Chapter Thirty One

Exiting the bathroom, Jayme stood in the hallway for a moment before taking the first few steps. The house was still eerily quiet as Jayme went down each step. As she reached the last step, she saw two feet sticking out beyond the wall. It was Cindy, laying on the floor. Jayme was instantly startled as she checked Cindy for a pulse.
Cindy had a large contusion on the side of her face which told Jayme that she was hit with something solid and blunt. It was enough force to knock her out. Hearing footsteps from behind her, Jayme turned to see Jim standing in the doorway carrying a large metal pipe. Jayme screamed. Her scream scared Bella, making her cry.
Jayme was terrified. “Luke…” Jayme yelled.
“Luke is not here.” Jim said. “He went to town.”
“Jim, please…” Jayme pleaded, shaking and crying.
“You put me in prison but you know what, I’d rather die then rot in jail. If I have to rot in jail, you’re going to hell.” He said, raising his pipe above his head.
Knowing the blow was coming, Jayme pulled herself up in a ball, protecting her head as well as Bella. Jayme felt the blow to the back of her neck. She moaned in pain and couldn’t move her head. Then she felt the blow again, this time to her rib cage.
The pain and torment she felt only fueled her as she stood to her feet and ran toward Jim, knocking him off his feet. She grabbed the long pipe he had in his hand and struggled with him to gain control. But Jim quickly overpowered her, regaining the pipe. With a quick swing, Jim knocked her to the floor.
“You’re not getting away from me this time. And you’re not going anywhere with me. I’m going to kill you here and now.” He said as he walked toward her, hitting the pipe against his hand. But as he swung the heavy pipe, Jayme rolled out of the way before he could hit her. Quickly, she kicked him in the groin hard enough to drop him to his knees.
Jim dropped the pipe and grabbed his private area with both hands. Moving quickly, Jayme grabbed the pipe but it was too heavy to get a good swing. Dropping the pipe on the other side of the room, Jayme grabbed Bella and ran out the door. Running down the steps, Jayme nearly tripped but recovered her steps.
There were tears streaming down her face when she grabbed the phone and ran out the door. Running to the barn, she dialed 9-1-1 but said nothing to the dispatch. She didn’t want to talk and give away her position, hoping that Bella would remain quiet. Hiding behind an old tractor parked in the barn, Jayme watched for movement at any entrance point.
Laying the phone on the tire, she left it off the hook, connected to dispatch, knowing they would send an officer anyways. But when Rex heard about the hang up call at this address, he would instantly know something was going wrong.
Jayme saw a small door open to her right and ducked down behind some barrels that were stacked behind the tractor. With her back to the barn wall, Jayme sat down in a dark corner. Through the gaps between the barrels, Jayme watched as Jim searched for her. Jayme wanted to hyperventilate but kept her breathing shallow and slow.
Then Bella began to hiccup which drew his attention immediately. Jayme watched as he came toward them but as he grew closer, Jayme burst through the barrels and ran back toward the house. Entering the house, she locked the door, then ran to each door and locked it before Jim could reach them.
Jayme ran up the stairs to her bedroom where she shut and locked the door. Then she found a spot in the corner of the closet to hide and cover her and Bella with coats and bags. Jayme was trembling as she heard the loud bang from Jim breaking down the external door to get inside the house. Then she heard his distant footsteps walking through the downstairs, trying to find her.
As Jim walked across the carpeting, the footsteps stopped making noise. Although the steps creaked as he walked up them. Jim knew where she was when he saw the bedroom door shut and locked. With a swift kick, Jim kicked the door open. Jayme jumped when the bedroom door flew open and she knew he would find her.
Although her and Bella were completely covered, Jayme knew the closet door had opened. Feeling through the messy floor, he discovered them when he moved the bags and coats. Grabbing Jayme’s arm, he jerked her out of the closet. “Oh yes, there’s your daughter.” Jim said and took her from Jayme.
Jayme fought gently but firmly to keep Bella but she would’ve gotten hurt had she still fought. Laying Bella on the bed, Jim turned to Jayme. “Now, it is time to die…” He said and pushed her against the wall. With his thumbs on her throat, Jim pushed her against the wall, cutting off her airway. Jayme hit and kicked at Jim but it didn’t phase him.
Jayme knew she was dead when she started seeing stars before she passed out. Just as her body went limp, Rex came into the bedroom to see her fall to the floor. “Jayme!” Rex shouted and plowed into Jim, knocking him off his feet.
Together, they crashed into a shelf and landed on the floor. There was a struggle as Jim reached for Rex’s gun and unsnapped the strap. Rex fought against Jim to keep his gun in his holster. Jayme began to wake up as he had only choked her until she passed out. It wasn’t long enough to kill her. Seeing the two struggling on the floor together, Jayme jumped up to help Rex. But as she tried to grab Rex’s gun, a hand slipped and hit her in the jaw, knocking her backwards. It was the moment that Jim gained Rex’s gun.
Just as Jim put the gun to Rex’s chest and pulled the trigger, Luke appeared and shot Jim in the back. Jim turned toward Luke and ran toward him, plowing into him. Jayme dropped to her knees before Rex, assessing his injuries. After Jim plowed over Luke, knocking him to the ground, Jim bolted through the house and out the front door, running to his escape route.
While Jayme worked to save Rex's life, she yelled for Luke. "Luke, call an ambulance..."
Rex was quickly losing consciousness, blood draining into his lungs. Luke called 911, reporting that an officer had been shot. Sending an ambulance and the police, Jayme stayed with Rex, preforming life saving measures. Although it seemed like hours, the ambulance arrived within fifteen minutes, just before the police.
Jayme watched as they put Rex on the gurney and quickly loaded him into the back of the ambulance. Grabbing Bella off the bed, Jayme climbed into the ambulance with him before they shut the doors and headed for the hospital. Once again, Jim had escaped the grasp of the law. But, he was injured.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the nurses met the ambulance at the bay. Immediately, they took Rex directly into surgery to remove the bullet and correct the damage done. Just as they transferred him from the gurney to the operating table, the line on his monitor flattened and it began to beep. Rex had died. With the quick help of the doctor, he revived Rex's pulse before continuing with surgery.
Four hours, Jayme waited in the waiting room. Before the doctor finished and met with her, Jayme's parents, along with some fellow deputies, met her in the waiting room. The room became filled with a silent buzz as everyone waited for word on Rex's condition. The more time that passed, the more supporters came. Jayme was filled with compassion, seeing all the people who showed up to support Rex.
From the corner of her eye, Jayme saw the door open and the doctor walk in. He was dressed in scrubs and wore a blue covering over his head. "Is everyone here for Rex Adams?" The doctor asked.
Everyone fell silent and looked at the doctor, waiting for an update. "I guess so... I'm Dr. West. I preformed the surgery on Deputy Adams. Although we lost him once, we were able to remove the bullet and stabilize him. He'll be in recovery for about forty five minutes, then you can see him, two at a time."
"Thank you, Dr. West." Jayme said and went to him, holding her hand out for a handshake.
Knowing that Rex had survived and was stabilized, most everyone was satisfied and the room began to thin out. The only people left in the waiting room was Jayme and her parents, and one deputy that Jayme had saw before. Leaving Bella with Simon and Paige, Jayme went to see Rex as soon as they moved him from recovery into a private room.