Abducted Life

by Patricia Josephine

  Savannah snatched the underwear. Heat crawled up her neck. “It must have fallen in there by accident.”

  “I’ll keep it if you want.” He waggled his eyebrows. “But I’d rather see it on you.”

  She sauntered to him. “I can arrange something.”

  Heat leapt to life in his eyes. His breathing and heartbeat picked up. Smiling coyly, she pulled his body against her. A whizzing sound stopped them. Something small blurred by. Her hand flashed out, plucking it from the air. It was a dart with red feathers on the end. They exchanged a look.

  What the hell?

  Another whizzing sound, and something stung her shoulder. The world blurred and rocked. “Ev…an.” Her tongue felt thick in her mouth. She dropped to her knees.

  “Savvy!”

  He swept her into his arms and raced away from the dump. Footsteps pounded the ground behind them. The world turned into a mass of dark green with flashes of red and yellow. Savannah fought to stay conscious, but darkness closed in.

  Evan jerked and hissed. They crashed to the ground. A dart with feathers was stuck in his arm. He tried to pick her up, but he collapsed on top of her. Blurry figures towered over them. They dragged Evan off her. She reached for him, but as their fingers grazed each other, she was lifted away.

  A curtain of black crashed over her. The last thing she heard was Evan’s voice echoing in her head. Savvy…

  Chapter: Evan

  Evan blinked as he slogged his way back to consciousness. His head throbbed. Black danced along the edges of his vision and threatened to swallow him. He tried to look around, but thick, coarse straps held his head in place. His arms and legs were bound, too. He pulled against the restraints, but his body was sapped of strength. He could do little more than twitch his fingertips.

  A face appeared over him. The lower half was covered in a white surgical mask, and the hair was covered in a loose, powder blue cap. Brown eyes, shining with fascination, examined him. Evan tried to speak, but a thick fog bogged down his thoughts.

  H-he...help.

  Another masked person appeared. They spoke, but their voices couldn’t penetrate the fog in Evan’s mind. One touched his cheek. Gloved fingers probed into his mouth. A woman spoke. The other person—a man—nodded and turned away.

  Where was Savannah? A jolt surged through Evan, and he strained against the straps. The fabric creaked. The woman examining him jumped back, shouting something. She jammed her arm against his throat, pressed against the gills on the right side of his neck, and motioned with her free hand. He gagged, unable to breathe. The man hurried back with a syringe. He jabbed it into Evan’s arm.

  The energy drained from Evan’s body, and he fell still. He sank into blackness. A humming sound filled the air. Something cold touched his chest, but he was too far-gone to know what it was. He reached out with his mind, fighting through the darkness and fog for one final thought.

  Save…her…

  Chapter: Savannah

  When Savannah came to, she was on her back. Straps bound her arms and legs. A florescent light glowed overhead, making the air hot and heavy. She squirmed, but exhaustion had her limbs feeling like lead. Defeated, she fell still. Her gaze darted around. She was in what looked like a hospital room or lab. Large equipment with buttons, cables, and lights were scattered around the room. Computers sat on metal desks. White curtains were tucked against the walls, ready to portion off the room. A large window showed a plain hallway.

  To her right, a series of photographs were pinned on a bulletin board. They showed Savannah at her car, getting ready to visit her parents for the weekend; walking with James; being harassed by the frat boys; with Mandy at the club; and seated at the library studying. Multiple were of her coming out of the woods. Other pictures showed Evan hiding among the trees and jumping out of her window. A few were of the dump with close ups of the car he slept in.

  Strangely, a picture of Mandy was also pinned on the board. She wore a black suit and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

  Sweat trickled down Savannah’s back. Often, she had felt like she was being watched, but after Evan came back into her life, she had come to the conclusion that it had been him. He was always lurking in the shadows, and she took every opportunity to let him know she knew he was there, teasing him about stalking her. Her stomach churned at the realization they were both being watched.

  Where was Evan?

  She closed her eyes and listened, hoping to hear his voice in her head. When only her panicked thoughts answered, she sniffed. All she smelled was cleansers.

  The door to the lab opened, and a woman in a black suit and sunglasses strode in, followed by a man in a white doctor’s coat. She set a manila folder on a nearby desk. She pulled a chair up, sat next to Savannah, and crossed her legs. The man moved to a tray of instruments and began arranging them. Their faces were passive, almost bored. It made Savannah’s pulse jump.

  Were these people human? They appeared so, but that didn’t mean anything. Evan never said what the aliens looked like. For all Savannah knew, this was a space ship.

  Either way, whoever kidnapped her couldn’t believe they had the upper hand. She had to maintain her cool and formulate a plan to find Evan and escape.

  “Savannah Anne Janowitz.” The woman speaking made Savannah twitch. She picked up the folder and opened it. “Born July 23rd to Andrei and Charity Janowitz. In the top five of graduating class. Captain of the cheerleading squad at Newbury High. Volunteered at the local animal shelter during the summers. When asked, peers used the words kind, smart, driven, fair.” The woman nodded. Her lips pursed. “Overall, you’re a promising young woman.”

  Even though she was restrained, Savannah managed a shrug. “My parents raised me well.”

  “Indeed. Honestly, when looking at your life, there’s nothing extraordinary that stands out.” She paused to gauge Savannah’s reaction.

  Savannah gave the woman a blank look despite the surge of anger and snarky comment on her tongue.

  When Savannah didn’t rise to the bait, the woman continued. “Except for a strange incident four years ago. You were out with Evan Montgomery Sullivan, born October 4th, mother Susan and father Braden, when you both vanished. A year later, you reappeared in the same location. He did not. I’m going to be blunt, Miss Janowitz.” The woman folded her hands and placed them over the folder. “Your disappearance, while unusual, gave no indication that something out of the ordinary happened. Your therapist cites you as a legitimate case of amnesia. But for all anyone knows, you and Evan Sullivan ran away, and when he dumped you, you returned home and faked being kidnapped.”

  Rage burned through Savannah. She licked her lips and struggled to keep a lid on her emotions. “Why am I here?”

  “We picked up chatter about a young woman seen with a man who kept half his face covered. But what prompted us to have another look and take action was this.” She retrieved a recording device out of her pocket and hit play.

  “H-He-He didn’t have a-a-a…mouth.”

  Savannah’s gaze snapped back to the board and the image of Mandy. Her mind went to all the times her roommate had randomly appeared, claiming to be nearby and wanting to say hello.

  The woman smirked as if savoring something sweet. “She’s an excellent actress, isn’t she? Even I was fooled for a while. Don’t worry about her. We’ll deal with her eventually.”

  A sick feeling rolled Savannah’s stomach. She barely able to muster the strength to whisper, “Who are you?”

  The woman packed up the folder and rose. “I’m not at liberty to say.” A small smile hinted on her lips. “Let’s just say someone is always watching. Although, not in the way most are paranoid about, and we’d like to keep it that way. Don’t worry, we’ll get you figured out soon enough.”

  The woman left Savannah alone with the man. He rolled a cart closer. On it were knives and a small saw. He snapped on latex gloves and picked up a syringe. The needle glinted under the bright lights.

&
nbsp; Panic exploded in Savannah, like fireworks zinging through her. She threw all her strength into her left arm, ripping the restraint free. The man dropped the syringe and stumbled back as she freed her right arm and tore the leather straps off her legs. She lunged at him, plowing into him like a battering ram and smashing him into a desk. Sparks from the computer flew into the air when his head collided with it. Sprawled over the desk, he deflated with a groan and lay motionless.

  Savannah panted to regain her breath. Adrenaline made her bounce. She searched the unconscious man, grabbed a keycard in case it was useful, and bolted for the door.

  The hallway was silent and empty. Lights illuminated the gray tile floor. She looked up and down the corridor.

  Where was Evan? She had to find him.

  There was no trace of his scent on the air, leaving her to pick a direction. Whirling on her heels, she bolted down the hall. It ended at an intersection. Which way now? With her eyes squeezed shut, she turned in circles, sniffing and listening. A whiff of pine and earth to her left halted her. There! She ran in the direction of the smell. Halfway down the corridor was a pair of double doors. She rushed through them and slid to a halt.

  Three men in black suits stood at the opposite end. They turned when the doors slammed shut. Sunglasses hid their eyes, but they tensed.

  “Hey!”

  Savannah spun around and ran back through the doors. The three men raced after her. One yelled into a walkie-talkie, demanding a lockdown of the building. An alarm blared.

  Her feet pounded the floor as she ran, going left, then right, left again. Another corridor was lined with plain doors. She randomly picked one and burst into the room, ready to knock out anyone trying to catch her. But the room was unoccupied, full of tall computer servers. Red and white lights winked. A fan overhead whirred, making the room cold. Thick, black wires ran along the floor. They were tied in bunches and connected to the servers. She squeezed behind the one against the wall and held her breath.

  One of the men entered the room with his gun drawn. Did the guns hold tranquilizer darts or bullets? No way she was finding out. He crept between the servers.

  Savannah waited until he was next to her. She grabbed him by the fabric of his suit and slammed his face into the server tower. Metal clanged from the impact, and the man crumpled to the floor. She climbed out of her hiding space and searched him. He had a keycard as well, but she discarded that in favor of the walkie-talkie. Chatter crackled as the other men in black reported in. Each one was searching a server room. Now was her chance. She paused, considering taking the gun as well, but decided stealth was the best option. Besides, she had never shot a gun in her life.

  Cracking the door, she inched out and ran on her toes back down the hallway. When she reached the doorway, the alarm abruptly cut out, and the lights died. Emergency lights lit red and blanketed everything in a bloody glow. The talk on the walkie-talkie intensified.

  “Intruders in the west wing of the building! They’ve cut the power.”

  “I’ve got movement in the south end as well.”

  “Affirmative. They’re everywhere! Who the fuck are they?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Find the girl. Don’t let her escape.”

  “Copy that.”

  Savannah pushed through the door. Her heart was threating to break her ribs from how hard it was pounding. She ran back to where she had first caught Evan’s scent.

  Save…Savvy.

  Evan’s voice in her head stopped her. But where was he? She couldn’t tell. Lifting her head, she squeezed her eyes shut and sniffed. His scent was still faint but strong enough for her to follow. It led her down another corridor. This place was a labyrinth.

  A long window that stretched the length of the hallway looked into another room full of medical equipment. A man was bustling around a desk, grabbing papers and shoving them into a briefcase. He wore a white coat and a blue cap covered his hair. He pushed to his feet, and Savannah ducked down before he saw her. She risked a peek. He hurried to the far side where a white curtain concealed half the room and yanked it back.

  Evan lay on a gurney. A sheet covered his body. A metal clamp held his mouth open, and rods were stuck in his gills. His eyelids fluttered when the man touched him.

  Hear… me… Please…

  Ducking down, Savannah crawled to the door. The keypad’s display was dark. Dare she hope? Her palms were damp with sweat as she gripped the handle. It opened with a low hiss.

  Savannah didn’t wait another second. She barreled into the room and plowed into the man. They slammed into the wall, and his head made a sick thud. His eyes rolled back into his skull, and he was out cold. Stepping over the man, she rushed to Evan’s side.

  “I’m here, Evan.” Her hands shook as she removed the rods. Blood oozed from his gills, and he moaned. “I’m sorry. Almost done.” She twisted the screws at the corners of the clamp holding his mouth open, releasing the tension. Next, she unstrapped his head.

  “I’ll get us out of here,” she promised. “We’ll find a place safe. We can be together, and they won’t find us.”

  She threw the head strap away and tore the sheet off him. Thick, black stitches crisscrossed over an ugly red incision along his stomach. It split into a Y shape at his collarbone. Bile rose up her throat, and she barely held it back.

  “It’s okay. It’s okay,” she whispered but more to herself than to Evan.

  She fumbled with the rest of the straps. Her hands were shaking badly. Once he was free, she slipped her arm under his neck and lifted him into a sitting position. He moaned. His face contorted with pain.

  “I’m sorry, but you have to get up.” She glanced around and spotted his trench coat. When she let him go, he slumped forward. She steadied him with one hand. He wouldn’t stay up without her help. Drawing a breath, she grabbed his coat and sprang back to him before he toppled over.

  “Come on.” She draped his coat over his shoulders and got him standing. He leaned heavily against her. With his arm over her shoulder, and her arms around his waist, she walked him to the door.

  Savannah kept one ear tuned into the walkie-talkie as she led Evan out of the lab. At corners, she leaned him against the wall to check for men in black. The chatter on the walkie-talkie stopped. She messed with the volume and channels but heard only static. Had they found the man she knocked out and discovered she took his walkie-talkie? It didn’t matter. She had to keep going.

  Discarding the walkie-talkie, she resumed their slow walk. A stitch formed in her side as she dragged Evan along. Her muscles protested each step. Evan’s legs gave out again and again. A trail of blood smeared the floor in his wake.

  “Don’t give up. We’re almost free,” she pleaded.

  She shoved another door open with her shoulder. An exit sign glowed red in the darkness at the end of the hallway. She sobbed and clapped her hand to her mouth to stifle the sound. Half carrying, half dragging Evan, she made her way toward the exit. Halfway to what she hoped was freedom, his head lolled to the side, and he dropped like a ton of bricks.

  She hauled him to his feet, but his legs gave out. Blood pooled around him. “Come on, Evan. You have to get up!”

  No way in hell was she losing him again. They were going to get out of this and be together. It’s what they deserved!

  A hand touched Savannah’s shoulder, and she screamed.

  A woman with brown skin so dark it was almost black knelt next to Savannah. She wore a deep blue scarf around her head like a turban, another over her mouth, and a tightfitting jumpsuit of the same color. Her black gaze darted around before meeting Savannah’s. “Do hurry,” she said in a strange accent. “Now.”

  The woman slung Evan’s right arm over her shoulder and paused a second to look at Savannah. Savannah scrambled to follow suit. Together, they lifted Evan to his feet. The woman lifted her free hand to her face and whistled shrilly into what looked like a watch on her wrist. A reply chirped back. She nodded to Savannah then at the exit. “Qu
ick. There.”

  Savannah had no choice but to comply. Her body was crying with exhaustion, and Evan was nothing but dead weight. She wasn’t even sure he was still alive. Her feet struggled to keep up with the woman as they ran to the exit.

  Please let it be unlocked, Savannah silently pleaded. Please let us be free.

  The door opened with a buzz. A cool wind blew inside, and Savannah saw stars in the sky. She choked on a sob.

  Almost there, Evan.

  “Hey!”

  Something pricked Savannah between the shoulder blades. Dizziness instantly washed over her.

  “Run!” the woman yelled, hauling Savannah and Evan out the door. Over her shoulder, Savannah got a glimpse of a man in black pursuing them. He was blurry, blending in with the darkness swarming her vision.

  The woman pulled them across the empty parking lot. She screeched into the watch on her wrist. Another stab pierced Savannah in her arm. She tumbled to her knees, losing her grip on Evan. The woman only got another step before Evan collapsed, too. She pulled at him, trying to get him back on his feet. A dart hit the woman in the neck. She yanked it out.

  “Here, now!” she yelled into the watch.

  Blinding white flooded the parking lot and lit the desert surrounding them. In the distance, Savannah saw the outline of mountains against the night sky. A low hum vibrated the air, and a sleek craft with yellow lights zoomed out of the night. It hovered over Savannah, Evan, and the woman.

  Déjà vu twisted Savannah’s stomach as weightlessness gripped her and lifted her up. She summoned the strength to reach for Evan, but he floated out of reach.

  “No,” she whimpered.

  The man in black was below them, aiming his gun. Darts whizzed through the air, tinking against the craft.

  Savannah and Evan passed through a round portal in the ship’s belly. The light vanished, and gravity crashed them to the floor. Savannah clawed to Evan, trying to shield him with her body. No, not again! Blurry figures surrounded them. She snarled, but it came out a whimper. A hand reached for her, but before it could touch her, unconsciousness grabbed her, ripping her away from Evan.