by C. S. Won
“Don’t blame yourself. It’s a lot to ask of a man to put someone down.”
“It should have been easy though, right? Just apply a little pressure and the bullet does the rest. So why couldn’t I do it?”
Jae placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I should have stopped him at the restaurant when I had the chance. It was my indecision that led to all of this. Place the blame at my feet, not yours.” He squeezed Gabe’s shoulder. “But I won’t make that same mistake twice. I’m going to put an end to this, once and for all. I’ll stop him before he hurts anybody else. I promise.”
“How?”
Jae looked around at the faces surrounding him, those sunken faces wrenched with grief and sorrow. “Do you know where he went?”
Gabe shook his head, as did the others. “He ran off before the police came.”
He would have to draw Adam out then. Since Adam was already looking for him, perhaps he could coordinate something with the police and spring a trap. But he had to warn Madeline first and let her know Adam was on a rampage. The hospital might be a safe haven, but he couldn’t take any chances. He took his phone out and dialed in her number, but the call went straight to voicemail again, as it had all morning.
“Damn it, Madeline,” Jae said.
“What’s wrong?” Gabe asked.
Jae lowered the phone “It’s nothing . . .” He raised the phone. “Honey, it’s me. Listen, you need to stay at the hospital. Don’t go home. Things have happened. Adam showed up at the station and hurt some people. I’ll explain more when I see you, but for now, just stay at the hospital until further notice. You’ll be safer there.” He ended the call and texted an abbreviated message to her, just to emphasis the point.
Stay at hospital. Safer there. Adam came and hurt people.
Even with the warning, he still felt unsure of her safety. With her phone turned off, it could be hours until she actually received his messages. He had to see her and tell her face-to-face that the danger was real. He checked his watch—ten minutes past noon. Could she have gone home already for lunch? Or could she still be at the hospital finishing up her work?
Jae turned to Gabe. “I have to see Madeline and make sure she’s fine. Are you okay here?”
Gabe nodded. “We’ll be fine. Go.” Jae turned to leave, but before he could depart Gabe grabbed him by the arm. “Just one more thing . . .” Gabe’s face turned hard. “If you see Adam, make him pay for what he did.”
Chapter 17
The car settled to a stop in the driveway. The sounds of the storm rattled against the roof of Madeline’s car, the monotony of raindrops broken up only by the distant gurgling of thunder. Turning off the ignition, Madeline slumped back into her seat and looked at her house through the gloom: a humble one-story home overwhelmed by the squall, red brick turned grey, windows dark and hollow, roof slick with murky water. It looked empty to her, abandoned and barren, like a dwelling long vacated in some bad part of the world.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Adam asked.
She dragged her keys out of the ignition, fear building up in her chest. She gripped the sharpest key she had and placed it between her middle and index finger, ready to stab him in the neck once they were close enough, right into his jugular if she could manage it. She imagined him clutching his bloody neck and looking at her in shock, trembling as he slumped to the ground, life leaking out of him. The thought of it comforted her.
But doubt nibbled away at her resolve. The idea of it was seductive, but she wasn’t sure she had the strength to finish the job, or puncture his flesh even. Failure would only bring about the end of her, and she wasn’t ready to die. Fear overrode her confidence, and it compelled her to put her keys away. Her lack of inner strength saddened her. She stepped out of the car.
The rain lashed at her from all directions, sending a breathtaking chill running down the length of her spine. Trees shifted from the force of the storm, branches bent by both wind and rain, spindly arms black against the backdrop of the darkened world. Overhead, the sky was a giant, ghostly swirl; an endless blanket of murk, casting shadows far and wide against the earth.
Adam stepped out of the car and looked at her.
“What are you waiting for? Get inside the house,” he said.
She stood as she was, refusing to move, drowning in the world’s fury. She didn’t care if he hit her right then and there. She did not want to go inside her home with Adam. God only knew what he was capable of once they were away from curious eyes. She did not want to fathom the possibilities, dared not even think about it.
He gripped her by the arm, baring his teeth at her, his horrible face wet with rain.
“I said get inside.”
“What are you going to do to me? Rape me again?” She asked.
That angered him. “Don’t ever say that.” He tugged at her arm and pulled her toward the house. She tried to resist, digging her feet in, but he was too strong for her. So, she decided to fight instead, striking him across his back, clawing at his arm, anything to pry his iron grip loose.
“Let me go! I said let me go! I swear to God I’ll—”
The hand smacked her across the face and sent her stumbling into the wet, soggy grass. Cold mud stained her nurse’s outfit brown and black. Stars blotted her sight. She placed a shaking hand against her cheek, stunned into silence, tears forming in her eyes.
“Damn it, look what you forced me to do. If you only did what I told you to do, then this wouldn’t have happened.” Adam groaned, a pacing silhouette in the falling rain. He knelt beside her in the grass, reaching over to stroke her hair. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I promise. But you have to understand that time is running short, and I just can’t tolerate any more delays, even from you, my love. I take no pleasure in what I just did, but I did what I had to in order to expedite this process. So please, just do as I say and we’ll get through the rest of this with no further trouble, okay?”
She looked at him, tears mixing in with the rain. “Go fuck yourself.”
The gentle look on Adam’s face sifted loose, as if washed away by the storm. He stood up, grabbed her by the arm again, and pulled her to her feet. She would have fallen back to the ground if it wasn’t for Adam’s firm hold forcing her to stand on wobbly knees.
“You’ll love me,” he said. “I promise you that.”
He dragged her to the front door, her feet creating lines in the mud, and yanked her up the steps like she was luggage.
“Open it.” He pushed her against the door.
Her spirit had waned—her will to fight crumbled and nearly dissolved. She did as she was told with a fatal resolve, certain that all hope was lost. With Jae gone and apparently oblivious to what was happening, what chance did she have? No one would be able to save her.
In silence, she unlocked the door and opened it to a bitter darkness. Adam wrapped an arm around her and hustled her inside, the sounds of the storm settling down to a soft hum as the door closed. “Where’s the switch?” A dark shape in the blackness, he moved up against the wall and brushed his arm against it. Madeline went to a lamp and switched it on, placing the car keys right next to it. The darkness scurried away, a warm glow settling over the living room.
He smiled. “Good girl. Now, show me to your room.”
She shook her head. “No . . . no, I refuse.”
He went up to her, close enough to kiss, close enough to smell his rank breath. “I’m not going to . . . we’re not going to be doing that. Just tell me where your room is. We won’t even be staying long.”
“You might as well kill me now because I’m not going anywhere.” She didn’t care anymore. She clenched her fists, bracing herself for the inevitable. If this was it, then it was better to die in defiance than on her knees.
“Don’t do this, not now. Just show me where—”
“Eat shit.”
Growling, he dragged her toward the back of the house. She howled, punching him on the sh
oulder and kicking at his legs, but Adam soldiered on.
“Is this it?” He peered into a darkened room, the storm pounding against a grey-lit window. He switched on the light next to the door. Out of the darkness, a bed emerged, along with a desk, some cabinets, and a closet full of clothes. “Close enough. Come on.”
She squealed, trying to wrench her arm free and doing everything else she could think of to break free, but Adam’s grip was stubborn, her efforts dying at the feet of his fortress. He threw her onto the bed. She scurried toward the farthest corner of the bed.
“I wish you weren’t so scared of me.” He appeared sad, almost regretful.
“You’re a monster,” she said.
Without a word, he went to the closet and began to rummage through the clothes, tossing things out behind him.
“What are you doing?” She asked.
“Looking for a suitcase. We’re going to pack up some clothes and then get out of here.”
“I’d rather die than go anywhere with you.”
He sighed. “Please don’t be like this, Madeline. It’s exhausting to deal with.”
“Dream girl not what you imagined? Well, what did you expect? You kidnapped me and smacked me around. You’re a monster.”
“Our relationship might be adversarial for now, but further down the road, I’m confident our love will bloom. Once you spend more time with me and get to know me better, I’m certain of it.”
“The very sight of you makes me sick. You’re pathetic. You’re a loser. How long have you been infatuated with me? Ten years? Fifteen? Twenty? Move on with your life, you pitiful piece of shit.”
He looked at her over his shoulder, eyes narrowed with dark intentions. “Madeline, don’t say anymore, or else . . .”
“Or else what? You’ll slap me around again? Go on, do it! Give me a black eye. Knock some teeth out. Break my nose. I bet that turns you on, right? Smacking me around would make you feel like a big, strong man, wouldn’t it?” She sneered at him. “Now I know why your wife left you, because you’re a sad, abusive, and utterly incapable joke of a man. I’m glad she divorced you. You deserved it. She’s clearly better off without you.”
Adam was on top of her, hand gripped tight around her collar. He pulled her toward him, close enough to count the wretched scars that covered his broken face.
“My wife was a bitch and a two-timing whore. I treated her like a queen and I gave her all my love, and how did she treat me? Like garbage. She thought of me as her worst enemy despite everything I did for her. You don’t know the half of it. If anyone deserved sympathy, it was me, not her.”
“When Jae finds out what you’ve done, he’s going to fucking kill you.”
“He’s going to kill me?” He allowed himself a smile. “And here I thought he was supposed to be some kind of virtuous paragon who can do no wrong, a man possessing high character and morals.”
“He’s a better man than you’ll ever be.”
“Maybe he is, but I can guarantee that he won’t be for long.”
“Won’t be for long? How do you know?”
“I heard what he can do now, with that incredible strength of his. And I know firsthand. When he had me pinned against the wall at the restaurant, I couldn’t break his grip. It was too strong, as if a mountain were pressing against me. If it wasn’t for this—” He gestured at his hand. “—then I would have never escaped. I can only surmise that whatever gifted me these abilities gifted him too. Some kind of lightning storm, I’m hearing. I don’t know. I was unconscious when it happened. But he has powers now, and you know how the old saying goes, ‘power corrupts.’ Jae is no exception. Sooner or later, he’ll rot. He’ll be seduced by what he can do, enamored with it like I am, and he’ll start pushing boundaries, little by little, just to see what he can get away with. And once he crosses that threshold, he’ll fall. I know he will.”
“And I suppose you’re the exception?” She asked.
“I am, simply because there’s nothing to corrupt. I know what I am and I don’t try to hide it. Everything you’ve heard about me, all the bad things people have said, they’re all true. I make no apologies for it. People don’t like me? I don’t care. I’m not here to make friends. At least I’m honest with myself.”
“You have it all wrong.”
“How so?”
“Power doesn’t corrupt; it only reveals your true nature. Jae had his powers for over a month, and he’s done nothing but good. He’s still the same as ever. You, on the other hand? You’ve murdered people and burned down neighborhoods, validating what everyone has always suspected about you: you’re a jealous, insecure, psychopathic piece of shit.” She leaned in close, making sure to speak slowly so that he caught every word. “You were always jealous of Jae and his achievements, his success, his good life, and the fact that he was with me and you weren’t. You’re a loser, and you’re going to lose to Jae, just like you always have and always will.” She smiled up at him. “If I were you, I would run.”
He looked down at her in silence. She wondered if he was going to strike her. Instead, he slid off of her. He stooped over a set of drawers nestled next to the bed, opening one drawer at a time and rummaging through the contents.
“What are you doing?” She asked. `
He pulled out a pair of handcuffs lined with pink fur, dangling it from a finger. “What a naughty girl you are. I hope you’ll be just as adventurous with me as you were with Jae.” He pinned her arm against the bed post, securing it with the handcuffs.
“What is this? Let me go,” she said.
“I couldn’t find a suitcase, so I’ll need to find luggage elsewhere. I’d ask you where they are but I’d doubt you’d tell me.” He pointed at the cuffs. “This is to ensure that you don’t run off.”
“I won’t go anywhere. I promise.”
“I wish I could say I trust you.” He turned and disappeared through the door. His footsteps entered adjacent room, and she heard the furniture being moved, his search begun in earnest.
She dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She had forgotten she’d turned it off, and waited impatiently as the phone booted back up. Keeping a close eye on the darkened hallway revealed nothing except for shadows cast by the storm.
When the boot up was completed she was surprised, and happy, to see a message from Jae. Two messages, in fact: a voicemail and text. Voicemail would take too long to listen to, so she opted for the text.
Stay at hospital. Safer there. Adam came and hurt people.
Adam came and hurt people? When? Where? She wanted to call, but she was afraid that her voice would carry too far, so she opted to send a text instead.
A loud crash demanded her attention. She looked up, clutching her phone, breath stuck in her throat. Another crash, this time accompanied by a string of curses, Adam’s voice knifing through the hall. He sounded frustrated. He was most likely unsuccessful in his bid to find even a single piece of luggage. Take your sweet time, you dumb bastard.
She composed her message, practiced fingers flying across the keyboard.
Help. Adam kidnapped me. At our home. Scared. Come quick.
She looked up at the hallway, observing and listening, waiting for any signs of her warden, but nothing stirred. Judging by the lack of noise, she guessed that Adam had probably ventured deeper into the back of her house, still searching. Putting the phone back in her pocket, she twisted her body, stretching over until she was able to insert her hand in between the two mattresses of her bed, and produced a small brass key. She inserted the key into the cuffs and wriggled free from her bondage. Massaging her wrist, she slithered off the bed and pressed herself against the floor, listening for any sound of Adam’s return. Aside from the storm drumming against her window, the world was silent.
The urge to run straight out of her room, through the living room, and out to her car was strong. But she suppressed the desire, knowing that her footsteps would only catch Adam’s attention, provoking a chase t
hat she was unsure she could win. She looked out her window, at the storm bruising the world. The only other option was to sneak out through the window. From there, she could run around the perimeter of her home and get to her car. Not a terribly original plan, but it was doable, and if done quickly could give her the freedom she sought.
She reached into her pocket, checking to see if her keys were still there, but felt nothing but the inside lining of her pockets. Where are they? Did I . . . She looked around the floor, wondering if she had dropped them on her way in, but the floor was clean. She looked up, confused. What did I do with them?
And then it hit her.
Oh, shit.
She had left them next to the lamp in the living room, something she routinely did out of pure habit. Cursing her own lack of awareness, she wondered if there was something else she could do. She thought about slipping through the window and just running until her body could no longer sustain her flight, but she had nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. And with the weight and cold of the storm, she feared she would not get far. Without her car, she would never be able to create any meaningful distance from Adam.
What should I do? She thought about staying and waiting for Jae to make his arrival, but there was no guarantee that he would come in time or had even received her message for that matter. Then what? She peered through her window again, at the storm tumbling against the earth. A cut of lightning flashed across the horizon, streaking through like a thrusting spear. Thunder followed moments later, echoing across the landscape. No choice, I have to run. It was the only play she had left in her book. As much as she wanted to wait for Jae, she couldn’t afford to stick around to see if he would actually show. And as long as she stayed, the odds would be stacked against her. She had to make her own escape. Waiting for something to happen was a sure recipe for disaster. But where could she go? A neighbor’s? She shook her head. No, she couldn’t involve anybody else into this. The last thing she wanted was someone else getting hurt on account of her.
