It started to turn hot during the days and it made it hard to keep working. He brought more water during the summer, but I could tell I was getting dehydrated. He still came every five days to deal out some form of torture and that delayed how much I could work on digging. Some nights I couldn’t dig because I didn’t have the energy or I was in too much pain.
The next time he came for me, he kicked me repeatedly all over my body until I passed out. The time after that, he broke a few of my ribs. That was the worst because it hurt to breathe, let alone move. I wasn’t able to do much digging to escape for a while after that. Every time he came he found a new way to torture me. The most recent had been heated pliers that he held to my back until my throat was raw from screaming. I lost count of how many times he burned me, but I had nightmares about it and woke up in a cold sweat.
Nights were the worst for me because I had to watch for the rodents. When I couldn’t move from the pain and I just wanted to pass out, the fear of what else was in the cellar with me crept into my head. It made me wish this nightmare was over and I could just die and move on from this horrible life. My thoughts were growing darker every day and I knew that mentally, I couldn’t hold on much longer. Physically, I still had a little left in me. The day I gave up digging the hole would be the day I knew my life was over. I had to escape soon or I knew I wouldn’t make it.
It was now a day before he would be back to torture me and I almost had my tunnel completely dug. I had tunneled sideways and then up. I didn’t want to break through the grass until after he dropped off my water and food for the day. I didn’t want to try to escape before then. I needed as much time as possible to get away. Plus, I needed the food and water if I was going to attempt to escape.
I couldn’t say for sure how long I had been here, but I think it had been about five months. I’d lost count of the days a long time ago. I thought it was around September now because it was cold at night. I would shiver uncontrollably at night, but during the day, it was more manageable. I’d take it over what the summer was like, but I needed to escape before it got too cold at night or I’d freeze to death first.
As I sat in my cellar, I thought about my plan of escape and vowed that if it didn’t work, I’d find a way to kill myself. I couldn’t take anymore and I didn’t want to die at his hands. I’d been living in a urine filled hole for so long that the smell hardly bothered me anymore.
Around mid afternoon, I heard his car pull up. I checked all around to make sure everything appeared as it should and I tested my ropes to make sure they looked tight enough. I heard the scrape of the lock and the door pulled open. My heart raced, but not from dread. As soon as he left, I would make my escape and be free of this place. He walked down the stairs with a grin on his face. He had two bottles of water and a small sandwich. Thank God he remembered to feed me today or I wouldn’t make it very far.
“My dear, little Lexi. How are you today? Still holding up, I see.” I wanted to smile at him, but anything out of the ordinary would tip him off or I would get a beating. I didn’t say anything and avoided his gaze. “I brought you some food and water for today. You’d better enjoy it because tomorrow I’ll be back for another round of our game. Who knows how many more of these fun times we’ll have together. I do enjoy the hours that I get to spend with you.” He smiled at me, then turned and walked out, locking the door behind him. I ate the food slowly, listening for his car to disappear down the road. Then I drank a little of the water and waited for an hour to be sure he was gone.
I pulled my wrists from the rope for the last time and wiggled through my hole. I waited for a few minutes, terrified that when I moved the grass out of the way, he would be standing there waiting for me. Finally, I pulled the clumps of grass out of the way and peered out of the hole. I didn’t see any cars or other signs of life.
I saw the cabin for the first time and saw that it was a dilapidated hunting cabin. There was tall grass all around me, which helped to conceal my movements, and the woods were off to the left. He had always gone to the right and I was pretty sure that was the direction of the road.
I pulled myself up and had to squint at the brightness. All that time in the cabin had left my eyes sensitive to the sun. I pushed through the tears that had started streaming down my face and went to the door of the hunting cabin looking for supplies. There were some bottles of water and a few snack bars in a plastic bag. I grabbed the whole bag and left the cabin behind.
When I walked out of the cabin I headed towards the woods, deciding that it was better to take my chances going that way than risk him finding me if I walked along the road. I figured I had at least an eighteen hour head start on him and I intended to be long gone by the time he returned.
Once I made it to the tree line I started running. I felt this burning need to get as far away from this place as possible. Thoughts of him catching me spurred me into action and I found myself panicking at the thought of him catching me and dragging me back to that dark cellar. I was breathing so hard that I had to stop. My lungs burned and I had a huge pain in my side. I stopped and leaned against a tree to calm myself down. A sob tore through my throat. I slid down the tree, leaned back, and felt the grief of what I’d endured wash over me. I cried for my parents that never got to see me grow up. I cried for the shitty foster homes I had been placed in. I cried for the life that had been stripped from me. When I felt all cried out, I wiped my eyes and got back up, steeling my spine for the rest of my journey. When I felt calm enough to continue I walked at a steady pace through the woods.
I was weak and kept tripping over tree roots and scraping myself on branches and bushes. I’d been walking for most of the day, stopping to eat and drink occasionally, and hoped that I wasn’t going in circles. I was disoriented from dehydration and getting dizzier with each step I took. I knew I was running out of water and food, but I was going to have to eat and drink or I wouldn’t be able to continue. Sitting down in a cocoon of underbrush, I laid my head down on the forest floor and stared at the sky through the leaves on the trees. I must have been right on my timing because the leaves were starting to change color. My eyes were heavy and they drifted closed as I lay in peace listening to the rustling of the leaves.
I woke to the early morning light beginning to appear. I felt more rested than I had in months, but my mouth was like a giant cotton ball and I knew that I wouldn’t make it too much longer out here. I no longer felt cold and I knew that my body was shutting down.
A twig snapped from somewhere nearby and I bolted upright in terror. My heart was thumping wildly in my chest and I felt nauseous. I was so close to escape, I couldn’t bear to go back now. That thought spurred me into action and I jumped up and took off running. Every noise that the forest made had me searching around wildly and I could swear that I heard boots running behind me. I kept looking back, but never saw anything. My mind was running crazy creating images of men all around me and I couldn’t seem to shut it off. My breathing was out of control, but the fear pushed me on.
The branches scratched at my cheeks and the sleeves of my long sleeve shirt were torn to shreds. I pushed on through it all, tripping several times and falling to the ground. My hands ached from cuts and thorns that had embedded in my flesh, but I continued to catapult myself through the forest. As I broke through the tree line I practically sobbed in relief when I saw the house in the distance with the lights on. The sun was almost up now and I could see a truck in the driveway. Someone was home. I started sprinting towards it when I saw a figure running along the road.
No. No! It couldn’t be. How did he find me? I escaped and now here he was again. In the back of my brain, there was a small part of me that realized this could be someone else, but the fear was telling me it was him. I didn’t know if I should run to this man or take my chances in the woods where I would certainly die in the next day or two.
He stopped as he saw me and then started walking in my direction.
“Hey! What are you doing out here?
Are you okay?”
That voice. It was nothing like my captors scratchy, deep voice. This voice was deep, but crystal clear. Still, I couldn’t make my feet move towards him. He was walking closer and closer to me and I stood there like a deer in the headlights, unable to move.
“Are you hurt?”
I still didn’t say anything and I wasn’t even sure I could. I had been silent for so long that I wasn’t sure if my voice still worked. I took a tentative step towards him, but exhaustion was starting to take over and I could feel my legs shaking, trying to hold me upright. Relief started pouring through me as I clearly saw his face. A dizzying sensation took over my body and I was suddenly falling. I could see the blue sky above me and everything in my world calmed. It was going to be alright. I was going to be safe. I felt the impact as my body hit the grass, but I was so tired that I no longer cared. I just needed to rest.
My vision of the sky was replaced with a concerned face looking down at me.
“Miss, are you alright? What happened?”
I stared at him for a few minutes taking in his handsome face, thinking that if this was my time to go, at least this would be the last face I would see.
“I need help…please.” It came out scratchy and small and I was surprised that he understood me.
I was floating through the air a minute later and I looked over at my savior’s face. It was stern looking and I thought perhaps he was mad at me for making him carry me, but when he glanced down at me I only saw concern in his eyes.
“I’m going to take you to the hospital. Just hang on.”
Panic set in and I tried to wiggle from his arms, but it was a feeble attempt. He was still out there and he would be pissed when he saw I escaped. He would never stop hunting me. He would keep coming for me, but if I never turned up anywhere, he might assume that I died in the woods trying to escape.
“Please, no. No hospital,” I croaked out. “He’ll find me. You can’t let him find me.”
I pleaded with my eyes that he not take me anywhere. His expression was stern, but he gave a nod and changed direction to the house. He set me down at the kitchen table where I lay my head. I saw him grab some water from the fridge and then some crackers from the cabinet. He came over and helped me into a sitting position and poured the cool liquid down my throat. At first, I couldn’t seem to swallow. Nothing about me seemed to function anymore, but he continued to pour it in my mouth and eventually I was able to swallow without choking. I finished off two bottles of water and a few crackers, feeling slightly better.
“Let’s get you cleaned up and then you can lay down and rest.”
I was sure I smelled to high heaven, but he hadn’t said a thing. I hadn’t showered in months and my teeth were grimy from not having a toothbrush. I had tried my best to brush with my finger, but that didn’t do a whole lot. I was sure I was going to have cavities. None of that seemed to matter when I was in the cellar. My thoughts were solely on surviving, but now I was acutely aware of the stench. I got up to follow him down the hall, but my body didn’t cooperate and I collapsed almost as soon as I stood. He caught me, hauled me up in his arms, and carried me down the hall to what looked like the master bedroom. He carried me through to the en suite and set me down on the toilet seat.
“I’m gonna help you shower. I don’t think you want to take a bath, but I’m pretty sure you can’t stand on your own. Is that okay?”
I nodded. What choice did I have? I desperately wanted to be clean. He pulled my shirt off over my head and I got a good whiff of what it smelled like. This man was a saint. He proceeded to remove my pants and undergarments. Normally, I would be shy, but I really doubted he was looking at my body in a sexual way right now. He turned on the water and a nice, warm steam started to fill the air. He helped me in and then grabbed a washcloth. He was about to step in when he decided to take off his jeans and socks. He left on his boxers and t-shirt.
He loaded up the washcloth with soap and gently washed my body. He took extra care around my face and ears that seemed to be extra grimy. He added soap multiple times and had to wash out the rag more than that. The bottom of the shower was covered in dirt and he even detached the shower head to wash it down the drain. I glanced down at my body and saw bones protruding where there used to be gentle curves. The tears started flowing and I didn’t know if they would ever stop. He didn’t say anything, but poured shampoo in his hand and gently washed my hair several times. When he was sure it was clean, he added conditioner, which I was immensely grateful for. He grabbed his razor and lifted my arms, shaving off the months of growth. When he finished, he lathered up my legs with his shave cream and shaved my legs. When he was done, I felt clean and renewed. He grabbed a big, fluffy towel and wrapped me in it, then carried me to the bedroom.
Standing for that long had exhausted me. All I wanted to do was lay down under this thick comforter and go to sleep. He pulled my wet strands through the towel and then got up and grabbed a brush from he bathroom. He sat behind me and gently brushed the knots from my hair. It was a soothing feeling and I found myself starting to drift off to sleep. He removed the towel from around my body and pulled a t-shirt over my head, then helped me lay down in bed. Before I drifted off I had the fleeting thought that I hadn’t said thank you.
CHAPTER FOUR
Cole
Something was seriously wrong with this situation. This woman was completely malnourished and she stunk so bad that I had to breathe through my mouth so that I didn’t vomit from the smell. I did his best to not let on that she smelled so bad, and I don’t think she had noticed. Then, when I started washing her, I saw the marks. I had seen things like this when I was in the military. She had been tortured. There were hundreds of marks all over her body and some looked infected. Her back was the worst though. She had burn marks that were still pretty new. She had to have been in a lot of pain.
I paced the floor as she slept, trying to decide what to do. She didn’t want to go to the hospital because she feared whoever was after her would find her. If I tried to take her anywhere, she would probably panic and try to escape. There was one person that would probably know what to do and that was my mother. I decided to call her and ask her to come help. This woman was traumatized and I didn’t want to do the wrong thing and frighten her. I didn’t know the extent of her torture yet. She didn’t appear afraid of me, but that could have been the exhaustion. If she had been raped, a woman would be better off helping her. I was also going to call Sean and ask him to stop by unofficially when he had the chance. Perhaps she would be awake and would be able to give me some information and we could find whoever did this to her. I picked up the phone to call my mother.
“Hello?”
“Mom, I need your help with something. Can you come over here?”
“Sure, honey. Is everything okay?”
“No. It’s not and I’m not sure how to handle this. I could really use your help.”
“Okay, I’ll be right over. Would you like me to bring your father also?”
“No. It’s best if he stays home.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”
I went back to the room to check on her and saw that she was still sleeping. I pulled the covers up to her chin and then left the room and closed the door behind me. Mom showed up twenty minutes later looking concerned.
“What happened?”
“I was out running this morning when a woman came running out of the woods. She’s in really bad shape and she wouldn’t let me take her to the hospital. Someone is after her and she’s afraid he’s going to find her. I cleaned her up and put her in my bed to sleep.” Sighing, I ran a hand over the back of my head. “She’s really malnourished. I could see all her bones poking out and I don’t think she’s had a shower in a long time. She also…she has a lot of scars, probably from knives, and there are fresh burn marks on her back.” I walked over to the couch and sat down. I stared at the floor for a minute trying to control my anger and mom walked over to sit next to
me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know what the right thing to do is. She’s really scared and I don’t want to make that worse for her, but she needs medical care.”
I looked over at her and saw she had tears in her eyes. “Okay, well the first thing we need to do is call your cousin, Kate.”
“Why would we call her?”
“She graduated from medical school a few years back. She has a small practice of her own now. She’ll be able to tell us if this is something we can handle on our own. How about I give her a call and you see if you have the stuff for me to make chicken noodle soup? At the very least, the broth should help her.”
“Should we wait until Kate let’s us know what we need? We’ll probably have to get more stuff to pick up.”
“Well, she’ll probably be hungry when she wakes up and she’ll need something that won’t make her sick.”
I got up and went to the kitchen, rummaging through cabinets, trying to find the ingredients mom would need. I made a list of things we would need from the store, and by the time I was done, mom was off the phone.
“She was able to have another doctor cover for her, so she’s coming right away. Do we need a lot of stuff?”
“A few things.”
“Do you want me to wait with her while you run to the store?”
I looked towards the bedroom door, indecision flowing through me. “I think you should go. She’s met me, so she’ll probably feel more comfortable if she wakes up and I’m here.”
She smiled and grabbed her purse from the entryway, promising to be back soon. I wasn’t sure what to do now, so I went and sat in the room with the woman. Looking at her face, I couldn’t help but wonder who could do that to someone else. Then another thought crossed my mind. She had been tortured and starved. She had obviously been held by a male against her will. Could it be possible she was linked to the other cases? I got up and started going through the other case files.
Cole: A Romantic Thriller Novel (For The Love Of A Good Woman Book 2) Page 3
