Fiery Trap

Chapter Twenty-One: Splintered

He playfully smacked the side of the sickle with the palm of his hand, approaching Rachel with his eerie smirk. He came so close she struggled to back away from him. Of course she knew she couldn't go anywhere. Her eyes gazed at the sickle, praying he wouldn't use it on her. From his right pocket he brought out her cell phone and held it in front of her.

"Hey," Rachel shouted, struggling to get her body free. "That's mine!"

"I want you to call the Hausefalles and invite them to see you on campus," Caldwell said.

"Why?" Rachel said, not liking what she heard.

"You ask a lot of questions, you know that?" Caldwall said with irritation, but he quickly smirked. "I guess it's the nerd in you." Rachel didn't say anything; her face did the talking as she gave him the evil eye.

"Now you're going to call Mr. or Mrs.- You know what? Call Mrs. Hausefalle. I've heard she's quite the heart of the family, isn't she? Call her first and ask her to visit you with the children this weekend," Caldwell said. "They have the money to do so ten times over."

Rachel now sensed why he wanted them to come so she simply stated, "Why do you want to kill them?"

"To finish the job Jay and Scott started," Caldwell said like it was obvious. "And I can't wait for Nathan to come-I have something special for him."

"Why would you want to kill their children?" Rachel cried.

"Oh, shut up and save your tears," Caldwell replied. "Don't be all mushy on me now..."
Rachel froze in shock, not because of Caldwell's previous statement, but rather because someone came into the room, taking her time as she crept inside. Her short blond hair was tied in a spiky ponytail. She wore a serious, stone-cold face.

Alyssa? Rachel thought. Rachel wasn't too surprised to see she might be involved with Caldwell. She was his girlfriend after all. She wandered what her role was in all of this. Rachel blocked out Caldwell's prattling conversation about how the Hausefalles deserved what was coming to them. Alyssa, meanwhile, crept slowly behind him. Rachel was about to speak when Alyssa placed a finger on her lips, indicating for her to be quiet. Rachel obeyed, befuddled by her behavior.

"...and now, with your most cheerful voice, you'll tell them you want them to visit this coming weekend. Make it very convincing..." Caldwell kept on talking, holding Rachel's phone. He then searched for the Hausefalles' number. Behind Caldwell, Alyssa drew out a weathered plank of wood. She raised it above her head and before Rachel fully understood what she was doing, Alyssa struck Caldwell's back squarely. He dropped to his knees and plummeted facedown. Dust rose up from the floor.

"Rachel, are you all right?" Alyssa rushed toward her. She untied her legs first. "I heard everything out there. Sorry I couldn't come sooner, but I recorded his confession."

"Hurry," Rachel said, her eyes watching Caldwell, fearing he would wake up.

"I'm trying," Alyssa fired back. Her eyes searched for the sickle and cut Rachel's binds. Deep red welts striped Rachel's wrists and ankles, which stung from the tightness of the rope.

"Did you know any of this, Alyssa?" Rachel asked, narrowing her eyes at her. "Did you know about Cee being Caldwall?"

"No," Alyssa said in vicious defense. "Of course not."

"But you're his girlfriend," Rachel said.

"Was his girlfriend. I never ever knew he was a psycho," Alyssa replied. "Come on; let's get out of here."