Dead Shot (A Cal Murphy Thriller Book 1)

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Dawkins grew tired of waiting. He knew Warren might do something stupid if the tension continued to build. Just as he resolved that he was going to get the battering ram out of his car and pull Cal and Kelly from the house, Dawkins heard muffled screams. It sounded like someone was in the house.

Dawkins ran to his patrol car and popped the trunk to retrieve the battering ram. He yelled for Warren to join him in the front. Warren came scrambling around the side of the house.

"What is it, Dawkins? What's going on?"

"I heard some screams coming from the house, so whoever is in there may not be voluntarily. We're going to have to bust the door down and find out what's going on. You ready?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Just stand back here and cover me while I knock the door down. Then follow me in and be ready for anything. Got it?"

"Yep. Let's do it."

"OK. Stand back."

Dawkins needed three heaving blasts from the battering ram to bust open the door. He dropped it and rushed into the house, drawing his weapon in case he met any strong resistance. Warren followed. He handled the gun as if it was the first time he had been in a potential combative situation since becoming a deputy - because it was his first time.

The muffled screams hadn't stopped since Dawkins first heard them. For two straight minutes he had heard what sounded like pleas for help. Dawkins and Warren raced down the hall on the left side of the house, looking for a room that might contain the voices. No luck. Then the right side. Nothing there either.

Warren froze and looked down.

"I think it's coming from the basement."

Dawkins nodded.

"Good work, rook."

Dawkins located the door to the stairs and flipped on the light switch. The cries continued as they rushed down the stairs. They were getting louder.

The basement was unfinished. The lighting was roughed in, as were some of the walls. It didn't even have a cement floor in some parts, as dirt served that function.

As Dawkins and Warren crept through the empty space, they located a single door in the back corner of the room. The cries were coming from there.

Dawkins jammed his shoulder against the wall just outside the door. He looked at Warren, who had taken up a position across from him by the door.

"You ready?" Dawkins whispered.

"Let's do it."

Dawkins flung open the door.

***

Cal and Kelly agonized over their potential savior. The person who was about to walk through the door could either be a friend or foe. But in either case, their situation was about to change.

They never stopped screaming for help, even beneath sealed lips.

Finally, a light pierced the room's darkness, giving Cal a better idea of his situation. Until that moment, all he knew was that he was bound to a chair on a dirt floor with Kelly behind him. But room dimensions or other objects in the room? Cal had no idea about the true nature of his environment.

Despite a strong desire to get out of his chair, Cal's anxiety heightened with each passing second. What if their savior wasn't really a savior? What if he was more like a tormentor? He cringed as the door opened.