Jonas Saul - The Hostage

“I’ll tell her,” Drake said.

Elmore lowered his gun. “Town is far from here. Sarah doesn’t have a phone. The police couldn’t possibly be here within the hour and you’re going to bleed out by then. I will not make your death quick. Goodbye, Rod. Enjoy the afterlife.”

Elmore pushed Drake toward the stairs. They made it to the hallway and then the front door. Elmore stepped out first to scan the area, not worried that Drake would try to run away.

The area was serene, with nothing moving. He guided Drake to the rear of his car and opened the trunk.

“Get in.”

Drake rolled into the trunk without protest.

Elmore got behind the wheel and left his property via the back way, vowing to himself to never return again.

It pained her heart to leave Drake behind. The chance that Elmore would kill both men and leave was very high. She only hoped that he would take a hostage. Being a hostage and alive was better than not being a hostage and dead.

She got to the end of the driveway and ran along the shoulder of a two-lane highway. Traffic raced by as people drove into Toronto for the day’s work.

She waved and leaned into the road at every passing car, attempting to get their attention. After the fifth car had passed, she stepped into the road in front of a small Honda Civic. The sun had gotten high enough for her to be seen without headlights.

The Honda slowed and pulled onto the shoulder beside Sarah.

“Is everything okay?” the female driver asked.

“Do you have a cell phone?” Sarah asked. “I need to use it. I don’t want a ride. I just need to make an emergency call. Do you have a phone?”

“Who doesn’t nowadays? Come on, get in.”

Sarah ran around to the passenger side, jumped in and shut the door. The driver turned on her four-ways and handed Sarah a small pink phone.

“Are you okay? Did you run out of gas?”

“Not really. You’ll hear everything when I make this call.”

She had considered staying in the house and attacking Elmore on her own, but decided he was too crazy and had too many devices, like the tranquilizer gun and needle. Vivian hadn’t offered her any notes on Elmore, so she wondered if her odds would be better with the police going in and dealing with him legally.

She watched the driveway as she dialed the police.

She needed to distance herself from that basement and what had gone on in there to other victims. As a woman, it was too much to handle.

The line at emergency services rang.

“Police,” she said after being prompted. Then, “I need to speak to Spencer Milton, the lead investigating officer of the Rogers Centre shooting. I have information for him. Tell him my name is Sarah Roberts. Yes, I will wait.”

The woman sitting beside her put both hands on the steering wheel. Her right leg started tapping up and down. Sarah caught the driver’s head moving back and forth as she checked her mirrors.

“It’s okay,” Sarah said as a way of comforting her. “Don’t worry. None of this will come back to you. We’re the good guys.”

The driver nodded, but Sarah could see this was bothering her.

The line clicked and then she heard, “Spencer here. How do I know you’re Sarah Roberts?”

“Drake told me about you. He filled me in on Monika and how you stopped her at the lake. Listen, I need you to locate a cop friend of mine. He’s the only one I trust. He’s in Toronto and he’s going to be pissed that I wasn’t on that plane. I need his help. His name is Parkman.”

“Hold on,” Spencer said.

There was a pause where it sounded like the phone was being jostled. A large truck passed by and the little Honda shook. Sarah snuck a glance at the driver. She didn’t look any better.

“Sarah?”

Parkman.

“Parkman. Listen, I have a problem.”

“Right to business, I see. I was worried, you know.”

“You think I did this on purpose?”

“Never. Where are you? I’ll come get you. What’s this they want to charge you with murder? And who was Joseph Singer anyway?”

“That’s nothing. Rod made it up.”

“He doesn’t know you very well then.”

“Ask Spencer where I am. He came to the house yesterday.”

Parkman pulled the phone away and then back. “He says he knows exactly where you are but doesn’t know why you’re there.”

“Long story — but you have to hurry. Drake is in the basement with a gunshot wound to his leg and I think Rod got shot bad too. Elmore may be on the run, but I haven’t seen him leave his property yet. Bring everything you got and… just get here.”

Hope filled her eyes in the form of tears.

Sarah handed the phone back to the driver. She offered a reassuring smile and stepped from the vehicle. The little Honda sped away, kicking up a few stones off the shoulder.

She found a spot just inside the woods where she could sit and wait while still able to see Elmore’s driveway entrance.

In less than ten minutes she could hear the sirens in the distance.

Good, this is finally coming to an end.

She walked back out to the road, and a brown car in the distance came her way. The vehicle had to be going at least a hundred miles an hour. An ambulance trailed it.

Sarah waited until no other cars were visible and walked across the road to meet the unmarked cruiser.

Parkman jumped out, a toothpick sticking out of the corner of his mouth.

Some things never change.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, but I could’ve used your help a couple days ago.”

“I didn’t know where you were. I’m here now. Jump in and brief us on what to expect when we enter this home. We’re going in right now.”

Spencer offered her a more welcoming smile than she deserved after having stolen Drake from his protection and run away with him. He started the car up Elmore’s driveway while Sarah told them more details about Drake and Rod and their wounds. She explained the cages and what Elmore had been doing in the past. She added that he ate fingernails, which got a strange look from Parkman, who then rolled his window down a little and spit his toothpick out.

There was no movement at the front of the house as they got close.

“His car was here when I ran out the front door. I don’t know how he got past me. I watched his driveway while I waited for you guys.”

Spencer stopped the car and they all got out, both cops with guns already in their hands. The ambulance stayed back fifty meters, and no paramedics exited.

“Stay out here,” Spencer said.

Sarah nodded. Gladly. Too creepy in there.

She wasn’t the trained professional in these situations that the two men approaching the house were.

In the distance, it sounded like a whole platoon of cop cars were en route.

Spencer and Parkman stood on either side of the front door for the count of three and then Parkman stepped out, kicked the door and disappeared inside. Spencer followed him.

Sarah sat down in the backseat of the cruiser, leaving the door open. She waited a full minute before she couldn’t anymore handle it anymore. If Elmore’s car was gone then so was he. That meant no danger and Drake and Rod needed that ambulance.

She got up, walked to the front door and entered the main foyer. Spencer saw her from the kitchen.

“I thought I told you to stay outside.”

Parkman stepped between them from an office. “You think you can get Sarah to do what you want?”

Spencer started up the stairs, his weapon held high. Parkman opened the basement door.

“Be careful,” Sarah said.

Parkman nodded. “Hello? Anyone down there?”

They both listened, but heard nothing.