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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

T ime ceased to exist in the root cellar. Emily wasn’t sure how long she’d been down there. It felt interminably long. The air seemed incredibly dense, making it difficult to breathe. Pete knew she had asthma, but he wouldn’t care. If she started wheezing and gasping for breath, it would bring him some kind of sick joy. He enjoyed watching others suffer. She’d always sensed that about him. Her failure to consider him a serious suspect irked her.

Her prayers grew desperate, but she kept herself from making empty foxhole promises. The Lord was her redeemer, and if He allowed her to escape the horrible fate Jamie faced, she would continue to praise Him, but if she suffered the same demise, she would praise Him as long as breath allowed it. Escape could only happen with His assistance. And acceptance would only be possible with divine intervention. Whatever awaited her, it was in His hands. A peace came over her, and her breathing settled into a normal pattern once more.

After a short rest, she used her hands to dig, hoping she might uncover some hidden tool left in the dirt. Her fingers bled from the effort by the time she felt the corner of something. It gave her strength to continue. Her efforts were rewarded with a sharp jagged rock. A makeshift weapon.

Hours later, the creaking sound returned, and she squeezed herself in behind the ladder so she could strike before he had a chance to defend himself.

“Where are you hiding? I know you’re in here.” Pete grabbed his service flashlight from his belt, and before he could click it on, she reached around him and stuck the sharp end of the rock into the front of his throat. She was pretty sure it didn’t break skin, but it caught him off guard, and she was able to push the ladder down on top of him. Before he could react, she brought the rock down again on his head. He stopped moving. She pushed the ladder back into place and hurried up it toward the sunlight. As she reached the top, she heard him stirring below her. He let out a string of profanity as he grabbed hold of the ladder and yanked. She clawed the ground and hauled herself up. She ran toward the woods. If she didn’t escape this place, she’d die. If she could, she’d call for help for Austin’s grandfather, but if she went back to the old farmhouse now, neither of them would make it out alive.