She’s bound to the bedpost, no hope of escape, and whimpering as she looks me straight at me with her tear filled eyes. “I love you, Brax. I always will.”
“Baby, no!” I shout as I move my torso in front of her, my left arm still bound to the headboard, not caring about the cable tie that is ripping through my skin. In this moment, my sole focus is getting any part of my body between that gun and my girl.
I know Shay and Devon can’t be too far away. I silently pray that they can somehow get here quicker than is humanly possible, it’s the only sliver of hope I have to hold on to, and any hope in a situation like this is something to live for. About an hour ago, I managed to text 911 to Shay behind my back before dropping my phone down the side of the bed, hoping like hell that the text actually went through, and he’ll have called the police ahead of time.
Silas’ eyes glaze over as he points the gun at Elle. It is like he is almost in a rapturous trance as he prepares to pull the trigger. Ever since I’ve come to, he’s been spouting off words filled with hatred and obsession. Telling us how he’s been waiting for this moment for four years. The stalking, the notes, the sick gifts and family mementos, all tricks in his arsenal. He wanted to scare her, to haunt her, to try and break her until he had the opportunity to take her. He told us all about following her, watching her, watching us. With every day that passed, the deeper his obsession with her became.
Looking at this desperate man, I know now that he has nothing to lose. He’s set his end goal, and he doesn’t care what happens to him. He wants his obsession to end, and he’s plans on taking Elle and I down with him. Our only hope now is that Shay and Devon get here in time.
It all happens so quickly.
The flash of the gun blast, the thud of bodies as they hit the floor, the scream from Elle as she realizes what is happening...and the absolute horror of watching Shay burst into the room and tackle Silas with the gun still clutched in his hands.
“No!” I yell as I watch Silas and Shay fight for control of the gun on the floor.
They continue to struggle for a few minutes as they try to overpower the other, Shay never giving up as he tries to pry the gun from Silas’ hands.
All of a sudden, there are flashing lights, filling the room. Streaming through the window, lighting up the trees surrounding the house...red and blue lights everywhere.
Silas continues to yell obscenities as he fights with Shay. ‘You can’t stop me!” he shouts. “This is her destiny, my destiny. We can be together, Elle. Together in heaven, with your parents. With your sister. She looked so peaceful as she slept, almost angelic.”
I pull Elle tighter into my stretched body, murmuring reassuringly in her ear as she sobs into my side. “Block him out, sweetheart. Think of something good. Picture our walk along the beach today. Remember our normal day in the City. Focus on that.”
I try to shield Elle from the horrific sight behind us. She does need to see this. She’s been through enough in the past four years, and I don’t want her haunted by what happens should this go horribly wrong.
I’m struck with fear, caught in no man’s land; not being able to help, and not knowing if the help outside can get here quick enough to stop the inevitable.
Yet deep down in my soul I know that someone is going to die tonight. I’m just praying to god it’s Silas.
My body goes rigid when I hear the handgun go off behind my back, the blast echoing through the room. The sudden deathly silence is broken when the gun goes off, again and again. Then, all I can hear is the thumping footsteps outside the room, in the hallway outside the bedroom door. I hear the front door of the cabin being barged open, the splintering of the wood unmistakable just as much as Devon’s voice calling out my name.
This can’t be happening.
It’s my nightmare come true except Brax is sheltering me, his whole body draped over mine as he shields me from Silas’ wrath.
I scream when I hear the gun go off. I know I haven’t been shot; I could never forget the burning sensation when a bullet rips through you. I wrap my free hand around Brax’s neck to make sure he’s still alive. My fingers are on his pulse point as he lifts his eyes to mine, and his eyes are wide and full of fear as he stares at me, tears welling up in our eyes as we lock onto one another.
The deathly silence consuming the room fills me with dread because I know that no sound means no life. No sound means that Shay is down.
“I need you to close your eyes, baby,” Brax whispers. “Don’t you dare open them until I say,” he says firmly, his voice dripping in sadness. Deep down, I know he’s expecting the worst when he rolls over.
“Brax,” I hear Shay rasp from the darkness. The constant flickering of red and blue outside of the window lights the room up slightly, but not enough to see anything clearly.
Brax rolls over, his arm still tied to the headboard.
I hear him gasp. “Shit, man,” his voice cracks.
I squeeze my eyes tighter. Hearing Brax sound like that means I really don’t want to see the scene behind us.
I roll over and see Silas with a bullet to his chest. He’s on his back, his lifeless eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling, not moving. It was an instant kill; I can see the gun still in his hand. He must have gotten a shot off, though, because there were three shots.
I look over at Shay. “Shit, man.” All I can see is blood gushing out from his abdomen. “It’ll… be…. okay…” he splutters out, wincing in pain as the blood pools underneath him, but I can’t reach him, I yank my wrist from the headboard, but it just makes the cable tie cut in further.
“I can’t move!” I say angrily. I can’t even go help him, stem the bleeding somehow. Give him a fighting chance like he just gave us.
“It’s okay, Brax. It’s my time,” he rasps. I can see his chest rising and falling slowly, his breathing slowing down as his heart rate drops. He’s not gonna make it. He’s not gonna f**king make it.
And it’s all my fault.
I reach my hand out again, just wanting to touch him. No one should die without being held by someone. “Grab my hand, Shay!” I shout in desperation, he barely lifts his hand before I grab on to it tight.
“Stay with me, bro! You fight this! Don’t you f**king give up on me!” I shout at him as I see his eyes go half closed.
“She’s waiting for me. I’ll finally get to see her again, Brax. It’s… my… time,” he whispers, his voice getter weaker.