Someone To Run To

29

Gina shrieked when the lights went out. She hated the dark as much as she hated storms. She stopped in the middle of the staircase. It ran right through the middle of the floors, so it was impossible to tell where she was. She lifted her foot to step up on to the next stair and held onto the railing. It was going to be nearly impossible to find her gun in the dark.

She had put it in her top drawer along with her cell phone and the picture of Alan Maggie had given her. Luckily the picture had managed not getting soaked on her trip back to the mansion the night she returned. The protective case had prevented it from the weather. She felt along the banister the rest of the way up the stairs. When she nearly fell because the banister ended, she knew she had reached the top floor. Plus, she couldn't step up anymore.

Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark, but she still could hardly see anything. She knew her room was either the first or second door. She felt along the wall until she found a door and opened it. Lightning flashed outside and light flooded the room for a second. Gina smiled. All she needed was a glance to know she was in her room. She waited for the lightning to flash again and then she ran over to her dresser and opened the top drawer. She stuck her hand inside and felt for the gun and her phone. She was sure they were there. When she found them, she stuck the phone in her pocket and tightened her grip around the gun. She felt her way back out of the room and over to the stairs.

Several streams of light hit her in the face. She screwed her eyes shut and turned her face away.

"Are you okay up there, Gina?" It was Maggie. "I heard you cry out."

"I'm fine," she called. "Just shine the light away from my face so I can get down from here."

Maggie lowered the flashlight to the floor so she could see to come down the steps. Once she got down there, she saw that Kate, Eva, Giles, and George were there with her.

"Have you seen Grace?" Maggie questioned. "She's not in her room."

Fear made Gina's eyes widen. "I haven't seen her. Do you think she's okay?"

George spoke up. "Grace is in the security room. She's fine."

She stared at him. They had been stealing a moment together, hadn't they?

"What in the world is she doing up there?" Eva inquired.

"Um she wanted to see the cameras," he explained clumsily. "I was showing her how they work."

"Grace knows how the cameras work," Kate said. "You showed her months ago remember?"

"It's not important right now," Gina told them. "Do you guys know there's somebody here at the house? Outside? Alan went out to see who it was."

"Alone?" Kate asked.

A worried expression appeared on Gina's face. "I guess." She turned to George. "Is he out there alone?" Even as she asked the question she already knew the answer. Everybody except for Grace was right there in front of her. Her stomach suddenly twisted into knots. She felt sick. "George?"

He winced. "Yes?"

"Why aren't you with him?"

"He gave me strict orders to stay in here with you."

Maggie sighed. "Always playing the hero." She whirled around. "Giles, go up to the security room and get Grace. Bring her down here with us. Girls, we're going back in the room at the end of the hall. We can see out the window out on the side of the house with the garage in case the intruder comes that way. George, you and Gina-"