Red

Chapter 12

Nate

I groaned, lifting my head and opening my eyes.

Where am I?

Then it came back to me in a flood of memories.

I cursed, spitting out a string of profanities as fear and a deep anger filled me. How had he known where to find me? I didn't even recognize where I was; the room was cold and dark, the stone floor and walls unforgiving, and an iron door was set in one wall. Only my wrists were bound behind me, and a metal shackle was around my right ankle. I looked along the chain till I spotted where it met the wall.

My spine tingled as anger was pushed aside and fear took over. What was going to happen now? How long was I unconscious in the first place?

I shuddered, the cold of the room reaching me. My jacket had been removed, and I was left only in a light t-shirt and jeans. I shivered again. I wasn't used to being anywhere without it. I'd used it for years to cover my scars.

I jumped when a loud creak resonated through the floor, making it shake. The door swung inward, and a man came into view. It wasn't my father; I could tell that much in the dim lighting. It was when he came closer and I still couldn't see him properly that I realized my glasses were missing.

They must've fallen off in the alley.

The man walked over and crouched down in front of me. I was still kneeling on the floor, I hadn't moved. He gave me a crooked smile. His eyes were filled with a kind of dark madness. The same madness my father always had. I leaned away from him as much as I could without falling over.

His hand flashed out and grabbed me by the hair, pulling me back closer to him. My head hurt, and his death grip on my hair didn't help matters.

We just stared at each other. I was tilted sideways a little to try and relieve some of the pressure on my head. Suddenly he dropped me, stood up, and walked out.

Okay, I though. What was that all about?

I struggled to regain my balance without the use of my arms. I sat back on my legs and took another glance around the room. Cell, I couldn't help thinking.

There wasn't anything to really look at. There was a small drip of water in one corner, pooling into a small puddle. Other than that nothing. Just the cold, hard ground.

I managed to stand up and tested the length of the chain. I couldn't quite reach the door. I suspect that was on purpose.

Next I tried to slip out of the binds on my wrists. All I managed to do, though, was get the rope to cut farther into my skin. I winced when I felt something warm run down my hands.

I leaned back against the wall, eyes closed. This waiting was torture. I was in constant suspense of whether or not my father would barge in here. I must've been here a couple of hours now. Where was he? The waiting would drive me insane before anything else did.

I jumped up in surprise as the door slammed open and someone stormed in. I couldn't tell if it was the same guy as earlier or my father, or someone new entirely through my blurred vision. He stalked toward me purposefully, holding something behind his back.

I pressed myself against the wall, trying to melt into it. He came closer still, walking forward until he was close enough for me to see clearly. He was, in fact, the same man from earlier. He came even closer, stopping when his body was pressing mine into the wall. I glanced from side to side. There was nowhere to run. I was trapped.

He brought up his hand from behind his back, revealing what he held. It was a small syringe, filled with a clear liquid. He placed his other hand over my mouth, silencing me and pinning my head to the wall at the same time. My eyes widened. I attempted to struggle, but all that was halted when he jabbed the syringe into my neck. I gave a little strangled cry as I slumped against the wall, the world spinning in a dizzying circle. The man removed the syringe when it was empty. I was getting tired now. I started to close my eyes.

NO! I must stay awake!

I heard him unlock the chain and the weight of the shackle fell away from my ankle. My eyes were half-closed as he picked me up and threw me over shoulder. I was out before he even took a step.