SWNOVELS The Penalty Box: Chapter 31
“HE HURT SNIPER, and there’s a woman here. Where is he? Where is Andrew?” My voice came out in a near shriek. “He’s dangerous. He had a gun.”
“He’s tied up. He can’t hurt anyone.”
“Oh my God, Mica,” I sobbed, clinging to him. “Are you real? Are you really here?”
“I’m here.” He held my face in his hands. “Are you hurt?”
His words barely registered. “We need to call the police. He’s kept someone here. A prisoner.” I spotted Sniper, who was lying on his side. “Sniper!”
Sniper lifted his head and whined.
Mica looked in the room and caught sight of the woman. He stood there for a long moment. “Holy fuck.”
I was full-on babbling. “She’s the missing nursing student. Andrew set you up with Sabrina. How are you here? How did you get out of jail?”
“Charlie, calm down.” He grabbed me by the shoulders. “It’s over. It’s going to be okay.”
Tears streamed down my face. “Is she dead? Where is Andrew?”
With reluctance, Mica stepped into the small room. He crouched beside the woman before taking off his hoodie and gently covering her body. He looked at the iron shackle around her ankle. “We have to call the police. She needs an ambulance.”
Adrenaline and heart-pounding fear coursed through my veins until I felt like collapsing. “We need a phone.”
“Come on,” he said. “Andrew has a phone upstairs.”
I bent over Sniper. “I can’t leave him.”
Mica didn’t even pause. He reached down and picked up Sniper in his arms. “Please come with me.”
Sniper was panting, but he was licking Mica’s face vigorously. Mica gently laid Sniper down at the front door. I stood in the kitchen’s doorway, taking in the broken furniture.
“Where is Andrew?” I was still in full-on panic mode. “Where is he? Be careful!”
Mica stepped in the room, looking for something. “He’s over here. He’s not going anywhere.”
He grabbed a phone but paused. In the distance, sirens screamed, coming closer.
“I think that’s for us.”
I felt dizzy. I opened the door, and Sniper moved slowly to follow me. Mica came out behind me. He stood with his arms wrapped around my trembling body as we watched police cars and ambulances park haphazardly on the street.
An officer approached us. “What’s going on?”
Mica spoke in a steady voice. “There’s a female in the basement. I don’t know how long she’s been there, but she needs your help. There is also a man in the living room, tied up. He’s the one who abducted my wife.”
The two officers disappeared into the house. A few moments later they reappeared and one of them shouted, “We need medical in here. Someone grab some bolt cutters.”
It was complete chaos after that. Police went in and out of the house, questioning me, questioning Mica. I felt super nauseous and light-headed. Tears streamed down my face and I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.
Mica was answering questions, but his eyes were on me.
He paused and moved to put his arms around me. “Are you okay?”
Blackness was edging out my vision. I felt his arms hold me up, and then I felt something warm gush between my legs.
I looked down. Blood, so much blood, stained between my legs.
“Mica!” I tried to cry, but my voice was just a whimper.
He swung me into his arms. “Fuck, Charlie. Stay with me.”
And then the world went black.