Second Chances

by Nicole Andrews Moore

  “I’m sure it sounds paranoid,” Brian began quickly, prepared to explain away any lingering doubts.

  Instead, he was interrupted. “It might seem that way to some.” Sam scratched at his chin and pondered how much to share. With a sigh, he opened his top left desk drawer and pulled out a stack of files. He flipped through them and finally paused about the third one in. Removing it from the stack, he replaced the others in the drawer and closed it determinedly. “You see that?” He asked, gesturing to the drawer.

  “Yes,” Brian answered, wondering where this was leading.

  “Those are my unsolved cases. I’ve been in business a long time,” Sam said slowly and paused.

  “That’s not bad,” he commented, knowing that if he were patient long enough, there would be a pay off. He could feel it.

  The detective nodded solemnly. “I take pride in my work.” He flipped open the folder and pulled out a picture. After staring at it for a moment, he passed it to Brian who took it and studied the young woman who was the subject of the photograph. She was tall and thin with long black hair, pale skin, and vibrant green eyes. For all practical purposes, she could have been a younger version of Sarah. His eyes widened and he met Sam’s gaze once more.

  Before he could speak, the detective continued. “Some cases just stick with me, you know.” Brian nodded silently and swallowed hard. “Her name is Sabrina. Her parents had picked another name for her before she was born, but they say that once they saw her they were so bewitched that Sabrina seemed a more appropriate name.” Brian’s mouth was completely dry. “She grew up here in Brookline, product of an affluent family, attended private schools, and finally Harvard.” Sam rubbed his neck.

  “The picture is from her freshman year. Her entire life was ahead of her, bright and beautiful, a lethal combination. Apparently a number of young men found her bewitching as well. She finally accepted the attention of one in particular. This young man was incredibly handsome and attentive. He lavished gifts on her, took her to fancy restaurants, that kind of thing. Yet Sabrina eventually decided to end the relationship. She later began dating another young man.” He pulled another photograph from the folder and scowled.

  “The ex didn’t take rejection well. And now she looks like this.” He passed the new picture to Brian, who inhaled sharply at this new portrait.

  Gone was the smiling carefree fresh-faced teen. In her place was a grotesquely scarred young woman who hid behind scarves and sunglasses. Merely looking at her, Brian was filled with pain. He licked his lips before speaking. “What happened? Who did this to her?” Even as he asked the questions, he was certain he already knew the answer to the second one.

  “She was in the pre-med program,” Sam began seriously. “Those kind are a determined bunch, begin working late long before they get the degree.” He frowned. “The way I understand it, Sabrina was working on a chemistry lab, alone, late one evening. Her lab partner had suddenly taken ill and Sabrina was determined not to allow that to affect her grade. Well, security found her when they went to lock up at ten that night. Acid had been thrown in her face. She tried to make it to the eye wash station, but collapsed before she could reach it. She’s completely blind in her right eye, and that side of her face is horribly disfigured.”

  He watched Brian for a reaction. The man was gripping the arms of the chair so tightly his knuckles were white and a nerve in his jaw twitched angrily. “She claims Evan Winters did this to her.” Brian squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. “We found no proof that he was in the building, not on our surveillance tapes, no witnesses, nothing.” He threw the folder onto his desk in disgust.

  “The police refused to press charges. The college believed her enough to expel him. His grades weren’t really up to par anyway. His daddy bought him a second chance at UVM, knew the Dean of something or other.” Sam exhaled angrily. “And that’s the last I heard of him until today.” He leaned forward in his chair and laid his elbows on the desk. “So, I believe you, Mr. Waite. And I believe that we may just be able to help each other out.”

  Relieved, Brian slumped in his chair and tried to feel for Sarah. I’m coming for you, my love. He thought the words with all his heart before sending them into the universe, praying that they would reach their intended.

  Sarah was startled awake. She glanced wildly around the room. She could have sworn she heard Brian’s voice. Her shoulders slumped. It must have been just another dream. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was nearly eleven-thirty. She could look forward to a second attempt at a meal any minute. She cinched the robe more tightly around her. Since James had been sent to abscond every item of clothing she had, she was scantily clad in a bra and panties hidden by the robe she had found tucked under her bed. God bless James. He was making the best of a bad situation.

  Settling herself in the middle of the bed, Sarah sat Indian-style, inhaled deeply several times, and closed her eyes to focus her energies. Surprisingly, she could feel Evan right away. He was humming to himself as prepared her lunch. Her stomach lurched. There went another opportunity for some fuel. She opened the drawer and, with complete disregard for the cameras, began to devour a handful of honey-roasted peanuts with one hand and some beef jerky with the other. As soon as she finished, she rushed to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

  That was where Evan found her moments later, spitting into the sink and gargling with mouthwash. His lips spread in a sinister smile. She must still be ill. Sarah knew his guard was down when he believed her to be in a weakened state, clutching her stomach, she made her way back to the bed.

  “Not feeling well?” He asked as he set her tray down beside the bed. He paused and his eyebrows arched momentarily when he saw that she still had her robe, but he hid his disappointment quickly.

  Sarah pretended not to notice and instead glanced at the meal he had created. “I’m not really hungry,” she began quietly while analyzing the food. She would never touch the soup or milk, but the packets of oyster crackers were certainly safe. “Maybe I’ll eat just a few crackers,” she said hesitantly, as she gingerly reached out to take them.

  “Of course,” Evan murmured, patting her shoulder oblivious to how valiantly Sarah struggled to not shrug away from his unwanted touch. “I do think that maybe the soup would settle your stomach. Won’t you try it, for me?” He gazed into her eyes and tried to appear caring and concerned.

  This time Sarah couldn’t help her reaction. Fortunately, the gag reflex was perfect. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, averting her eyes.

  “Okay,” he conceded. “That’s enough for now. I’ll leave you the tray and be back to check on you in an hour.”

  She glanced at the clock. She had until one to figure a way out of this. She shut her eyes and reached for Brian. One o’clock. I’m safe until one. Love will save me.

  Brian was still hashing out the details with Sam when he heard her. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest. It was so good to feel her again, to be able to forge that connection. He glanced at the clock. He had been at the agency for an hour and a half at least, for which the cab driver was eternally grateful. He finally released the man to his own devices forty-five minutes ago. Sam had volunteered to take him to the estate he sought as soon as they had a plan in place. He believed that in truth, the man was still measuring him, trying to decide if it was safe to bring Brian along, or would he be more of a liability once they reached their destination.

  At last Brian simply blurted out what he had been hearing from Sam all along. “I’ll behave. You don’t have to worry about me going all vigilante justice on you. I won’t do anything to jeopardize Sarah.” Or our baby, he added silently. He sighed. “How long will it take to get there?” He glanced at the clock again, a subtle hint.

  Sam scowled. “Do you have some place you’d rather be, Mr. Waite?”

  “Of course not,” he said hastily. “I just feel like we’re wasting time. We need to get there as soon as possible. What if Sarah spurns his affections? What if she alread
y has? Can you live with the consequences of our hesitation? Because I don’t think I can.” He stood.

  “Point taken.” Sam stood and walked over to the coat rack where his leather jacket waited. “We can finish up in the car, I suppose.”

  With barely contained excitement, Brian jogged down the stairs, out the door, and into the bright autumn afternoon.

  Brian was silent the entire car ride. He focused all his energy on feeling out Sarah. It didn’t take long to find her, but even so he was disheartened with the results. Sarah was meditating, trying her best to complete some spell work that might ensure her safety, and he couldn’t reach her with his mind to let her know he was with her. He sighed and opened his eyes.

  “I should warn you,” Sam began, glancing at him with concern, “that I doubt we’ll be granted access to the estate.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Brian roared. “Then why are we wasting our time…” He would have continued on his rampage, but he was cut off mid-sentence.

  “Relax.” He snapped. “We are going to attempt it. When we get turned away at the gate, we’ll come in the unguarded secret entrance.” Satisfied, he arched an eyebrow to make his point.

  Relaxing slightly, Brian said, “Tell me more.”

  “Going to the gatehouse is something of a reconnaissance mission.” Sam paused for dramatic effect. “If we get turned away, it means something is going on. If we gain access, I’ll be shocked.” He slowed as they pulled into the drive.

  A uniformed guard who couldn’t have been more than twenty exited the small stone building and walked purposefully to the car. It was obvious he took his job seriously. As he walked out the door and placed his hat on his short shorn head, Brian recognized military academy training in his stiff back and crisp gait. He whirled on his heels to turn right and address the vehicle. Before Sam was even able to speak, the guard ordered him off the property and stood menacingly waiting for his edict to be carried out.

  “Wait just a minute,” Sam argued. “I didn’t even state my name or my business. Don’t you…”

  “That, sir, is irrelevant,” the guard said sternly. “I have been given strict orders.”

  “And those orders would be?” Sam questioned cockily.

  “No one is allowed onto the property until five this afternoon.” He swallowed slightly, thinking he may have revealed too much.

  That’s when Sam knew he had him. He nudged Brian, who was staring straight ahead. “But people are allowed to leave, right?”

  “There’s really no one left to leave,” the guard said severely. “Only…” He stopped before he completed his phrase, certain that he had been goaded into telling them something important.

  “Just Evan, huh?” Sam smirked. “I guess we’ll just come back at five then.”

  The guard looked slightly relieved and his shoulders slumped as he exhaled. Realizing that his posture had altered, he quickly snapped his shoulders back and his chin rose a few inches.

  Their indistinct navy blue sedan drove just past the guardhouse and turned around it to circle back down the drive. Sam waved as they drove past, chuckling, and turned right out of the driveway.

  Brian’s stomach was aching as he realized that Evan had Sarah alone in the house. And as vast as it was, who knew how long it would take them to locate her. He glanced at the dashboard clock. They had ten minutes until it was one. He frowned. They could be too late. He shook his head, disallowing even that possibility. He had waited forever for Sarah, forever to find someone to spend his life with, forever to have her love him in return. And there wasn’t a chance that he would give up on his dream of forever with her. He crossed his arms over his chest resolutely. “So tell me about this back entrance.”

  “That’s my boy,” Sam said smiling. “Glad you snapped out of whatever was eating you.” He nodded approvingly. “Well, originally, the entrance we’re going to was created for use with the underground railroad. And later on, during Prohibition, the family’s wealth grew thanks to the smuggling efforts of a great maybe great-great grandfather. So through the years the passages within the walls leading to a secret wing of the main house were put to use. Most recently, I discovered during the course of my investigation for Sabrina’s family, that the wing in question became Evan’s rooms, used exclusively by him.”

  Brian’s eyes narrowed. “So, Sarah’s probably somewhere in that wing.”

  Nodding, Sam turned down an unkempt dirt road that thanks to the low hanging trees and other foliage was virtually undetectable to the untrained eye. They pulled off, just out of sight of the main road, and exited the vehicle. Brian glanced around anxiously.

  “Over here,” Sam said as he closed the trunk, motioning him toward a giant boulder.

  Once they walked around it, a man-made cave entrance was visible. The walls were rough-hewn stone, the floor a mixture of dirt and gravel. The sound of water dripping intermittently explained the dank smell emitting from the entrance. The smell, the potential for danger, the possibility of failure, all of it mattered not. Nothing could keep Brian from reclaiming the woman he loved.

  His dark thoughts were momentarily interrupted as Brian was passed a flashlight that had been taken from the trunk of the car. Sam motioned for him to follow, but stopped him just before they were enveloped in total darkness. “Now, once we reach the part with the lights, stop speaking, or they could hear us. Keep your cool and follow my lead. I know you’re desperate to see your girl again. Play by my rules and you will.”

  With one last glance at his watch, Brian followed with a grim look on his face.

  The leaves were fluttering to the ground as Sarah opened her eyes once again. She shivered in anticipation. She knew that this was it. She was either going to fight off Evan’s advances and somehow walk out of here or…she shuddered to think of the alternative. Her only certainty was that Evan was clearly unbalanced, which meant that he was entirely unpredictable. And she…was so vulnerable, so utterly alone.

  Slowly she rose and walked over to the window, sitting herself gingerly in the chair, lest he should be watching her. Sarah even held her stomach as she moved, though for entirely different reasons than Evan might imagine. Sadly, she stared out the window, wishing that Brian was out there, trying to reach her. Before she could really wallow in self-pity, the door handle turned and she instead transitioned into self-preservation mode. Instantly, her face went from sad to sick. And she slumped slightly in her seat.

  “How are you feeling, my dear?” He asked, coming over to kneel at her feet. He covered her hands, which were folded in her lap, with his own and smiled in what he hoped would come off as a caring concerned manner.

  Resisting the urge to pull out of his grasp and forcing her jaw to relax, she looked at him and said evenly, “Well, I’ve been better.” A thought occurred to her. “Maybe I just need some fresh air. The windows don’t open and I’ve been stuck in this room for two months, Evan.” She felt him considering it. “Please.” She hoped to weaken his resolve with her demure behavior.

  “If,” he spoke slowly, still formulating the idea even as he vocalized, “I was to take you outside, it would demonstrate how much I care about you and your well-being, wouldn’t you agree?” He gazed at her expectantly while awaiting her response.

  “”Yes,” she said quietly, eyes narrowing involuntarily.

  “So, I guess my question for you would be: what would you do in return? How would you show me that you care about me?” He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

  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.