Rescuing Melissa (ALPHA TEAM: Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists)

58. Lights Out!

FIFTY-EIGHT

Light's Out!

PIERCE

I waited in the kitchen while Scott fetched the girl. Her lilting laughter sounded from the front room, letting me know it was time. Our guest walked into the kitchen. Scott had his arm around the blonde. He gave me a grin and arched a brow.

“Come.” I stepped forward and extended a hand.

She did a little hop-step, the excited bounce broadcasting her eagerness to die. Her delicate fingers warmed my palm. Soon, they would be slick with fear, then cold as death.

“Let’s head downstairs.” I smiled, trying to do my best to make her feel comfortable, but my comment didn’t return the eagerness I’d expected.

“Um,” she said, “I don’t know about this. I think maybe I should go.”

“Oh?” I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice, “Stay and play awhile.”

Her eyes shifted toward the living room and to the front door. I couldn’t afford to lose her, not when we were so close. Her sacrifice would protect my princesses.

“I really think I should go.”

No!

“We won’t keep you, but you came for donations. I have boxes of supplies downstairs. You can have whatever you see.”

She hesitated, but then seemed to remember why she’d stopped at my door—her need to make her charitable donation quota would be her end. Sorority girls were so dumb.

I led her down the steps, and Scott followed.

Keeping her close, I hoped Scott was smart enough to work with me. Timing was vital. I had to get the chloroform and smother her until I was sure she was out.

Charlie glanced at the rows of supplies. “Wow, you have tons down here. Are you one of those disaster prep guys?”

“Kind of. Come, the women’s clothes are in the back.” I draped my arm over her shoulder, tugging her close.

“Cool,” she said. Her breathy voice annoyed me.

“Pierce was an Eagle Scout, Charlie,” Scott chimed in. “He’s always prepared.”

I forgot I’d shared that with him. The guy was supposed to be dead, not wandering around my basement, messing up my life.

We finally made it to the wine cellar.

“Oh my,” she said. “What a collection.”

Yes, and behind the wine, a door led down a tunnel to my dungeon. For Charlie, it would be the last trip she ever made.

I grabbed the rag saturated in chloroform. She gave a look, then her eyes widened when I pressed the cloth to her nose and mouth, pinning her arms to her sides. She kicked at me, but she was no match for my strength. Oddly, she never screamed, but I was confident she breathed the foul substance in because her body went limp. Too much chloroform could be disastrous, so I removed the rag. She sagged like a sack of potatoes. A quick check of her pulse revealed her resting comfortably.

“How is she?” Scott’s grin stretched tight across his face. He tried to lift her limp body into a fireman’s carry, grunted with the effort, then looked for help.

Flabby bastard.

I helped him hoist her over his shoulder.

“How long before she comes around?”

I shrugged. “We have a few minutes. Don’t worry.”

The wine racks moved to the side, and I opened the locks. I had done this so many times I could do it in my sleep. Scott pressed himself beside me, too eager to get into the tunnel. I swallowed a curse as he bumped me, but I didn’t have time to deal with his rudeness.

Charlie’s arms hung limply down his back, hitting my butt as I turned to re-secure the door.

He was already at the far end of the tunnel, shifting back and forth with poorly concealed impatience for me to join him. I took my time because it would piss him off, and I had to check the locks.

One. Two. Three.

Four. Five. Six.

“Hurry.” He waved me forward.

I didn’t.

He pointed to the locks on the final door. “Open them.” He rubbed a hand over his face. There was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. “Hurry.”

I leveled a stare at him. “Relax, we have plenty of time before she comes to.” I lifted her arm and released it. Her arm flopped. No muscle tone, well, maybe a hint. She would be waking soon.

His eyes were wide and black. There was a fierceness in his expression, a hint of crazy that gave me a moment’s pause, but I continued with the locks.

We had an agreement.

Tonight only, then he would leave. If he didn’t, I had no problems killing him along with Dickwad inside.

His blood lust was too dangerous, and I had responsibilities. Finally, I pulled the last lock free and cranked on the door mechanism pushing the door inward.

Scott shouldered past me, Charlie’s limp body bouncing against his back. A new wave of irritation washed over me.

A loud thwack! sounded.

“Fuck!” Scott screamed.

Thwack! Whoosh! Snap!

A body thumped to the floor.

“You fucking bitch!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

I rushed inside—a bolt of pain connected with my shoulder.

“What the…”

The sting of a whip wrapped around my waist, taking my breath away as fire lit up my world.

Thwack! Thwack!

Swish!

Something solid connected with my ribs.

Whoosh! Snap!

A fucking cane!

Pain became my universe.

My ribs cracked under the pressure of the strike. A whip caught my cheek. Something smacked into my back, catapulting me forward onto the ground. I covered my face with my hands just in time to see my Fairy Godmother raise her arm and flick the whip.