"Come on out here. I got something I want to show you."
I turned from Lucky and fixed my gaze on Tom, my tormentor, my torturer. I wanted to kill him with my eyes alone, I wanted to take the gun he now held in his hand and use it on him. Angry tears filled my eyes, and I could feel a great rage boiling up inside of me, a great wave rolling forward that would soon break over me and I would not be able to control it. But I had to...if it was just me here by myself, I wouldn't care. I would yell and scream and try to hurt him in any way I could, even if it meant he would kill me for it.
But I couldn't, not with Lucky here. I didn't care if I died now, but I would not let him hurt Lucky, and I knew he would do just that if I said anything.
I must have made a small sound as I tried to choke back my reaction, because Lucky turned to me then, his hand touching my hair.
"Are you okay? I'm right here with you. Everything will be all right."
I only nodded, not trusting myself to say a single word.
"Come on. Now, dammit."
Lucky stood and helped me gently to my feet. I knew that I should have been more afraid; Lucky was in danger, and whatever Tom was going to do to us wouldn't be pleasant. But the rage was still there, lodged swollen in my chest and making me shake, forcing me to clench my teeth shut in an effort to control myself. When would it end? When would he cease to have such control over me? We walked to the door slowly and he stood there smirking. I wondered where he had gotten the gun, and I could only hope that if he planned to use it he would make it quick and painless. I almost laughed at myself for thinking that. He hustled us through the door, and I saw two chairs sitting in the middle of the room facing each other, some ropes coiled next to them. Lucky's hand was in mine and he squeezed it gently in reassurance, trying to smile. Tom must have seen Lucky's smile, for his lip curled and he pointed the gun at me. "You, my Lucky friend, are going to tie your little girlfriend to this chair.
Lucky's hand tightened on mine. "What? I can't do that! I won't!""
He cocked the gun. "Oh can't you?"
"I'm not going to tie her up. Are you insane?"
Tom's voice was flat and inhuman. "Fine then. Watch her die."
I turned to Lucky, ignoring the stupid gun. "Lucky, just do it," I whispered. "Just do whatever he says."
His eyes filled with tears, and I felt something inside me rip just a little more. Lucky was hurting so much because of me. "Please, Lucky. Please."
"No." He kept his voice steady despite the tears sliding down his cheeks, and then he looked at Tom. "Just let her go can't you? Do what you want with me, but just let her go."
My heart jumped and I wanted to scream at him. He couldn't do that. I wouldn't let him. I had no chance to say anything, for suddenly Tom grabbed me and pulled me to him, pressing the barrel of the gun against my temple. "Dammit, I'm tired of your shit! What did I tell you in the car?"
Lucky sobbed frantically, running his hands through his hair. "Okay, okay, I'll do anything you say. Just don't hurt her, please!"
I couldn't feel the cold metal against my skin, I couldn't even feel the fear I should have felt. There was only a blinding fury that he was scaring Lucky, playing with him like a cat. I would have fought him, I would have kicked him, hit him, anything, but he shoved me back at Lucky and I fell into his arms. He clung to me and I sagged briefly against his warmth. My poor beloved Lucky, you don't deserve any of this. "That chair right there. Tie her hands behind it real good. I'll be standing right here making sure that you do."
I turned around as Lucky helped me sit in the chair. Be compliant, be quiet and good and maybe that monster won't hurt Lucky. I'm not scared Lucky, not for me. I wish I could tell you that. Don't cause trouble with him. Just do whatever he says. Please, Lucky. Please. I closed my eyes and felt Lucky's hands gently pull mine behind me. The rope was there, rough and scratchy, and then his voice soft as velvet in my ear. "I'm sorry, Ellzabeth, I'm so sorry. Just keep your eyes on my all the time, okay? Let me handle everything. Can you do that?" I bit my lip, suddenly wanting to cry for his sweetness, his bravery, his foolishness for coming here, his love for me. God, what did I ever do to deserve him?
Tom's voice cut into my thoughts like a rusty knife. "Nice try, Spencer. Tighter than that."
"I'm sorry," Lucky said to me, and he tied them tighter. Good Lucky. Don't make him angry.
"Your turn."
I opened my eyes and watched as he made Lucky sit in the other chair across from me and tied his hands behind him. My eyes locked with Lucky's then. His were wet and filled with pain as he mouthed the words, "I love you."
I nodded, but stiffened as Tom stepped behind me. "My God, weren't you in Boy Scouts or anything? You call this a knot?" He bent down and retied the knots around my wrists, jerking the ropes so hard that I gasped involuntarily at the pain.
"Do you have to do that? Can't you see she's not going anywhere," Lucky said desperately. I glanced away from him. "Elizabeth, " he whispered. "Look at me. Concentrate on me."
I looked at him again but it was almost too hard to do so; it hurt to much to see how much he was hurting, and I could see it in his eyes as if he was telling me with words. I'm sorry Lucky, I tried to say with my own. I'm sorry that I got you into this. I'm sorry.
Tom walked around to stand beside me then, the gun shoved in his pants, and I could feel his eyes on me, crawling like dirty maggots over my hair and face and body. My blood pressure was rising again, and I knew my face was flushed. He sickened me, but I kept my face a mask.
"She sure is beautiful, isn't she Lucky?" He murmured. "I thought that the first time I ever saw her. I can sure see what you see in her, that's for sure."
"Shut up! You know nothing! Nothing!"
Tom ignored him of course; he didn't even glance at him but instead kept looking at me. "Everything about you is beautiful, Elizabeth. Especially what we had together. Have you tried it yet, Lucky? Surely you haven't been with such a beautiful girl for so long without trying it just a little."
Lucky struggled in the chair, jerking ineffectuality at his ropes. "Can't you just stop? What do you want from her? Can't you just leave her alone...please!"
His voice caught and snagged on the last word, breaking open like an egg to reveal his agony within. I fixed my eyes on him, wishing I could say the words aloud. Lucky, don't. You're letting this piece of filth get to you. You're giving him what he wants. You're doing what you told me not to do. Don't let him win, don't let him upset you...
"You're scared, aren't you Elizabeth?" He circled around me, a shark checking out his prey before he made the strike. "I bet you're so scared you can't breathe." Without warning he slipped his hand down the front of my shirt and rested it over my heart, his fingers splayed between my breasts. Revulsion filled me at his touch and I swallowed heavily at the sudden nausea that filled my throat. I clamped my lips shut. I would not give him the satisfaction of reacting, even though chills of disgust were chasing themselves over my body, even though his hand burned me like an iron brand. "You ARE scared," he said triumphantly. "I can tell by how fast your little heart is beating."
"Jesus! Get your fucking hands off her!" Lucky's voice broke again, this time echoing the fury I could feel, and the futility and hopelessness also. There was nothing we could do, nothing would make him stop. And he knew it. All three of us knew it.
I didn't move, didn't make a sound. Perhaps if I became a stone I would not feel him, would not hear him. He could not reach me, could not touch me. Do the same Lucky. Become a rock.
He moved his hand to my left breast and my facade of calm slipped a little as he squeezed it, so hard that the pain shot through me like a little arrow. Lucky said nothing. His face twisted in pain, as if he had read my mind and had known to keep quiet.
Tom chuckled as he removed his hand and stepped in front of me, blocking my view to Lucky. He studied me for a moment, then took my chin between his finger and thumb and tilted my face up.
"So, so pretty. I know Lucky has to love your big blue eyes. And your soft skin. And your lips. My God, he's got to love your lips." He stroked my bottom lip with his thumb and it took all of my effort, all of my concentration to keep from spitting in his face. I stared past his shoulder, knowing that I was losing the battle, that my eyes were ablaze, that angry tears were stinging them. But I could not cry. I could not. I could cry alone with Lucky, but I would not cry for Tom.
"Pretty little girl." He leaned down, his mouth covering mine. I jerked in shock and horror, and without thinking my teeth sank deeply into his bottom lip. "Oh fuck!" He jumped back, his hand flying to his bleeding lip.
I glared at him, trying to ignore the taste of his blood. He pulled the knife from his belt and grabbed me by the hair, yanking my head back so that I cried out. He pressed the tip of the knife to the soft skin just under my jaw; I swallowed convulsively and the tip dug a little deeper. I froze. The time for games was over on both sides and he had won after all. I jerked my eyes in a panic to Lucky; it was over now and I was dead.
"What the hell are you doing?" Lucky struggled against his bonds, sobbing openly now.
Tom's breath was hot on my cheek. "Should I rip her apart quickly and watch her blood gush all over the place? Or should I carve her up nice and slow like a Thanksgiving turkey?" He dragged the knife down, through the soft little valley between the muscle and the windpipe, slicing into me, the ripping of my own flesh loud in my ears, the warmth of my blood cooling in the air of the cabin. "You know, there's a very important artery under here. If I were to cut just a little deeper..."
Take yourself away Liz, take yourself away from it and then you won't feel it. Let yourself go. Goodbye Lucky, I love you. I love you.
~~~~
Lucky watched in horror as Tom slid the knife down her neck and watched as the blood started to trickle down the front of her. He felt his own blood boiling as his anger and frustration rose. His voice was barely a whisper. "Please God, don't let him do this to her. Please help her."
He could see that Liz was trembling as Tom put the knife away, pulled out the gun again and stood up. He walked over to Lucky and started to untie the ropes on his hands. "Well, I've had enough. You two are so frigging pathetic. Do you want to untie your girlfriend? I'll leave you two alone for awhile...let you have a chance to get some action, huh, Lucky? Better do it while you can...who knows how much longer you'll have."
Lucky stood up and went to Elizabeth. He started to untie the knots as quickly as he could, but his hands were shaking so badly that it took him a few minutes. He glanced at Tom and saw that he looked totally bored, and he was laughing. He finally got her untied and pulled her close, holding her tightly.
Tom pushed them towards the door and shoved them inside. . As soon as the door was closed and locked, Lucky reached for Elizabeth, but she tore away from him and half ran, half stumbled to the bathroom, where the light was still on. She was sobbing as she turned on the hot water tap and grabbed the small bar of soap and began scrubbing her mouth furiously.
Lucky followed her into the bathroom and when he saw the hot steaming water coming from the tap and saw what she was doing, he reached over and turned the water off. "Elizabeth, you'll burn yourself. Here, let me do this." He picked up the shirt he had taken off earlier and tore a few more pieces from it. He moistened one piece and put soap on it and gently cleaned her mouth. She did not speak, only stared straight ahead at her reflection in the mirror. "I know, sweetie, I know," he whispered.
When he was finished, he put his arms around her and kissed her softly on the lips and she began to sob harder. He suddenly felt her body go limp in his arms and she slumped to the floor in front of the sink. Lucky sat on the floor with her, gathering her in his arms and stroking her hair as he whispered over and over, "It's okay, it's okay." After a few minutes she stopped crying so hard and he was able to take a look at the new wound on her neck. Thank God it was only a superficial wound. He got another piece of his shirt and began to clean the wound, tears blinding him, hating Tom for all he had done to her, as he watched her eyes staring straight ahead, glazed and suddenly unresponsive.
Lucky put his hands on the side of her face. "Elizabeth, look at me. Look at me. I'm so proud of you. You didn't break down in front of him and that's good. You didn't let him take your power away." He watched as she tried to look at him, but her eyes would not focus on him. He wasn't sure that she was even hearing him. "Baby, I need you to stay with me here. You can't shut down. Please look at me. Don't let him do this to you. Don't let him win."
Elizabeth did not answer him, nor did she acknowledge that she had heard him. He watched as her eyes slid past him, blank, and unseeing to some point just past him, her body shaking uncontrollably. Lucky gently picked her up and carried her to the other room and laid her down on the blankets. After covering her up with several blankets he laid down beside her and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her to try and make her warm, although he knew she wasn't shaking just from the cold. He hummed softly to her as he stroked her face, as he cursed himself for not calling Luke or Sonny before he left to meet Tom. He was afraid for both of them and he prayed that he would be able to find a way to get away from this hell, to get Elizabeth to safety. Finally her shaking subsided and her breathing became less erratic and he knew she was asleep. She needed to sleep, she needed to get her strength back. But there would be no sleep for Lucky as he thought with utter certainty that tomorrow could be far worse than today.