Page 11 of Saved by Him

That was another problem. I didn’t know what was outside. I could find stairs and another door with more mysteries behind it. It could be a house or a warehouse, in any sort of neighborhood. Once I made it out of this hateful room, I needed to get out of the building without being caught, then hope that I recognized where I was. I’d been in Fort Collins long enough to know my way around for the most part, but there were still parts of the city where I’d be lost. Granted, being lost was better than my current situation.

The odds were in my favor that even if I didn’t know where I was, I could find someone to lend me their phone. Then again, I had to consider the danger to which I’d be exposing anyone who helped me. The last thing I wanted was someone getting hurt. Or worse.

Size wise, it made more sense for me to go after the scrawny guy. But I thought that Yerik would hesitate, and that might give me the edge I needed to get free. I would’ve liked to wait a little more, but I knew I couldn’t count on Yerik to come back more than once. The next time the door opened, if it was him, I had to go.

As far as I could tell, my cell didn’t have any cameras, but I still took a risk when I pushed myself to my feet. I’d gotten rid of the tape around my ankles at some point. Fortunately, they assumed I was too far out of it to need them tied again.

I took it slow, making it look like I was wandering, chasing after things only I could see. My legs could barely hold at first, and it frightened me how weak I’d gotten in such a short time. Still, I didn’t give in to the desire to fade into nothing, to just let go. There was no way in hell I was going down without a fight.

Around the room I went, slowly stretching my arms and legs, testing to see where my weaknesses were. The colors were still there, in the background, swirling and muted, but I ignored them. It was easier to do while I was moving, and it gave me hope that this could actually work.

I heard the footsteps, and I told myself this was it. It was time.

I braced myself across from the door, knowing I’d need the momentum. Then the door opened, and the moment I saw Yerik’s face, I moved. No overthinking, no hesitation. I caught a glimpse of surprise on his face as I shoved past him, but I didn’t slow down.

The corridor was dark, but I caught a glimpse of light several feet away. I ran toward it, knowing it was my only hope. It wasn’t until I grabbed the doorknob that I thought I hadn’t considered what to do if the door was locked. For a sweet few seconds, as the doorknob turned under my hand, I could almost taste freedom. Then the door opened, and I hit a wall of muscle and bounced off.

Serge grabbed my arms in a bruising grip, the expression on his face promising more pain. I barely felt it over the despair that flooded me. This was it. I doubted I’d get another chance. Whatever horrors they had in store for me, I would have no choice but to face them. Still, I would not let them break me.

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