Page 47 of Thirteen Years
I heard something click and saw him flicking his lighter.
“You’ll start making noise soon,” he promised, holding the flame and staring at me.
My entire body tensed, bracing for whatever came next.
As he held the flame to the bottom of my foot, the screaming flooded from my body, just like he wanted. The pain radiating through my leg was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. Unable to pull away, I was helpless to the screams tearing through my throat. I was wondering how much pain a person could take before they would pass out. I wasn’t so sure I was going to make it through this alive anymore as I heard Clark laughing sadistically.
The terrifying thing was that he had only just begun.
Chapter 30
My entire body froze, waiting.
Everyone had been out for hours, still looking and scouring the city for any sign of Rebecca, Larry, or Clark. I’d branched out a little further, walking through some old woods that I knew from when I was a kid.
I kept waiting, not stepping forward.
There.
Someone was screaming.
I took off through the trees, running towards the sound. I reached over, radioing as I jogged.
“I may have something,” I rushed.
“What is it?” Lucas’ voice was frantic. He hadn’t left the radio table except to console Nat or use the bathroom.
“Out east of town. Where the old Paxton farms are.”
“Got it. Is it her?” he replied.
“I don’t know yet,” I said, still jogging closer, the screams getting louder, “But it’s something, man.”
I jogged closer, turning the radio down as the old farmhouse came into view. There was light coming from one of the cracked windows. My brows furrowed. I walked around the side of the house, seeing an old four door car that shouldn't even be legal to drive. The screaming rose higher, then stopped, abruptly, and I heard men laughing.
Not even thinking, I crept closer, peering through the window, jaw clenching at what I saw.
I’d found them. Rebecca was laying on the table, unconscious it seemed. Larry and Clark were talking quietly, bragging and laughing between each other. My skin seemed too tight suddenly, as I saw her face covered in fresh bruising, blood running down it.
We were about thirty minutes from town. I radioed in again quietly, “It's her. Paxton Farm. Main farmhouse. I’m turning the radio off and going in. I can’t wait. She’s hurt.” I said, then turned everything off.
I took my gun out, turning the safety off, and crept around to the house’s back door. Stepping through it, I walked through a run down kitchen and into the hall towards the living room where they were. They were oblivious to my presence. I heard Becks groan, trying to come back to consciousness.
“Ah. She’s already awake and ready to play again!” her ex crowed.
My jaw clenched again. Backup would be here soon but I couldn’t let them torture her any more. What if it had been Monica laying there? I couldn't let them do anything worse than they’d already done. She wasn’t even wearing any pants. Lucas would do the same for me.
“I’d step back, you fuckers,” I said, stepping out of the darkness of the hallway into the room.
Chapter 31
Ijerked hearing Paul’s voice. I glanced over at where he came out of the darkness, feeling hopeful for the first time since seeing Larry in that car. If he was here, there were more cops with him. Lucas was here. I was going to be okay.
“There’s two of us and one of you, fucking dumb ass pig,” Larry cackled.
“I’ll take those odds against two piles of shit,” replied Paul.
His eyes were cold and hard, only warming slightly when he glanced at me. He was all cop right now. The typical jovial redhead was in protection mode.
