CHAPTER 28 FRIENDS IN DEED
Maddy hadn't held her like this since he returned home from the island—his arms firm around her, instead of tentative, his fingers pressed into her skin with certainty, rather than hesitation.
And what she heard in his voice now—the low, unwavering tone that used to make her feel invincible—had been missing for months, replaced by whispers and half-finished sentences.
Something on that godforsaken island had hollowed him out, leaving behind only a shadow with downcast eyes and trembling hands, stealing the fire from his eyes.
But now that spark blazed again in the darkness, kindling hope in her chest. She didn't know if it would stay once they got home, didn't know if the nightmares would reclaim him, but right now his strength enveloped her like armor.
She needed it—needed the Maddy who planted his feet and squared his shoulders and fought with everything inside him, the Maddy whose jaw clenched with determination instead of fear, the Maddy who didn't back down.
The warmth and security of his arms enveloped her like a fortress against the nightmare surrounding them, making her feel truly safe for the first time since she was kidnapped.
She pressed closer, burrowing against his solid frame, her cheek finding the familiar hollow of his collarbone.
Something wet and tacky smeared across her skin, and she pulled back, her heart skipping. “Are… Are you bleeding?”
“A little,” he said, his voice a ragged whisper in the blackness. “I'm okay.”
“Where are you bleeding?” Her trembling fingers skimmed across his collarbone, leaving goosebumps in their wake as they traveled up the corded muscles of his neck, searching for the wound.
“The back of my neck,” he said, wincing as her fingertips found the matted hair and punctured skin. “But it's okay. I don't think it's that bad.”
“What happened?”
“Uh...” Maddy faltered, his breath catching. “I-I'm not sure how to explain it... without sounding crazy.” His thumbs stroked her tear-stained cheeks, tracing the curve of her jawline. “How did you get... here?” he asked, his voice barely audible. “In this room?”
Savannah hesitated, the memory of yellowed fangs and inhuman movements flashing behind her eyelids. “You'll think I'm crazy.”
Maddy shook his head, and though she couldn't see his smile in the darkness, she could hear it in his voice, feel it in the way his fingers curled against her jaw. “After the things I've seen, I won't. I swear.”
How could she describe Jitterbug without sounding nuts? “Someone... helped me,” she whispered, her voice catching on the words. “He... He let me out of the cage I was in and... and brought me here. He told me to stay, to hide.”
“Who... helped you?” Maddy murmured slowly, his fingers tightening protectively around her wrist.
“He...” Savannah licked her cracked lips, tasting blood and salt.
“His name is... Jitterbug. He... He scared me, at first... I thought he was going to...” Her breath hitched in her throat.
“I don't know...” She swallowed tightly, recalling her initial terror of the strange young man with his jerky, spider-like movements.
“He's creepy. I-I thought, at first, he was some kind of... animal. His teeth...” She trembled, remembering the yellowed fangs that gleamed in the dim light, filed to sharp points.
Maddy was silent for a moment, his breathing shallow against her ear. “Was he with anyone?”
“Yeah,” Savannah murmured, her skin prickling with goosebumps at the memory. “A... giant. Bigger than Cochise.”
Quietly clearing his throat, Maddy said, “They're the ones who put me in here, too.”
“What?” Savannah blinked in the darkness, her heart stuttering. “They didn't... hurt you, did they? I told them I had friends trapped here. I asked them not to hurt my friends.” She reached for his neck again, her voice stretching taut. “Did… Did Jitterbug…”
“I'm fine,” Maddy whispered and kissed her forehead, his lips warm and dry against her skin.
Savannah leaned against him, savoring his warmth and presence. She pressed her ear to his chest, listening to the quickened beat of his heart—thump-thump, thump-thump—a rhythm more precious than any music, and thanked God, over and over, that he was alive and safe.
They slid down the rough concrete wall, huddling together on the cold floor.
Maddy's fingers rubbed small circles on her arm and back, his touch gentle despite the dirt and dried blood under his nails.
Just having him close, feeling the rise and fall of his chest against hers, having tangible proof he was alive, filled her with warmth that radiated from her core to her fingertips.
“I love you, Maddy,” she whispered in the dark, her voice trembling. “I really... love you.” Hot tears welled in her eyes, blurring what little she could see in the blackness. “It isn't just a teenage crush. I love you with all my heart. I don't ever want to be with anyone but you.”
Maddy shifted slightly, and his lips found her mouth in the darkness. He kissed her softly, his breath warm against her face. “I love you, too, baby,” he said thickly. “I loved you at first sight. I knew you were the one, the only one for me.”
Their second kiss crashed together like waves breaking against rock—deeper, hungrier.
Savannah pushed into it as her fingers dug into the knotted muscles of his shoulders, her nails leaving indentations in his skin.
Terror and desire twisted together in her stomach as she pressed against him, gripping Maddy's body with a desperation that sent tremors down her spine, the rapid rise and fall of his chest matching her own.
She couldn't pull away as all her fears of losing everyone she loved—of losing the boy whose heartbeat had become her favorite sound—culminated inside her.
She began to cry through the kiss, clinging to Maddy as if he might dissolve into the darkness.
Tears streamed hot and salty into their joined mouths, and sobs tore from her throat in ragged gasps.
Breaking away, Maddy gathered her against his hammering heart, burying his face in her tangled hair. His tears dampened her scalp as his body shuddered against hers, their shared grief and relief pulsing between them like a single heartbeat in the darkness.
They sat like that, holding each other in the cold darkness until Savannah lost track of time. She woke up a few times after falling asleep on Maddy’s shoulder. She didn’t know if minutes or hours had passed, as Maddy held her close, trying to keep her warm.
Each time she opened her eyes after drifting off, she briefly thought she was still in her cage and alone in the dark. Then she would feel Maddy shift, his arms tighten around her, his warm breath on her hair, and she would remember she wasn’t alone anymore.
One day, Maddy would propose to her — she knew it was only a matter of time.
Maddy was the boy of her dreams, but the idea of marriage made her nervous, worried she might somehow pass her sickness to Maddy, even though Devlin and her doctor assured her that many HIV-positive people have meaningful, intimate relationships by simply taking precautions.
After additional tests, her doctor confirmed that her version of the disease wasn’t contagious, but still recommended using condoms during sex as an extra precaution.
Even with all the reassurances, Savannah had been scared of infecting Maddy.
Huddled in his arms now, though, in the middle of a living nightmare, facing down horrors that rivaled their childhood terrors…
her former fears weakened. She wanted to marry Maddy someday, needed him by her side for the rest of her life.
Savannah intertwined her fingers with Maddy’s, gently rubbing her thumb on his left ring finger, feeling a thrill of anticipation for the day she would slide a wedding ring onto that finger.
Maddy squeezed her fingers and pressed his lips to her head. “Are you still cold?” he whispered.
“Some. Not as much.” She huddled closer to him. “I’m okay.”
He was silent for a moment, then spoke in a strained voice, “I didn’t know you were here. Not until just before I got away.” His breath trembled. “I was so scared I wouldn’t find you, and that they would…”
“They didn’t,” Savannah assured. “Jitterbug saved me before they could…” She shivered at the thought of what could’ve happened if the strange, scary little creature hadn’t shown up.
“Why… Why do you think he helped us? He kept calling me pretty baby , and said the men who kidnapped us hurt pretty babies. Then he mentioned boys with blond hair and how he hid them. I-I don’t know what he was talking about. ”
Maddy didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. “I think…” he whispered. “I think he’s helping us because of you. I think…” he exhaled shakily. “… I might be dead now if I wasn’t your friend.”
“What?” Savannah straightened in shock. “What… What happened?”
“He attacked me,” Maddy said quietly. “The giant told him to release me, and said if he hurt me, he would hurt the… pretty baby.” Maddy sniffed. “That seemed to upset him. He said, I don’t hurt pretty babies. Then he let me go, and they brought me here, to you.”
“Why would he care if he hurt me?” Savannah whispered. “I-I don’t understand?”
Maddy shook his head. “I don’t either.” He swallowed and held her tighter. “But thank God he does, or…” His words faded into a harrowing silence.
A sudden screech of scraping metal outside the door made them both jump and freeze in each other’s arms.
The giant suddenly stopped at a rusty metal table pushed against a corroded door. The small creature-man cackled, his excitement growing, making the two men tense. Cole shielded Gabe and raised his weapon as a warning, watching the creature’s every move.
“Drop it,” the giant commanded, his voice nearly guttural as he stared at Cole from the shadows of his hood. His large hand rested protectively on the creature’s shoulder, pulling his twitchy companion closer.
Cole read him loud and clear: hurt his little friend—and he would tear them limb from limb. Cole slowly lowered the gun, but didn’t put it away.
The giant looked satisfied as the weapon was lowered, then grabbed the heavy table, dragging it away from the door with a loud screech. He stepped back, his hand still resting on the creature’s shoulder. Gabe looked at the door, then at Cole.
“Open it,” Cole murmured, keeping his eyes on the giant and his companion, weapon down but held ready in case this was some kind of trap. It didn’t make sense that it would be—the giant could have taken them out at any moment.
Gabe grabbed the door handle and heaved. It took a few tries before the rusted metal door scraped open. Cole glanced into the darkness beyond. “Savannah? You in there, baby girl?”
Silence—then a soft, quivering voice, “ Cole…?”
“It’s us, sweetheart,” Gabe said.
A thick sob erupted in the darkness, and Savannah suddenly threw herself into Gabe’s arms, clutching him tightly and crying. Gabe held her close. “I got you, sweetheart,” he whispered, shielding her with his embrace. “We got you. We’re gonna get you out of here.”
“ Maddy…”
“We’ll find him…” Cole started when the boy stepped out of the dark room. “Maddy?” He blinked, disbelief in his eyes.
Gabe grabbed the boy and hugged both kids tightly. “Are you okay?” Gabe pulled back to check on them. “Are you hurt?”
“We’re okay,” Maddy whispered. He glanced nervously at the creature. “They brought me to Savannah.”
Savannah wiped her eyes and looked at the creature. “Thank you… Jitterbug,” she whispered. “I… I won’t forget you.”
Cole was certain none of them would forget him.
The creature crept forward, grinning with its teeth bared. It seemed to shake with excitement. “Pretty baby… Jitterbug’s friend?”
Savannah nodded. “Yeah.”
Jitterbug cackled excitedly and jumped onto the giant’s back, resting his chin on the big man’s shoulder as he squinted almost affectionately at Savannah. “My friend, Savannah… pretty Savannah… go, pretty baby… leave this bad place… be safe.”
“We’ll keep her safe,” Cole murmured, an uneasy feeling in his gut suggesting that, if not for Savannah, they might all be dead at this thing’s hands.
The giant turned and walked away, fading into the shadowed corridor.
“Bye-bye, pretty baby,” Jitterbug tittered. “Pretty Savannah… my friend.”
Savannah smiled uncertainly. “Bye… Jitterbug.”