Chapter Fourteen

~Zach Goode~

~November 21~

I never realized until recently how valuable time is. There are so many things I took for granted almost seven years ago that I wish I could get back. I didn't realize that those precious moments with my wife would come to and end so abruptly.

Is that what this is?

The end?

But then there are instances where time seems to creep by slowly. So slow, in fact, that my sanity is on the line. It feels like it's taking its leisurely time to crawl up my spine and run through my veins, completely encompassing me in the ever-present longing. Longing for an alternate universe where Cammie is still here in my arms, her belly round with our child, our daughter playing in the snow and our son tucked in-between us. We both had stable jobs that we worked so hard to gain.

Our family, my father and mother, would still be alive. Rachel Morgan wouldn't resent my guts. My Cammie would have met her nephew, Matt, and our daughter's very best friend that reminds me so much of you and me. You would console Bex while she was pregnant and I would be joyful enough to sit on the porch with Grant and a couple of Corona beers.

And then when someone from our circle of friends has another baby, the men would all go out to smoke cigars and you would become royally pissed at us saying, "We bring life into this world and now you're trying to take away yours? Dumbasses…"

And then we would go home and I would make up for it with our sexy-time.

And then like the goofy, quirky, silly girl you are, you would stay up till three in the morning baking. Just baking. And stuffing your face, of course.

My silly Cookie.

I used to have dreams of you in our kitchen baking your favorite macadamia chocolate chip cookies, filling our largest china plate with them. Then you would fill a glass of milk and walk your masterpiece up to the nursery which is now MC's princess room. You would place the refreshments on her bedside table and she would hand you a book about knights, castles, dragons, and a princess named MC.

You would read to her in the same hypnotic voice that always lured me to you. The same voice that I fell in love with.

My sweet Cookie.

You both fall asleep in each other's arms and my chest would contract with so much joy. So much love for my two favorite girls. But I wouldn't dare try to wake you up and get you into a bed that wasn't half your size, mostly just so I could cuddle up with you, but I would leave you two together because I know that one day these precious moments won't be able to be reciprocated. Because time passes to quickly in the human eyes. Because it creeps up slowly but then you find yourself looking behind to find out it has already passed you by.

It felt like time crept by too slowly as Grant and I ran down the streets of the neighborhood looking for any sign of MC.

But all of a sudden it flashed right before my eyes when I neared the abandoned house and I could see MC sitting in the snow.

And it was time that passed right ahead of me before I could register the bound hands of my little girl, or the way her eyes lit up in fear the way they did when she heard the monsters in her closet.

Time flashed right by me.

This time, I saw the van.

~X~X~X~X~

Everything was fuzzy, unclear. I couldn't recall anything that occurred after I spotted MC lying there looking so helpless in the snow. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know where MC or Grant were. But I could definitely feel the ropes digging into my ankles and wrists, since I was currently tied to a cold, plastic chair. I could feel the bulge of the gun in my back pocket.

And.

There.

She.

Was.

Pain. Pain. Pain.

"C-Cammie…" I struggle with my voice as tears and rapid sobs break through the barrier I've held up for the past seven years.

She looked so much thinner. She looked bruised and broken. Her hair was a bit damp with grime and sweat. Her wrists and ankles were bruised and bloody.

But she was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Still so beautiful.

Anger settles in me, though, since the tears are flowing to rapidly to see anything but a blurred outline. I so desperately want to reach out…

"Cookie? Can you hear me, Love?" I cry out in desperation.

When she doesn't move and I can't see her chest rise and fall through the thick layers of baggy clothes, I start to panic.

"Cammie…" I realize that she's just lying on the floor in front of me…and I recognize the room. The basement of the abandoned house. And just like that, more pain ebbs into me just at the thought of her being so close. So close, all this time.

"Cammie! Answer me! Please…" she lies unmoving. "Please…"

I beg, and her head lifts a bit and her beautiful eyes peer up at me. They're glassed over and unfocused, but they are still so, so beautiful.

I see her lips form my name but her angelic voice can't be heard. And I am suddenly aching for that sound.

"Cookie," I whimper and she's crying just like I am. And we so desperately want to reach out to each other but I can tell how hard it is for her.

"I love you, Cammie. I love you. I love you…" I trail off as I'm struggling against he tight ropes and I see her trying to say the same to me.

Booming laughter interrupts our chants and heavy footsteps echo throughout the basement.

"What a touching reunion," says a voice behind me that makes me visibly bristle in hostility.

My chair is lurched forward as he kicks me to the floor.

"Cammie, baby, don't you want to see how you've ruined the life of your little indiscretion?" he laughs and pulls Cammie up painfully by the arms, slamming her into the metal pillar in the basement.

"Stop! I'm so sorry, Cammie," I cry because she whimpers in obvious pain and our tears flow freely.

"Oh, Zach….how long has it been? Sixteen years?" he pulls my chair up so that he's right in my face.

It's the first time I've seen Luther Finnegan in sixteen years and to say it's shocking and utterly disgusting is an understatement. His greasy black hair is gelled back and his long nose and beady eyes mirror those of a ferret.

Ferret face.

He licks his lips for a moment before rifling through a bag on the cement floor. He pulls out a long electric prod and grins evilly as he saunters towards me.

"You've corrupted my wife," he sneers and a growl emanates from me.

"She's not your FUCKING WIFE!" I yell and he lashes out at me, the electric prod contacting against the exposed skin on my arms after being stripped to just my undershirt and jeans-probably while I was unconscious.

"She IS mine. She's been mine since the first grade! Or do you remember old Zachy-O of how you stole my best friend!" he sneers and jabs the prod into my abdomen and I yell in shock, my eyes rolling into the back of my head.

"And then you turned her against me! You stole her from me for sixteen years!" he beats me with the prod, electrocuting and making the blood rush to my head with each blow continuously.

"And then you knocked her up!" he grunts as he punches me , his fist connecting me with my jaw. My head snaps at the blow and I spit up blood before hanging my head to look towards Cammie who's eyes are even more alert and her lips are moving as if she's trying to scream.

"She is MY WIFE-"

The electric prod connects with my ribcage and I hear a definite cracking sound. I gasp for breath.

"STOP!"

We both still as we hear her hoarse voice reverberate throughout the basement.

"I'm so sorry, Cammie."

"I love you, Zach,"

We both say and we're sobbing together as we stare at each other for the first time in almost seven years.

I finally notice Luther, his eyes dark and his hands red. He's shaking visibly as he stares at us.

Time finally catches up and passes by as he reaches into his back pocket and raises the weapon to my forehead.

I gulp and look at Cammie one last time. One last precious moment.

"I love you, Cookie."

And a shot rings out, disrupting the eerie silence.

A.N. CLIFFED AGAIN! MWAHAHA! I'm sorry for doin this….okay not really because I'm so evil. Uh huh.

So….over 30 reviews on that really mini chapter? WTH? That shocked me completely. See, I was trying reverse psychology to try and get at least 20+ reviews by asking for 30+ reviews…buuut you guys gave me more…SO!

I hope you'll comment again!

~Akira