by Piper Page
The two men began to argue and I took the opportunity to clank my chains against the pipe. Maybe it led outside and someone would hear me. They were going at it like barking dogs, not taking notice of the additional noise I was creating. Lenny pulled the cord on the chainsaw and it stuttered and complained from disuse before it died out. Nick jumped away as Lenny swung it in his general direction. “Damn thing stalled.”
Lenny yanked back on the cord again and the chain came to life, whipping around the oblong surface so fast you could no longer see the individual rusted, dull teeth. “I do think this may be enjoyable… for me,” he taunted.
My mouth fought against the sticky residue of the duct tape. My jaw ached and I could feel the raw and injured skin around my mouth peel further away. I didn’t care. Come hell or high water, I was going to scream.
A loud bang rang out over our heads. “What the fuck is going on down there?” Donovan’s burly voice came from the top of the stairs.
The chainsaw ceased to spin and Nick made a very childish “I told you so” smirk at Lenny. “Nothing, we aren’t doing nothing,” he whimpered like a child who had been caught red handed.
“I told you two not to screw around. Get your asses up here and bring her like I fucking told you to do fifteen minutes ago. Christ, do I have to do every damn thing around here myself? Worthless pieces of…” His voice trailed away and it was obvious he had walked away from the cellar doorway.
Okay, they’re going to untie you. Look for an escape.
“Fucking untie her, you pussy. Uhhhh, we’re not doing anything, Donovan, we do whatever you say, Donovan, let me lick your fucking boots, Donovan. Fucking suck up.” Lenny mocked Nick and pushed past him, heading up the stairs without doing as he was instructed.
Nick looked from him, to me, and then back up the stairs again. He stood there frozen in indecision.
Come on, Nicky, be a good boy. Untie me so I can kick your ass.
“Asshole,” he said under his breath. He walked to me and squatted down, reaching for the lock on the chain. He felt around in his shirt pockets and then his jeans pockets. “Where did I put the damned keys?”
I hoped he wasn’t expecting me to give him an answer. I also hoped he hadn’t lost them. I didn’t move. I waited.
“Damn it, I must have left them upstairs. Stay put.” He stood up, looked at me, and then laughed. “Like you have a choice,” he chuckled at his own amusing joke.
I watched him walk back up the stairs and close the door behind him, leaving me in the dark once again. The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach told me not to hold my breath. Nick was about to forget he was supposed to bring me upstairs with him. He wasn’t coming back for me. I sat there still for a good ten minutes, waiting. No Nick. Voices started to rise above me. There was a scuffling of feet and then someone slammed a door. I heard an engine turn over and a vehicle drive away. Who had left?
Who cares, Alyson. Figure out what you’re going to do when they decide they’re tired of waiting for Jake.
My eyes fell on the chainsaw. Lenny had left it resting on the floor. There was no other way to defend myself if they came back and decided this was it for me, that my time was over. I may not have been able to start it, but I would use it to strike them if they got close enough. I may not have been able to take all three of them down, but I could inflict enough pain to slow them down. If I could start it, then that would double my chances. Maybe I could use it to saw through these damned ropes.
That’s your first step. Get out of the ropes.
I listened again to the voices above me. They were still having a rather loud discussion. My body inched off the disgusting mat, the sour smell of it clinging to me as I moved. Every time the links in the chain clinked against each other on the cement floor, I held my breath and listened for approaching footsteps. I moved forward again, drawing the links of the chain taut. The chainsaw was still out of reach. My stomach hit the hard floor and I dragged myself forward, stretching my legs so that my knees were locked and the metal was digging into the flesh of my ankle. The floor creaked above me. I was a statue.
You are running out of time.
I twisted to my side; the chains were tight enough now that my feet were literally up in the air and all my weight was on one hip. I reached out, with my good shoulder resting against the hard surface of the floor. My muscles were screaming. I wiggled my fingers.
Please, please, please.
I could feel the greasy surface at the back of the chainsaw. I flipped my hand over so my palm was up and tried to hook a fingernail into the slotted air vent at the back of the tool. If I could hook it, I could slide it closer to me. My nail hit the lip of one edge and I struggled to pull the weight of the machine toward me with a single finger. My nail slipped in the dirt and grime, and my body sagged, exhausted from the effort.
Don’t give up. Do it again.
My own muffled voice reached my ears as I growled with exertion through the duct tape. I turned my hand palm up again. I could feel the metal bite into and break the skin around my ankle. I didn’t care. I’d dislocate my knee and my hip if it would get me closer to that damned chainsaw and my freedom. My nail hooked the vent once more. The sound of the metal and plastic dragging across the rough cement of the floor sounded like a bomb going off. My thoughts weren’t rational. I was one hundred percent sure they’d hear it. The beads of sweat on my forehead rolled down into my eyes, and I blinked away the sting.
Almost.
My fingers wrapped around the handle. And the tape tore away from my lips as I screamed out in pain.
“And what do you think you’re going to do with that, little missy?” The heel of Lenny’s boot was pressing down on my injured shoulder. Every bit of energy and hope I had left in me blew out the window. I had nothing left.
Donovan and Nick joined Lenny. The three men stood above me, staring down at my tired, sweaty face. “I told you she was a tough one,” said Donovan, shaking his head.
Lenny leaned down and gave me a devious smile. His hands lifted the chainsaw out of my fingertips with ease. “How much longer are you going to wait, Donovan? He isn’t coming, he isn’t responding, he doesn’t give a shit about her.”
My heart shattered and I closed my eyes to hold back the tears. It was true, he didn’t care anymore, and neither did I. “Just do it,” I whispered.
“What was that?” Lenny asked. “Just do it? What? What do you want us to do?” His face showed no mercy. He was gloating.
“Just kill me.”
Nick looked confused. Donovan snapped his fingers at Nick. “Get the video camera. I think Jake will want a memento of this occasion.”
Nick ran back upstairs.
“It’s too bad,” said Donovan as he pushed me around with the toe of his shoe. “I think you’d be good around here, a nice little plaything for our entertainment.” He licked at his lips.
I’ll kill myself before that ever happens.
“Nick, what the hell,” yelled Donovan over his shoulder. “How long does it take to grab your goddamned cell phone?” Donovan turned around and headed back up the stairs, leaving me alone with Lenny.
His sneer was unsettling. I could see the vicious nature behind those eyes. He was going to take pleasure in killing me and he was going to be damned sure it was not going to be a quick, painless death. The cord of the chainsaw pulled back with a flash and the sound filled the room. I could smell the putrid vapors of the burning gas. I screamed out and maneuvered my body away from him, back to the mat. I needed to get up on my feet. Lenny was like a wild cat stalking its prey. He was calculated, and he savored every movement I fumbled with. “I wish we were outside so you could run, and then I could hunt you down and bring you to your knees…” He paused and gave some thought to the imaginary images he was picturing in his head. “At least I can still hear you beg.”
I managed to get back to the pipe. I was now sitting upward once more. Lenny squeezed the gas trigger and the chainsaw revved.
He brought it high over his head and that noise he made was a cross between evil laughter and sexual pleasure. What happened next happened in a matter of milliseconds, but to me, it was minutes of slow motion.
Lenny brought the chainsaw down toward my torso, I leaned my weight to the side and side swiped his ankles with my chained feet, his body tipped off balance, and he reached to save himself from crashing to the floor. The chainsaw dropped from his fingers and hit the mat, cutting the aged fabric and sending out a cloud of dust and matted fluff. Lenny regained his balance just as the chainsaw smashed on the floor. He lunged for me and grabbed me by the throat. There was a gunshot and a loud thud above us. Lenny bolted upward. He took me and put me in a chokehold. Both our eyes were focused on the stairs.
“If you scream, I will snap your neck,” he hissed in my ear.
I kept my mouth shut. Either someone, the police, the Von Larsens, or another crime family, had infiltrated their hide out. A new hope welled up in me. I might still have a chance to get out of here. Lenny’s arm tightened around my neck when he heard the door open. Nick’s sneakers came down the stairs, followed by another pair of shoes. My heart beat with such ferocity in my chest I couldn’t catch my breath. It was Jake. He held a gun to Nick’s head. When he saw Lenny holding me in a choke hold, he slammed the gun against Nick’s head and sent him to the floor, unconscious. The barrel of the gun pointed toward Lenny.
“Let her go and move away,” he ordered.
Jake, you came for me.
“Fuck you, Von Larsen. I don’t do anything without Donovan,” Lenny snapped back.
“Donovan is dead.” Jake took several steps closer. “Let her go and you might live.”
Lenny scoffed. I kept my eyes glued to Jake’s face. He didn’t flinch, or give any indication that he was interested in my well being, but in a split second, I saw his eyes dart to my right. I used all the strength I had left and yanked my body hard to the right. A shot rang out and caught Lenny in the shoulder. His arm released me and I toppled back to the torn mat.
Lenny cradled his shoulder and I could see the blood begin to soak through the material of his shirt. He lunged at Jake and caught him at the waist. I heard the wind get knocked out of him as Lenny drove him back against the work bench. The sparse tools rattled and crashed to the floor. Jake broke Lenny’s hold with little effort, using his injury against him. I saw his fist fly upward and catch Lenny under the chin. He stumbled backward. His foot shot out and kicked Jake in the lower ribs. It doubled him over. Lenny seized the opportunity and slammed his elbow into Jake’s back. Jake dropped to his knees. Lenny went to kick him again and Jake caught his cowboy boot in his hands. He leveraged Lenny’s leg upward and flipped him onto the cement floor. Lenny landed with an audible crack of bones and then was still. Jake was on his chest, and his fist flew into Lenny’s face, over and over again.
“Jake.”
He continued to pummel the man’s face.
“Jake. Look at me, Jake.”
I watched as Jake’s body stilled. He turned his face and saw me for the first time. His frame lifted away from the unconscious, possibly dead man and rushed to me. He snatched up the gun from the floor and slipped it into the back of his waist band, and then his hands were free to cup my face. I winced. “Oh my God, baby girl, baby girl.”
I tried to smile, but all I could do was cry. His mouth found my swollen, bruised, and battered lips. He gently kissed me. “Nothing is going to happen to you ever again. I promise you.”
Jake untied the ropes; he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key to release the lock on the chains, and then he scooped me up into his arms. I didn’t protest. I didn’t worry that I was too heavy. I didn’t fight him at all. My uninjured arm snaked around his neck and he carried me up the stairs. I squinted against the bright sunlight. There were no bodies in our path as we made our way out to his car. Jake seat belted me into the passenger seat and we sped away.
20
Jake
“How did you find me?” Her voice was barely audible.
Baby girl, I am so sorry, I let this happen. This is all my fault.
Her hand felt cold and small in mine. I held it with a gentleness I didn’t know I could feel as I drove back toward Cole’s house. “Your cop friend pinged your cell phone.”
Her eyebrows knotted together, as best they could with the swelling of her eye. “My phone? I didn’t, where, Peters?”
“Shh, it’s okay, Aly. We’ll talk about it later.” I brushed a stand of hair away from her face. The bruise on her cheek looked angry. I let the hair fall back into place. “You’re safe now, Aly.”
I’m going to keep you safe forever.
I shut off the ignition and raced to the opposite side of the car to open her door and carry her into the house. I kicked at the brass plate at the bottom of the door. Cole opened it, and I heard Sunny gasp from behind him. He turned to her and gave her a look that said everything he was thinking without actually speaking.
“Bring her into the sitting room, Jake.” Sunny rushed to clear off pillows from the sofa and then draped a blanket over Aly’s lap. “I think she is in shock.”
Aly was staring at the hardwood floors. Her body was shaking. I moved beside her and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. She whimpered. “What’s wrong Aly, where are you hurt? What did they do to you?”
Sunny ran from the room to gather some first aid supplies. When she returned with her arms laden with boxes and bandages, towels, antiseptic, and a bowl of warm water, Cole reached out and stopped her, causing the water to slosh out over the sleeve of her blouse. “Be nice, but be careful.”
Sunny lifted her eyes to him and gave him a stern, but loving look. “Cole, I trust her. She is family now. Who else is going to go through what she has for you three?”
Cole held his tongue. Although it was obvious Sunny trusted Aly and I knew I did as well, I also knew it would take my older brother a little more time. There was no doubt that eventually he would. He let go of Sunny’s arm and she rushed to kneel down next to the couch and tend to Aly’s wounds. I cringed when I saw the broken and bleeding skin around her ankle. Evident marks of rope burns were on her wrists, and her face was badly bruised. Sunny dabbed at her lip with a warm, damp cloth. She cleaned Aly’s various abrasions with peroxide. Aly didn’t even flinch. She continued to stare off into the empty space of the room in front of her. I was really starting to worry.
“Alyson, honey, can we take this shirt off you?” Sunny had her hand resting on Alyson’s thigh. “Alyson?”
Aly turned her face to Sunny, and I watched as tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks.
I wish I could kill them all over again, torture the hell out of them, make them suffer for what they did to you, Aly. My Aly.
“Do you want me to have the boys leave?”
Aly looked up at Cole. “I’ll go call Willie. Let him know we have her and fill him in on the situation. I think he was on his way over.” Cole walked out of the sitting room.
“I’ll let you two be.” I got up from the couch and Aly grabbed my hand. She held it with such strength I thought she might break my fingers.
“Stay,” she whispered without looking at me. “Don’t leave me.” Her body visibly shook.
I sat back down and wiped away her tears. “Never, Aly. I’m right here and I am not going anywhere.” I looked at Sunny with deep concern.
She read my fear and patted both our thighs. “All right, Alyson, is it okay if I look at your shoulder?”
Aly didn’t say yes or no. Sunny took her time to lift Alyson’s blouse up and away from her body. I cringed and clenched my teeth when I saw the bruises on her ribcage. Sunny gave me a look of warning.
Keep it together, Jake.
My heart broke as I heard Aly whimper in pain trying to lift her arm and take the shirt off. “Shh,” I comforted her. “Sunny, let’s just cut the damn thing away. We can’t cause her this much pain.”
Sunny nodded and pulled out
a pair of surgical scissors from the box of items she had brought in with her. The material of the shirt fell away, and it was obvious by the dark bruises and swelling, significant damage had occurred to her shoulder. She was going to need medical attention, more than Sunny or I could give her here. How was I going to take her to the hospital and explain all these marks without drawing unfounded suspicion? They’d have me locked up for abuse in seconds flat after seeing all this.
Have Sunny take her.
I opened my mouth to suggest it, but then stopped. I knew Cole would not let either one of them out of his sight. Aly’s hand was still holding a death grip on mine; there was no way she was going anywhere without me. “Can we help her here, or call a doctor in?”
Sunny grimaced. “Jake, she needs x-rays.”
I got down on my knees in front of her, looking up at her tear-filled eyes. Those beautiful eyes I nearly lost because of my stupidity. “Aly, baby, we need to take you…”
A loud knock on the front door interrupted me. We heard Cole walk out of his office and to the front of the house. The next voice we heard was Little Willie’s. The two of them came into the sitting room. Sunny draped the blanket over Aly’s still form.
“Jesus,” sighed Willie. “I’ll murder the rat bastards.” A fire blazed behind his eyes. It was the first time I had noticed how grown and capable my little brother had become. He was as fierce as Cole and myself. My chest swelled with pride. “Where are they? What are we waiting for?”
“Willie, it’s done,” stated Cole calmly. He placed a strong hand on our youngest brother’s shoulder. “Our concern right now is Alyson.” I got the feeling that Cole wasn’t only speaking about her well being.
“Thanks for coming over, Willie.” I normally would go and shake his hand, but Aly wasn’t letting mine go. “Donovan is dead and Nick was unconscious, but he’s probably taken off by now and we will never see him. He’s a sheep, not a lion. Lenny Filippo was there.”