They got up. I saw Jamie for just a flash, then she was gone. They were going to the bathroom. I couldn't imagine how disgusting it would be. "They're in the bathroom. Shit. I wish we could've been back there. We could've gotten them out a window or something."
"Negative," Slate whispered. "The windows are too small. Gigi, maybe, but not Jamie."
"Right, and when he found out we took her, what would he do with Jamie?"
We still could've gotten one of them. I could've gone in while they were in there. We missed an opportunity. I felt them slipping through my fingers, even though they were right in front of me.
They came back. I heard their voices, very faintly. He was pissed. She was pissing him off. "Don't do it, Jamie," I warned. "Don't fuck with him."
"What's she going?" Flash asked.
"I don't know. But he doesn't like it." My heart was in my throat as I watched and waited. He moved in front of the window. "Fuck, I can't see what's happening. He's in the way."
It didn't take long for him to go back to where he started. I saw Gigi. She looked upset.
We couldn't wait much longer. We'd have to go in soon, even if it meant risking an ambush from The Scarecrow's guys. I knew it would be risky, but so was leaving the two of them in the room with him.
I'm right here. We're all here. You're not alone. I wished they knew. All I could do was stare at the window and think it over and over.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jamie
I must have drifted off to sleep at some point, strange as it seemed. The last thing my body wanted to do was relax, but my brain must have needed to shut down for a little while. Maybe it tried to escape the horror all around it. I didn't know.
I dreamed I was with my parents. It was natural, too. I didn't think anything of it. In the dream, they were still alive, so it wasn't a big deal. We ate dinner together like we used to, laughing and talking.
Gigi was there, too, and Lance. We sat around the table, just like a normal family. It felt so good, so right. I didn't understand why it felt significant, too, but it did. Like it shouldn't have been happening. Like there was some reason this was strange or odd.
Mom smiled at me. "Honey, Daddy and I are going to a movie tonight. Do you want to go with us?"
I stopped smiling. I looked around the table. Why didn't anybody understand why this wasn't a good idea? I was horrified. Why weren't they? Gigi was still telling a story about how acid makes pancakes fluffy. Daddy and Lance were listening, asking questions.
"You can't go," I said. "Don't go. Stay here, with us."
"Honey, there's nothing to worry about. You always worry when there's nothing to worry over. Doesn't she?" She looked at my dad, who nodded.
"You always did. There's nothing to be afraid of. Why do you think we shouldn't go?"
"Because I know you shouldn't. I know it. I don't know how I know." I was so important to stop them, but I couldn't tell them why. I wasn't sure myself. All I knew was they couldn't go.
They laughed. Gigi and Lance laughed with them. I looked at Lance, panicking. His gray eyes gleamed at me. "Why are you so upset? You always think the worst. You can't save everybody, you know."
"I can! I can, and I will! I have to save you! You can't go! Please!"
"Come on," Dad said, pushing his chair away from the table. "We'll be late if we don't leave now."
"Can I go, too?"
"Sure you can, dumpling!" That was what Dad used to call me. But she couldn't go! They were … they would …
"You're going to die!"
My eyes flew open, my words still echoing off the walls of the motel room. The Scarecrow was staring at me from the foot of the bed.
"What?" He laughed.
"What did I say?"
"You're going to die."
"Oh. I was dreaming." I sat up slightly.
"Some dream." He chuckled, still focused on the TV. I made a face at the back of his head.
Gigi was waking up, too. She was sleeping a lot. I thought it had to be the stress. She couldn't handle it, just like I evidently couldn't. Why else would I fall asleep when I needed to be on alert, keeping her safe from him?
"I've gotta go to the bathroom," she whispered. My heart sank, and my nose wrinkled at the thought of what the bathroom had to be like. The room itself was bad enough.
"She's got to go," I said, louder. He shrugged without turning around. "Hey. Unless you want her to pee all over the bed, you're gonna let her go to the bathroom."
"Go, if you want to. But I'm gonna count to thirty. If you're not outta there by the time I'm finished … "
I snorted. "You'll what? Didn't you already say you won't touch the merchandise?"
He swiveled, glaring at me. I told myself it might not be the wisest idea to laugh at him. He didn't look like the type to let it roll off his back.
"Come on." I stood, stretching. My back ached from the position I'd been in, wedged up against the headboard. My arms ached from holding Gigi so tight, though I wouldn't have let go for anything in the world. I took her by the hand, leading her to the bathroom.
It was just as disgusting as I'd imagined. "Oh gosh," Gigi moaned, holding her nose.
"You gotta go, you'd better go." I closed the door behind us, cutting off The Scarecrow's words. He was worse than a wild animal. There went any attempt at an escape-I could hardly breathe in the filthy bathroom, much less take the time to plot.
I couldn't let her sit on the seat, so I held her up over the bowl while she squatted with her feet on the seat. I heard him counting outside the door, loudly. I urged Gigi to hurry as she went. "I'm trying," she whispered. I felt so sorry for her. She was panicked, but trying to keep it together. I knew how she felt.
We were out of the bathroom by the time he hit twenty-nine. "Good thing," he muttered as we climbed onto the bed. "I would've had to come in after you."
"You're a pig. A filthy pig." I didn't care how he glared at me, or how angry he was. It didn't matter anymore. He wanted to play head games with me, intimidate us both. I had to show Gigi I wasn't afraid so she would take a little strength from me. It was all I could do for her since I was such a helpless failure at rescuing her.
I sat beside her on the bed, running my fingers through her tangled hair. I hummed a song my mom used to hum while she brushed my hair after a bath. I never knew the name of it, but it had a pretty, lilting melody.
"Stop humming," he muttered, face to the TV. I stared at his back and hummed louder. "I said stop."
I didn't stop. I kept going, even louder than before.
"What the fuck is your problem?" He wheeled around, glaring.
I held his stare. "Nothing. I wanted to hum, that's all. I thought I would make Gigi a little more comfortable."
"Yeah? It's making me uncomfortable."
"Sorry. You can let us go if it's such a problem."
"You know it ain't gonna happen, so stop talking about it."
"Then I'm going to have to keep on humming." I went back to my business of getting the snarls out of Gigi's dark, wavy hair, humming as I worked.
"Bitch." In an explosion of movement, The Scarecrow lunged at me. I pushed Gigi away while he took me by the throat. "I'll make her watch me snap your neck. You want her to see me do it?"
"No." I shook my head. He wasn't strangling me, only holding tight enough for me to know he meant it.
"You." He looked at Gigi. "You wanna see me snap her neck?"
"No!" She wept.
"It's okay, honey." He had my arms pinned between our bodies. If only they were free, I could hit him, claw him, get us out of there. His weight made it impossible for me to pull them out.
Then I felt something even more menacing than his hand at my throat. His dick started getting hard, pressing against my thigh. I turned my head in disgust, my stomach roiling. He snickered. "What, you like that? You want it? Huh?
I opened my eyes to find Gigi staring at us in complete terror, tears streaming down her face. The thought of getting raped while she watched was a very real threat for a split second. I couldn't let that happen. I owed it to her to stay calm, to protect her as I protected myself.
I made eye contact with her and smiled. "It's okay," I said.
"What?" He pulled back.
"I said, it's okay." I sat up, disentangling myself from him. "Thanks for the offer, but no thanks." I held out my arms and Gigi tumbled into them. I focused on calming her, ignoring him. I could tell it made him crazy that I wouldn't crumble in front of him. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of looking shaken up, even as my insides quaked.
Headlights outside the window. I froze, staring at them. In my heart, I prayed it was Lance coming to save us. Something told me my prayers weren't going to be answered so easily.
Gigi had drifted off again, and my arms tightened around her. Like hell would I let anybody take her from me. They'd have to kill me first. I would protect her to my last breath.
I looked down at her, kissing her head, holding her as tight as I could without scaring her. I gathered her in my arms until I was nearly on top of her, my back to the door. That woke her up.