Tear tracks stained my face. I cried for myself, my family, my stupidity, how scared I was and most of all I cried over Alex. There was no way he would want to take me back after everything I had put him through and now this.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway and I quickly wiped away they tears that were still leaking from my eyes. If they saw me crying like this they would see how weak I really was.
Three days I had been locked up in this cell, the walls had gotten boring within the first ten minutes, and there was nothing else to look at or do. The sound of the bolts sliding out of their homes awoke me from my reverie. My head snapped towards the doorway.
Max stood there, his hands on his hips, his mouth pulled into a grim smile. His blue eyes held a look of hatred towards me and it send shivers down my back. The poor amounts of light reflected off his balding head.
“You’re coming with me.” He said gruffly, pulling me off the floor.
He pinned my arms behind my back and marched me dent the corridor. This had happened for the last three days, the same routine;
Wake up in the morning after having little sleep and vivid nightmares, stare at
the ceiling until someone came to fetch me. Get shouted at by Max or another
man - whom they called Ginger - and then get beaten for not answering their
questions. Get frog marched back to my own room and if I was lucky I might
get a piece of stale bread and a small glass of water before I collapsed on the
thin mattress I called my bead and tried to sleep.
So far it seemed no one had tried to save me. Many men came and went from the warehouse but no one even knew I was here. I gave up screaming after a while because I was no use and I was slowly losing my voice.
I was pushed roughly into a small wooden chair and my feet were tied to each leg. My hands were held behind me by a taught piece of rope that cut through my skin. I could already feel the blood dripping down my hands.
The room smelt musky and the air was thick. I hadn’t been in here before which scared the life out of me. The men could appear from anywhere. There was a small bulb hanging from the ceiling illuminating a small circle around me.
Four men appeared from the shadows in one corner of the room, each one looked grim faced and fierce. I stayed perfectly still, pretending they weren’t there, yet my heart was racing faster than Usain Bolt and I was sweating profusely.
“Samantha Gordon.” One of them said.
He stepped foreward and started walking circles around me. The room stayed silent everybody waiting for the man to start talking again. He knelt down to my level and brushed his thumb over my lips and cheek.
He chuckled lightly to himself and stood up again. I let out a breath I was unconsciously holding.
“You are probably wondering who I am.”
I nodded knowing silence was my best answer.
“My name is Jules and I work for George and Lula Brown, you are living with their son Tommy.”
Fear struck every inch of my body. If these people were as bad as Tommy had said then I wasn’t sure I was going to make it out of this place alive.
“What has this got to do with me, Sir?”
“Now you see Tommy cares very dearly about you; we could probably go as far as to say that he loves you.”
He paused to see if I would react but I stayed motionless, keeping all emotion off my face. I started having a mini argument with myself in my head, trying to get out of this.
Tommy loves you.
Yeah, but you already knew that.
How are you supposed to get out of this now?
You know how dangerous they are, you need to get out. NOW!
I can’t, my hands and feet are tied to the chair.
Looks like this is the end of you, Sammy.
I mentally shut myself up and went back to ignoring the four pairs of eyes that pierced every fibre of my body. Silently I prayed that I would be saved and someone would come and save me.
I had never been much of a religious person, being a spy meant that you were constantly on the go so consequently you never had time to commit yourself to a religion, but right now I was willing to do anything to get out of here!
“And we would like to show Tommy what he is missing out on.”
“W-w-wh-what do you mean, Sir?”
“I mean you do everything we tell you to and answer every question, unless you want to lose Tommy that is?”
When he said everything that scared me. I had only been speaking to him for ten minutes but I could tell when he said everything, he meant everything!
Why was my life so complicated? Couldn’t I be a normal teenage girl going to a normal school, with normal friends, doing normal girly things?
“Fine.” I hissed through gritted teeth, not seeing another way out of this one.
“Why is Tommy living with you?”
“I don’t know, Sir.”
“Yes you do, don’t lie to me. Im going to ask you again. Why is he living with you?”
“I. Don’t. Know. Sir.”
He grabbed my face squeezing my cheeks together, his fingers digging into my skin.
“Answer my question properly or you will be punished.”
“Go on then. What have I got to lose?”
He let go of my face and turned away from me. I was sick of being tolerant with his stupid questions.
“Who is Alex to you?” he asked turning back round to face me.
“Why?”
“Just answer the bloody question.” He said through gritted teeth.
“My boyfriend.”
“How much does he mean to you?”
“Everything.”
“Do you love him?”
“Y-y-yes.”
“Would you like to see him?”
“How is he supposed to find me?”
“I ask the questions, not you.”
One of the men stepped forward bearing what looked like a whip. He slashed me round the legs with it, leaving behind a painful sting. I bit my lip so hard that I drew blood, tears were welling up in my eyes but I refused to let them fall, I was determined not to show them how weak I was feeling.
“Now answer my question.”
“Yes. I would like to see him.”
Two men appeared from a darkened corner dragging a person between them. Alex. He was covered in small cuts and bruises similar to mine and he was having a hard time standing up properly.
With much difficulty he held his head up giving me a small, weak smile. It held so much emotion and pain. The two men holding him dropped him to the ground a harsh wail escaped his chapped lips.
“ALEX.” I screamed, unable to move to tend to his needs.
A hand collided with my face leaving behind a stinging sensation and a red hand print. Tears once again sprung to my eyes but I held them in, keeping in my emotions was the last bit of strength I had left.
“Do not talk to him.” One of the men hissed. He spat in my face and picked up the whip circling me like an animal to its prey.
“I wasn’t going to bring him out until later but now will do perfectly, seeing that we have your attention again, you will answer my questions properly.”
“Why is Tommy living at your house?”
“Because he needed somewhere to live.” I answered giving him half the truth.
“Why?”
“Why should I know?”
“Because you are living with him.”
“Doesn’t mean I know anything about him.”
“Our sources tell us differently.”
“I don’t care what your sources are saying. None of its true.”
“Why are you lying to me, Sammy?”
“Have you ever had a friend before?” I didn’t wait for him to answer before carrying on. “Because if you have then you will understand that you don’t tell their secrets to other people.”
“So you do know why he is staying with you.”
Well I had just blown that. I might as well just keep my mouth closed.
“If you don’t tell us then Alex will get it.
I stayed silent, not wanting to let anything else slip. I wasn’t prepared to let it all go. But I didn’t want to get Alex into trouble and lose him as well. I was close enough to doing that already.
One of the men approached Alex and kicked his stomach. His limp body rolled to the side trapping one of his arms under his body. His eyes were closed and his cheeks were sunken into his face.
He groaned loudly as the foot connected with his ribs, I was pretty sure they had been broken and it was confirmed minutes later when he got kicked again and a loud snap sounded in the silent room.
From where I was sitting his features looked peaceful and calm but I knew he was anything but. Every now and then when the light caught his face I could see the tears streaking his face.
“Are you going to answer my question?” Jules asked getting impatient.
I shook my head ferociously. There was no way on the planet I was divulging the secrets of my best friend to a man whom was friends with his worst enemies. His parents.
Again one of the men stepped forward this time they were holding a large baseball bat. The last thing I saw was the bat coming at my head before black spots covered my vision and I passed out.