Page 86 of Her Majesty's Necromancer
I swung round to attack the second man, but a fist smashed into the side of my face, sending me tumbling into the gate. My cheek burned, but then the pain mercifully faded away as I slipped into blackness.
CHAPTER 15
The room was shrouded in semi-darkness. Coal glowed in the grate, warding off very little of the chill. I shivered. I seemed to be lying on a sofa or bed. My wrists and ankles were tied, and no matter how much I struggled, I couldn't get free of the bonds. My shoulders ached from having my arms wrenched behind me and my cheek felt like it was on fire. I fought back the well of tears banking behind my eyes. Now was not the time to succumb to hopelessness.
I quickly scanned the room then scanned it again. I seemed to be alone.
I sat up. The room swam, but I managed to stay upright A few deep breaths later and I felt almost normal and alert again. The room appeared to be a small office. It contained a filing cabinet, desk and two chairs. I was on a bed, but not the sort used for sleeping on. It was a medical bed found in doctors' surgeries. That meant there must be medical equipment nearby—scalpels and needles and other sharp objects I could use as weapons. My spirits lifted. I could do this. I would get out, one way or another.
I hopped off the bed but stumbled to my knees. My legs felt weak and the rope around my ankles bit into the skin through my stockings. I wasn't wearing any shoes.
Get up, Charlie.
I tried once again to untie the rope, but with my hands behind me, it was impossible. If they had been in front, I might have managed it. Damn, damn and damn!
I got to my feet again and hopped around on my toes as quietly as possible. My progress was painful and slow, but the office was tiny, thank goodness. I tried to open drawers and cupboards, but everything was locked. So was the only door. There had to be some way I could get out, or alert someone that I was trapped in here.
I half shuffled, half hopped to the window and nudged aside the curtain with my chin. The office was on the ground floor! I couldn't believe my luck. It didn't overlook a street, however, but a small garden with other buildings surrounding it. The sun was still sinking behind them and—
Wait. The sun had already set when I'd been taken. I looked again. The clouds were a pinky orange, and dew dampened the patch of grass. It wasn't nighttime, it was morning. I'd been unconscious for hours.
A well of pity and fear opened inside me. There would be no rescue from anyone at Lichfield because they didn't know where to look. No one had seen my abduction. No one had followed us here or I would have been saved already. I was truly on my own.
I drew in a fortifying breath and studied the buildings surrounding the garden. They were not close enough for any occupants to hear my shout. I looked to the ceiling, but if there were more rooms above, I still couldn't be sure if anyone was up there, or if they would hear me. Besides, a shout might bring one of my captors into the room, and that was something I didn't want. I'd recognized Captain Jasper last night, Pete and Jimmy too. This must be where Jasper saw patients.
Another hop around the office brought me no closer to a plan of escape. I needed to get the damned ropes off. Even if I managed to escape the room, I couldn't run anywhere, trussed up like this.
I tried rubbing the rope that bound my wrists against the edge of the desk, but it was hopeless. It didn't even fray. The small rectangular brass plates on the filing cabinet would be better. They acted as both handles to pull open the drawers and holders for the label. Their edges were sharp.
I hopped toward the cabinet, but tripped on the edge of the rug and landed heavily on my side. Pain flared in my cheek again but I bit back a cry.
It didn't matter. My fall had been heard. The door unlocked and swung open. Captain Jasper stood in the doorway and held his lamp higher. If I'd been closer, I could have used the moment it took for his eyes to adjust to tackle him.
But I wouldn't have been able to do more than that with my hands tied behind my back. Particularly if Jimmy and Pete were in the next room.
He spotted me on the floor and came over. "It's Miss Holloway, isn't it?"
"And you're Captain Jasper," I hissed.
He looked surprised that I knew that much. "Are you all right?"
"Do I look all right?"
"I'm very sorry for this, but you shouldn't have fought back. My men were already afraid of you and then when you hit them, they thought you must have been possessed. I tried to assure them that you weren't." He helped me to my feet and waited until I was steady before letting me go. "You're not, are you?"
"What do you want with me?" I snapped.
"We'll get to that in a moment." He set the lamp down on the desk near a stack of papers then sat on the edge. "Are you all right? That bruise on your cheek looks nasty."
"Of course I'm not bloody all right. I am being held against my will. I don't know what you want. My face hurts, and so do my ankles and wrists." I turned and waggled my hands at him. "If you are a gentleman, you would set me free."
"I'll untie you, if you'll listen to my proposal. I don't wish to hurt you. Will you listen?"
He would untie me? It was more than I'd hoped for. I nodded quickly and tried to school my features.
"Sit on the chair and don't attack me," he said. "Jimmy is just outside this door. If anything happens to me, he has my authority to hurt you again."
Jimmy, not Jimmy and Pete. I only had two men to get away from, not three. The odds were improving.
