Page 134 of Guarded Knight

He’s gone.

I shift, and pain flares in my thigh where he injected me. I press my palm to the spot; it’s red, raised, and hot.

The air smells of mildew and must, and it’s cold in here, save for a space heater Trent switched on that glows hot on my foot but doesn’t do anything to penetrate the damp in the space.

Sitting up, I’m a little dizzy, but nothing serious. Everything aches, but there’s life in my limbs. That’s enough. Nothing like what I expected from the injection. He said the medicines were natural. What does that mean? He’s a pharmacist… he knows a lot, but he’s also batshit crazy, and for all I know, there’s crushed-up mint and saline in those vials.

I shift my wrists inside the loop of the plastic zip tie. Shit. I hate breaking out of these things; it hurts.

I wiggle my hands until the locking mechanism is on the top between my wrists, then take the loose end in my teeth and pullthe restraint as tight around my wrists as possible. I remember learning this for the first time on YouTube. It was scary as hell to do the move the first time, thinking the plastic might slice straight through my wrists, but it works as long as you go for it and don’t chicken out.

I kneel on the cold floor, one knee bent, the other bracing. I raise my arms and slam them down, flaring my elbows. The plastic snaps, and my wrists sting like hell, but I’m free.

I bite back a cough, swallowing hard against the dryness in my throat. I want some of the water in here so badly, but who knows if it’s laced with something. and anyway… I have no time.

I scan the room. One door. One tiny window not even big enough for me to crawl out of, and we’re on the second floor.

The room is sparse, and every inch of the wall is cinder block. There’s no vent I can climb through. Just the faint sound of something dripping steadily behind the wall.

I bend over, hands on knees, and breathe.

Or try my best to anyway. My lungs are burning and heavy; the feeling is too familiar… the one I get inside my chest when shit is going really wrong. I haven’t had this feeling in so long, the meds I’m on now are encapsulated miracles, but I feel like shit. Was it something in the shot he gave me?

Dread seeps deep into my bones.What did he give me…?

I can’t think of that now. Focus. Act. The present not the future. The only thing to worry about is getting out of here.

I rifle through the supplies in his cabinet, careful not to make noise, and each barely audible clink of a bottle makes me suck my breath. Most of the meds are unfamiliar or expired.Thankfully, I’ve developed a new appreciation for dresses with pockets. I shove in a pair of scissors, tweezers, and a tourniquet, because if I get so lucky, I can strangle that motherfucker.

As much as I back myself, though, it’s almost impossible I can use my strength to get out of this. He’s twice my size. I need to be smart.

I scan the items again.

Antiseptic spray? That would hurt.

Come on, Lara… this isn’t enough.

What can take down a grown man?

The nuts. I have to kick him in the nuts. But how?

I glance at the door again. He’ll come in… I can hide behind the door… But I’ll need him in prime nut-hanging position.

Going back into the cabinet, I grab a few choice items and scatter them on the floor, just far enough from the door to draw him in.

I press myself flat to the damp wall, pulse thudding so hard I’m afraid he’ll clock me. The antiseptic bottle is slick in my hand from sweat on my palm. The scissors are in my pocket. I’m ready.

But nothing happens.

No footsteps. No keys jingling. No humming.

Just the quiet buzz of the space heater and the steady drip from behind the wall.

Time stretches. My muscles ache from the crouch, but I don’t dare shift. Not yet. I try hard to stifle each cough, pressingmy elbow tight against my mouth, spluttering against my skin. worried he’ll hear my cough is too close to the door

Seconds turn to minutes. Waves of dizziness wash over me.

Shit.