Page 106 of The Fragile Ones

“We’re in a well, or part of a basement, I think.” His voice sounded far away.

“Katie with you?” said Chad.

“No, he has her! She’s probably in the cemetery. You have to get to her. Go! Hurry!”

Chad walked up to the brick hole and looked down. He couldn’t see anything, but McGaven’s voice echoed off the walls from the bottom. The well was deeper than he thought.

Lizzy ran over to the construction area where there were some tools. She found a flashlight and switched it on. Directing the beam down in the hole, they saw McGaven holding a small child.

“Who is that?” asked John.

“Maggie,” he said. “That’s all I know. She was abducted from somewhere in town. Her family was just visiting.”

“We’re going to get you both out, hang tight,” said John. “Where are you going?” he said to Chad.

“To help Katie,” Chad yelled over his shoulder, as he ran out the back.

Lizzy didn’t hesitate for a second, running straight after him.

* * *

Katie crawled on her hands and knees, baiting Ty with her defiance, knowing it would enrage him. He yelled at her. He called her vile names. But that didn’t stop her perseverance or focus. She had been through worse and now used it in her favor as she swatted away the anxiety that tried to envelop her.

Ty took his time walking around the grave area, careful not to get knocked off his feet.

Katie dug her hands in the mud as she crawled.

“Coward!” Ty yelled. “You may be a good detective, but you’re the coward.”

Katie kept moving slowly until she was back near the rickety entrance gate.

Ty took his gun, as though he had enjoyed the performance but now it was time to act. “Sorry, but your time has just run out,” he said, as he aimed it at Katie and prepared to fire.

Katie found what she was looking for beneath the rain and muddy sludge, fingers feeling the curves and smoothness. She had seen it fall from his pocket earlier and now grabbed it, sat up on her knees, and spun in Ty’s direction—firing the gun at the exact same moment Ty discharged his.

Both Ty and Katie slumped to the ground.

* * *

When Chad and Lizzy heard the gunshots, they sprinted in the direction of the cemetery.

Lizzy pulled her firearm and readied herself for whatever they would run into.

Chad ran as fast as he could—his breath caught in his throat as he saw two bodies lying in the mud near a gravesite inside the cemetery.

“No!” He finally reached the entrance and slammed through the wobbly gate. Within seconds he was on the ground holding Katie. Blood was seeping through her windbreaker near her shoulder.

Lizzy joined him. “Is she…?” She couldn’t finish her sentence.

Katie groaned and her eyes fluttered open. She didn’t say anything at first.

Lizzy stepped back in relief. “She’s okay.” She then went over to Ty, who was clearly dead. Katie’s shot was a direct hit to the chest, blowing a hole right through him. His eyes were open, in a vacant stare.

“I’m okay,” said Katie, feeling her shoulder burn, knowing how lucky she was that the bullet hadn’t hit a major organ.

Chad quickly assessed her injury. “Looks like the bullet grazed you.”

“It still hurts like hell,” she said. “Lizzy, you’re here. I thought you were a ghost for a moment.”