The sound of tires whizzing on the pavement seemed far away, but at least they weren’t in the middle of nowhere. If her hands weren’t tied, she’d have waved hoping someone would notice them and come to their rescue.
A well-oiled door opened.
“Get in.” He turned her around and pressed on her shoulder, forcing her to sit on what she believed was the lip of a van.
The man lifted her feet and slid her back a few feet on the metal floor. Her sore ass ached even though she had a lot of padding. Poor Cheryl was skinny and would be miserable during the ride. The tears leaked out of her blindfold but never reached her cheeks. The salty liquid dripped into her throat and nearly made her choke.
She dropped her head and said the Act of Contrition. Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you... If she was about to die, she wanted to go with a clear conscience.
The edge of the van dipped, and Cheryl’s shoes scraped across the metal. Once the back doors slammed shut, the engine sounded. Even though her new cage-mate was as helpless as she was, not being alone gave her some comfort.
The vehicle pulled out. Elena tried to memorize how many times they stopped and turned, but after a while, she gave up. The cold metal pinched her wrists and pain sped up her spine with every turn. She worked hard to breathe through a stuffed up nose.
In truth, every second seemed like a minute. Elena clung to the idea they were going to clean up. She tried to keep focused on the positive, all the while wondering if today would be the day she died.
No more than fifteen minutes later, the vehicle stopped and the back door squeaked opened. Cool air rushed in and smelled sweeter than where they’d been.
Feet shuffled on the metal, and a strong hand lifted her. He pulled her forward until she reached the edge of the van floor. He lifted her in his arms as if she weighed nothing and tossed her out of the back. Someone caught her, but for that one second in the air, her heart had jammed.
Man number two set her down, clamped a hand on her arm, and half dragged her forward. She tried to keep up, but when she tripped on something and nearly fell, the guy had to haul her to her feet.
“Clumsy bitch.”
Anger ripped up her spine. They’d kept her locked in a cage for two weeks, and her legs had lost a lot of muscle tone. What had they expected would happen?
The moment she stepped inside this new building, the temperate air cleansed her. The man took off her gag but not her blindfold, and she gulped in the needed oxygen.
“You scream and you won’t talk again.”
If he was trying to scare her, he succeeded. A door opened and he shoved her inside.
“Stay there.”
With her hands secured behind her back, and wearing a blindfold, it was hard to do anything other than obey. Her heart pounded. She listened for Cheryl’s breaths, but heard nothing above her own raspy pants.
After several long minutes, the door opened and someone removed her blindfold. Elena looked around. She was in a bathroom that was a lot nicer than the one she had in her apartment. In fact, this one had a stone countertop, a picture-framed mirror, and a tiled walk-in shower.
The idea of a shower seemed about as close to heaven as she could get—the woman in front of her did not.
Elena judged this matronly guard with the stern expression to be in her fifties. She was maybe five-feet-three-inches tall and almost as wide. From the way she held her shoulders, she might have played professional football. A zillion questions raced through Elena’s mind, but since this woman was part of the group who’d taken her, Elena doubted she’d be forthcoming with information.
“Turn around.” The woman waved a key.
Elena obliged and soon the cuffs were gone. Thank you, God. She rubbed her sore wrists and rejoiced in the small amount of freedom.
“Get out of those clothes.”
Elena turned around. The woman planted her hands on her hips. Chills raced up her body at the hatred lacing the woman’s eyes. This person was female, but Elena was a private person. She wasn’t going to get naked in front of her even if she’d been told her clothes were full of bugs.
“I will. May I have some privacy?”
The woman’s lips firmed even more if that was possible. “Wash your hair and scrub clean. I will be back to check on you.”
Elena was tempted to lock the door, but a second after the woman left, a key sounded from the other side. When she tested the knob, she was locked in. That didn’t bother her. It meant more privacy.
She turned on the water and undressed. Though her clothes were disgusting, and although she loathed wearing them again, they covered her. After folding and placing them on the counter, she stepped in the shower. The warm water was a balm to this nightmare, even though she didn’t believe freedom was any nearer.