Chapter 7 - Confrontation in the Dark
The heavy brass rod struck Vance squarely in the center of his chest. The force of my sudden charge caught him off guard, knocking the breath out of his lungs with a harsh gasp. He stumbled backward into the hallway, his boots slipping on the slick blood covering the hardwood floor.
I didn't give him a chance to recover. I swung the brass lamp like a baseball bat, striking him across the side of his neck.
Vance roared in pain, dropping his empty pistol. He lunged forward, his massive hands reaching out and grabbing my jacket collar. He slammed me against the hallway wall so hard my vision turned white for a second. The lamp clattered to the floor, rolling out of reach.
"You crazy bitch!" Vance growled, his face inches from mine. His breath stank of tobacco and iron. He raised the heavy tactical knife in his right hand, the steel blade gleaming cold in the dark. "I'm going to carve you up!"
I gripped his wrists with both hands, using every ounce of strength in my body to hold the blade away from my throat. His muscles were like iron, pressing down against me with relentless pressure. The tip of the blade lowered inch by inch, hovering right above my collarbone.
"Mommy!"
Through the doorway, I saw Lily crawl out from under the bed. She picked up a heavy glass paperweight from the nightstand and ran out into the hallway, throwing it with all her tiny strength.
The glass sphere struck Vance right on his wounded left shoulder—the exact spot where I had stabbed him three days ago.
Vance let out a high-pitched scream of agony as his raw, infected wound was re-injured. His grip on me slackened for a fraction of a second.
It was all the opportunity I needed.
I brought my knee up with brutal force, striking him right between the legs. Vance doubled over, dropping the tactical knife. I grabbed him by his greasy hair and smashed his face down onto my raised knee. His nose shattered with a loud crack, blood spurting across the floor.
He collapsed onto his back, groaning, his hands clutching his shattered face and shoulder.
I snatched the tactical knife off the floor, holding the blade tightly, and stepped over him. I kicked his legs away and pointed the knife straight at his throat.
"Don't move," I gasped, my chest heaving, tears streaming down my blood-spattered face. "Don't you dare move!"
Vance lay there, gasping for air, choking on his own blood. The fight had finally been drained out of him.
From down the street, the roar of approaching sirens echoed through the night air. Red and blue lights flashed through the front windows of the safe house, illuminating the chaotic scene. Heavy boots pounded up the front porch steps, and flashlight beams cut through the darkness of the hallway.
"POLICE! HANDS IN THE AIR!"
Detective Miller scrambled up from the floor near the kitchen, holding his bleeding side where a bullet had grazed him. "She's clear! She's clear! Secure the suspect!"
Officers flooded the hallway, tackling Vance to the ground and slapping heavy steel handcuffs onto his wrists. He offered no resistance as they dragged him out into the rain.
Detective Miller stumbled over to me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay, Sarah?"
I dropped the knife onto the floor. My hands were shaking so uncontrollably I couldn't keep them still. I looked back toward the bedroom doorway, where Lily stood, watching me with wide, dark eyes.
May you like
I fell to my knees and opened my arms. Lily ran across the floor and threw her arms around my neck, sobbing hysterically into my shoulder. I pulled her close, pressing my face into her hair, holding her so tightly I felt like we were one person.
"It's over, baby," I sobbed, tears washing the dust and blood from my cheeks. "It's over. We made it."
