Second Chances (126 page)

Sarah slowly rose from the chair, anger coursing through her body.  Her hair whipped about slightly.  “You expect me to sleep with you in exchange for a little time outside?”  She planted her hands on her hips as she stood over him ignoring that her robe was gapping slightly.

Standing abruptly, Evan tried to suppress a glare.  “I don’t think it would be so much to ask.”  He gestured around the room.  “Look at all I’ve given you.  Look at all I’ve done for you since you’ve been here.”  He moved his hands to enumerate what he considered to be his good deeds.  “I’ve fed you.”

“You drugged me,” she spat angrily.

He ignored her comment.  “I clothed you.”

“Barely,” she growled, pulling the robe closed.

“You have wanted for nothing!”  He shouted, his voice rising with his anger.

Sarah stepped closer until they were nearly nose-to-nose.  “I have wanted for my family,” she said through gritted teeth.  “I have wanted for my daughter, my mother, and especially for Brian.  I have wanted for freedom to move about the world as I pleased.  I have wanted to go back to work, spend time with my friends, and pick my own menu.  These are just a few of the things I’ve wanted for.” 

Slowly, Evan backed away from her.  Suddenly, he was uncertain of his success.  He raked his ands through his hair angrily as he pondered the situation and paced the room.  Though he seemed unsure of himself, Sarah knew it wasn’t over by a long shot.  She braced for what was to come.  It was only beginning to get ugly.

The lights had come on in the passageway about a hundred yards back.  The wooden framed walls and planked wooden floor indicated that they were now within the walls of the house.  It was eerily quiet.  They walked in silence for what seemed like hours, but in reality a mere fifteen minutes had passed.  At last, the passageway dead-ended.  Brian was about to lose what was left of his patience when Sam turned to him and smirked as he stuck his finger into a barely noticeable knot and slid the panel to the side, granting them access into a darkened closet.  Sam took three steps forward, leaned against the door and listened intently for a moment before slowly turning the knob.  Thankfully the door didn’t so much as creek as it was opened an inch at a time, until Sam was confident they could step safely into the hallway.

While he couldn’t afford the time necessary to appreciate the décor, Brian couldn’t help but notice that the carpet was thick beneath their feet, the walls were a neutral shade of butter, and paintings of the English countryside accented the walls for what appeared to be the length of it.  They eased down the long hallway until they reached the first door.  Sam pointed to show that was their destination.  He listened against the door and once again opened it silently.  Motioning for Brian to join him quickly, he eased the door closed behind them.

“This is Evan’s room,” he whispered.  They moved through the dark room with its navy walls and drawn curtains, searching for any sign that Sarah was there or had been there.  The bed had a dark mahogany headboard with four large chocolate leather panels set in the center.  The brown suede comforter held the
tell-tale signs that someone had lain on it but not under recently.  Upon a cursory glance, the room barely seemed lived in, with no personal items of any kind on the nightstand, walls, or matching mahogany desk. Eventually they made their way to the other doors in the room, the first one opened into a magnificent bathroom with dark stone floors and dark granite counters and dark tiled walls.  Brian shook his head in disgust.  The next door opened into a closet.  They were about to turn and exit until Brian noticed how deep the closet seemed to be.  Pulling the clothes apart, he exposed a deeper hidden portion that held a series of monitors, a control panel of some sort, and a simple folding chair.

The monitors were off, but Brian felt compelled to turn them on anyway.  Sam glanced about concerned, yet Brian was oblivious to everything but the task at hand.  The first monitor flickered on and an empty bathroom came into focus.  The second monitor showed a hallway that could very well have been the one they just left.  When the third and final monitor blinked to life, his breath caught.  Sarah was standing in a bedroom wearing only a bathrobe and Evan was with her, pacing about agitatedly.  He turned toward Sarah suddenly, a wicked gleam in his eyes.  And more than anything, Brian wished there was sound to accompany the picture. 

Evan walked slowly towards Sarah with his hands raised.  That was the last that Brian saw before racing from the closet and out into the hall.  He stood there trying to determine which door they might be behind.  He was shaking in fear and rage.  Feelings of protectiveness washed over him as he thought of the woman he loved facing down her greatest foe garbed in only a bathrobe.  She looked angry, but not nearly as angry as Evan.  Brian knew that meant danger, even if she didn’t.

Suddenly, the closet at the end of the hall opened and before he could sneak back into the room, an older man emerged carrying bags of clothes.  He could feel the man’s concern, and knew instantly this was the man who had called him just a day earlier.  Brian planted himself in the middle of the hall, arms crossed over his chest, and waited as calmly as he could muster to be noticed.

Staring at the floor, James was focused on sneaking back into the house to try to protect Miss Sarah.  He had rushed through his errand, not caring what he purchased or how much he spent.  His arms were laden down with packages.  He thought the walk through the passageway was going to be the death of him with those bulky bags.  Now, winded, but determined, he made his way toward her room.  Feeling he was being watched, he glanced up and promptly dropped everything he had been carrying.  He recovered his composure quickly enough and exhaled.

Brian’s brow furrowed.  The man seemed almost happy, which was not at all what he anticipated, even if it was the same man who had called.  Yet, before he could speak the man interrupted.

“You came,” he said, his heart racing.  “You found the place.  I wanted so badly to contact you so many times.”  He began wringing his hands agitatedly.  “Miss Sarah has been very brave, but she needs you, sir.”  He glanced around, knowing he was about to disclose a secret.  “She’s pregnant, sir,” he murmured almost inaudibly.

His suspicions confirmed, Brian’s hands clenched into tight fists.  “Where is she?”  He asked hoarsely.  “I have to go to her, now.”

“Follow me, please.”  He said scurrying down the hall and around the corner.  At last he stopped before a door that had a metal drawer protruding from the bottom.

Glancing around, Brian wondered how something so conspicuous could go so unnoticed for so long in a house that should have been bustling with activity.  He shook his head.  “Thank you,” he mumbled.

“Wait,” James whispered.  “It will be locked.”  He fumbled in his pocket for the key-ring he carried with him.

Suddenly there was a loud crash from within, accompanied by angry indistinguishable shouts.  James was so startled that he dropped the keys and fell to his knees to recover them.  Anxiously, Brian scooped the keys off the plush carpeting and ordered him to stand back.  There had to be fifteen keys on the ring.  Somehow he would get that door opened.  Somehow he would save Sarah.  Clenching the keys in his fist, he stared at the lock and concentrated with all his might. 

The vase of flowers shattered on the bathroom tile floor as Evan chucked it over his shoulder.  With one hand, he tossed the delicate side table across the room, eyes trained on Sarah as the table splintered in pieces.  “Do you think that I am someone to be trifled with?”  He roared, taking a step closer to her.

Her lips pursed and she eyed him warily as she decided how to respond.  “When you are finished with your tantrum we can talk,” Sarah said simply and she crossed her arms to wait patiently.  It was the kind of thing she might have said to Chloe, if her daughter had ever put on a display of her emotions. 

Evan shook with rage at her words.  “Who do you think you are to speak to me in such a way?”  He grabbed her upper arms and squeezed until she winced.

Immediately, she closed her eyes and focused her powers.  She pictured her arms turning into molten lava.  She envisioned the flaming orange bubbling so strongly she could almost hear the searing of flesh and smell the burning skin.

This time it was Evan who winced.  His hands felt as though they had been scalded. In a flash he had released her and was staring at his red throbbing palms in disbelief.  He could barely move his hands the pain was so great.  Yet instead of wanting to back down, his hurt only served to inflame his rage even more.

Sarah was completely oblivious to the transformation in his demeanor.  She certainly couldn‘t have known how even more dangerous the beast within him would become.  Once wounded, he behaved like any other wounded animal, lashing out and seeking to harm those who drew too near.  Confident in her abilities and the predictions made by Brenda so long ago, she drew herself to her full height, took a small sure step closer, and spoke once more, “Who do you think you are trying to bully people into doing what you will?”  He was momentarily caught off guard.  “You picked the wrong chick and the wrong day.”  She inhaled deeply, calming her emotions.  It would do the baby no good for her to get all upset.  “You will not lay a finger on me, not in rage, and most certainly not to quell your lust.”

Regaining his composure, he laughed.  “You think so?”  He sneered.  Right hand raised, he moved to slap her across her face, a face that had a chin that jutted out defiantly, taunting him to put it in place.  Before he could disprove her claim, however, the door to the bedroom blew inward off its hinges and slammed into him, propelling him to the bed.  Evan stood slowly, shocked, but otherwise uninjured.  He ignored Brian’s furious form filling the doorway, intent on reaching Sarah.

She simply stood there torn between cautiously watching Evan and the urge to rush past him into Brian’s arms.  Feelings overwhelmed her.  She was flooded with relief, knew she was at last safe, at last free, and soon to rejoin her family.  She beamed at Brian, who was alert to Evan’s every move.

“Stop!”  Brian bellowed as Evan edged closer to Sarah.  “You so much as move a muscle and I will
finish
you.”  He walked toward Sarah who stretched out her arms to him.  As she raised her arms the robe became untied and slipped open, exposing her tiny belly.  He stared and tears formed in his eyes.  “So, it’s true.”  Taking a single step, he drew her into his chest, one arm around her shoulders, the other planted gently on the bubble just above her bikini panties.  “You’re safe now,” he murmured into her hair.  “Both of you.”

Love shining in her eyes, Sarah glanced up at him and murmured, “Take us home, daddy.”  A shy smile crossed her lips and he held her tighter.

“Not so fast,” a voice sounded from the doorway.