Free 44: Book Three by Jools Sinclair

believe it. The storm had passed, the conditions were perfect. And I had done it, I had escaped. Everything was going so well. The island was right in front of me. And then it had all gone to hell.
     

 
    CHAPTER 18
     
    The trip back didn’t take long.
    “Get up here,” Phil called. “Don’t make me come down and get you.”
    I stood on the dock a moment later, looking up at the house in disbelief.
    “That’s right,” Jack said. “Take a good look. It might be your last for a while.”
    He grabbed my wrist and led me up the path toward the front door.
    I was expecting to see Nathaniel when we went inside, but he wasn’t there. In fact, no one was around. Other than the strong smell of coffee, everything seemed the same as when I had left a few hours earlier. I slowly walked up the stairs, more afraid than ever.
    I had done my best. But it hadn’t been good enough.
    I stood under the steaming water of the shower, trying to warm up. I stayed there for a long time, too tired and scared to come out.
    When I finally did, I saw that someone had come in to start the fire. And on the desk was a pot of coffee and muffins.
     
    ***
     
    I kept expecting Nathaniel to storm in, but he never came. I watched the night turn to dawn and then crawled into bed. It took a long time to fall asleep, but I eventually did.
    I woke up sometime in the afternoon. It was still calm outside. Clear skies, no wind. It would have been a perfect day to be free.
    As I stood looking out the window and trying to fight off the hopelessness that closed in around me, I heard the door open.
    Nathaniel walked in.
    I could see the anger that engulfed him. He walked up, standing close, staring at me.
    “Abby,” he said.
    I backed up to the wall and he followed me there, putting his face right up to mine, those cat eyes shiny and furious. I could hear him breathing hard. I hoped he couldn’t see me trembling.
    “What were you thinking?” he said after a long silence. He stared at me for another moment and then turned and looked out the window.
    “You know how lucky you are… that we came along?”
    I moved over to the chair and sat down, not taking my eyes off him. I didn’t say anything. I took shallow breaths and bit my lip.
    “This won’t do,” he said. “I have tried to be reasonable, tried to allow you to see what was possible here with me. But you’ve left me no choice.”
    He left the room, slamming the door.
    I went to the bathroom and threw cold water on my face.
    A few minutes later, I heard a loud click out in the hall. I immediately recognized the sound of the deadbolt and suddenly found it hard to breath.
    I had been locked in.

CHAPTER 19
     
    I stayed in bed the rest of the day. I tried to watch a couple of movies but found it difficult to concentrate. Thoughts of home crowded my mind. Aspen leaves dancing gently in the breeze, the geese flying above, the river running through town. My house and my room and summer hikes up in the mountains.
    I ached for home but I was finding it difficult to believe that I would ever see it again, that I would ever get away from here.
    My destiny was coming into focus. I was to be an experiment that ultimately wouldn’t work.
    I would die here on this island at the hands of a madman.
     
    ***
     
    At just past seven that night, I heard the door unlock. It was Simon, carrying a tray. He walked into the room and set it over on the desk.
    “Good evening, Abby,” he said. I was still in bed, watching a mini marathon of the old TV series The Fugitive withDavid Janssen.
    He smiled. He wasn’t mad. Not in the least.
    “Well, I brought you your dinner. I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s my Chicken Alfredo, one of my best dishes I’m told.”
    I looked over and saw there was a vase with a single rose on the tray.
    I sat up.
    “Thanks,” I said, smiling. “And also for the flower.”
    “Oh, the flower isn’t from me, but I’ll let him know.”
    I cringed.
    “Dr. Mortimer says to tell you that