The Little Grave (Detective Amanda Steele)

“I should probably answer or—” She really had no idea who was on the other end of the line, but whoever it was might be able to get help here.

“Shut up.” Jonah pushed the gun harder against her skull. “Give me a reason,” he said.

She raised her arms again. “We can work something out.”

“I don’t negotiate with cops. Elise!” he barked.

Elise took Amanda’s phone from her coat pocket. The entire time it kept ringing, only drilling into Amanda’s head that help was so close yet so far away.

Elise stuffed it into a pocket of her pants. “Get up and do as I say,” she said.

Amanda stood, and Elise prodded her in the back.

“Take the first door on the left and go down,” Elise told her.

Amanda might be able to play Elise and get her to turn on Reid, but they had been together for at least fifteen-plus years if the photo Tanya had given her was any indication. “You don’t have to do as he says.” Amanda spoke just above a whisper, not certain if Jonah was following them.

Elise said nothing but applied more pressure with her gun on Amanda’s spine.

“No one needs to know about this if you stop now,” Amanda dangled out there.

“Turn right at the bottom of the stairs.” Unfazed.

Amanda reached the bottom and gagged. The reek of shit and urine was overpowering. A few dim bulbs fought the shadows that clung in the corners, but she could still make out numerous steel doors. Most of them were shut, but one about ten feet away was open. There was no more doubt: the girls were being held here.

“Move!” Elise nudged her toward the open steel door, and when they were within a foot, she shouted, “Get in!” and pushed Amanda forward.

The force was unexpected, and she’d been mid-stride. Amanda toppled forward but caught herself on the doorframe. Her mind was screaming. There was no way she could allow herself to go into that room or it would be over. But then, maybe, just maybe she could see Kevin and Lindsey again.

All in a flash, her father’s voicemail also replayed in her mind, It’s over, sweetheart.

Completely out of context, but a tiny part of her almost welcomed the comfort of defeat if that meant a brief meeting of the darkness followed by a walk toward the light. Being with her family again would be a marvelous reunion, something that she’d dreamed of for many years. But it had also been great seeing her parents the other day and how would they cope if something happened to her now?

Her phone started ringing again. Maybe it was the same person again, desperately trying to reach her. She could only hope that someone would look for her and track her whereabouts.

“Get in the room!” Elise kicked Amanda’s legs.

Only then did Amanda realize they had been preventing the door from closing. If she went into that cell, she could only guess her future would be torture, rape, and murder. And she couldn’t serve the girls in the other cells if she was dead. She had to fight.

She put her arms under her and lifted herself up, then stood and spun to face Elise. Her gun was level at her solar plexus. In that second, Amanda didn’t want to die, but she wasn’t afraid of it either. And at least there was no sign of Jonah.

In a swift motion—an act of reckless abandon—Amanda wrapped her hand around the barrel of Elise’s gun and swept it to the side. A hail Mary, let-the-fates-decide move.

A bullet fired and the sound was deafening. Elise screamed and the gun went flying.

Amanda kicked Elise in her ribs, and she let out a strangled cry.

“Elise!” Jonah was thumping across the floorboards above them and nearing the top of the basement stairs.

Amanda had less than a second to decide on her next step. She needed to rid Elise of her gun if she was to stand a chance. She ducked to the ground, throwing herself on her side. Her fingers played on the handle; the weapon was just out of reach.

Elise was clawing at her legs and pulling her back. Amanda stopped her struggling and let the woman advance on her. When she was within reach, she wound up and punched her as hard as she could in the nose.

Bone and cartilage crunched, and Amanda’s knuckles were likely bloody and throbbing, but she felt nothing. Adrenaline had kicked in and she was ready to go down fighting if she had to, but she sure as hell wasn’t going down without one.

Jonah’s steps were getting closer, then they were on the stairs.

Elise resembled a deranged animal as she lunged at Amanda again.