Caged In

Chapter 18

Her heart races and panic is felt through the crack in the window for airflow as Sophia takes quick steps forward. Rolling my window down she rushes words out before breathing deep. "Someone is in my house." Her hand grips the door. What? Shutting the engine off before opening the door and stepping out to hold it open for her. "Get in." She doesn't move, crossing her arms, eyes narrow. Locking eyes the standoff begins, neither giving ground to the other. She moves her hands to the curve of her hip leaning slightly on her leg jetting her hip out. Its hard not to follow the way her body moves and curves. Focus.

"I'm not getting in, what about you? I don't have my handgun with me and they could have a weapon. We should call the police." Eyes flash with the danger of lightning in her argument. She gives no room for arguments, but I love a challenge. "I will be fine. Get in. If I'm not back in ten minutes take my truck and get out of here. If you see anyone coming close that isn't me or someone you know, leave. Do you understand me?" Grabbing her arm waiting for a response, her eyes narrow more than I thought possible. She sucks in her cheek chewing the inside hard but Sophia nods reluctantly. Placing a chaste kiss to her cheek she loosens her jaw with a sigh before I help her in the vehicle making sure she locks the doors.

Getting to the front porch the house is dark. Peering in I strain my senses, watching, listening. I have to hold my breath to pick up the sound over my own adrenaline. Hearing four hearts beating low, three are fast pace and irregular. The animals. The fourth skips and calms with every sound heard. Intruder. They are upstairs, I see a ray of a flashlight flicker down the stairs from time to time in time. The back door is wide open. Jumping the railing on the side of the porch I follow the house towards the back. Coming to the door inhaling deep the scent is off, soured. Searching around something doesn't feel right.

Keno is missing.

I don't hear him or see him. He would never let someone in here without a fight but I find no blood or signs of a struggle other than the door off its hinges.

Up the stairs slow and quiet I hear the mutters he makes to himself. At the back of the hallway a door is ajar. Walking past Sophia's room it is trashed as well as the room next to it. He didn't skip over any rooms in his hunt for things he does not own, even the bathroom is torn up. His muttering grows the closer I get, he reasons with himself on all the pretty things he lays his hands on, what to take, what to leave, the pay they all will bring. He stops when he hears a board under my foot creak with the weight placed on it. Shit. Stopping my progression breathing low, leaning to peek through the crack of the door waiting for him to notice; he doesn't. I notice him though. Eyes bugged with pupils grown wide in an unnatural way, his nose flares as his paranoia peeks before it settles back down with a twitch of his head. He mutters once more under his breath before a tarnished smile reveals rotten teeth. His smell is soured. Everything on him is off.

Sliding into the room a few steps are taken before the distance separating us is lost. The floor squeaks again underfoot but this time I am seen when he turns around. Slammed against the wall his breath is lost on impact. Gulping and gasping, saliva sputters out. Bones break and blood flows through his gnarled nose when my fist makes contact. His eyes grow bulging out of their sockets with the shock of reality sinking into his mind. Grabbing him by his shoulder to pin him to the wall nails dig in and his voice sounds out in a harsh cry. "Where is the dog?" My questions will be answered. I know it's the first thing she will worry about. Her animals are everything. He pants and begs for me to let go. His cries fall on deaf ears. Digging nails in further the pleas are lost to the pain when the call breaks its sound. "Where is he? Tell me now and I might just let you go." Flashing teeth the canines press down on my lip. Easing off he pulls at his shoulder and eyes flicker around the room looking for an escape.