“How long have we been down here?” I ask.
“Why does it matter?” the man says bitterly.
“I want to know.”
“It's not important. Time is of no use to you.”
“When is Christmas?” Ignacio asks, wrapping his arms around his shivering body, his teeth chattering. “You can at least tell us that, can't you?”
The guy huffs out a breath, his eyes shifting between us. “In less than three weeks.”
Shit. The day I was taken was a little over a month ago. It felt like only yesterday I was stepping outside my car with the gut feeling of something being wrong. We have to get out of here. If they don't kill us, this place will. Ignacio is already half gone. The light he once held in his eyes has dimmed and I won't let them take the last of it. Once they do, I may never get him back.
The man grabs the bucket and snatches the towel from Ignacio's hands before I can dry off.
“Now that's enough questions and of you two wasting my time.”
He spins around, pauses, then faces us again, dropping the bucket. “You know, I can always come back for this later to keep the boss from waiting too long.”
“What?” Ignacio asks, wrapping himself around me.
I grab his leg, my fingers tightening around the slender limb. “You said if we did what you asked, you'd leave him alone!”
“Did I?”
“Yes,” I say and grind my teeth, fury running through my veins.
“I guess I lied.” He rushes forward, prying Ignacio from me, and I hold on tighter, my nails cutting into his skin. He holds on to me as the guy drags him by the legs. I press my feet into the ground, the chains rattling as my body gets pulled with his.
“No,” Ignacio screams. “I won't go back.”
“Please. We did what you asked. He can't take anymore. You'll kill him.”
“What's it to you, huh?” He pulls harder. “Fucking let go, you little shit, or I'll make you.”
“I won't.”
“Alright but I warned you.” He pulls a gun from his pocket and presses it to my temple.
“If you don't let go, I'll pull the fucking trigger.”
“No you won't,” Ignacio retorts.
“Oh, you're wrong. I definitely will,” the man says between clenched teeth.
“Not if the big boss needs him alive,” Ignacio exclaims, his voice coming off more desperate than before.
“I'll say my hand slipped or it was an accident.” His eyes light up. “Better yet, I'll say you fought me and grabbed the gun, shooting the wrong person. He won't know what really happened.”
“You wouldn't.” Ignacio's voice lowers, his hands trembling.
“You really want to test me?”
Ignacio closes his eyes and lets go. I reach for him, screaming as the man drags him away. “No!”
My muscles tense and tears spring from my eyes as I fight against the chains. “Don't. Iggy! Remember what I said before.”
The man stops at the door, glancing my way. “What the fuck are you going on about? Shut up already before I cut your tongue out.”