Brenda cocked an eyebrow. “That would be an interesting experiment. I wonder how long we could cut off the blood flow before we incurred any permanent damage.”
Fear curdled the ice cream in Jane’s stomach into a hard, painful lump. “Please,” she begged. “Please, don’t do that.”
Brenda laughed cruelly. “Relax, you stupid girl. We’re not going to damage the goods right out of the gate. That would be like crashing a brand-new car. We need to get the proper mileage out of you first.”
First…
Jane’s brain short circuited as she struggled not to follow Brenda’s reasoning to its logical conclusion. No. No. Do not think about it. Focus on escape.
She sighed with relief when Robert began to unwind the tight ropes from her breasts. At the same time, Brenda moved behind her to release her arms.
As she worked, Brenda said to Robert, “It’s been a long day. Let’s put our new toy away and go to bed. Tomorrow’s a new day.”
“Yeah.” Robert rose to his towering height and grinned down at Jane. “You’re going to work out just fine, as long as you behave yourself.”
When Jane’s arms were free, she brought them around her body. She hugged herself, very glad to hear they were going to leave her alone, at least for the night.
“Get in your cage, little frog,” Robert said.
Wait. Did they actually expect her to sleep all night in there? She began to tremble. Was there no end to this nightmare?
“Go on,” Robert urged. “In you go.”
Aware she had no choice, Jane started to haul herself to her feet.
Brenda appeared in front of her. “Don’t stand up. Crawl on all fours like a dog.”
It was a short distance from the exercise mat to the cage. Jane could feel their hard, glittering eyes on her as she made her way over the rough concrete to her cage.
Robert closed the cage door with a clang and clicked the lock closed. They left the room together without another glance at her.
A moment later, the room was plunged into darkness. Jane let out a long, tremulous sigh. She was beyond exhausted. Every joint and muscle in her body hurt. If she could manage to sleep, it would be a small respite from this waking nightmare.
She turned her head to look at the camera blinking its green light at her. At least they couldn’t see her in the dark. Nevertheless, she shifted so her back was to the lens.
No way would she be able to sleep like this, her body sore and aching, her mind filled with the horrors she’d endured, and those most certainly to come.
But when she closed her eyes, sleep fell over her like a shroud.
Chapter 4
Jane’s eyes flew open as light suddenly flooded the room. She heard the door at the top of the stairs creak open. She was still huddled into a fetal ball, her back to the room. She had no idea how long she’d been asleep.
Her ass and the backs of her thighs were still sore. She reached back to touch where she’d been struck. The welts had gone down, leaving only tender skin. She could smell her own stink. Her scalp was itchy, her mouth sour. What she wouldn’t give for a toothbrush and a long, hot shower.
“Rise and shine, sleepyhead,” Robert called out in a cheery voice, as if greeting a friend. “We’ve got a busy day.”
Jane turned to see him coming down the stairs, a tray in his hand. Cold horror moved through her veins like poison. What did her captors have planned for her today? Was this the day she died?
Then the smell of freshly brewed coffee and frying bacon wafted toward her. Her mouth filled with saliva, her stomach gurgling to hungry life. She shifted to sit as upright as she could in her cage, determined to at least face whatever nightmare awaited her.
When Robert got to the bottom of the stairs and turned toward her, Jane saw he was dressed only in pajama bottoms, his feet and massive, hairy chest bare. The tray held a plate of food, steam rising from it, the delicious aroma almost making her forget her fear.
He moved toward her, a broad smile on his face. Crouching in front of the cage, he set down the tray and twirled the combination lock. Pulling open the door, he said, “Out you go.”
Her eyes on the food, Jane managed to scramble out of the cage, every stiff joint and aching muscle registering its complaint. The concrete floor was cold and unwelcome compared to the nest of blankets in her cage.
Robert patted her head as if she were a dog. “Good girl. I’ve brought you a delicious breakfast. This may be your last meal for a while, so make the most of it.”
Without another word, he turned and walked toward the stairs.