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"You went. You'll hold it in until morning now," he said. "I want some sleep, so shut up."

He took another long drink on his bottle, nearly emptying it, and then he lay back and closed his eyes. I gazed at the knot. It was tied so tightly, it was worse than handcuffs, I thought. Frustrated, I lay there with my eyes wide open. He never turned off the television set. Programs changed until it was one of those late talk shows. When I looked at him again, his eyes were shut tight, his arm dangling over the side of the bed.

He moaned in his sleep and tossed and turned a little before he started to snore. I wondered about the girls. Did Crystal and Raven have to join with Butterfly again in the next room? Were they all lying awake, just as terrified of what would come tomorrow? What plan could Crystal possibly have concocted?

I looked at Gordon again and then decided I had to try something. Slowly, m

oving almost an inch at a time, I slipped off the bed until I was on all fours on the floor. Then I moved as quietly as possible to Gordon's side. I studied the way he had tied the rope around his own wrist and then I started to untie it, moving so slowly, it took what seemed like hours just to unravel the first few turns. He grunted and turned on his side. I held my breath and waited. He didn't wake, but now I had to stand and lean over the bed to get to his arm. Any moment, I thought, his eyes would pop open and he would do something terrible to me.

Finally, I had the rope off his wrist. I gathered it up and wound it around my waist. There was no time to try to get it off my own wrist now. I tiptoed across the room to his jacket and took out the station wagon keys. He turned again, mumbled and then threw his arm over the side of the bed as it had been before. I waited and listened, holding my breath. His snoring was regular and deep.

Moving as though I were on a shelf of air, I crossed to the door and slowly turned the lock until it snapped open. I thought the tiny noise might wake him, so I watched his eyes. The pupils moved beneath his eyelids violently, but he didn't open them. He continued to snore. I opened the door only as much as I needed to slip out and then I did so, closing the door softly behind me. My heart was racing so fast, I had to catch my breath.

It was very late and quiet. Only one other room had lights on and the office was dimly lit. I went to the girls' door and knocked softly, hoping they would hear. I waited and then knocked again.

"Who's there?" I heard Raven whisper.

"It's me," I said.

She opened the door quickly and I slipped in. Crystal and Butterfly were in one bed. They had the blanket clutched to them and looked at me with wide, surprised eyes. I indicated complete silence.

"He had me tied to him," I whispered and showed them the rope, "but I got the rope off him when he fell asleep."

"Tied to him? Oh, Brooke," Crystal said. "We've been so worried about you."

"He's crazier than he was, Crystal. I don't know what he'll do tomorrow. I took the car keys," I said holding them up. "We can get away," I said.

"You want to steal his car again?" Crystal asked. "Oh, Brooke, no."

"Well, what did you have planned for tomorrow, Crystal, because if it's not a great idea, we're in a lot of danger," I told her. "He as much as told me so back there. What's your plan?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "I was hoping something would come to me tonight."

"Well, there isn't anything coming to you and we don't have much time to waste. This is what we have to do," I said holding up the keys.

"He'll have the police after us again," Raven said.

"I'm keeping this rope around me just the way he tied it. I'll show it to them and I'll tell them what else he wanted to do to me."

"What?" Raven asked.

"Don't ask," Crystal said, throwing a look at Butterfly. She thought a moment. "Okay, let's do it," she said. "Come on, Butterfly." She and Butterfly got out of the bed and put on their shoes.

I opened the door and listened. The three of them hovered behind me. It looked clear. Gordon was still asleep, I thought. Rather, I prayed. I nodded an all clear and then we moved with whisper steps to the wagon. I unlocked it and taking great care not to make too much noise, opened the doors. We all got in and I inserted the key. Raven put her hand on mine.

"Wait, Brooke. He's going to hear it start," she warned.

"Maybe not. He did a lot of drinking. I think he's dead to the world for now."

"I can't imagine his rage when he wakes up and discovers we've taken his car again," Crystal said. "Imagine what it will be like when we reveal his drugs are gone," I said. I looked at Raven. She took a deep breath and nodded. All of our eyes went to the door of Gordon's room.

I turned the key. The engine started. Gordon's door remained shut. Without turning on the lights, I backed out of our spot and slowly accelerated through the lot, Raven keeping her eyes on that fearful door.

"He didn't hear us," she said in a heavy whisper.

When we reached the entrance, I turned on the headlights and then I shot out and down the road. It was a very dark secondary road with no streetlights and very few houses. There were no road signs either. For the moment I had lost all sense of direction.

"My heart is beating so fast, I think I'm going to faint," Raven said.