CHAPTER 20

Miles to Go Before I Sleep

It was so dark I couldn't see a blasted thing, but I wasn't about to turn back and open the door again just so I could get some light. As far as I was concerned that door would open again over my dead body. Frantically, I began flipping through the key ring until I felt the mini flashlight. When I turned it on, I saw three latches with padlocks resting on hooks, waiting to be refastened. They were positioned at eye level, waist level, and close to the ground. My hands trembled as I lifted the padlocks one at a time and fixed the latches across before clicking the locks back into place.

Now that the door was secured, I leaned against it, breathing a sigh of relief. It felt great having one more barrier between him and me. As I mentally high fived myself, I flicked the flashlight beam around and saw a set of concrete steps leading upward. A part of me wanted to run right up them to freedom, but another part—a bigger part—was scared he had lied and there really was someone living upstairs. And what if they were even more evil than Durant.

I wished I had a weapon—something to defend myself against whatever was waiting for me above—but I'd been so focused on getting out of that room that I hadn't taken the time to look through his boxes for his knife or anything else that would be of use.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

I wanted to kick myself for not having the foresight. The only thing I had was the keys in my hand and a tiny flashlight to defend myself with. It was too late to go back now, and I couldn't stay in this stairwell forever. I needed to get to a doctor… soon. I separated the keys, sticking one between each of the fingers on my right hand, making an impromptu weapon. It was the best I could do.

I raised my foot to take the first step, and because of the bulky weight of his oversized boots I missed and scraped my shin on the sharp edge of the concrete stair as I went down. I threw my right arm in front of me hoping to brace the fall, but it did nothing to lessen the jarring impact to my broken ribs. The red haze of agony blinded me, and I screamed. I just lay there on the cold concrete, unable to do anything but wait for the pain to ease.

It could have been minutes or hours; I had no way of knowing. During that time, I was powerless to do anything. Finally, I lifted my head and looked up the dark stairs. Overwhelming despair came over me and even though I was so close, I thought I still might not make it out of here alive. As soon as that thought entered my mind, I shook it away. There was no room for that kind of thinking. I was going to make it, I told myself. I wouldn't accept any other outcome.

Summoning my dwindling energy, I rolled onto my side before getting on my knees and then finally making it to my feet. This time, as I took a step up, I leaned against the wall for support and made sure to lift my foot high enough to clear the edge of the stair. I felt immense accomplishment when I put my weight on it and dragged my other foot up with me. I continued, clumsily shuffling up the stairs, until the top of my head hit something metal.

Shining the light around, I could see a rectangular shape and realized it was the trap door he'd told me about. I gave it a hefty push, but it didn't budge. I looked around the edges to see why and discovered another padlock at one end of the sheet of metal. I let the flashlight dangle from the key ring while my blood slickened fingers tried each key until I found the one that opened the lock.

By the time I had the latch opened, I was breathing hard, and my heart was pounding against my broken ribs. On one hand, I was excited to get out of the stairwell and on the other, I was afraid of what was on the other side of the door. Taking advantage of my only weapon, I put the keys back between my fingers and took a moment to push the fearful thoughts out of my head. After a calming breath, I began inching the door up.

The metal slab had barely moved and already rays of daylight began streaming in. Seeing the physical evidence of freedom sent a surge of happiness all the way to my toes. I took another step up the stairs, lifting the door as I went, until I was standing on the very top step and could feel the frigid air blowing on my skin. The sun was so blinding I had to put my hand over my eyes to shield them. As soon as I did, I dropped the lock and it bounced down the concrete stairs, landing with a distinctive clank at the bottom. I had thought I would re-secure the door after I got outside as an added measure of security against him, but I guess it didn't matter now. I certainly wasn't going back down there to get it. And besides, he was chained up in shackles, and the downstairs door was locked securely with three padlocks. That would have to be enough.

I gave the door one last shove and it fell over, landing on the ground with a thud. I wanted to run to safety, but I couldn't see a damn thing. I'd been underground for so long it felt like knives were stabbing my eyes. As much as I hated it, I was going to have to give them time to adjust to the light. I inhaled deeply. It felt glorious to be breathing fresh air for the first time in weeks.

After what seemed like an eternity, yet was probably only mere minutes, I cracked my eyes open and found the light was still intense, but bearable. I looked down at the metal slab, lying on the ground and wondered what to do. I couldn't leave it open. I knelt down and managed to lift it with my right hand and drop it back into place. That's when I noticed the pine needles covering it hadn't scattered as they should have. I ran my boot over them, trying to get them to move, but they still didn't budge. Somehow, they were affixed to the door. It was no wonder no one ever found Durant's lair. If I hadn't just come through the door myself, I'd never have known anything was down there.

A gust of wind came through the trees, sending my hair flying against my face. I shivered and pulled his coat tighter. I thought it'd been cold in the cellar, but it was absolutely freezing out here. Looking around I could see he was telling the truth; we were in the Pine Barrens, but which way should I run?

I turned in a circle, zeroing in on a large pine tree about thirty feet from the hatch. It had gnarled bark on the trunk with deformed black patches that looked like eyes and a wide gaping hole where a mouth would be. It was oddly frightening. I couldn't take my eyes off it. While I stared, I noticed a glint of sunlight reflecting off something metal to the left of the tree. Just then, a bird screeched overhead, jerking me into action.

Realizing the key fob belonged to a car of some sort, I pointed it at the glinting metal and pressed the unlock button. Red lights blinked twice along with two high pitched beeping sounds. As I moved closer, I could make out the shape of a green truck hidden under a mound of foliage. I brushed the debris away from the driver's door and got in, breathing a sigh as I closed the door.

My hands were trembling so badly, the keys slipped through my blood slicked fingers just as I was about to start the ignition. They landed near the gas pedal and out of reach. "Shit," I groaned and smacked the steering wheel with my good hand, knowing that my broken ribs were going to make it difficult to get them. I decided it would be easier to just get out of the truck and lean in to get the keys instead of bending my body into a pretzel that would put pressure on my chest.

I looked around before opening the door to make sure he hadn't managed to get free. Once I had established that I was still safe, I slid out of the truck and into the cold. Carefully, I leaned in and grabbed the keys. Now that they were finally back in my hand, I was able to get back in the truck and fit the key in the ignition. To my relief the truck started on the first try. I put it in reverse and hit the gas.

The tires spun on patches of wet leaves and just when I thought I was going to have to get back out again and push, they found traction and shot out of the makeshift parking spot, sending forest debris flying. I didn't know which direction to head. I'd never been a girl scout. I couldn't look at the sun and determine which way was North or what time of day it was. I did see a dirt trail up ahead and that's where I headed. I only hoped I was going in the right direction and not deeper into the woods.

My eyes alternated between the road ahead and the rearview mirror, afraid that he was somehow able to escape and come after me. Rationally, I knew it was impossible. I'd tried for weeks to find a way out and hadn't been successful, but maybe he knew something I didn't. Maybe he had a failsafe for just this type of scenario.

I kept my eyes peeled for any signs of life, but so far, I hadn't come upon a single home. There were only trees, trees, and more trees. I looked at the clock on the dash and realized I'd been driving for about thirty minutes. Now that I'd put some distance between me and the cellar, I realized I was shaking like a leaf and feeling every one of my injuries. Thanks to my body's surge of adrenaline, I'd been able to put one foot in front of the other, but now I was crashing. My body temperature seemed to be plummeting right along with my adrenaline. I used the elbow of my broken hand to stabilize the steering wheel while I turned on the heat.

Now that the truck was getting warm, my eyes started growing heavy. I had to keep blinking and jerking my head to avoid falling asleep at the wheel. I'd just closed my eyes and was about to nod off when several shrill sounds jerked me awake. I blinked, trying to figure out what was going on and realized the sound was coming from the console between the seats. I stopped in the middle of the dirt lane and opened the console. I gasped when I saw a cell phone inside. "Yes." I whispered. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

I grabbed the phone, realizing he must have set an alarm and that was why it had started blaring. Grateful he'd left it unlocked, I turned off the alarm and switched to the phone app. I pressed the numbers 9 and 1 and then I halted. If I called 911, they'd need my location and the only information I had to pass along was that I was in the Pine Barrens, but the area was so vast, there was no way to easily find me. I didn't have time for them to get permission to run a trace on this phone. I needed help now. Ranger was my best option. He had all the resources to locate me, and he'd be faster.

I placed my finger on the screen and froze. "Damnit!" I couldn't remember Ranger's number or Morelli's either. Technology had spoiled me with the ability to scroll through my contacts and simply push a button. I decided the best thing to do was Google Rangeman's main number. After locating it and putting the phone on speaker, I dropped it in my lap. As it rang, I started driving again.

"Rangeman, how may I direct your call?"

"Hal?" I whispered, so relieved to hear a familiar voice, I broke down in sobs.

He paused as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Stephanie?" He excitedly called out. "Where are you?"

"Somewhere in the Pine Barrens… I think." I said in between crying and coughing as the congestion in my chest rattled and broke up. "I took his truck. He's going to come after me."

"I've initiated a trace, just stay on the line with me, and keep driving. Don't stop or hang up."

"Okay," I said in a weak voice. Now that I'd finally talked to someone, I felt the fight leaving me, and all the aches and pains I'd been able to ignore were back full force.

"Ranger's on his way, I'm going to patch you through to him," Hal said. "Don't hang up."

In the next instant, I heard the most beautiful word. "Babe?"

Suddenly hearing his voice sent a pang of longing straight to my heart and I let out a whimper. "Ranger!" I sobbed. "My family—my nieces—are they okay?"

"Everyone's fine. Are you hurt?" He didn't hesitate, and I knew he was telling me the truth.

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "He was going to kill me." I sniffed as the emotions consumed me. "I'm sick… and my hand is broken." Stringing those words together took more energy than I had. I released a shuddering breath. "It hurts to breathe… And my eyes are swollen. I can't see very well." My stomach muscles seized, and tears streamed down my face as I started coughing.

"Listen to me. Stephanie… Steph, are you listening? I want you to be strong for a just a little while longer."

"He tried to kill me, but I fought him." I sniffed as I struggled to get the words out before I broke down.

"I'm proud of you, Babe. You're the strongest person I know." He was emphatic and more desperate than I'd ever heard him. "Just hold on. I'm almost there."

I was afraid that even with all my efforts Ranger wasn't going to make it to me in time. I was fading fast, but I still had one important thing I needed to say before it was too late. "I never say it. I didn't want to die without telling everyone." I stammered breathlessly in between coughing and crying. "Tell my family I love them—please. I love…"

Before I could tell him I love him, a shadowy figure emerged from the forest, and stood in the middle of the road. "It's him," I said breathlessly, my mind racing, trying to understand how Durant could have gotten out.

"Who?" Ranger asked as I slammed on the breaks and jerked the wheel. "Stephanie, answer me!" The truck went off the road, turning over as it careened along the ditch, finally coming to a stop as it crashed into a tree. I cracked my head on the window and everything went black.

"Babe!"

I don't know how long I was out, but when I came to, my head was against the driver's side window and the truck was upside down. I heard someone yelling my name. "Ranger?" I whispered and then remembered I'd been talking to him. I had no idea where the phone was, and there was no time to look for it. Smoke was coming from the engine and I smelled gas.

I used my good hand to awkwardly push the door open. Since the truck was upside down, I fell out onto the ground, and nearly blacked out again as my ribs crunched against each other.

"Stephanie!"

I got to my feet, staggering as I quickly put distance between the truck and me. I didn't notice the phone falling into the grass, but I heard Ranger's frantic voice, screaming my name. And then the explosion knocked me back to the ground. When I came around, I was lying face down with debris from the truck all around me. I was too close. The heat from the burning truck was scorching my skin and the smell of burning rubber was so strong I could taste it.

I raised up on my arm, testing my ability to turn over and groaned in misery. I slowly sat up and looked around for Durant. I didn't see him anywhere. Had I imagined him in the road? My ears were ringing, and I knew the explosion could have been heard from miles away. If he'd managed to get out of the cellar, he could follow the smoke to find me. I had to get off the road.

I slowly got to my feet, forcing my battered body to obey as I hiked my pants up around my waist, and took off for the tree line in a clumsy gait, hampered by boots that were too big. The bitter cold wind cut through my clothes, making me shiver and causing me to trip over fallen limbs and underbrush. I ran blindly, branches slashing across my face, stinging me with each swipe. I had no way of knowing if I was going in the right direction. I could be running straight back to the cellar for all I knew.

The longer I ran, the more I gasped for breath. Violent coughs nearly sent me to the ground, but I knew if I went down, I wouldn't be getting back up. I was running out of steam. I took a few more desperate steps before I tripped over a root, and went hurtling down a rocky embankment, banging into each jutting rock and log along the way. I finally came to an abrupt stop when I crashed into a boulder, headfirst.

For a moment, my vision brightened, blinding me with its intensity and in that one split second before it all stopped, I knew I wasn't going to make it, but I still considered it a win. I wasn't going to end up in the glass case. I wasn't going to be his wife for eternity and watch him do this to another woman. The brightness turned dark, and then nothing else mattered.