The Endless Road to Sunshine - Nicky James Page 0,149
my face.
How long ago had that been? The sense of disconnection was making it impossible to keep track of time.
I was no longer bleeding, but my cheek was still tacky with drying blood. I was cold. Colder than I’d ever been.
The dog was going crazy.
The clunk of heavy footfalls echoed on wooden stairs in the distance. Reggie was coming. Tears filled my eyes, and my teeth chattered. I tugged at my restraints but couldn’t move. Fear swelled in my chest, and I sobbed, begging for help, for someone, anyone to get me out of there.
The scraping sound of keys in a lock was followed by a soft click. The steel door dragged against the concrete floor as he shoved it open.
I peeked up, stuck in an awkward tangle of bound limbs on the floor, unable to move. I’d never felt fear like this. It was so thick and visceral I could taste it. It hummed through every part of my body. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I wasn’t going to get out alive. I knew this was it.
Reggie sneered from the doorway. The dog was still barking upstairs, snarling.
“I believe we have company. I’m glad, really. I firmly believe the only way to truly learn a lesson is to experience the consequences first-hand. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“What do you want?” My nose ran as I blubbered the words. Moving my lips opened the cuts again, and my saliva tasted metallic. Like blood. I tried to find even a tiny ounce of courage, but I was so terrified, I trembled and couldn’t stop the ocean of tears. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Nothing? You didn’t do anything? Well, I think we’ll see what Jason has to say about that. He should be joining us soon. I left the door open for him. Rex is greeting him now.”
Reggie sauntered into the room.
“Sit up.” He approached and kicked me once when I didn’t comply.
I rolled into a ball, face scraping the concrete floor.
“I said, sit up.”
Chest convulsing with my tears, I squirmed and tried to work my feet around, but they were numb and aching, and they didn’t cooperate as fast as I’d have liked. When I managed to get to my knees, Reggie moved in behind me and looped an arm around my neck, heaving me the rest of the way to my feet, choking off my air supply in the process.
Crushed to his body, my arms bound behind me, I couldn’t do anything to save myself. His arm tightened as he brought his mouth next to my ear. The pressure inside my head grew to astronomical proportions. Frantic for air, I thrashed, but the harder I fought, the more he tightened his grip.
“Settle down,” he hissed. “It will be no fun if you pass out before he makes it down here.” When I didn’t stop fighting, he flicked a switchblade in my field of vision. “Stop thrashing this instant, and I’ll let you breathe. If you keep it up, I’ll just end it now.”
It went against every survival instinct I had, but I stopped fighting, tears streaming down my cheeks, my lungs collapsing and begging for oxygen.
Reggie’s grip around my neck loosened, and I gasped, taking cool, delicious air into my lungs.
“That’s it. Now behave. We have company.” Then he called out, “I know you’re here, Jason. Please, come join us. Rex won’t hurt you. He’s all bark and no bite, I’m afraid. A lousy excuse for an animal.” Then to me, he whispered, “Unlike me. I’m all bite. Are you afraid? You should be.”
I heard the floorboards creak above my head. Shaking with fear, I wanted to scream for Jason to get away, but at the same time, I didn’t want to be left alone with this maniac anymore.
“Good lord, Jason. Move your ass. We don’t have all day.”
Footfalls descended the stairs. Reggie’s grip around my neck tightened a fraction, enough that it made it hard to breathe again. He tucked the knife up close to my neck next to my jugular. “I don’t suggest you wiggle too much. All it would take is a tiny nick in the wrong place.”
Uncontrollable sobs racked my body. I couldn’t stop them. My vision was so blurred that when Jason appeared in the doorway, I had to blink several times to make him out.
Terror filled his eyes as he glanced from me to Reggie and then to the knife pressed against my neck.