about?”

“Fox. His name’s Ricky Fox and he’s some hit man who makes money by causing pain – or worse. He’s the one who killed Helen! He’s got her at a place called Redlingford. It’s about 10 minutes from here.”

“Can’t we call the police?”

“It won’t work. He’ll get away with it if we do that.”

“The cops will take care of it.”

“No, he knows ways around the cops. You don’t survive this long as a hit man unless you know who to bribe.”

“John, this is
serious
shit,” Sherrie’s face was pale and determined. “I don’t think you’re in any fit condition to confront this guy.”

“I have to!”

“No, you
don’t!
”

“Yes, I do. I have to pay him back for all the people he’s hurt and killed in the past.”

“You don’t have to play hero, John.”

“I know that, Sherrie. Believe me, I don’t want to. But I owe that much to Helen. If he
has
killed her, I have to make him hurt.”

“Ordinary people don’t have to play hero, John.”

“I’m
not
playing hero. But I have to do
something!
”

“But I don’t want
you
hurt or killed in the process.”

He leaned forward and kissed Sherrie on the cheek.

Such a soft, smooth, lovely cheek…

“I know that, my love. But we have to do what we have to do.”

She nodded. “You always say that.”

“We have to follow this through. I mean, what if Helen’s still alive up there? I have to save her.”

“Do you believe she is?”

“I don’t know…”

“And how will you explain me?”

“That’s not important right now.”

“It is to me,” Sherrie sat back in the seat.

John sighed. “You know what I mean. You mean the world to me, you
know
that. But I don’t want to see Helen hurt if I can save her. And…well…if I’m too late, I can at least do something to make her…I don’t know…to make her last resting place…” He trailed off and swallowed hard. He didn’t want to think about those kinds of things.

Thunder rolled across the car.

“Either way,” he continued after a minute or two of silence. “I have to pay Fox back for what he did to her and the girl up at the church.”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Sherrie asked.

John nodded, “I don’t think I have any choice.”

“We always have choices, John. Some of us just choose not to make them.”

“I’ve got to do this, Sherrie. But I understand if you want to drop me off in town and just leave me to fight my own battles.”

She smiled then and squeezed his hands.

“Looks like you’ve been fighting your own battles for far too long. And I don’t think you’ve been winning. I’m in this with you now. You’ll need my help.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure,” she smiled. “I have to make sure I protect you and that you come back in one piece.”

He leaned forward and kissed her lips, “Thanks, honey.”

She smelt so good…

“I don’t want to lose you,” she whispered.

“And I don’t want to lose
you
,” he replied.

“But I think we should head back to Hepburn Lakes first. Get you cleaned up and rested before we do anything else.”

John nodded his head. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to.”

“Me either,” Sherrie said as she started the engine. “There’s no telling what Zoe might do next.”

John nodded.

Sherrie swung the car onto the road. She put the car in reverse and began a u-turn to head them back in the right direction.

“Hepburn Lakes,” she smiled at him. “Here we come!”

Fear sliced through John. His mouth dropped wide open.

“How did you
know
?” he whispered.

Sherrie stopped the car in mid-turn.

“Know what?” she asked.

“That the girl in the church is called
Zoe?
”

Sherrie looked the other way to check the road for traffic.

“You must’ve mentioned it,” she said.

“I didn’t.”

“Well, you
must
have.”

Sherrie gunned the engine. The road was empty.

“I didn’t!”

Silence.

A slice of lightning illuminated the inside of the car. A deafening clap of thunder followed immediately after it.

John sat back deeper in his seat.

“You
know
her!” he said.

Sherrie turned around to face him. She sighed.

“I – ”

Her words were cut short.

The car jolted violently.

John was thrown forward in the seat, the side of his body slamming into the dashboard, the air whooshing from his lungs, pain exploding inside him.

He heard Sherrie’s scream above the noise of twisting metal and breaking glass. Her scream stopped suddenly as she was hurled into the steering wheel.

The car rolled forward slightly, then jerked to a stop. The headlights died and so did the engine.

John could hear the tinkling of broken glass outside the car.

He opened his eyes. Turning slowly to minimise the pain, he looked out his side window. He could make out the shape of another car just a few feet away from his window.

Damn it, someone drove into us! Didn’t they see us turning on the road?

And then the headlights came on.

The bright light blinded John for a moment. Then the left headlight blew, leaving the right one shining up at an angle, through the broken glass of its lamp.

The engine roared.

“Sherrie? You okay?” he called over his shoulder.

There was no reply.

John was trying to force air back into his lungs. He pulled the door handle, but it wouldn’t work properly. His door was jammed shut.

The other car was backing up.

And as John’s vision cleared, he could see the car was a Jeep.

A red Jeep Wrangler with TAMEME licence plates.

A flash of lightning lit up the night.

He stared across and through the Jeep’s windshield for those few split seconds.

The flash of lightning was gone, but the imprint on his mind was still there.

Zoe was sitting at the wheel.

And she was smiling.