Tainted

by Dani Matthews

  His lips tighten. “I didn’t raise you to be rude to your elders, Serenity.”

  I refuse to cower before him. I’m not sixteen anymore, and if I’m going to die, I want to go out knowing that I hadn’t given more to him than he’s already taken.

  “I’m disappointed. I thought perhaps our reunion would be different.”

  Of course, he would expect me to resemble the girl I’d once been, the one that had begged and pleaded for him to let her go, to trust her. That girl is long gone, and I give him a look of disgust. “You’re the one disappointed? You killed innocent people just so you could finally kill me.”

  He looks genuinely surprised. “You think I’m going to kill you?”

  “Aren’t you?” He’s a sociopath with no empathy. I doubt he genuinely loves me.

  “You’re my flesh and blood, I would never end your life.”

  He appears to be quite serious, and now I’m baffled. “Then why…?”

  “This time, I’m going to do things right,” he says, his tone chillingly pleasant.

  “What do you mean?” I ask as a trickle of trepidation slithers down my spine.

  “You’ll see.” He turns to the metal table nearby and picks up a glass of water with a straw sticking out of it. He faces me and brings the glass close so that the tip of the straw is near my lips. “You need to rehydrate and eat.”

  I stubbornly press my lips into a flat line. I don’t want a damned thing from him.

  He looks at me chidingly. “It’s been over twenty-four hours since I took you. You must be thirsty and hungry.”

  Over twenty-four hours? That’s how long I was inside that trunk? My eyes move around the basement as I wonder where we are. We must be far from Little Rock, and my heart sinks. I know Holden’s looking for me, but taking me out of state is going to make it more difficult for him to find me.

  My chin is suddenly caught in a firm grip, and I have no choice but to look into my father’s emotionless eyes. He gives me a warning look. “Don’t make me force you, Serenity.”

  He would, too.

  When he brings the straw to my mouth, I reluctantly part my lips and sip the water. It’s cool and slides easily down my throat. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was until that first sip. I drink nearly half the cup before he pulls it away. I watch as he sets it on the table and picks up half a sandwich.

  He then drags the stool over and settles onto it as he brings the sandwich to my lips. “It’s roast beef, your favorite.”

  Once more, my stomach churns. I hate roast beef and haven’t touched it in years because it reminded me of him. I don’t have any other option though, and as humiliating as it is, I open my mouth and allow him to feed me. Now that I know he’s not going to kill me, I have a chance of getting out of this alive. I’m going to need energy to carry out an escape plan.

  “Where are we?” I ask as I finish chewing.

  “North Dakota. Mayville to be exact.”

  I’m absolutely crushed to hear how far we are from Little Rock. I’ve never even heard of Mayville, and I’ve poured over maps nonstop the past few years.

  My father looks amused. “You didn’t think we’d stay in Little Rock, did you? Or perhaps go back to Chicago?” He shakes his head. “Ah, Serenity. You have so much to learn.” He brings the sandwich back to my mouth.

  The bite I’d just swallowed wants to come back up, but I draw in a deep breath and try to focus on anything other than my turbulent stomach. With great reluctance, I open my mouth and take another dreaded bite. It takes everything in me to chew the food and not gag.

  “You and that cop were awfully close. Did you really believe he’d be able to protect you from me?”

  I swallow, and it’s like forcing a rock down my throat. The mention of Holden doesn’t help, either. “Why the bomb?” I ask, refusing to discuss my relationship with Holden.

  “Why not?” he asks mildly.

  “You killed a lot of people just to get to me,” I say quietly.

  There’s not an ounce of remorse in his gaze. “It worked, didn’t it?”

  I should have listened to Holden and stayed in that office. I’d known there was a risk with leaving the safety of the room, but I honestly hadn’t thought I’d be caught unaware like I’d been. Plus, I’d had the gun. I’d foolishly felt confident when I should have been watching my back.

  He brings the sandwich back to my lips, and I have no choice but to take another damned bite. While I chew, I glare at him. “What do you want with me?” I ask around the food.

  “That should be obvious.”

  I shoot him a look. Clearly, it’s not.

  He gazes at me almost tenderly. “We share the same blood. You’re the perfect accomplice, I just have to mold you into what you should have been.”

  I force the food down my throat and give him a defiant look. He’s too smart to fall for false submission again, so I don’t bother. “It’s never going to happen,” I vow.

  He just smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve thought long and hard how to rid you of your empathy for others, and I’m quite certain I’ve found the key to unlocking your potential.”

  That sounds ominous and frightening. I don’t know what he has in mind, but I’m certain whatever it is, it’ll be a brutal experience for me. “It still won’t work,” I press on, determined not to give him an ounce of submission. I won’t make this easy for him, and I’m certain I’ll suffer for it, but I’m the one who will have to live with my actions if I survive this mess. Any further regret on my end will crush me.

  “But it will,” he says confidently, rising to his feet. “It’ll take time, and we have plenty of that. No one’s coming for you, Serenity.” He walks to the table and sets the rest of the sandwich down before turning to me. “I have things to tend to. We’ll speak later.”

  I watch as he leaves the basement, making his way unhurriedly up the stairs with the empty plate and still half-full glass. The sound of a door opening reaches my ears, then it closes, and a lock slides into place.

  Holy shit.

  I exhale loudly, stunned that I’d just faced my father, even had a conversation with him, and I hadn’t lost it. Maybe I’m stronger than I had once thought. Or maybe it’s Holden’s faith in me that makes me believe in myself.

  Now that I’m alone, I inspect my wrists. He’d used thin wire to secure them to the chair’s arms. I try to wiggle them, and the rows of metal bite into my skin. He must have looped the wire at least a dozen times per wrist. I crane my neck, searching for any areas in the wire that might be weak, but it looks to be quite secure. As long as my wrists are bound to the chair, I’m not going anywhere.

  Disappointment sweeps through me, and I tell myself that I may not be able to escape right this minute, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have a chance later.

  Across the room, the woman on the bed begins to stir. My attention shifts to her, and for the first time, I take a good look at her. She’s wearing a white blouse and black mini skirt that looks to be a uniform of some sort. Her shoes are gone—no surprise there.

  Her eyes fly open, and she gasps as her hands flutter to her neck, tugging on the thick shackle around her throat. She hasn’t seen me yet, and she tries to sit up, but the chain attached to the shackle won’t allow her to. She flops back onto the mattress with frustration and grabs the chain behind her head, yanking on it with all her might as she tries to pull it from the wrought iron headboard. She’s no match for it, and she knows it. After releasing a frustrated scream, she goes still.

  I lightly clear my throat, not wanting to startle her.

  Her head turns towards my direction, and I see that her face is streaked with mascara. Blue eyes widen, and she gasps as she props herself up on her elbows. “Help me!!” she begs.

  “I would if I could,” I tell her as I wiggle my fingers to show that I too am restrained.

  Her eyes follow the movement, and her lips part before she swallows. “Your…I thought…”

&nb
sp; I just silently shake my head, allowing her to work through the disappointment.

  She stares at me a moment longer, and then she releases a resigned sigh and eases back onto the mattress. She brings her left hand up to her face and inspects the bloody bandage where her pinkie used to be. “The bastard took my finger,” she says bitterly.

  Better that than something bigger, I can’t help but think. I’ve seen it all, and right now, she’s damned lucky. I won’t tell her that, though.

  Her attention focuses on me once more. “How did he get you?”

  “A bomb,” I respond, deciding to keep my answers as simple as possible. The last thing I want is to overload her with information.

  Her eyes widen. “No shit?”

  “He took me amid all the chaos.”

  “I went outside for a smoke during my break. He must have already been waiting because I never saw him coming.” She grimaces. “Worst decision ever.” Her eyes fill with tears as she gazes at me. “My fiancé has been bugging me to quit smoking, but I’ve just been so stressed lately with trying to pay the bills and plan a wedding without breaking the bank.” She releases a little hiccup, and her eyes slide to the ceiling. “I’d give anything to be worrying about those things right now instead of being here.”

  I know how she feels. One mistake is all it takes to send you hurtling down a different path. If I had stayed in that office, I could have ended this once and for all. I’d had a gun, for fuck’s sake. I could have put a bullet in my father’s head the second he’d tried forcing his way through the office door.

  “Do you know what he wants with us?” the woman asks, her voice cutting into my thoughts.

  I take a moment to decide how to answer the question. She’s better off not knowing, but I don’t want to lie. “He’s sick. I’m sure whatever his plans are, we’re not going to like them,” I say truthfully.

  Her lips purse, and she reluctantly nods. “I’m Jill,” she says finally.

  “Ren,” I offer.

  I should probably tell her I’m related to our captor, but if I explain why I’m here, she’s going to learn that her odds of surviving are slim to none. If I can’t find a way to escape before he’s finished torturing her, I’m going to have to watch her take her last breath. The thought of witnessing something so horrific again steals my breath as cold sweat breaks out across my face.

  Thirty-one

  Ren

  I must have fallen asleep, because as I pry my eyelids apart and lift my chin from where it’d been resting on my chest, pain radiates throughout my neck. I wince and roll my head, hearing a couple of soft cracks. When I see that I’m still in the basement, my heart drops. I’d been hoping it was nothing more than a nightmare, but unfortunately, I’m still here.

  The woman on the bed appears to be sleeping, and I don’t want to wake her. I swallow past the dryness in my throat and look around. There’s no more sunlight filtering into the basement. In fact, it looks dark beyond the windows. My eyes lift to the single light bulb in the center of the low ceiling. With the light on, it’s bringing attention to all the eerie cobwebs crisscrossing the ceiling joists.

  Apprehension stirs. The light wasn’t on earlier, which means he has plans, because he typically enjoys leaving his victims in darkness. I’m sure he’s unhappy over the two small windows. Though he likely didn’t have many options when it came time to find a place to carry out his twisted methods of torture and murder. I wonder if this place was abandoned or if he’d killed the owners.

  I’m better off not knowing.

  As my eyes roam the basement, they land on the five-gallon bucket against the wall, and I shudder. My father had made a quick appearance earlier to see if Jill or I needed to relieve ourselves. Jill hadn’t, but I’d had to pee something fierce after drinking that water. I’d jumped at the chance to use a bathroom—hoping that I’d be able to make a move and attack him.

  Unfortunately, the bathroom turned out to be a bucket instead of the bathroom upstairs that I’d been expecting. My father also had a knife in hand as he’d loosened the wires so I could slip my hands out from beneath them. The moment I’d seen the knife, I’d known there’d be no escaping during my ‘bathroom’ break. I couldn’t chance screwing up and having him injure me. If the time comes that he lets his guard down, I need to be capable of making it up the stairs to escape. Had he taken me upstairs like I’d hoped, I would have willingly taken my chances. But down here… There’s no other way out, and the windows are too small. If Jill and I escape, we need to be able to make it up those stairs.

  So, I’d obediently dropped my pants and squatted over the bucket while he’d watched. My skin crawls as I recall the unpleasant experience, but at least I’d learned something new. He’s willing to release me when it comes to that necessity.

  Footsteps upstairs draw my attention, and my eyes automatically lift upwards. What is he doing up there? What has he been doing during the day?

  My stomach growls loudly, bringing my attention to it. I’m hungry. As much as I’d hated eating that stupid roast beef sandwich earlier, I’d willingly eat it now.

  The lock on the basement door turns, and I hear the door quietly creak open. Every muscle inside me goes rigid. Whatever is about to happen is going to be bad. I dart a look at the woman who is still sleeping, and I feel compassion for her. She has no idea how worse things are about to get.

  Slow footsteps make their way down the stairs, and I look up as my father comes into view. He’s carrying a small black case, more wire, and a black mallet.

  His eyes roam over me, and then focus on Jill. When he sees she’s sleeping, he smirks and walks over to the metal table. I watch with trepidation as he sets the items he’d been carrying on it, and then he grabs each end of the table and lifts it. He soundlessly carries it over and situates it beside me. Fear clenches like a tight fist around my chest.

  What is he doing?

  He then returns to grab the metal stool, and that too is placed in front of my chair.

  My eyes lock on the mallet with growing alarm. Is that for me? I’d known there was a possibility that he might hurt me, but now that it’s about to unfold…

  I’m terrified.

  He sits down on the stool and picks up the spool of wire. His eyes lift to mine as he begins to unravel a long length of it. “Evening, Serenity,” he murmurs. “Let’s let Jill over there sleep until we need to wake her,” he suggests in a conversational tone.

  He reaches for my right hand, and I tense as he flattens my palm onto the chair’s arm and begins winding the wire around the middle knuckles of my fingers, fastening them to the arm of the chair. I don’t understand why he’s doing it since I’m already secure from the bindings around my wrists. When he’s finished, my palm is flat on the wood, and I can barely wiggle my fingers. He’d also taken care to secure my thumb.

  “There we go. Snug as can be,” he says in a pleased tone as he sets the wire on the table.

  Once again, my eyes shift to the mallet as a drop of cold sweat trickles between my breasts. Is he going to smash my fingers? Oh God, I can’t imagine how horrible that’ll feel, and I begin to tremble.

  My father notices, and he reaches over and brushes my hair away from my face, causing me to flinch with revulsion. “Easy. Whatever you’re thinking, it isn’t going to happen the way you think it is,” he assures. “We’re going to play a little game,” he explains with a smile.

  Game? This is new. I thought I’d known what to expect if I’d ended up in his clutches. I watch as he rises to his feet and walks over to the bed, giving the frame a kick. It rattles as it shakes. “Wake up, Jill,” he says in a booming voice.

  She wakes with a gasp, and when she sees him standing at the foot of the bed, her eyes widen with fear. She huddles closer to the headboard as she watches him apprehensively.

  “You and Ren are going to play a game,” he informs her.

  Her eyes immediately dart to me as if looking for confirmation. I don’t say anything as
I wait to learn what kind of horrible torture he’s going to bestow upon us.

  He turns so that he’s able to face the bed and still keep me in his sights. “The only games I prefer involve pain.”

  Jill is shaking her head as her eyes fill with tears. “No, please. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  He tilts his head and studies her. “Is that so?”

  She nods but looks uncertain.

  My gut tells me she’d just talked her way into some sort of trap. She should have just stayed quiet. I wish she had.

  “Take off your clothes, Jill,” he orders.

  She blinks, and her eyes fly to me.

  She’s obviously looking to me for her cues, but I have none to give. I won’t be responsible for the choices she makes. I can’t put that on myself, and since this is a game, whatever choice she makes, it’s going to bring a consequence.

  Jill reluctantly focuses on my father. “What if I don’t want to?” she dares to ask in a shaky voice.

  “Then that’s your choice, and I leave you alone,” he says simply. “Will you disobey my order?”

  She bites her lip, thinking.

  After a long hesitation, she nods.

  “Very well.” He turns and does what he’d said he would, he walks away from the bed.

  I’m dumbfounded until he approaches the table near me and picks up the small, black case. He settles onto the stool and says over his shoulder, “Because of your refusal to obey my command, I am now going to punish Serenity,” he explains.

  The air whooshes out of my lungs. Wait—what?

  “What?” Jill squeaks.

  He turns on the stool to look at her. “I told you, this is a game of sorts. You won this round, and Serenity pays the price.”

  His attention shifts back to me, and his eyes meet mine. “Welcome to the beginning of your new life.” He opens the case and pulls out a package of sewing needles.

  The color drains from my face.

  “The only way to rid you of your empathy is to make you resent her. She’s the reason you’re going to endure pain, don’t you forget that. It was her choice, and she chose herself.”