Flawed Creatures

Shades of Gray -44-

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

What if she lied when she agreed to their fly or die pact? What if she had every intention of leaving town without Ellie and had already done so? Ellie was unable to come up with another reason why Cara had yet to return to her house. Therefore, she grabbed Jeff's car keys and navigated the mostly quiet streets as quickly as possible, soon pulling into the driveway belonging to the Mackintosh household with a stomach tangled in knots. Though she noticed Cara's car none of those knots loosened.

In such a hurry she almost forgot to switch off the ignition, Ellie rushed from the car and up the stairs to the front door, which she banged on instead of the normal knocking. Not even thirty seconds later the knots within became tighter. Something was wrong. What that something was Ellie hadn't any clue, but she could feel it.

Panic already at the forefront of her emotions, it heightened when she turned and despite the darkness saw Dennis' car parked next to the curb. Oh God. What was he doing home? Earlier Cara mentioned he wouldn't be there since he was supposed to be spending the night with his girlfriend, so why was she staring at his car?

Dennis was home and his daughter who returned home one last time to pack her belongings wasn't answering the door. Neither of them were.

Shit.

The window with light peeking through it catching her attention, Ellie walked up to it, squinting while doing her best to look beyond the curtains. Thankfully they were thin enough to afford her a view of the living room. What she observed caused every ounce of blood within her body to run cold. There was Dennis with Cara pinned to the floor, his hands wrapped around her throat, chilly eyes fixed on her face, his filled with determination.

To kill her.

He intended to kill her.

His own flesh and blood.

He had to be stopped.

Cara had stopped Jeff and now she had to stop Dennis. Not bothering to check if the shut window happened to be unlocked, Ellie leapt to the bottom of the porch steps, lowered to her knees and searched until she located a rock large enough to do damage. Instead of throwing it, she held it while banging until most of the destroyed pane rested in pieces on either side of the window.

Rock tossed to the side Ellie climbed into the house and sprinted in their direction begging Dennis to leave her alone, fists pummeling his shoulders. He, however, paid her no attention. So focused was he on ending his daughter's life it seemed he hadn't any clue Ellie had broken into his living room and stood right behind him. Panicked eyes flicked toward Cara's reddened face. She didn't have much time. The bastard actually was about to kill her.

Surroundings searched for something that could be used as a weapon, Ellie was surprised to find a revolver on a couch cushion. She barely remembered picking it up. She barely remembered aiming toward the back of his head. However, she distinctly remember its power, lethal bullet sailing through once her finger pulled the trigger.

"Wow," an impressed voice started, "I didn't think you had it in you."

Ellie blinked and just that quickly Dennis' body disappeared as did Cara. Revolver feeling hot against her palm, she swiveled in the opposite direction where Dennis sat in a recliner. A grin splitting his lips, the moment he sat forward she noticed the crimson wetness staining the chair. She gripped the butt of the gun tighter, wondering if she should shoot him between the eyes. "You're dead. I shot you. You should be dead."

Dennis' grin didn't dissipate. "Don't worry, Ellie. I am." Light eyes glanced toward the gun. "How did it feel to take a life?" When she said nothing he sat back, casually crossing one leg over the other. "Isn't it funny? Some soldier sick in the head after going to Vietnam shot your beloved parents to death and now you've shot your beloved girlfriend's dad." Head cocked to the side as he studied her, a thin trail of blood traveled down his neck. "Does that mean you're sick in the head too?"