C H A P T E R ( 2 6 )
Charlotte had never felt anything like the burn in her legs and chest as she pushed herself. Her heart was beating so erratically she wished momentarily she'd taken a few cardio classes at the gym instead of yoga.
Max and Eli didn't seem to having a problem at all, in fact they were taking turns dropping back to run with Charlotte, pulling her hand along behind them. Both boys knew the maze pretty well, even in the faint light from above, barely lighting the pathways ahead of them, they turned each corner with ease and purpose.
They slowed down towards the middle of the maze, the three friends with their backs to the hedge breathing heavily, their eyes darting around alert.
'We can stop for a minute, here we can see both directions for at least thirty meters,' Max heaved spluttering the words as quietly as he could.
Charlotte sank to her knees in pure fatigue, 'I can't believe I dragged you both into my mess, I'm so, so sorry.'
'This isn't the place Charlotte,' Eli shook his head at her. 'We need to stay strong, alert and once we're safely away from this freak you can make it up to me.'
She frowned up at him, this was not the time for suggestive comments!
Eli grinned down at her as Max chuckled, but they both sounded more than a little weary.
'So how can we be sure he's followed us into the maze and isn't waiting for us to come out?' Charlotte whispered to the boys from her spot on the ground.
'We can't be sure,' Max replied taking his phone out of his pocket. 'We'll have to plan for both scenarios.' He took his phone out of his pocket again swearing softly, 'I'll never get service in here!'
'It's done specifically to stop people cheating in the maze,' Eli shook his head. 'I'm so regretting that idea now,' he groaned closing his eyes for a second in frustration.
'Don't feel bad about it,' Charlotte rolled her eyes. 'You hardly designed the maze.'
'Well actually...'
Charlotte raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
'Eli's family pretty much donated Winchester Heights, including the maze. They developed a crap piece of land that no one used and made it a community area,' Max explained.
'I designed the maze with my father, it's why I'm not always so keen to go through it.' He paused sheepishly no doubt remembering the first time Charlotte wanted to do it and he completely shut her down in front of everyone. 'It bores me.'
Charlotte's mouth was wide open, 'Well fuck.'
Max chuckled, 'It's so much dirtier when you swear Charlotte.'
She blushed glad for the dim light, 'I just...there's so much I don't know about you Eli, you constantly surprise me.'
'Well maybe you should stop making snap judgements on people,' he teased.
'You can have your lovers tiff when we're safely out of here,' Max scolded them lightly.
The plan was simple.
Charlotte wasn't sure if it would actually work but it was the only shot they had. They huddled in a grove of the maze right near the entrance, Eli and Max's arms each held a large rock they'd collected along the way. The plan was for them to throw the rocks as far as possible in the opposite direction, into the maze to make it sound like they were in there. Hopefully it would lure Gold to the sound and they could make their escape out the front, up the stairs and out the cars path of Winchester Heights. They didn't have a car so it would be a bit of a run, but the adrenalin pumping through all their veins was making it a lot easier.
Max made the signal by nodding his head, holding up his hand his fingers formed a '1, 2 and finally 3'. Charlotte watched as they both hurled their rocks far off into the black off the night listening as they made a clanking sound against the ground off in the distance, even banging together as they rolled along the ground. The three friends all froze in their spots, listening for any signs of Gold near them.
Eli suddenly put his hands to his lips in silence, nodding as they heard a shuffling right at the entrance to the maze and a blurry figure race into the maze toward the sound.
Charlotte felt her entire body heave with relief, luckily they hadn't gone straight for the entrance, he had been waiting right there for them.
They waited another minute before jumping up and sprinting out of the maze, up the stairs and through the car park. No looking back as they ran, momentarily safe in the knowledge he was deeply in the maze. For a person foreign to Winchester Heights that maze was tricky, so they definitely had a good ten minutes on him.
Charlotte could feel her lungs were about the burst. She felt Eli grip her hand in his almost pulling her along at a slightly faster pace and knew she had to push through it. No matter how tired she was, these boys had risked their life to come and save her and she could almost feel the entire situation was almost over.
Suddenly bright head lights blinded all three of them and they slowed to a jog, Charlotte quickly using this moment to catch her breath. The car screeched to a stop and her heart nearly stopped when Grace jumped out of the passenger door running toward her daughter.
Charlotte let out a small sob and threw herself into her mothers arms, feeling the familiar warmth and safety wash over her. Chuck was next, joining their little group hug.
The police cars piled up behind Chuck's car with the blue flashing flights lighting up the forest all around them.
'He's in the maze for the moment sir,' Eli piped up interrupting their touching family moment with a sense of urgency. 'You need to catch this fucker right? End all of this?'
Chuck's spine straightening considerable and turned to the police force gathering behind them, 'We need to surround the maze and get some floodlights on it, we are not letting him get away this time!' He barked his orders and everyone climbed back into their cruisers.
'Go,' Grace told him softly still clutching Charlotte. 'Go and get him, I'll take the others back to our house.'
Chuck nodded, he knew he needed to do this. He ordered one of the cops to accompany the group back to the house, and Chuck climbed into a spare cruiser with the police.
'Come on ma'am,' the officer said flashing his torch around them, noticing how dark it was with all the cars lights gone. 'We better get back.'
Grace turned to Max and Eli with tears in her eyes, 'Thank you so much for saving her.'
The boys shifted awkwardly in front of her, clearly embarrassed and Charlotte smiled a watery smile.
'It's nothing,' Max mumbled.
'It's everything,' Grace insisted. 'Don't think you're getting out of this without a hug.' She warned, 'Wait till we get home.'
All five of them piled into Chuck's car with the officer driving them swiftly home. Jody was waiting on the front porch when they got there pulling Max into a long hug, 'Can someone please tell me what's going on here?' She demanded. 'There has been police cars outside all night and my baby went missing?'
'Ugh, Mum don't be embarrassing,' Max groaned.
'Come inside Jody, we'll explain everything,' Grace said soothingly guiding everyone into the kitchen.
Charlotte sat at the kitchen table clutching a hot chocolate that Jody had started making for everyone as soon as they got inside. It didn't matter this wasn't her kitchen, she got straight to work as thought she owned the place. Listening silently as Grace filled her in on their story. Max was also pretty intent on hearing the full story seeing as he hadn't a clue who he was up against and Charlotte sank into Eli's comforting presence behind her. His hands massaging her shoulders and back soothingly as they relived the horror one last time.
'Oh my,' Jody's hands hadn't left her opened mouth for the last five minutes. 'You poor thing,' her gaze turned to Charlotte and the sadness in her words made Charlotte's own fill with tears. She blinked them away quickly, scheduling in a good cry when she was finally alone. 'So do they have him?'
Grace shrugged, 'We certainly hope so, Chuck hasn't called yet.'
Everyone sat in a tired silence, the flashing blue and red from the police cars outside the house lit up the room as they waited to hear if Gold had been arrested.
'Are you tired?' Eli slid into the seat next to Charlotte after they retired to the living room to wait.
She shook her head but a wide yawn gave her away.
Eli chuckled, 'You don't want to change your clothes or anything?'
'Is this your way of telling me I smell?' Charlotte teased, but she completely agreed with him. After being tied up in the dirt and flailing about in the maze she knew she must look a pretty sight. She was surprised Eli was even sitting so close to her.
'You stink,' Eli grinned. 'Go and change. I would if I could.'
Charlotte glanced over toward the stairs and hesitation flitted across her face. She knew it was silly, but she felt scared to go into her room again, where he was waiting for her the last time.
'Will you come with me?' She turned to him biting her lip slightly.
'For a shower?' Eli's voice dipped dangerously low as the grin slipped right off his face.
Charlotte let out a reluctant smile, 'Not in the shower with me!'
He laughed again, 'Oh right.'
'I just don't want to be in my room alone right now,' she explained embarrassed.
'I completely understand,' he stood up and reached for her hand. 'We're going to freshen up,' Eli told Grace as they passed everyone to head to the stairs and Max who was fast asleep on the couch.
'I wanted to thank you again,' Charlotte said softly leaning against her bedroom door as she closed it. Eli was quickly scanning the room, checking the wardrobes and bathroom. He turned around to spot the tired girl looking like she was about to burst into tears.
'No, no, don't start that soppy stuff,' he moved toward her smiling widely trying to lighten the mood. 'We're safe now right? It's all over,' he said soothingly slipping his arms around her pulling her off the door and tightly into him.
Charlotte sank into his hug, 'I just mean,' she sighed and pulled away. 'This has been a pretty intense few days and I just wanted to say thanks for being there for me.'
'You're welcome,' he grinned and kissed her forehead.
She felt her cheeks burning up, 'It's just, we've only been together a little while and you've been so amazing...'
Eli's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise.
'Wait – I mean,' Charlotte's cheeks flushed a bright red. 'Not that we're in a relationship or anything,' she shook her head emphatically. 'No I meant –'
'Relax,' the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. 'I like you too Charlotte,' he leant down and kissed her sweetly on the mouth. 'Now are you going for the first shower or am I? Or we could always save water and...' He shrugged his shoulders trailing the sentence off.
Charlotte whacked his arm pushing him away gently, 'Easy tiger. I'll go first and then I'll find you some of Chuck's clothes.'
Eli took a seat on her bed, pulling a magazine off her bedside table while Charlotte headed into the bathroom. 'Hey Char?'
She popped her head around the door with a smile, 'Yeah?'
'Let's say they don't find Gold and he's not arrested...'
She felt her heart sink, 'yeah?'
'Does that mean you can't stay here?' His question was slow and hesitant, like he didn't really want the answer.
'Let's worry about that if we have to.'