Chapter 9: The Trick

As I drove down the streets of San Antonio I only had one thing on my mind…was I going to die? Eric had taken me through so much torture and it was time to finally face him and possibly take him down. I didn't really understand the significance of calling me away from Mark and Anya but I was kind of glad they didn't have to see what was about to happen.

I pulled into a parking space that was across the street from the abandoned hardware store. I got out and didn't bother locking my doors just in case I needed to make a quick escape. I took a deep breath and checked my watch, it was 3:57pm. I walked across the street and then walked around the back of the building to where the back door was. To my surprise it was wide open and there was a note on it that said "come on in,"

I slowly crept into the place expecting it to be dark, but it wasn't. There were several lights on and in the middle of the room was Rachel and Dwayne. They were tied up with duck tape over their mouths. I quickly ran up to Rachel and pulled the tape from her mouth.

"Serena! It's a trap!" she screamed and the door behind me slammed shut. I got up and ran to it, trying frantically to open it but it wouldn't budge.

"Serena he's going to kill Mark and Anya! You have to get out of here!" she yelled. I ran back to her and helped her get untied. We then worked together and got Dwayne untied.

"It may be too late," Dwayne said sadly.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I tried to look for a way out of the hardware store.

He sighed, "He said that he had planted a bomb somewhere in your house and as soon as you found us…he pressed the button that triggered it."

I felt my body grow cold. "W-what?"

"I'm sorry Serena, we tried to tell you but he had us both tied up while he was on the phone with you."

I fell to my knees, "how could I be so stupid? He wanted me to leave the house so he could get to them…so I could hurt as bad as he was hurting. It all makes sense. He's been after me the entire time and only me. Anyone who was part of my life is just a casualty in his way."

Rachel got down on her knees next to me and put her arms around me. "Don't worry Serena…everything will be Ok I promise."

"No it won't," I cried. "I just lost the only two people in this world who completed my life. I can't believe I let that bastard take them from me."

We sat in the hardware store for maybe another hour before we heard someone open the door from the outside. We stood up slowly as the door creaked open and Eric stepped in with a big smile on his face.

"Well well well…it looks like you missed the fireworks baby," he said as he walked towards me. "Yep, that little family of yours is history…now we can finally have a little family of our own."

"I will never go back with you," I said. "Mark is my husband and always will be,"

"Shut up!" he said as he hit me across the face. I fell to my knees and sobbed.

"Leave her alone you jerk!" Dwayne yelled.

Eric pulled out a gun and pointed it at him, "Stay out of this pretty boy. I don't want to have Rachel raise her baby without a father like poor Kayliegh has to."

"You spineless bastard!" I cried.

"No that would be your husband my dear, clearly he didn't care for your safety if he let you come here all by yourself, leaving himself wide open to be blown to bits."

I stood up and he pointed the gun at me. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment my dear…and now that's it's finally here, I really would much rather kill you."

"What's stopping you?" I asked boldly. "You've already killed my family, so why not kill me too."

"Because making you suffer would be that much sweeter."

Just as he was about to shoot Rachel another gunshot rang through the building hitting him in the back. He dropped his gun and turned around slowly to see who it was. To my surprise it was Kayleigh. She had tears running down her face and the gun pointed straight at Eric. She walked closer to us and then shot him in the leg. He fell down on one knee and looked up at her.

"You…"

"Yes. Me…you killed my husband and now I kill you. Justice is severed."

He smiled, "And then w-what? Do you think the police will let you off they knew you killed me for justice?"

She cocked her gun and then pointed it at his skull. "Seeing you die would be worth it."

She was about to squeeze the trigger when Dwayne interfered. "No Kay! Don't do it. You have a little boy to take care of think about that."

Tears were falling from her eyes fast and furiously. "I can't let him get away with this though! He ruined my life!"

"I know sweetie I know, but this isn't the way. Sam wouldn't have wanted you to do this."

Her hand was shaking now, "I-I,"

"Just give me the gun and then call the police to come pick him up alright?"

She bit her bottom lip and then slowly handed the gun to Dwayne. "Good girl."

"Yes…good girl," Eric said before she kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious. She then got on the phone and called the police like he told her to.

Once they arrived, Eric was taken into the ambulance so he could be treated and then arrested. As for me, Rachel, and Dwayne, we got in my car and took a silent trip back to my house. Upon our arrival, there were many fire trucks and ambulances outside of the house. It was completely in gulfed in flames. I got out of my car slowly and watched as it burned down to the ground. I was about to go and ask the head firefighter if they had found my husband and my child's bodies inside when I heard the most beautiful sound in my ears.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

I turned to my right where the ambulance was and saw Anya running right towards me. I gasped and bent down to receive her hug with tears flowing from my eyes. I kissed her head three times and squeezed her tightly. "I'm so glad you're alright." I told her.

"Daddy saved me mommy,"

"He did? Well where is he?"

She looked over my shoulder and pointed towards our neighbor's fence. When I turned around, he was leaning against it with a smirk on his face. I put down Anya and she ran into Rachel's arms. I then walked up to Mark and threw myself into his arms. He held me tightly as I cried on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you," I said. "I was so upset when he told me you two were gone. I swear I'll listen to you from now on,"

He laughed, "It's alright pup, I'm not mad at all. I'm just glad you're safe and that our little girl finally has a big smile on her face."

"But Mark, our house-"

I was cut off by his sweet lips caressing mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on as he deepened the kiss. "You were saying?"

"I'm glad to be in your arms again."

"That's what I thought." I hugged him once more and then we went and joined the others.

"So tell us, just how did you get out of the house in time?" Rachel said when we all got in the car. Rachel and Dwayne decided to let us move in with them in Dallas until we could get a new house built.

"Well I went upstairs to check on Anya and when I got to her room I seen something in the closet that wasn't there before…so I scooped her up and ran outside. Before I knew it, the entire house went up in flames."

"Damn, well I'm glad you have good eyes," Dwayne said. "I would have lost it if he would have succeeded."

"Ha, probably not as much as Serena, she was so distraught when we told her what Eric was planning." Rachel said.

Mark sighed, "Yea I just wish I could have gotten my hands on that crazy man."

"Don't worry Markey; I got him good for you." Kayleigh said.

"Yes she did, kicked him right in the head." I said.

Mark high fived her and then we all fell silent for the trip home.