Page 47 of Bishop

Hope had been on the horizon and just as quickly it’d been fucking dashed. Gayle disappeared out of my view and I knew I had to get loose. The moment I knew she was out of the dining room, I rocked the chair, maneuvering my weight to get me as close to a table as possible.

You can free yourself,I thought.

Inch by inch, I got closer and closer to the table until it was finally in reach. My wrist stung where the duct tape was tightly biting into my wrist. Not wasting another second, I wiggled my fingers to grab hold of the white linen table cloth, slowly dragging it closer…

And closer until finally the silverware was balancing ever so delicately before tipping into my fingertips.

The fork and spoons slipped into a small heap with the napkin but I didn’t care.

I just needed the steak knife with the serrated edges.

Bap!

Bap!

Bap!

Even over the sound of the rain I knew exactly what I’d just heard. Gunshots had just filled the room. I sawed faster, like my life depended on it because it did. My palms were so sweaty because I had a sick feeling twisting in the pit of my stomach that Gayle had been the one doing the shooting.

When my wrist finally swung free, I made quick work of the rest of the tape on my other arm and ripped the tape from my mouth.

“Fuuuck!” I whispered as tiny facial hair got ripped away from my flesh, and sprung from the chair.

Holding the knife as if my life depended on it, the second Gayle was back inside I knew. It was almost as if I could smellher hot ass breath a mile away. Clutching the steak knife tight against my chest, I hid under one of the other dining tables.

Trying to calm my breathing, I waited and listened.

“Come out!” She laughed. “Come on Sweetie. I’m ready to talk now…”

A loud crash on the other end of the room alerted me, one of the wooden dining tables had been flipped over. Glass had shattered while plates and silverware clattered in all directions.

More and more tables began to get flipped until she’d made her way back towards me. My stomach was knotted in sheer terror. It was either I was going to wait for her to kill me or make a move.

Taking a deep breath, I lunged from under the table with the knife poised high. Her face turned into one of shock and surprise as she drew the gun and pulled the trigger.

At that moment, I was no longer afraid.

I wouldn’t die scared.

Gayle nor her crazy ass son could have that part of me. I simply wouldn’t allow it.

A bullet whizzed past my head, barely missing me as Gayle pulled the trigger. With my heart pounding I lunged with the steak knife driving it home with all my might and throwing my weight into her.

The knife had landed dead in the center of her chest, with me on top of her. The gun had slid out of reach. She started grinning, her features returning to a demonic state.

“I’ll finally be with my son again…”

Blood began to slip out of her mouth and down the sides of her face. Flipping over onto my side, I tried to catch my breath. I could have slipped into a full-blown panic attack but hadn’t.

“Stank! Stank, are you in here?”

Zane,a brief smile crossed my lips.

“I’m here!”

Slowly, I got to my feet as he jogged over to me, his hair slickened by the rain and gun in his hand. He had never looked so good. Scrambling, I got to my feet and ran into his arms.

“Holy shit!” He kissed me deep and then surveyed the room, panic filling his features. “There was a dead cop outside too.”

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