“I knew you would come here,” he sneered. “Just can’t keep away, can you? Well, I got you now!”
“Gary, just let me go,” Robin whispered. “Abby’s life is in danger. I have to save her!”
“Sure, you do,” he laughed. “What other things have you made up in your mind, Robin? Hands where I can see them!”
Robin put her hands up, and the next thing she knew, an officer slammed into her. He grabbed her hands and put them behind her back, his handcuffs jiggling as he tried to take them out.
“Robin Matthews, you are under arrest for the serial murders. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you. If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you have the right to stop answering at any time,” the officer said.
Robin looked around her, her heart racing in her chest. She had been arrested. It was all over.
Chapter Seventeen
Robin couldn’t let it end like this. She just couldn’t. Not when Abby’s life was on the line. She knew that she would not escape this time, but she had to risk it. She wrenched herself free from his grasp and elbowed him in the nose. He heard the crunch of his bone-breaking, and then she twisted around to knee him in the groin. She made a run for it, even as Gary shot at her.
“Leave her alone!” she heard a familiar voice shouting. “Stop shooting, Gary! That’s an order!”
Robin looked around and found the Captain standing there, a sad expression on his face.
“Robin,” he said softly. “What are you doing?”
The Captain looked tired like he hadn’t slept in weeks. His hair was grey, and he looked thin, his face wrinkled with dark circles resting under his eyes. Her boss looked like he had shrunk since Robin had last seen him, and she realized how horrible all of this must be for him.
He lost Robin, his best detective, someone he treated like his daughter. She knew that he had loved her and cared for her ever since she joined the team. The Captain treated every member of the team like they were family. He probably blamed himself for what had happened to her ─ all this time, believing that she was the killer and, at the same time, unable to stop caring for her. And to make matters worse, he lost Kyle, too. No wonder the Captain looked so tired and sick, almost as if he was broken.
“He has Abby,” Robin said. “I need to get to Abby, please. He has taken her to the basement.”
“She is just hallucinating again,” Gary shouted. “Now, Abby is gone! Huh! As if!”
“We can run a check on her house, see if she is missing,” the Captain said. “We can send a backup team–.”
“If she is missing, it’s probably because this crazy killer took her!” Gary shouted, his gun still pointed toward Robin.
“Look, there is no time,” Robin said. “I have a few more minutes to be there otherwise, he will kill her!”
“I will send a team–,” the Captain said.
“No!” Robin said. “It has to be me. Please! Please, Captain!”
“Don’t make another move!” Gary said. “I am arresting you now!”
“I am sorry,” Robin said. “I am so sorry.”
She turned around and ran, knowing full well that she would not make it far. But she had to get to Abby at all costs. A shot rang out behind her, and she waited for the bullet to penetrate her back. Robin braced herself for the searing pain that followed, but none came.
She turned around and froze in pure horror at the sight in front of her. The Captain lay in front of her, blood oozing from his chest. He had jumped in front of her, taking the bullet and saving Robin.
“Damn!” she heard Gary shouting, the gun falling from his hands. “Damn! Damn it!”
He ran off, and Robin kneeled next to the Captain, tears streaming down her cheeks. She quickly dialed 911, asking them to send an ambulance.
“No,” she whispered. “No, this can’t be. Captain, please!”
“Robin–,” he gasped. “Listen to me! Listen!”
Robin looked at him, sobbing as she grabbed his hand in hers.
“I am sorry–,” he wheezed. “I should have believed you.”
“No,” Robin said. “Don’t talk. Everything will be okay.”
“They will be here soon,” he gasped. “And they will arrest you. You have to get away.”
He stopped here, taking deep breaths as Robin clutched his hand.
“I am not leaving you,” Robin said, sobbing.
“I am sorry I let you down, Robin,” he coughed. “I hope you can forgive an old man like me.”
He wheezed, taking painful breaths as his lungs struggled to expand.
“You have to get away,” he said. “Go, save Abby! Save her! Find the real killer and take him down!”
“I will,” Robin whispered. “I promise.”
“You are like a daughter,” he gasped. “And my best detective–.”
“The ambulance will be here soon,” Robin whispered. “You will be alright. You will be okay.”
“No,” he said. “My time has come. Find the killer, Robin. Find him for me.”
His hand, which had tightened around her hand, loosened, and his head slumped to the other side. His eyes closed, and Robin screamed loudly.
“No! No!” she sobbed. “Please! No!”
She doubled over, clutching his hand and sobbing, her body shuddering.
“I am sorry, Captain,” She said. “I am so sorry.”
The sound of the ambulance resonated through the air, and she knew they were about to come. She let go of his hand and stood up, anger and sorrow dominating her heart.
“I will find him, Captain,” she whispered. “I promise.”
Chapter Eighteen
Robin was exhausted, she had constantly been running for the last ten minutes, but she had finally made it to the Butcher’s house. It was gloomy and desolate looking. She quickly used a window to get in, her legs trembling as she stood there. Her heart was still aching for the Captain who had died in front of her. She couldn’t believe he died saving her, and tears threatened to fall from her eyes again.
Not now; Robin couldn’t let herself break down right now. If she broke down, she would not be able to do anything else. Abby had to be saved, and then Robin would let herself cry. Then she would give in to the grief that threatened to explode.
She slowly crept down the stairs of the basement, which was lit by a lantern. The dim light allowed her to see very little, and she could only make out the silhouette of a man standing across from her.
“Who are you?” she whispered.
“Robin?” she heard Abby’s voice. “Robin! Please, help me!”
“Abby!” Robin said, realizing that her sister was tied to the same pole that she had been.
“So, you managed to come here in time,” the man said softly.
“What do you want from me?” Robin whispered. “Why did you call me here? Why are you doing all this?”
“It’s sad that you didn’t believe Jim,” he said. “I was sure he would convince you. It would have been so perfect. Jim, killed by your hands. Your sister, forever hating you as the killer of her husband. It would have destroyed you. It would have broken you so completely. The guilt, the pain, everything. Oh, it would have been beautiful.”
“What do you want me to do?” Robin whispered.
“I want to destroy you,” he whispered. “I want to make you suffer. I want you to face the darkness inside you, and I want you to embrace it.”
“Is that why you are doing this?” Robin whispered. “Because of the evil in you?”
“Perhaps,” he said. “I fought against it, you know. I fought for you. But it was too strong; I couldn’t fight it anymore. And now I must ruin you. I must destroy you. You must suffer too! You must know what it’s like a
lways to have a dark cloud over you! To always be in pain!”
“Let Abby go,” Robin whispered. “This is between you and me. I will do whatever you say. Just let her go.”
“Let her go?” he laughed. “I can’t let her go! I have to ruin you mentally, physically, and emotionally! How will I do that if I let her go?”
“Who are you?” Robin whispered.
He stepped out into the light, and Robin gasped. It couldn’t be. James stood in front of her, a sneer on his face.
“I framed you,” he whispered. “I set everything up. All the evidence in your apartment. It’s easy to do it when I am the one investigating everything.”
“Why?” Robin asked.
“I got onto your case just to be close to you,” he said. “It was so much fun playing with you. Watching you dance, watching you trust me, and making all those promises. And you had no idea, all that time, that I was plotting against you.”
“You still haven’t told me why,” Robin whispered.
“You already know why,” he said. “Just look into your memories.”
He pulled out his gun and pointed it toward Abby’s head.
“I am sorry, this is how it has to be,” he said. “But I am afraid this is the end. Abby will die, and you will be convicted as her killer. I will handle Jim later. Sister and brother-in-law, killed by the lunatic detective. How poetic.”
He laughed loudly, and Abby said, “Robin, get out of there. Find Jim and hide! Don’t let anything happen to him.”
“Move, and I will kill her,” James said.
“Don’t worry about me,” Robin said. “Just save Jim! Just save yourself and Jim! Please, Abby. I don’t care if I die. Please, just save Jim.”
“James, just let her go,” Robin said. “This is between us. I will do whatever you want; just leave her be. I beg you.”
He laughed maniacally and said, “Say goodbye!”
His finger rested on the trigger, but before he could pull it, Robin lunged at him. She managed to hit the gun out of his hand, and it went flying into the corner. Robin wrestled with James, pinning him down, but she knew there was no use. He was much stronger than she was, and he quickly overpowered her. Robin tried to punch him, but he dodged it and grabbed her by the throat.
Robin’s eyes widened as she struggled to breathe, James’ hand strangling her. She gurgled and choked, her hand trying to push James’ hands away, but he was too powerful. He held her down, laughing like a maniac as he strangled her.
“Say goodbye, Robin,” he said, his eyes wide with excitement.
Suddenly, his expression seemed to change. A look of horror crossed his face, and his hands loosened from around her neck. Robin took the opportunity to kick him away and scrambled up. She sat in the corner, taking deep, gasping breaths as she tried to steady herself. James was lying there, a terrified expression on his face.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Robin,” he whispered. “That wasn’t what I was supposed to do.”
He stood up as Robin said painfully, “What do you mean?”
“It’s her I am supposed to kill!” he said. “It’s her I have to end. Not you, not yet.”
“I won’t let you hurt her, James!” Robin said, ignoring the searing pain in her throat. “Just give up! I can get you a deal if you just surrender now!”
“You think you have any power?” he whispered. “No, you have none. You are just a pawn in a game. You are just being played, that’s all. You are a puppet; you have no other role.”
James had managed to take the gun that Robin had in her pocket during the struggle. He smirked, and his finger pressed against the trigger, and a shot rang out.
Chapter Nineteen
Robin dove for James, tripping him over. His finger pressed the trigger, and the bullet hit the lantern, and the glass shattered. She grabbed the gun and pointed it toward his head, ready to shoot him if he even moved.
“It's over, James,” Robin said. “Just give up.”
“Death is better than giving up,” he said and lunged for her. The gun fell out of her hand as James overpowered her and then began to punch her furiously. Pain filled her body as he landed one punch after another, and blood started to flow down her face.
“Robin!” Abby shouted. “Don’t hurt her! Stop! Stop!”
The sound of sirens echoed in the distance, and James cursed to himself.
He punched Robin one last time and walked toward Abby.
“I just have to kill you,” he said, grabbing her throat. “That’s all. If I kill you, all will be okay.”
Robin was so injured that she could barely move. She looked around and saw that the basement was on fire. The oil must have leaked out of the lantern when it got shot, and the flames spread. The old wooden table had been an easy target for the flames, and now it was enveloped in fire.
“Stop!” Robin shouted. “We have to get out of here!”
James looked around, the livid expression on his face highlighted by the flames. The house was old and wooden, and the flames engulfed it quickly. Robin used his distraction to grab the gun and shoot the padlock that held the chains on Abby. The fire was spreading extremely fast, and she watched as a portion of the ceiling fell onto James.
“Abby!” Robin shouted, undoing the chains around her sister’s hand. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, Robin!” Abby said. The two sisters hugged for a minute before Robin pushed her away.
“We have to get out of here!” she said. Robin grabbed Abby’s hand and dragged her up the stairs, which were already on fire. Smoke was starting to fill the entire house, and Robin coughed as she tried to breathe. She made her way through the fire and the smoke, pulling Abby along with her.
The staircase almost gave out under her, but Robin managed to steady herself.
“Come on!” she shouted, grabbing Abby and pulling her out of the door. They made their way out of the basement, and Robin pulled her sister out onto the ground, making sure that she was safe.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Are you burned?”
“Fine,” Abby coughed. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“You go,” Robin said. “You have to get help. Go!”
“No, I am not going to desert you!” Abby shouted.
“The sirens are louder,” Robin said. “Kyle must have convinced someone to investigate. They will be here soon. Stay here!”
“Where are you going?” Abby asked.
“I have to save James!” Robin said.
“No!” Abby shouted, trying to grab her sister. “No!”
With her mind racing, Robin ran back in. She knew James didn’t deserve to be rescued. He didn’t deserve to live, but if he was her killer, if he was the child in the basement, then she had to save him. That child needed saving a long time ago. If someone had saved him back then, it would have never come to this.
She darted down the stairs. The fire engulfed most of the basement by now; parts of the ceiling had already collapsed. It was difficult for Robin to breathe or see debris from bits of the ceiling falling in her path. Her eyes watered as the smoke spread everywhere. She coughed, covering her mouth with her hand to filter out some of the air. Robin knew she didn’t have much longer. If she didn’t find James soon, even she wouldn’t be able to get out of here alive.
She spotted him on the floor, a piece of a wooden bar lying on top of him.
“James!” Robin shouted. “Help me get this off you!”
“You came back?” he whispered, looking shocked.
“I am not going to leave you here,” she said. “Now help me!”
Robin struggled to push the beam off him, and he joined in. It slowly started to move, and she managed to free him just enough for him to wriggle out. He was gravely injured and barely able to walk as Robin helped him up the stairs. She just managed to pull him away and out when the stairs completely collapsed.
“Come on!” she said. “A little more!”
She dragged him out, coughing violen
tly as the smoke filled her lungs. Men ran in, grabbing James and Robin, and she was dragged outside. She fell onto the ground, the fresh air finally letting her breathe.
“Robin!” She could hear Abby sobbing. Her vision was blurred, but she knew that officers and firemen surrounded her.
“Robin!” Kyle shouted, leaning over her. “Are you okay?”
Robin tried to reply, but it seemed like her throat was closing up. She could hear Abby crying in the distance, and she heard Jim consoling her. Her ears rang and she slowly allowed a small smile to spread on her face. It was over. It was finally over. She had managed to free Abby and save her, and she had finally caught the killer.
The Butcher would haunt her no more. The basement won’t torture her sleep after this. It had all come to an end, and now she can finally rest. She saw Kyle’s worried face and tried to tell him that she was okay, but she was too weak. So, instead, she smiled and closed her eyes, giving in to her body’s exhaustion.
Robin can finally let her body relax. She can finally stop fighting.
She was free.
Chapter Twenty
One week later…
“Can’t believe you are finally home!” Abby said excitedly. “I am so glad that you finally recovered! I thought the doctors would never let you go.”
“Abby, let her relax,” Jim said. “She must be tired.”
“I will get her some tea,” Abby said and walked off.
“Thanks for letting me stay here, Jim,” Robin said.
“It’s my pleasure,” he said. “After all you did for us. The way you saved Abby and what you did for me–.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “We don’t have to talk about this.”
“Thank you,” he sighed. “Honestly, just … thank you.”
“I got your suitcases,” Kyle said, walking in. “I put them in the room upstairs.”
“Thanks, Kyle,” Robin said, smiling at him. Jim walked off, muttering something about Abby, and Kyle came to sit with her.
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