Chapter 24 #3
The music downstairs is upbeat, and the men’s laughter echoes through the hallway. Will isn’t going to hide one of the devices inside the living room, but he can at least hide one in the mayor’s bedroom as well as one in his office.
The main bedroom is at the end of the hallway, facing the back garden.
It’s dark when he walks inside, but there’s a bit of light coming from the hallway.
The king-sized bed is underneath the window, with a walk-in closet to the right.
Will steps into the closet room. He takes one of the devices from his backpack and hides it at the back of the lowest shelf.
With that small victory, he’s ready to move on to the main target.
Climbing barefoot down the stairs, he watches for any sign of Veronica or the mayor, but it seems they are still in the living room with the remaining guests.
At the bottom of the stairs, he sees the shadows from the fireplace dancing on the walls at the end of the hallway.
Luckily, the mayor’s office faces the stairs, far enough from the living room.
He walks on the cold, wooden floor, counting on the music to drown out the subtle creaking sounds he’s making.
Inside the office, he carefully shuts the door behind him.
The room is wide and smells of old wood and books, with a tall window behind the desk.
He’d been here once as a kid and thought it was a magical room, but the next time he was here, years later, Ray had offered him a deal that changed everything.
Luckily, the lamp by the entrance is already turned on, so he doesn’t need to risk adding more light.
He walks past the desk and moves aside the long curtains to make sure the car with the police officers is still outside.
It is, and though he can barely see their silhouettes in the dark, it’s comforting knowing they’re there.
He lets go of the curtains and turns around to examine the large desk, which is well organized with a small collection of iron paperweights, the largest one shaped like an eagle spreading its wings.
There are some documents stacked in the corner, next to a silvery letter opener.
He’ll first need to hide the device before he can look through the documents.
He searches for a spot that won’t be too hidden so that it won’t interfere with the reception, but also not somewhere someone might check often.
He would have liked to hide it inside one of the drawers, but it’s too risky.
On both sides of the room are tall bookcases, packed with thick books.
He walks to face one of the bookcases and reaches for the highest shelf.
He runs his fingers over the books, then examines his fingertips.
As he hoped, there is dust over there, meaning that those books are usually left untouched.
They are also not arranged in a straight line because they’re different in size, which means hiding something behind them won’t stand out. He hopes.
He slides his backpack off his shoulder and sets it quietly on the floor.
He then takes out the second device and pulls out two books from the top shelf.
He rises onto his tiptoes and slides the device into the gap between the books, careful not to let it slip behind the bookcase.
Once he’s satisfied with the position, he reaches up to put the two books in place.
With his arm still outstretched, he almost doesn’t recognize the sound to his left.
He’s been mindful of the possibility of the door opening, but he counted on hearing footsteps a few seconds in advance so he could hide. He turns his head and freezes. Veronica stands by the open door, watching with a blank expression. She’s barefoot, as if she knew he’d be in here.
Don’t panic, he thinks as he panics. He places the two books on the table because there’s no point putting them back now. With his mind shooting blanks, he says the most useless thing he can say. “It’s not what it looks like.”
She tilts her head and calls, “Mayor!”
He takes a step forward to run out of the house, but she moves to block his way.
Her little smile tells him she’s eager for him to try going past her, and that makes him hesitate.
He can try hitting her, but something tells him she wasn’t hired for her cleaning skills as much as for her ability to handle trouble.
Footsteps approach from the hallway. His heart hammers, and a wave of heat washes over his face. He should think of what to say, but he can’t collect his thoughts.
The mayor enters the room, with Hal and the rest standing behind him.
None of them seem surprised.
“You outdid yourself, boy,” the mayor says.
Will opens his mouth, then shuts it. He won’t waste time trying to convince someone who already knows the truth.
The mayor walks forward, making Will tense, but he ignores him and reaches into the gap in the bookcase to grab the recording device. He watches it closely before giving it to Veronica, who silently takes it out of the office.
“You had a phone call,” Will says, his mouth dry.
The mayor, who has returned to stand with the four men by the door, says, “That was Nate, calling from the police station. He still has friends there.”
Will stands as still as he can, but he feels unstable.
“Get out of my way, Ray.” If he can’t lie his way out of this, he should focus on escaping.
For all these years, he came to this house and left of his own free will, and he’s going to do the same right now, even if it means moving each of them by force.
“You heard that?” Hal chuckles and glances at his watch. “He thinks he’s gonna walk out of here.” He tells the mayor, “They’ll be here in about ten minutes.”
Still watching Will, the mayor nods. “Coming through the back garden, yes?”
“That’s what I told them.” Hal smiles at Will. “You’ll be staying with me from now on. I’ll make sure you behave. Ain’t no rebels on my property.”
“And I’ll be sure to visit,” Doctor Levi says with a wink.
“Get the hell out of my way.” Will’s voice isn’t as stable as he wishes it to be, but his fists will be when he starts swinging them.
“Enough,” the mayor says. “You came into my house to bring me down, and you failed. Now you will be somebody else’s problem. I promise to take care of Julie until her time comes.”
Before Will can reply, Veronica returns to the room. “I put it somewhere quiet.”
“Search his backpack for more.”
Veronica walks toward Will, and although he has nothing more hidden in his backpack, his instincts urge him to get her out of his way. He’ll still have five men to get through, but he’s more than willing to break bones on his way to safety.
Veronica watches the backpack at Will’s feet as she comes over.
He uses the opportunity to send his fist toward the side of her head, but she sharply dodges.
Before he can try again, her hand snaps forward, moving so fast that it takes him a second to register the sharp pain in his neck.
He hits the bookcase, sending books flying down as he lands on his ass, heaving and coughing.
Veronica searches his backpack, as if he’s not fighting to breathe next to her.
“You sure know how to pick your help,” Hal tells the mayor.
“She’s been waiting to do that for a long time.”
“Clean,” Veronica says and throws his backpack aside. She then grabs one of the heavy books from the floor and smashes it against Will’s head.
He shouts and grabs his head, a bright storm of flashing lights washing over his vision. Through the ringing in his ears, he can hear the others laughing.
I have to get out of here. He has never been more sure of anything in his life.
Every passing minute brings him closer to losing his freedom.
He’s sure that the sheriff suspects something is off by now, but he might not react in time based on what he said earlier.
I can’t have him knowing he’s in hot water, so I won’t hurry to send help unless I’m absolutely sure you’re in danger.
Veronica returns to stand next to the mayor, and Will uses the opportunity to push himself back to his feet, using the bookcase for support. He rubs his aching neck, not sure if he can speak.
“Bring him out back,” the mayor tells Veronica. “Let’s make this quick. I expect we’ll have more company soon.”
Veronica walks toward him, a glint in her eyes as if she’s itching for him to try something, but what other choice does he have?
He shoots his hand to grab the silvery letter opener from the desk. It’s cold in his palm, feeling too light to be a reliable weapon, though he only needs the pointy end of it.
He’s shocked when Veronica continues to advance as if he’s not a threat. He raises his hand. “Stay the fuck back!”
She tries to grab his hand, but this time he’s quicker, striking her face and cutting her cheek. She staggers back, holding her face as blood pours between her thin fingers.
Cold fear passes through Will as he sees the rage in Veronica’s eyes. He braces himself, ready to cut her again if she leaves him no choice. If they do manage to take him away, let the mayor explain to the police why there’s blood in his office with Will nowhere to be found.
“Keep her back, Ray! All of you, get the hell out of my way!”
“My men should be here any minute,” Hal says. “We need to take him out back, and then we need to clean this damn blood.”
“Veronica,” the mayor says impatiently, “we’ve had enough of this.”
She lowers her hand. The cut isn’t deep, but the blood still flows, and Will is momentarily distracted by the gruesome sight. As if expecting he would be, Veronica lunges.
Will swings the letter opener, but she deflects his hand and smashes her fist at his chest. He stumbles back, grimacing in pain but still standing.
Before she can hit him again, he grabs the side of her head and smashes it against the bookcase, causing books to hit the floor.
The impact should be enough to take her down, but she only grunts in anger and slams her foot onto his, making him shout and let go of her head.
He stumbles back with his back against the wall, needing a second to think and to plan. The door is still blocked, all five men watching impatiently as Will is losing this fight.
“There’s no shame in giving up when you can’t win,” Hal says. “Put down that pointy toy and come peacefully.”
Peacefully? There’s no way in hell. A small gust of wind strokes his damp face. He tilts his head to the nearby window. There’s a small gap that allows air to flow through. If he could just open the window further and call for help, the two police officers in the street should be able to hear him.
With no other option he can think of, Will reaches for the window latch, still holding the letter opener in his other hand. He barely manages to grab the latch before Veronica charges again. He expected that, so he’s ready to stab her the second she gets too close.
But she must have expected him to react like that. She grabs his wrist, and with one sharp movement, twists his hand toward his stomach.
The sharpest pain he’s ever felt pierces through him. He gasps and looks down to find the letter opener buried in his stomach. His shirt is already soaking with blood.
Veronica takes a step back, her eyes wide in surprise. The mayor comes closer. “You fool!”
“Fucking hell!” Hal shouts. “Doc, help him. I’ve no need for a damn corpse!”
Will can’t stand any longer. He grabs the chair by the table and carefully sits down. The blood is now soaking into his pants. His vision turns blurry, and his heart is like a drum in his head. Should he take the blade out? Would that help?
“Don’t move,” Doctor Levi says as he crouches in front of Will.
“How bad is it?” the mayor asks.
“Very bad. She hit his liver. You need to call an ambulance.”
“Not happening.”
“Well, then someone bring me a thick blanket. I need someone else to block his mouth.”
Will can’t make sense of what they’re saying. His mind is in shambles, the unrelenting pain sending lightning across his body. He catches Hal coming closer to stand behind him, then he puts his rugged palm firmly over Will’s mouth.
Doctor Levi pulls out the blade and presses a towel to the wound.
Will screams into Hal’s palm, gripping the armrests as hard as he can.
“Too much blood,” the mayor says as he comes closer, his face ashy. “Veronica, start cleaning the blood. Hal, I need your men to take him somewhere.”
“Our deal wasn’t to bury a corpse.”
“Doc can go with you and try saving him. I can’t have him bleeding out in my house.”
Bleeding out. Somehow, the pain isn’t as bad as it was a minute ago. He hopes it’s a good sign, but it likely means he’s close to passing out. He wants to, because this is too much, but if he ever wakes up again, it will be as Hal’s prisoner, and he can’t accept that fate.
Hal removes his hand from Will’s mouth. He doesn’t have it in him to shout for help, and it won’t even matter since the window is still shut. The window.
Hal walks over to stand next to the mayor, both of them watching Will with stoic expressions. He wonders if either of them feels any remorse, but if they do, it’s absent from their eyes.
Still pressing the towel to Will’s bleeding wound, Doctor Levi sighs. “I’m afraid the blade went too deep. I don’t think you’re going to make it. Even an ambulance won’t make it in time. I’m sorry, Will.”
He sounds like he means it. Will can feel that he’s dying, surrounded by monsters instead of the ones he loves. But if he is about to die, he’s going to leave each of these men with hell to pay.
With every ounce of strength he can muster, he kicks Doctor Levi backward.
The pain erupts again, fierce enough to turn his vision white.
He shakes his head and reaches to snatch the large, eagle-shaped paperweight.
With it firmly in his grip, he turns the chair as much as he can and hurls it at the window.
Glass shatters, spilling onto the floor and letting in a cold gust of air.
In the street, car doors are being opened, followed by the sound of someone speaking into a radio device. Inside the office, the mayor’s guests are talking over each other, panicking.
With the voices all mixed together and the pain turning dull, Will shuts his eyes and enjoys the cool breeze on his face one last time.