CHAPTER TWO
1142 Words
COLD STRUNG
The family tied up and Ell bleeding.
The room fell silent.
Not because anyone wanted it to.
Because the voice coming through the phone demanded it.
Alex held the device against his ear, his expression unreadable.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Even the sound of Ell's blood dripping onto the floor seemed louder than before.
"Hello, Alex."
The voice was calm.
Too calm.
The kind of calm that belonged to people who were never afraid.
Alex's jaw tightened.
For the first time since entering the room, something shifted in his eyes.
Recognition.
"So you're still alive," he said.
A soft chuckle answered him.
"Barely."
Mom looked from Alex to Ell.
Then back to the phone.
Confusion spread across her face.
Whoever was speaking knew him.
And Alex clearly knew them too.
"You've caused enough trouble," the voice continued.
"Let them go."
Alex laughed.
A dark, bitter laugh.
"You don't get to give me orders anymore."
The voice sighed.
"Then you've learned nothing."
The line went quiet.
For three seconds.
Four.
Five.
Then Ell finally spoke.
Her first words since being tied down.
"Don't."
Everyone turned toward her.
Including Alex.
Her eyes were fixed on the phone.
Not on the caller.
The phone itself.
A strange look crossed her face.
Fear.
Real fear.
And that terrified Tania more than the gun ever could.
Because Ellen never looked afraid.
Not when Augustus died.
Not during the protest.
Not even while bleeding.
"Ell?" Mom whispered.
Ell ignored her.
Her gaze remained locked on the device.
"Alex," she said quietly.
"Hang up."
Alex smirked.
"And why would I do that?"
For the first time, her voice cracked.
Just slightly.
"Because if that call connected..."
She swallowed.
"...then he knows where we are."
The room froze.
Alex's smile slowly disappeared.
"Who?" he asked.
Ell lifted her eyes.
Straight to his.
And for the first time since this nightmare began...
she looked genuinely terrified.
"
The room fell silent.
Not because anyone wanted it to.
Because the voice coming through the phone demanded it.
Alex held the device against his ear, his expression unreadable.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Even the sound of Ell's blood dripping onto the floor seemed louder than before.
"Hello, Alex."
The voice was calm.
Too calm.
The kind of calm that belonged to people who were never afraid.
Alex's jaw tightened.
For the first time since entering the room, something shifted in his eyes.
Recognition.
"So you're still alive," he said.
A soft chuckle answered him.
"Barely."
Mom looked from Alex to Ell.
Then back to the phone.
Confusion spread across her face.
Whoever was speaking knew him.
And Alex clearly knew them too.
"You've caused enough trouble," the voice continued.
"Let them go."
Alex laughed.
A dark, bitter laugh.
"You don't get to give me orders anymore."
The voice sighed.
"Then you've learned nothing."
The line went quiet.
For three seconds.
Four.
Five.
Then Ell finally spoke.
Her first words since being tied down.
"Don't."
Everyone turned toward her.
Including Alex.
Her eyes were fixed on the phone.
Not on the caller.
The phone itself.
A strange look crossed her face.
Fear.
Real fear.
And that terrified Tania more than the gun ever could.
Because Ellen never looked afraid.
Not when Augustus died.
Not during the protest.
Not even while bleeding.
"Ell?" Mom whispered.
Ell ignored her.
Her gaze remained locked on the device.
"Alex," she said quietly.
"Hang up."
Alex smirked.
"And why would I do that?"
For the first time, her voice cracked.
Just slightly.
"Because if that call connected..."
She swallowed.
"...then he knows where we are."
The room froze.
Alex's smile slowly disappeared.
"Who?" he asked.
Ell lifted her eyes.
Straight to his.
And for the first time since this nightmare began...
she looked genuinely terrified.
"The man who killed my husband."
Silence crashed over the room.
Even the air seemed to stop moving.
Tania blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then laughed nervously.
"No."
Nobody joined her.
"No, that's impossible," she continued. "Everyone knows Augustus died from cardiac arrest."
Ell slowly turned her head toward her sister.
Her expression remained cold.
But her eyes carried something darker.
Something buried.
"That's what they wanted everyone to believe."
Mom's face drained of color.
"Ell..."
"You knew?" Tania whispered.
Mom lowered her gaze.
That was answer enough.
The realization hit Tania like a slap.
All those years.
All those whispers.
All those moments when Ell seemed to know more than she said.
"You've been hiding this?" she demanded.
Before anyone could answer, the voice on the phone spoke again.
"She's not hiding everything."
Alex tightened his grip on the device.
"What do you mean?"
A faint static crackled through the speaker.
Then the voice laughed.
Not loudly.
Not happily.
Just enough to make everyone uncomfortable.
"Ask Ellen what happened the night Augustus died."
Ell immediately stiffened.
Alex noticed.
And smiled.
For the first time since the call began, he looked interested.
"What happened that night, Ell?"
She remained silent.
"Tell them."
Nothing.
Tania stared at her.
Mom stared at her.
Even Alex waited.
Then Ell finally spoke.
Very softly.
"I wasn't alone when he died."
The room exploded with confusion.
"What?" Mom gasped.
"Who was with you?" Alex demanded.
Ell's eyes slowly drifted toward the window.
Toward the darkness beyond it.
And when she spoke again, her voice was barely above a whisper.
The room was dead bit silence for a minute, it was as if everyone was hanging in so hard to buy their minute on me, So now I was the bad spot, and that was just it right there
Ell as usual found a spot and quiet as a bird, God wish she'd stop doing that
And then what So I made a mistake
That almost cost us our lives
Momma! Don't do that, I'm sure if ell wasn't trying to play in her sly minute we wont be stuck in this mess
Your sister has nothing to do
oh right! Typically mother of the year trying to buy favor
( ell squeals) Enough! You both, The noise of you both jibbering is causing me a headache, I have tons on my plate! Jesus
Well...
shut it. Rida! Are you old enough for all this stunt
obviously
Yes ( winked her hands) Obviously
Get a life do you mind
( scoffs) You mean been under the whims of caprice of our dear parent
What do you want
To have you off my back! You are annoying
I'm I now, Saving companies that's at the verge of Going down,
No one asked you that
ohoh! Trying to foster ties among our families for years has made the overly bearing one
or rather stupid yunno
( slaps her) You don't know what I have had to put out to. dink myself in this
(phone Trills)
"The same man who's on the phone
- Writer
