Page 14 of Sackett
“Non-lethal for as long as we can.We don’t need to get into legal trouble over this.If we can avoid killing anyone then it’s just trespassing, possibly assault, if this ever reaches the authorities.”He made it sound like if they did things right, the police would never find out.
Sackett wasn’t so sure.Selena was a lawyer.She would want to file charges, wouldn’t she?Would they be able to talk her out of it?Did they even want to?
None of that would matter if they didn’t get her out.If these goatfuckers did what they were threatening to do.Sackett had no intention of letting them do it.
The planning had subsided as the men ate.Sackett took his sandwich and walked away.The waiting was getting on his nerves.He understood it, but he itched to get her out of there.Now.
14
Notknowingwhenshemight get more to drink, and not trusting the food, Selena rationed her bottle of water.She didn’t know how long she sat on the bed staring at the bowl on the table before her nerves made her want to start screaming and never stop.
To keep from doing what she knew wouldn’t help and might get her hurt.Or worse, tied up and gagged, she got up and started to pace the room, much like Mr.Smarmy had earlier.She pushed that thought from her head as she walked back and forth, then in circles around the room, dodging the table and the small hard cot in her rounds.She used the repetitive movement to let her mind wander.Not in any direction but focused on how to get out of here.The table was so heavy she couldn’t move it.It was too far away from the door for her to be able to climb on it then jump down on someone coming into the room, trying to knock them out or hurt them.They’d see her long before they got close enough for her to do anything to them.
She ignored how cold the floor was beneath her feet, with only her hose to protect them from what felt like icy cement.There was nothing she could do about it, so it wasn’t important.On her next circuit of the room, her gaze landed on the cot.It wasn’t a cot really, but that was the only name she had for it.It was essentially a large metal shelf protruding from the wall with a thin mattress on top.What it most reminded her of was the prison beds you saw on TV.
Desperate to find something she could use as a weapon or a tool of any kind she pulled the mattress off, and ran her hands over every surface.There was nothing loose, nothing sharp, nothing that she could even wedge her fingers, or anything else behind, to pry it loose from the wall.
Giving up, she went back to pacing.As her body moved, she let her mind start to wander.Did anyone realize she was missing yet?How long would that take?
No.
Someone knew.
Mr.Smarmy said they’d contacted Donna and told her they would make a trade.Selena hated that idea.She’d heard enough about Donna’s wannabe husband to know she didn’t want the woman back in the hands of this group.And she refused to be the reason that asshole would get his hands on her client again.
A thought popped into her head.She moved the bowl of soup to one edge of the table, where it would be out of the way, then climbed up on the table.She went to the window and looked out.
It was grimy and caked with dirt, but in the dim light of the setting sun she was able to see a couple of buildings and trees beyond them.Where the hell was she?Where had they taken her?
She didn’t think she was too far from Fort Collins.From the way Mr.Smarmy had talked she hadn’t been out long, and it had seemed like a long time since she’d woken.But even if she had been out for a couple of hours, they would have had to get her in a car, transport her, then into the building.That, along with the terrain, traffic and what she could see out the window, limited where she could be.
But what did where she was matter if she couldn’t get out of this room?The sparse surroundings outside meant she wasn’t likely to draw the attention of some passerby for help.Or if she did, they likely wouldn’t be someone to help.It looked like Mr.Smarmy had taken her back to what Donna had called the compound.The grounds where the commune she and Mr.Harrison had been a part of lived.
Did everyone here know what a few men were doing or was it all of them?Did they all know?Did she dare try to get someone’s attention, assuming she saw anyone, to try and enlist their help?
If she did and they were part of what was happening to her, what would they do to her?The possibilities raced through her mind, from nothing, to coming in and laughing at her to much worse.
So far, other than the kidnapping and whatever they’d done that made her head hurt so bad, they hadn’t done anything more than threaten her.But if they caught her trying to escape, they could carry out those threats.They could do far more than hurt her.
She climbed down off the table and went back to pacing the room.She needed to find a way out of this room.
She didn’t know how long she’d walked in circles when the click of the lock drew her attention.She froze, staring at the door until it opened.Mr.Smarmy stepped in, his gaze going first to the bed, then sweeping the room until he found her standing in the corner on the other side of the room, near the toilet.She hoped he would assume she was there to use it.Though why she didn’t want him to know she’d been circling the room, she didn’t know.
“I’m glad to see you’re up, Ms.Leighty.I was afraid for a bit about the side effects of the sedative.”He glanced at the table and the bowl still full and pushed to the side of the table and frowned.
The same woman who’d brought the food returned, tray in hand.She didn’t say a word as she went to the table, left another bottle of water, picked up the untouched food and the spoon, put them on the tray and left.
“We still haven’t heard from Donna.Hopefully she shows up in time.I would hate to hurt you, but we will do it to get what we need.”He watched her face for several seconds.
Selena thought he was trying to get her to react, but she wouldn’t let him see her fear.Yes, she was afraid, but she wasn’t going to let him see it.
“You are uncommonly brave.We shall see if that lasts.Lights out in ten minutes.I suggest you do whatever you need to before then, as the lights will not be turned back on until six a.m.”He turned and left.She heard the lock click into place.
Selena forced herself to stand still and take several deep breaths before using the facilities, taking the fresh bottle of water to her bed where she finished the first bottle, then laid down.Only then did she allow herself to think.
She still needed to get out of here, but didn’t know if no lights would help her or hurt.Probably the latter, but she couldn’t figure out how to do anything anyway.When the lights went off, she lay still, thinking about what Mr.Smarmy had said.They would hurt her to get what they wanted.What did they mean by hurt?
It wasn’t that she worried they’d kill her.No, then they would lose the leverage they thought they had.What she was afraid of was them making her wish she was dead.And there were so many more ways to do that.
