Page 104 of The Lost Bones

FIFTY-TWO

Mackenzie had been faced with her mortality often. It came with the job. And still she had never thought much about how she would die. Whether it would be from a bullet in a shootout, or being stabbed by a psychopath, or in a car crash while chasing a suspect—or maybe as an old woman warm in bed. She should have thought about it more. Especially when death had brushed her only recently.

But perhaps it was its looming presence that meant she hadn’t dissected the topic as much as she might have. Now, as she watched Kai glide away from her, humming her mother’s lullaby, it began to dawn on her.

No one knew where she was. No one would think to check her old house of all places.

As Kai shut the door to the basement behind her, Mackenzie’s survival instincts kicked in.

No. Not today. Not like this.

She saw the knife Kai had dropped on the floor. Still hanging from sore arms, she stretched her leg as far as it would go and tried to get a grip on it with her toes. Andrew stared at her helplessly and tried to wrench free from his restraints.

It took her a few attempts, but at last she got hold of the knife and lifted her leg up. “Ah!” She grunted, feeling a muscle pull in her inner thigh. She mustered all her strength to lift herself higher, grateful now that she did hanging sit-ups from time to time. Once she had the knife in her hand, she began cutting through her ropes blindly. The blade slashed into her skin, but the adrenaline flowing through her dulled some of the pain.

Eventually the ropes were severed and she fell to the floor with a thud. She sprang to her feet and pulled the cloth away from Andrew’s mouth.

“This is my fault!” he cried as Mackenzie worked to untie the ropes binding him. “I should have known. She fooled me.”

“She fooled all of us.”

“But I’m the professional. She grabbed me when I was at home… I’m so sorry. How’s Robbie?”

“He’s with your sister. He’s fine.” She freed him, her mind working at full speed on the next steps.

“Andrew, we need to get out of here. I have no idea what she’s planned. You can move, right?”

He nodded.

“Come on then.”

Her head was still heavy as she climbed the stairs and tried the handle of the door leading out of the basement. “It’s locked.”

“Can we break it open?” he asked.

“It’s heavy. Iron.” She searched around like a rabid animal for anything to use. But there was nothing here that could break down an iron door. She felt Andrew’s eyes on her. And suddenly the basement became very quiet and cold.

“Do you smell it?” He sniffed the air around the door. “I think it’s propane.”

“There has to be a way!” She paced around, her bones trembling as reality started to set in. “I don’t get it. Why does she want to die? Does she have a split personality disorder?”

“She doesn’t want to die, Detective Price.” Andrew slumped down on the floor, clutching his bleeding head. “Neither does she have two distinct personalities.”

“Then what the fuck is wrong with her?” she hissed angrily. She didn’t even have her gun. What were they going to do?

“She sees you as the only link to her humanity.” He breathed hard, holding back his tears. “She wants to be reunited with it after having suppressed it as a way to adapt to her trauma.”

“She tortured and killed two women…”

“It was misdirected rage. She couldn’t hurt the people who’d hurther; they’re too powerful. So she found those guilty of hurting you.”

Mackenzie didn’t care. The myriad of emotions slamming into her were enough to knock her out. She was overwhelmed to the point of being dysfunctional.

“There is some stationery over here.” Andrew got back on his feet and limped to a table where some old papers and pens had been left behind by the last owners.

They looked at each other. He didn’t have to say anything. The silence they shared made Mackenzie’s heart sink and wither.

This can’t be happening.