The girls said that if they played along, pretended to be obedient, did as he asked, then he would reward them by making sure they weren’t in pain.
She could take advantage of that.
She could play the game, do as he asked, then when he came at her, she could get him with the anesthetic, and they could escape.
That they were tied up presented a problem, but not an insurmountable one. If she or Taylor or both of them could get free, then they stood an even better chance of getting away. She couldn’t get out of the leather straps on her own, but if Avery or Taylor could get to her, they could untie her. That way, when he came to break one of her bones, she could get him with the syringe, then they could run. If they couldn’t run, then stabbing him with the syringe wasn't going to do them any good.
So, how to get untied?
*****
11:50 P.M.
“Is she awake?”
Fin looked up as Tom entered Savannah’s hospital room. He’d been sitting in here, keeping vigil, as though by staying close to Savannah he was holding on to something that linked him to Chloe, and thus felt closer to her.
Tiredly, he scrubbed his hands over his face. It had been over twelve hours since Chloe went missing and they had been the longest twelve hours of his life.
He wanted to go looking for her, but where would he start?
Tom and Chloe hadn’t even been sure who the killer was, let alone where he was hiding his victims.
But just sitting here was hell.
He felt so useless. So impotent. Just like he had the night his son had died.
Now, with Chloe missing, possibly dead, the anger he’d harbored toward her all seemed so stupid. So meaningless. While he had been nursing his rage, sulking because Chloe had just been another person to walk out on him, he’d missed out on so much time with her. They could have helped each other grieve; they could have helped each other heal.
Instead, they had both been lost and alone.
She had walked away, and he hadn’t done a thing to stop her.
He had been selfish and stupid.
There were so many things he might have done. So many things heshouldhave done. But anger was easy. It was comfortable. He’d been angry at his parents, his grandparents, and even his sister. They’d all abandoned him. He had never thought that Chloe would do it, too.
Pain and tragedy were supposed to bring you closer together. The loss of their son should have cemented their love. Instead, they had both tossed it away as they struggled with their guilt and the responsibility they each felt for the death of their son.
Chloe was wrong to bail, but he was just as wrong to let her.
He should have stopped it from happening. Instead of letting guilt and anger consume him, he should have grabbed hold of the woman he loved and told her he loved her, and that he was so sorry their son was gone. He should have held her, kissed her, made love to her, talked to her—he should have just loved her.
Should haves.
Would haves.
Could haves.
None of them did him any good.
He’d done what he had, and although now he wanted nothing more than to hold Chloe and tell her how sorry he was, he couldn’t.
He had made mistakes.
Big ones.
And now it might be too late to rectify them.