The Touch (29 page)

Chloe’s head came up, eyes bleary and blinking.  “I wanna sleep…” she murmured.

Unsure if she should force the issue to keep their wits about them or let the little girl get the rest while she could, Lexi finally nodded, leaving her in silence.  Time ceased to have all meaning as she sat bound to the chair across the sad little tea party.  Dozing off and on, the growling of her stomach woke her from time to time, a reminder that she’d missed lunch and possibly dinner by now.  The sight of the little frosted tea cakes were enough to make her mouth water; even though she knew they would make her feel sick if Chloe was right.  Lexi tried to push the thought from her mind, it would be a while before she had to worry about truly starving and Allie must have been feeding Chloe regular food and water or she would have been in much worse shape by now. 

When the door clicked, Lexi’s eyes immediately popped open, adrenaline giving her the surge needed to shake away some of the cobwebs left in the corners of her mind from the tea.  What little she could see of the doorway when Allie opened it showed it was dark outside, but that could have been the closed closet door for all she knew.  Forcing cheer into her voice, she pasted a smile on her face, determined to play this game from the start.  “Oh good, you’re back.  I was hoping to get a drink of water if you please, Zia Sophia,” she began, using the name she’d heard from the vision. 

Allie’s eyes widened in surprise before they crinkled in happiness, a ready smile springing to her lips.  A large wicker basket hung over one arm and she was dressed as if going to a summer picnic, complete with a pair of sunglasses tucked into her dark hair.  “I have lemonade here and sandwiches,” she patted the basket.  “I thought we could take a walk along the shore for a picnic and I could read to you today.”

The woman’s smile made Lexi’s skin crawl, knowing that they were going to do none of those things; it was all a sick fantasy in her mind.  “That sounds like fun, doesn’t it Chloe?  I haven’t been on a picnic in ages,” she smiled enthusiastically.  Especially if she did actually untie them for part of this fancy.  “Maybe we can sing songs and play games with Bianca?  You’d like that, wouldn’t you Chloe?”

Chloe nodded weakly, unable to muster much enthusiasm for the plan, but she managed a faint smile.  “Yeah, we’ll play all of Bianca’s favorite games.  You want to, Bianca?”  The last was addressed to the doll sitting at the head of the table who offered the same silent smile and vacant stare, thank goodness.  If the doll had actually moved or spoken at any point, Lexi thought she might lose her mind. 

“Magnifico!  We shall have such fun, a real party at last,” Allie beamed.  Setting down the basket, she retrieved a checkered table cloth and spread it out on the ground, producing other items from the basket to set out atop it. 

“Untie Chloe then, she’ll get us started with Bianca’s favorite game,” Lexi prompted, daring to hope that they might be able to use the woman’s delusions against her. 

“In a moment, I want to make sure everything is just right.”  Allie bent over the picnic, adjusting the placement of the food and drink until it conformed to whatever picture was in her mind.  “I want to make sure everything is perfect for when Papa comes home.”

“He isn’t coming,” Chloe replied in a flat voice.

“Chloe!” Lexi hissed.  A comment like that wasn’t likely to get them into Sophia’s good books. 

“Bianca told me he can’t come here anymore, not for a long, long time,” the little girl insisted.

“Bianca knows nothing.  He’ll come if we make everything perfect.  There now,
bellisimo
.”  Allie rose, a long sharp kitchen knife clutched in one hand.  “Now then, where were we?  Chloe, my dove?”  Approaching the little girl, she laid the flat of the blade against her cheek, eliciting a whimper from Chloe.  “We won’t have a repeat of the last time I brought you to the sea shore, will we?”  Her eyes glittered dangerously in the flicker of lamplight.

“N-no Zia S-Sophia,” she stuttered, eyes bulging wide at the cool steel against her skin. 

“Good, I would hate to have to punish you again,” Allison smiled, smoothing the blade down to her throat. 

“Don’t…” Lexi cried out, unable to keep still.  “We just want to play with Bianca.  We like to play games, don’t we Chloe?”  The knife continued its downward path and Lexi worried that the girl might be cut if she flinched the wrong way. 
“
London
Bridge
is falling down, falling down, falling down. 
London
Bridge
is falling down, my fair lady,”
she began to sing, seeking to distract her from this terrible reminder of who had the power in this situation.  “Come on Chloe, sing with me,” Lexi urged her.  “Take the keys and lock her up…” she began again, gratified to see Chloe start to sing along weakly. 

Allie relaxed her hold on the knife, a pleased smile tilting her lips as she brought it to the cords binding Chloe’s arms.  “Very nice, sing along Bianca,” she bid the doll as the knife sliced through the bonds.  Lexi kept the song going, starting again at the beginning for fear that if she stopped, the spell would be broken and Allison might not finish cutting them loose.  But soon Chloe’s legs were freed and she curled up into a little ball with a whimper.  Lexi tensed as Allie approached, knife in hand, the song faltering as the knife was pressed to her throat.  “You sing beautifully,” she smiled down at her.

“Thank you,” Lexi whispered, unsure if she should keep singing or if there would be more conversation.  “I know lots of songs we can all sing together.  We can sing all day if you like,” she swallowed.

“Don’t stop, Bianca is enjoying the song.”

Lexi began the children’s song again, already tiring of the simple melody, but it seemed to do the trick, and the knife moved on to her wrists, slicing through the cord easily.  Careful not to make any sudden moves, she held perfectly still, singing all the while Allie bent to cut her legs free.  “Thank you,” she breathed between lines of the song, rotating her ankles first one way and then the other.  The blood rushed back into her feet, bringing with it the painful pins and needles she’d been expecting and Lexi looked to see how Chloe was faring.  The little girl was still huddled up into the fetal position, her cheeks wet with fresh tears. 
I
f she had permanent damage from this…
Lexi forced the thought from her mind; she only had one shot at freedom and she couldn’t let her worry over Chloe ruin their best chance of escaping. 

“Come now, time for our walk,” Allie called out cheerily, “Up out of the chairs.”

Lexi’s hopes that she’d put the knife down were dashed when she gave no sign of letting go of it for the time being.  Still, she forced the cheer into her voice.  “Come on Chloe, let’s go for that walk, sing with me now.”  Chloe tried to stand and crumpled to the ground with a cry of pain. 

Allison scowled, advancing on Chloe with the knife.  “None of your tricks girl; up on your feet.”

There was no time then for any other action, Lexi launched herself at Allie’s vulnerable back, intent on keeping that knife away from her niece.  The pair crashed to the ground beside the little girl who managed to roll away to relative safety under the table.  The knife clattered to the ground, but before Lexi could reach it, Allie struck out for it as well, sending it skittering across the floor.  The women’s safety classes she took at the Community Center came back to her, but Lexi couldn’t bring herself to do anything potentially crippling to her own sister.  So instead of pressing her thumbs into Allie’s eye sockets, Lexi settled for ramming a knee into her stomach as hard as she could.  It was enough to knock the wind out of her and gave Lexi breathing room to look for the little girl.  “Chloe, run for the door!” she shouted before Allie shoved her against the table, sending the oil lamp crashing to the ground.  There it shattered and immediately enveloped the wood floor and one of the superfluous drapes in flames.

Chloe screamed at the eruption of fire, dragging useless legs as far away as she could manage.  Shoving with all of her might, Lexi escaped Allie’s grasp, grabbing the closest thing at hand, which happened to be the teapot lying on its side and smashed it into Allie’s head, less concerned with hurting her now.  Getting her niece out alive had to be her top priority, and the last bout of empathy had cost her dearly.  Immediately hurrying to Chloe’s side, Lexi looked around but couldn’t find any sign of the knife.  “We have to get out of here, can you walk?”

“I still can’t feel my feet,” Chloe gulped, eyes wide with terror. 

A scream of rage drew their attention and Lexi looked up just in time to throw up a protective arm against the knife that was aimed at her unprotected back.  Pain lanced through her left forearm as the sharp blade sliced into her flesh and struck bone, a cry spilling from the back of her throat.  Lexi’s hand clamped over the wound, already slippery with blood. 

“We all have to get out of here Allie, the fire is spreading!”  Lexi tried to appeal to her sister’s sense of preservation that must be buried in there somewhere.  Already the drapes were all but consumed, the fire spreading to the far corner of the room to lap hungrily at the bedclothes.  With only the one vent and no windows, the room quickly filled with black, sooty smoke and Lexi started to cough even from her position on the ground.   

Allison gave no sign that she even noticed the fire, holding the knife at the ready, preparing for another blow. 

“Drop the knife!”  Gabriel’s voice boomed from the doorway, his gun drawn and aimed at Allie. 

Allie looked up at the interruption, stricken.  Grabbing Lexi by the hair, she hauled her up to her feet as a human shield.  “I won’t let them go,” she boasted, pressing her cheek against Lexi’s, holding her close; the knife pressed to her side.  “I won’t ever let them go.”

“Sophia it’s over, we’ll die if we stay here,” Lexi coughed, lungs burning from the acrid smoke.  The fire had completely destroyed the small bed, the cheap planks of painted wood that made up the walls completely engulfed on two sides and the ceiling starting to burn in earnest.  “Please, let’s get out of here, then we can talk.”

Gabriel’s brows drew together at the exchange, clearly not having expected that response.  “I mean it Allie, put the knife down now or I’ll end it for you.”  The smoke funneled through the open door behind him, making his eyes stream. 

Ignoring the detective, Allie bore no sign of surrender in her eyes.  “Now we’ll play together forever,” she crooned softly, brushing the hair away from Lexi’s throat as she brought the knife up. 

Before Lexi had a chance to scream, Gabriel fired two shots and Allison went down with two hits to her shoulder.  “Allie!” Lexi cried out, even as he darted into the room, kicking away the knife that fell from her nerveless fingers.  Blood seeped through Allie’s clothes, spreading with a darkening stain to the wood floor.

“Lexi, Christ are you alright?”

Lexi looked up uncomprehendingly, having forgotten the deep gash to her arm that bled over half of her jeans.  “We have to stop the bleeding,” she said numbly, meaning Allie’s shoulder wounds, before she died right there on that miserable floor.

“We have to get out of here,” he replied, bending over Chloe who lay on the ground, arms wrapped around her knees.  “Come on Honey, it’s time to go.  Can you get up for me?”  Chloe shook her head, too traumatized to speak.

“She can’t walk, can you carry her?” Lexi croaked, pulling her shirt up to try and filter out some of the smoke. 

Gabriel hesitated for just a fraction of a moment, “Yeah, I’ll get her, but I want you right behind me.  Can you make it?”

Lexi nodded, a coughing fit preventing her from replying.  She started to crawl towards the door, preferring to keep low.  That was all the response Gabriel needed, scooping the child up in his arms, he cradled her to his body and hurried through the smoke, his head ducked low.  A low moan drew Lexi’s attention and she looked back to see her sister start to stir, coughing weakly. 

Halfway to the door she paused, unable to leave her behind, even after everything that had happened.  It wasn’t Allie’s fault she’d been possessed by a psycho killer.  Crawling back towards the flames, she reached Allie’s side, wondering how best to move her without causing more damage to that shoulder. 

A chunk of flaming ceiling fell a few feet away, pushing a wall of heat in their direction.  Lexi stopped worrying about any damage and grabbed Allie the best she could; anything to get her out of that hellhole.  But the first pull towards the door proved useless as the severed muscles in her arm refused to cooperate, drawing a scream of pain and anguish from her lips.  

“Lexi?”  Allie’s voice came so low that Lexi thought she might have imagined it for a moment. 

“Allie?  Oh thank God, can you move?”

“What is…?” Allie blinked.  “Is Chloe safe?”  There was no trace of Sophia behind her eyes now, just confusion and pain.

“Yes, she’s safe, Gabriel got her out but we have to leave now.”

“What have I done?”  Tears leaked from the corners of Allie’s eyes.

“We can talk about that later, but I need you to help me; I can’t get you out of here on my own.”

“Lexi?” Gabriel ducked back into the room, trying to peer through the thick smoke.  “Where are you?”

“Over here…” Lexi coughed, relief washing over her at hearing his voice.  In a moment he was beside her, gathering her up into his arms.  “Allie…”