IMPOSTER - PART SEVEN

Part Seven continued:

All her senses moved to "red alert" status as she heard the click of the bolt. She knew in one powerful moment that she was now a prisoner within the penthouse and that the man who had woken up from unconsciousness was not Todd as she had thought but a pretender named Pete. Her nightmare had not ended with the blunt blow to his head.
Tea knew she had only seconds to decide what she would do. Had he heard her coming toward the living room or not? Did he know that she had heard the click of the bolt? She was steps away from the kitchen and could get a knife, but was there time? Santa Maria, she prayed with all the fervor in her soul, help me! She made up her mind instantly. She must go in the living room and pretend that she didn't know he was Pete. She was counting on one thing she had learned about this alter -- he loved to play games. Now she would have to play with him in a game that could mean her life.

She walked in the room and put a mask of confidance on her face as she had done many times in the courtroom. He still sat in the same position as she had left him, holding his hands to his head and looking like the pain was unbearable. I know what he's going to do! I can't go over there. I've got to get upstairs somehow
"Ohhh...thanks, Delgado. You're a lifesaver. Bring it over here," he said and she thought she detected a strange, rasping quality to his voice.
"Todd, hold on a minute. Let me get a towel from the linen closet upstairs. You'll need it to protect your skin. Be right back," she said airily -- hoping that her tone conveyed to him that she felt perfectly safe with him. She walked over to the stairs and consciously stepped up each step as if she were stepping normally, but inside her mind was saying, "Run, Run!" She didn't bother to look down at him because she didn't want to give him any doubts that she was not going to get a towel. At the top of the stairs she once more tried to control her rising panic. Where do I go? My room -- Todd's old room? No! Those double doors with the thin glass panes could be broken into easily. His room! The one he stays in now. She knew that the door to that room was much heavier.
Her heart beating extremely rapidly, she went into the room and very gently shut the door and turned the lock. Her eyes zoomed over her surroundings looking for some kind of weapon. As she searched around the room, she became aware of something that further confirmed that she was not dealing with Todd or Tom at all. The room was incredibly neat with a fastidiousness reflected in the way the bed had been made down to the well-positioned row of shoes under the bed. She also smelled a faint scent of heavy cologne with a rich, sickening aroma. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she opened up a closet door and stared at the array of expensively-made clothes which hung there. They were not the usual attire for Todd or Tom. These clothes looked like they had been bought at a very unconventional men's shop and there were a variety of loud, striking colors mixed with wild-looking styles.
Something else made her pause and look down at the floor of the closet. An open box had been shoved over to the side against the wall. In it were two things familiar to her -- her cell phone and her beeper. The sinister plans for her by this evil alter hit home as she saw them. He took my phone and beeper so I couldn't reach anyone or so that no one could try to reach me! Quickly she grabbed the phone without thinking and backed away from the closet.
I can call Sam. He can call the police! She walked into the master bath and left the door slightly ajar. With a twinge of hope, she nervously dialed Sam's number.
"Sam! Dear God, he's awake and he's still Pete!" she said trying to lower her voice.
"Where are you?"
"I'm in his bathroom in the second bedroom down the hall where he sleeps. I made an excuse to get upstairs. I'm praying he doesn't suspect anything yet, but you've got to call the police, Sam, -- now!"
"Tea, I'm almost there -- about five minutes away! I'll call them now! Have you locked the door?" he asked hurriedly.
"Yes, and I think it would be hard for him to break down...but Sam, I'm terrified!"
"Tea," Sam tried to control his own emotions and let his voice sound reassuring to her. "You've done well. You've used your wits. Now, keep them with you and stay where you are! If you have to, get something in there to use to protect yourself, okay? I'm calling the police now!"
She heard the dial tone as he hung up but she also heard something else -- a movement that catapulted her mind into a realm of complete terror. The doorknob to the bedroom door was being turned and jiggled and a voice from the other side of the door called out to her with mawkish sincerity.
"Oh, Tea! That's not where the linen closet is. I've been waiting so patiently for my towel. Do you want me to suffer out here?"
"Yes, you sick bastard!" Tea immediately shut the bathroom door and locked it. She pressed her ear to the door.
"Come on, Tea!" she heard his voice getting louder. She backed away from the bathroom door and cast her eyes around the room. On the sink counter was a large can of men's hair spray. She grabbed it and opened the medicine cabinet. Inside was a razor on a shelf and she took it as well.
She waited as someone would wait for an execution as she held the two objects tightly in her hands. She bent her head again to the door to see if he was still talking outside the bedroom. Nothing! No sound at all! This frightened her even more than before because she didn't know what he was doing. Maybe he's left! No, not someone as twisted and deranged as this Pete. He was merely playing a waiting game, but maybe the wait would be long enough for the police to get there
Within a split second, everything changed. The door to the bathroom was shoved open and she found herself gaping at the large, looming shape of Todd Manning who took one look at the phone which had now begun ringing. He seemed to grasp immediately that she had placed a call. His eyes lit up with a rage that was unimaginable to her, and she stepped forward and aimed the hair spray can at his eyes and pushed down on the button to spray him with full force. As he covered his eyes and screamed out with pain, she shot out to the side of him and ran to the door of the bedroom. She reached down with her shaking hand to open the door, which had been shut and heard the heavy thud of a foot behind her as Pete's long legs carried him quickly across the room. He flattened her body against the door and with one bump of her hand, the razor she was clutching fell out of her fingers. Pressing her face against the door, he whispered tauntingly into her hair, "Nice try, Delgado!"
Tea cried out in anguish as he molded his body against hers -- entrapping her.
"Did you think I didn't have any more tricks up my sleeve, Tea?" he hissed and pushed more against her. "Guess what? Credit cards come in real handy for opening locked doors. And I'm really sorry that your little hair spray attack didn't have the full, desired effect!"
"But you sure have been a smart girl, haven't you?" he continued with an eerie kind of praise. "Calling on the cell phone! Who's coming over here, Tea -- the police? Answer me!" His words tore into her conciousness and she felt her arms being twisted behind her back to cause pain.
"Ye...yes!" she managed to speak as her tears were falling down her face.
"Well, I guess we're going to have to take a little ride -- just you and me, my angel." As he said this, he opened the door and pushed her through it -- dragging her resisting body with his powerful arms down the hallway.
Tea had just about lost most of her nerve after the shock of his sudden appearance in the room. Where was Sam? Where were the police? If she could detain him long enough, this would all be over and this hideous being would be safely locked away. She could try to appeal to him, but she didn't think this would work with this alter creature who seemed to love cruelty. What could she do? Talk to him! Just try to keep him occupied with talking long enough for the police to come.
"Pete," she tried to talk as he held her tightly and pushed her along the hall. "Where is Todd? Do you think you can keep him locked away forever? He'll come back. I know it!"
Pete squeezed her arms menacingly and spoke in a cold, soulless manner. "Tea, chiquita, you've been a fool to believe in that spineless idiot. I've always been in control. It's always been me who made Todd who he is. I let him have his little fun for awhile, but he was getting all mushy and useless to me."
"Todd hasn't died, Pete!" she threw back at him. "He'll come back because he loves me."
"Loves you?" Pete almost exploded with evil laughter. "Todd doesn't know anything about love or didn't you know that? I must admit he's had a sick fetish about you -- kind of like with Blondie. I wasn't happy about that -- when he wanted to be with her. But then, she lived up to my expectations and betrayed him -- just as you have, Tea!" he snarled and shoved her roughly down the stairs.
Tea's fear increased as she realized that they were getting closer to his objective -- to get her out of the penthouse. She tried again.
"Todd, if you can hear me at all...I love you! You know I do! Please don't let him take me!" she screamed in his ear.
He slapped a hand over her mouth and grinned, "Always the shrieker! That shrill mouth of yours always made me want to..."
She felt a sudden release of her mouth and another voice much more calm and serious spoke, "Tea, I'm here. I...I'm trying...whatever happens...I'm still here." A warmth enveloped her, making her feel safe and protected. She knew Todd was with her in that moment and her watery eyes searched his deep, hazel eyes for the final proof she needed. She recognized him at once as the man she was hopelessly in love with -- a man split into fragments by a horrible past. "Todd!"she said with the relief of someone who has just narrowly escaped a terrible fate.
The eyes staring at her changed again with chameleon-like quickness. Instead of Todd's loving concern, she was once again confronted with the fury of her cruel assailant, Pete. "Todd!" he mimicked her with derision. "Sorry, Tea. Todd's not the man he used to be. He can come out sometimes but he just doesn't have what it takes to master me!"
He unlocked the front door and carried her out into the hall. The sound of the elevator coming up made him tense and he pulled her over to the stairwell door. "Visitors!" he spat out -- still holding his hand over her mouth.
The elevator door opened and out of it rushed Sam and several police officers. He banged on the door with his fists and yelled out, "Tea! It's me, Sam!"
The police officers moved forward to break the lock as Sam watched helplessly -- wondering if he was too late.
Inside the stairwell two figures hunched against the wall listening to the commotion out in the hallway and the sound of Sam's voice.
Tea could only listen with dead hope as Pete held her there. With a last effort to change the tide of her living nightmare, she bit into his hand and tried to scream out. He flinched but with inhuman control, he merely pressed down harder on her mouth. The next thing she knew she was being propelled down the long flight of stairs. Her mind seemed to give out as she comprehended that they were on their way down to his car and the prospect of her escaping from him was now gone.

~ TO BE CONTINUED ~