he tells us. He ain’t gonna kill ya. He just wants ya back so’s y’can be
his wife. That’s all. He promised he’d take care of ya when we brought ya back.
So that’s what we’re gonna do. Take ya back. Now pick up yer purse an’ let’s
go.” He stepped to the couch and picked up her duffel bag. Turning towards the
door, he motioned her to precede him.
Karl stepped toward the door, which was still slightly ajar
from her interrupted entry and reached for the knob.
“Please, Karl,” her voice rose with her desperation. “Please
don’t take me to Tony. Please let me go. I promise you beginning today, I won’t
ever say anything about anything I’ve seen or heard where Tony’s concerned. I
promise. Just don’t take me with you! Please!” Marilee was backing toward the
kitchen as she begged for her freedom.
The other man took three steps in her direction, stopping
directly in front of her. His meaty hand clamped down on her wrist. “I told ya
t’get yer purse an’ let’s go. I meant it then, I mean it more now. If ya don’t
pick up yer purse, ya get t’leave it behind. If ya want it, pick it up. It
makes no difference t’me, but we’re goin’. Right now. D’ya want yer purse?”
The tone of his voice allowed no options. Marilee looked at
his tough features, his flattened nose, the way he looked like he had been a
boxer for lots of years. She looked at his eyes and realized there was no
softness there, only a flat look of total loyalty to Tony. The pressure on her
wrist increased marginally, and swiftly brought her back to the moment.
A sigh of air left her, and in seeming defeat she picked up
her purse from the floor where it had fallen. Marilee allowed her shoulders to
slump dejectedly. Her mind, however, was far from defeated. She was thinking,
checking for options, looking for assets. Maybe she could use the same thing
against them that had worked with Jamison. Hope flared within her breast.
“Could…could I have a moment to go to the ladies’ room
first, please?” She kept her voice low and pleading.
“Only if yer willin’ t’leave th’door open. We heard about
Mr. Parkes. Mr. F. wasn’t happy about ya gettin’ away at th’airport. D’ya
really need to go?” His sneer was ugly, and his mood begged for her to cross
him and give him an excuse to humble her.
Marilee straightened, standing taller, again the boss’s
wife. “Check the bathroom. The window’s too small for a child to climb through.
I won’t be long. There’s only one door; I won’t be able to get out of that tiny
room without you letting me out. Allow me a bit of privacy while I attend to my
needs.”
This man would never know the cost of effort on her part to
put forth that quiet dignity. He looked at her for a moment before violently
thrusting her wrist forward toward the bathroom, hurling her off-balance. She
stumbled, regained her balance, and walked quickly to the tiny room, her head
held high.
Closing the door, Marilee locked it. Speedily tending to her
needs, she turned on the water faucet, and quietly opened the cabinet over the
sink. She looked for any resource to secrete that would help her escape before
she reached Tony. She removed a small vial of over-the-counter sleeping pills
and tucked them into her pocket. It was the only thing she saw of value just
now.
She washed her hands and hurriedly dried them. Unlocking and
opening the door, she stepped back into the kitchen. The guard was right there
in front of her. He grabbed her purse and went through it, looking for any type
of weapon. Unsuccessful, he thrust her purse back at her and then motioned for
her to get moving.
Karl opened the door and preceded her onto the porch,
looking around. Marilee followed. As she gained the porch, Karl took a firm
hold of her upper arm, his grasp painful. The second man, duffel bag in hand,
brought up the rear, stopping only long enough to close the door behind them,
then followed across the yard and out to the
his wife. That’s all. He promised he’d take care of ya when we brought ya back.
So that’s what we’re gonna do. Take ya back. Now pick up yer purse an’ let’s
go.” He stepped to the couch and picked up her duffel bag. Turning towards the
door, he motioned her to precede him.
Karl stepped toward the door, which was still slightly ajar
from her interrupted entry and reached for the knob.
“Please, Karl,” her voice rose with her desperation. “Please
don’t take me to Tony. Please let me go. I promise you beginning today, I won’t
ever say anything about anything I’ve seen or heard where Tony’s concerned. I
promise. Just don’t take me with you! Please!” Marilee was backing toward the
kitchen as she begged for her freedom.
The other man took three steps in her direction, stopping
directly in front of her. His meaty hand clamped down on her wrist. “I told ya
t’get yer purse an’ let’s go. I meant it then, I mean it more now. If ya don’t
pick up yer purse, ya get t’leave it behind. If ya want it, pick it up. It
makes no difference t’me, but we’re goin’. Right now. D’ya want yer purse?”
The tone of his voice allowed no options. Marilee looked at
his tough features, his flattened nose, the way he looked like he had been a
boxer for lots of years. She looked at his eyes and realized there was no
softness there, only a flat look of total loyalty to Tony. The pressure on her
wrist increased marginally, and swiftly brought her back to the moment.
A sigh of air left her, and in seeming defeat she picked up
her purse from the floor where it had fallen. Marilee allowed her shoulders to
slump dejectedly. Her mind, however, was far from defeated. She was thinking,
checking for options, looking for assets. Maybe she could use the same thing
against them that had worked with Jamison. Hope flared within her breast.
“Could…could I have a moment to go to the ladies’ room
first, please?” She kept her voice low and pleading.
“Only if yer willin’ t’leave th’door open. We heard about
Mr. Parkes. Mr. F. wasn’t happy about ya gettin’ away at th’airport. D’ya
really need to go?” His sneer was ugly, and his mood begged for her to cross
him and give him an excuse to humble her.
Marilee straightened, standing taller, again the boss’s
wife. “Check the bathroom. The window’s too small for a child to climb through.
I won’t be long. There’s only one door; I won’t be able to get out of that tiny
room without you letting me out. Allow me a bit of privacy while I attend to my
needs.”
This man would never know the cost of effort on her part to
put forth that quiet dignity. He looked at her for a moment before violently
thrusting her wrist forward toward the bathroom, hurling her off-balance. She
stumbled, regained her balance, and walked quickly to the tiny room, her head
held high.
Closing the door, Marilee locked it. Speedily tending to her
needs, she turned on the water faucet, and quietly opened the cabinet over the
sink. She looked for any resource to secrete that would help her escape before
she reached Tony. She removed a small vial of over-the-counter sleeping pills
and tucked them into her pocket. It was the only thing she saw of value just
now.
She washed her hands and hurriedly dried them. Unlocking and
opening the door, she stepped back into the kitchen. The guard was right there
in front of her. He grabbed her purse and went through it, looking for any type
of weapon. Unsuccessful, he thrust her purse back at her and then motioned for
her to get moving.
Karl opened the door and preceded her onto the porch,
looking around. Marilee followed. As she gained the porch, Karl took a firm
hold of her upper arm, his grasp painful. The second man, duffel bag in hand,
brought up the rear, stopping only long enough to close the door behind them,
then followed across the yard and out to the
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