Cold Hearts in The Rain

Chapter 29

Give me your address, I texted Max. He did just so.

I ran downstairs as fast as I could to the police.

"He's at Max's house! You have to go to Max's house!" I shouted.

"Clark?" one of the officers asked after I told them the address.

"Yes!" I said as I unlocked my phone, calling Clark.

"Well, hello, Doe! How nice of you to call," Clark said, smoothly.

"I know who you are, Clark," I hissed. The voice on the other line went silent.

"And you should know that Max is your son!" I snapped, as some of the police officers behind me scrambled to the car. Another one used hand signals to order me to put it on speaker. I compiled.

"He's the one you're trying to kill right now," I said, slowly. He still didn't respond.

"We're going to catch you. You will no longer be able to control me!" I was just blabbering at that point, panicked at the stillness of the other line. 

"Control you?" His voice cuts in, silky smooth. "Oh no, darling, I'm not trying to control you. You belong to me."

"I do not. Neither did the lives you took. None of them, including me, belong to you."

He laughed.

"Well, you may have saved one life today," he said, almost sarcastically, "but your life is mine. It's mine to take. It's mine to keep alive."

"Keep dreaming," I hissed.

"Oh, Doe," he said, "I think it's time we meet up again, don't you?"

"No," I snapped. "I don't wanna see you." I was hoping that this time stalling would be enough for the police to get to Max's house and stop Clark.

"Are you forgetting who I'll kill if you don't?" That made me grow cold.

"Maybe as you sent the police over to Max's house who I know is my child, I'm upstairs in the room with Caleb, holding a knife to his throat. Maybe if I see any police up here, he'll be dead before you can blink. You don't think I'm that stupid, do you? My delightful 'partner in crime' isn't even doing anything to Max. They're just standing there to scare him. And because you've offended me, trying to make me look foolish, I think I ought to kill Caleb right now as a punishment."

"Don't," I begged.

"Why shouldn't I?" His voice was deathly quiet.

I paused for a moment. Think of something convincing, Doe.

"You can't have me if you kill him," I said, firmly. "You kill him and I will do everything in my power to kill you in the most painful way possible."

Liar.

"Hm, that's compelling. But I think you'll need to come up here alone for me to be fully convinced."

I looked around at the police officers. They nodded. I let out a shaky breath.

"I'm coming up."

***

Clark stood there, knife to Caleb's throat. I looked at Caleb in his arms. His jaw was clenched. He didn't look nervous or afraid.