Jo's heart hammered in her chest. The killer had been gone for an hour, but to her it seemed like years. Her fear of the dark subsided slightly, only to be reignited by an unknown sound. Thankfully, she had fallen asleep for around a half hour, giving her solace from this nightmare. Little did she know, in those moments of sleep, the killer had added another element to his torture routine.

He had given her a mild sedative while she slept - only to keep her unconscious until he was finished. Carefully, he wheeled her out of the room she was in, and into a much smaller room. This room was about the size of a janitors closet, barely fitting the operating table inside. Once she was neatly in place, he closed the door and waited.

Now, as she tried desperately to see in the dark room, awareness was dawning on her. The boarded up windows had vanished, and so did her restraints. Sitting up on the table, she felt the room spin on itself. Jo got her bearings and reached her hand out for something, anything to cling to. Her palm found the wall next to her, and as she felt around the room, she realized what he had done.

She was trapped inside a tiny room.

In the dark.

Alone.

Tears tickled at the corners of her eyes. This was one thing she hated about being afraid; instead of simply panicking, she would cry. Sometimes they would come in small drops, while other times they would come like mighty rivers. Jo did her very best to keep the tears at bay, but she had so little strength; it was useless.

"Oh, dear God, help me," She sobbed, trying to catch her breath. It would do her no good to hyperventilate here in this small space, but she feared that was the path she was headed toward.

Scooting her body toward one end of the operating table, she leaned against the wall and pulled her legs up toward her chest. Placing her forehead on her knees, she closed her eyes and prayed. It wasn't something she had done in years, but now seemed like a good time to begin again. Did God know she was here? Did he see her fear and panic? Did he have a plan to get her out? All these questions and more plagued her mind.

If only she knew who was in the car outside.

Henry could hear Lieutenant Reece's words, and they sent a surge of panic through his heart. Why would he be not allowed to go in? Certainly, she had to know it was the whole purpose of his coming. He was going to go in there and find Jo. It would take more than a simple command from his boss to stop him. Hanson must have known this, because he gave him a look right before hanging up the phone.

"Henry, don't even think about it."

"We can't just sit here!" Henry said, raising his voice. "You know what a few simple moments could mean." His voice was panicked now, doing it's best to help Hanson understand the implications.

He nodded. "Of course I do, Doc. But I also know what could happen if we go in there without help."

He knew as well, but he didn't want to think about it. Scanning the scene outside the car, he began to contemplate making a break for it. But what if his presence did indeed cause more harm than good? Henry would never forgive himself if Jo was harmed because of a choice he made.

They remained in the car for a few moments longer, before he decided. Trying to remain calm was proving difficult. If Henry was able to open the door and get out quickly enough, certainly he could outrun Hanson. Part of his heart felt guilt for what he about to do, but his resolve to save her was what kept him from backing down.

In one quick motion, Henry had the door open and was running away from the car before Hanson knew what hit him. Of course, Hanson couldn't yell after him. Any loud noise could alert the killer of their presence, and that could be disastrous for Jo. Adrenaline coursed through Henry's vein's as he headed into the first warehouse. He only paused a moment to catch his breath before starting his search.

The warehouse was dark, which made it difficult for Henry to see where he was going. From what he could tell, the bottom level was one giant room. Jo wouldn't be here, he reasoned, as it would be too easy for her to be found. Making his way over to the staircase, he paused at the bottom, listening. There wasn't a single sound, which was disheartening. Yet, despite the silence, Henry pressed on.

That was when he heard it.

Sobbing.

"Jo," He whispered, as excitement rushed through him. She was alive!

It didn't take long for Henry to find the source of the sobbing. He scanned every room with diligence, until he came to the final room. A small storage closet, probably used to house cleaning supplies and the workers personal belongings. He jiggled the door handled, and found (much to his surprise) it was unlocked. Light flooded the tiny space, revealing something heartbreaking. Jo was curled up in a ball at the head of what looked to be an operating table, weeping. The sight was shocking, as Henry had never seen her so upset.

"Jo," He said softly, getting up on the operating table with her.

She jumped, instinctively putting her hands up in a protective stance. It took her a moment before Jo realized who it was that spoke her name. But when she did, she let out a small cry of relief and threw herself into his arms.

Author's Note:

Short chapter, guys. I'm sorry for not updating for awhile, but hopefully, I'll be able to update more regularly. Hope you all are having a wonderful Monday! God bless!