Lies Inside

by Lindsey Gray

  “Of course.” She kicked the door hard.

  She took the hand Finn had outstretched. They sat on the bed in each other’s arms, concentrating on each square on the TV.

  Finn and Lucy watched as one by one, the other agents left the house, leaving only Sam and one other man standing in the living room. Suddenly the sound came on, and Finn and Lucy could hear their conversation.

  “I know the guy is guilty.” Sam wiped his hand over his face.

  “I know; I saw the video too. It’s not here. Everything is clean. This guy knows how to cover his tracks. Now that the kid and his girlfriend have disappeared, there’s no one to back up the allegations.”

  “You don’t think the pictures and the video will be enough?” Sam asked the other man.

  “I barely got the judge to sign the warrant as is. We can hold him for questioning, but this guy is smart. I don’t think he’s going to break that easily.”

  Camille came into the living room as the sound shut off again. She showed Sam and the other man out, and then picked up the telephone, making a call. She talked for a little while before she pulled Viktor’s cell phone from her pocket.

  The screen went black. Finn and Lucy continued to stare for a few moments, not knowing what to do. Then Camille came on the screen. Lucy sucked in a hard breath.

  “You’ve been a bad boy, Finn. Going and telling all those lies. No worries, we’ll have to speed up our plan a bit. You two should be fine for a couple of days. Lucy, dear, enjoy your freedom, but I can tell you that you won’t be able to get out that door. I’ll be checking on you, so behave. You know what happens when you don’t play nice.”

  Lucy caressed the spot where Viktor had shocked Finn’s side.

  “Sleep tight.”

  The screen went black again.

  “Speed up the plan?” They had a plan? How long had they been preparing for this, and what came next?

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of here. I promise.” He kissed Lucy’s forehead as he held her in his arms again.

  Finn and Lucy decided they needed to get into a routine to keep themselves from going insane. Every morning when they woke up, they exercised with sit-ups and push-ups. Lucy had to admit, she did enjoy watching Finn work up a sweat.

  They watched some TV, ate a little, drank a little, but mostly just stayed wrapped in each other’s arms.

  “I think we should go to Rome to get married. What do you think?” His eyes looked hopeful as his fingers brushed through her hair.

  “And not give the family a wedding extravaganza?”

  “I think they’ll be so happy to have us back, they won’t care.”

  Lucy tried hard not to think about what everyone was going through back home. Knowing her father, he was probably working day and night, and Jack would refuse to leave his side. Rylan would be trying to keep Claire together. Then Murphy, he was more than likely hiring the best private investigators in the world to find them.

  “You think we’re going to get out of here?” Lucy knew the longer they remained trapped in that room, the more doubtful she’d become.

  He held her face in his hands. “I promise. I’ll get us out of here. I know right now I don’t know how, but we’ll find a way.”

  Lucy knew he would try.

  They surfed through the channels and stumbled upon one they hadn’t seen before. It was a split screen divided into several different squares and featured the O’Malley’s house—a live feed. They could see Rylan and Jack sitting on the chair in Finn’s room. Murphy was staring out the window in the den. Claire was working in her garden. They all looked exhausted. She could see Jack trying to get Rylan out of the chair, but she wouldn’t budge.

  Lucy buried her head in Finn’s chest. She hadn’t cried that hard since they’d been taken. Seeing how much their families were suffering, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

  With no words of comfort to offer, they held each other on the bed. A few moments later, Lucy slipped into unconsciousness.

  She awoke to the sound of the doors unlocking. Camille entered, followed by Viktor. They carried bags along with the familiar prod as they closed the door behind them.

  “It took us a little longer than we thought to get things together, but we’ll be ready after we clean you two up.” Camille stared pulling things out of the bags: fresh clothes, deodorant, baby wipes, and hair dye.

  “What’s the hair dye for?” Lucy asked.

  “We wouldn’t want anyone to recognize the two of you. That comes later though. First, we need to get you cleaned up. Lucy, honey. You need to strip.” Camille licked her lips as she looked Lucy over.

  Lucy pulled her shirt off and slipped off her jeans leaving her in only her bra and underwear.

  “All of it,” Viktor demanded.

  Lucy hesitated as her skin reddened in embarrassment, but she fixed her eyes on Finn’s and reached behind her to unhook her bra. She tossed it over with her jeans before sliding her underwear down. She never let her eyes leave Finn’s as Camille began wiping her down with the baby wipes. She wiped down every inch of Lucy, taking a little more time on certain parts. Lucy’s eyes welled up with tears, feeling violated by each touch.

  Camille handed Lucy some fresh clothes. Lucy quickly slipped on the jeans and black tank top before sliding the black hoodie over her shoulders.

  She turned to Finn and before she could even say anything, he was removing his shirt.

  “Good boy,” Camille said as she walked over to him. Viktor released Finn from his shackle with one hand, the electric prod firmly held in the other.

  Finn kept his eyes fixed on Lucy as Camille preformed the same ritual on him. His face was stone, a reaction he had perfected over the years. Camille finished, and Finn slipped on a pair of boxers, followed by jeans and a dark blue t-shirt.

  Camille ran her fingers through Finn’s hair. “I’ll miss this brown mess, but I’m afraid it’s necessary.”

  A few hours later, Finn picked up a lock of Lucy’s hair and examined the new color—jet black.

  “I think we should be able to pass them off. I don’t think anyone would recognize them.” Camille pulled out a mirror and let them see their reflections.

  Lucy’s hair was straight as a board. She assumed to pass Lucy off as a relative. She looked like she could pass for Camille’s younger sister. Finn’s lovely blond highlights were barely visible through the black dye. Camille tried to cover every strand, but they were stubborn. Some of them just wouldn’t succumb.

  She went over to Viktor. “I’ll get the girls in the car while you get them ready.” She kissed him on the cheek and left the room.

  “The girls?” Finn asked, his face drawn up in panic.

  “Yes. They’re part of this family too. And if you can prove yourselves worthy, you might have a little more freedom. You will like the new life we have planned for you, but first.”

  Lucy didn’t even see the needle until Viktor had already plunged it into Finn’s arm. Within seconds, Finn collapsed back on the bed, unconscious.

  Lucy ran over to his side and struggled to pull him into her arms.

  “If you are a good girl and help, I promise to make it worth your while.”

  Finn woke when he felt something pelting him in the face.

  “Finn, stop sleepin’. I wanna watch cartoons with you.”

  He opened his eyes and saw Chloe in her car seat next to him just as she threw another piece of cereal at his face. Turning his head, he saw a small TV screen coming down from the ceiling of the van they were traveling in.

  He sat up in his seat, but his head felt heavy. Everything became clear when he saw Lucy smiling back at him.

  He and Chloe were in the last row. Lucy and Olivia were in the middle and Viktor was driving with Camille beside him.

  Lucy reached back and caressed his cheek as Chloe pelted him again.

  “What was that for?” He turned to Chloe as he rubbed bits of cereal grit from his face.

  “You guys
were sleepin’ a long time.”

  Finn turned back to Lucy as she yawned. “The girls were worried you might not wake up.”

  He could see she was worried too. “I’m fine.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

  “Mommy says you and Lucy are gonna live with us in our new house.”

  Finn took her little hand and kissed it. “I guess that’s the plan.”

  Viktor turned his head to the back of the van. “Shouldn’t be much longer. Are you all excited to see our new house?”

  “Yeah!” Chloe cried out to Viktor. “I get my own room. I don’t have to share with Olivia anymore.”

  “That’s right,” Camille answered. “It’s right next to Finn and Lucy’s.”

  Finn hoped they wouldn’t be locked up in the new place like they were in the last. Maybe moving would be their best chance to escape.

  “Why do they have to share, Mommy?”

  “I told you, Finn and Lucy are married now. They get to share a room just like Mommy and Daddy do.”

  “I get my own covers though. I won’t give that up.” Finn tweaked Chloe’s nose and gave her a wink.

  Finn put his hand on the seat in front of him, and Lucy laced her fingers through his.

  They had no idea where they were going, but knowing Viktor, this was only the next step.

  They drove for another half hour through the middle of nowhere until Viktor turned off onto a dirt road. Once they broke through the trees, a huge estate appeared. The house rivaled Finn and Lucy’s homes. There was a huge garden out back next to a large swimming pool and two-story mansion with a wraparound porch. Finn looked at Lucy and grimaced. It was still a prison no matter how luxurious it was.

  “Where are we?” Finn asked Viktor as they unloaded some bags onto the porch.

  “Montana. We’ve been building this place for about three years. We knew this is where we’d want to be when we started over.”

  That was when Finn noticed a tall pale man walking toward them from the side of the house.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” Viktor warned before turning to the man. “George, I don’t know how to thank you for getting everything ready for us so quickly.”

  “It’s no problem, Mr. Allen. Glad it’s finally finished.” George shook Viktor’s hand.

  “George, you know you can call me David. I’d like to introduce you to my brother-in-law. George, this is Frank.”

  “Nice to meet you, Frank.” George shook Finn’s hand.

  “You too.” Finn gave a quick smile as he picked up another bag.

  “He’s Lisa’s husband; you know, Amy’s little sister.”

  A look of realization swept across his face. “Yeah, right.”

  “We figure we have more than enough room up here. Them being newlyweds and all, they’re going to help out.” Viktor clapped his hand on Finn’s shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze—a warning.

  “Well, there’s not much to do out here, but I think with everything you’ve got in there, you guys can keep yourselves entertained. I won’t keep you any longer. I guess I’ll just say, welcome to the neighborhood.”

  Finn looked around in every direction. He didn’t see another building in the surrounding countryside.

  “Neighborhood? There doesn’t seem to be another house for miles.”

  “Yeah, about ten. The nearest town is about fifteen miles north. You all picked a perfect spot out here though. Be sure to call if you guys need anything.”

  “Thanks, George.” Viktor shook his hand again before he walked off and jumped into a pickup truck.

  “You did very well. See, if you behave, we won’t have any problems.” He gave Finn a wink. Finn swallowed hard to keep the hate buried inside a little longer.

  He sauntered over to Lucy, who was holding Olivia. He gave them each a kiss on the cheek as his slipped his arm around Lucy’s waist.

  Camille and Viktor gave them the grand tour. The house was already fully furnished. The girls had their own rooms and even a large playroom full of toys. Hours of tea parties and dress up were already flowing through the girls’ minds.

  Viktor got the girls settled in their playroom while Camille showed Finn and Lucy to their room. It was very large with a king sized bed in one corner and decorated in various shades of blue from the walls to the pillows on the bed to the carpet. Just like the last room they had given them, the décor and furnishings were sparse. There was a walk in closet next to a small bathroom. In the opposite corner from the bed was a chaise lounge. Mounted on the wall was a flat screen TV.

  “We need to go over the ground rules.” Camille pulled out the infamous cell phone and brought up the house security feed. “We’ve got cameras stationed throughout the house including in here. I’ve already given Lucy the lecture on the ankle monitor.” Finn saw Lucy had something peeking from beneath the hem of her jeans. Finn pulled his pant leg up and found he had one too. “That’s to make sure we know where you are at all times, and if you decided to be naughty, then…” Camille pushed a few buttons, sending an electric jolt up Finn’s leg and through the rest of his body. He fell straight to the floor, his body shaking uncontrollably. “You wouldn’t want to be naughty, would you?”

  Still a bit disoriented, Finn shook his head and rolled to his side. He saw the tears well up in Lucy’s eyes as she rubbed his back.

  “Good. We also have those familiar shackles if we need to keep you in place. I’ll let you two get settled in, then I’ll need Lucy to help me with dinner.” Camille walked out, closing the door behind her.

  Lucy let the tears fall as she helped Finn to the bed. He lay back as she snuggled next to him.

  “There is only one word for her…bitch.”

  Finn laughed as he turned to look at Lucy. Even with her tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes, she was radiant. She knew exactly how to make him smile.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair, her chin resting on his chest. “This bed is certainly more comfortable than that other one.”

  Finn’s body ached for reasons other than the shock he had received. He rolled Lucy onto her back and crawled on top of her. He kissed the hollow beneath her ear as he felt her fingers tangled in the hair at the back of his neck. The sound of the door creaking open caused them to pause. They turned to see Viktor at the doorway. Finn rolled off Lucy onto his side.

  “Don’t stop on my account. I’m all about a good show.” He adjusted himself as he walked over to the bed. “I’m sure you two will be very…” His tongue slipped out and moistened his lips. “Entertaining.”

  With that one comment, Viktor ruined the one thing they actually enjoyed by making it sound dirty.

  “I’ve heard that Lucy is quite the cook. I look forward to sampling some of your best recipes. We’ll expect you down shortly.” He ran his fingers across Finn’s cheek before leaving the room.

  “We’ve got to get out of here.” Finn flopped on his back and put his forearm over his eyes. “How did we even get here?”

  “I know why the FBI couldn’t find us.”

  Finn turned on his side to face her. “Why?” He swept her hair from her face as she turned to him.

  “Viktor sealed off the door to the basement. It’s like it was never there. After he gave you that shot, he made me help him carry you out. There was a door hidden in their bedroom closet. We pulled you out through there. Once we got in the car, he put the ankle monitors on both of us and made me drink something. Next I knew, it was daytime, and you were still sleeping in the seat behind me.”

  “I can see they’ve gone to a lot of trouble to keep us here.” Finn pulled her close so he could whisper in her ear. “We’re going to have to be careful, but I know, somehow, we’re going to get out of here.”

  The first few days, Viktor and Camille left them alone, for the most part. The Karpovs seemed to get some sort of sick pleasure out of watching Finn and Lucy together. Sometimes Camille would shackle their ankles at
night but let them sleep in the same bed just to see what they would do.

  Finn and Lucy spent plenty of time with the girls. Chloe and Olivia were actually their salvation. Lucy couldn’t believe that those two monsters made those perfect little angels. She tried to keep one of the girls next to her at all times. She had a feeling that they wouldn’t try anything in front of the girls. It was a relief because it made her believe they hadn’t been abusing them. As sick as they were, Lucy thought they loved their children and were trying to be good parents.

  In the meantime, Finn and Lucy watched and waited for any opportunity to escape, but nothing presented itself. With their every move watched, the only time they were alone was at night in bed. That’s when they’d risk whispering their sweet nothings to each other. One night, they made a decision that would change everything.

  “There’s something I’ve been thinking about ever since we got here.” Lucy’s voice was so quiet she could barely hear herself.

  “What’s that?”

  Lucy pulled the covers over their heads to give them a little more privacy.

  “The girls…”

  “You’ve gotten attached to them, haven’t you?”

  “It’s hard not to.” Lucy ran the tip of her index finger across his bottom lip. “We have to take them with us.”

  “I know.” Finn kissed each of her fingertips. “It’s going to be difficult. If it was just you and me, we could make a run for it. With the girls, we’d need to get the van, money, supplies. I haven’t figured out how to do it yet.”

  Lucy kissed his nose as her thumb began rubbing the apple of his cheek. “We should start with getting the ankle monitors off.”

  They spent the next few nights pretending to wrestle under the covers, positive Viktor would enjoy the show. They tried to work on the locks, but nothing worked.

  One night, after a combination of liquid soap, shampoo, and Lucy’s ankle joint moving in a way God never intended, she had the thing half way over her heel. Instead of slipping it off, she actually triggered the damned thing. It shocked her for what seemed like an eternity before she passed out from the pain radiating throughout her body.

  When she woke up, Finn was gone.