Page 109 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

Maddie was running. Her feet were slamming into the hard concrete and bits of dirt and stones dug into her soles. She could barely see ahead of her. Everything was surrounded in darkness. Her heart was thumping in her chest, her fear was flooding through her.

She could hear him behind her. Right on her tail. No matter how fast she run, no matter what turns she took he was there. He was gaining on her.

She threw herself around a corner, her chest was heaving and she was struggling to get enough oxygen in and then she slammed face first into a wall. She gasped realising that she was trapped. That this was a dead end. She turned and her eyes widened to an impossible size as she saw him.

He was right there. Blocking the way.

“It’s been a long time Maddison.” He said pulling the dagger. It was always the dagger. The same dagger.

She screamed,waking up, and throwing the covers off. The room was dark.

She was panting, clutching her chest. It had felt so real. As if she were really there, as if he was really there.

She grabbed her phone checking the time and groaning when she saw it was only just gone four. She had hours now before the sun would even be up but there was no way in hell she’d be able to get back to sleep.

She half thought of calling Cole, of seeking some sort of comfort from him but she instantly dismissed it. If she did that, if she called him she’d have to explain why she was so wound up, and he’d know, he’d know it was the dream. That she remembered it and worse he’d want her to tell him what it was. What she saw. Who the monster from her past really was.

She sighed, brushing the hair from her sweaty face and went to grab a shower. She needed the images out of her head. She needed the thoughts out of her head and most of all she needed him out of her head.

What a fucking week,Maddie thought as she sat in the sterile room looking at the girl opposite her. No amount of coffee had made up for the lack of sleep and despite forcing herself to watch episode after episode of some god awful American comedy show she still felt on edge. Nervous. Unconfident even.

The girl sniffled and grabbed a tissue to wipe her face.

Sure there had been sixteen girls they’d found but now only eight were remaining. Somehow half had disappeared in the middle of the night leaving no clue as to how they’d gotten out or where the hell they’d gone too.

“No one’s going to hurt you now.” Maddie said and the interpreter quickly repeated the words in Slavic.

The girl muttered something back and the interpreter shrugged.

“What did she say?” Maddie asked.

“She says maybe they won’t hurt her but they can still hurt her family.”

Maddie sighed. “They won’t, it’s an empty threat. It’s what they say to manipulate you. To make you comply.” The detective said beside her.

The interpreter repeated it and the girl started crying.

“Did they hurt you? Did they touch you in any way?” Maddie asked.

The girl looked at her and winced before saying something and flushing.

“She says they didn’t do much because they say they can get more for a virgin.”

Maddie bit back the anger. She needed to be professional. To remain calm.

“Where did the other girls go? Why have they run away?” The detective asked.

“She says they are scared for their families. For what they will do. That is why they ran.”

“Do you know where they went?” Maddie asked before the detective could and the girl shrugged before the interpreter could even finish her sentence.

“What about the men that took you, can you describe them? Can you give us any information about them?” Maddie added.

The girl replied quickly while running her hand down her left arm.

“She says there were three of them she saw. All Serbian. One of the men had a tattoo on their left arm.”

“What was the tattoo of?” The detective asked.

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