breathlessly. ”She’s upstairs. The third floor.”
The man hoisted his medical gear bag more firmly on his shoulder and, the stretcher between them, the two medics followed Nora as she ran up the stairs. When they got to the third floor, Nora saw the trapdoor in the ceiling open, the portable stairs lowered. She could feel the negative, evil energy still permeating the space, along with an undercurrent of jumbled emotions spanning the spectrum from fear to relief to joy.
“We can’t get the stretcher up those stairs. Let’s get up there and assess the situation,” the guy said to his partner. They set the stretcher upright against the wall and climbed in single file up the ladder-like stairs, Nora following. The thought of a woman being held prisoner for who knew how long in this attic, while they’d blithely played downstairs, sickened her. What if she hadn’t happened to see that secret message? How many times before this had the woman tried to reach out? At least it could only be a matter of weeks, since Phillip had only been hired a little over two months ago.
Nora peered anxiously into the small room. The air was close and stale. Jack, shirtless, sat on a bare mattress on the floor, his arm around a frail-looking waif of a girl, a thin cover of peach fuzz the only hair on her shaved scalp. Nora froze, her hand flying to her mouth.
Both medics raced forward into the room. The female medic already had her medical bag open. She spoke softly to the girl, who answered in a low, halting voice.
“Excuse me, sir,” the male medic said to Jack. “If you wouldn’t mind moving out of the way.”
“No!” the girl cried, leaning hard into Jack. Nora could feel her panic like a stab in her own gut.
“It’s okay,” Jack said gently to the girl, easing himself away from her. “They need to examine you, Eva. I won’t go anywhere, I promise. I’ll be right here.”
After a moment, Eva nodded, and Jack stood, though he stayed close by. Nora walked over to join him.
The medics spent several minutes examining the girl while Jack and Nora hovered anxiously nearby. A sound made them both turn to see the younger police officer at the door, mouth agape. He looked around the small, rank attic space crammed with BDSM gear. “Jesus,” he muttered, his face twisting in revulsion.
Then his eyes landed on the waif of a girl huddled on the mattress, Jack’s shirt wrapped around her shoulders. His expression moved from revulsion to pity, and for a moment Nora almost liked him.
As if suddenly aware of Nora and Jack regarding him, he barked, “Don’t disturb anything in here. It’s a crime scene.” He strode into the room, stopping just behind the medics still crouching beside Eva. “You about done here? We’ve got the perp down in the basement. There are serious allegations we need to substantiate.”
Both medics rose. “She’s stable if you need to ask a few questions, officer.”
Eva looked toward Jack. Nora could feel the girl’s uncertainty and trepidation at being questioned by the gruff cop. Jack must have felt it too, because he sat down beside Eva, and she flashed him a grateful smile.
The cop didn’t seem pleased to have Jack encroaching on his space, but fortunately decided not to make an issue of it. He asked for Eva’s full name and date of birth, scribbling on a small pad as she spoke. “We’ll take your full statement down at the station after you get medical care. But in order to arrest the guy my partner’s holding downstairs, we need a confirmation. Did the man who has identified himself as Phillip Duncan abduct you against your will and hold you in this”—again he swept the close, rank prison with a frown—“attic?”
“Yes,” Eva replied, her voice low but firm.
“How long have you been up here?”
“I-I’m not sure. I lost count after a while. It was September twenty-second when I came for the second interview. That was the day he”—her voice faltered. She swallowed
The man hoisted his medical gear bag more firmly on his shoulder and, the stretcher between them, the two medics followed Nora as she ran up the stairs. When they got to the third floor, Nora saw the trapdoor in the ceiling open, the portable stairs lowered. She could feel the negative, evil energy still permeating the space, along with an undercurrent of jumbled emotions spanning the spectrum from fear to relief to joy.
“We can’t get the stretcher up those stairs. Let’s get up there and assess the situation,” the guy said to his partner. They set the stretcher upright against the wall and climbed in single file up the ladder-like stairs, Nora following. The thought of a woman being held prisoner for who knew how long in this attic, while they’d blithely played downstairs, sickened her. What if she hadn’t happened to see that secret message? How many times before this had the woman tried to reach out? At least it could only be a matter of weeks, since Phillip had only been hired a little over two months ago.
Nora peered anxiously into the small room. The air was close and stale. Jack, shirtless, sat on a bare mattress on the floor, his arm around a frail-looking waif of a girl, a thin cover of peach fuzz the only hair on her shaved scalp. Nora froze, her hand flying to her mouth.
Both medics raced forward into the room. The female medic already had her medical bag open. She spoke softly to the girl, who answered in a low, halting voice.
“Excuse me, sir,” the male medic said to Jack. “If you wouldn’t mind moving out of the way.”
“No!” the girl cried, leaning hard into Jack. Nora could feel her panic like a stab in her own gut.
“It’s okay,” Jack said gently to the girl, easing himself away from her. “They need to examine you, Eva. I won’t go anywhere, I promise. I’ll be right here.”
After a moment, Eva nodded, and Jack stood, though he stayed close by. Nora walked over to join him.
The medics spent several minutes examining the girl while Jack and Nora hovered anxiously nearby. A sound made them both turn to see the younger police officer at the door, mouth agape. He looked around the small, rank attic space crammed with BDSM gear. “Jesus,” he muttered, his face twisting in revulsion.
Then his eyes landed on the waif of a girl huddled on the mattress, Jack’s shirt wrapped around her shoulders. His expression moved from revulsion to pity, and for a moment Nora almost liked him.
As if suddenly aware of Nora and Jack regarding him, he barked, “Don’t disturb anything in here. It’s a crime scene.” He strode into the room, stopping just behind the medics still crouching beside Eva. “You about done here? We’ve got the perp down in the basement. There are serious allegations we need to substantiate.”
Both medics rose. “She’s stable if you need to ask a few questions, officer.”
Eva looked toward Jack. Nora could feel the girl’s uncertainty and trepidation at being questioned by the gruff cop. Jack must have felt it too, because he sat down beside Eva, and she flashed him a grateful smile.
The cop didn’t seem pleased to have Jack encroaching on his space, but fortunately decided not to make an issue of it. He asked for Eva’s full name and date of birth, scribbling on a small pad as she spoke. “We’ll take your full statement down at the station after you get medical care. But in order to arrest the guy my partner’s holding downstairs, we need a confirmation. Did the man who has identified himself as Phillip Duncan abduct you against your will and hold you in this”—again he swept the close, rank prison with a frown—“attic?”
“Yes,” Eva replied, her voice low but firm.
“How long have you been up here?”
“I-I’m not sure. I lost count after a while. It was September twenty-second when I came for the second interview. That was the day he”—her voice faltered. She swallowed
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