Chapter 81

Katherine checked her watch.  Three o’clock.  She didn’t know how long it would take Evan to get out of jail, run home, and then run to where she was.  But however long it took, it would be too long.  She took a deep breath and reminded herself that Evan thought she could do this.  Even if she didn’t think so, if she wanted this new relationship to work, she was going to have to take him at his word.  But why did this have to be the first thing she had to do?

She shook the unhelpful question from her head and headed to where she saw a section of the park roped off.  Having only seen crime scenes on television shows, she hoped this was it.  Normally, crime scenes were crawling with cops and witnesses; this scene looked more like someone had marked an area for a vegetable garden.  A thin rope from tree to tree, with the occasional wooden stake used as a makeshift tree trunk.  

Katherine walked up to the rope and looked in the roped-off area.  All she could see was that the grass needed to be mowed.  There had been a good amount of tromping, but that grass that had been missed by feet could certainly use a trim.  Then she saw something – she told herself it was probably nothing – leaning up against a bark-covered root at the base of a cottonwood.  A good detective would go over there and inspect that thing, Katherine coached herself.  But, she countered, it would be wrong to cross the police line.  Since the police have already been over this place, her detective sense scolded, it’s not a big deal.

“It is absolutely a big deal,” Katherine said out loud.  The sound of her voice startled her, causing her to look left and right to see if anyone heard her.  There was no one.  She took in another breath of courage and ducked under the rope.  Certain that a police officer would come out from behind a tree and yell at her to get out of there, she almost ran to the tree root to inspect what she saw.

She knelt down and picked up the object.  Black fabric.  Her blood ran cold.  Katherine again shook the thought out.  Black fabric didn’t mean Saw Yatha.  She was certain there was a lot of black fabric in the world.  It could have even been from something Detective Short wore.  Still, there was a quality about the fabric her fingers couldn’t identify.  It wasn’t cotton, rayon, or polyester.  What was it?

Katherine snapped her head around when she heard soft footsteps behind her.  She stood.  And as she turned to see who it was, something wrapped around her ankles, and she was pulled off her feet and onto her hip.  A moment later, the eye-patched face of Saw Yatha loomed over her.

“Mrs. Gold,” he cooed, “so good to see you again.”

Katherine tried to pull her ankles apart, but they were tightly bound.

“Yes, please struggle, Mrs. Gold,” Yatha said.  “It only makes your bonds tighter.”  He placed a gloved hand on her shoulder and, in one forceful pull, flipped her onto her stomach.  Suddenly, her arms were behind her back and bound as well.  “Well done.  Now, it won’t do either one of us any good for us to be seen in this condition, at least not until your husband comes to rescue you.” At this, Saw Yatha gave a guttural laugh.  “So,” he said, and Katherine heard the shimmering sound of a blade pulled from a sheath.  A second later, her ankles were free, and she was hoisted to her feet.

“What makes you think Evan is coming?”

“Don’t test my patience, Mrs. Gold.  I was once the head of prisons.  I’ve been watching you both since we arrived here.  I admit that I had hoped that your prison system was stronger, so Mr. Gold could rot inside its walls.  But this is better.”  He started pushing Katherine to a line of trees near the Cottonwood River.  “You’ve ruined my life, you and your friends.  You’ve ruined my realm.  I can never go back there.  So, I thought the only neighborly thing to do, I believe you still have this custom, was to return the favor.

Katherine looked at him in horror.  Saw Yatha smiled, “Oh, yes, Mrs. Gold.  I’ll start by forcing your husband to watch you die at my capable hands, then I’ll make sure he gets the maximum penalty your realm allows, not just for beating up that snake of a police officer – that was just a starter – but for even more heinous crimes; crimes he will not so easily be spring from prison.  Then, after he’s out of the way, I will dismantle your precious Earth, piece by piece.  If I can’t have a world, then neither can you.”

“We didn’t go there to destroy Merlain,” Katherine managed.

“That doesn’t matter now that it’s destroyed.”  Saw yanked up on Katherine’s arms and she thought her shoulder would come out of its socket.  Katherine cleared her mind of the pain and forced herself to try to think of what Evan might do in this situation.  She was not as clever with words as he was, at least not when she was frightened, so distracting him was a bust.  There was the possibility of running, but without her arms, her chances of falling on her face were high.  But she did have free legs.  She could kick and stomp.  How far would that get her?  Other than screaming, it was her only option.

They had just entered the line of trees when they both heard it.  The sound of a car door closing.  Was it Evan?  Saw stopped and turned.  This was the first chance Katherine had to get Saw off balance, and she took it.  She looked down and planted her left heel into the top of Yatha’s foot, then pushed with her right to bury her left shoulder into his side.  It worked.  Saw Yatha cried out in pain and stumbled a few feet away from her.

Then, like a charging bull, Katherine bent over and attempted to ram Saw with her head.  At the moment she thought he would make contact, she felt Saw’s arms around her waist, pulling her off the ground.  Then, he let go, crashing her to the ground.  Saw Yatha yanked Katherine back to her feet.  “That’ll teach me to underestimate your treachery again,” he said.  Saw spun her to see Evan coming for her.  “See that?  Your rescuer has arrived.  Too bad for you, you’ll have to die soon.”

“Let her go!” Evan called out.

“By all means, keep coming closer,” Saw Yatha said.  “I had hoped to give you a front row seat to your wife’s demise.”

Evan stopped several five yards away.  “Let her go, and you and I can settle this.”

Saw laughed.  “Oh, I think the time for such chivalry is over.  She’s as much at fault for this as you are.  You both helped Lillian escape.  You both set my realm on fire.  You both deserve what’s coming for you.”

“Katherine.  Are you alright?” Evan asked.  Katherine bulged her eyes at him.  “Good,” he said.  “I saw your moves a bit ago.  You’re very courageous.”

“You make me sick,” Saw said.

Evan continued to look at Katherine.  “You shouldn’t put up with Saw anymore, Katherine.  You shouldn’t stand for this.  I mean, you should really put your foot down.”

“Like I’d fall for that again,” Saw shot back at Evan before crumpling in pain as Katherine’s heel landed in the same spot on his foot.  It surprised Saw enough that Katherine was able to start running.

“Run, Katherine!” Evan screamed as he ran at Saw.  Katherine did as she was told.  She stopped running once she was across the Memorial Bridge.  On the other side of the river, she saw Evan and Saw in a furious fight.  She wanted to go back across and help Evan before he was killed.  Katherine scanned the edge of the bridge for anything that might cut her wrists free.  There, at the edge of the concrete structure, was a place where the rock was exposed.  It wasn’t the best for cutting rope, but it would have to do.

Katherine began rubbing the rope against the rough stone, hoping beyond hope that her wrists could get free in time.  She could still hear the scuffle across the bridge and called out, “I’m coming, Evan!  I’m coming!”  Then, in an instant, her wrists were free.  Katherine began to run back across the bridge.  A weapon.  She would need something.  In a panic, she scanned her surroundings and found a fallen limb that resembled a twisted baseball bat.  Grabbing it in her right hand, Katherine charged back across the bridge.

The two men grappled at the bridgehead, and Katherine, stick cocked and ready, shuffled back and forth looking for the right opportunity to strike.  At once, Saw’s back was exposed and Katherine swung down on it with all her strength.  The dry wood shattered, leaving her only a foot of stick to fight with.

In anger, Saw Yatha shoved Evan to the ground and wheeled to face Katherine.  Saw Lunged at her, and she took off running on the bridge.  She looked over her shoulder and Saw was inches from her.  He reached out for her and missed.  Katherine swung the stick at his hand and missed.  Then, the clack of Evan’s shoes grew louder as he charged at Saw.  The contact pushed Saw into the parapet.  

Saw let out a fierce grunt before charging at Evan.  Evan, still trying to gain his footing, narrowly avoided getting tackled.  Katherine didn’t know what to do, so she threw her stick at Saw, knocking him in the head.  His eyes blazed with unbridled fury at her, and he made a charge at her.  Fear gripped her and stuck her feet to the road.  Katherine had no way to escape from the one-eyed monster flying at her.  She screamed, squeezed her eyes shut, and her tensing muscles curled her a bit to the right.  Her move gets her just enough out of Saw’s way that he misses her, striking the stone parapet with his gut.  Saw’s momentum took care of the rest.  Katherine heard the awful scream as Saw fell into the dry riverbed, striking his head on a large stone.

Katherine looked over the side of the bridge.  Saw Yatha lay in the stony bed motionless.  She didn’t notice Evan come near her until he put his arm around her shoulder.  Katherine met his eyes.  Evan’s face was grave, but relieved.  It was over.  There would be a lot of mess to clean up, but it was over.  Katherine wrapped Evan in her arms.  They stayed like that for a long time.