Chapter 62

Layla

I sat on the bench facing the ocean. It’s been one month now since I saw Marcella. The past few weeks were miserable. Silas hid all the knives and anything I could use to hurt myself. One night, two weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night and found him in my bed. I yelled, screamed, kicked, and tried to get him out, but he didn’t leave. He hit me so badly that night that I tried jumping out the window. Since then, he bolted shut all the second-floor windows.

He took everything out of the room, even the clothes hangers. When eating dinner, he gives me plastic utensils, but that wouldn’t stop me. I knew there was more than one security guard. One day I accidentally saw two of them walking to the back of the house, so I went up to the second floor and watched them. They had a secret bunker at the back.

The longer I sat there, the colder it became; the sun set almost two hours ago. Another, and they hadn’t gotten here yet. Another night with that madman. What Silas didn’t know was tonight would be the last night he would be alive. The past two weeks, I remained quiet and obedient and did what he wanted me to do.

Every night he comes into my room like clockwork. After that night, I knew it was either me or him. So, I used what I had. I couldn’t poison him because he didn’t trust me with his food, and he took all the medicine out of the cabinet.

I needed him to remain in one place, so I ripped a few of the dresses I had and made braided ropes. I knew I would have to move fast and not give him a chance to escape. I had already tied two of the ropes to the head of the bed. It was covered by the pillows. I knew tying him wouldn’t be enough, so I needed something heavy to knock his ass out. I had already broken one of the legs on the night table. I turned it around and made sure it didn’t look different. After I was sure I had it in order, I waited.

He carried the key to his office on a necklace. I know he has a gun in the office. I needed that. The electricity that the house uses is from a generator. I knew diesel is used for generators. I knew where it was stored because I saw when the shipment came with the ferry. If I couldn’t kill his fucking guards with a gun, then they'd fucking burn in the house along with Silas.

“Marie, time for dinner,” I heard him say from behind me.
I didn’t answer him. I stood up and was about to walk into the house when I heard someone with what sounded like a megaphone. I walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down; Silas was behind me. There was what looked like a young boy in a boat. He was singing. He looked up and saw us and started waving. I turned around and was about to head inside when I heard him say it. But I didn’t stop.
“DLA,” the boy said with the megaphone. He kept repeating it over and over and over again.

I kept walking and went into the house with him following me. “What is DLA?” he asked me.
“I don’t know,” I said as I walked into the house and straight to the dining table. I sat down and began to eat. He kept looking at me and smiling. Keep smiling. It was your last night. They were coming. I thought to myself and smiled at him.

Dean

When we got off the jet, Diego was waiting for us. “Welcome to South Africa, Boss. We’re leaving now. The hotel is all arranged for. The boat is already loaded with weapons and rations. The doctor she mentioned, we’ve been keeping tabs on him. Apparently, Silas Reid kidnapped his wife and daughter in order to get him to help with the Mrs. After we found that out, we decided to let him be,” Diego said.

“That’s okay. Let’s head out,” Aleck said.

When we got onto the boat, I knew without a doubt Aleck and I were going to be sick. Diego introduced us to the captain. Diego told him who we were and what we were intending to do because the minute he saw us, he smiled and said Silas was getting what he deserved. On day three, we were cruising along. Diego and Mac texted Silas that everything was okay and that no one was looking into anything about her.

On day five, Aleck and I were by the rails, just standing there quietly. The captain came over to us.

“Now, I have a question to ask. When your bodyguard over there told me about your situation, I wasn’t confused or anything, just surprised that things like this still happen. My wife, same thing, now to keep the love of my life safe. She is hidden away right on that island along with my son,” he said, looking out to the sea, and for a moment I was shocked that someone else had experienced something similar.

“Tomorrow we will get to the island. We’ll land on my own landing dock. Getting to Silas’s side would take ten minutes. You will have help if you need it. I will take you there, then wait for you,” he said.
“Thank you.”

When the boat pulled into the dock, there was a white two-story house up ahead. It was five in the afternoon. I was so thankful to be on land. I saw a young boy of about thirteen walking towards us.

“Welcome home, Dad,” he said, walking to the captain and hugging him.
“Good to be back, son. How’s everything?”

“Good so far. I guess Silas and his wife are on good terms because he hasn’t gotten drunk or created any problems. Who are they?” The boy asked, looking at us, and I looked at Aleck.

“Junior, these men are here to get her. She isn’t Silas’s wife. She is his wife. Do you know where she is?” He asked his son.
“Well, yeah. Everyone sees her. She sits on that bench by the cliff every day,” he said.

“Okay, Junior. Get your boat and go around that way. Use your megaphone.” He looked at us.
“Is there a word or phrase that only the three of you know? That way she will know you’re here and coming for her,” he asked.
“DLA,” I said.

He looked at his son. “That’s all you need to say when you have her attention.”
“Okay, Dad.”

He looked at us. “I know dinner is the last thing on your mind, so. Let me refuel, and we’ll get going. It gets dark here very fast.”
“Okay, and thank you,” Aleck said.

Within an hour and a half, we were ready. Diego and Mac double-checked all the guns. Brian was on his laptop. He was connected to all the security cameras Silas had. Mac was good enough to get us earpieces. That way, Brian could let us know what was happening. When the boat pulled up to the side of the cliff, it was completely dark. The captain wished us luck, and we went up one by one. While Brian was guiding us,

***BRIAN: They’re having dinner. A woman who I assume is the helper just went to a room at the back. The one security detail is still by the door, and those fuckers in the bunker are still unaware.***

***ALECK: Good.***

When we made it onto the cliff, we were standing in the blind spot.

***DEAN: Wait. Using so many bullets will only be a waste of time. Brian, if we were to toss a few grenades into the bunker and lock them in, how much noise would that make?***

I saw Mac, Diego, and Aleck smirking.

***DIEGO: If we do that, it only leaves Silas with her and the one security guard.***
***MAC: Then we will give them a surprise.***

***ALECK: Brian, cover some of us. Some will head to the bunker. We’ll use the grenades. Cover us into the house. We’ll take the guard and Silas out at the same time.***

***BRIAN: Got it, boss.***

Layla

I had just finished eating and stood up. “Sit down, I’m not finished,” Silas said. I sat back down; I needed to wait. I could wait. He was not leaving my fucking room alive. I sat back down and remained quiet. I heard what sounded like a walkie-talkie somewhere but didn’t really pay attention to it.

“So, Marie, have you forgiven me?” Silas asked. I looked up at him, but when I did, it wasn’t what I was expecting to see. I stood up and looked at him.

“Threatening me won’t work this time,” Silas said, and I began laughing.
“My name is Layla Tavers Cavanaugh. Mrs. Cavanaugh.”

“SHOULD I FUCKING KILL THEM?” Silas yelled.

I wasn’t even bothered; he couldn’t hurt me anymore. Because Dean and Aleck were both standing behind him with a gun pointing to his head.