Intimate Stranger (Editing)

Chapter 21: Lilah

She screeched, dodging his clutch. This action obviously wasn't thought out, on his part, because as he grabbed for her, it caused him to stumble. Lilah jumped to the end of the staircase, three stairs from bottom. She then turned and watched as Steve tumbled, rolling down the stairs heavily, grunting and groaning as he fell. What a stroke of luck, Lilah thought.

His large body reached the bottom, and Lilah stepped out of the way as he thundered to a stop. Lilah panted, her hand to her chest. She tried to catch her breath, feeling her heart pound within her.

He wasn't moving, and his eyes were closed. She took a step closer to the body, examining him curiously. Do I dare? She asked herself. She took another step closer, seeing no movement.

Taking caution, she quickly kicked his leg with her foot. Nothing.

Steve was unconscious.

-

William Finley

He tossed and turned in his bed as he laid beside his wife, nightmares of that night coursing through his mind. It happened a year ago. A young girl was being held by her psychotic, alcoholic father. Detective William Finley was the first man on the scene, but he wasn't there soon enough. The father doused the room in gasoline and lit a match. William remembered the heat and the flames scorching everything in sight. But most of all, he remembered the little girl, trapped in the closet, unable to get out.

He couldn't get to her. He could hear her screaming. William was ordered to evacuate. By the time the firemen burst in, it was too late. He blamed himself. Every second of every day, that little girls life was on his conscience.

The nightmare was cut short by a shrill ringing, that of which caused Will to wake up with a start. His wife, Beth, stirred beside him, sighing. Her bright blonde hair was tousled across her white pillow.

The ringing was the phone. Will swiped his sweaty forehead, running his hand over his short black hair, and he turned on his bedside light. He checked the caller ID before answering. It read Malick, C. His boss. He leaned over to look at the clock. 3:15am.

Goddamn, he thought, what could this be about?

His wife moaned, turning over to look at him, "Who is it, babe?" She questioned, exhaustion in her voice.

"It's just work," he answered, picking up the phone, "Go back to sleep." He pressed "talk" and brought the phone to his ear, "Hello?"

"Good morning, Detective Finley," he heard his boss greet.

He responded, "Morning, Chief."

"Sorry to disturb you so early in the morning," he started, "but a job has come up and I want you on the case."

"What is it, sir?" Will questioned.

"Hostage situation," William's breath caught in his throat. "A group of teen girls at 94567 Westwood St." The image of the little girl swarmed by fire flashed in his mind. "Can you head over there?"

"I'll be there in 10 minutes," The image of the girl in the closet flashed in his mind and he blocked it out, unable to let the past affect him.

"Good. I'll see you there," Charles Malick answered. 

William nodded, though his boss could not see the action. He pushed the image of the fire out of his mind. This time will be different, he assured himself. This time he would save those girls. This time he wouldn't fail. 

--

Lilah

Lilah surveyed Steve's body for a few moments longer. She couldn't believe he was actually knocked out. It was like the best thing that could happen.

She turned and stared at the door, Now, she thought, I need to run over to my house and call the cops.

She slowly walked towards the front door, looking to her right, where she saw Steve's laptop and camera equipment in the living room. "Damn," she swore to herself, "I wonder what he's doing with those." Then she remembered Katie tied to the bed in her parents room and she shuddered. Poor girl.

Lilah stood in front of the door, quickly removing the dead bolt. Taking a deep breath, she gripped the doorknob, turning it slowly, anticipating her freedom.

The door swung open, revealing the early morning darkness. She stepped forward onto the porch and took a deep breath, sucking the fresh hair into her lungs. She stretched her arms to sky, looking up and seeing the stars.

She looked over her shoulder and gazed down the hallway at the still unconscious Steve before closing the door and crossing the driveway. The was a van on a street, and she assumed that it was Steve's.

Her heart pounded with exhilaration. She was running, she was almost there. That much closer to the phone. To help. Lilah could see her front door. She envisioned the comforting scent of her home. She could almost taste it.

Until she was stopped short when she collided with the unexpected form of a man, who suddenly appeared from around the corner of her house.

"It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph."-Edmond Burke