FOUR

Sheer exhaustion must have got the better of me at some point because I woke up with a start at the sound of a car door slamming. I sat up looking around me. Finch opened the door beside me and I scrambled out. I had no idea where we were, the building in front of me stood alone, looking drab and disused. I was led inside, through a maze of corridors until I wasn’t sure of the way out. Finch opened a door and gestured for me to go in.

Inside was a set of stairs leading down to the basement. At the bottom was a locked door, I waited as Finch pulled some keys from his pocket and let us inside.

“Daddy,” the voice, though filled with fear, was like music to my ears. Immediately I sank to my knees and held out my arms. Annie ran into them and I held her as tight as she held me. We were both sobbing so hard I didn’t even hear the door click shut of Finch re lock it.

“Can we leave now?” Annie asked once she’d stop crying. She pulled back and sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. An action that in normal circumstances I wouldn’t have allowed but we weren’t in normal circumstances and it wasn’t like I could offer her a tissue. Instead I used my own sleeve to pat my cheeks dry.

I stood and tried the door but I already knew it was locked. “I’m afraid not, sweetheart.”

“I thought you came to save me,” Annie replied looking up at me with big blue eyes. I choked back another sob. I sat on the cold floor again and pulled Annie into my arms. She curled up on my lap, huddling as close to me as she could, I didn’t blame her, it was cold in here.

“I’m sorry but I’m going to protect you ok?” I said softly, running my fingers through her tangled hair, gently working out the knots. She nodded her head against my chest. “Is Dad going to come rescue us?” she asked.

“You bet he is,” I replied, hiding my pain from my voice. “He saved me before,” I added in a whisper but the room was so quiet that Annie heard me.

“When?” she asked.

Blaine and I had never told her how we met, the story was too dark for young innocent ears.

“I was in trouble once. These bad men were chasing me and your Dad came out of nowhere and he pulled me into a dark corner so they ran by,” no sense mentioning that there was a knife involved in the rescue. “He hid me for ages so those bad men couldn’t find me. But they found my Dad so I went to save him and your Dad chased me. You know the scar on my shoulder and the one on my stomach?” Annie nodded, one bony hand stroking my shirt above the scar on my shoulder. “Well those were made by the bad men and you Daddy saved me.”

“He was a knight? Like in the fairy stories?”

“Yes, he was my knight and now he’ll be both of ours.” Annie nodded again, then yawned. “When did you last sleep, sweetie?” I asked, brushing hair back from her forehead.

“Dunno, too scared,” she whispered.

“Sleep now, I’m here, I’ll never let anyone hurt you again sweetie, I promise.”

I held her tight as she slept. I sat and watched the door, feeling the tears slip down my cheeks as I thought of Blaine, even now walking into a trap. I had no idea how far behind us he would be. He would have had to find my phone, then find a way to lose Wes.

Telling Annie about the things that happened to Blaine and I in the past had made me think. He’d walked out of a trap before, maybe he could do it again. I began to hope.

I had no way of telling passing time so I could be sure how long it was before the door was unlocked. I scrambled upright, keeping Annie in my arms. She woke up and groggily wrapped her legs around me. I looked at Finch as he stood in the now open doorway.

“Showtime,” he said with a clique manic grin. I shivered and closed my eyes briefly and sending up a prayer, on the off chance it was heard.

Finch led us up the stairs and through the maze of corridors and into a large storage room. Around us were several boxes with hazard signs proclaiming them as flammable on them. I did not want to know what was in them. The centre was clear, except for a chair that stood alone in the very middle and the man who was slumped unconscious in it. I gasped weakly and pressed Annie’s head into my shoulder so she couldn’t turn and look. I realised then that eight years ago Blaine had entered a room and seen me sitting in a chair just like that.

“I thought it was poetic,” Finch replied, gesturing at the room with a flourish.

“It’s not, it’s sick,” I replied.

“Don’t get lippy with me, you’ve got a lot to lose,” Finch said and I shut up.

“So he’s still alive?” I asked, hoping against hope the answer was affirmative.

“For now,” Finch replied. Annie began to struggle in my arms, obviously wanting to see what was going on.

“She shouldn’t have to see this,” I said, pleading with Finch for just a shred of humanity. He laughed.

“But I’m sure Blaine would like to see her one last time.” Blaine’s name set Annie off and she managed to wriggle out of my hold, sliding to the floor and running towards him.

“Dad, Dad,” she cried as I darted forward and caught her holding her back. Her cries woke Blaine and he slowly lifted his head to look at us. “Daddy, we have to help, he’s tied up, how can he save us if he’s tied up.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I said to her, to both of them.

“I don’t understand,” she cried, “why won’t you help him.”

“Because he made a choice between you and your Dad, he chose you,” Finch said walking up to us. I locked eyes with Blaine and he nodded slightly, in silent support of my decision.