The Road to Nowhere

Chapter 63: Perversion

Chapter 63

My hot breath bounced off the fabric of the pillowcase that the guards put over my head. The only thing I can see is the faint glow of a candle to my left. I feel an arm touching mine, I think it's Brianna's– I hope it's Brianna's. I know they put pillowcases over all our heads, but I don't know who I'm sitting next to on Jaw's couch.

It's getting hard to breathe. I keep moving my head back and forth, trying to see if I can take anything else in from outside the pillowcase. But, I haven't had any luck. The duct tape across my mouth is digging into the corners of my lips, and I can tell it's going to hurt like a bitch when they take it off me. Each time I move my lips to try and loosen the tape, I feel my skin ripping from its place, making my eyes water.

I feel more of a hostage than a criminal. Why are they going to such drastic measures to bind us and keep us from not being able to see? I know we're wanted for murder but come on.

The front door swings open. Clunk clunk. I hear metal toed boots walk along the wooden floor boards. The sounds are hard and sudden. From what it sounds like, whoever just walked in has a purpose. Jaw.

The person clears their throat. "Take off the blonde one's pillowcase. And his tape." Jaw says. He speaks with authority, but the kind that makes you feel like you're going to shit your pants rather than getting scolded by your parents for coming home drunk after a high school party.

I hear a swoosh of the pillowcase sliding off his skin. Then after a dead silent few seconds, a riiiiiip of the duct tape, followed by an antagonizing scream from Scooter's toothy mouth.

"Bastard." I hear him say under his breath. I can't see where he is, but I think he's on the couch to my right, and not on the couch I'm sitting on.

Brianna. Find Brianna? I say over and over. The thought of not knowing where she is eats at my brain. I can't lose her again, even though we're about to be sentenced to death...

"I'm assuming you know why you're here?" Jaw says to Scooter. But I don't hear an answer back.

"One of my men said you have proof that you're innocent." Jaw says more like a question than a statement.

"Yes." Scooter says, his voice low and breathy.

"I'm whiling to listen to your testimony. We've built a democracy here, not a monarchy. If you can prove your innocence, then so be it."

You have pillowcases on our hands, and duct tape around our mouths. If that ain't symptoms of a monarchy, then–

"Darren." Scooter pauses, "Darren's the killer."

The low rumble of Jaw's laugh shakes the room. "You think my right-hand man is the one killing people under my nose?"

"Yes." Scooter sounds nervous. "He was there. In the infirmary. Yes, Summer was there after curfew, but she was just trying to help–"

Thanks for pushing me under the bus...

"He was sneaking in when it was dark. She caught him." Scooter adds.

"You were there?" Jaw asks.

"No," Scooter says. "I wasn't. I was against looking for the killer since the start."

"Hmm." I hear Jaw take a couple more steps. He stops right in front of me. "Pillowcase. Tape." He says.

Suddenly my pillowcase swoops off my head, and I'm greeted with the darkness of the room. It takes a second for my eyes to adjust, but when they do, Jaw's tall and hard figure is standing over me. I stare at him with defensive eyes. He sees my expression, and a threatening smile grows from his lips. A hand comes out from behind my head and grabs ahold of the side of the duct tape.