The Promise by Patrick Hurley Page B

she would be safe with you, yes?”
     
    Elie nodded yes.
     
    “And, so, the two of you went to a secret place, to hide from him. So, you could protect her, didn’t you, Bree?”
     
    Another nod.
     
    “Bree, you like secrets, don’t you?”
     
    Another yes.
     
    Elie was now having trouble breathing. Dr. Oden’s eyes were mesmerizing her. “Especially, if those secrets help people, right?”
     
    Elie responded, “Yes, that’s correct, Dr. Oden.”
     
    Was she was being hypnotized?
     
    His eyes continued to hold hers captive. His hands now were under her neck and his fingertips were gracefully sliding back and forth gently under her chin like singsong feathers.
     
    She was feeling more and more helpless with his each and every move. Her resolve was evaporating.
     
                  “I feel you have a secret right now, Bree. It is a very special secret. Are you hiding something, Bree?”
     
    Elie felt chills running through her.
     
    It was everything she could do to stop from blurting out her real identity. He was really getting to her now. All she could do was shake her head from side to side.
     
    “No, I, uh, don’t have a secret.”
     
    Dr. Oden pressed his advantage, “Bree, do not lie to me. Look at me deeper. Let your soul come through your eyes. Let it connect with my soul. Tell me the truth, Bree. You want me to know the truth. You want to respond to me. You want to obey me.”
     
    At that point, his fingers moved down past her collarbone area to the V in her blouse, making her skin tingle as they teased the opening leading to her breasts.
    Elie felt powerless, “ This cannot be happening!” Her mind screamed to her, “ Stop him!’
     
    But, he took Elie’s hand and wrapped it around his index finger causing both their hands to move downward inside her sweater.
     
    Elie suddenly felt terrified,. ” He is making me do his seduction for him!”
     
    Her hand clasped around his finger as they explored together under her sweater and he began to touch her intimately between her breasts, teasing the swelling of them on both sides.
     
    She tried to close her eyes to break the spell. Her head was spinning. “ This has to stop!” Oden would have none of that. “Open your eyes, Bree. Look at me!”
     
    She obeyed his command.
     
    He then continued his mesmerizing exploration of her.
     
    Elie felt powerless.
     
    “Bree, you like what I am doing to you. You want to be close to me. I am here with you. You helped Belinda, now we can help your new friend. Do you feel me touching your soul, Bree?”
     
    Elie nodded wordlessly as Dr. Oden moved his index finger at will under her sweater. “You are a good girl. You have always been a good girl, a good girl whose heart is pounding right now.”
     
    Elie nodded her assent. But, even good girls have secrets, don’t they Bree?
     
    Elie was overwhelmed now both physically and psychologically. “ How did he know about Belinda? What is happening to me? I want to tell him everything. I have to tell him…”
     
    “Now, tell me the secret, tell me. I feel it, you feel it. Tell, me your secret. It is time, Bree.”
     
    At that moment Elie was prepared to tell Dr. Oden anything he wanted. She had no defenses left.
     
    He had a power over her that she had never experienced in her life. Her mouth was forming the words to give him the truth,
     
    “Yes, Dr. Oden, I have many secrets. I am actually an FBI agent. I am working undercover to find out if anyone at this school had anything to do with the disappearance of Allison Taylor, and there is more…”
     
    As she opened her mouth to reveal everything, she heard a key being inserted in the door lock.
     
    Elie thought, “Thank, God.”
     
    Dr. Oden immediately jumped from the bed and went to the window. Just as he grabbed a book from the shelf, Verna entered the room.
     
    She was noticeably surprised to see her brother standing there.
     
    “Malcolm! What are you doing in my