Page 110 of Malachi
“Fuck,” I cursed in the quietest of whispers. I tried to raise myself to my feet, putting just a bit of pressure on my ankle; but no, it hurt like hell to put any weight on it at all, just as I had suspected. I was able to limp painfully across the way, looking behind me every few feet to make sure that he wasn’t behind me.
My time was running out.
I knew it. He knew it.
I had just barely skirted myself around the rocks when I heard his footsteps.
My breath stopped. My heart almost did too, actively listening for the sound to continue. Which direction was he coming from? How fast was he moving?
Thump… thump thump… thump thump…
His footfalls hit my ears in an uneven cadence. Was he hurt as well?
Please Jesus, God, Sky Daddy, or any other deity that may exist, let him have injured himself as well. I may actually have a chance if he had hurt himself. If not, well, I didn’t want to think about it, but the truth was I would likely end up dead, like everyone else.
I wanted to check my ankle, to make sure it wasn’t broken, but I couldn’t breathe, let alone move.
His footsteps stopped. My guess was that he was still several yards away. Close enough to see me. Not necessarily close enough to catch me — if it weren’t for my busted ankle.
Fuck!
“Eden,” he called in a sickeningly sweet sing-song voice. “I know you’re out there.”
More footsteps. Still his. At least none of the other Elders had followed.
Not yet, anyway.
“Give it up, little girl. You know your fate. God knows your fate. It’s time to give up.” I felt rage boiling up inside of me. To be honest, it wasn’t just rage. Utter despair threatened to take me over, but the rage won out. There wasn't time to cry. I didn’t have time to think about the fact that my husband was dead. I needed to focus.
If I could just get to the bunker, then I could get to the phone Malachi had left there. It was his cell. He’d placed it there last night, on the off chance that something went tits up before the FBI showed up. His foresight was incredible.
My heart felt like it was going to collapse at the mere thought of him.
No. Don’t think about it, Eden. Don’t think about him. Think about freedom. Get to the phone and call the FBI.Malachi wouldn’t give up. He’d fight to the bitter end. I’m sure he already had.NO! Don’t think about that.
I could hear his voice in my head, as though he were the one whispering to me instead of my own conscience.
Don’t give up, little bird. Keep running. You know the way. You can do this.
“Eden, come on. I know you’re there,” the Reverend called again. Pfft. If he knew I was here, he wouldn’t be asking me to show myself. He’d come get me himself and drag me out, or more likely, kill me right here where I sat.
The memory of Ruth collapsing on the forest floor in a heap replayed in my mind.
No, you can’t think about that right now, Eden. Not yet. Keep going,Malachi’s voice reminded me in my mind.
I wished he was there, right next to me, bolstering my courage to fight this evil fucking man. Drawing in the slowest deep breath I could in order to stay quiet, I dug deep inside myself and found my resolve.
I had to get to the bunker.
I looked around my position with fresh eyes. The totem was behind me and just to my right. If my calculations were correct, and if I could just ignore the pain in my ankle for long enough, I could slip forward and get around this large bit of rock. If I could get around it, I would be that much closer to the bunker. I wasn’t far. I was close.
But he would see. There was no way he wouldn’t.
It didn’t matter. It would never matter.
It was now or never.
I pushed away from the rock grouping and made a mad dash towards the totem. It was close. So close.
