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"Lucy!"she yelled again, her voice bouncing off the cold stone walls. "If you canhear me, answer!"
Andthen, just as the darkness began to feel impossibly heavy and Fiona's hopestarted to wane, she heard it. A soft sob, barely audible over the echoingfootsteps of the search party. Her heart leaped in her chest, and she sprintedtowards the sound, praying that she wasn't too late.
CHAPTER THIRTY
"Fiona'sgaze snapped to a door just down the hall, ajar by less than an inch. It seemedto beckon her, promising answers—if she dared to enter.
Shelooked over her shoulder down the hall. She wanted to call out for backup, butshe also didn’t want to alert the killer if he was inside.
No, shehad to go in herself. There was no time to waste.
As sheapproached the door, her heart pounded in her chest; each beat a plea forstrength and courage. She steeled herself, ready to face whatever nightmare laybeyond that threshold. She pushed the door open. The scene before her unfoldedlike some macabre painting – there, in the dimly lit room, stood Bradley Caine,his cruel features twisted into a snarl. The woman he held captive struggledvaliantly against him, her hands slick with blood as they gripped the knife hewas attempting to drive into her chest.
"Stop!"Fiona shouted, her voice filled with rage and terror. Her presence momentarilystartled Bradley, causing him to lose focus. Seizing the opportunity, the womanmanaged to land a solid punch on his face, but her triumph was short-lived.With a snarl, Bradley retaliated, striking her so hard that she crashed to thefloor, dazed and barely conscious.
"Leaveher alone!" Fiona cried, her eyes locked onto his, willing herself not toflinch under his cold gaze. She tried to steady her breathing, drawing strengthfrom the fury that burned within her. Now was not the time for fear – sheneeded to act, and quickly, if she hoped to save this woman and bring the monsterto justice.
With aswift movement, Fiona kicked the knife from Bradley's grasp, sending itskittering across the floor. But her momentary victory was short-lived as helunged at her with renewed fury.
"Should'vestayed out of this," he hissed, grappling with her in the confined spaceof the room. Fiona struggled to keep him at bay; her every move met with bruteforce and a cunning that left her breathless.
Eachblow she landed was returned with twice the intensity, but she refused to backdown. Every strike, every parry was fueled by the thought of her sister,Joslyn, who had vanished without a trace years ago. The same sister whom shenow knew had crossed paths with Bradley Caine. The knowledge steeled herresolve, pushing her to fight harder, to not let another innocent soul fallprey to his predation.
"Whereis she?" Fiona demanded through gritted teeth, seizing an opening to landa solid hit on Bradley's jaw. "Tell me what you did to her!"
"Wouldn'tyou like to know?" he taunted, shoving her backward onto the bed. Beforeshe could react, he wrapped his hands around her throat, cutting off her airsupply.
Panicclawed at the edges of Fiona's consciousness as she fought for breath, hervision darkening around the edges. Her mind raced, trying to find a way out ofher situation, but those thoughts were quickly overshadowed by memories ofJoslyn.
Joslyn...I'm sorry, she thought, her heart heavy with regret. Ishould've found you sooner.
Fionapushed aside her fear and focused all her remaining strength on wrenchingBradley's hands away from the pillow, even as her lungs screamed for oxygen.She would not allow herself to die at the hands of this monster, not when therewas still hope for Joslyn.
Think,damn it, sheurged herself, her limbs growing weaker by the second. There has to besomething... anything.
At thatmoment, Fiona felt a spark of inspiration, a flicker of hope. She knew what shehad to do next.
Desperationfueled Fiona's limbs, her fingers reaching blindly behind her. Her grip closedaround the base of something--a lamp that had been knocked over in the breakroom. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, lending her strength she didn'tknow she had. With a fierce cry, she swung it at Bradley's head, connectingwith a sickening crunch.
"Ugh!"he grunted as his grip on the pillow loosened, and Fiona gasped for air, thesweet taste of oxygen flooding her lungs.
But itwasn't over yet.
Themoment Fiona regained her balance, so did Bradley. He stared at her withpredatory eyes.
And Fionaknew she'd have to fight for her life.
***
Themuseum's dimly lit hallway stretched before Jake like a menacing snake, daringhim to follow its winding path. His heart pounded against his chest as hesprinted down the corridor, his eyes scanning every shadow and corner for anysign of Fiona.
"Whereare you, Red?" he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible overthe echo of his footsteps. Panic clawed at Jake's insides; he couldn't bear thethought of losing her, and Fiona had a tendency to throw herself into harm’sway if it meant saving someone else. He was just worried that one day, it mightgo too far.
Herlaughter bubbled up in his memory, warm and infectious, filling him with asense of contentment that he had never known before meeting her. She was hispartner in every sense of the word, challenging his intellect, igniting hispassion, and anchoring him when the waves of life threatened to pull him under.
Pleasebe okay,he prayed silently as he rounded another corner, the urgency of his missionpropelling him forward with renewed determination.
As heran, his mind raced with possibilities. What if the killer had already foundher? What if she was injured or worse? He tried to push away the images thatswirled in his thoughts, but they clung to him like shadows, refusing to bedispelled. It was impossible to measure how much Fiona meant to him, and thethought of losing her was a wound that would never heal.
