Squatting behind the shed with her right leg stretched outward, kneading her ankle with her free hand, Summer scouted the layout of the house and yard, contemplating what her best move would be. She’d seen Sabrina in the side window on the right and assumed she’d still be there waiting while Percy formulated another plan.
Summer pulled the phone from her pocket and glanced at the display, making sure it was still working and receiving a strong signal. The fact Percy hadn’t tried calling since he took the shot at Nate, unnerved her. Maybe he thought the deal was too risky now that he’d tried to kill a police officer? If his time behind bars had taught him anything, it would be that cops don’t take kindly to a cop killer—Or in Percy’s case, an attempted kill.
Sliding to the edge of the shed, Summer peered through the patio doors, into the back sitting room which overlooked the scenic lake view. There was absolutely no movement from inside that room and by her calculations, Percy wouldn’t be the least bit interested in watching from behind. He’d have no reason to believe the cops would place him in this house. The only thing linking him to this home was its vicinity to his grandmother’s place, but even Percy would know it’d be a long shot for the cops to connect the places together, so he’d feel very secure sitting, peering between the blinds, watching the roadway.
Convinced of her theory, Summer moved quickly from the shed, keeping low as she went, sneaking toward the house. She kept large objects close in her path in case she saw even the slightest shadow move inside.
Summer dodged toward the iron patio furniture then paused, resting her burning legs. This was the most action she’d seen in many months and realized her previous training habits had fallen to the wayside for the last while. She cursed, knowing she should never have let her body deteriorate like she had. She should’ve kept up the regiment even if her heart and mind were breaking.
Standing tall, Summer felt the burn in her muscles and realized the feeling was more satisfying than any pill she’d popped down her throat. She dashed to the rear of the home feeling alive once again and wedged her back against the stucco wall beside the patio door. Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears, she swore she wouldn’t be able to hear if Percy were standing right beside, talking to her.
The patio door was closed, so she reached out a finger and pushed with everything she had, but the door wouldn’t budge. It was either locked, or heavier than she thought it should be. After taking a quick glance in the room, Summer stepped past the door and slid in behind the tall potted spruce on the other side. It made for good cover, allowing her to squat and peer through the house while still being hidden from sight.
From this angle she could see through this back room, into the large open kitchen and even the two doors on the far side. She knew Sabrina was located in one of those rooms, but couldn’t be sure which one it was. She’d seen her sitting inside, and should’ve remembered which it was, but her emotions were running so high with relief that she couldn’t be sure.
Summer couldn’t decide what to do next. Should she round the side of the house and peer into the room where Sabrina was, then hope she could somehow get her out of the window without her screaming with joy, or for that fact, without Percy noticing the smashing of the glass. Maybe if Sabrina were a few years older, her reaction might be more predictable, but for now she had to assume the worst—that Sabrina would scream and cry and draw unwanted attention her way. Or, if all else failed, Summer could break the lock on the patio door, storm inside and gun Percy down on the ceramic tiled kitchen floor.
Five months ago it would’ve been no decision. She would’ve done just that without a second thought. She would’ve loved to see the look of terror in Percy’s eyes when she appeared from nowhere, holding his pea brain in the sight of her gun until he surrendered.
With the lack of movement inside, Summer wondered if Percy had vacated the house while she’d been busy navigating the stairs and beach. Suddenly she had to know. Had to know if she was wasting precious time. She needed to take matters into her own hands and make things happen instead of waiting to react to the situation.
Summer ducked down below the window height and ran along the back of the house to the attached garage. Once there she stepped to the window and peered inside. The brown Silverado was there, closest to the window, while a white car occupied the remaining spot. Breathing a sigh of relief, she bent and plucked an iron garden stake from the flowerbed then held it before her eyes. The pointed end of the stake was perfect.
She dug the end of the stake into the meshing of the window screen, slicing it straight across the bottom of the window. After grasping the black netting, she yanked it loose from the frame in one quick motion.
After a sideways push on the glass, she realized the window was locked. Summer holstered her gun then used both hands to force the iron stake between the window and the frame. It took a few tries before she was able to wedge the stake securely between the two. She pried the window, watching as the plastic frame bowed and stretched. She swore the glass was about to break and shatter into a thousand pieces, but it held strong, keeping its tempered ability as the window opened with a light popping noise.
Pausing and listening for any sound from within, Summer held her breath and waited for a second longer, then dropped the stake to the ground and slid the window all the way open. Carefully she gripped the top of the window sash and lifted herself, throwing her right leg up and through the window opening. Once she was balanced on the lip of the window, she pulled her other leg through and dropped softly to the cement floor in the garage.
Running her hand quickly over the truck’s hood, she confirmed her suspicion. The engine was still warm. She did the same thing as she passed the car, but got a different response this time. She paused at the front of the car then ducked between the two vehicles and started to unscrew the valve caps. Squatted down, she let the air out of both front tires at the same time, knowing that it wouldn’t stop him from trying to get away in either vehicle, but it’d certainly slow him down quite a bit.
Summer stepped softly as she headed for the door to the house, but swore she could still hear each footfall echoing through the garage as she went. Over on the far wall was an assortment of tools and Summer eyed the pry bar, keeping it in mind in case the door was locked. She held her breath as she climbed the steps to the door, praying that she wouldn’t need to use the pry bar to force the door open and lose the element of surprise. With the handle gripped tightly, she felt her hand begin to shake until the knob twisted slowly to the right.
The knob turned freely and a second later it stopped with her hand fully twisted. He’d left this door unlocked. Probably figured it was safe enough beings it was inside the garage. Pushing the door open a sliver, she peered inside the back entrance room. It was a huge mudroom separating the garage from the main living area.
Stepping quietly inside, Summer tiptoed across the room, standing paralysed at the door, listening for any sounds from within. There were footfalls in the room to her left. Probably Percy pacing before the picture window, waiting to shoot her down the second she arrived.
She opened the closet door slowly, careful in case the hinges were noisy, then searched inside for anything that might help. There was little left in the house, only a pair of winter coats and boots in case the owners decided to come here for a Christmas dinner, but just behind the coats was something interesting. A cold air return mounted in the top of the closet. Summer stepped inside the closet and tipped her ear toward the metal grate. Percy rambled as he continued his pacing in the other room, but as hard as she tried, she couldn’t make out a single word.
Stepping out of the closet, she opened the door to the kitchen and almost screamed out at the sight of Sabrina sitting in the room straight across from where she stood. The urge to run across the kitchen and scoop her into her arms was almost unbearable. Her heart ached just seeing her there, knowing she couldn’t touch her.
The sound of Percy pacing in the other room
was louder now, drifting through the swinging door that separated this end of the kitchen from the front room. His ranting seemed to be getting louder with each passing moment. He seemed to be losing it. Everything he’d tried today went wrong and it looked like the pressure was getting the better of him. She watched as his shadow cast upon the door, blocking the sunlight from passing under the base.
Summer opened the mudroom door wide, hoping that Sabrina would see her and come quietly across the kitchen to where she stood. The waiting was almost unbearable as Sabrina was totally engrossed in something in the other room. Something that was holding her attention even during the strenuous circumstances of today.
Waving her hands, Summer stepped from the mudroom and cautiously walked into the kitchen, between the counter and the island, making her way slowly across the room toward Sabrina. She gave up trying to catch Sabrina’s attention and pulled her gun from the holster then held it trembling, pointed at the ground. She paused, hearing Percy’s voice growing louder as he neared the end of the wall which separated the kitchen from the front room. His footsteps ended dangerously close to the corner and Summer raised the gun, watching it shake before her eyes.
She was all prepared to fire if Percy stepped around the corner. But instead, he muttered something then turned and paced back in the other direction. She felt weak with relief and stepped to the edge of the separation, waiting for a chance to dash into Sabrina’s room. It took two more times of Percy pacing dangerously close to the kitchen before she built up enough courage to take the chance.
With her finger tight on the trigger, she waited for him to reach the turning point at the kitchen wall, then when he turned, she made her move. Stepping quickly from the kitchen wall, she raised the gun and quietly tiptoed across the opening and slid into Sabrina’s room, placing her back to the wall.
Sabrina was glued to the television, totally engrossed in her favourite show which she watched every day at home. It was no wonder with everything that had happened today, she was more than willing to let her mind drift away from the horror, back to the world of fantasy for an escape.
Sabrina looked fine. Not a single mark was visible on her little face. Glancing around the room, Summer realized that Percy had taken good care of her. It was almost as if he was told to treat her nice.
Once Percy made another pass near the kitchen, Summer moved quickly behind Sabrina and scooped her up, covering her mouth in the process. Sabrina fought for a second then let up when she recognized whose arms she was in. It was almost like magic how fast she relaxed in Summer’s arms and when she removed her hand from Sabrina’s mouth, there was a huge smile waiting for her.
“Shh,” Summer whispered into her ear, feeling the warmth of contentment spreading throughout her entire body. She smiled and placed a kiss on Sabrina’s forehead as she carried her back against the wall. Anxiety was growing, replacing the feeling of contentment with each passing second. Summer wanted to get out of there—and fast. The sooner she was gone, the better.
Percy continued muttering his rant as he paced back toward the front room and Summer made her move. She hurried across the open expanse between the bedroom and the kitchen, chancing a look into the front room at Percy. His back was turned toward her as he slowly walked to the front window, gazing out the crack in the curtain. She felt good, like she was almost assured a quick speedy escape. She knew she’d have to brave the staircases again, but that was all right. At least now she had Sabrina to hold onto and that would definitely take her mind off the height.
Moving between the cabinets and the island, she watched the open mudroom door, anxiously anticipating her escape, but the moment she and Sabrina passed the swinging door, it burst open and Percy came rushing through, crashing hard into Summer’s side, sending her and Sabrina sprawling to the floor.
Percy’s eyes were full of rage and his fist was clenched into a tight massive rock. He charged at her, landing on top and knocking the gun from her hand, sending it skidding across the room toward the patio doors. Summer glanced at Sabrina, who was two feet away, climbing to her knees. The fear in her beautiful eyes nearly broke Summer’s heart as she reached out her hands, begging for the man to stop.
Summer grasped toward the gun as it slid to a stop across the room, then gave up and turned just in time to see Percy swatting Sabrina away, sending her crashing into the wall. He turned to face Summer and his eyes were bloodshot and wild as he climbed on top, positioning himself firmly in control. Percy drew back his fist as his face twisted into a horrible look of fear and anger. His first punch landed on her left cheek, sending an explosion of stars through her mind and pain surging through her jaw.
“Why couldn’t you make this easy!” He sat up, drawing his arm back again. “Why did you have to get the cops to follow you?” He slammed another fist into her face and Summer could taste blood oozing inside her mouth and could hear Sabrina screaming at the top of her lungs.
“I didn’t want to shoot him. It’s all your fault for letting him follow.”
Summer wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him that she had nothing to do with Nate following her, but she knew better. She knew her best chance of getting out of here alive was to play possum, so she closed her eyes and laid still on the floor, hoping that he would underestimate her pain tolerance and leave her be, passed out on the floor.
Chapter 21
Dean spotted Nate’s red Malibu sitting off the roadway, hidden in the thick of trees. He’d been counting the house numbers, and Percy’s would be on the other side of this one.
“That one!” He pointed to the decrepit grey house that looked in complete contrast to the house beside. “Right there.”
Gavin glanced at the Malibu then back to the house Dean was pointing at. He didn’t argue and sped toward the flaking grey clapboard house, sliding the car to a stop in the front yard. Gavin was the first one out and already running for the front door, leaving Dean behind, struggling to get out of the car.
“Remember what Nate said!” Dean screamed as loud as he could. “He’s got a gun.” He realized that it was too late, Gavin had already kicked down the front door and disappeared inside the dark mouth of the grey monster. Dean couldn’t believe how determined Gavin was to get Sabrina back. He seemed willing to risk his life like a madman just to stop this Percy guy from hurting anybody else.
“God Damn it!” Dean said, standing and feeling the intense pain ripping through his stomach. With the medication wearing off, he could feel every muscle movement tugging at the stitches. Placing a hand over the wound, he could feel the warm, wet trickling of blood seeping from his body. He took a step toward the broken front door, sliding his hand down the hood of the car as he went, hopeful not to fall flat on his face.
The sound of waves crashing below the cliff brought a warm feeling to his heart. He remembered how excited Sabrina got every time they brought her to the beach. She loved playing in the sand and chasing the waves as they broke on the beach. But, today the waves sounded fierce, angry at the world. Normally they visited Rondeau Park where the beaches stretched on for miles, but at this location the water had a definite churning effect, driving the waves hard against the cliff.
Dean let go of the car and stumbled up the front steps, into the house. It left little to be desired. Everything was covered with dust and grime and falling apart. The footprints on the floor gave away Gavin’s path as it appeared he’d ran throughout each room, searching for any sign of Summer and Sabrina, but it was the smaller set of prints in the room to his right that attracted Dean’s attention. They were the perfect size of Summer’s feet. He’d be able to identify them anywhere. He walked across the room and stopped, standing with his feet planted firmly where hers had been not long ago.
“She’d stood right here, looking out this window at something.” He shuffled closer to the window, squinting into the distance, trying to decide what Summer had found so interesting, but there wasn’t much to see, only an enormous home perched on the edge of the c
liff down in the valley.
He turned away from the window and started toward the back door when his foot hit something. He glanced down, spotting the cylindrical object rolling toward the wall. Realizing what it was and where Summer had been standing, he quickly picked up the telescope and rushed back to the window.
“What were you looking at?” Dean muttered, aiming the telescope over the empty land, stopping when the house came into view.
Something out there had enticed her to leave this house and he intended to find out exactly what that might have been. He followed the roof top of the house, lowering the telescope carefully until he could see into the side window. Someone was home. There was definitely some movement going on inside that house, but he had a hard time keeping the telescope steady enough to make out anything other than dark shapes and rolling images.
Dean propped the telescope on the bottom edge of the windowsill then bent over, and ignoring the pain, focused the dial on the side window of the house. He saw the side room was empty, but just beyond the entrance to that room was some movement. He watched as a man came into the opening. His shirt was ripped and stained.
Dean held his breath. It appeared to be stained with blood. He waited, continuing to hold his breath and ground his teeth as the man pulled someone into the opening.
It was Summer!
Feeling his stomach lurch, he watched as the man held Summer by the neck, choking her before his eyes. Her blond hair was streaked with blood and her eye was swollen and split wide open.
Dropping the telescope to the ground and shattering the glass lens, Dean hurried back to the front entrance frantically looking for Gavin, but he was nowhere to be found. He tried to call out for him, but the pain was too intense, so instead he did the only thing he could think of. He hurried to the car and climbed behind the wheel. Once the car was started, he floored the pedal and tore ruts in the front lawn all the way to the road.
Taken - Before her very Eyes Page 18