The Complete Gothic Mystery Duology - Byrne House Books 1 and 2 by A. N. Willis

Author:A. N. Willis [Willis, A. N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-11-26T19:00:54+00:00

Chapter Forty-Two

The metal door swung into the basement by a few inches and then stopped. A flashlight beam shined from behind it, and then a hoarse voice.

“I know you’re there.”

She concentrated on her breathing, her heartbeat, trying to slow everything down. A layer of blank white formed over her thoughts like powdery snow covering a hillside.

“That won’t work,” he said. “I can see your thoughts before you even know what they are.” The metal door opened farther into the room. Darren’s silhouette appeared in the doorway.

“I see you, Evelyn. I know you’re hurt. You can’t hide from me.”

She still sensed Jake’s confusion upstairs. He didn’t know where he was or where to go. Evelyn’s panic and desperation grew, multiplying with Jake’s. They had no hope. No chance.

Evelyn thought of her mother up there somewhere, trying desperately to find her. Mom.

Darren stepped cautiously into the basement. “That’s it. Give up and call for Mommy. There’s no way out. No point in fighting.” He took a few more steps. He’d left the flashlight in the storage room, but he seemed to know exactly where Evelyn was crouched.

Her hands tightened around the handle of the axe.

Suddenly Darren ran forward. Evelyn screamed and swung the axe, aiming for his legs, but he jumped easily aside. The axe blade buried itself in one of the basement’s wooden support posts instead.

Darren gripped the axe by its handle and pulled it from the wood.

Evelyn used the shelving unit next to her to pull herself up to standing. She tried to run but could only manage a stumbling limp. The pain in her leg sent starbursts of white across her eyes. Her leg began to give out.

Darren watched her struggle. Then he swung the axe. The blunt end of the axe head glanced off Evelyn’s jaw, sending her spinning onto the floor. She crumpled to the ground, face up, the metallic tang of blood flooding into her mouth.

She could not get up.

Darren grabbed hold of Evelyn’s ankles and started pulling her along the floor. She tried to kick him away, but excruciating pain tore through her broken leg. Evelyn screamed again, knowing there was no one to hear her, but unable to stop herself.

He dragged her into the storage room, where she collided with the toolbox. She put her arms up as skis fell onto her chest and face. Darren kept dragging her through the open doorway and down the steps to the tunnel floor. The back of Evelyn’s head slammed against the bottom step on the way down, and darkness feathered at the borders of her sight.

Darren picked her up and slung her over his back.

He carried her through the tunnel. Her upper body swung back and forth. Drops of blood fell from her mouth onto the back of his pants. His pace was slow, his breathing labored. He was tired.

He was trying to figure out which way to go. Evelyn could hear him thinking as if he’d spoken out loud. Climb back over the pile of

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.