Amanda's raucous laughter brought me back from the deep dark chasm I plunged into. I kept thinking about what mistake had I done to cause Amanda to resent me so much. I helped her went through her mental struggles after she was used and abused by Peter. I even made an appeal to lessen her sentence and became her guardian during her therapy sessions.
I glanced again at the bloody finger then my fear turned to fury. My worries turned to determination. If Amanda wanted a mental game, I was willing to play it. She was using my emotions against me and I had fully realized it.
"Do you like it?" she asked along with her manic laughter.
I inhaled to calm my raging anger before I spoke. "This wasn't the Amanda I fell in love with," I uttered emotionally. "I loved you. I stood by your side through your turbulent times. Why are you doing this?"
My plan seemed to have worked because she stammered when she answered, "B- brad! Do you really think that I will believe~"
"If you won't stop, I will kill myself!" I said, cutting her off.
"What?!"
"I said, I will kill myself!" I repeated, now, I stressed every word.
"I don't believe you!" she smirked.
"I know you're watching me," I said as I pulled a 38 revolver from my holster and aimed it on my head. She screamed. She was hysterical. "If you kill Helena, I'll die with her!" I added while staring straight at the hidden CCTV camera I spotted at the right corner of the room.
"Brad! Please, don't say that!" she yelped. "Don't leave me!"
"Where is she?" I asked. She hesitated to answer.
I heard her gasp when I cocked my gun. "Where is she? Where is Helena?!" I asked, adding more determination to my voice.
"She's... she's in the trunk of my car," she relented.
"Where?!" my voice went icy cold as my gaze blazed. The demon in me made it's way out nearly taking over my sanity. She crumbled in fear as she cried and cried.
"My sister will lead you here," she managed to say as she choked in tears.
After a moment, a frightened receptionist came. She was shocked as I did when she saw the room. We exchanged a tacit agreement before I followed her out of the motel.
We walked through the cobblestone street leading to the pier where I saw Amanda earlier.
"This is how far I can take you," the young woman said, keeping her head down as she spoke softly.
"Not so fast!" I said when she walked away. She immediately stopped and stood like a puppet. "Tell me where she is."
"I don't know," she replied, tilting her head as she turned around to face the sea. "I am so sorry," she said before leaving me. As soon as she left, Amanda emerged from one of the boats. She looked distraught. Her hair was messy and her sullen face was covered in smeared mascara. Her manic facade disappeared. All I could see was her vulnerability.
"Take me to Helena," I commanded. She gently nodded as she led the way to her parked car under a shallow cave which served as a perfect cover from any suspecting soul.
She popped the trunk to reveal Helena with her hands behind her, bound with duct tape. Her mouth was stuffed with a piece of a handkerchief to muffle her scream. She looked pale.
"Oh my god!" I exclaimed. Helena cried weakly when I scooped her out of the car.
With her mouth now free from the piece of cloth, she cried, "I'm sorry."
"No, honey. Hush now," I said gently as I hugged her tight. Helena twitched in pain as I removed the duct tape from her swollen wrists.
"I thought, I'm gonna die. I thought...," Helena struggled to say. "I am so sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for. Hush now, you're safe now," I replied before planting a gentle kiss on her forehead and helped her stand.
Then I heard a cocking of a gun. I turned around to see Amanda aiming my gun at me. As I took Helena from the trunk, my gun must have had fallen.
"If I can't have you, Brad. No one can," she said. Her lunatic smile came back. But that didn't scare me at all. I hid Helena behind me as I stood firm in front of the gun's nozzle, pointed directly between my eyes.
"You can't shoot her without killing me first," I said. Helena gasped as she held my hand tight. Our fuming gaze battled for a moment. I equaled her fury. Realizing that I wasn't joking, Amanda put down the gun and tossed it on the ground. I silently uttered a thankful prayer.
"Why?" Amanda whispered in tears.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" I replied.
"Because I love you," she said, wiping her tears.
"If you really love me, why are you hurting me?"
"I am not hurting you, only the person you love. I can't bear seeing you with another woman, kissing her, hugging her, filling your life with bliss. That should be me! I am perfect for you. We complement each other very well," she cried.
I sighed. "Hurting the person I love means you're hurting me, too. Amanda, I am really sorry that I can't reciprocate your affection. I am sorry," I replied.
Then we heard approaching footsteps led by Det. Romanov, who ordered Amanda to surrender.
"Amanda Windsor, you're under arrest for kidnapping, and attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent," Det. Romanov said as two policemen went to handcuff her.
Amanda laughed then cried. "No! The only crime I made was falling in love with you! And you made me do it, Brad! It's your fault! It's all you fault," she screamed in front of my face. I could smell the stench of alcohol from her breath.
"Had you not been so kind to me! Had you just left me rot in prison! All these things shouldn't have happened. Brad, you told me that you'll forever be on my side. You lied! You will be marrying this wench. You chose her over me. How could you?!"
I pulled Helena into a tight embrace as her body trembled in exhaustion. Then she held her tummy and screamed in pain. She writhed and screamed.
"I told you, Brad. If I can't kill you, I'll take away something precious from you," Amanda yelled as she was dragged and put in the police car. My heart raced.
"No! Helena hold on! The ambulance is on its way," I whispered as she cried, screamed, and writhed in pain.