Chapter 20:

The sirens grew steadily louder telling Emma that they weren't just in her head. Carson didn't seem to notice them at first as he made another cut causing Emma to arch uncontrollably from the pain. Blood had soaked through what remained of her shirt and jeans where the gunshot wound had started bleeding again. She ignored the sirens at first, her mind was unfocused but she didn't think they would make it in time. Carson would finish her off, and the pain would finally stop.

She felt Carson's body tense on top of her, and he shifted his weight listening to determine the direction of the siren. He must have realized they were coming closer because he tensed more turning to look at her. He reached down grabbing her by the chin and turning her face to meet his. "You called the police!" "Fucking Bitch!" He spat in her face before pulling back his free hand and smacking her heard across the face. Emma breathed in deeply trying to focus through the pain. She looked up at Carson and saw something that created a small spark of hope. He was afraid of the cops, of jail time, of getting caught or maybe something else. Either way, Emma felt a little bit of power returning to her and she stared back at him defiantly.

"You shouldn't have done that." He cursed, climbing off of her and moving towards the window. He pulled back the blinds slightly allowing the red and blue lights to flash across his face. They were very close then. Emma thought hope growing inside her as she stared to sit up. "Where do you think you're going?" Carson muttered angrily, and closed the blinds behind him. "You just can't leave things alone." Carson grabbed Emma pulling her up of the bed, and onto her feet.

Emma tried to stand on her own but her body ached too much. Every movement seemed too exhausting and caused pain to vibrate throughout her frame. She was so tired and weak that she would have fallen over if Carson wasn't holding her up. "Come on. You're getting me out of this." He said pulling her closer, like a shield with one arm wrapped around her waist and the knife pressed against her throat. "If we survive this." He said. "Remember one thing. I always finish a job."

The sirens stopped getting louder and the lights danced around the room. A pounding on the door verified her thought. The police were finally there. Carson half-dragged, half-carried, Emma over to the stairs landing.

"Police! Open up!" repeated from the other side of the front door.

"Help!" Emma tried to call out but her voice cracked and came out more than a whisper.

"Stop!" Carson screamed and the pounding ceased immediately. "One unarmed officer only, or she's dead." Emma's muscle tensed even more. The knife cut into her throat again and she let out a load cry of pain. Her cry faded into an echo of silence before someone finally replied.

"Okay. We're sending someone in." a few minutes passed, before the door started to open slowly and the officer stepped in. Emma started at the officer, her eyes pleading with him for help.

"Its okay," he said, he eyes locked on Emma for a moment, and for a second she felt like she was safe, until the officer's scream pierced her hope. She heard him cry out a warning only seconds before she felt the piercing pain in her stomach. Emma wanted to scream from the pain, but she couldn't form a sound. She looked down at the knife hilt protruding from her stomach but she couldn't reach it with her bound hands. The Officer was racing up the stairs, but Carson wasn't going to waist a moment as he slackened his hold and pushed her forward.

Emma fell fast frozen her leg too weak to hold her up and her mind in too much shock. She fell forward the first stair forcing the knife in deeper and rolled bouncing off the next few steps. Everything was a blur of pain, fear, and cold as she crashed into the officer.

"I need Back up" he screamed. "And get me a medic." The officer pulled her off the stirs laying her back flat on the floor. She gasped for air, as blood continued to soak through her shirt. Each breath was labored and came with sharp pains.

"He…..Help" she chocked out barely audible. Every muscle had begun shaking and she felt so cold. She was vaguely aware of the officer leaving her with the medics to chase after Carson.

"Emma? Are you Emma" She nodded slightly and tried to respond but her words stuck in her throat creating only guttural sounds.

"Shh" the medic said pushing the hair from her face. "You're going to be okay. You're safe now."

Safe. The word echoed through her brain as she tried to remember what that meant. Carson had cut her to pieces, Maria had been kidnapped, and now she was lying in a growing pool of her own blood. Her vision grew darker and she was losing her focus. Her lost thought before drifting into unconsciousness was that safe never had and never would exist again.