I can't risk it. I have to do this.
Alex had blinked away enough dust to see Chrissie aiming.
'Wait!’ he begged. ‘I won't try anything. I promise. Shoot me in the leg. Just shoot me in the leg.'
The leg? He'd be crippled, but still useful. That could work. His foot will bleed less though.
Chrissie aimed at his foot.
To his credit, Alex offered his foot as an easy target.
'No!' shrieked Megan. 'Look at him, Chrissie. He's covered in burns. He's terrified of you. He's learnt his lesson. We both have.'
‘Shut up!’ shouted Chrissie.
Why am I being so weak? Why can't I even shoot him in the foot?
Chrissie studied Megan.
Like Alex, she’d lost her shirt to the acid. A yellow bra and cut-off shorts was all she had left. Acid burns dotted her skin. With half of her hair missing and a chunk of her ear gone, she looked as pitiful as Alex.
I’ve broken them.
Chrissie waved at Alex.
'If he fucks up, his corpse stays chained to you. Understand?'
Megan nodded. Gray powder fell from what hair she had left.
Chrissie waved at the slave chain. 'Chain his right hand to your left hand.'
Megan dragged the noisy chain over to Alex. The shackle snapped shut with a satisfying — CLUNK!
A moment after, Megan snapped her own shackle shut.
Chrissie used the key to tighten Megan's shackle.
In another open sign of submission, Alex lowered his head and raised his wrist so Chrissie could screw his shackle on tightly.
Maybe this can work, thought Chrissie.
With both of them in chains, Chrissie felt better.
'I’ll need water,' she said. 'Fill every container you can find with fresh ice chips. No ice off this filthy floor though.'
She threw the icepicks skittering across the floor.
‘If either of you come near me with an icepick, I’ll shoot you. When you’re not digging, leave them over there where I can see them.’
Alex and Megan began work.
Noisily.
Every move rattled their shackles.
They spent hours digging.
'It's not enough,' said Chrissie, inspecting their pitiful assortment of containers.
She scanned the artifacts still locked in the ice. 'Dig out that big thing near the middle. That will hold water.'
Megan and Alex peered into the ice.
'Looks like a treasure chest,' murmured Alex.
Megan winced as she readjusted her shackle. 'If we remove the artifacts out of order, how do we identify the traps?'
'We don't have to,' replied Chrissie. 'That's what Alex is for.'
Megan waved at all their artifacts. 'But what about our system? Following the rules has kept us alive.'
'I make the rules now, Megan. Dig that out. Don't stop until you reach it.'
Keeping them exhausted is the key, Chrissie thought. Too exhausted to try anything stupid.
Chrissie settled on the stone calendar. She'd entwined their discarded clothing into a cushion. She'd also wrapped ice in a handkerchief for her foot. The cold pack helped with the pain.
Obscene fascination made her study her toes again.
Zombie foot, she thought.
Without skin, the bones, tendons and connective tissues lay exposed.
The inner anatomy of her entire big toe was revealed.
God, that's gross.
Especially when the parts moved.
She braced for the pain and gently lowered the cold pack.
Stop dwelling on your horrible foot and start thinking about escape.
Either Megan was right and escape lay in understanding the artifacts, or Chrissie was right and escape came to the last person standing.
While Megan remained alive, Chrissie had both bases covered. If Megan unscrambled the artifacts, great, but if she didn't, Chrissie had a backup plan.
She'd shoot them both.
#
Tink, tink, tink.
Chrissie recognized the sound instantly.
A bottle.
'Don't touch it,' she yelled. 'Don't even move!'
Chrissie limped toward the rolling bottle. Without hesitating she snatched it up and gripped the cork between her teeth.
Pop.
She drew out the message.
Another newspaper clipping? What’s with these people and newspapers?
Chrissie read the first two paragraphs. She didn't need to read further. She gripped her pistol tighter.
Thank God he's already in chains.
'Is it mine?' asked Megan.
'No,' replied Chrissie. 'This one's for Alex.'
In one move, Chrissie turned and hurled the bottle at Alex's head.
He was ready for it.
He ducked away.
SMASH!
The bottle shattered against the ice.
Chrissie now realized why Alex had bothered her from day one. Alex was the type of human scum who didn't belong in a civilized world. He was effluent. Dirt under her shoe. She'd be doing the entire world a favor by shooting him right now.
Chrissie stared at him. At his youth. At his innocent-looking face.
No wonder he got away with it.
She said to Alex, 'We were scared of Carl, but Carl was a choirboy compared to you. At least he only tortured one woman.'
Megan looked at Alex. 'What?'
Chrissie offered Megan the note. 'Here. Read it.'
Megan stared at the clipping a second and then shook her head.
'You need to read this,' insisted Chrissie, shaking the paper. 'Look at what he’s done. He’s a monster.'
Megan stepped back. 'I'm more scared of you than of him.'
Chrissie scrunched up the clipping and threw it at Megan. 'Well, I can't stomach reading any more of it.'
Alex knelt to flatten out the clipping. He passed it up to Megan. 'She's right, Megan. You need to read this.'
Megan reluctantly took the paper. 'Are you sure?'
'I'm sure.'
'Just read it!' demanded Chrissie. 'And remember that being chained to him was your idea, not mine.'
Chrissie watched Megan's reaction with smug satisfaction. By the end, Megan held the clipping as though it were used toilet paper.
'Well?' asked Chrissie.
Megan folded the paper and wordlessly handed it back to Alex.
Without further comment Megan returned to digging.
Chrissie imagined the wheels turning in Megan's head. This would change things. This would work in Chrissie's favor. It shouldn't take long before Megan was begging to change teams.
#
Chrissie couldn't contain herself any longer. Megan's silence was infuriating.
Chrissie asked, 'What were their names, Alex?'
'Huh?'
'The girls you raped? What were their names?’
Alex sighed and shook his head. 'Why are you doing this? Why try to make things worse?'
Finally, thought Chrissie. A reaction.
Chrissie taunted Alex some more. 'Do you remember their names? Their faces? Did any of them look like Megan?'
Alex glanced at Megan.
Megan just kept working.
Chrissie softened her tone. 'Do you feel safe, Megan? Do you feel safe chained to a rapist? I know I wouldn't.’
'Alex never raped those poor girls,' replied Megan.
Chrissie scoffed. 'Even you can't be that gullible, Megan.'
Megan turned to Alex. 'Just tell her, Alex. I'm sick of this.'
'I don't care what she thinks,' said Alex.
Megan pulled out the clipping. 'Chrissie, you really are clueless sometimes.'
'How so?'
'That wasn't even Alex's bottle you found. You found Ericsson's bottle.'
Megan flicked the note back to Chrissie.
Chrissie snatched the paper before it hit the floor. She unfolded the clipping and read to the bottom. Ericsson's name w
as practically hidden in the last paragraph.
Megan said. 'Next time try reading all the way to the end.'
Only slightly irritated, Chrissie tossed the paper aside. 'The mystery continues then.'
Alex shrugged. 'It's no mystery what’s in my bottle.'
'You know?' asked Megan.
Alex nodded.
‘Really? You’ve done something...really bad?’
Alex looked down at his icepick. 'I'm no better than Carl or Glen.'
Chrissie enjoyed hearing his admission.
‘What about you, Megan? What’s in your bottle?’
Megan shot her a filthy look.
Chrissie studied Megan up and down.
‘What could a pretty young blond have done? I bet it’s something really juicy. I know. I bet you’re a filthy home wrecker. I bet you seduced some father with eight kids, and then his wife blew her own brains out when she found out. It’s something like that, isn’t it? God, I hope there are photos.’
Megan pointed angrily at Chrissie. ‘Maybe we’ll find your bottle first.’
'I'm at peace with it,’ Chrissie replied.
Alex asked Megan, ‘Do you know what’s in your bottle?’
Chrissie leaned forward, listening closely.
Megan shook her head. 'No.’
'You really have no idea?'
‘I'm not perfect,’ said Megan, ‘but I can't think of anything. Maybe it's something I don't know about.'
'Like what?’
‘Well, what if I accidentally caused a car wreck and killed an entire family? I might have cut them off without realizing. Or what if I was rude to someone at work and they went home and killed themselves? Would that count?'
'No,' answered Alex.
'Well, then,' said Megan. 'I've done something dreadful and I can't even remember it.'
'There's one other explanation,' offered Alex.
Megan raised an eyebrow.
Chrissie leaned forward further.
'Well, it's not a very good one,' said Alex, 'but what if you're in here by mistake?'
Chapter Twenty-seven
'I need to pee,' said Megan.
Chrissie looked up from the Rubik’s cube. 'What's stopping you?'
Megan rattled the chain.
'So?'
'So, are you serious? Now we have to pee in front of each other? For heaven's sake, Chrissie, we're both women. All I'm asking for is a shred of dignity.'
Scrunch
Chrissie tore open her velcro pocket and found the key.
'Okay — drop your icepicks.'
She waved them toward the drain with her pistol.
'Stop.'
Megan held up her shackled wrist. Her wrist was chafed bright red under the cuff.
'So what's your plan?' asked Chrissie.
'You unchain me and I use the drain,' replied Megan.
'Liar,' spat Chrissie, gripping the pistol warily and backing up a step.
'What?' asked Megan.
Chrissie scanned the area for potential weapons. 'We've been listening to each other pee for days. Now you’re pretending it suddenly bothers you? You’re a liar. You’re planning something.’
'That's not true,' objected Megan. 'I just don't want to pee with Alex standing over me. Is that too much to ask?'
'Last chance,' warned Chrissie. 'Tell me the truth or face the consequences.'
Alex spoke up. 'There's no plan, Chrissie. As far as I know she just needs to pee. I need to pee myself actually, but I don't want to get shot over it.'
'Okay, then,' said Chrissie. 'I warned you.'
'Wait?' countered Megan. 'How can you punish us for not doing anything?'
'Like this.'
Chrissie bent and dropped the key down the drain.
PLOP.
Alex and Megan stared at the drain as Chrissie's punishment sunk in.
Now they were chained together permanently.
Megan looked up, speechless.
After a few moments she said, 'You're no different to the people who put us in here.'
'I'll leave you to it then,' said Chrissie, backing away. 'Two minutes each. Wash your hands before you come back. I don't want your germs in my water.'
#
Chrissie needed to tear her toenail off.
With every step, the loose toenail gouged her exposed wounds.
Every step was agony.
Agony she needed to hide from Alex and Megan.
She knew they were doing likewise. The acid streaks on Alex's back looked like he'd taken a dozen lashes.
Chrissie couldn't look weak.
This nail has to come off.
She rested her heel on the calendar and tried an experimental tug.
Shit – Ouch!
It didn't come off.
It wobbled and hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, but didn't come off.
I need to tear it off. Don't think about it. Just get it over with.
She took a firm grip.
Three, two, one...
Chrissie pulled as hard as she could.
Sccrr...crrr...rret
Her flesh tore. The nail ripped free like a giant loose tooth.
A tooth pulled too early.
Blood squirted out.
Chrissie barely noticed.
Every ounce of her willpower was focused into not screaming.
Slowly the pain abated to a level where she could blink and swallow again.
I did it. Thank Christ that's over.
She threw her toenail at the ice. Here’s another artifact for you, Megan.
The pain barely abated.
Distraction. That's how you beat pain. With distraction.
She grabbed the Rubik’s cube. Stupid cube. Why couldn't Glen bring something better?
It helped though. She wasn't sure how many minutes passed before she heard the chain rattling toward her.
Here they come.
They looked exhausted. Megan winced as she adjusted her wrist shackle.
You've got no idea what pain is, Megan. Try tearing out your own toenail after your toe's been doused in acid.
'We've found another bottle,' announced Alex.
They disobeyed me?
Chrissie's fuse had never felt so short. 'I told you to dig for the chest!'
'That's how we found this,' explained Megan, holding up the bottle.
Chrissie held out her hand.
Megan passed it over. 'If that's my bottle, I need to know what it says.'
'Trust me,' said Chrissie. 'You will.'
Chrissie yanked the cork and drew out the paper.
She scanned the familiar contents in wonder.
How the hell did they get this? Whoever abducted us must have contacts everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.
'Well?' prompted Megan.
Chrissie spat out the cork. 'It's my bottle. Now fuck off.'
Chrissie looked back down, but didn't hear their chain rattling away.
'How do we know it's yours?' asked Megan.
'What's it say?' asked Alex.
Chrissie lifted her pistol and channeled all her pain into her voice. 'It says you should both shut the fuck up and get back to work.'
Megan looked ready to snatch the paper.
Do it and I'll shoot a hole in your pretty face.
Megan backed away, reading Chrissie’s expression.
Chrissie looked down at the paper again.
This is Michael’s appeal application to gain shared parenting rights to Maddie.
Chrissie remembered the first time Michael tried to steal Maddie.
She remembered that night clearly.
She'd come home from work with nothing on her mind except having a quiet dinner with Michael. She'd worked just late enough to make sure Maddie would be in bed and she'd have Michael to herself.
She was pouring her first glass of wine when Michael ruined the evening.
'This still isn't working,' he said.
Chrissie set down her glass.
&nbs
p; 'Do we have to argue tonight? I've had a huge week. Can't we just enjoy our dinner? Have some wine. Take a bath....'
Michael brushed off her offer.
'You haven't spoken to Maddie all week,' he said. 'You haven't even seen her. You couldn't tell me if she was even in the house right now.'
'I just got home from work, Michael. She's asleep. I don't want to wake her up. This is real life. This is how people live.'
'Not all the time.’
'They would with our bills.’
'It's not worth it,' said Michael. 'We don't need a house this big. Not if it means you never see Maddie.'
This again.
'I like work, Michael. I like the rewards. You like the rewards.'
Michael rolled his eyes. 'You treat me like an employee. We're a family, not a business.'
Chrissie shook her head. 'That's nonsense. I've worked this hard since we met. You knew I worked hard.'
Michael nodded. 'I know. I thought having Maddie might change your priorities.'
Chrissie needed a cigarette. And a hot bath. Her appetite had fled with her good mood. 'Look, I'm tired. We’ll talk tomorrow.'
'There's no need to talk,' replied Michael. 'I'm leaving you.'
This woke Chrissie up.
He'd never played this card before.
'Are you serious?'
Michael nodded. 'I'm going to the beach house. I'm taking, Maddie. I know you won't have a problem with that.'
Chrissie knew it wasn't another woman. She tracked Michael's movements with her iPhone. She also read his emails and text messages.
Michael was still talking.
'I've had legal advice. I know you've paid for most things. I just need somewhere for Maddie and I to live. You can keep the house. We'll live at the beach house for now.’
Chrissie lit a cigarette to give herself a moment to catch up.
'But Maddie will miss school.'
'She's been on school vacation for a week now. You didn’t even notice.'
'You're really serious, aren't you?'
'We're leaving tonight.’
Chrissie pushed aside her wine. She needed to be clear headed. She spotted one of Maddie's paintings on the fridge.
'I promised Maddie we'd see the kites tomorrow. In the park.'
Michael raised an eyebrow. 'She didn’t mention that.'
'She asked me weeks ago.'
Chrissie pointed to the paintings on the fridge. 'I think she's been leaving me reminders.'
MELT: A Psychological Thriller Page 25
