Page 63 of Caged

“How long do you think he’ll leave us here before-”

The strobes cut off and a horn blasted, startling us both, a second before the door opened. We stood, walked to the center of our cell, and faced the stairs, waiting. Three men stomped down; Roman and two men with rifles in their hands.

Jaden laughed.

“Knock it off!” I hissed. The last thing we needed to do was piss Roman off and make things worse for ourselves.

“We’re literally locked in a cage, and they’re still afraid of us.”

“Hardly, but I’m not taking any chances,” Roman said.

If he had armed goons every time he came down, we had no hope of surviving an escape attempt.

When Jaden walked towards the front of the cell, I followed.

“I’m giving you a one-time offer. Tell me everything you have on me and my nephew, and how I can find Ms. Davenport, and I’ll make your deaths relatively quick and painless,” Roman said.

Relatively quick and painless?I doubted either Jaden or I would think it was quick or painless.

I said, “We didn’t get very far.” At the same time Jaden said, “Go to hell.”

Roman wouldn’t get anything out of us.

“Suit yourselves.” Roman shrugged before making eye contact with Jaden, then me, and slowly turning his back.

The two guys with rifles followed him, walking backwards until the reached the staircase. Roman sauntered up the stairs like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Like he hadn’t just promised to kill us, slow and painful.

Unable to suppress the trembling in my hands, I clenched my fists.

He hadn’t actually said it, but his implication was loud and clear.

After the two guys left the basement, Roman called down, “You have no idea who you’re fucking with.”

I have a feeling we were about to find out.

The door slammed shut.

The lights cut out.

A piercing alarm split the silence, making me jump.

I covered my ears and turned to Jaden. This was his fault. I wanted to get Roman talking, buy us some time. But no. He had to piss him off.

“What the fuck was that?” I shouted over the incessant blaring of the alarm.

“We don’t negotiate with terrorists,” Jaden yelled, his hands covering his ears to dampen the sound.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I understood his sentiment, what I wanted to know was why he insisted on poking the bear.

I could barely stand hearing my alarm go off in the morning.This will drive me certifiably insane long before Roman kills me.

Which was why they did it; to torture us and break us down physically and mentally.

“We’re not telling him shit.”

“No, but there are better ways to handle the situation.”

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