Kathryn started to feel ill. She wasn't sure she could maintain the charade. She wanted to cry out and kick him, but knew if she did that Danny would die. So, she tried to talk to him. "Richard, this isn't the time for this. I'm really tired, and I haven't showered. I just...I just think we should wait," she said nervously.
"But I want you now," he whispered in her ear as he pushed himself even closer to her. "I've waited far too long."
Kathryn closed her eyes and racked her brain to find a way out of what was about to happen when she heard a high-pitched cry from the other room. She finally let out her breath as she exclaimed, "Mara...she's awake. She's going to be very hungry."
Richard sighed and stepped away from her in frustration.
"I'll...uh...go tend to her," Kathryn said as she dipped the bottle in the boiling water and then wrapped it in a towel. Richard followed her back to the room. Kathryn wasn't sure what Danny was going to do now that he was out of the cuffs. Richard unlocked the door and then opened it for her. She looked at Danny with a surprised expression because he wasstillcuffed to the pipe. She hoped that he found the key. She went over to the baby and picked her up. "It's OK, sweety. I'll get your bottle ready," she said as she opened a can of formula and poured it in the bottle. Then she sat on the bed to feed the baby.
Danny had fully intended on jumping Kendall as soon as he walked through the door, but then the baby started to cry. Danny worried that something might happen to the baby, so he put cuff back on, but didn't click it locked. He just stood there waiting for his opportunity. He watched Richard take a seat next to Kathryn and put his hand on her back as she fed the baby. He wasn't sure how patient he could be. He hated watching what was happening because he could see how scared Kathryn was by looking in her eyes.
She finished feeding the baby and changed her diaper. Then she laid her back down in the crib and turned on the mobile. Thankfully, Mara was a pretty quiet baby when she was fed and changed. As she laid the baby down, Richard said, "See...I told you that you are her mother now. I can see that she loves you already."
"She's a beautiful baby, Richard," Kathryn replied quietly as she walked to the opposite side of the room as far away from the baby as possible. She knew that if Danny did unlock the cuffs, that he would make his move now that the baby was out of the way.
"You're beautiful, my darling Kathryn," he said as he walked up to her and put his arms around her. Then Kathryn turned slightly so that Richard's back was to Danny.
As soon as he saw Richard touch her again, Danny knew he couldn't take it anymore. The adrenaline rushed through him as he removed the cuff and rushed toward them. Before Richard even knew what happened, Danny grabbed him by the neck and pulled him off Kathryn. As he reach for the gun in Richard's pocket, he yelled, "Get the baby and get out of here."
Kathryn ran to the baby and picked her up, as Danny struggled to get the gun from Kendall. Then she ran out of the room.
Richard got an arm free and elbowed Danny in the ribs. And then he reached for the gun, but Danny was able to recover fast enough to reach for the gun at the same time. They struggled for control of gun, and then Danny punched Richard in the jaw. As Richard stumbled back, the gun flew out of both of their hands. Instead of going for the gun, Danny started to hit Richard over and over again. He wanted to kill him with his bare hands for hurting Kathryn. He couldn't help himself. Everytime Richard would look at him, Danny would connect with his face causing blood to spurt from Richard's nose and lip. Richard was on his knees by this point taking punch after punch. Then Danny finally started to back away to find the gun. He only turned his back a second, but it was long enough for Richard to lunge forward and tackle Danny from behind. Danny hit the floor hard and was slightly dazed. Richard stood up and started to kick Danny in the ribs instead of going for the gun.
Instead of getting out like Danny told her, Kathryn put Mara in her car seat and then set her in a closet. Kathryn had to make sure Danny was OK, so she re-entered the room to find a bloody, beaten Richard kicking Danny. Richard didn't see her come back in the room, and he didn't see her pick up the gun behind him. But he did hear her when she screamed out, "Stop it...Stop it...or I swear to God I will kill you."
Richard stopped and looked at her, then he smiled a sinister smile. "I doubt you even know how to use that, little girl."
Kathryn took a step back and aimed as she squeezed the trigger. The bullet whizzed past Richard's head as he ducked down. "Don't test me. I will kill you."
Richard stepped away from Danny, and then Danny slowly rose to his feet as Jack and the team rushed through the door with their guns drawn. "Freeze...FBI...," they all shouted.
But Kathryn didn't put the gun down. She kept it trained on Richard as he continued to smile at her.
Then Jack called out, "Kathryn...Kathryn...put the gun down. You're safe now."
Kathryn ignored Jack's plea as she kept her eyes on Kendall as tears streamed down her face. "I'm should kill you..."
"Yes...you should, my darling Kathryn. That would be a fitting end. If we can't be together, then you should be the one to take my life...for I have no life without you," Richard replied as he stared at her.
"Don't do it," Danny said weakly. "It's not worth it. It's over now. Put the gun down."
Then Kathryn looked at Danny. She saw the concern and hurt in his eyes. "Danny...he...he watched me...he watched us...all this time. He was always there. We'll never be free of him unless he is gone."
"That's right, Kathryn. No matter where they put me...I'll always be with you. I've been with you since you were just a girl, and you played right into my hands. We will always be linked," Richard said as Kathryn's eyes return to him.
"Shut up, Kendall," Danny shouted. And then he addressed Kathryn in a quiet tone. "He was never with us, Kathryn. You aren't linked to him.He couldn't take what we have. And he never will. But if you kill him...it will haunt you forever. Don't do that to yourself. Don't to that to us, baby. He's not worth it."
Jack, Viv, Martin and Samantha kept their guns raised even though they knew they wouldn't shoot Kathryn if she took Kendall out.
Kathryn sobbed as she struggled with listening to her husband and wanting to be free of Kendall forever. She finally looked at Danny again as he started to walk towards her. "He's not worth it. He can't hurt you anymore. Let me take you home to Michael. You're safe now," he said gently as she lowered the gun and collapsed in his arms.
Martin and Vivian went straight to Kendall and pushed him against the wall. Martin cuffed him and Viv read him his rights. Then Danny looked up at Jack and Samantha as he held Kathryn. "Thanks. You were right on time."
"We would have come in sooner, but we couldn't get a good read of where you were in this place," Jack said.
"Where's the baby?" Samantha asked not knowing if she was still alive.
Kathryn answered without looking up fromDanny's arms. "The closet...in the living room. I was trying to hide her in case he came out of this room." Samantha and Jack immediately headed out to the living room.
"Yeah, I thought I told you to take her and run," Danny said as he tightened his grip on her thinking he never wanted to let her go.
"I couldn't leave you. I promised myself that if I ever saw you again that I would never leave you," she responded as she looked up at him.
Then Danny kissed her lightly. "I never thought I would see you again. I didn't know what I was going to do without you," he said as he looked in her eyes.
"Take me home," she said as she kissed him again.
Note: I plan on writing an epilogue to this story, so it's not quite finished. But all the suspense is over!