“Almost done, buddy. My room is the last one, then Dominick will be here to pick us up, okay?” Alex’s eyes widened, and a small smirk appeared on his otherwise serious expression.
Alex had grown fond of Dominick, getting as close to him as was possible for him over these past few weeks. He’d been the only man in a long time to come around. Idly, Susan let herself hope he’d stick around for a while longer. She wasn’t ready to let him walk out of her life. Her conflicting emotions warred within her. On the one hand, she wanted this whole ordeal to be over so she could get her life back on track and stop hiding once and for all. On the other hand, what would happen once this really was finished? Would Dominick leave without so much as a backward glance? Would he stay? That thought almost made her hope his protection detail would never end.
She already missed his presence around this cramped house and he’d only been gone for a few hours. Glancing up at the dated wall mounted clock above the microwave for the tenth time, she hoped he was already making his way back to them. Susan had made up her mind while keeping busy packing up the house that when Dominick returned, she’d tell him exactly how she felt. She wanted a future with him.
Susan didn’t like to give possible regrets the chance to bite her in the ass in the future. The next move would rest in the detective’s hands. The sound of Alex grunting, whimpering, and pounding on the wall captured her attention.
Sprinting down the hall and around the kitchen island, Susan eased into the room and dropped down to her knees. Alex was hysterical. Screeching out, he pounded his little fists on the sides of his head, thrashing and kicking manically.
“Alex! What’s wrong? It’s just me, Suzie. What happened, honey?”
But Alex refused to unlock his pinched eyes to look at her. Shaking his head, he screamed louder, pointing toward the window. All the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and cold chills prickled down the length of her spine and across the skin of her arms. The concern she felt for Alex had been washed away as the cold reality of fear took its place once she found what had sent Alex into hysteria.
Her body shook violently as her eyes met the marred-up, sneering face of the monster glaring back at them through the window. That very same monster starred in her nightmares each night. The monster she was hiding from had found her. Susan was petrified to the core with the knowledge that only a thin pane of glass separated them. Her mouth dropped open to join Alex in screaming, but no noise made it out. The dark figure tapped on the glass with his fingernail, his eyes wide and black with malicious intent.
“Ready or not, here I come…” it hissed through his disfigurement.
Still in a state of unbelieving shock, Susan sat frozen on the spot, silently begging herself to wake from this nightmare. Instead, she watched in horror as he began to lift the window with ease, realizing she’d left it unlocked after opening it earlier for some much needed fresh air.
Snapping out of her stupor, Susan snatched Alex up off the ground and sprinted to the back bedroom. It was the only room in the house with no windows. She closed and locked the door at the same time the monster had audibly climbed through the window, landing on the hardwood floor with a heavy thud.
This can’t be happening. This can NOT happen.
Feeling the heavy burden of helplessness as she wrapped her arms around her little brother, she back-stepped into the closet and crouched down. She didn’t know what else to do.
“Alex, I need you to be a brave, big boy right now, okay?” she adamantly stressed through a harsh whisper. “Do. Not. Make. A. Sound!” She gave him a stern shake to let him know she was dead serious.
“We don’t want the monster to find us. No matter what happens, you have to stay quiet and hide, okay?” Alex nodded frantically as tears streamed down his face. Her heart broke for him. Violent tremors took over as adrenaline flooded her system, readying her to protect him. Her trembling form shook them both as she held her little brother in her shaking arms.
Heavy boot-clad footsteps made their way down the hall. His pace was slow, taunting his victims and paralyzing them with fear as they waited to be found. Each step creaked the old floorboards underneath him, signaling his slow progression. Each agonizing step had Susan’s heart pounding faster inside her chest.
“You can run, but you can’t hide from me. I can smell your fear from here, you traitorous little bitch.” He recited his threats in an eerie sing-song voice.
Dalton kicked open a door after a long silent pause, and it was all she could do not to scream out as they both jumped, startled by the thunderous crack of wood as it crashed against the wall. Susan covered Alex’s mouth just in case. She listened carefully, competing against the blood that rushed to her ears, as he could be heard walking around three rooms down. He continued his slow torment, kicking in each and every door in his path. Susan had to physically hold Alex still after each thunderous strike. Tears poured down his traumatized face, knowing that the monster was coming for them.
Susan prayed for Dominick to show up, to come to their rescue. Thoughts of him flooded her mind—all their interactions, their steamy close calls, and the weekend at his father’s cabin.
That’s right!
Dominick had drilled into her a plan of action he’d put into place for this very outcome. It was Dominick who told her to come to this back room as it was the safest room in the house. He’d left his .38 revolver in the drawer of the table by the door for fast and easy access. Susan’s heart pounded painfully against her chest, stealing away her breath after each powerful thud.
It took all of her willpower to persuade her body to leave her hiding spot… to leave Alex behind, in order to retrieve the weapon.
“Listen, Alex, I have to go get the superhero weapon Dominick gave me to protect us from the monsters. No matter what you hear or see, stay hidden in here, okay? Don’t come out until I say so.”
Alex nodded, silently sobbing as he backed up as far into the corner as he could get. Susan took care in shutting the door as noiselessly as was possible. She cringed with every tug on the metal door, which squeaked as it moved on its track. Her bare feet padded across the plush carpet on tiptoes. Sweat beaded on her temples and dripped down her ashen face. Gripping the drawer pull, she dragged it out inch by inch, praying it didn’t make a sound that would give away her location.
She reached inside when the old drawer wouldn’t extend anymore, her hand trembling as she found the revolver and wrapped her fingers around the handle. Easing it out and clutching it with a death’s grip, a terrible thought dawned on her… he wasn’t making any more noise. She heard nothing that would give away his whereabouts.
Susan held her breath, desperately trying to strain her ears to hear something, to hear anything at all.
Nothing.
Now on the verge of panic, she pressed her ear up against the door to try to hear something other than her erratic heart pounding.
A hand on the other side dragged up the surface of the door to where her face rested, and Susan jumped back, gasping.
“Aaaaah, there you are.”
She stumbled backward on unsteady legs in her haste to get away. Her pounding heart and short erratic breaths suffocated her as she tried to pull in air. His evil, raspy cackle was like ice in her veins, launching her backward in retreat as the vile sound had her frantic for a way out.
The handle jiggled.
His fists pounded on the door, releasing her from her frozen stupor. His deep malicious voice thundered through the wooden door that separated them.
“Do you really think this will keep me from coming in and tearing you apart with my bare hands, Susan?”
That voice made her want to claw her way out the opposite wall. She was trapped. He would get in. Dread slowed her thinking, causing her to forget all about the lethal metal object dangling from her loose grip and sweaty palm.
“Dalton,” she spoke his name out loud, her trembling voice altering it.
His demonic laugh echoed t
hroughout the house. After it died down, the house once again grew deathly quiet.
Her vision tunneled, she stared unblinking and hyper-focused on the door. The silence stretched out like that for what seemed to be hours as she waited…
A thunderous crash exploded as Dalton kicked through the door as if it was his intended victim. Susan jumped after each deafening blow, counting down to the moment of her inevitable doom. One more solid kick and the door cracked and splintered, leaving a dinner plate sized hole in the center of the useless barricade. Susan’s chest heaved, her lungs hyperventilating as Dalton crouched down and peered through the gaping hole. Susan’s face froze in twisted horror as his marred face zeroed in on her and sneered.
This can’t be happening! This isn’t real. Susan chanted to herself as she stared at the disfiguring, jagged scars that belonged to a true monster. Dalton’s presence twisted and churned at her gut, moments away from expelling all its contents. Turning his head, Dalton looked up in search of the doorknob’s lock. Susan screeched out at the blackened, dead skin surrounding the cavernous hole that used to house an evil black eye.
Dalton turned at the sound of her screeching fear, enjoying her anguish. Once he locked his terrifying gaze on her, Susan vomited at the sight of death’s disgusting face. Reaching his hand inside, Dalton unlocked the knob.
Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she chanted in shock, “Just leave him alone. Don’t hurt him. He’s just a little boy.”
Dalton burst through the door once he’d unlocked it and paused for a brief moment when he noticed the forgotten gun in her trembling hand. Realizing she didn’t have the guts to use it, he lunged for Susan. Accepting her fate, the petrified girl pinched her eyes closed, waiting for the crushing impact that was coming.
“No!”
Susan’s eyes popped open at the roaring sound of Dominick’s voice as he tackled Dalton to the ground. The force of the blow had them barrel-rolling across the floor, nearly knocking Susan over in the process. They struggled back and forth, trying to gain the upper hand and win top position. Dominick growled out, pushing Dalton down with the force of a well-placed elbow on his neck. The detective grunted as he landed a few punches from the top.
After absolving four solid cracks to his already disfigured face, Dalton reached across the cramped space and grabbed Susan’s leg. He yanked her toward the fight, knowing that Dominick would be distracted and stop striking him long enough to give him an out. They were both so predictable. Susan kicked wildly, trying to get out of his grasp. Dominick pried his hands open, freeing her, and she scooted into the corner and watched helplessly.
Dalton used the detective’s lapse in judgment to capitalize on a moment of opportunity, grabbing for the gun holstered on his belt. With daunting quickness, Dalton unclasped the holster and freed the gun. Abandoning his assault, Dominick clamped both hands down on top of Dalton’s, frantically trying with all his might to stop him from taking control of the gun. Dalton yanked and pulled, determined to win his prize.
The brutal tug-of-war had both men panting with unrelenting force, fighting for their lives. Dominick linked his other arm around Dalton’s neck, throwing him around the room, hoping that he would lose his grip. Dalton dropped down to the ground with dead weight, taking the detective with him. The dueling men rolled, each one fighting for a better angle. The last roll put them up against the wall, pinning Dominick in.
Dalton sneered as he won the dominant position. Bringing his knee up to Dominick's chest for leverage, he pulled back on the gun at the same time. He yanked the gun free with unnatural strength, falling back a little by the force used.
Without hesitation, the ruthless man stood, turned toward his target, and aimed the gun directly at Susan. Dominick jumped to his feet with impressive speed and grabbed the muzzle of the gun, fighting with all his strength to raise the weapon just as Dalton pulled the trigger.
An ear-splitting bang shook the tight space. Susan jerked back. Flinching, she let a scream rip from her lungs. The bullet missed her head by less than a fraction of an inch, whizzing past her ear and lodging itself in the wall behind her. The deafening crack had both her ears ringing, unable to hear any sound at all.
That close call brought Susan back to reality, bringing her out of her petrified shock. Dominick had come back for her. That wasn’t a dream or wishful thinking. But now, he was in danger of losing the battle against Dalton’s powerful and unstoppable drive to end her life.
Dominick risked a glance over at Susan, making sure she wasn’t hurt.
It can’t end this way. I promised to keep her safe. I can’t lose her… I love her, Dominick thought to himself.
Something in her hand captured the light, and that’s when he saw the revolver clenched in her quaking grip.
“Susan, don’t let him near you! If he gets by me, shoot him! You can do it. Hear my voice, remember our training, and Shoot!”
Susan looked down at the heavy metal object weighing down her arm. The fully loaded revolver had her gaining courage the longer she stared down at it. A sickening crunch caught her attention. Dalton had reared back and head butted Dominick, landing the blow directly on the bridge of his nose. Blood trickled out of the gash, and he wavered, disoriented.
Susan’s heart ripped wide open seeing him hurt by Dalton’s hands. Like a true predator, Dalton zeroed in on the cut, brought his fist back, and cracked him again and again on the same spot. Dominick released his hold on the muzzle with one hand in order to shield himself from the blows that kept coming. Before Dalton could react, Dominick unleashed a barrage of elbows to his face.
But the man possessed with murderous intent and blood lust hardly acknowledged the hits. Dalton kicked the side of Dominick’s knee with the steel toe of his boot, and the detective cried out as it cracked and popped, dropping him to his knees.
Dalton raised the gun.
Susan let out a blood-curdling scream as she watched Dalton pull the trigger in slow motion. The flash and bang seemed delayed as her mind fought reality. Without thinking, she dropped the gun, jumped up, and ran with sluggish legs, fighting to get them to move faster as she watched Dominick’s torso burst open. Fragments of blood splattered on the wall behind him as he collapsed to the ground, sputtering. He gasped for air as blood trickled out of his gurgling mouth.
Susan lost all control of herself. She lunged on Dalton’s back, pounding away at his neck and head while screaming the whole time. As if he’d been annoyed by a buzzing fly, Dalton reached behind him, grabbing a fistful of her hair, and effortlessly pulled her up over his head. Air whooshed past her as she landed hard on her back. All the oxygen escaped her lungs, the hard landing knocking all the wind out of her.
She struggled to gasp some much-needed air into her aching lungs. Dalton loomed over her, a vile smirk curling his lips as he kicked her side. He laughed as she cried out in agony, enjoying every second of her anguish and wanting to draw it out for his own amusement.
Still breathing, Dominick sucked in a ragged breath, channeled all his strength, and kicked Dalton’s feet out from under him.
The evil man stumbled but quickly regained his composure. He smiled down on the pathetic piece of shit as he lowered himself to the ground near the bleeding man. Dalton jammed his finger inside the bullet hole and laughed as the detective howled in anguish. Susan rolled over on her side in search of Dominick.
Still in a state of shock, she looked on at the man she’d fallen so hard for, the man who’d risked his life for her and would do it again and again, who was screaming in pain. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. Anger bubbled up to the surface as she watched Dalton laugh and smile as if having the time of his life.
This man… this monster had ruined countless lives. Lives he’d snuffed out with all the power to cover it up. Never any remorse. Never any consequences. She had been too frightened to do anything to help them back then. Their blood was on her hands as well, because she never attempted to stop him… She never cal
led for help.
All sounds muted as the faces of Dalton’s victims flashed through her mind.
Joseph, Bonnie, Vicky, Ellora, Giddeon, his parents, and countless others who’d stood in his way. The last faces that passed through her head were of Alex, her mother, and Dominick.
Dominick.
Rage burned hot through her veins as courage she didn’t know she possessed rose to the surface. Reaching across the blood-soaked carpet, Susan took hold of the revolver she’d dropped. Dominick’s distant voice blocked out everything else.
“Remember, sweetheart, flick the safety off. Red means you’re ready to fire.” Susan flicked the safety off.
“Take a deep breath and hold it.” She forcefully pulled air into her bruised lungs.
“Take aim.” Susan lifted the shiny metal revolver with strong, steady hands.
“And pull.” Her thumb pulled back the hammer. The loud click of the bullet moving into the chamber captured the attention of both men.
Dalton’s eyes widened as he stared down the barrel of the gun. Susan pushed it against the side of his face, afraid he’d suddenly dodge her. A patronizing smirk curled the side of his lips.
“We both know you don’t have the…”
BANG! The thunderous crack bounced off the walls in the small room. Anger made her pull the trigger, but fear—fear that the monster would somehow keep coming back to get her—had Susan unloading the entire gun on him.
“I’ll see you in hell!” she whispered, still pulling the trigger until it made an empty clicking sound. Dominick rolled to his side, groaning with the effort.
“He’s gone, Susan. He’s dead. He can’t hurt you… anymore.” Placing his blood-coated hand on the top of the gun, he pushed it down before taking charge of it.
Susan broke down at the sight of Dominick’s blood covering his entire right side. She quickly ripped off a piece of the sheet covering the futon and flinched when he roared out as she tied it around him and applied pressure to the wound. Searing pain flooded his system, and Dominick blacked out after Susan tightened the knot in her attempt to stop the flow of blood.
Past Forgiven Page 15