The Killers Freedom

Chapter Eleven: Save Me

My days in this room blended together because it was the same thing over and over. Elaine would come in the morning to wash me and feed me the little food she could sneak into her pockets. I would sleep most of the day still chained to the bed and then evening would fall and Roman would bust through the door screaming at me, hitting me tracing the knife down my body and causing endless pain to my bruised flesh.

But I never broke. I would die before I let someone think they won. And because of that I am going to die in this bed at the hands of Roman. I will not be given a fighting chance at death because this man has taken away my ability to fight back. Like a coward he is making me die slowly, chained like a beaten dog. I don't know how much more of the physical torture I can take, my mind will survive because I can just shut it down like I've been trained but my body will betray me first.

He had seamlessly corrupted the minds of most of the men who worked for Joseph, convincing them all that I was here to destroy Joseph's empire and that he was told to keep me locked up until further notice. Nobody dare come near this part of the house unless it was Elaine or the one man who guarded the door during the day.

All of the information I had was because of Elaine. She knew absolutely everything that happened in these four walls. I never questioned how she got her information but I knew I could trust her with my life. And right now that's all I had.

There was a knock on the door and I immediately knew it was her because she was the only one who knocked. "Miss!" She ran straight to the bed, tears in her eyes and sweat dripping from her forehead, she seemed to be out of breath like she had just sprinted here from miles away, "Miss I have such good news for you! I got a hold of Mr. Volkov, I was able to sneak into Romans office while he was sleeping and used the office phone. Mr. Volkov's phone was hacked into and everyone's numbers were blocked but Romans. He had no idea of what has been happening here in the last two weeks and is on a flight straight home today. He should be arriving before noon. Miss he said he's going to kill him and every person involved in this matter, we will lose over half of our men here. I don't know how he's going to manage without them."

She was holding something back and I couldn't read her. Her once doe-like eyes now blood shot red from crying and her porcelain skin was sinking from the lack of sleep. She was shaking and wouldn't make eye contact with me. I had begun to notice dark spots developing under her eyes a few days ago and always wondered what goes on in her life outside of this room. But now isn't the time to think about that. I am going to be free and if I get any say in the matter I will be the one to take Romans life with my own hands. Though I am extremely malnourished and weak I need to see him take his last breath.

She stayed with me laying on the bottom of the bed silently crying for what felt like hours. She didn't face me, instead she had her eyes glued on the door. As if she was breaking apart from a mystery I had yet to uncover. She eventually fell asleep, the rise and fall of her chest slowed and I could hear the occasional snore escape her lips. What's going on in that mind of yours?

We had become very close while she took care of me but she never talked in depth about her personal life, she would only tell me of her hobbies and stories of her childhood. I have never seen her break down like this. Shouldn't she be happy that I'm about to be free? That she doesn't have to be afraid of Roman anymore and the men who are constantly watching her?

Her phone rang after a while and it jolted me from the sleep that overcame me. She quickly turned to me trying to force a smile and ran as fast as she could out of the door, slamming it shut behind her. I had absolutely no way of telling what time it was because there were no clocks in this room, nor did I have any idea where my phone was after the attack on me in my home. Whoever was on the other side of that phone was important and it had my heart racing wanting to know what is going on right now. But hours passed by and I would find myself nodding off and waking up wondering what time it was.

My body tensed when I heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs. Roman was here to finish the job. He found out about Joseph coming home and wants to kill me before Joseph gets the chance to save me. I counted the steps, eleven, twelve, thirteenth. I couldn't get my heartbeat under control. I felt as though I was going to pass out knowing my last few moments in this world would be chained to a bed. Now it would take eighteen steps to get to the room I am staying in. One, two, three. I started to think of the life I wanted, the life I lived, the family I never got to know that I was taken from when I was younger. Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. This is it, I thought to myself. I'm dead.

"Betty!" The door flew open breaking one of the hinges and causing the handle to break a hole in the wall. My heart started racing and my eyes lit up, relief washing over my body. Joseph stood there in shock staring at me chained up like a prisoner. He had blood all over his suit and his sapphire eyes were the color of a ravens wings, pitch black with anger. I could see the pain he held while looking me up and down.

And as if he didn't believe it was actually me he walked over and placed his palm against my cheek. I leaned in soaking up the warmth he radiated. I'm not going to die. But before I could speak he freed me of the chains and picked me up into his arms like I was weightless. I buried my head into his neck and we stayed like that, letting our heart rates decrease trying to think of any words to say to each other.

"Who?" was the only word I could think of in that moment, my mind still trying to process everything I had just been through attempting to forcefully submerge these feelings and go to a comforting numbness I knew all too well.

Like he knew exactly what I was asking he sat me down on the bed and placed himself next to me staring at his bloodied and bruised hands. "It's Romans blood," he finally looked at me, tears threatening his eyes, "I am so sorry Betty. I didn't see any of this coming, I had no idea he was capable of any of this. But he is dead now. You will never have to worry about him or any of the guys who helped him. I have been home for hours interrogating each and every one of them for information and killed most of them," pain surrounded every word he spoke and I knew he was genuinely worried I would blame him for everything.

We sat staring at each other for a few moments. Silence surrounding our thoughts. I didn't know what to do from here. It had always been burned into my brain that I must overcome any situation I was given and this was no different, right? But somehow, in the back of my head I couldn't suppress the emotions that I wanted to stop feeling right now.

"I'd like to go home, please," I finally spoke, lifting myself off of the bed and walking over to the closet to change out of these clothes. I needed to wash myself of every memory of Roman touching me, of the blood that was dried and the bruised skin surrounding my body. I needed to scrub my skin until I felt like me again.

I made my way to the far side of the closet and before I could react to the footsteps nearing me I was engulfed in a hug from behind. It was Joseph. "I have to tell you something but I need you to eat first," he spoke into my hair, "please let me help you."

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What do you think Joseph has to tell Bugs?

I hope you're all enjoying this so far!

-H