Chapter 34
The man’s fingers slipped through the diminishing gap in the door and Melody knew he would prove stronger than her, but she had terror fuelled adrenaline on her side.
Instinctively, she moved back for an instant then launched her full weight back at the door, trapping the fingers between the door and the frame so her stalker reflexively pulled them away with an angry curse, to stop them being crushed. As soon as the obstruction was cleared, the door clicked shut and the automatic locks clunked into place.
Melody had never heard such a wonderful sound. Nevertheless, she didn”t wait around. Still fuelled by the fear that another member might open the door and inadvertently let him through, she dashed down the corridor, which led to a second security door. Pin code this time, a back-up in case an electrical fault prevented the previous door from locking, Micah had told her.
It took two attempts to input the correct digits, she was shaking so badly, and the longer it took, the more panicked Melody became until she was crying and sobbing, desperate to get to a place of safety and biting her lip against the irrational urge to smash at the door and the control panel with her fist, in her frenzy.
Finally, it gave, and Melody yanked at the handle, sprinting through without waiting, this time, to find out if it closed properly behind her.
Thankfully, she didn”t have to pass the dungeon and playrooms in the state she was in, just scan herself through into the sanctuary of the private staff area of the building.
She tumbled through the final door and leaned back against it once the locks engaged, her chest heaving and her eyes wild.
While she looked around her at the quiet, bland safety of the familiar surroundings, Melody felt the weight of her fear and the terrifying reality of the incident crash in around her. Her legs were shaking so badly, she could no longer stand up, and the adrenaline, which had driven her, finally flipped over now she was safe. Crumbling into an ungainly heap, noisy, body juddering sobs wracked her slight frame as she finally succumbed to the residual terror.
It was Trinity who found her first, not that she was in any fit state to make the acknowledgment.
”Oh shit!” She heard the other woman”s voice as if from a distance and was only vaguely aware of her calling to someone else through the static of the staff radios.
Warm hands tried to stroke and comfort. Crooning noises which made no sense but which her mind interpreted as soothing, pinged against the cotton wool that was clouding her brain.
Finally, she became aware of her name being called over and over, but she didn”t know how long it had been going on. There was a knocking, too…or rather more of a hammering, now that her mind finally focused on it.
”Melody, we need to get you moved. You”re blocking the doorway,” Trinity urged.
Even with Trinity”s help, she couldn”t manage anything more than an ungainly shuffle across the floor until she”d moved just far enough to clear the opening.
Micah burst through as soon as Trinity gave him the go ahead.
“Fuck!” The word was spat like a bullet, but his hands were gentle as he leaned down and scooped her up, as if she weighed no more than a feather.
Settled in his arms, Melody finally felt safe.