S2W49:”Trembling Fingers”

© 2022 Phylicia Joannis

Chase ended the recording with trembling fingers, then sent the audio file to Simon. His next call was an ambulance, followed by the police. He clenched his seatbelt, but it didn’t help. His whole body shook with fear.

“Foolish girl,” he cried. He looked at the taxi driver in front of him, heart pounding. “Can’t you go any faster?” The driver nodded and accelerated.

“I’m almost there, Miracle. Just hold on.”

***

Ryan opened the front door, his revolver behind his back. Zinnia smiled when she saw him, then pushed her way inside.

“Ryan, did you buzz me in? Where’s Miracle? Is she safe? Did she find her mother?”

Ryan lowered his head. “You really shouldn’t be here, Zin.”

“I have to find Miracle. Do you know where she is? This house is huge.” She looked up at him and froze. Her eyes were on his neck, which was stained with blood.

Ryan swallowed and tightened his grip. “Just leave, Zinnia.”

“What’s happened?”

Ryan blinked back tears. Please don’t make me hurt you. “Please, Zin. Just forget about Miracle and walk away.”

Zinnia stepped towards him, and he stepped back. Her gaze pierced right through him. “What are you hiding?”

Ryan opened his mouth to reply, but then his phone buzzed. He slipped the revolver under his belt and answered.

“Ryan, this is Simon Lowe. Are you near Donna Ellison right now?”

Ryan cleared his throat. “Why?”

“Get to Donna Ellison now, and put the phone on speaker.”

“Why?” Ryan asked again, this time more irritated.

“Take a peek out the window, Ryan. What do you see?”

Ryan looked out of the still open front door, but he didn’t see anything. Not at first. A moment later, just past the gate, he caught sight of a large, black truck. It screeched to a halt in front of the gate, and Ryan slammed the door shut.

“What is it?” Zinnia called after him as he bolted back towards the parlor room. Donna Ellison was finishing her tea when he barreled into the room. He slammed the phone down onto the coffee table and put it on speaker.

“Have you lost your mind?” Donna cried.

“No he hasn’t, Donna.” Simon’s voice played through the phone. “Listen carefully. In a few minutes the FBI will be entering your estate. If you let that bomb go off, things are going to go from bad to worse, so I suggest you call whoever you need to and call it off.”

“Who is this?” Donna scowled.

“Miracle!” Ryan turned as Zinnia made her way into the parlor. Her hand reached for Miracle’s abdomen, pressing into the wound to slow the blood. A part of him hoped she could save her.

“Turn on the television if you don’t believe me,” Simon continued. “It’s on C&M news right now.”

Donna stared at the phone with a scowl, then reached for a remote underneath the table and changed the television input, tuning to the news network.

“…as a bomb threatening the downtown area was reported to several news networks and has now been confirmed by C&M News. FBI and swat teams have surrounded the Ellison estate in order to neutralize the threat and the woman behind it. Donna Ellison and her husband, Richard Ellison have allegedly been using an underground facility to –”

Donna turned from the television and grabbed the two way radio still sitting on the coffee table. “Don’t set off that bomb!”

The radio crackled on the other end. “Say again?”

“Do not set off that bomb! Destroy the evidence! Nothing can lead back to me!”

“Who is this?” the radio crackled again. “You don’t sound like Greg.”

“Do not, I repeat, do not set off that bomb!” Donna shrieked.

“Listen lady, if I don’t hear from Greg in the next five minutes, I’m gonna do the last thing I was ordered to do. So get him on the line.”

Ryan watched Donna continue to scream into the radio. Shadows passed near the windows, and he knew it was all over. He grabbed the radio from Donna.

“Greg’s dead, Chris. It’s over.”

“Ryan? That you?”

“The police are on their way. If that bomb goes off, you’re going down for murder. They know who you are.”

The radio crackled again with a slurry of curses and cries. “Greg’s really dead?” Ryan could hear the fear laced in his voice. “What am I gonna do?”

“Turn yourself in.” Ryan looked at Miracle again. Zinnia cried over the girl, hands soaked with blood. He pulled the revolver from his belt and pointed it at Donna Ellison. She slumped in her couch and stared at him with dead eyes.

“What are you going to do?” she asked, covering her mouth with trembling fingers.

He raised the gun in the air, along with his empty hand, then lowered himself to his knees. A swarm of agents busted into the parlor. Donna widened her eyes in surprise as they pulled her from the couch and cuffed her. Another agent disarmed Ryan and cuffed him as well, dragging him to his feet before hauling him out.