Masked love

Chapter 17

After Zeak heard Nikita, he quickly got up and left the house. He got on his bike and rode off. He couldn't save her, not like this. Would he even be the one that Nikita would want to see? Halfway up the road he pulled off to the side, and took out his phone. The dial tone rung softly in his ear. "Come on, squirrel answer the phone."
"Zeak? I don't remember putting your number into my phone." Joseph answered his cell sleepily. "Why'd you call at this hour?"
"There's no time to explain. Nikita's in trouble. Do you have a car? I-Nikita needs you to come over to her house asap. I'm going to call the cops and meet you there." Zeak said panicking slightly. There was fear in his voice. The sound of Nikita's whistling and then her pleading voice haunted him. It scared him.
"Wait a minute." Joseph sat up in his bed. "Slow down I can't just drive over to Nikita's house in the middle of the night. I need some kind of explanation first. Besides Nikita's been sick. She's probably just resting." His heart was racing fast. There had to be some kind of explanation. She had to be ok.
"Squirrel don't tell me you've turned into a chicken. I was just at her house. She's trapped in her basement. I'm telling you she's hurt real bad, man. I don't know how much longer she'll last. We have to do something." Zeak tried to explain.
"Are you sure? I can't just leave on a dime, Zeak. My parents would kill me if I go out, if they even let me out. Look when I get off work tomorrow I'll swing by her house and check it out, ok?" Joseph took a deep breath, barely keeping himself calm. "She's going to be okay. She has to be." He whispered the last part more to himself.
"Tell yourself that if it helps you sleep better. Nikita's a fighter, she always has been. You better hope that she's still alive when you check on her, or you won't be. This is on you." An end tone came, as Zeak finished with his threats of anger.
Joseph laid back down on his bed, placing his phone back on his nightstand. His eyes were wide open with tears in the corners. Was another person disappearing from his life? He closed his eyes, imagining her face in his mind. His mind went dark, as he fell into his dreams.
***
He tried to go through the next day normally, but his mind kept thinking about Nikita. Should he had believed Zeak? Was he loosing Nikita? He was zoned out, only going through the motions. He was putting away the books, when one of the covers stopped him. He took a seat and stared at the cover. It was an illustration of a girl trapped in an underground tower. Her body was covered in dirt, but she still smiled. "That's a good book, kid. What's on your mind? Is it about the girl you like?" His boss was sitting down beside him.
"Yea, I feel like I'm loosing her. I-I can't stop it. Sh-he's disappearing just like my sister" Joseph took a deep breath. "It's like she's trapped and I can't save her."
"You don't know until you try." Joseph looked at his boss strangely. "I mean go get your girl. Love only comes once in your life, and your job will still be here when you get back. Go, don't let her get away." His boss stood up, helping Joseph stand beside him.
"Thanks." The next minute he was driving towards her house. He got to her house as fast as he could. It was about three hours after lunch time. The place was surrounded by bad silent vibes. He knocked on the door, listening to the sounds inside. It was eerily quiet. He tried the doorknob. Something was pulling him inside. It was unlocked. He opened the door, unleashing the stenches from inside. The scent alcohol was trying to hide within the scents of food sitting out. He walked inside, pulling out his phone. He dialed 191.
"Hello my name is Stacy. What is the state of your emergency?" A female voice answered.
"My friend, sh-she's in some kind of trouble. I'm at her place it looks like a pigsty." He said keeping his voice lowered. Joseph walked through the house, taking in the chaos. Papers were all over the floor. Chairs were knocked over. A week's worth of dishes were left in the sink.
"Ok sir, what kind of trouble is your friend in?" She asked in a calm voice.
"I don't know. I haven't found her yet. Her house shouldn't look like this. She's supposed to be sick in bed or something." He started to panic inside.
"You do realize this number is for emergencies, sir. I can't help you if I don't know what situation you're in." Her voice seemed to sound slightly suspicious.
"Maybe someone dangerous got into her house. Can you send an ambulance and police please? I smell blood." He saw the basement door creaking back and forth. The smell of blood traveling up the stairs. He took a peak, and saw a light turned on. The only light turned on in the whole house.
"Certainly sir, I've tracked down your location, and I've sent the emergency personnel. Can you please stay on the line to–" He hung up to focus on the path ahead. He walked down the stairs, careful not to make any noise. At the bottom of the steps, he could see her dangling from her arms. In the light, he could see a gruffly man sleeping on the table. He walked towards her, grabbing the knife, as he turned to face her. He nearly froze in front of her. "Nikita?"
Her clothes were in shreds, and her body ridden with cuts and bruises. Many of the wounds were going deep into her flesh. The state of her being put him in shock. "Joseph?" She whispered, opening her glassy eyes. Her nightmare seemed to be ending, but this sight was his. She shook her head, as he came closer. She thought she was imagining him. Her eyes lingered past him to the man sleeping behind him. She hoped he would stay that way.
Joseph touched her cheek, as his other hand touched the rope with the blade. "I'm going to cut you down. Lean towards me, I-I got you." He whispered. He wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned closer, but her body tensed up. She didn't fully trust him. He cut the rope, causing her body to fall limp against him. Even if her feet weren't bound together, she wouldn't have the strength to stand on her own. He picked her up carefully. "I'm going to get you out of here." He whispered in her ear. She nodded. She felt nearly lifeless in his arms. Joseph could only wonder about the torture she went through. He glanced back at the gruffly man, before heading towards the steps. Wasn't he supposed to be her father?
As he reached the steps, Nikita pulled on his shirt gently. "Wait." He stopped still, and looked at her. She was staring into the shadows beside the steps, where her eyes caught sight of a small black figure. "Shadow, come." Joseph looked in the same direction, feeling slightly confused. Then he saw the small black kitten get up and walked toward him. "Thank you," she said, as her grasp dropped and she rested in his arms.
He continued to move with Shadow now following behind him. The stairs creaked with each step he took. Joseph could hear the man grumbling in his sleep. The tension in the air increasing. He tried to hurry, making even more noise. Sirens could be heard at top of the steps.
"Angela? Where dd-did you go?" The man stood up wobbly, quickly looking around the room. He had just barely caught sight of Joseph, carrying Nikita out  of the room. He tried to catch up to them, but the door was already shut and he was trapped. "No! You can't leave me! Angela! Come back!" He banged on the door, shouting with tears running down his face.
Joseph could hear the banging from the front door. He didn't take any chances, locking the basement door, then hurrying to freedom. Before heading outside, he saw his old jacket hanging by the door. He carefully tried to cover Nikita with it. Then he headed out into the sounds and sights of the police and ambulance.