Loyal

Chapter 94

Colin's POV

            "THERE! RIGHT OVER THERE!" Becca is frantic, pointing forward into the distance. I swerve to the left at the seemingly abandoned house Becca spots before I do. It's an older white house, with peeling paint and rotting windows.  As soon as I slam the breaks Becca flys forward, pressing against the dashboard. I can't even check to see if she's okay, I throw the car door open, leaving the keys in the ignition. The house is shrouded in darkness except for a hanging porch light near the door. Wind starts to blow violently, making the tall grass on the yard surrounding cling to me. 

            "Colin! Please! Wait!" Becca's shouts from behind me disappear among the sound of my shoes hitting the ground, and the anger in my heavy breathing.

            I slam the door to the front of the farmhouse open, and it breaks from its hinges.

            "VERA!?" I call loudly, my voice breaking the eerie silence in the abandoned home. Right beside the doorway is a long block of wood. I grab it without hesitation; I'll need something to knock the shit out of Cam with if I see him. 

            "VERA!?" I call out again, hurrying into the dimly lit house. The place is dilapidated, loose floorboards hanging from the ceiling, and moss growing on walls on all sides.The stench of mold hits my nostrils. My time is limited, and for some damn reason I can feel that. Vera, baby girl, please be okay, please wait for me. The house is empty; the only sign of life is a pair of shoes at and a large duffel bag beside a cobwebbed staircase. I move stealthily forward, running my hand along the stairway. My heart is beating, adrenaline pumping through me. Maybe there's a door to a basement? Maybe they're upstairs? My fingers find a brass doorknob along the wall of the staircase. I kick the duffle bag out of the way, spilling its contents across the floor.  Several contents sprawl across the floor, a rope...a flashlight...a large knife....my thoughts run crazy but I keep them quiet. Maybe this is Cam's bag? And if it is, the fuck he's doing with all this shit, I don't want to know. I grab onto the doorknob and twist, it gives way. I ease myself quietly into the narrow angular shaped doorway, squinting my eyes in the dim light.

            "VERA!?" I yell down the staircase, cautiously advancing. The smell of mold gets stronger as I descend down into the basement. 

The sound of someone gagging sets my senses on edge, and I bound down the rest of the way.

            "VERA!?" I shout, jumping over the stair railing as soon as I'm close enough to the basement floor. My feet hit cement and I look up, quickly taking in my surroundings.

            The basement is damp, old, and dim. Everything is rotting. In the corner I spot a looming figure. His frame is undeniable. Cam. He turns to face me, and as soon as he does, I catch sight of Vera. My heart stops.