Page 53

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Lindsey Gill’s eyes fluttered open, and she immediately winced against the glaring light overhead. She closed her eyes again and drew in a deep breath as she willed herself to shake off the vestiges of drowsiness.

She felt exhausted, like she could go back to sleep for the rest of the week and it still wouldn’t be enough. Her head pounded and her mouth felt as dry as sandpaper. She lay on her side, the threadbare sheet scratching against her cheek as she shifted slightly. She stretched her legs out, trying to alleviate the soreness in her body.

A sharp pins-and-needles sensation exploded over her nerve endings, and she bit back a cry. Her muscles were tight and cramped, the same tingly sensation that she felt when her foot fell asleep. She tried to sit up but was brought to an abrupt halt when her hands refused to move. Her eyes popped open and her heart rate kicked up as she yanked at her arms again, to no avail.

“What the hell?”

It took her hazy mind a moment to realize her hands were bound behind her back. She rolled her shoulders, struggling frantically against the bonds. The rope only tightened, biting into her wrists, hard and unforgiving.

Oh, God.

She struggled helplessly, rolling first to her stomach before wiggling her knees underneath her. She was panting heavily by the time she managed to lever to a sitting position. For a long moment she sat there, blinking owlishly at her surroundings.

Where the hell was she?

She knelt on a filthy mattress, springs poking through the thin, sweat-stained fabric, a sheet haphazardly tossed over the surface. The air was thick with damp and decay, assaulting her senses with its rank stench. A single bulb dangled from the ceiling overhead, and she squinted past it.

Concrete block walls surrounded her, their surfaces cold and unyielding. The floor was gritty under her, covered with years of dust and debris. Panic began to rise in her chest, but she forced it down. If there was even a slim possibility that she might escape, she needed to get her hands in front of her. She twisted her wrists, a soft cry escaping as the rough rope abraded her skin.

Damn, that hurt!

She bit down on her lip to stifle her cry of pain, and the tangy taste of blood filled her mouth. The ropes cut deeply into her flesh, and she could feel the slick liquid coating her skin as blood and fluid welled from the wounds, easing the slide of the ropes as she worked them loose. Tears burned her eyes and she blinked them away. She would get free—she had to.

She dipped one shoulder and yanked on the ties as hard as she could, trying to pull them as far as they would go. Her muscles ached as they stretched farther than they were designed to, all the while trying to maneuver them low enough to clear her hips. Her heart lurched as the material finally gave enough to the point that she could wiggle them under her bottom.

Fierce satisfaction flowed through her as, inch by inch, she got closer to being free. She contorted her body, angling her knees through the odd-shaped space created by her arms and torso. She held her hands up in front of her, relief flooding through her.

Unfortunately, her sense of relief was short-lived as she assessed her situation. Her wrists were bloody and raw, fibers of the rope clinging to the wounds. She grimaced. Infection would set in soon if she didn’t get them cleaned and get the hell out of here.

Shielding her eyes against the light overhead, she glanced around. Her heart fell. Aside from a small bucket in the corner—she could guess what that was for—the basement appeared to be lacking anything useful that she could use as a weapon or as a tool. She was certain that was by design. She glanced down at the mattress. Maybe if?—

A soft whimper jerked her attention to the opposite side of the basement. “Hello?”

For a moment there was only silence. Goosebumps sprouted over Lindsey’s skin. “Is someone there?”

A moment later, a thready voice called back, “I… I’m here.”

Lindsey practically vaulted off the mattress, stumbling as she forced her uncooperative muscles to move. No longer in the circle of bright light, she maneuvered through the darkened space, feeling her way along the rough walls.

She rounded a corner, and the dim glow of light up ahead illuminated her path. Watching her footing, she rounded a large storage shelf stocked with canned food. The sight in front of her stopped her dead in her tracks.

In the corner of the basement, curtains hung from the ceiling to mark off the makeshift room. Within, a mattress, much like the one Lindsey had woken up on, took up most of the small space. A woman lay in the middle of the bed, her stomach swollen and round.

Bile rose up Lindsey’s throat, threatening to choke her, and she swallowed it down. She pasted a soft smile on her trembling lips and crawled over to the woman, her knees scraping against the cold, harsh floor. “Hey. I’m Lindsey. What’s your name?”

The woman swallowed hard, and took a deep breath. Her lips were cracked and dry, and perspiration and filthy marred her skin. “H-Hilary.”

Lindsey lightly rested her hand on the woman’s arm. “Are you okay?”

Hilary nodded, and Lindsey’s gaze strayed to the filthy nightgown stretched over the woman’s taut, round belly. “And the baby?”

“G-good, I think,” she responded.

Lindsey nodded slowly. “How far along are you?”

Hilary shook her head. “I… I’m not sure.”

Lindsey forced a smile despite the mixture of panic and fear that raced through her. How long had the woman been here? “I’m going to help you,” she whispered. “Do you know who did this?”

The woman shook her head. “I never saw him before…” She licked her lips as she trailed off.

Lindsey nodded. “It’s okay. Just rest.”

Her stomach flipped as she took in the thick leather cuff encircling the woman’s neck, like a collar. Her gaze followed it to a cable suspended from the ceiling. The cable attached to her collar was looped through a second cable that stretched overhead, allowing the woman to move around the space without straying too far.

She grasped the cable attached to the woman’s collar and inspected it. The metal cable was coated with a thick plastic and had been looped through a link on the collar. Standing, she ran her fingers upward as high as she could reach. She gave a gentle tug to the cable, making the secondary cable overhead dance and sway. She followed one end to the wooden beam overhead, and her heart sank when she saw the heavy duty bolt protruding from the wood. The fixture had been reinforced with a wide piece of steel, ensuring it wouldn’t come loose.

Lindsey dropped back to her knees beside Hilary. “The cables are bolted in. I can’t get you free.”

Tears glistened in the woman’s eyes, and Lindsey grasped her hand, giving her a gentle squeeze. “I’m going to go get help. I promise I’ll come back for you.”

The woman nodded, her eyes dull and hopeless. “I promise,” Lindsey reiterated. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Hilary stared at her for a long moment before offering a wan smile. “Thank you.”

With one last squeeze, Lindsey released Hilary and pushed to her feet. High to her right, a small, grimy window let in a sliver of weak light. She counted the cinder blocks from the floor to the bottom of the window, mentally calculating the height. It was a good foot above her head and too very likely too narrow to offer any hope of escape.

She stared wistfully at it for a moment before shaking her head. The window wasn’t going to be an option. Even using the bucket, she wouldn’t be able to get up high enough to crawl through the opening.

She cautiously skirted the storage unit and moved toward a flight of wooden stairs tucked away next to the furnace. She placed one foot on the bottom step, the old wood creaking under her weight. The sound echoed ominously in the confined space as she shifted her weight and continued to climb, making her way toward the wooden door at the top.

Her heart pounded as she reached the door, fearing it might be locked. To her relief, the handle turned with a soft click. She pushed it open slowly and peered through the crack. The house beyond was quiet—eerily so. She crept up the last few stairs, muscles tensed, heart pounding against her ribcage.

Her breath came in shallow gasps, adrenaline propelling her forward as she inched the door open. Bright sunlight streamed through a window across from her, and the sight filled her with elation. She tossed one more quick glance around the room, but everything was quiet. She was alone.

Giddiness bubbled up, and she strode forward, toward freedom. Just as she reached the window, a strong hand grabbed her from behind, yanking her back with brutal force.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

* * *

Don’t miss the next book in the Secrets of Brookhaven Series! When a boater discovers the skeletal remains of a young woman, Campbell McCoy unveils a sinister ploy that spans decades, weaving past and present in a tangled web of lies, deceit, and betrayal…