Deadly Double

by Byrd, Adrianne

  “Whatever.”

  William held his breath as the men stopped in front of the cupboard. Weaponless, he didn’t know what he was going to do if the men opened the door. One thing for sue, he was going to try his best to protect Josie.

  “You know there’s a lot of nice stuff in this place. Maybe we should help ourselves a little before we head out.”

  “I don’t think so. That Josephine chick doesn’t sound like a lady to cross. This is her place. She probably has everything inventoried. I know the type.”

  “Well, I’m just saying. If she doesn’t mind the place ransacked then surely she wouldn’t…”

  “No. We’re looking for the sister. We find her, we kill her, then we can go home.”

  At Josie’s gasp, William’s eyes widened in alarm.

  “Chuck, did you hear something?”

  “Shhh.”

  Everyone fell silent.

  Josie was convinced her actions had just sealed their fate. Her head instantly filled with horrifying images of them being tortured to death. But there was no way out. They were trapped.

  “I don’t hear anything,” Chuck finally growled. “But let’s check out the back to make sure. The faster we get this whole thing over, the better.”

  The men’s heavy footsteps led away from the door, and still Josie was too afraid to move. After several heartbeats had passed, William leaned in so close his warm breath tickled the shell of her ear.

  “We need to get out of here,” he whispered.

  “Okay,” she said, shaking her head; but when she heard his hand settle on the doorknob, she stopped him. “Right now?”

  “We can’t stay in here. They’ll find us.” If take charge tone it called her; however, she wasn’t convinced that this moment was the time for them to make a break for it. He turned the knob, and once again, she stopped him.

  “What if they catch us?” She asked in a frantic whisper. “I mean they probably have guns. We don’t have a weapon and…” William silenced her with a kiss. The shock of such an action blew her away, but she returned the kiss with fever. Her body relaxed and melted against him. When he pulled his lips away, she was calm.

  I need you to focus, he whispered. We can do this.”

  She wasn’t so sure.

  “We’re not going to let Michelle win.

  Those words made something click inside of her. Her head filled with the sounds of Michelle’s high, sinister cackle. The world would be a better place without you. All you have to do is just slice.

  Josie’s wrist ached.

  “Are you ready?” William asked.

  She nodded though she knew he couldn’t see her in the dark.

  “I’m going to the count of three,” he warned.

  “Okay.” She mentally prepared herself, but could feel her body begin to tremble again. Dear God, not now.

  “One…”

  Josie’s temples throbbed.

  “Two…”

  Her stomach tightened and threatened to expel the remaining contents.

  “Three.” William gently pushed the door open.

  It took everything in Josie’s body not to tug him back into the cupboard when he poked out his head. When he took the first tentative step out, he reached for her.

  Drawing a deep breath, she slid her hand into his and crept out of their hiding place. The stillness of the cabin unnerved her and heightened her paranoia. Where had the men gone? Were they watching them right now?

  William pressed a finger against his lips and led her around the staircase, then through the living room.

  Josie’s vertigo worsened to the point that she was wobbling on unsteady legs. “Will,” she whispered, pitching forward.

  He caught her, but not without crushing a picture frame underfoot. The cabin’s silence was broken.

  Doors crashed from someplace within the cabin.

  William swooped Josie into his arms and high-tailed out the front door. He ignored the pressure of her deadweight and willed his body to perform the task of getting them the hell out of there.

  They’d actually made it into the woods before the sound of gunfire filled the night. But as darkness welcomed them into its fold, he feared that it wasn’t enough to protect them from harm.

  “Did you see who it was?” A man’s voice rang out. “Was it the girl?”

  “I didn’t see anything! I thought you saw something. You were shooting!”

  “Quiet. I think I hear something.”

  William stopped. With the forest floor covered in leaves, he knew it was suicide to race through them. Not mention, Josie seemed to grow heavier by the second.

  Which way, he wondered. He had no clue. He couldn’t see a thing. He turned to his right and was surprised the ground had disappeared.

  They were falling.

  Stunned, he hit earth, but tumbled down a deep slope. He’d lost his hold on Josie, but he could feel her rolling next to him. It seemed like they would never stop when at last they did. It took a moment to catch his breath, but the he frantically searched around with his hands.

  “Josie?” His hands brushed against her still form. Fear exploded in his chest. Was she all right? Was she dead?

  William quickly found her pulse and nearly collapsed with relief.

  A man’s startled wail caught his attention. At the sound of another body slamming into the hill, William quickly gathered Josie in his arms and tried to make a run for it.

  “Will?”

  “Shh.” He struggled to keep his hold on her. At this moment, he could only pray that she was okay. There was no time to check. Once again, he was concerned about the crunching of leaves beneath his feet. It was like a homing device on his movements. He stopped at a large tree and slumped down beside it.

  He struggled, but finally managed to control his labored breathing. The sound of rustling leaves reached his ears.

  A hunter was on the prowl.

  Josie reached for him, and he placed a silencing finger against her lips.

  “I know you’re out there,” the man’s menacing voice called out. “Is that you, Michelle?”

  William felt her body tremble, but she was being a good girl and remaining quiet. He needed a weapon.

  The footsteps grew closer.

  William gently felt around him. Maybe there was a stick or a fallen tree branch he could use.

  “Why don’t you just give yourself up, Michelle?” the man continued to taunt. “We just want to talk to you.”

  He was inches from them now. Finally, his hand found the very thing he needed: a large rock.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” the man’s devilish voice singsong.

  The predator stepped around the tree and William came up swinging. There was an eerie crunch when the rock connected with the man’s skull.

  A shot rang out seconds before the man hit the ground. More leaves rustled, and William knew the man was still a threat. He followed the sound of the leaves and swung the rock a second time.

  At long last, all was quiet.

  Chapter 23

  “I think I can walk now,” Josephine whispered in the darkness. She could feel the strain in William’s cored muscles slowly ebb away.

  He sloshed through the forest of fallen leaves as though he hadn’t heard her.

  “Really, William. You can put me down now.”

  “It can’t be much farther,” he said, in an exhausted pant.

  Through the weak glimmer of moonlight, she made out his tensed feature and noted how he went out of his way to avoid making eye contact. Her guilt increased tenfold. This was all her fault. She had nearly gotten them killed. “Put me down,” she insisted gently.

  William drew a deep breath and finally came to a stop.

  “Please,” she added.

  Bending forward, he lowered her feet to the ground.

  Her limbs trembled, but they were able to support her weight.

  Meanwhile, William used the brief down time to draw in a few extra gulps
of air.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer.

  “Will…”

  “Can we talk about this later?” he snapped. “I want to get out of these damn woods.”

  Josie swallowed the rest of her question and gave him a moment to collect himself. She knew what was eating at him. The possibility of having killed a man.

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “Please,” he begged. “Just help me find a way out of this place. I feel like I’m about to go mad.”

  She glanced around, unable to make out anything more than a few inches in front of her nose.

  “Anything look familiar to you?”

  “No,” her voice croaked. Tears burned the back of her eyes. They were lost. He knew it, and she knew it.

  Glancing up at the starless sky, Josie believed that even the heavens were against helping them find their way back to Larry and Sheila’s home. A light drizzle of rain sprinkled across her upturned face and blended with her tears.

  “We’ll just keep going straight,” he decided.

  She nodded, seeing no point in arguing.

  As it turned out, it was a wise decision. Minutes later, they emerged from a final thicket of trees to stand in front of the dark house.

  Josie wanted to sink to her knees and have a good cry. But she didn’t dare, especially since the cold wind was delivering the rain in hard, slanted sheets.

  Silently, William slid an arm around her waist and directed her toward the house. When they entered, a strange awkwardness settled on them.

  So many thoughts ran though Josie’s head, and she was too nervous to put a voice to any of them.

  “I’ll start a fire,” he said, pulling off his jacket, while heading toward the living room.

  “Do you think that’s a wise idea?” she asked, following him. “I mean, what if the smoke draws attention?”

  “We’re not the only house on the mountain.”

  “But what if they come here?”

  “They won’t.”

  “But how can you be so sure?”

  “Look, Josie,” William barked. He raced his hand through his hair and drew in a deep breath. “I don’t know anything. I don’t know who those men are, but I doubt that they’re crazy enough to draw so much attention to themselves by systematically searching each house on the mountain. Beside, we don’t know if one the them…”

  She stepped forward to console him. “He got what he deserved.”

  William’s sharp gaze sliced toward her. “No one deserves to die, Josie. No one.”

  She stopped, feeling her insides go cold.

  He turned away again and finished removing his jacket. “First thing in the morning, we’re going to the police.”

  Stunned, she watched him disappear into the living room. “And tell them what?”

  “The truth,” he shouted. “The whole damn truth.”

  “And what the hell do you think is going to happen? You’ll lose your job. They’ll arrest you.”

  “We’ll still be alive,” he retaliated. “I’ve done all I can for you. I got you out of the hospital; but I don’t know a damn thing about dodging bullets. Those were trained killers.”

  “And we escaped,” she reasoned.

  “Barely. By the skin of our teeth. And no offense.” He paced. “But you weren’t much help out there.”

  “Oh, so it’s my fault?”

  “You were the one who wanted to take a trip up to Daddy’s old cabin. I should have known that was a bad idea.”

  “Well, you didn’t, and neither did I,” she yelled back. “Nor did I suspect I would have another ‘spell’ and nearly get us killed.”

  “Great, then we agree. We don’t know what we’re doing. We should go to the police.”

  “They aren’t going to believe us,” Josie yelled. “They think I’m crazy, or did you miss the whole point of my being locked in a mental institution?”

  “Josie…”

  “We go to them now without proof, I’ll be back in a hospital before you can bat an eye. How long do you think it will take before Michelle and her goons get to me then? The only way I can stay alive right now is to stay invisible until I can get proof.”

  William shook his head as if he was unconvinced.

  “I’m talking about a couple of days at best. I’ll get someone on the phone in the morning and have the records sent overnight.” She was desperate for the extra time and not entirely for the reasons she argued. She needed more time to come up a good plan to get out of Georgia.

  Now more than ever, she knew that she couldn’t tell him about Daniel. William wouldn’t understand. If he’d killed that man tonight, no one would argue it wasn’t self-defense.

  Josie’s case would be a different story.

  William finally looked as if he was wavering, but his words were like a slap in the face. “We have to do what’s right.”

  Heat rushed up her neck and inflamed her face. “Then you’ll have to do it without me,” she seethed, and spun on her heels.

  “Wait.” William rushed to catch up with her. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m leaving.” She brushed her wet hair from her face as she stormed toward the front door.

  “What? That’s crazy!” He grabbed her arm and spun her around. “You can’t leave.”

  She snatched back her arm. “Watch me.” Turning, she jerked open the front door.

  Lightning flashed and lit up the night sky. However, it didn’t step Josie from bolting out into the rain. In an instant, her clothes were plastered to her skin. The cold wind chilled her to the bone but did little to cool her anger.

  “Josie, stop being ridiculous! You don’t have anywhere to go!” He spun her around again and was startled when her open hand struck his face.

  “I didn’t ask for your help. I can take care of myself!”

  “You’re not in any type of condition…”

  “No.” She backed away from him. “You do what you have to do, and I’ll do the same.”

  “You’re talking crazy!”

  “I’m not crazy! Don’t you dare say that!” Her hands balled at her sides.

  “Fine. You’re sane. Screaming out in the middle of storm is perfectly normal. Now can we go back in the house?”

  “Just go to hell.” She turned and stalked off.

  With his own anger mounting, William grasped her arm, but this time he was prepared when she attacked. Dodging a blow, he quickly seized her hands and pinned them to her sides. “I’m trying to help you.”

  “I don’t want it.” Josie struggled to wrench her hands free. “Since I nearly got you killed, you should be happy to get me out of your life.”

  “I never said that.”

  “You didn’t have to,” she shouted above the loud wind. “It’s painfully obvious. Dump me at the police station and let me be their problem.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  She squirmed violently, trying to get away from him. “Let me go!”

  “Not until you calm down.”

  “I’m not going to the police!” She fought, and belatedly realized that she’d been lifted off her feet. “Put me down.”

  “No.” He pulled her back into the house and kicked the door shut.

  William’s curt reply further aggravated her. Here was someone else who was trying to control her life, and she was going to have none of it. At last, she freed her arms and swung in every direction.

  “Josie, stop it.” He set her back on her feet and struggled to pin her arms down again.

  “It’s my life. I can make my own decision,” she screamed repeatedly.

  Another blow landed across his left cheek, but he shook away the stars and locked her arms down at her sides.

  “It’s my life,” she wailed.

  “I know,” he whispered close to her ear. “I know.”

  The fight left her body, and she slumped against him. Together, they sank to the floor, where her silent
cries became heart-wrenching sobs.

  “It’s going to be all right,” he comforted. “You’re not going have to do anything you don’t want to. I promise.” He held her, stoked her hair, and then rained small kisses against her temples.

  She leaned closer and slowly turned her head so that his soft lips pressed against the side of her face, her cheeks, and finally her lips.

  At first the kiss was so light that she could barely feel his lips, but stars spun around Josie’s head at a dizzying rate.

  His arms tightened possessively around her waist and within seconds she felt his hands make those tiny circles she loved so much against the small of her back.

  Slowly, she slid her arms up his chest and locked them behind his neck. The kiss deepened, but Josie couldn’t seem to get close enough. She desperately wanted to fuse with his heat. Fire surged through her veins, sharpened her senses, and made her pulse race.

  Intoxicated by the taste of him, she moaned during the passionate tango their tongues performed.