He ran a tired hand over his face. "Today wasn’t a great day in town either. Damn gossipers. Try to keep her occupied…with anything. This is the first time I won't be here when it's dark. You might have a hard time. Thanks for coming. I know you were helping Evan." Logan finally grazed his eyes to Seth, seeing nothing but concern and understanding. He knew he could always count on his brother.
"She'll be fine. We will be fine. Don't worry about interrupting my evening. I know how much she means to you. Evan understood. Don't worry."
"Seth…have you ever felt a fear so immense you thought it might break your heart concerning Stacy?" Logan asked, watching Seth fidget on his feet as the question left his mouth.
"Shit, Logan, that's a hard question."
"Not really."
Seth hesitated, thoughts rolling in his mind as he truly pondered the question. "I guess I have to say no."
"Well, my answer would be yes. Telling me not to worry is like saying just rip my heart out. I told her I had to leave and that you were coming over. No matter the words that left my mouth, a few minutes later she ran to the bathroom. She hasn't left since. She's terrified. I'm terrified for her. Call me right away if it looks like she needs me. I'll come back regardless."
Seth watched as Logan ran both his hands through his hair, the agitation clear as day. "I'll do my best, Logan. I won't say don't worry again, just get this bastard. How's that?"
Logan nodded once before he made his way down the hallway to his room where Doni had holed up in the bathroom. He knocked on the door once, waiting a brief moment with no reply. Normally he would leave her be, but the fact he had to leave, and the fact his concern had skyrocketed the minute the call came in, had him twisting the knob.
He stepped inside the bathroom as he took her all in. She stood in front of the sink, her hands clenched to the rim as she leaned forward, gazing into the mirror as if her life depended upon it. She made no reaction to him opening the door, or to his soft footsteps towards her. The first clue to indicate she knew he entered her domain was the slight intake of breath as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"What are you doing, honey?" he whispered softly into her ear, lightly kissing just below it.
"Trying to figure out who I am so you don't have to leave," she said with a slight stammer.
"I know you're scared about me leaving, and trust me, so am I. And I want you to remember everything. But even if it all magically came back to you right this instant, I would still have to leave."
***
Logan shut off the four-wheeler, hopping off with a quick precision. Derek disengaged his four-wheeler as Bolt walked up to them.
"Show me, Bolt," Logan said with a sharpness he never used towards his deputies.
"It's over here. I don't even know how I saw it. Maybe it was the metal handle reflecting with the sun." Bolt stopped in front of a steel door with a large metal handle attached to the right side. Several huge piles of leaves were scattered around the door, some still resting lightly on top. "This wasn't meant to be found, Sheriff. Like I said, I don't know how I saw it. How's Doni?"
"Hanging in there. Seth's with her right now. Did you dust the handle for prints like I asked?"
"Yep." Bolt shuffled his feet, moving a bit of the leaves in his haste. "There weren't any. I couldn't find one."
Logan sighed, clapping a reassuring hand on Bolt's shoulder. "Not your fault. Just means we're dealing with a smart individual. No time like the present. Let's see what's inside."
Logan reached down, grabbing the handle and pulled. He grunted slightly as he braced his feet to get a better grip. The steel looked rusted in spots, but not enough to show weakness as it gave Logan a hard time lifting. When he finally slammed it to the other side, a dank, horrid smell washed over him. The darkness that flashed back made him shiver with unease. He grabbed his flashlight strapped to his belt, shining it down into the pits of hell. He knew in that moment his beautiful, strong Doni escaped from this very place. There was no question to it.
"You found nothing else around the area?"
"Brief cursory glance, no. I dusted the handle for prints like you told me, looked around briefly, but mostly stayed by the door. I listened for any sounds coming from below and didn't hear anything. I also didn't want anyone coming up on me unaware. I won't lie…it crossed my mind waiting for you, Sheriff," Bolt said with a shudder, glancing down into the dark hole that lay waiting for exploration.
"I can go first," Derek offered, also eyeing the deep dark hole. But his gaze covered mostly Logan's face that contorted with apprehension, worry, and something else Derek didn't want to contemplate.
"I got it," Logan said as he pulled his gun from its holster, positioning his flashlight above the weapon as he followed the shallow light down the path of the rickety stone-like stairs.
Logan almost stumbled on an uneven step, except the extra light coming from behind him helped to straighten his step, as well as his unbridled emotions. The only thought to keep him sane as he continued down into the darkness was that Doni sat in his house with his brother, completely safe. No one could harm her. Not anymore.
***
"It's been a long time. When do you think he'll be back? Soon?" Doni asked for what seemed like the hundredth time, as she paced in front of the big bay window.
Seth blew out a silent breath as he tried to formulate the right words to calm her down. So far, he sucked at just that simple task. Since she left the bathroom, right before Logan left, she had yet to stop pacing in front of the window. Any time a single word left his mouth, it didn't matter, her feet kept walking into the same path. He wouldn't be surprised if a formation of her path emerged with vibrancy.
"Doni, I'm not gonna lie here anymore…not that I was, mind you. He won't be back before the sun sets. Grab a seat next to me and let's just get lost in this game. The Twins are back five games in the division, and if they can manage a few more decent games, we can take the division. I could use the help in cheering."
Her pacing didn't cease like he hoped. Not even a word of a response left her mouth. It tore at his heart to see her eyes glued to the window as the sun made its descent. Logan tried to warn him, but he really didn't think it would be this bad. He should have known. His first clue should have been the moment he met her.
"Doni, come sit by me. Please?" he tried again. The only response to pierce his ears were the small haunting footsteps she started since walking out into the living room. He figured he should be glad she stood pacing in the living room and not back in the bedroom hiding out. What would he do if he had to try comforting her in his brother's room?
***
Logan swung his flashlight and gun slowly back and forth as he made his way down the hallway. Each time his foot made solid contact with the ground, he cringed with revulsion that Doni ever stepped foot inside this place. He heard the echoing footsteps behind him, extremely glad to have the company. That thought instinctively made him think of Doni, being alone, no one to comfort her. Maybe having no memory was the best thing for her, he thought, as he continued down the hallway.
"Nothing yet, Sheriff?" Derek asked, his voice rumbling throughout the walls.
"It's dark as hell, Derek. But no, nothing yet." Logan kept on his way, hoping for anything to pop out.
They ventured in about fifty more feet when Logan finally saw more than just a wall flicker back at him. He slowed his steps. "I got something. It's another door on our right."
Derek slowed his steps as he took position by Logan where he had stopped in front of the door. Bolt waited for them outside. Logan didn't like the unknown. He didn't want anyone to come behind them unaware. He felt better with one of them outside, guarding the door.
Logan wanted to take a deep breath, he wanted to forget where he was, he wanted to run a terrified hand over his face; instead, he grasped the handle of the door and pulled. A screeching, creaking sound perforated their ears.
"Shit, how many times you think she heard that?
" Derek muttered as his hand, for the first time, shook with discomfort as his light flickered around the ground.
"I really don't want to know," Logan replied as his feet gradually made entrance into the tiny room, still holding his weapon steady.
No one made a sound as they filtered into the room one by one. Their flashlights swept the room, taking it all in. Just like the hallway, the floor was made of dirt, as were the walls. It reminded Logan of building a snow fort in the winters when he was a kid. Instead of bright white snow surrounding him in peace, dark, damp dirt surrounded him in horror.
Poised opposite the door, hung a set of chains that were strapped to the wall. The moment Logan's light hit those chains, Doni's horrifying cries at night hit his ears. Every trembling tear that fell from her eyes broke his heart a little more. He couldn't even imagine her trapped against the wall with no chance of escaping.
Before his body could freeze in terror, he kept shifting the light around the room. Besides the chains, that said more than words could describe, the room was completely bare. He finally put his gun away, continuing to eye the room with unease.
"The only question that keeps running around my brain is how in the hell did she escape?" Derek asked in a whisper. But to Logan's ears, his gentle words roared in the tiny confines.
Logan turned towards him, his eyes still seeing those chains in his mind. "Sheer will, bravery, and…a strength that none of us probably possess."
***
After watching the sun dip down and Doni pacing a deep hole into the floor, Seth finally stood up from the couch. He walked into the kitchen with worried, agitated steps wondering what the hell he should do. He pulled open the cupboards until he found what he was looking for. He grabbed the tea kettle, filling it with water, and slapped it onto the stove. He hated tea. The taste itself, just thinking about it, made him cringe with disgust. But he knew Kat liked it. He could only assume Doni would as well.
A few minutes later, he had a nice cup of tea waiting to soothe Doni's nerves. He picked up the cup with hopeful anticipation and walked over to her. She had briefly stopped her pacing to stare aimlessly out the window. As not to frighten or surprise her, he spoke as softly as his voice would allow.
"Hey, Doni. I made you some tea."
Doni's eyes trained onto Seth as his voice hit her senses. She glanced at the cup, confusion marring her features.
"Do you wanna try it? I suck at making tea, but for you, I thought I would try," Seth said, his fingers itching to fidget.
"You shouldn't worry about Stacy. You deserve better," she blurted as she grabbed for the tea with shaky hands.
Seth's mind went blank at that statement. A second later, he decided to go with it. "Yeah, maybe. I was with her for two years. It's hard to let something like that go."
"My mother always told me that if you don't know you love someone within six months, they aren't the one. She's not the one, Seth. You deserve better," she repeated as she finally took a seat on the couch without thought.
Seth had no idea if it was the tea, the talk about Stacy, or complete numbness that overtook Doni, but he didn't care. He decided to keep rolling with it. He also wondered if she realized she made a comment about her mother. He didn't think so, and didn't want to give her a reminder about her memory loss and why Logan wasn't here.
"She has this annoying laugh that grates on my nerves sometimes. But there were times when she wasn't feeling well and I would purposely try to make her laugh. You don't think that's love?"
Doni's brows crinkled in contemplation as she took a small sip. She made a nasty face as she followed through on her swallow. "No, I don't think that's love. Her laugh grates on your nerves? If you loved her, it would be music to your ears. I think that was just you being a nice boyfriend."
Seth plopped down next to her taking care not to spill her tea. "Hmm…I guess you have a point. She's a great girl. We had fun. Maybe that's all it was…fun. Not sure I'm ready to settle down anyway."
"Then the best thing you can do is walk away. Better to be a lame duck than an ugly one my brother always says." Doni took another sip of tea, cringing at the horrible aftertaste as the warm liquid slid down her throat.
Seth almost asked what that meant, as he had no clue, but the words wouldn't pass through his lips. Did she even realize she continued to slip memories of her family? Her mother, and now her brother. What was going on? He was no psychologist, but his mind started reeling the possibility that maybe her fear of Logan being gone was so deep that her memories were slipping out. Which made absolutely no sense the more he sat there and thought about it. What a dumb thought! He rubbed his hands on his lap while he processed the next best thing to say.
"Maybe that's why I walked away. I knew deep down it was just a comfortable thing to be with her. Plus, I think…" He started to rub his hands a little rougher on his legs.
Doni glanced down, noticing the action. "You think what?"
He shook his head with a slight agitation. "It's nothing."
With her free hand, she grabbed one of his. "It's definitely something. We're friends. You can talk to me. I won't tell anyone."
He gradually brought his eyes from their hands to her troubled face. "It's dumb really. We used to make each other jealous, eyeing other people and whatnot. Nothing ever happened. I never touched another woman and she never touched another man. But we could be mean just by looking, flirting even. Petty, I know. Childish. I have no excuse."
He lightly squeezed her hand, suddenly ashamed for touching her like this. What would Logan think if he walked through the door right in that moment? Would he think he was hitting on Doni? He felt like a leech, taking the comfort she offered. But sadly, enjoyed her soft touch and refused to push her away.
"For some reason, I still think you haven't told me what you were going to say. It's okay, Seth. You don't have to tell me."
He cleared his throat as he loosened his grip on her hand. "There were times she smiled a certain way or said a certain thing to…" He let go of her hand as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I tried to pretend it was nothing. But I think she liked someone else. More than me. I think…I think that's why I always tried to get back with her. I wanted to be her sole focus and I don't think I ever was. That hurts."
He pulled his phone out of his pocket, fiddling with the screen. "You wanna see a picture of her?"
Doni nodded, holding her hand out as Seth gave her the phone. She carefully examined the photo of a smiling brunette with shoulder length hair and bright hazel eyes. Her arms were wrapped around Seth, her head peeking out from behind his shoulder. They looked happy. Her finger hovered above the phone before she said, "May I?"
"Sure."
She continued to scroll through his pictures. Most of his pictures contained him and Stacy taking goofy selfies, or just some of Stacy all by herself. Seth always managed to capture her beauty.
"Who's this?"
Seth leaned over as he glanced at the screen. "My friend Evan."
A sudden sadness cloaked Doni's eyes. "You were supposed to help him with something…a…darn, I can't remember. Instead you're stuck with me."
He nudged her in the shoulder as he gave her a light laugh. "I'm not stuck with you. I was supposed to help him with his brakes, but this is more important. I like hanging out with you."
"He doesn't mind?"
"Na, he understood. I'll help him tomorrow. Or the next day, or whenever the hell we get to it. It's not an emergency to get the brakes done. Don't worry about it, Doni."
She nodded once and continued scrolling. He had a ton of pictures on his phone. Most were friends from high school, or at least the ones who hadn't happened to skip town the minute the diploma hit their hands. Others were co-workers, or his family. Some pictures even dated back a few years. She stopped scrolling again when she came across someone she recognized.
"I know her. Umm…Callie, I think. She works at the diner."
Seth leaned over to get a bett
er look. A small smile touched his face. "Yeah, that's Callie. Nice girl. I haven't really talked to her in quite a few years. Saying hi here and there, but not really hanging out. Not like we did that day. We used to be good friends."
"What happened?"
"I guess Stacy happened," he replied with a deep sigh.
"You're better off without her. You deserve better. I don't just say that because your Logan's brother. Although, you do remind me a lot of him. But you're also sweet, kind, and considerate in your own way. The best thing to do is move on and find someone who speaks to your heart."
"That is sound advice, Doni. I am moving on. I'll try to stay friends with Stacy, but I won't go crawling back to her. Or hell, even let her crawl back to me. We're horrible. We both do it. I don't know what's wrong with either of us."
"Relationships are a finicky thing. Can anyone ever understand them? Geez, I constantly questioned myself dating Brent. He always—"
She stopped midsentence, the horror of what she just said, rushing through her veins. "Oh, my…Brent."
She dropped the teacup from her hand, the warm liquid splashing over her pants down the couch and onto the floor. Her other hand released his phone, it landing between the two of them. The horrified expression frozen on her face made Seth's words stick in his throat.
"What will Logan think? He's going to hate me." She abruptly stood up, running from the room.
The last thing Seth heard before his brain finally told him to get up was a strangled cry and a slamming of a door. "Oh, shit."
Chapter 11
"Man, these lights suck. Can't see worth a damn," Derek muttered as he continued to fingerprint the door to the "terror chamber" as he liked to think of it. His mind couldn't conjure any other way to think of it. He had seen with his own eyes Doni's terror in just the simple task of Logan leaving the cabin. He couldn't imagine the horror she dealt with inside that room. He had no idea how she was even functioning. Having no memory probably saved her from a deep breakdown.
"Just keep at it. Nothing's going to pop up anyway. I just have this nasty feeling about it. There's nothing worth a damn inside this room for evidence. How in the hell are we going to figure out who took her if they left nothing behind?" Logan muttered with desperation as he ran a tired hand through his hair.
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