The impact to my ribs leaves me seething, the pain rocketing through me as I clench my teeth and hold on to her.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Calm down,” Seth demands lowly, and it comes with the faint sound of a gun being cocked. That gives her pause. “I don’t want to hurt you either,” he says calmly.
Jenny stops moving, stops fighting and her gaze moves to Seth in the darkness. I can barely see him, but I can see the glint of the gun.
Time moves slowly as I back away from her to stand and while I do, Seth lifts his gun the second she looks at him. He uncocks it. “I didn’t want to do that,” he admits to her, swallowing thickly. “Just calm down. We’re here to help you.”
It’s only then that I can take a good look at her.
What’s most alarming is how disoriented Jennifer is. She’s not skin and bones like I thought she’d be. Even through the grime that covers her skin, she has weight to her that lets me know she’s been eating. Her eyes though are dark with lack of sleep and fear drives every half step she takes as she backs away, trying to get away from us, but knowing the wall is behind her.
With her gaze darting from me, to the gun, to Seth, she crouches down and stares up at us, ready to scream and fight.
“We’re here to help you.” I keep my voice low as I speak. The ringing in my ears from the gun she just fired has dulled. All I can hear now is her ragged breathing.
Seth tells her calmly, lowering himself down with both hands in the air, “We’re here to save you.”
I do the same, raising my hands and letting her know, “We’re not here to hurt you.”
With wild eyes full of disbelief, she shakes her head, letting us know she doesn’t believe us.
“I’m not leaving without you,” I tell her and the thin girl shoves her weight against me and her ragged nails scratch down my neck. Seething in the slight pain and more pissed than anything, I snatch her wrists and hold her close. “Calm down.”
“You’re not taking me,” she screams out. Even held close, she doesn’t stop fighting. It’s useless though. She has to know it, but she doesn’t stop. Kicking out and wriggling to get away, she never lets up. Pressing her against the wall, I’m careful not to hurt her, just to keep her as still as I can until she can calm down.
“We’re taking you to your sister.” Seth has the common sense to bring up Bethany.
“Bethany asked us to save you,” I tell her and add, “I told her I’d bring you back.”
For the second time she stills, but I don’t trust it. “To save me? Bethany?”
The mere mention of Bethany paralyzes her. With a gasp and then harsh intakes, Jennifer trembles and her body wracks with sobs. She tries to fight it, writhing in my embrace in an effort to cover her cries, but she breaks down instead. No longer fighting us, instead she wars with herself.
“It’s okay,” I say and rock her, but my eyes move to the gun on the floor and Seth’s quick to take it.
“Where is she?”
Keeping my voice soft and soothing, I answer her. “We’ll take you to her.”
“Right now, okay?” Seth adds sympathetically, the way someone speaks to a lost child. I pull back slightly, giving Jennifer more space and taking my time to release her, still ready to pin her down again if I need to so she doesn’t attack either of us or hurt herself in the process.
“We’re going now; we’ll take you right to her.” The second I release her fully, her arms wrap around herself. Her sweater, once a light cream color judging by its appearance, is dirtied with brown.
“The note said it was time,” she murmurs and looks away from us, rocking back and forth.
“Time for what?” Seth questions and I watch her. Her wide eyes are corrupted with fear and regret.
“It just said it was time and there was the gun. I thought…” she trails off as the tears come back and the poor girl’s body wracks with a dry heave. She braces herself with both palms on the ground.
“It’s okay,” I comfort her, rubbing her back and wondering how Bethany is going to react. How she’ll be after seeing her after so long.
“What happened?” I have to ask. It’s the first time I’m able to look around and the room is the same as the rest. My stomach drops low when she tells me she doesn’t remember everything, but she’s been in this room for as long as she can remember since she’s left.
“This is where he kept you? Marcus put you in here?”