"Ashley I need you to cooperate. I need you to help us, help you."
Machines buzzed, beeped and whorled in the stuffy room, clinical white, with the sickly sweet smell of detergent all-pervading. She was battered and bruised and apparently severely dehydrated, but other than that okay for questioning. That was the most important thing. That they could ask their questions. She was in a grey zone between victim and suspect which is why they'd bestowed this beautiful metal accessory on her wrist. From one captor to another. Ashley rested her head back on a firm pillow and stared hard at the detective sat to her right. He looked young but the way he asked questions made him seem a lot older.
"I need to know what happened Ashley. What happened while you were gone, at the cabin in the woods, the vet surgery?" He glanced around, presumably searching for the right words to coax out a response. "Why don't we start with the surgery?"
Ashley glanced down at the handcuffs attaching her right wrist to the hospital bed. She felt an uncomfortable heat prickle up along her spine as she considered whether or not she should say anything without a lawyer present.
"What day is it? How long have I been here", she began with a crackly voice.
"Ashley this is important. I'll answer your questions just as soon as you answer mine."
Her white hair covered her face as she tilted her head down to hide her rueful smile. "If I tell you, about the surgery, will you stop treating me like a prisoner?"
He sat forwards. "That depends on what you tell me, Ashley. I need to know all of it. The absolute truth, even if you think it'll get you into trouble. I just need to know the truth."
Ashley glanced back up at him. The truth?
...
Ashley walked out through the main entrance and loudly exhaled into the chilly air. She needed a minute to herself, even if it was only to grasp what was happening right now.
She'd taken a hostage. She had driven the car of a murder victim, with the murderer of said victim tied up in the back, away from the police and further held a second person at gunpoint. She was now forcing that person to treat the bullet wound of a psychotic asshole. What was wrong with her? Had she sincerely lost her mind?
This wasn't her, but she didn't know how to stop. Ashley felt like she was free falling down a bottomless black hole. She was afraid of going to the police, of not being believed, but she was equally afraid of continuing in this direction. She was so full of fear it made her sick to the stomach. It made it hard for her to think straight. Safety was all she wanted, to be held and told that everything was going to be alright but she felt like she would never have that again if the police didn't believe her.
The saying was 'innocent until proven guilty', but what did Ashley honestly have going for her? Who would listen to her, when the truth sounded like an elaborate lie?
Who would believe two, certified insane criminals, had the cunning and competency to escape a secure facility off of their own backs? What were the odds that someone knew how intelligent Michael really was or how his mind worked! How could anyone even begin to fathom his ability to scheme or implement plans that were based on the actions of others so far in the future, plans that offered such a minute chance of success they seemed completely ludicrous. Trying to explain that alone would sound far-fetched to any normal minded person, so how could she go on to say that her decision to work at Dale-Creek Hill was entirely a coincidence and, she had no knowledge of her relation to Michael. Who would trust the fact Michael being her patient was all David's doing? Who would believe David had been the only one helping them when he was dead and she was still alive.
No one would believe this all came from some elaborate plan concocted by a psychotic asylum patient. What would sound more likely, was that the intelligent, half-sister of said patient carefully planned the escape of her brother and his equally dangerous friend. For what reason? Love most likely.
Ashley felt the need to cry again crash over her like a black wave. Truly, no matter how she looked at it, there was no way anyone would trust her story. The fact she was related to Michael acted as a noose around her neck. No one would be able to see past her connection to him. No one would want to hear or believe in words like 'coincidence' when there were dead to be accounted for. When someone needed to take the blame for the murdered.
She looked towards the sky with blurred sight, her pretty, pale face contorted with a look of desperation.
Say she didn't go to the police, which was the only logical solution to a situation like this, where did that leave her? Safety would still be a memory of the past. This path she was on right now didn't offer any happy ending. Even though she had Michael and Sam in restraints she would still be their captive for as long as they all remained together. They had her caged with fear at the thought of them escaping. The other option involved figuring out a way to hand Michael and Sam over to the police so she could run away by herself. That would offer some freedom but how long would she last alone? With no money, no experience in lying low and no knowledge of where to even start the police would apprehend her within weeks, days even.
Grasping her situation only made her feel more desperate. A bullet would solve this. A bullet in her or in them, perhaps all three of them. Ashley never thought the day would come where she would feel like this. Where death would seem better than dealing with the here and now.
She looked towards the car. He deserved to die for dragging her into this and for destroying the lives of so many other innocents. She tried to visualise the lives he'd taken and allowed the anger to seep into her veins and seize hold of her heart. She should do it now, while she had the courage. It had to be now. She could stop it all here.
Maggie's panicked calls broke the quiet. Ashley jumped a little, not expecting the intrusion of noise. With a hesitant last glance at the car, she returned inside to see what the problem was.
Once inside it was evident to see what the fuss was about. Sam had begun to come around. His eyelids fluttered and his body twitched profusely. Overseeing his form Ashley waved a hand at Maggie indicating she should retreat to a safer distance.
Sam's eyes finally opened fully and, after a dazed minute, focused on her face. It took him longer than a minute to comprehend his situation.
"Where am I?" He mumbled so lowly Ashley had to guess his words.
"On the floor of a veterinary surgery," she replied slowly. "You passed out in the car. You got shot, remember?"
Sam closed his eyes and went to raise a hand perhaps to rub his forehead which alerted him to the fact he was tied up, a fact he seemed to have forgotten.
He glared at his restraints and tussled with them in a moment of panic before Ashley saw clarity in his eyes as he recalled his predicament. He hissed out an irritable sigh.
"I wouldn't try anything" she warned him sternly. "You've lost a lot of blood, it's a miracle you're even alive let alone awake."
"Hallelujah," he sneered before he coughed violently and clenched up in evident agony. "Why didn't you just let me die?"
Ashley let out a hush, indignant laugh. Sarcasm? She had gone out of her way to patch him up, he was on the fringes of life and death and all he had for her was sarcasm? He was right, why didn't she just let him die!
"Maybe I should have" she snapped sourly. She circled around him, a vindictive look etched across her features. "But why should a dirtbag like you get to slip away easily. You deserve to suffer" she added coldly.
Sam laughed bitterly in her face, even though it pained him to use his muscles. "You kept me alive to make me suffer? Love, there's nothing you could do to make me suffer" he exclaimed hoarsely.
Ashley didn't appreciate being laughed at. She knelt down beside him slowly. "I could cut off that weapon in your trousers" she threatened silkily.
Sam bore his bloody teeth at her. "You'll need a fucking chainsaw for that."
"Whatever you want Sam," she hissed back before she reached behind him and produced a bloody scalpel. "I could even cut off your eyelids and make you watch." She lowered the blade close to his cheek.
Sam stared straight back at her unflinchingly. "Sure, what's castration without a little foreplay?"
Her jaw clenched at his blasé attitude. "You think I won't do it" she reached down and with a clawed hand easily found his bulge and squeezed till she saw a slither of discomfort on his face.
He fixed her with a dark glare. "You better castrate me" he hissed. "When I get free, I'll tear you up inside. I will break you" He lifted his head up and gritted the last four words with such menace it made Ashley break out in another cold sweat.
She sat back and turned her head away from him in disgust. She glanced over at Maggie and caught the fearful glint in her eyes. Her gaze returned to Sam who was glaring at her.
"Such a far cry from what you said in the cabin" she reminded him.
"That was before you betrayed me."
Ashley's eyes grew wide. "Betrayed you!"
"I fought for you, to protect you from him" he snapped, his body becoming animated. "I broke out of a boot to help you, with a gunshot wound to my shoulder and fucking dog bites all over and what did you do?"
"You're just as bad as him! You tried to force yourself on me!" She intervened hotly.
"We had a moment" he snarled. "You wanted it. I didn't deserve a fridge door smashed in my face!"
"I didn't want anything of the sort" she retorted angrily. Sam wasn't wrong, he had gone to lengths to help her but that didn't omit all he had done before. He asked for a dance, but he'd wanted much more than that. If he called pinning her to a chair with his weight whilst he went exploring a 'moment' she hated to think what his rapes had been like unless, of course, all his victims had secretly wanted it just like her. He was disreputable.
"Where is he?" Sam added suddenly, his eyes travelling around the room. He clocked Maggie trembling off to the left. He looked back to Ashley and gave a wolfish sneer.
She knew what that look meant. He and Michael were one in the same. He'd make Maggie woe the day she was born if he got loose, just to spite Ashley, regardless of the fact the poor girl had saved his life.
"That's none of your concern" she responded stiffly.
"If you're not watching him with a gun trained to his temple, I hope you fucking killed him" he muttered.
"I said its none of your concern" she gritted fiercely. She got to her feet and gestured to Maggie to come closer. "Watch him. He can't hurt you when he's tied up like that but give me a shout if he gets too scary for you. We'll be out of your hair shortly. I promise."
...
"Ashley?"
She blinked a few times and realised the detective was observing her warily.
"I'm sorry, I just-" she shook her head and avoided his eyes.
"It's okay. Take your time" he assured her with a forced calm.
She could tell he was impatient to know what she knew. She exhaled loudly and focused her gaze on his left kneecap.
"The truth is a little underwhelming" she confessed shakily, uncertain of where or how to start telling him about her ordeal.
...
She jogged back out to the car, ignoring the pain it caused in her feet because she couldn't bear to have Michael out of her sight a moment longer. She froze at the sight of head lights driving past on the main road. The car wasn't going particularly fast and she panicked that it might pull onto the winding road to the surgery, but it continued on past the turning point. She averted her eyes back to the issue directly ahead of her. She convinced herself she could hear movement inside the vehicle and steeled herself for whatever awaited within. If he was free they were all dead.
Stalking over she yanked open the front passenger side-door and quickly scoped the insides. Michael was laid out on the backseat completely still and that alone unnerved her. The seatbelt was no longer wrapped around his throat, proof he had been moving around but the binding around his wrists still appeared intact. It was the type of thing someone couldn't 'pretend' about. He was still tied up and that knowledge flooded her with relief.
Slowly she climbed into the car, keeping a hand on the gun in her waistband out of his sight.
She looked across at Michael and took a moment to study him. In this moment his temple was swelling, perhaps from where she smacked his face into the floor with the fridge door. The rings around his eyes were a blackish purple making him look like he hadn't slept for a millennium.
He seemed calmer now and Ashley wasn't sure whether she preferred him that way. He clearly wasn't being compliant, which meant his stillness was an indication of trouble. She worried he had sussed out a way to manoeuvre out of his bindings.
His eyes briefly turned to look at her again, and his features smoothed into an impassive glaze.
The air between them was frigid with animosity.
"Leaving that woman alone is a mistake" he murmured, surprisingly breaking the silence first. His tone was sharp and reproachful.
"Leaving you alone would be a bigger mistake" Ashley responded honestly before her pool blue eyes took on an accusational edge alongside her tone. "You frightened her. What you said to her was disgusting. I hope you're happy."
Michael closed his eyes slowly. "What do you want? An apology" he muttered flatly.
Ashley stared stubbornly at him. "Wouldn't that be something" she retorted. He was infuriating on all levels just like Sam. They deserved each other.
"I'm not sorry." He opened his eyes and stared hard at the roof of the car. "I will kill her."
Ashley shook her head slowly in disbelief. "She has got nothing to do with this. If you've got a problem with Sam getting patched up, take it up with me. I'm the one who made her help him."
"Then it will be your fault she dies" he snapped fiercely turning to glare at her. His intense gaze gave an inkling of the rage he felt towards her. The muscles around his jaw visibly twitched before he turned back to fixing the roof with his perilous stare.
"I would never hurt you. Even now" he added slowly after regaining his composure.
"So you'll take your anger out on her?" Ashley supposed irritably.
"Better her than you."
Ashley let out a harsh breath at his backward reasoning. "You're lying. I could see it on your face earlier, you would have done more than hurt me if you'd had the chance. If you get loose, you may kill her but you'd still make me suffer. Even now if I cut you free and agreed to play happy families."
Michael shifted to look at her, his expression disdainful. "You act like you've done nothing to deserve it."
"No one deserves a wrath like yours, Michael."
"What would you know," he snarled abruptly shifting his body around into a seated position. Even tied up he had too much mobility. Now he was close, too close.
"After all the effort I put into this. Getting me and Sam into the Asylum, our escape and everything after it." He looked her dead in the eye. "I risked all of that for you. I put you before all my plans, before my only friend and all you've done in return is screw me over."
Ashley forced out a harsh laugh to show him just how ridiculous she found that statement but it was difficult to find the courage to do so, considering he was close enough to spit on.
"What so, should I be thankful instead? Thankful that you've ripped me from my home, my family and friends, made me a fugitive-"
"Oh, save the sob story" he interrupted brutally. "The only person you can truly blame for all this is yourself. You practically flung yourself at me." He rose his bound wrists to point at her, almost jabbing her in the face. "You forget that you were the one who found me, you came to me Ashley because you wanted this. I interested you more than anyone else in that institute, more than everyone in your shit, lie of a life combined and that hasn't changed. The only real thing in your life was and still is me."
Ashley couldn't believe what she was hearing. She struggled to find the words to respond. "You can't be serious-"
"You know any normal person would have left the Asylum after what Sam did to you," he intervened, his words gaining momentum, "but you persevered. He even tried to kill your beloved boyfriend and what did you do in response? You leapt at the chance to interview him alone." Michael's eyes travelled up and down her form before he shot her a crooked sneer. "You and I are more alike than you could bear to know. You're obsessive, self-destructive and hunger for all things that allude you no matter the cost!"
He sat back against the window, his sneer softening till it had all but disappeared. "And that's okay with me. I accept you. We keep going around in circles because you can't be honest with yourself." He twirled one of his fingers in the air slowly. "You keep struggling, acting the victim but you're a spider caught in its own web. So excuse me if I don't pull out a tissue when you play your tiny violin. I know you want to be with me but you continually refuse to stop and acknowledge that part of you. So, excuse my impatience but I'm tired of your oblivious victim game. You should at least be thankful I've made it this far without laying a hand on you."
Ashley's eyes travelled over his features, assessing the dead seriousness of his expression, of those eyes that flitted between dirty ice and wet flint in colour depending on the light. He'd done more than lay a hand on her, but she supposed their idea of 'laying a hand' on someone greatly differed. She didn't really know what to say back to him, or how they'd got to talking in the first place. Twenty minutes ago she was preparing to shoot him.
"The only thing I'm thankful of right now Michael, is that there are enough bullets in this gun for all three of us and if I could do it all again, I wouldn't step foot in that fucking Asylum for the world."
Michael's eyelids drooped lazily over his eyes seemingly unaffected by the statement. "If there was a way to go back, do you honestly think you'd be happy? Back in your snug, meaningless life, devoid of freedom, surrounded by your fake family and friends."He shook his head slowly. "You wouldn't last a fortnight."
Ashley humoured him. "If there was a way to go back, you would never see me again" she stared him dead in the eye. "Never."
The corner of Michael's mouth flickered up briefly before his eyes looked past her. "You should go and check your tool."
Ashley wasn't one to follow his instructions, but she was eager to get out of the car. She should never had engaged in conversation with him.
Heading back into the surgery she was surprised to see Sam was unconscious again. Maggie was clearing up the bandages and appeared calmer than she was when Ashley left her.
"He fell back unconscious" Maggie quickly explained as soon as she realised Ashley was behind her.
Ashley glanced down at Sam and after a cautious moment placed her hand on his chest to check he was still breathing which he was. Soon she would need to get him back into the car and the idea alone exhausted her. Even when they were all back in the car, what then? She had nowhere to go. Perhaps calling the police was the best thing to do. She couldn't keep Michael and Sam tied up forever, not without somewhere to hide out. She still had the option to end it all but that was the last resort. Either way, it wasn't safe to continue like this.
"Where's the toilet" she murmured after a moment.
Maggie glanced over her shoulder. "Just down the hall, first door on your right."
Ashley nodded. At least in the bathroom she could shut it all out for a few minutes. "We can put him back in the car when I'm back, then I'll take them both far away from here."
Maggie nodded briefly before she continued clearing up. Ashley was grateful for her compliance, it had made the entire ordeal far more manageable.
In the bathroom, Ashley used the toilet at lightning speed, finding the closed space more ominous than she'd first anticipated. She hastily splashed her grey face with water again before she exited the bathroom. She rubbed her sore eyes on the way out, internally acknowledging the fact she was running on fumes now. Even if she wanted to drive it couldn't be for long. Perhaps if she could find somewhere safe to sleep, everything would become clearer?
She walked back into the surgery room and squinted at Maggie. "Have you got any coffee laying aroun-"
An arm swung around her throat out of nowhere yanking her off balance. Ashley cried out in shock horror, struggling to keep her feet beneath her. Her hands darted to the stranglehold in a panic.
"She has a gun!" Maggie shouted.
"Where!" Came the gruffness of an unfamiliar male voice.
"In the back!" Maggie signalled whilst shunting her hands down the back of her trousers.
Ashley growled and fought with all her might as a hand dove into the back of her underwear and groped ahold of the gun. He pulled it free and handed it over to Maggie as carefully as he could. He was panting a little and was squeezing Ashley tightly. She struggled to catch a glimpse of him. Middle-aged and dark haired. His eyes had diverted over to Sam still unconscious on the floor.
"That's Sam Hanz!!" He yelled, his expression a cooking pot of shock, anger and fear. "Maggie, what the hell are you doing? This guy is on the news! He's a murderer!"
Maggie was crying again, she was practically bursting with salty tears. "I- I had to-" she cried out in her own defence. "She had a gun!"
"Who the fuck are you!" he snapped down at Ashley. He had strong arms and was squeezing her around the throat and the middle tight enough to make her sick. He was frantic with adrenaline no doubt, his primal instincts kicking in.
"Let go of me!" Ashley spat, her eyes burning holes into Maggie.
"She's with them" Maggie exclaimed.
"Them?" He snapped.
"There's one locked up in the car outside" Maggie added hastily.
"No ones in the car outside Maggie" he exclaimed in exasperation.
Ashley let out an aspirated shriek at the statement. The guy holding her jolted in surprise as a male voice blared out closeby. Her head darted from left to right trying to capture the source before she discerned that the voice was coming from outside.
"Shout out to all those 90's kids out there with a disco classic, you are listening to early morning radio with Dave, here's Perfect by Mason vs Princess Superstar."
A club classic Ashley vaguely remembered lit up the empty surgery. The two surgeons were looking to one another in confusion. She turned to stare at the door with a cold dread as it fully dawned on her that the music was coming from the car radio outside. Michael wasn't in the car. Her eyebrows drew together in fear and her eyes darted around the room untrustingly.
"What the fuck is this?" The guy behind her grunted.
"Let me go" she yelled urgently, "let go now." Her body convulsed and fought to be released. She had to get out of here! If Michael was free they were all dead.
"You! Stay still" he snapped at her. He turned his attention to Maggie. "We need to call the police. Have you got your mobile?"
Maggie shook her head.
He glanced at the door. "Use the phone at reception"
Maggie shook her head again. "I'm not going out there" she squeaked.
The guy looked around, trying to figure things out. "Fine, I'll go." He hauled Ashley over to the door, most likely using the logic of her acting as a shield or hostage. Little did he know Michael wouldn't be deterred.
They exited the surgery room slowly, inching towards the reception desk. The music was highly disconcerting and masked any sound that could alert them to Michael's location.
Ashley caught a dark blur to the right. Abruptly she was pulled roughly to one side, the arm around her throat tightening as she received half a blow to her shoulder. Both the arms restraining her loosened enough for her to wiggle free. Ashley staggered away, using the reception desk to catch herself. She coughed and retched a little before she spun around.
Behind the man was Michael, with one arm hooked around his throat and the other clamped on his forehead holding his head back. The guy was putting up a fight as his face turned a raspberry red. Michael released his forehead. One. Two. His fist connected with the guy's ribs. Michael returned to keeping his victim wrapped in a choke hold.
Spittle flew from the guy's mouth as he struggled to breathe and pull Michael's arm down. He elbowed Michael once in the ribs. Michael dragged him to the floor and wrapped his legs around the worming body like a boa constrictor.
Ashley backed away and ran back into the surgery room to be faced with a gun. Maggie had it aimed at her, with big tears streaming down her face.
"Give me the gun" Ashley commanded. "He's going to kill us if you don't hand it over!"
Maggie shook her head. Ashley glanced back out of the room to see Michael pushing a limp body away from him. Ashley turned back to Maggie, imploring her to hand over the gun.
"Give it to me!" she hissed venomously. Maggie's reluctance to comply made Ashley's anger impossible to hide. This stupid, traitor bitch was going to get them killed!
Michael appeared at the door wiping the sweat off of his face. Ashley backed away to the side, feeling her stomach lurch in terror. He clocked Maggie with the gun and paused in the doorway. His eyes roamed around the room quickly before they returned to Maggie with a curious look. With his eyes still trained on her, he reached into a metal tray resting on the cabinet beside the door and pulled out a small Scalpel. He lifted it up to show Maggie and wiggled it in between him fingers evocatively.
He took a step forwards and Maggie closed her eyes and screamed as she pulled the trigger. Ashley instinctively flinched, anticipating the explosion of noise, the ringing, the sound of a bullet penetrating flesh. All she received was a click.
Ashley opened her eyes to stare at Maggie. Hadn't she done it right? Maggie seemed just as shocked, her chest heaved as she squeezed the trigger again and again. Click. Click. Click. No bullets. No devastating roar or high-pitched ring.
Michael's lips spread back into a wry, snarl of a smile. Ashley couldn't believe it. The gun was out of bullets this whole time. She felt an unpleasant heat rush over her from head to toe.
Maggie lowered the gun, filling up the room with the sounds of her despair. She backed away as Michael approached going into flight mode but there was nowhere to flee to. She began to scream for someone to help her.
The small operating table was pushed askew as she launched herself into the corner of the room. Michael lunged and snatched hold of her hair as she sunk into the corner. Her legs kicked out hitting the table again.
Ashley ran and leapt onto Michael's back, scrambling to mount him properly and to get an arm around his throat. He reeled back from his prey and rolled his shoulder blades aggressively to fend her off. She was tossed from his back but quickly grabbed the back of his hair and yanked hard. He released Maggie and twisted to face her, his frame bent to the will of her fist in his hair. Ashley saw how his mouth had contorted into a furious sneer. The scalpal glinted in the light but it was the feel of his fist she felt in her stomach, not the knife. She released him and caved over in agony. Her arms immediately darted to clutch at her ribs.
Michael returned to the whimpering woman in the corner, and Maggie's shrieks quickly turned to a singular high pitched squeal that was indescribable other than being the worst sound Ashley had experienced in her entire life. It was replaced by a gurgling and then abrupt silence.
The absence of sound rang in Ashley's ears.
She was breathing heavily, her heart pounding uncontrollably in her chest. The bright lights of the surgery room made her feel like her head might explode. She had to get out. Even as she stood traumatised to the spot, clutching her throbbing stomach, her subconscious was screaming at her to move. Move.
Her body took a slow lurch towards the door. She reached down and grasped the scalpel she'd used on Sam. Like a nightmare, her limbs moved like they were wading through treacle.
Michael leapt up from the floor as soon as he caught Ashley dart towards the door from the corner of his eye. He slipped on the bloody floor before regaining his balance and pursuing her.
Ashley made it just outside the door before Michael wrapped his arms around her, lifting her feet off of the ground. She kicked out and screamed, throwing her head back and hitting him in the chin. He released her only to swipe his hand across of her face. Ashley clutched at her cheek, blinded by pain and tears.
She felt herself stagger to the left. She couldn't find her balance, her sight swayed like the deck of a ship on rocky water.
"We could have made this work. You could even have had Sam. You could have had us both" His voice sounded far away and muffled. "Have it your way though."
Ashley squeezed her eyes open and shut to try and clear her blurred vision. She held her weapon up, trying to steady herself but he walked towards her with a confidence that mocked her. He tensed up and bore forwards playfully, testing her, tricking her into flinching. She cried out before shrieking in anger. This was how it was going to end, him playing with her. He was already so close.
"Don't point that thing at me if you're not going to use it" he snapped before he swiped at her hand with the back of his.
Her weapon pinged out of her fingers. She still held her hand out in front of her instinctually and he pressed into it, pushing his weight into her. He was daring her to hit him point blank, to fight him. She wanted to! She'd hit him if she believed it would work. He was alight with energy though, with strength and power. He was alive because two other people were dead, and that put some colour into his icy cheeks. Her sock-clad feet slid backwards on the floor. She couldn't even stand her ground against him.
She clenched her fists and pushed off of him in order to reclaim the scalpel. His hands locked into the back of her t-shirt and dragged her back. He had her on the floor with ease and she caught the glint of the scalpel moments before he embedded it in her hand. Ashley couldn't scream, her body clenched up in defence to the wound but Michael was on top of her. He held her arms down, preventing her from pulling it out, not that she had the energy to move. Her sight had begun to spot with black. A despairing moan became caught in the back of her throat.
"That's for earlier."
He leant over her limp form, his face a blur and speckled with darkness.
"Two weeks," he told her. "That's all you'll last."
He released her arms in order to wrap his hands in her hair. He lowered his head until his lips pressed against hers. He pulled back just the slightest and against her lips whispered.
"Goodbye Ashley."
...
"The truth is, I don't know what happened at the surgery. Michael was forcing this woman to fix a bullet wound in Sam's shoulder. Another employee turned up and Michael killed him. He killed the woman too and I tried to escape in all the mayhem. I thought he was going to kill me" she held her hand up to her face to hide a sudden burst of tears.
The officer held out a hand to comfort her until he realised she was smiling.
"But he left me" she looked at him with a teary smile and laughed a little.
He gave her a lopsided smile of slow understanding.
"He left me behind and here I am" she exclaimed proudly. "I survived, that's what happened at the surgery. I survived and they're gone. I don't know where and I don't care." She sniffed back her tears and wiped at her eyes. "I can tell you what I know, but it's not much. I feel like I was abducted by aliens and they've shat me back down on earth."
The detective nodded, seeming to accept that she was genuine.
The door opened and Kate walked in followed closely by Ben. "Can we have our daughter back please? I think she's answered enough of your questions for today" Kate hinted disapprovingly.
The detective looked as though he might reprimand Kate for interrupting his questioning but seemed to think better of it. He stood and retrieved his jacket from the back of the chair he was seated upon.
"I'll be back tomorrow to talk some more but I will need you to come down to the station to make an official statement as soon as you're well enough to leave the hospital," he told her. "Something you might not realise is important could help us catch them."
Ashley nodded, eager to see the back of him. As soon as he was gone she turned to Kate who took the chair he had sat upon. She clutched Ashley's handcuffed hand and smiled warmly.
"Don't worry we'll get this straightened out" Ben mumbled from behind his wife.
Ashley smiled briefly. "How long have I been here?"
"About two, three days" Kate replied hesitantly after glancing at her husband for help. "I'm sorry baby, I lost count the moment I laid eyes on you."
Her eyes teared up and Ashley had to look away. Instead, she focused on the window. Two or three days. That meant there were at least 11 days until Michael's deadline. 11 days to prove she didn't need him. What worried her, now she had her warped freedom, was whether, on day 14, Michael would come and get her whether she wanted him or not.