Ch. 26

You're welcome to stay, too

Paul was out back doing God only knows what, while Babe sat there in the chair, struggling. She whimpered because of the pain it was causing but she knew she had to get out of there. Paul was psycho and very, very unstable. She cried out when she felt the leather dig deeper into her hand, and that's when she started to cry.

"Babe, Shh, don't cry!" Tad shushed her with a whisper.

"Oh my god, Tad? Is that really you?" Babe asked.

"Yeah sweetie it's me." Tad quickly climbed down the ladder behind Babe and ran to her, "What did he do to you?" He asked as he looked at all the blood.

"It's not mine, its Amanda's! He killed her Tad. He isn't right. He isn't stable! We need to get out of here!" Babe told him.

"Don't worry, we're going. I called for help, they will be here shortly." Tab almost had undone one of the leather restraints.

They heard the front door squeal open and Tad's head snapped towards the sound.

"Tad, go!" Babe cried quietly.

Tad looked down at her one last time and headed back up the ladder. Babe listened to him get farther and farther away and then turned her attention back to Paul who was just now walking in the door.

"I forgot the shovel." He said sheepishly and walked to a closet next to the kitchen and flung open the door.

Babe hoped Tad had hide successfully and tried to look beaten down so she wouldn't look like anything had happened. While Paul shuffled through the closet Babe worked at trying to free her hand from the restraints Tad had loosened for her. Paul then found what he was looking for and faced her. After glancing at her to make sure she was still there, he turned back and headed towards the door. Babe let out a silent sigh of relief.

But then Paul turned around and looked at her again, and squinted his eyes in order to see her more closely. His eyes opened wide and he dropped the shovel, making Babe jump. From upstairs, Tad watched the scene unfolding before him.

Paul ran up to Babe and grabbed at her wrist, "Who did this?" He yelled in her face.

Babe looked down and realized Tad had left her loosened strap.

"I… uh…" Babe stammered and then pulled her hand out and reached for the other strap.

Paul grabbed for her hand and squeezed it while trying to pin it down, making Babe shriek and her cut bleed even more.

Tad heard her scream and bounded down the later, and he pulled his gun on Paul.

"Let her go." Tad stated coldly.

Paul backed up and looked at Tad, "I should have known it would have been a Martin getting in my business. You still haven't learned to keep your nose out of things." Paul said.

Babe loosened her other strap and pulled it off, and then tried getting the duck tape off around her legs, "Tad, I need a knife."

Tad glanced around and saw one on the table behind Babe; he grabbed it and handed it to her.

"Do you need my help?" He turned his gaze off Paul.

Babe saw his fatal mistake and tried to warn him, but Paul pulled out his gun and fired, all while Babe screamed.

"You're welcome to stay now, too, Thaddeus." Paul laughed.

…..

Paul had tied Babe back up to the chair, and he left Tad lying on the floor. Tad had been shot in the arm and got hit in the leg. He was unconscious, or so they thought.

"Paul, you can't just leave him on the floor like that, he will bleed to death!" Babe told him.

"That is the point!" Paul yelled at her.

"Paul, please, please, just wrap up his wounds." Babe pleaded.

Paul rolled his eyes, "Fine."

Paul grabbed some white cloth and ripped it in half, wrapping one around his leg and one around his arm. He did this painfully and messily, and Babe recoiled every time he pulled the cloth tight. Finally, he finished and he pulled Tad until his back rested again the wall.

"He needs to get to a hospital." Babe said, watching Tad.

"Shut up already, I took care of his wounds. What more do you want?" Paul said and washed his bloody hands.

"I wouldn't use the word care." Babe said not completely under her breath.

"What did you say?" Paul finished towel drying his hands and then walked up to her and grabbed her by her hair, "After everything I did for you? I did what you asked! I gave you a child! You should be thanking me, not yelling at me for giving you Bianca's child!"

Babe shrunk back into her chair after he released her hair, "Paul, what are you talking about?"

"You! You can't be happy that I gave you a child, A CHILD Babe!" Paul screamed at her.

Babe shut her eyes tightly, afraid that Paul had finally lost his grip on reality. When she opened them, Paul was staring at Tad. Babe looked over to him and saw he was awake.

"Tad, are you OK? Does it hurt?" Babe asked.

"Of course it hurts you idiot. I shot him." Paul said smugly.

Babe ignored him and saw Tad shake his head.

She looked around, knowing there had to be a way out of there, but when she saw Paul's face she knew he had other ideas for her then her leaving. She saw him grab the knife she had used to cut the duck tape and he smiled evilly. He advanced on her and she tried to sink farther into the chair, muttering, 'no.'