Page 116 of Seven Days

All she had to do was unlock the door, then go to the bath, get Max, and they would be free.

And then there was a noise.

A banging coming from the bath.

‘Mummy,’ a muffled voice said. ‘Where are you?’

Martin

Martin pulled into a car parking space at the hospital. It was hard to be back here. This was the third time, and he had hoped it was over for good.

But maybe that was another hope that would not be granted to him.

He walked into the consulting room, two cups of tea in his hand.

Sandra was sitting on the bed. She smiled. ‘I’m not sure I feel like anything,’ she said. She put a hand on his forearm. Her hand was dry and warm, the veins prominent. She looked at him. Her hair was beginning to grow back, but it was still short. ‘I’m a bit nervous.’

‘Me too,’ Martin said. ‘Me too. But it’ll be OK,’ he said. ‘It really will.’

She didn’t reply. When he looked at her there were tears on her cheeks.

Maggie

There was the sound of wood scraping on wood, then a blond, curly-haired head appeared over the lip of the bath.

‘Mummy?’ Max said. ‘Are you OK?’

The man thought – and reacted – more quickly than Maggie did. They were an equal distance from the corner of the room with the bath in, and, before she could move, he half-sprang, half-ran to it. He reached out and grabbed Max, then held him up.

His hands and face and clothes were covered in blood. His one remaining eye was wild, his mouth parted as he panted for breath.

‘The key,’ he growled. ‘Put it on the floor.’

Maggie shook her head. ‘No.’

He gripped Max’s neck. ‘Then he’s dead.’

‘Ow,’ Max said. ‘Stop it! You’re hurting.’

Maggie took a step towards them. Her left hand – the one with the talons – lifted.

The man shook his head. ‘Don’t take another step. I’ll break his neck.’

Maggie blinked. Tears came to her eyes. She couldn’t believe she’d got so close, only to fail at the last step. It was going to be even worse now. The man would take Max – that was for sure – and then what? He’d leave her in darkness for days? Weeks? Torture her? He’d have to go to the doctor for his eye – no doubt he’d make up some story about getting mugged – and then he’d take it all out on her.

And she would not be able to avoid his punishment. The bleach was gone. Even that way out was lost to her now.

So close, but all she’d done was make things worse.

‘Put the key in the door,’ the man said. ‘Then go and lie on the mattress, face down, your hands behind your head.’

‘Please,’ Maggie said. ‘Leave Max with me.’

The man laughed. ‘Key in the door.’

So this was it. The same story, yet again. She’d managed more of a fight this time, but Max was gone either way. She could try to attack the man again, but she had no doubt he would snap Max’s neck.

Then, though, there would be nothing stopping her from killing the man.