Prevail

Chapter 7

Henrietta said goodbye to her coworker at the library, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She just had one more class to get through and then she would be done for today.

She checked her phone as she took her seat, seeing a new text from Nico.

Have fun in class. Want to get dinner tonight?

How about ordering in? Or I could cook? She texted back.

Either is good. We'll come to your apartment after we get done at work. :)

She smiled, tucking her phone away. She couldn't wait to see them again. All of their schedules tended to clash and it had been a few days since they had gotten a chance to hang out.

After class, she began the walk to her car. A shiver went through her. Something didn't feel right.

She glanced around at her surroundings, finding no one out of the ordinary. There were a few chatty students sprinkled here and there, but no cause of the dread that was making her palms sweat.

Henrietta considered going back to the library, and maybe if Nico or Haze had a moment, they could come check on her.

She didn't want to bother them though, not if they were busy with work. It was probably nothing, and she would just be wasting their time.

Are you in a meeting? She texted, directed towards either one of them. They all shared one group chat.

Just wrapping up. Are you okay? Haze replied immediately and she relaxed.

I'm okay. Can you call when you're done?

She felt a lot better making her way to her car knowing that Haze or Nico were going to call any minute now to check up on her. She put her phone down, already seeing her little car in the distance.

She pulled out her keys, thankful to finally be going home. She didn't know what had gotten into her, but she was a nervous wreck.

Usually the parking lot was packed full of students, but it was quiet. She could hear the blood rushing through her ears, heart pounding viciously in her chest.

Henrietta opened her car door, ready to get in, but she was grabbed from behind.

She yelled out, trying to twist out of the person's grip.

"Let go of me," she protested, going to scream but a hand was placed over her mouth just as she opened her mouth.

"Such a fiesty little thing," the man chuckled. "I bet you're too much for those boys to handle, aren't you Henrietta? You need a real man to show you how to be taken care of?"

His other slimy hand started moving and Henrietta fought, kicking her arms and legs as hard as possible. She felt burning tears slide down her cheeks. 

"Kids will be out here soon, boss," someone behind them said.

The sleezy man sighed with disappointment.

"Next time," he said, whispering in her ear, his hot breath making her cringe and squirm. "Sleep well."

She was knocked really hard in the head and everything went black.

---

Henrietta was laying face down on a dirty, dark floor when she came to. Everything ached and throbbed. She struggled to even lift her head up, it hurt so bad.

She lifted her hand to her head, feeling something soak her fingers. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust for her to realize that it was blood.

Her stomach twisted at the sight, and she gagged, wiping it away on her pants.

She forced herself up right, even when her vision darkened for a moment. It smelled stale and foul and the dusty floor irritated her nose to the point where she couldn't breathe properly out of it.

Her lips were dry and cracked, making her wonder how long she had been unconscious for.

She could make out the shape of a door in front of her with a window slot that had a very small hole, casting a little ray of light in the room.

She could hear talking out there so she didn't bother to move, not yet. She didn't have complete control of her limbs, and doubted her ability to stand.

She considered just laying back down. If she pretended to be asleep, would anyone bother her? What was she even doing here anyway? As far as she knew, she had done nothing wrong.

The door opened. The light caused her to squeeze her eyes shut. Her eyes watered.

"I see that you're awake Henrietta," the man from earlier said. He walked closer, pulling her up by her hair. She cried out, unable to move without causing more pain.

"What do you want from me?" she whispered. "I don't even know who you are."

"But I know who you are," he grinned maliciously. He was really ugly to look at, with slicked back black hair, and a few gold teeth. He looked like a wannabe gangster.

"You do? How?" she pushed, trying not to give him the satisfaction that he was causing her immense pain.

He released his hold on her scalp, dropping her harshly onto the ground. She collapsed, unable to brace herself for the short fall.

"I know that you are twenty four getting your Master's in psychology. I know that you work with Dr. David at his clinic downtown, and at the library. I know what classes you have and when. But none of that matters."

Henrietta felt her sweat freeze on her skin, goosebumps raising against her flesh. She couldn't believe they had been watching her. But why?

"What matters is your two boyfriends. The Macklin Brothers as they call themselves, even though they are not brothers. I warned them not to mess with me."

Haze's last name was Macklin. What did they have to do with this? She was so confused.

"Mess with you?"

He laughed, crossing his arms across his chest. "I guess they didn't trust you enough to tell you what they do for a living. You must be their dumb little puppy. They're thieves. Criminals. And we're going to use you to get back at them. We'll see how much they really care about you."