handsome too.”
Frank blushes at her compliment. I study her as they release interlocked hands. The fact that she blatantly lied and completely discredited my authority pisses me off, but it was a nice gesture to win Frank over. I would never say it out loud, but it was a slick move by her. She smiles at me and I just shake my head with a small grin on my face. Her confidence helps me to justify my decision to even bring her here. I’ve always had the ability to judge people and their sincerity, and I still have it. This is going to be too easy.
I walk into the kitchen and retrieve the notepad from one of the drawers. I bring it to the table and open it up before sitting. Alicia notices and follows me to the table. She sits down across from me and tries to read my scribbles. Frank makes his way to the table as well and sits at the end, the three of us now in a triangle.
“Can I get you anything?” I direct the question to Alicia.
She shakes her head without looking up.
“Okay then, make yourself comfortable. We might be here for a while”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
GEORGE
Back in the same empty warehouse, the two-way mirror stares back at me as I sit in the same bolted down wooden chair. I’m not strapped to the chair this time, which is nice, although my hands are still loosely tied in front of me. The light has been left on for me, so I’m able to get up and pace. I walk the perimeter of the room, counting my steps as I go. One of the cracked pipes has a slow drip and a damp spot is forming below it on the cement.
Across the room, the bulky door squeaks open. To my surprise, Alicia is pushed in and the door closes behind her. I immediately run in her direction.
“Alicia, I’m relived you’re okay! Are you okay?”
She offers me an exhausted smile and nods.
“Where have you been?”
She points to the two-way mirror behind me. “There, in that room. They locked me in and left for a while. I’m not sure how long it’s been.”
“It’s been a couple hours at least.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw the time when I was in the van.”
“Huh?”
“They took me with them, in the van.”
Alicia’s face drops, and she turns a bit pale. “Oh no! What happened?”
“You don’t want to know.”
There is a pause. “I’m so sorry, George. I didn’t mean to get you involved.” She puts her right hand on her waist and grimaces. Her hands aren’t tied and I don’t see any blisters on her wrists, like I have.
“What’s the matter, is everything okay?”
“I’m fine, just a little uncomfortable.” Her clothes are loose and baggy, to cover her belly I guess.
I nod. “Sorry, I guess I’m not too sure how this all works.”
“How all what works?”
“You know, this baby stuff.”
She just looks at me and I can see in her eyes that this upsets her, but I don’t know why. I’m not sure what to say, so I say nothing. After a few moments, I come up with something to break the awkward silence.
“How did you get here? How do you know these guys?”
She opens her mouth to speak but is cutoff by the door thrusting open. Billy and Frank walk in, with Billy leading the way. Frank approaches Alicia from behind and grabs her arm, turning her toward him. He leads her out of the room. Billy stares at me silently for a few moments before speaking.
“Come with me.” Billy motions for me follow, so I do. He leads me down the hall to another room, this one much smaller than the one I was just in. It’s an old office maybe. Frank is sitting behind a table, playing with something in his lap. “Frank, let me have it.”
Frank hands it to Billy, who puts it on the table.
“What is that?” I ask.
“That is for step two,” Billy says.
“Okay, but what it is?”
“Take a look.”
I raise my hands, showing the knot keeping them together. Frank stands and comes around the table, then cuts me free, much like he did in the van. The blisters on my wrists are worsening and calluses are
Frank blushes at her compliment. I study her as they release interlocked hands. The fact that she blatantly lied and completely discredited my authority pisses me off, but it was a nice gesture to win Frank over. I would never say it out loud, but it was a slick move by her. She smiles at me and I just shake my head with a small grin on my face. Her confidence helps me to justify my decision to even bring her here. I’ve always had the ability to judge people and their sincerity, and I still have it. This is going to be too easy.
I walk into the kitchen and retrieve the notepad from one of the drawers. I bring it to the table and open it up before sitting. Alicia notices and follows me to the table. She sits down across from me and tries to read my scribbles. Frank makes his way to the table as well and sits at the end, the three of us now in a triangle.
“Can I get you anything?” I direct the question to Alicia.
She shakes her head without looking up.
“Okay then, make yourself comfortable. We might be here for a while”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
GEORGE
Back in the same empty warehouse, the two-way mirror stares back at me as I sit in the same bolted down wooden chair. I’m not strapped to the chair this time, which is nice, although my hands are still loosely tied in front of me. The light has been left on for me, so I’m able to get up and pace. I walk the perimeter of the room, counting my steps as I go. One of the cracked pipes has a slow drip and a damp spot is forming below it on the cement.
Across the room, the bulky door squeaks open. To my surprise, Alicia is pushed in and the door closes behind her. I immediately run in her direction.
“Alicia, I’m relived you’re okay! Are you okay?”
She offers me an exhausted smile and nods.
“Where have you been?”
She points to the two-way mirror behind me. “There, in that room. They locked me in and left for a while. I’m not sure how long it’s been.”
“It’s been a couple hours at least.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw the time when I was in the van.”
“Huh?”
“They took me with them, in the van.”
Alicia’s face drops, and she turns a bit pale. “Oh no! What happened?”
“You don’t want to know.”
There is a pause. “I’m so sorry, George. I didn’t mean to get you involved.” She puts her right hand on her waist and grimaces. Her hands aren’t tied and I don’t see any blisters on her wrists, like I have.
“What’s the matter, is everything okay?”
“I’m fine, just a little uncomfortable.” Her clothes are loose and baggy, to cover her belly I guess.
I nod. “Sorry, I guess I’m not too sure how this all works.”
“How all what works?”
“You know, this baby stuff.”
She just looks at me and I can see in her eyes that this upsets her, but I don’t know why. I’m not sure what to say, so I say nothing. After a few moments, I come up with something to break the awkward silence.
“How did you get here? How do you know these guys?”
She opens her mouth to speak but is cutoff by the door thrusting open. Billy and Frank walk in, with Billy leading the way. Frank approaches Alicia from behind and grabs her arm, turning her toward him. He leads her out of the room. Billy stares at me silently for a few moments before speaking.
“Come with me.” Billy motions for me follow, so I do. He leads me down the hall to another room, this one much smaller than the one I was just in. It’s an old office maybe. Frank is sitting behind a table, playing with something in his lap. “Frank, let me have it.”
Frank hands it to Billy, who puts it on the table.
“What is that?” I ask.
“That is for step two,” Billy says.
“Okay, but what it is?”
“Take a look.”
I raise my hands, showing the knot keeping them together. Frank stands and comes around the table, then cuts me free, much like he did in the van. The blisters on my wrists are worsening and calluses are
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