Vulnerable

Chapter 44

Logan's POV

We were sat in the back of a police car, Lisa and Charlie beside me, while Henry sat up front with one of the officers. We were on our way to the abandoned hotel we were certain she was being held. Police and paramedics were ahead of us, but we all insisted on coming too. They reluctantly agreed and made us promise to stay out of the way, after realising we would have followed on foot if we had to.

I gripped my phone in my hands, watching as my step father sliced Megan's skin, making her scream more than I had ever heard before.

'Do you have to watch that?' Henry spat. 'Do you enjoy it or something, you sicko?'

In the time Megan had been missing, my relationship with her father hadn't gotten any better. In fact it had gotten worse.

'Of course not!' I spat back. 'I need to know she's okay.'

'Well she's clearly not okay!' Henry yelled. 'She's screaming bloody murder and you're watching it like it's a crime tv show or something.'

'At least while she's screaming, it means she's alive.' I shot back. 'If she's alive then we still have a chance to save her.'

'Turn it off Logan.' Henry growled. 'I don't want to hear her screaming for mercy. I don't want to-' his voice caught as he fought back the tears.

Lisa gave my knee a comforting squeeze as I turned the volume down, but kept the screen on. Lisa was like me, and wanted to have the reassurance of her being alive, but seeing her like that was torturous for all of us.

Cole had left the screen and Benji was sitting on her bed, talking to her as she cried. My curiosity peaked, and I turned the volume back up, loud enough for Charlie, Lisa and I to hear.

'Why not? They don't care about you. That Charlie boy threw a party last night. All your friends went. I even heard your precious boyfriend was moving on in the arms of a very beautiful uni student.' Benji lied through his teeth. Bringing up me with another girl would hurt her, but I prayed she saw through his lies.

'You're lying.' She retorted, though I could see this doubt and sadness in her eyes.

'What could I possibly have to gain from lying to you?' Benji said, throwing his hands up in the air.

'You want to break me.' Her voice was barely detectable. 'You know they're the only piece of hope left for me to cling onto.'

Megan was breathing heavily and we were all instantly filled with panic. 'Please tell me they're nearly there?' I asked the officer driving, who quickly checked in with his colleagues through the walkie talkie.

'5 minutes away.' He nodded.

'I know they love me.' Megan panted. 'I know they're coming for me.'

'You're delusional.' Benji laughed. 'You're alone in this world. Cole and I are the only thing left for you.'

My heart ached for her, praying she'd hold on, that she wouldn't believe him. 'We're coming, baby.' I whispered to the screen.

'You're a monster.'Megan breathed, clearly in pain.  'I will never believe they don't love me. I will never stop loving them.'

It was almost as if she were talking to us. As if she knew we were on the other side of the camera.

'She's saying goodbye.' Lisa choked on a sob.

'Hurry the fuck up.' I yelled at the poor guy driving us.

'They've arrived, they're going in now.' He officer replied, unfazed by cruel tone.

Benji was leaning over Megan's body, clearly panicking. He pulled an oxygen mask over her mouth and started doing chest compressions.