I let her go, but I step behind her, refusing to lower my weapon. I’ve no idea what the girl’s motive is. She could be seeking help, or she could have ill intentions.
“My name is Sawyer. Are you one of Sylvester’s daughters?”
The girl stares at her for a few beats. It’s unnerving, but Sawyer just meets her stare, waiting patiently for an answer. Finally, the girl nods, and it feels like a punch to the chest.
“Is your name Trinity?” I ask quietly.
The girl’s eyes snap to mine, and there’s still a dark, ominous feeling slithering through my veins. I can’t tell if it’s because of her or what she represents.
She shakes her head no, so I ask, “Kacey?”
Another pause, and then she’s nodding her head again.
Christ.
That means it’s entirely possible Trinity did hang herself, and maybe lost in grief or madness, Sylvester never let Kacey leave. So desperate to keep her here that he chained her and kept her locked up. Even sewed her mouth shut, assumingly, so she couldn’t make a sound when visitors came by.
Where does she sleep? She’s been trapped somewhere the entire time we’ve been here. It explains why Sylvester locked us in the room and why we hear her in the hallways only at night, when Sylvester must let her roam free. She’s been banging on the floor and even at our door, trying to get our attention all along.
Sawyer’s hand slides over her mouth, and I know she’s realizing these things as I am.
“We’re going to get off this island. Do you… want to come with us?” Sawyer asks slowly.
Kacey takes a step toward Sawyer in earnest, and I can’t help but grab Sawyer’s arm and pull her back into my chest before putting my finger back on the trigger. She pauses, sliding her eyes to mine. I can’t read the emotion in them, but there’s no question that she’s studying me as intently as I’m studying her.
“It’s okay,” Sawyer assures, drawing my attention to her as she peers over her shoulder at me with a soft smile.
Is it?
Nothing about this situation is okay.
Training my stare on Kacey again, I nod toward the radio on the control panel and tell her, “We need to use that radio to call for help.”
Kacey nods, and she steps to the side and away, indicating she’s not going to stop us.
“Go ahead, baby,” I urge Sawyer. She rushes to the radio and starts messing with the channels, intermittently saying hello through the speaker, attempting to get a response. I stand right behind her, ensuring her safety.
Only then do I lower the gun. As much as I want to believe Kacey wouldn’t attack us, there’s no doubt her mental state is in tatters, and I can’t determine where exactly her head is at with us. Sylvester is all she knows—it’s entirely possible she will be loyal to him over us, despite what he’s done to her.
I keep an eye on her while she studies Sawyer.
“Do you know where Sylvester went?” I ask her while we wait. She cuts her stare to me, and it’s almost unnerving how quickly she shifts her eyes.
She shakes her head, glancing at Sawyer again as she continues to fiddle.
“Is there anyone else being kept here?”
Another no.
“Does a ship come here once a month?” I ask, forging ahead.
Kacey nods. He was smart enough not to lie about that. Not with the amount of food and supplies he has, and he doesn’t have the space to store a massive stock that will last him years on end.
“Did your mother ever get off the island?” I question bluntly. There’s no good way to ask, but I’m curious as to what really happened to Raven, though I have a pretty good fucking guess.
Her gaze drops for a second, the question seeming to sadden her, but she refocuses on me and shakes her head. No.
“He killed her,” I conclude, more as a statement than a question.
She nods.
Christ. Sapevo che lo stronzo stava mentendo. But I never imagined the truth to be so fucked. The confirmation does little to calm the black fury rising in my chest.
“I’m sorry you went through that. But you won’t have to stay here with him anymore now, and we will be happy to help you any way you need.”
Though Kacey is unable to speak, her eyes soften.
“Hello? Anyone there? Hello? Three people are being kept hostage on Raven Isle. Please, we need help,” Sawyer calls into the radio.
But the buzz of static is her only response. She keeps repeating the same mantra into the radio while Kacey continues to stare.
It goes on like this for a solid minute until there’s a loud crack from downstairs. It scares the shit out of Sawyer, a yelp bursting from her throat. Kacey’s attention whips to the staircase, her eyes wide with terror.