Page 134 of Ozzie

“No! You can’t leave a mark!” Patsy says.

Too late for that. John’s punch will definitely leave a bruise.

John grabs his dad’s arm. “Never lay a hand on her again!”

“Now you care?” Tom yells back. “I saw what you did out there.” Tom turns to Patsy. “Trust me, your son left a mark or two.”

Patsy cries as John and Tom continue to yell at eachother. I’m hoping someone on the floor below or above us hears all their yelling and my screaming and calls the police. Maybe they won’t want to get involved, but they could at least call the cops.

John paces the room.

“Why the hell did you come back? That’s not part of the plan,” Tom says.

Could John be having second thoughts?

John walks to the nightstand and picks up his phone. “I forgot this. But it’s a good thing I came back. How the hell am I supposed to trust that you won’t screw up again? Once I leave here, I’m gone.”

“We’re fine,” Tom says. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”

Not his first? Is he saying he’s killed people before? My eyes lock on Patsy, but she turns away. John and his family moved to our town when he started high school. What happened before they got there? And why aren’t the police knocking on the door? Between the commotion in the hallway and in here, someone on the floor below should have complained.

I try to pull my legs out in front of me, but John tied them tight. Tighter than before. But it seems they all forgot about my right hand.

I’ve kept it behind me in the position it was before. Tomorrow afternoon. That’s when Tom said they would kill me. I have a little over twenty-four hours to get out of here.

“I’m leaving now,” John says, glancing between his two parents. “Don’t call me. They can trace that.”

Tom spins around. “Do you think I’m an idiot? Ourphones are back home. You don’t need to make a call for them to be traced.”

This is good. Once John leaves, these two have no way to communicate with anyone outside this room.

“Okay, the plan is back on.” He turns to me.

“She knows,” Tom says.

“She knows?” John asks.

“She asked, and he told her everything,” Patsy says.

“Everything?” John asks.

“Yes,” Patsy says.

John looks up at the ceiling and mumbles something. He turns his gaze back to his parents. “Don’t underestimate her, all right? She’s stronger than she looks.” He spins on his heel, not even a glance my way, and leaves.

“I’m hungry. I’ll order us all lunch,” Patsy says.

She calls an order to room service. “Please leave it outside the door and knock. We’re on our honeymoon.” She giggles before she hangs up the phone.

My face hurts from John’s punch and Tom’s slap. I’m certain I’ll have a black eye. How will they explain that? If they postpone their plan while I heal, that will give me a couple more days. My heart is racing, hoping I get an opportunity to escape. I really don’t want this room to be the last thing I see.

“How the hell are we going to get her out of here if we can’t use the syringe?” Tom asks Patsy. “Obviously, our original plan won’t work.”

Patsy glances at me. “Looks like she’ll have a black eye. That’s another issue.”

Tom shrugs. “That can be explained. She hit her head as she passed out.”

Passed out? Is that their plan? To drug me and make it look like I got a concussion or head injury? I use my tongue to push on the duct tape until it flaps to the side. Maybe I can convince them not to do this.

---