In Your Shadow

by Middleton, J

  …..

  Four polices cars follower the road to the end. There sat and old run down cabin, they get out of their cars with their hands on their guns. Three walked around the back of the house as two walked up to the door. The place was so silent. You could hear the crickets singing.

  “Police!” one yelled. He yelled again still nothing.

  One officer pushed the door open. Stepping into the house they covered their nose when the smell of blood filled the air. As they walked in the door there was a blanket on the floor next to a fireplace, with and old sofa torn with age. They slowly walked through every room as the smell filled their nostrils. One room looked like he had moped it up but left smears in the floor. He walked to the kitchen and seen the bloody mop hanging out the back door, with drops of blood hitting the ground. One officer covered his face with his sleeve trying not to gag. They continued to walk down a small hall when they see drops of dried blood coming from one room going to another. One officer looked in the bathroom and there were some cloths that were piled up that were covered, he took a D N A sample of the blood and put it in a small z-lock bag.

  “I found something!” One officer yells.

  They moved to the other bedroom and found a picture of Katie on an old dressier with some woman’s cloths laying on the bed. The room was decorated for a woman. It was the only room in the house that looked live able.

  “I think this is the guy.”

  The rest of the officers look though the house for more clues. They went through everything in the house until there was nothing left.

  Chapter 29

  John eyes opened focusing on the brightness of the room. He looked over and she was still sleeping, he brushed the hair off her face and stared at her closely. She was such a beautiful woman it was hard for him to believe she was next to him.

  He crawled out of bed and grabbed a shower and got dressed. He looked over at her as she moved a little bit but her eyes were still closed. He walked out slowly closed the door behind him and headed to the kitchen. The aroma of fresh coffee filled his nostrils.

  Katie opened her eyes, she looked up to check the clock on the bedside table. Which it told her it was seven in the morning. Her phone was glowing from her table looked like she had missed a few messages. She followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen and there she seen John cooking breakfast. He was wearing his pajama pants and a muscular shirt. He was so inviting she almost wanted to jump him here and now.

  “Morning.” He said as he turned around and handed her a cup of hot coffee.

  “Morning.”

  Taking a sip of the coffee he walked to the big window to check the view outside. The city was busy, people filled the streets.

  “He’s out there somewhere, but where.” she thought.

  John starts to walk up to her as he hears her phone ring. She turns around and goes to the bar and picks it up. It was her father. When she hears his voice a lump in her throat kept her from breathing properly. Everything he said sounded like a high pitch in her ear. Suddenly, she felt Johns hand on her shoulder.

  John gazed at her worried face as she turned pale and white as a ghost. He could feel her trembling.

  “We are on our way. That just can’t be true?”

  “I have to go to my fathers!” There was panic and fear in her voice.

  She didn’t give John time to enough breath she hurried to the elevator stuck with emotions.

  “Katie talk to me. What is going on? He said as he ran behind her.

  “I can’t talk right now. Daddy will have to tell you.” Her voice low almost a whisper as moisture filled her eyes.

  All of a sudden she felt a chill run though her body. She starts to tremble and as she walked in silence all the way to the car. She couldn’t get any words to come out of her mouth. All the hair all over her body stood up in fear. John put his hand on hers watching the tears roll down her face.

  “Katie talk to me please!”

  At this point he didn’t know what was going on.

  She turned to him, and looked at his face put she couldn’t speak. Her mind was racing and couldn’t figure out what to do. All she knew was that she was horrified of the thought, this had been going on for years.

  John watched her closely on the ride to her fathers. He pulled her close to him as she trembled.

  John quickly moved his hand to her chin and forced her to look at him. His thumb and index finger gripping her chin as he stared into her green eyes.

  “What’s going on? I want let no one hurt you ever Katie. I have to know what your father said to you that has you so upset.”

  His mouth covered her lips trying to calm her down. It worked for a moment as he could feel her body start to relax. Katie leaned her head to his shoulder. The driver pulled up at the entrance of the house as soon as John opened the door she ran in so fast the door slammed behind her.

  Finally, she made it to her father study, preparing herself for the worst but didn’t expect to see her father tied to the chair. She was scared and brave at the same time. Rushing to his side and pulled the tape off his mouth. She hurried and untied his hands.

  “Run Katie.”

  Before he could say another word. The next thing she knew she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head and fell on the hard surface. Stars swam before her eyes as the room began to spin. She curled up, holding onto her head for it seemed forever. Feeling a sense of nausea and fear. Taking deep breaths seemed to push the nausea back. She stood still for a moment, making sure she wasn’t going to throw up. She was so dizzy she couldn’t move. After what seemed like an hour, but was probably more like a minute are so, the episode passed and she felt like she could open her eyes. Her adrenaline was running though her body fast. She had to do something she had to get up. She could feel the warmth from her blood running down her face. Her senses told her to press her hand hard on her wound to prevent more blood from rushing out. It could be deep, she didn’t know. Pain rolled through her body. Trying to fight it, to save her father but she couldn’t move. She tried to scream but nothing would come out. A quick flash back ran though her head, she was on the floor like before, but this time Mitch wasn’t beside her. As the pain subside she tried to push herself a few inches across the wood floor but couldn’t move. Her eye lids were heavy she labored to keep them open, but it was no use they finally closed. A few minutes had passed but it seemed longer than that, she opened her eyes again.

  “She’s awake,” his voice rumbled behind her.

  The same voice she heard New Year’s Eve. It was him, the stalker. Panic set in as tears rolled down her face, just the thought of hearing his voice again sent chills down her spine. She tried to move again but she had no energy are control over her body. She couldn’t see what was going on behind her. Her vision faded out, and everything went black. She felt like she was floating, the feeling reminded her of her mother and the swimming lessons they had took together. The memories slipped away as she floated closer and closer to consciousness. She hoped that whatever was happening would stop. It was too late, the last dream like memory went away and the hard surface beneath her made itself known. Still unwilling to risk opening her eyes, she hesitantly tried to lift her arms. She pried one eye open just enough to see out of it then the other opened.

  “Jewels, it can’t be.” She thought her mind was playing tricks on her.

  The stalker was standing by Jewels, this had to be a dream. The more she blinked her eyes the more focused her eyes became. It was true it wasn’t a dream. Jewels was involved in this somehow.

  ….

  John hurried in the house everything was to quiet. He got a weird feeling go through him as chills ran down his spine. Something was going on there was no one around. He walked slowly to the kitchen still silences, then he heard a noises coming from Daniels study it sent electric bolts down his spine. Something told him to push the security alarm that was installed under the cabinet so he walked over and pushed the button. Within minutes he heard
Jewels voice and a man’s voice coming from a distance. He hurried though the small hallway. It went directly to the back of his study from another door. Before he could take another breath he cracked the door opened and seen Katie on the floor in a puddle of blood. In front of her there was Daniel was tied up to a chair. He couldn’t tell if either of them were breathing. A thought went through his mind seeing her laying there.

  “Oh no she can’t be dead.” Anger and rage set in, he was determined to save her.

  Rage pumped through his fast-beating heart, dripping through his veins. He seen her eyes open and look straight at him before they closed again.

  “Thank God she isn’t?” he thought.

  Looking around he seen Daniel desk not far from where he was standing. He needed to get to the gun that he kept in his drawer. The adrenaline was running though his veins fast and hard as he opened the door a little more. He didn’t see anyone he slipped thought the opening and ran to the desk. About that time the door started to come open. He ducked under the desk with his heart beating out of his chest. Then he heard a man’s voice. He was so close to them he could almost feel the heat coming from their bodies.

  “She is coming with me.” He said as he bent down beside Katie and whispers in her ear. His finger curled around her dark hair and pulled it away from her face. His body trembled with just the touch of her. Lust tore through him like it always does every time he sees her. He couldn’t believe this time he could touch her. He heard her moan as her lips parted. How she made him ache.

  “Oh my little shadow, we were meant to be together always. I told you I would come for you and I have. You are mine always. I have waited a long time for you, five years and courting. That is a very long time to wait for someone, but you are worth it.” The storm of need and want consumed him.

  He kissed her cheek feeling her soft skin against his lips. His breath blew against her ear. Her lips were so close he could smell her. Sweet honey, good enough to devour. He put one hand gently behind her head and the other around her body. Lifting her up into his arms. She felt so good against him. He had wanted her for so long no one are anything was going to take her away now.

  …..

  John felt something poke the top of his head so he looked up and there was a pistol in a small slot. He slowly pulls it out of its hiding place trying not to make any noise. He crawls out from under the desk and peeks around the corner. He was in total shock seeing Jewels standing there with that dark hair man he had seen at her apartment. He was so full of anger and rage.

  “What have they done?” he thought. A few seconds later Jewels spoke again.

  “Someone tripped the alarm? I hear sirens.”

  John’s adrenaline was pumping though his veins, he knew that if he didn’t do something they would take Katie. Not letting any time pass he stands up as he watches the man lifting Katie up off the floor.

  “Look out” Jewels yells.

  He fires the pistol hitting the man in the arm as they fall to the floor. His arms slide out from under her as he began to crawl away. Jewels turns to run out the door and he fires again and hits her in the leg, she drops to the floor screaming out in pain. The man gets up with blood running off his body and stumbles to the door. Johns fires again and again finally hits him Just as he was firing his last shot, the police bust though the door and takes off after him. One officer goes to Jewels side to check out her wounds and the other unties Daniel from the chair. He fills them in on what had happened. Before Jewel could run out the door the officer put hand cuffs on her and sat her down on the floor.

  “My leg it bleeding!” she yells.

  “It’s just a flesh wound, you are lucky you’re not dead.” The officer answered.

  John runs to Katie’s side and picks her up in his arms, blood was running down the side of her face. She had a gash on the back of her head. He could still feel the heat coming from her body.

  “Katie please wake up.” His voice low and passionate.

  Her head tilted back and her hair slid over his arm as she opened her eyes. Her shallowed hard as his heart was in this throat. Fear ran though his body of just the thought of losing her. Holding her tightly against him until the ambulance got there.

  Bright lights blurring in front of her eyes. She could here steps echoing though the hallway. One of them turned their head and looked at her.

  “She’s awake.” He announced.

  They slowed down and then she heard a door push open. Fear rushed through her body, no knowing what was going on around her. A few minutes passed before she closed her eyes again. The next time she opened them she was in a hospital room. She was emotionally and physically numb. She turned her head to the other side and saw John standing beside her bed. Her father was sitting on the couch staring at her. As soon as she spoke her father ran to her bed side.

  “Thank God you are alright? Are you feeling any pain!” Daniel asks.

  “I’m fine daddy. Just a slight head ache.”

  As the memorizes of yesterday had actually happened.

  “Katie why didn’t you tell me what was going on? I could have kept you from getting hurt!” John was furious with her, she could have got killed.

  He realized then that he had fallen in love with her. His heart was crusted when he seen her on the floor unconscious. Just the thought of losing her would devastate his life. He had found his one and only and he knew it.

  “I’m sorry, I just didn’t know what to do when I got the call saying he was going to kill my father if I didn’t get there now. All I knew to do is run to him.”

  “Don’t ever do that again.” John said with a tear in his eye.

  “I heard Jewels was she there, how was she involved?”

  “Well Tom was your stalker, and come to find out that was her son.”

  “What? Tom Mitches best friend that was her son?” she was shocked to know that he had been stalking her all this time and the most unreal thing of it all was Jewels was married to her father.

  “Daddy are you alright?” Did they put them in jail?”

  “They took Jewels away but Tom got away, but they will find him now that they know who he is.”

  “Oh my god, he is still out there. He must have nine lives because I already shot him and now ‘he is shot again and on the run. How can one person still survive that many bullet wounds and just walk away. Why didn’t I remember his face after all these years? I don’t understand.”

  “Katie we found out that he had plastic surgery, right after Mitch had died.”

  “Oh my God, He killed Mitch?”

  “How do you know?”

  “The New Year’s Eve party, he told me before I got free from him.” Her heart racing rapidly as her body started to shake.

  “That’s right he was the one that interrupted our dance.”

  “Now I know how he got in, Jewels!”

  “Oh Daddy, why?”

  “Katie I don’t know but I am going to find out and we will catch him.” Daniel answered as he kissed her forehead relieved that she was alright.

  Daniel’s mind was going crazy now knowing that Jewels had something to do with Mitch’s death and trying to kill his daughter. He was full of rage and fury.

  She looked over at John he was still holding her hand. His pulse was beating so fast she could feel it in the palm of his hand. Looking up in his eyes she could see the love that he had for her.

  “John I am sorry. I handled it all wrong. When Tom told me he was going to kill my father I panicked. I didn’t want you to get hurt to. I lost two people already that I loved and I didn’t want to lose you.” A tear rolled down her face.

  John’s lips went down on hers softly kissing her. He lifted his lips and looked her in the eyes. He was so glad to see her alive.

  “Well let me tell you this you are not doing that to me again. I am not losing you I love you Katie, I loved you the first time I laid eyes on you.”

  She was speechless after hearing though words come out of his
mouth. Her heart melted as tears rolled down her face.

  “Don’t cry I can’t stand to see you like this?”

  “I love you too.”

  She jumps as a woman in a blue coat came barging in the room.

  “Excuse me I have to check her vitals.”

  John and Daniel moved to the other side of the bed and watched the nurse check her out.

  “You are lucky you just got a mild concussion it could have been a lot worst.”

  “When can I go home?”

  “Everything looks good the doctor will be in shortly.”

  “Great maybe I can go home.” She said as the nurse walked out of the room.

  It seemed like an hour had passed before the doctor had come in.

  After the examination he agreed that she could leave if she took it easy for a while. Daniel went down to the parking lot and got the car. John watched her sign the release papers then he wheeled her out. Her eyes roamed the parking lot looking for Tom, she knew he would come back, and she could feel it would be soon. The ride back to her father was quiet, she was absorbing everything that had just happened. Still she couldn’t believe all this time he had been following her without her even knowing it. He almost killed her and her father. Tears started to roll down her cheek as she looked out the window. The pain of knowing the truth hurt more than the physical pain she went though.

  “Katie it is going to be alright.” John said as his arm went around her and he pulled her close to him.

  They pulled up at the driveway of her father house and got out of the car. Her heart was racing remembering the last time she was here yesterday. The doorman opened the door and let them in.

  “Everything is fine sir.” He said.

  “Thank you.” Daniel answered.