RECAP:
"But Mom, I've needed you now more than I've ever needed you before! Come on, Mom, am I less important to you and Dad than the castle? Please, just come and meet the prison-keeper and pay him, Mom! I really need you! Please!"
Drew cut in. "One of my guards will come to collect money from your castle. If you know what's best, no funny business."
"Please, Mom. At least tell Dad! Please!" Rebecca sobbed, grasping the phone like a lifeline.
"Goodbye, Rebecca." Her mother's voice was firm and cold.
"I love you, Mom," Rebecca whispered into the dead receiver, feeling her heart break.
Chapter 13:
Rebecca stumbled back to her cell, Drew behind her, his smug demeanor overpowering. Rebecca's shoulders sagged as she heard the clang of cell bars. Dropping to the ground and holding her head in hands, she let one moment of peace pass before she glanced up to see her friends' faces. When had she started thinking of them as friends? She had no clue. Maybe the moment when they were recaptured... or when Jazz held her in her arms, comforting her even though they barely knew each other. When she realized that these were truly good people.
"Rebecca, what happened? What did your dad say?" Gwen broke the silence, biting her lip anxiously. Rebecca stared at her, wondering how to break the news that no one was going to rescue them. The bit of hope in her eyes was diminishing slowly. Rebecca realized that she couldn't let that sparkle of hope disappear, replaced by despair. She couldn't let her... friends feel the feeling that was slowly creeping over her heart, drowning out hope and slowly devouring the desire to break free. Telling her that maybe it was better to let go. She made up her mind.
"I'm not sure, but I think he's going to pay it. We'll just see if Drew pulls through," Rebecca said, pulling off a strained smile.
Liam smiled briefly back, then briskly walked back to where Jazz was sitting up against the wall.
"What's wrong with Jazz?" Rebecca asked Gwen, frowning as Liam dabbed Jazz's forehead with a piece of cloth torn from his shirt. Jazz's eyes were closed, sweat was shining on her face, and she was trembling slightly.
Gwen shrugged. "She collapsed. Liam said that water might reduce her fever, and little bits of food will help provide her energy so she can maybe get better without medicine." Her words were almost robotic, as if she had rehearsed them, hoping not to burst into tears. Gwen took a deep breath and used the corner of her dirty shirt to wipe her eyes. "Sorry, Rebecca, I-I'm just..."
Rebecca tried to smile genuinely. "It's fine, I get it." Awkwardly, she turned away to let Gwen regain her composure.
"Guys, she's awake!" The relief in Liam's voice was evident, and for a terrifying moment, Rebecca wondered if it was that serious. She pushed the picture of Jazz, cold and lifeless, from her mind.
MARISA'S POV (REBECCA'S MOM)
The queen hung up the phone, her lips tightening at Rebecca's plea. 'She is a princess with dignity. She should know begging gets her nowhere,' Marisa thought with disdain.
"Who was that, Marisa?" The king's loud, commanding voice projected from across the room. He was standing by the door.
"Oh, no one," she answered, brushing it off. "What are you thinking for dinner? Lamb or duck today?"
The king furrowed his brow. "Are you sure it was no one? Any information on Rebecca? That is our private phone..."
Marisa tilted her head, noticing the purple smudges under the king's eyes. "Would you like any concealer?" she asked absentmindedly.
The king frowned. "What?"
"You know. For your eyes. You haven't been getting enough sleep, and I have some concealer to cover the smudges under your eyes. It isn't very polished to walk around looking like a zombie."
The king shook his head. "I don't care. I just want my Peck back," he murmured the last sentence, voice breaking.
Marisa sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "How many times have I told you? You can't show weakness to the kingdom. They will become scared. We can't have that happen. It is our duty to protect the people, and right now, keeping quiet will help us. I've already alerted the FBI. They will find her," she recited monotonously. After pausing a second, she added, "and she is a princess now. You mustn't call her by her childhood name. It isn't very dignified."
The king sighed, calming down. 'Thank goodness. I babysit the kingdom, and I have to babysit my own husband, too,' Marisa thought.
"All right, thank you, Marisa. That lamb it sounding pretty good right now, huh?"
JAZZ'S POV
Jazz woke up, heart pounding and hands clammy. The nightmare was fading fast from memory, but she realized it had something to do with dying here, never getting out. She could only hope that Rebecca's call with her dad had secured their escape.
"Jazz? Are you feeling better?" It was Liam, standing over her with a small flask of water.
She cleared her throat and sat up shakily. She felt extremely cold, but hot at the same time. Her breath was coming in short bursts, and sweat trickled down her forehead, but she still nodded.
"Yeah, I guess. Where'd you get the water?" Her voice was hoarse and weak.
"The guard was sympathetic. Here, drink some and then we'll ask Drew for a shower. Turn the water on cold and stay in there as long as possible, okay? He's not going to give us medicine."
Jazz obeyed, and the cool water down her throat made her feel better. "How'd Rebecca's call go?"
Liam shook his head. "I'm not sure. I don't think she wants to talk about it." Jazz felt a weight settle onto her chest. Maybe her nightmare would come true, and she would die first, in this prison. She felt the first pinprick of fear and dread.
Shaking her head, she opened her mouth to say something. Her vision blurred a little, and dizziness settled over her. Jazz closed her eyes tightly and gripped her temples, fingernails digging into her skin. Drips of warmth rolled down her cheeks, and she couldn't tell if they were tears or blood. A roaring noise was slowly taking over her hearing, but she still heard faint exclamations in the background. She began to shake, panicking. 'No, no, come on, stop,' she thought, breath coming in shallow gasps. The dizziness was escalating. She opened her eyes to see blurred figures of Rebecca, Liam, and Gwen. The room started to tilt, and she felt her hands hit the cool floor. Pain exploded from behind her eyes, and the blackness overcame her again.
GWEN'S POV
Gwen watched in silent horror as Jazz's unfocused eyes darted around the room, opening and closing. Her cheeks were flushed, blood and sweat trickling down from her forehead as her nails pierced her skin. Liam was shouting suddenly, hands touching Jazz's shoulders, face, knuckles whitening as he clenched his fists. It was as if time had fast-forwarded, and suddenly Liam was banging on the cell door, Jazz was coughing on the floor, and Gwen glanced at Rebecca to see her looking as panicked and shell-shocked as she felt.
"We need a doctor! Someone's dying and you don't even care!" Liam was shouting to Drew, who had come to see what the commotion was about.
"No can do," Drew crossed his arms, glancing over to see the scared girls huddled in the corner next to Jazz.
"At least let us take Jazz into the shower! You lose Jazz, you lose money!" Liam was shouting still, even though Drew was right in front of him. In frustration, Liam banged on the cell bars. "Come on, do you even have an ounce of humanity left?!"
Drew shrugged. "Who said the queen and king would pay up? From the princess's phone call with her mother, I doubted that would happen."
Gwen turned to Rebecca, mouth open, ready to accuse her of lying. However, when she saw her face, she shut it. Silent tears were tracking their way down her face, eyes showing brokenness.
"She won't pay to get me back. I'm her only daughter, but she doesn't love me," she whispered. Clearing her throat, Rebecca closed her eyes for a second. "My dad will find out and pay, I promise. Just... just go and ask for money. Really, they will pay," she told Drew, looking him straight in the eye.
Drew regarded her, face expressionless. "I'm not going to fall for that," he finally spoke, voice tight with anger. "Last time that happened, I was foolish enough to believe that. I was captured and nearly killed. No, no. Not again. I'll just send a guard to collect. If they don't pay up, the guard will shoot them. Yes, that's what I'll do," he muttered. He faced the children again. "All right, you have a deal. I'll send a guard. You may use the shower, but I don't have money for the medicine."
Gwen tilted her head, something occurring to her. Bits and pieces flashed before her eyes. Expensive, high-tech bulletproof vests on a group of guards... sleek, shiny tranquilizing guns... "Wait... the guards that captured us looked like they cost a bit. And you have guards all over the place? And guns? How are you not rich?"
Drew's face darkened. "You're too observant. Well, I guess I'll say. I spent the last bit of spending money on guns and the equipment that you've seen. The guards here are former prisoners who did me a favor. They are stuck here still, but I feed them and treat them better than I treat you all. But that's none of your business. But no, the guard I will sent out will not betray me... I'll send Anthony!" He turned away, then frowned, "wait, I killed him. Who else? I'll send the new one. Yes, I'm sure he's better than Anthony."
Gwen and Rebecca shared wide-eyed looks.
"It doesn't matter. You, mouse-girl, go with your fellow prisoner to the shower. If you try to escape, your friend can't run. And, you are the weakest of the group, so don't try anything funny. Off you go." Drew held open the door.
Struggling, Gwen hefted Jazz off of the floor. She stumbled along, murmuring. Dehydration and fever weren't kind to her health. Gwen only hoped that she could survive until medical attention could be given.
If it would ever be given.
Gwen shook off that thought and focused on supporting Jazz and not looking at the slightly insane-looking glances that Drew was shooting them.
"You have just a few minutes." With that, he left to his office.
Quickly, Gwen helped Jazz get into the shower and rummaged for a bar of soap. She couldn't find one in the cabinets... Maybe there were some in the chest. She glanced around the room, fumbling with the bolts. It was a regular-looking bathroom: medium sized shower, bathtub, a separate door for Drew's office and the other part of the bathroom. He had chosen plain colors, too... beige and a pale blue. Very pretty together.
Gwen finally was able to untwist the bolts and pulled the top up, reaching to grab soap. But, it wasn't soap that occupied the chest. A decaying skeleton was crammed in the long, shallow chest.
Gwen opened her mouth wide, putting a hand to her chest. She backed up, horrified.
"Gwen? I found the soap. It's in the shower," Jazz called out weakly.
She nodded. "O-okay..." Quickly slamming the chest shut and bolting it in place, she practically ran to the shower and focused on cleaning herself and making sure Jazz was okay. The water was freezing, but the temperature was the least of Gwen's worries. If Drew had truly killed that many people, who knew what he could do to them, or if he could truly let them escape?