Chapter Ten: Day Four
Savannah opened her eyes and squinted around wildly trying to confirm that Layla was still right beside her. Alive. Her throat had sealed up and only hoarse gasps were escaping her.
"Layla." She finally managed to call feebly. No response. There wasn't even any movement. "Layla? Layla! LAYLA!" She screamed getting her voice back. Still, there was no response. Tears leaked from her eyes. She was gone.
"Nooo!" Savannah Sobbed. "L-L-Layla!" She choked. But nobody answered. The dark room blurred as tears streamed out of her eyes and burned her frozen cheeks. Her screams echoed throughout the room. Her own sobs the only sound.
Layla was gone.
"She's gone…but don't worry. I'm here…" an overwhelming anger boiled in Savannah. She screamed out in pain and anger.
"I HATE YOU! YOU ASSHOLE!" She screeched, twisting and turning against her restraints so they cut into her wrists and ankles. "I hope you die!" She spat. The light switched on and she could see the chilling smile on his face. Angry tears slid down her face. She looked at Layla's empty bed; there were still bloodstains all over the grimy gray sheets,
"Do you miss your friend?" He sneered. His voice lingering on every word, so he could enjoy every moment of her pain. She glared daggers at him. "Don't worry you'll join her soon. I wonder what her parents will say when they find her naked body mangled in the park. At least I left her pretty little face alone—"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! DON'T TALK ABOUT LAY—" Savannah screamed but couldn't say her name. Her voice stopped short drying up. He laughed mercilessly approaching Savannah. He ran his hand up her leg resting on her hip. Savannah thrusted her hip out form under his hand but he grabbed her and climbed on top.
"It's not over till I say it is, sweetie," He said breathing in her face, his breath smelt like winterfresh tic-tacs and Marlboros.
Evan had worked until early in the morning before he fell asleep. It wasn't until three am that he finally passed out at his desk. He was supposed to be at work at eight, but he didn't wake up until ten. When he woke up he rushed out of the house, he hadn't meant to fall asleep at all. He didn't want to sleep when Savannah and her friend were still out there. He needed to keep working he needed to find them.
As he drove to work in a rush thoughts raced through his mind. They would have called him if there had been any new news. He'd only gone home because he hadn't slept in three days so his captain made him.
Evan rushed out of his car and up the steps and into the precinct. He hurried past the people lingering in the lobby and dashed into the first elevator to come. He pushed the eight button and waited. The elevator doors swung open and Evan stepped out, the SVU unit was relatively deserted except for a group of people crowded around a white board.
"Did you get something?" He asked eagerly as he approached the white board. Melanie turned around there was something wrong. Evan felt his breath escape his chest as though he had been deflated. Fear plummeted to the pit of his stomach like a rock.
"They found Layla Chambers in Madison Square Park this morning," Louis said. His heart rose and then dropped. How could he be relieved? A girl was dead. Savannah's best friend was dead. But Savannah was still alive. Evan took a deep breath and regained his composure. He looked up at everyone.
"Well, have her parent's been informed?" Melanie nodded. Nobody spoke it was like they were waiting for him to stop acting calm and explode. He looked around and took another deep breath. "Well, then we better start working we only have three days."
Kevin glanced up at the clock it now said eleven o'clock. He hadn't left the house he knew if he did Lucy might not let him come back, regardless to what happened to Savannah. So he was now sitting in the couch, his arm wrapped around Lucy, Kiley sitting on his lap. The twins were pouting on the couch opposite them next to their grandmother.
The phone rang and everybody jumped. Kevin took a deep breath and stood up shifting Kiley on to the couch. Lucy got up and followed him into the kitchen where the phone was.
"Hello?" His mouth was dry so his voice came out shaky and hoarse.
"Kevin?" Kevin recognized the voice of his Captain Jeff Jenkins.
"What's up?" Kevin said trying to sound calm. He could hear the voice on the other side breathing hard into the phone.
"They found…" Kevin's heart sunk into his stomach, he thought he was going to be sick. He looked at his wife's face. Tears were threatening to spill out at any moment. "Layla Chambers this morning." Kevin felt his heart jump into his throat he couldn't speak. Layla was dead. This couldn't be real. Everything was going to change. His hopes that everything would be fine if they found them both, destroyed. She was dead and Savannah was alone. Tears spilled down his cheeks.
"What?" Lucy shrieked grabbing his shirt. He shook her off and pulled himself together. "Kevin! Tell me!"
"Okay…I have to go…" Kevin muttered as he hung up the phone. Lucy looked at him through her tear soaked eyes, her body trembling.
"They found L-Layla…" He choked breaking out crying. Lucy collapsed into his arms sobbing. He knew she felt the same. Relieved Savannah was still out there, guilty for being relieved, horrible because Layla was dead, and angry because they hadn't found her in time.
Kevin rubbed Lucy's back as they stood in the kitchen sobbing. He could only imagine how Mr. And Mrs. Chambers were feeling. He had known Layla since she was three years old. He had watched her grow up, acted as a second father to her just as Mr. Chambers had done for Savannah. Layla had been like his daughter and now she was gone.
Evan stormed into the Lab, Melanie and Louis trailing behind him. He pushed open the doors to the autopsy room. He cringed at the sight. Layla was lying on the table a white sheet pulled up to her chest. He skin pale and clear her long brown hair squished underneath her. Her eyes shut and her lips pursed. She could have been asleep, if it wasn't for the long red slash across her throat.
"Oh my god…" He whispered as he approached the table slowly. He wiped at his eyes and stared up at Darren. "Did you get anything?" To his surprise Darren was grinning.
"A fingerprint" He said happily turning his back on them and walking over to a table full of plastic bags.
"Really? But he's never left a fingerprint before?" Evan said excitedly. This could be it. Evan looked at Melanie and Louis who were watching Darren intently.
"It'll take time to run through the system it's only a partial." Darren picked up a bag and turned to face him. Evan took the bag and looked at it, inside was a gold cross and chain. "You know. He always picks girls that wear crosses…"
"Well, of course Savannah would her mother's a minister." Melanie said.
"Exactly. He knows his victims before. He had to know that Layla and Savannah and all the other girls wore crosses. But I checked the other girls didn't go to the same church as Savannah and Layla. Savannah and Layla don't even go to the same church, Layla's catholic—"
"Anyway…" Evan said directing Darren back to the conversation.
"Right…Well that got me thinking. I think he puts them on afterward, the crosses. This time however when he put Layla's cross on her neck—"
"But Layla does wear a cross it was in the report," Louis said.
"I know. I think he takes them off and then when he kills them he puts them back on the body. That's why I found a print. I found a partial print on her chest right beside where the cross was." Darren looked at Evan. "He didn't wipe it down this time. I think he's getting careless. He took a risk taking the daughter of cop, and now, he knows were really trying to find him…"
"Well, good job. Maybe he'll make some more mistakes. Call us when you get the results back. How long do you think it will take?" Evan asked as he began heading towards the door.
"Two days at most." Evan's smile vanished. Two days, that might be to late.
"Thanks Darren." Louis said. Evan looked disheartened down at Layla. Darren looked at him.
"Her funeral is tomorrow. Her parents asked if I could have the body ready by then…" Darren trailed off. Evan's brow furrowed, pushing his thin eyebrows together. He took a deep breath, his large strong chest rising and falling.
"Make her look great…" he said. He was thinking much more. He smiled at Darren who smiled back and dragged the sheet over her face.
Savannah stared aimlessly into the darkness. Her head felt heavy and her stomach was boiling in pain. She had lost count of how many cuts she had on her stomach. The room she was in had suddenly become cold, she felt as though all the heat in her body had disappeared to be replaced with a bone chilling cold. Her mouth was dry he hadn't given her anything to drink since two nights ago. Her eyes felt heavy and she was suddenly aware of how solid she felt.
Savannah let out a whimper, glancing around for something to look at. Her eyes stopped as a face surfaced in the dark. She tried to speak but her throat cracked.
"H-h-hello…" She croaked. The face came swimming into light, savannah wondered where the light had come from, but then she saw the face. "Layla! Layla, y-you escaped!" She said dryly. Layla nodded. She looked beautiful. Her long brown hair seemed to float wistfully at her side, her eyes sparkled but there was no smile on her face.
"Help me, Layla…" Savannah cried.
"You know I can't," Savannah gaped at her. The sparkle in her eyes disappeared, replaced with a cold emptiness. "What?" Layla stepped closer, her whole body coming into focus. She was still wearing her blue camisole and low riders, and they were both stained with blood. Savannah screamed and looked up at Layla's face but her eyes stopped at her neck. Where a long deep gash tore across it.
"At least your still alive!" Layla spat gliding closer to Savannah, her lips pursed in a sneer. Savannah strangled a scream through her choking sobs.
"I w-w-wish I w-w-wasn't!" She sobbed. "I w-w-wish I w-w-was d-dead!" Tears streamed down her face and into her open mouth, filling her dry mouth with salty tears.
"Oh really. You wish you had a gash across your neck. You want your parents to see you like this?" Layla spat. Her face was next to Savannahs now. Savannah shut her eyes tightly. "Look at me! LOOK AT ME!" Savannah screamed, but when she opened her eyes Layla was gone. The room just as dark and cold as it was before. The only sound, her scream as it echoed in the silence.
Authors Note: Hello. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As all of the chapters from this story it was fun to write. This story believe it or not but because it is so intense it is really fun to write. I enjoy writing this one the most. I love this story, I love writing dramatic stories.
This is a Special Valentines Day update!! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! (to anyone who believes in valentines day and doesn't think its just a commercial gimic) hee hee which is isn't me I love Valetntines day! It means six months till I turn eighteen!! Whoo hoo!
Next Chapter: Day Five