Duskwood: the man behind the mask

29. Drawing lines

Alan turned to us as soon as he finished talking to Jake. A smirk danced across his lips, which made me want to smack it out of his face.

Alan: Wow, you really want to kill me. What a look...

MC: Why are you doing this?

Alan: Because it's a chapter I want to close forever. Believe me, I would have preferred not to have to go that far.

MC: Get Jake out of this, leave him alone!

Alan: I'm sorry, your hacker has meddled too much in my business. If he had stayed still none of this would have happened.

MC: Your problem is with me, not with him. It was me you wanted, wasn't it? You got me here, now leave Jake alone!

Alan: Things have changed, honey. Aren't you glad we can come to an agreement? I haven't proposed a bad deal to him, and I really can't think of a better way to solve the little conflict we have.

MC: Jake will not be manipulated by you.

Alan: It's not that... and your worrying so much only proves me right. I think you know as well as I do that he'll do anything I ask to get you out of here.

Saying this, he smiled and crouched down beside me to gag me again, but Hannah stirred in her corner and we both turned to her. My heart tightened a bit more when I saw the state she was in: she looked really weak and was shaking with cold, although that was the least of it compared to the absolute fear that emanated from her entire body. Every time Alan spoke or moved, she shrank a little more into herself.

MC: Hannah needs something to keep warm. Look at her, she's shaking.

Alan: I'm sorry, but as you may understand I don't have anything I can lend her.

MC: My hoodie, let me give it to her.

He looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds, then turned to me and finally said seriously:

Alan: Alright.

However, all he did was stand up and leave the room. I stood waiting blankly and turned to Hannah:

MC: Are you okay?

I knew she couldn't answer me because of the tape on her mouth, but I expected at least a minimal gesture from her... and nothing. As much as I tried to talk to her, she didn't move an inch during the few minutes we were alone, and I only saw her react a little when Alan came back through the door. He had his gun in one hand and a bag in the other, which he placed on the ground near me.

Alan: There is water and some food, you must be hungry.

He approached me without letting go of the gun, and with his free hand he took a small knife from his pocket:

Alan: I'm going to untie you now, don't try anything weird or Hannah will pay.

With the knife he quickly cut the tape that bound my wrists and took a step back, stopping by the door:

Alan: Help her eat something. I'll be back in an hour when I've talked to your friend Jake.

He left the room without saying anything else, closing the door from the outside. I took off my foot restraints and immediately ran over to Hannah, who was still huddled in a corner. I lifted her head gently, removed the tape from her mouth, and then freed her hands since her feet weren't tied. She sighed heavily and checked with her eyes that Alan had already left, and I could finally hear her voice: