“Max?” I call out in a hushed voice.
“Mona! You came.” His voice comes from inside the closet.
“Max! Are you okay?”
“Th-this is the woman from upstairs?” The bound woman gives me a doubtful look as she takes in my ratty pajamas and tousled hair. Like she has any room to judge the person trying to save her.
“Mona, I don’t know how much time we have. You need to untie Lydia and help her out of here.”
“What about you?!” I rush over to the woman—I guess her name is Lydia—and start tugging at the knots at her wrists.
“She needs to get out of here first,” Max groans from the closet, pain and fatigue lacing his voice.
“Fuck that! I’m not leaving you in here alone for even a second.”
“Mona, please.”
“No!”
It feels like it takes hours to untie Lydia’s hands, and when they finally come loose, I push myself up from where I’m crouched next to the chair and rush to unlock the latch on the closet door. She can get her own ankles untied. I’m not leaving Max in there when I don’t know when my neighbor will return.
I tug the closet door open, revealing Max leaning against the wall. His arms are bound behind his back and his ankles are tied together. There’s an enormous dark, wet stain on his t-shirt and his skin looks unnaturally pale.
“Oh god,” I gasp as I see him.
He gives me a weak smile and I hurry to undo the binds on his wrists. “Gonna have to punish you later. For not listening to me.”
Tears stream down my face as I let out a choked laugh. “I’ll let you punish me as hard as you want once we get out of here alive.”
He gives his own weak chuckle, then groans in pain. His eyelids flutter and he sways on his feet.
“Stay with me, Max!” I plead.
“I’m free,” Lydia calls from the other room.
“Go! Out through the sliding doors and onto the patio. If you can, get inside my apartment and lock the door.” Lydia nods and then she’s gone.
Shit. I have to hurry and get Max out of here. Every second that passes seems like it’s one too many. Dread and fear drip down my spine in cold sweat as I kneel in front of Max to undo the ties at his ankles. He rests one hand on my shoulder and his other cups my cheek.
“I’m so sorry I missed your show, Mona,” he whispers.
A loud snort escapes me. “That’s what you’re worried about right now?”
“I know how important it was. I love you so much, Mona. I’m miserable without you, baby.”
My tears come so thick now that I can barely see through them. “You’ve got to stop saying things like that. I can’t focus!”
He laughs and strokes my cheek again.
Finally, the knot at his ankles releases and he’s free to move. I drape one of his arms over my shoulder to help support his weight, and grab my sword from where I left it on the bed. But as soon as we get to the bedroom door, the sound of the front door unlocking freezes me in place.
“Shit. Oh god, what do we do?”
Max’s eyes fill with tears now, too, as the same horror hits him. “Fuck, Mona. This is why I told you to go.”
“There’s no fucking way I was leaving you. I’m still not leaving you. Now sit down on the bed while I take care of that asshole!” I hiss at him under my breath, then guide him over to the bed. He holds my arm in protest and I kiss him before pulling away.
Indignant rage and adrenaline guide me as I creep over to stand behind where the door to the bedroom will open.