The Psychopath's Prisoner

by Darla Lark

  “You should talk about it. It would make you feel better. You should get it off your chest. This is a burden I am willing to bear with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re angry.”

  “How do you know?” Cheyenne snapped.

  “Because you picked your shoe up, threw it across the room, and muttered ‘arrogant jerk’.”

  Irritation consumed her. “If I felt like talking about it,” Cheyenne yelled. “I would. I don’t. So, leave it alone.”

  Michael held his hands up defensively. “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Where did that come from? I was just trying to be here for you. At least, that’s what I was trying for. When are you going to stop pretending that everything is just great? Like nothing ever happened? Stop being so tough that you keep holding your emotions in. Cry, scream, and punch something. Just do something.”

  “I did! I threw my shoe!” Cheyenne pointed to the object on the other side of the room.

  She could see him from the corner of her eye. His arms were folded across his chest and the look on his face revealed his anger. If he could’ve, his eyes would’ve started a fire. He was staring at her with his eyes darker than usual. She felt bad, but she was stubborn. No one really ever saw her cry or express very much emotion and she preferred to keep it that way.

  “I will deal with my feelings in my own way,” Cheyenne said. “The last thing I need is someone telling me how to feel. So, if you don’t mind,” she jumped up from the couch, “I am going to bed.” She pushed past him and stomped off to their bedroom. Cheyenne knew she wasn’t angry with him. She was angry with herself. Guiltily, she knew he was right, but she didn’t know how to express herself. Deep down she was terrified, angry, hurt, and wanted to be able to scream and cry and punch someone. That “someone” being Eric. Tyler came a close second. But she couldn’t. She didn’t want to lose Michael. The only thing she could do was sit down and have a discussion with him.

  She walked to the bedroom, exhausted. Entering the bedroom, she immediately went into the bathroom and took her jewelry and makeup off. She walked out of the bathroom to her dresser for a nightgown. She turned and a chill embraced her body. She looked above their bed. Her jaw dropped. Michael’s swords were missing! Eric had broken into their house!

  “Don’t panic, Chey,” she whispered. Briefly closing her eyes and holding her hands over her stomach, she took a deep breath. She opened her eyes, turned to leave the bedroom and bumped into Michael. She was scared.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” Michael wrapped his arms around her.

  “You didn’t.” He gave her a funny look. “Michael,” she whispered, “look above the bed.”

  “Oh my….”

  “He’s here with us, Michael.”

  “Shush. It’ll be okay.” He quietly walked over to his side of the bed and pulled open the nightstand drawer. “It’s not here. He took my gun.”

  “Why does that not surprise me?”

  “I need you to stay here while I go look around.” Michael headed for the door.

  “You are not leaving me here by myself.”

  He walked over and pulled her close. “You’ll be safer here. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  She pushed him away and got in his face. “And I repeat, you are not leaving me alone. Got it?”

  She heard him sigh reluctantly. “Fine, but stay close.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I won’t be far.”

  She followed close behind. “Are you sure you want to come with me?” When she glared at him, he shrugged. “All right. Let’s go.”

  They went down the hallway checking every room and closet. He wasn’t there. Cheyenne knew he was somewhere. She also knew he was waiting for the right time. The perfect moment.

  “Maybe he’s outside,” Michael offered. “No. He’s not. He’s in here.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Gut instinct. Remember he kidnapped me and… he’s waiting. I know it.”

  “Waiting for what?” Michael asked.

  “The perfect moment to make his attack. He wants to take his revenge on me and kill you. You’re an obstacle to him. As is Raina.”

  Michael swallowed hard. “I won’t let him take you, even if it costs me my life.”

  “You do realize he has the upper hand. He has your swords and gun. Maybe we should just leave and go to the police station. It’s obvious he’s been here before and knows where everything is. We’ve got to get out of here to safety.”

  “You’re right. Let’s make a mad dash for it.” He grabbed her hand and they began to run, making a stop to grab the keys from the table by the entrance. “Oh no!”

  “What?”

  He gazed at her and nodded at the table. “My keys are gone.”

  “We are so screwed. Wait! What about my car keys? They should be in my purse.”

  “Where is your purse?” he asked as he put his hands on her arms.

  “It’s on the couch.”

  He darted into the living room. Emerging, he held her keys and purse. “Got them.”

  “Well then, let’s get the hell out of here.”

  They opened the front door. A ninja greeted them. He had a sword in each hand. Although, not being able to see his entire face, Cheyenne knew those eyes.

  “Why can’t you accept that I don’t want to be with you? I don’t love you.”

  “We’ll see about that when your lover here is dead.”

  “It’s not over until it’s over,” Michael said.

  “Yeah? Would you like to take your chances and put your money where your mouth is?” Eric cut the air in front of them with a sword, taunting.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  Cheyenne looked back and forth at the men. With a swift move, she pushed Michael inside and quickly slammed the door.

  “Don’t think I can’t get to you, Cheyenne. I have always been able to. Why can’t you make this easy on yourself? Just come back to me.”

  She backed away from the door. One of the swords came through the door and she screamed.

  “Let’s go” Michael grabbed her arm. They ran through the living room and stood in the small hallway.

  “Why did you shove me like that? I could’ve taken him.”

  Frustrated, she glared at him. “You are such a typical man. Don’t you understand that it was a trick? Yes, you would’ve had a sword and he would’ve, too. He had no intention of fighting fairly. Did you forget he has your gun? I thought you were smarter than that.”

  “How do you know what he was planning?”

  “I spent a lot of time with him. Therefore, I kind of know how he thinks. He’s demented. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

  Michael dragged her through the kitchen toward the basement. He opened the door, it was dark. “You’ll be safe here.”

  “What do you mean? What are you planning on doing?” There was a click and the lights came on to reveal the steps.

  “Someone has to get some help.” He tugged her down the stairs and across the open area.

  “NO! You are not leaving me here by myself.”

  At a far wall stood a stack of cartons. “Stay behind these boxes and you’ll be safe. I love you.” He gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll be back.”

  Cheyenne began to cry. “Michael….please don’t leave me. Please. Michael. Please.” She grabbed at his chest. “Michael.”

  “It’ll be okay. I promise. Trust me.” He kissed her again and grabbed a flashlight from one of the shelves. He handed it to her. “I will be back.”

  “You better.”

  He turned and proceeded to leave. When he reached the top of the stairs, he turned off the lights, leaving Cheyenne in the dark. All she could do was hide and worry about Michael. Hopefully he would be all right and not get hurt.

  Standing slowly and cautiously, Cheyenne felt her heart speed up. Before she could fully stand, she heard someone coming downstairs. She did not know if it was Michael or
Eric. Please be Michael. She suddenly had an eerie feeling that it wasn’t Michael. What a nightmare! Come on, Cheyenne. Keep it together. Don’t lose your mind. She attempted to see who it was, but it was too dark. No light was showing from upstairs. He had closed the door. The only light was his flashlight. It was only a matter of time until he found her. Should she remain in hiding or try to make a run for it? When the light was in her direction, she ducked and quietly crawled to the other side of the boxes. Why did Michael have to leave her alone?

  Finally, the light turned away from her and she heard some muttering. Then she heard footsteps ascending the stairs. She breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way she could remain in the basement. Michael needed her and they needed to get out of there.

  After waiting a few minutes, she decided to make her move. With heart racing, Cheyenne stood and cautiously proceeded toward the stairs with flashlight in hand. Her hands were shaking as she began to ascend the stairs. All she could think about was Eric and hoped Michael was safe. Was he waiting for her on the other side of the door? Did he hurt Michael? What was waiting for her on the other side of that door? She was about to find out.

  Chapter 48

  With trembling hands, Cheyenne slowly moved to open the door. Her heart was racing and her breathing became more labored. She cautiously opened the door a crack and peaked her head out. No one seemed to be around, but she knew he was still there, probably hiding in the shadows waiting for her to come out of her hiding place. She emerged from the basement and a shiver ran down her spine. Something wasn’t right.

  She stepped into the kitchen, turned the flashlight on and looked around. She reached the doorway to the hall and looked out. Again, nothing. It was too quiet and that made her nervous. She knew she had to risk the danger to get Michael and get out of there. She made her way down the hallway. Every sound made her jump, but she kept pushing ahead. She finally reached the living room and peered in. She saw someone in the recliner. She debated whether or not to move closer and decided to proceed cautiously. She moved closer and realized it was Michael. He was slumped over. Upon closer inspection, she was shocked. His own swords had been thrust into his shoulders and through the recliner, pinning him to the chair and his face was beaten and swollen.

  “Oh my goodness! Oh Michael!” She touched his face. She knew she had to fight back. A plan was forming in her head when she heard a click.

  “Cheyenne. It’s so good to see you again.”

  She slowly looked up to see the gun pointed at her face, Cheyenne responded, “Daniel. Or should I say, Eric?”

  He laughed. “So you know my real name. That’s nice. At least I don’t have to hide who I am any longer. Now you know. Nice meeting you, Cheyenne.”

  “I know that you murdered the real Daniel Schindler and a woman, Kimberly Thompson. Were you planning doing to me what you did to her and my best friend?”

  “Like I would tell you after what you did to me.”

  “You deserved it. You did worse to me. It’s just unfortunate that it’s all I did,” she replied coolly.

  She slowly stood to face him. He motioned with the gun for her to sit. She moved to the couch and plopped down, never taking her eyes off of him.

  “Turn the light on. Better yet, where’s the light switch?”

  “You ought to know. It’s not like you haven’t been here before.” Moving her head, stubbornly, she asked, “Remember?”

  “You’re right,” he said with a laugh. Backing away while still pointing the gun at her, he walked over to where the light switch was and flipped it on. “There. Much better. Now I can see you. Wow. You are so beautiful. I never dated an Indian girl before. At least, not until now.”

  She looked over at Michael and felt sick to her stomach. He needed medical attention—badly. There was no way Eric was going to allow that to happen. Even knowing that, she had to try.

  “Why don’t you let him go? Let him get medical attention. Please. I’ll stay here with you.”

  Eric glared at her. “Why? Why do you care about him so much? Why not me?”

  “You really want to know? All right. I’ll tell you. You treat me like crap. You raped me, beat me, and kept me captive. He isn’t ashamed to take me out in public. He cares about me. Not to mention, he isn’t psychotic. Nor is he a pathetic loser.”

  Eric, enraged, pointed the gun at Michael. “If I kill him now, then you would be mine. All it takes is one bullet to the head.” He turned the gun on her, first pointing it at her head as he moved closer, and finally, when close, to run it down her body. “Or kill you. Then no one else can have you but you are so sexy and smell so good. Sooo good. I really don’t want to kill you. Don’t force my hand.”

  Knowing this was a dangerous game she was playing with him, she glanced at Michael and sighed. She gently touched Eric’s arm. “Please get him some medical attention and I’ll do whatever you want me to. I’ll be whoever you want me to be.”

  He scrutinized her for a moment as if making sure she wasn’t lying. “I’ll think about it. That’s all I’ll do for the moment.”

  Even though she knew Michael needed to go to the hospital and was extremely panicked about it, Eric’s answer had to be enough for now. Pushing him too hard might thrust him over the edge and he would kill Michael. She had to play the game on his terms. At least for the moment.

  “Okay,” she whispered. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her purse stuffed between the cushions. Michael. Of course. Her cell phone was in it. He was brilliant. He must’ve put it there before Eric got to him.

  “Good girl.” He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders, still pointing the gun at her. “I can give you the world. I can be your everything, if you’d only let me. Over time, you’ll see that I’m the right one for you.”

  “May I ask you a question?”

  “I guess. Sure.”

  “When did you first notice me?”

  “In the courthouse. The day your divorce was finalized. As soon as I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one. So beautiful. So sexy. It would be such a waste if I had to kill you.”

  So… that’s probably the reason he moved into the apartment across from hers. He had begun stalking her before they ever met. If only she had known… but that didn’t bother her as much as what he had done to Gaby and Aiden, and now Michael. It would have been easy for him to overcome Gaby, but the only way he could’ve overpowered Michael was to attack from behind. Michael would have been the stronger one otherwise. Oh Michael. I promise that I will get you out of here. Somehow.

  She knew she had to escape if both of them were to survive, but she was afraid to leave Michael alone with him. She had to put her fears to the side and get some help for Michael. The thought of what she was about to do made her nervous, but her adrenaline started to flow.

  “Can we go for a walk?” Cheyenne asked coyly.

  He looked at her suspiciously. “Why?”

  “I need some fresh air.”

  “It’s not a good idea.”

  “But I need some fresh air,” she pleaded.

  “All right.” He held the gun to her temple. “If you try anything…”

  “I won’t.” This guy was an idiot. Or was he? Why was he so willing to go for a walk with her, especially after what she did to him when she escaped? Maybe he thought having a gun was fool proof. Little did he know she was going to take her chances once again. No matter how terrified she was on the inside, she could not show it on the surface. She had to be brave for Michael.

  “Let’s go,” he ordered. When she didn’t move fast enough for him, he grabbed her by the arm and forced her up. “I thought you wanted to go outside.”

  “I do.”

  “Then let’s go!” When she didn’t move immediately, he growled. “Move!”

  “All right. All right. May I put some shoes on first?”

  “No,” he said as he put his face in hers. “We go as is. Got it?”

  She yanked her arm free, loo
sening his grip and glared at him. “Got it.”

  With the gun in one hand and her arm in the other, he led her out of the house. Oh how she hated him looking at her much less touching her, but she had to endure it a little longer. It would be quite a bit of a struggle, but she had to do it outside. The last thing she wanted was to get Michael killed. Distance was the best thing for Michael’s safety, but when they approached the gates; Cheyenne felt Eric’s hand tighten its grip.

  “We could just walk out that gate right now. Just take off and go to Vegas. You and me.” With a click of the gun, he pointed it at her as if to remind her that he had the upper hand.

  “Sure,” Cheyenne said quickly. “That would be wonderful, but there’s just one thing…”

  “What’s that?”

  She turned to face him and with a quick knee to his groin, he dropped the gun and fell to his knees. He was holding his groin and she made a mad dash for the gun, but through his pain, Eric struggled with her for the gun.

  “I thought you had learned your lesson. I thought you changed. I guess not.” He raised the gun and pulled the trigger.

  The bullet barely missed her head. Cheyenne froze. Shocked. Though he was capable of killing her, she was unprepared to be shot at. She took off running. Another shot rang out. She ran around the side of the house, hoping he wouldn’t go in after Michael.

  “Cheyenne! Get back here you stupid bitch!”

  She kept running. Before she opened the back door, she glanced over her shoulder. She was out of breath. She ran toward Michael. He wasn’t there. She gasped. She was frantic and searched for him. He was nowhere to be found.

  “Oh Michael,” she cried. She feared the worst and turned to the couch to retrieve her purse and cell phone. They were gone. Cheyenne fell onto the couch, covered her face with her hands and cried. What was she going to do now? She was on her own. Raising her head she noticed the flashlight next to the recliner. She quickly stood and grabbed it then walked across the room and turned the light off. The room darkened. She heard footsteps coming in her direction. The only place she could hide was behind the recliner. It wasn’t much of a hiding place, but it was the only option she had. She quietly made her way behind it with flashlight in hand. Someone walked in and start rifling through things. Her heart beat so loudly it was all she could hear. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her body trembled. She squeezed the flashlight so hard that it made her hands ache. Trying to be quiet, she thought about Raina and Gaby. If she made it out alive, she would become a much better sister. If not, she would be seeing Gaby a lot sooner than planned. Raina would be devastated. For that reason, she still had to try. Michael was probably dead by now. She heard the footsteps moving closer to her. She raised the flashlight. As soon as he made it close enough, she swung the flashlight at Eric and hit him in the kneecaps. He fell. She threw herself on top of him and proceeded to choke him. He tried to fight her off, but somehow she over powered him. All the anger and frustration from the last few months of terror and Gaby’s murder was unleashed.