Chapter 8
Brookes had disappeared off somewhere, probably to secure the rest of the house so that no-one else could get in. Or out. However, Jenny didn't really care where he was at the moment; all she cared about was that Sarah still hadn't regained consciousness. The psychopath had tied her up in a chair next to her; her dark hair fell forwards as her head hung limp - a trail of blood was trickling down her neck from her head injury. Desperate to rouse her, Jenny used her shoulder to try and brush off the tape on her mouth; luckily it had lost some of it's stickiness due to being re-used, and soon it was fluttering to the floor.
"Sarah?" Jenny called urgently. "Wake up! SARAH!"
She heard her groan slightly.
"Sarah!"
Slowly, she lifted her head; her eyes unfocused as she looked around.
"What happened?" she asked faintly.
"It's one of Becker's soldiers!" Jenny informed her, her voice cracking. "He's the stalker!"
Sarah still looked groggy and confused as her eyes scanned the room, resting on the photographs that papered the walls.
"I . . . I don't - " she began, but Jenny cut her off; there wasn't much time.
"Did you tell anyone you were coming?" she asked urgently. "Nick? Becker?"
"No," Sarah replied, wincing slightly in pain.
Jenny closed her eyes and sighed in frustration. No one was going to come to their rescue this time.
"Well it's not like I expected to be knocked out and tied up by one of our own soldiers when came round!" Sarah insisted, sounding stung by Jenny's disappointment. "Can I just say you're a very high maintenance friend to have!"
"You should have told somebody!"
"You shouldn't have run off by yourself!" Sarah argued, struggling with her hand restraints. "I told you not to!"
"Oh great, so this is my fault!" Jenny gasped.
"Well he's your stalker, not mine!"
"Oh yeah, I forgot that every little girl wants a stalker when they grow up," Jenny muttered sarcastically.
"It's nice of you to join the party Sarah," a cold voice spoke from the door, sending a bolt of fear through Jenny's body.
They both fell silent and looked up at him, their breathing quickening.
"Although," he continued, kneeling down in front of Sarah and grabbing her chin roughly. "Didn't anyone tell you it's bad manners to turn up to a party uninvited."
Just stay quiet Sarah, Jenny thought wildly, willing the woman to read her thoughts. Don't wind him up . . . just stay quiet . . .
"Untie me you freak!" Sarah spat, jerking her head away from his touch.
Jenny screwed her eyes up, Sarah!
Brookes's eyes narrowed in cool amusement.
"Well you have a filthy mouth on you," he stated, grabbing her face tighter.
"Brookes - " Jenny began, desperate to divert his attention away from Sarah.
"My name is Tim," he snarled, causing Sarah to shriek in shock as he shook her head.
"Tim," Jenny corrected herself immediately, using the softest voice she could muster. "Look at me - "
He turned to her, but he still held Sarah tight.
"Why don't you just let her go?" she continued gently. "It's me you really want, not her. And she's just in the way here. She's interrupting us."
Both Brookes and Sarah were looking at her in shock, but she kept her face impassive and stared back.
"I . . . I can't . . ." Brookes began quietly, looking as though he was seriously considering it. "She'll go and tell people."
"She won't," Jenny answered quickly, trying so hard to keep her voice steady. "Will you?" she added to Sarah in a tone that said 'do NOT argue.'
Sarah shook her head insistently.
Brookes stood up and paced, looking torn between his desire to have Jenny alone, and his common sense that the first thing Sarah would do when she got out is phone the police. But just when he looked like he was about to agree -
Ring ring . . . ring ring . . . ring ring . . .
Jenny's mobile buzzed in her bag that was on the floor. Brookes fished it out and looked at the name lighting up on the screen.
"CUTTER!" he yelled, flinging the phone against the wall so violently that is smashed, causing both Jenny and Sarah to jump out of their skins. "Why is he calling you?"
"Why don't we just forget about Sarah and Cutter?" Jenny suggested desperately. "You and I could just go upstairs now and forget she's here."
Brookes paused, staring down at her with wide eyes that looked manic. If she could just get him to untie her . . .
"You're - you're lying," he stammered, running his hand through his hair.
"I'm not baby," Jenny answered, looking up at him with her most seductive expression. She had always had the knack of being able to wrap men around her little finger when she wanted. "I just want it to be me and you . . . no one else."
After pausing for a long while, he pulled out the knife that he'd been keeping in his belt. Sarah let out a small gasp beside her, but Jenny kept her fear under control . . . she nearly had him . . .
He rounded her chair, and she felt him hacking at the rope around her hands. She winced slightly; her wrist were cut and stinging. She glanced over at Sarah who was giving her a look of shocked confusion; Jenny tried to convey with her eyes that it was part of a plan . . . well sort-of . . . she didn't really know what she was going to do after he untied her. When he'd freed her hands, he undid the roped around her ankles and threw the knife to the floor.
"And you're not thinking about Cutter?" Brookes asked, grinning lopsidedly as he helped her to her feet; her legs felt like lead and his touch sent shivers down her spine, but she kept a smile plastered to her face.
"Why would I be thinking about Cutter when I've got you here?" Jenny whispered, tugging at the collar of his shirt.
He pulled her to the door, looking incredibly eager to get her upstairs.
"Hang on a minute," she said, an idea striking her.
She turned and picked up the piece of tape from the floor. She bent down and pressed it onto Sarah's mouth, giving her an apologetic look as she did so.
"So she can't interrupt us again," Jenny said to Brookes.
She turned to see him smiling in agreement, before walking off into the hall. As soon as he was out of sight, Jenny grabbed the knife and put it in Sarah's hands that were tied behind her back.
"Get yourself out and go and get help," Jenny breathed to her, before following Brookes back into the hall, her heart bursting it's banks with panic.
What now?
As soon as she set foot into the hall, Brookes grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss. Jenny kissed him back, trying desperately not to gag. He pushed her violently against the staircase and held her wrists in place -
As quick as a flash, Jenny jammed her knee into his crotch as hard as possible. He doubled over cursing, distracted for a moment, which Jenny took advantage of - looking around wildly, she spotted her bookcase next to them . . . she pulled it down so that it tumbled on top of him, hiding him from view. For a second, Jenny froze in shock over what she'd just done before her wits returned to her. She made to run towards the front door, but a hand grabbed her ankle and she fell flat on her face; she turned and kicked herself free, and scampered up to her feet again. She made to wrench the door open but it wouldn't budge . . . he had locked it and took the key.
From behind her, she heard him lifting the bookcase off himself. In her panic, she sprinted up the stairs, not thinking until it was too late that she was trapping herself. She ran into her room and grabbed the house phone.
It was dead.
He had cut the phone line.
Panicking, she heard his footsteps coming up the stairs.
"That wasn't very nice Jenny!" he shouted.
