Chapter 75 Fatal Attraction

Anna pulled away from John and stretched. She walked toward the desk and picked up the papers staring at them.
“you know you don’t have to do this?” She said as she turned to face him.
“I know I don’t, but you deserve it and I want to share everything with you, the good and the bad. I want to share all parts of our lives. I’ve felt like that for a while and having you come work at the company helped but I still didn’t feel right.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Have you seen our lives in the last few months?”
“I know right?” Anna laughed as she put the paper down. “It was like the universe was against us.”
John came and put his arms back around her and pulled her to his chest tucking her under his chin. “We have too much going for us to waste time worrying about the universe. “
“How do you do that?”
“What?”
“Make it all sound so logical.”
“I have to because how else am I going to convince you to stay with me.”
“I already said I would stay.”
“But what if you change your mind? All I can see is you standing there ready to board the plane, ready to walk out of my life forever. It is a terrifying scene that keeps replaying in my head.”
“It will take work but I know that we are worth it. Leaving is the last thing I want to do.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you, John, more each day and it was killing me to think of leaving, but I was desperate.”
“You know what I’m desperate for?” He asked kissing her softly then digging his fingers into her hair.
“What’s that?” She asked between kisses.
“To take my wife home and show her how desperately in love with her I am.”
“No more surprises waiting right?”
“Nope, I promise.”
“Let's go then,” Anna said with a smile as she and John grabbed their coats and left the office. A fine mist was coming down and they decided to leave her car at the office and grab it tomorrow. They were on their way out the door when John realized he needed to lock the safe in his office. Anna offered to wait by the doors even though he said it might take a while. Anna assured him she would wait and he hurried into the elevator.
The elevator door had barely closed behind John when her phone rang.
“Hello,” Anna asked as she answered the unknown number.
“” You think you’re so smart.” A familiar voice hissed down the line. And Anna cringed.
“What do you want Isabel?”
“Nothing that a little text to John asking him to meet you in your office can’t give me.”
“Isabel, just leave us alone,” Anna said as panic set in.
“you didn’t say please.” Isabel hissed in a low unnatural voice as the call disconnected.
Anna kicked her shoes off and ran to the elevator stabbing the button. Anna jumped in when it arrived stabbing the buttons quickly. The door opened and Anna stepped off listening to the now steady rain outside. The rain outside crashed along with the lightning and thunder and then the power went out creating a yawning black hole down the hallway to her office. Anna had watched enough horror movies to know that this was where the killer usually waits for the victims but she had no choice. Isabel was trying to lure John to her office and she worried about Isabel’s mental state. She was terrified for John’s safety.
She tried to call him but his phone went to voice mail. Anna sighed and tried the light switch, but only the security lights came on. Anna sighed. This was so par for the course. She switched her phone flashlight on and set off down the hall, trying to be as quiet as possible.
“John.” She whispered quietly, hoping to find him before Isabel found them. “Are you here?”
The silence that met her ears was deafening. Her heartbeat sped up as terror swamped her, but she had to get to John. Isabel had seemed unsteady at best on the phone and Anna couldn’t leave John with her. She had to do something.
Her office came into view and she saw that the door was cracked. It had been locked the last time she’d left it and how she found herself gulping as she nudged the door open. She knew Isabel was surely inside but so was John and she couldn’t risk losing him.
“John,” She called as she pushed the heavy door open “Where are you?”
The lightning crashed outside illuminating the walls with eerie flashes of light that created a strobe-like effect. No answer came and she felt her level of panic rise. She could only imagine what Isabel had done to him.
“John please answer me,” she said softly as she walked toward the darkened shared inner office. “I think Isabel is here and I’m afraid she might have gone off the deep end. “
“We’re here Anna, “Isabel’s voice drifted in from the shared balcony just outside the room.
Anna gulped and stepped toward the curtains swaying in the breeze following the sound of Isabel’s voice. She pushed the curtains back avoiding the partially open glass door. She stepped out into the lightning lighted darkness and tried to see. The lights of Asheville gave the balcony a red glow and Anna barely made out the form laying sprawled on the floor.
“John!” She yelled as she ran to his prone form and tried to shake him “Please wake up!”
“He’ll be out of commission for a while, so it’s just you and me.” Isabel hissed from the darkened corner of the balcony.
“Why are you doing this? Anna asked seeing Isabel now, sitting calmly in a chair in the on and off strobe of the darkness.
“Because I’m not going to let you take what is mine. I decided it was time to get it back.”
Anna watched as Isabel leaned forward in her chair, her usually perfect hair was sticking up as if fingers had been run through it. Her eyes held a feral gleam that chilled Anna to the bone.
“We have so much to talk about don’t you think?”