Page 26 of Deliverance

He lifted another shoulder. "I think we can both use one given the shit we're in."

"I'd like that."

"Great. I better go," he said. "Good luck with Zell today."

"Thank you."

Ric turned and went toward the main room, and I stepped across the hall to Zell's room. I knocked and then opened the door a crack. "Are you awake, sweetie?"

"Yes," she replied, sitting on her bed. It was already made as if she was waiting for me.

"Let's grab some breakfast before we start, okay?"

Zell smiled and got off her bed. "Can I have Lucky Charms?"

"If we have them."

"We do." She beamed. "Martin told me he ordered them for me."

In the last week, I hadn't seen Madam interact with her besides the day she told Zell I would be her teacher. It hurt my heart because Zell was so full of life. How could a mother be so cruel? It was as if she didn't care about Zell at all—except she wanted me to teach her for some reason. Maybe it was so Zell wouldn't be bored and bother her.

When Ric got me out, I was going to find a way to report Madam to Child Protective Services. It was one thing to kidnap us and keep us locked away from the world so we couldn't tell anyone, but it was a terrible thing to keep a child from being a child. Zell didn't have toys, she didn't get to go outside and play, she would never have friends her own age, and I didn't want to think what would happen when she turned eighteen—or sooner.

* * *

A month had passed.

Each night I cried myself to sleep. Being a prisoner wasn't what I wanted for my life, even if it was in a penthouse. I would much rather be living in the one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn that I shared with Steven.

Steven …

I thought about him often. Thought about what he must think happened to me. There was no way Steven could find me unless Ric told him, but I remembered what Ric had said to me,"Frank told me he has cops on his payroll. If I take the chance and go to the one he's paying, he'll kill my mother then me."

Were my parents looking for me? Of course, they would be. Had they gone to Lock and asked to see the security feed there? Did they know the taxi driver didn't take me home? There were cameras everywhere. Surely, they could track me down to the warehouse. But what if they tried to do all of that and went to a cop on Frank Russo's payroll?

If they did, I would never be found.

Every day I taught Zell from the notebook—we didn't have weekends off. I needed more notebooks and games to teach her math and geography, and I wanted to get her construction paper and scissors to create art, but I didn't want to tell Madam. I avoided her as though she didn't exist.

I was taking a break in my bedroom when I heard the clicking of her heels coming from down the hall. "Things are going well with Zell?" she asked as she stopped in my doorway.

"Yes, Madam," I replied, sitting on the edge of my twin bed. "I—"

"The girl is looking paler than usual. I've ordered Ricardo to take you both across the street to the park for thirty minutes."

"Really?" My eyes lit up, and I stood, the thought of textbooks and whatever else now forgotten.

Madam smirked. "Don't think you can escape. Ricardo will bring you back kicking and screaming."

Would he? This could be our chance. "Yes, Madam," I replied. "When are we to go?"

"Be ready in ten minutes," she instructed and then walked away, the clicking of her heels getting fainter with each step.

I knocked on Zell's door. "Come in," she called. She was painting another picture of the cityscape when I opened the door.

I couldn't hide my smile. "I have exciting news."

"What's that?"