The Formidable

63

Kieran took Madison by her upper arm, tugging her to the chair and spinning her around to face him. She put her arms up, watching him with a straight expression.

He pat her legs down and her waist, going along each arm until he reached her wrists, brushing over the very obvious hard object she had concealed. His eyes flickered to hers and she looked back at him blankly. It was the first time he'd shown any fear about their plan, a trace of panic in his expression for just a moment and then it was gone. He swallowed.

So far, he'd done well to play his part.

Madison blinked slowly and he knew she meant it to comfort him. She had enough confidence for the both of them and he felt better with her being there, even if it did put her directly in the line of fire. Partially because it took the focus off him and partially because it meant they had gotten through the first hurdle; get Madison to the warehouse alive.

He pressed on her shoulders to sit her down, trying to appear assertive without shoving her around too much before yanking her arms behind around the back, and taking a zip tie from his pocket, locking it in loosely so she could manoeuvre the knife around in order to cut it.

That was the second step done. He started to sweat when he heard Benny on the phone to Jase.

"You're not very good at looking after your girls, Jase, my boy. We've got the other one now. I'd put her on but her hands are a little tied right now," Benny laughed loudly at his own joke.

Madison slipped the switchblade from her sleeve.

The warehouse was twenty minutes from the house. She needed to get free and be ready.

"What do I want this time?" Benny asked. He turned to look at Madison in the chair. "Well, I'll tell you what, how about you in exchange for her?" He grinned her way. Madison made to lunge at him.

"Jase don't you fucking dare!" she screamed.

"And I'd hurry up if I were you, I am running out of patience with her already." There was a brief pause and Benny frowned, shaking his head in an almost disappointed manner. "I knew she'd be the death of you. We're at the warehouse off St Mary's Road. Come alone." He hung up, taking a slow stroll towards Madison and crouching to her level. "Do you see what you've done Madison? You've killed your dad and now Jase. All because a few years ago, you couldn't keep your legs closed or your mouth shut. Would you prefer to watch him die? Or do you want him to watch you?" It was almost astounding how confident Benny was. If he had any sense about him, he'd have picked up on the fact that Jase agreed to the exchange a little too quickly.

This business was a lot of things, humbling being one of them. A lesson Jase had learned with Adam and had been cautious ever since. Still, all the caution in the world couldn't save you every time. Some things were simply unavoidable.

"You're dumber than you look, you know?" she said, a smug smirk on her face.

"Madison, do not tempt me to kill you right now because I will," he replied. She carried on smiling, knowing it was all talk. If he killed her before Jase was there then he'd ruin his little show. He wanted to torment them by making them see the other die. He had a vision and he wouldn't let his temper get the better of him and piss all over it. Madison was only in genuine danger when Jase got there. That's when she had to be careful. "I never did like you," Benny snarled. Madison shrugged, trying to keep her movements to a minimal as she slowly, repeatedly, ran the blade over the plastic holding her wrists together. It had to be done at a painstaking pace to avoid detection.

"The feelings mutual, sweetheart," she replied.

Benny grunted, standing up. "I don't particularly care what people think of me," he said.

Madison laughed. "Yes you do. Look at everything you're doing all because I, a helpless little girl, made you look like a prick. Old big bad Benny getting kicked from his own trap house, sulking with your sorry drug habit and plotting against people that used you to get ahead before dropping you like the sack of shit you-" The second backhand was a lot harder than the first. For a moment, Madison saw stars as her vision pulsed. A warm trickle of blood ran down her chin, sending her into a frenzied laugh that was so borderline psychotic it even had Kieran on edge. "Careful Benny, you'll only turn me on," she said, replicating Jase's words knowing they'd piss him off as much as it pissed her off back in the day. He raised his hand again, only to lower it slowly with a manic smile.

"You know, now that you've said that, it's given me an idea. I might just make you watch me kill Jase and keep you for personal use. Maybe I'll even make him watch before I finish him." That wiped Madison's smile clean off, replaced with a glare and bared teeth. Benny was sick enough to carry it out and if things didn't go according to plan... it wasn't worth thinking about. With great difficulty, she managed to keep the bile down when her stomach lurched as the imagery bled into her mind.

He would be on his way now.

She just had to stick it out and keep Benny on the edge of insanity.

Come on Jase, hurry

She willed silently.

Benny had enough of taunting Madison and joined Tommy by the door for a cigarette. Kieran remained stood next to her, hands behind his back and legs shoulder width apart, waiting for his next move. The hardest thing they had to do now was survive Benny's unpredictable temper. Madison sat back in her chair to give her arms more slack and take the pressure off her wrists. Cutting through the zip tie was a lot harder than she had anticipated, even keeping hold of the knife was difficult at this angle and her hands were starting to cramp.

Come on Mads, out of everything you've dealt with you are not about to be beaten by a fucking zip tie.

She tipped her head back, closing her eyes and focusing on working away at the same notch. Bit by bit, the plastic thinned. Half way through. She pulled her wrists apart, weakening the plastic further as she stretched it apart.

"What are you doing?" Benny asked. Her eyes snapped open, face drained of all colour as she put her head forward, only to have relief wash over her when she realised he was talking to Kieran.

"Making sure she doesn't try anything funny-"

"How the fuck is she going to try anything funny? She's tied up you fucking idiot, even she's not that good. Get here." Madison stared at the back of Kieran's head as he hesitantly did as Benny said, knowing he'd have to figure out a way to get back at Madison's side. If she dropped the knife or let the zip tie fall to the floor and he couldn't pick it up, she was screwed. They all were.