Primary Valor, Jack Mars [black female authors .txt] 📗

know each other. I’mgoing to know everything about you, everything you know, and each step of theway you’re going to tell me something more. Every dirty little thing you’veever done. The name of every filthy bastard you’ve ever worked with. You’regoing to tell me everything, all because you want to make it stop. But it’s notgoing to stop. Not until I think it’s enough.”

Clare was silently weeping.

“You can start with some names.”

“Don’t you understand?” Claresaid. “If I give you anything else, they’ll kill me.”

Ed uttered a short bark oflaughter. He spoke as if to an imbecile, someone who could not understand plainEnglish unless you gave it to them slowly and simply.

“You’re already dead.”

The water was boiling. Luke lookedat Ed.

“You want coffee?”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Time Unknown

Place Unknown

 

 

She woke with a start.

Until a moment ago, she had been wandering in some other world—aworld without pain or thoughts, without feelings or experiences.She drifted along in that dream world. She felt like an abandoned ship, floating with the tides and blown by the wind.

Just before she opened her eyes, athought flashed in her brain, like lightning. For a fraction of a second,it seemed like she had the answer. None of this was real. None of it hadhappened. There were no kidnappers.

She had fallen asleep and it was all just a nightmare.In another second she would open her eyes andfind herself right where she belonged—in her own bed in the house she sharedwith her mom and Jeff.

She was wrong. Her eyes popped open and confirmed thetruth. Everything she hoped was a nightmare was real. Surprisingly, her mind was clear. The drugs they had given her had worn off.

She was in a small room. They had been keeping her here fordays, or maybe weeks. It was impossible to tell any more.

“Charlotte,” she said, barely even a whisper. The voicesounded to her like the croak of a frog.

No one called her by that name now.

The room was in twilight. On one dark wall, she could makeout the slightly lighter square where there was a window. The window’s glass had been blacked out. But even through the gloom she could make out itsshape, because of a small amount ofdaylight penetrating along the edges. In here, it wasnight. It was always night. Outside, wherever that was, the sun was rising anddaytime was coming.

She wason a wooden bed, and the bed waspushed up against the wall. Under the only light spot—the window—there was a bedside table. That was the room—bed, window, table. And across from her,a black door. There was no doorknob on this side of the door. You could notopen this room from the inside.

Memories began to flood her brain. A lump formed in herthroat, and each memory that came back to her caused that lump to swell. Soon the lump was so fat,so thick, it would not let her breathe.

Sheremembered sneaking out of the house that night, so clever, so smart, sodaring, like a teenage James Bond. Like Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider.

Sheremembered the party at Taylor’s house. She had two drinks there, vodka andtonic. Taylor was rich, and her house was incredible, of course. Jeff nevertired of telling her that he and her mom were rich, too, and so was she, by thestandards of normal people. But Taylor was really rich, filthy rich, crazyrich, and you could tell the difference.

Thedrinks had gone straight to her head. Lights were flashing, music was pumping. Shewas in the heated pool, and then the hot tub with a bunch of people. It was achilly night, but the water was hot and the water jets were pounding. It was soloud!

Everybodywas laughing. It was just that amazing feeling like life was totally ahead ofyou and the sky was the limit. They were all going to be rich and fabulous likeTaylor one day. They would make it on their own, or Taylor would bring themwith her. It didn’t matter.

Then shewas on the beach with Rob. Of course it was Rob. Big, beautiful Rob. RobHaskins, how many girls had ended up down on the beach with him?

Whocares? The feelings were there, so…

Theneverything was gone. It happened so suddenly. Rob was gone. She was gone. Misery,sickness, confusion. Waking up in a cage. The woman hitting her hand with astick. Then giving her food.

And thenshe was gone again.

Sheremembered first waking up here. She had been bothered by that window, a windowthat no light came through. It made everything in the room seem dark andhostile. The first thing she did was take a look to see what was wrong with it.She walked right up to it.

Theglass was painted black.

Black. Ablack window? The paint was solid, caked on in several layers. And it was notpainted on the inside—only the outside was painted, or maybe between the panes.A person on the inside, locked in this room, could not scratch the paint off.

Whatkind of torture room is this? Who paints the windows with black paint?

Sheremembered staring at the door after that. It was almost as bad as the window. Itwas just an ordinary wooden door, also painted black. But what was behind it? Whowould come through that door?

Shewatched it carefully. She did not want it to open. But her body was waking up. Shewas thirsty and she was hungry.

Whenwas the last time I ate? On the plane?

Theplane to where?

Wheream I? Why am I here?

After alittle while, she realized she needed to go pee. She looked around the room. Therewas nowhere to go in here. Time passed, and the feeling became worse. Now she couldn’t hold her bladdermuch longer. She was nauseated fromhunger, and from thirst, and she needed to use the bathroom—all at the same time.

She knewwhat she had to do. She had to stand up, step toward the door, and knock on it.But she couldn’t do it. She was too scared. Her heart started thumping in herchest at the thought of it. Who would open the door? What would she say to thatperson?

What if thedoor never opened?

She couldn’t bear it muchlonger—she needed to go to the bathroom!

She gotup and moved toward