Under the Viaduct, H. Anderson [top young adult novels .TXT] 📗

He untwisted the ropes from around her and then pulled her up by her right arm. She wavered, her head swam and her feet tingled. She unwillingly leaned into her captor rather than fall to the ground.

“I just need a second. Dizzy,” she said.

“I don’t have all day. Let’s go.” He pushed her toward the front of the building. “Bathrooms are up front.”

He held to her with one hand and clutched the lantern with the other. He stopped outside the women’s bathroom and handed her the lantern. “I’ll wait out here. But if you take too long or try anything funny, I’m coming in.”

Kaylee’s heart dropped as she entered. No windows. Not that she would have been able to climb out with her arm hanging useless from its socket. She struggled to unbutton her pants one-handed, but managed, trying to think as she sat on the disgusting toilet. Maybe she could make a run for it, find a way out through the front of the building. “Hey! Can you get me some toilet paper?” she yelled.

“No! You can drip dry,” Aaron replied.

She would have to think of a way to escape before Blayne charged in. She rested her forehead in her hand, rocking back and forth.

“You have thirty seconds to get out here or I’m coming in!” Aaron yelled.

She stood, wobbling a little, and pulled her pants up with one hand. She struggled to button them, finally using her injured arm with a gasp of pain. There was no way she’d go back out there with her pants unbuttoned.

Shoulder screaming with pain, she met Aaron at the entrance just as he stepped inside with a growl.

“Come on. I have stuff to do.” He started walking, leaving her to follow behind.

Kaylee glanced around, hoping to find an opening she could get through to the outside. Everything appeared to be boarded up. She sighed then looked back at Aaron as she stepped to follow him. The gun. She could barely make it out in the dim light, but it was still there, stuck in the waistband of his pants. She quickened her steps, waiting until she was right behind him before making her move. They’d made it almost to the doorway into the back when she reached for it. Wrapping her fingers around the grip, she stopped and backed up a few steps. Relying on training from trips to the gun range with her father, she clicked off the safety and aimed the gun at Aaron’s back with a shaking hand. “Turn around.”

He turned slowly, raising his hands up to the height of his shoulders. “Now, princess. That wasn’t very nice.” He nodded to the gun. “Too bad there isn’t a bullet in the chamber, no way you can chamber one, what with an injured shoulder and all.” He shook his head.

She called his bluff. “I don’t believe you. Someone like you wouldn’t go around with an unchambered pistol. Plus, the safety was on, no need for that unless it was ready to fire.” She could see by the falter in his smile that she’d guessed correctly.

His face twisted into an angry snarl. “What are you going to do now, princess? Shoot me?”

“Only if you make me.” Again, the trembling in her voice betrayed her. “Just give me my car keys and phone, and I’ll be out of your hair.”

“No deal. You’ll have to shoot me.”

She tightened her grip and moved it to aim square at his chest. “Have it your way.” Kaylee didn’t think she could do it, but she wanted him to believe she would.

Eyes widening, Aaron stepped back. “Wait—”

A noise behind her caused Kaylee to turn. Carl. He pushed her gun hand up toward the ceiling and punched her in the kidney with his other fist. Pain sliced into her, stealing her breath as she buckled over. Every muscle tensed, including her trigger finger, and she shot into the ceiling. Carl grabbed her wrist and twisted it painfully. The gun dropped to the floor.

“You’d better hope nobody heard that gunshot, princess.” Aaron grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the chair. He retied the cords around her tighter than before. “If you need to pee again, you’ll do it in your pants.”

The drug-dealing kidnappers disappeared behind the door to the drug room. Kaylee couldn’t even struggle to loosen the cords. Every inch of her body ached and all she could do was cry until she had no more tears and hope that Blayne would call the police instead of coming for her himself.

Shivering in the dilapidated building, Kaylee was surrounded by darkness and pain. She had no idea how long it had been since the phone call as every minute seemed to drag on for hours. She had strongly considered asking the kidnappers for some of their drugs to dull the pain, but she knew she wouldn’t. She didn’t want to go down that road.

After what seemed like days, Aaron and Carl came out of the drug room, each carrying a duffle bag. Just like in the movies, Kaylee thought, squinting as the light from the lantern hit her eyes.

Aaron shined the light closer to her battered face. “Man, Blayne is going to kill us when he sees this.”

“Yeah.” Carl’s face turned ashen and his voice came out in a higher pitch than normal. “Maybe we should just kill him after he sells this stuff off.”

“No!” Kaylee shouted. “You have a deal. I’ll make sure he doesn’t come after you. Please.”

The color somewhat returned to Carl’s face, along with a twitchy smile. “I could keep you, then. As a prize.”

“Knock it off, Carl,” Aaron said. “We ain’t gonna kill Blayne.”

Kaylee was not comforted by his words. These guys were scum. They couldn’t be trusted to keep their word.

Aaron shoved his bag at Carl. “You’d better get going. You’ll wanna get there before him, scope things out.”

Carl grabbed the bag. “You sure you don’t wanna let me stay here?” He glanced at Kaylee and licked his