Family Business

Chapter 22

It was getting dark and there was heavy breeze. Adam had to raise his voice as he narrated the incidence of the night he lost his fingers.

William had been listening quietly. So far Adam had told William about how they were taken to some underground place and how they tied Adam to a stone table. There was a man and two women in that room, one of them handed William the knife and said something inaudibly.

"You had this look in your eye." Adam said "I could never forget it, trust me I tried."

William looked very upset. He couldn't believe this was true but Adam was convinced this is what he saw.

"So I just took the knife and cut you?" William said, his throat dry.

"They wanted you to show your loyalty and asked you to cut off one finger but I think something evil inside you woke up and you couldn't stop." Adam said "They literally had to pull you off me."

William shifted uncomfortably. He was having s very tough time digesting this information.

"I would have died if they dint stop you." Adam continued. "I'm not sure if I should be angry at them for doing this to me or glad they let me live."

"Adam, I'm so sorry." William said finally as a pause. "I had no idea I would do something like this."

Adam did not reply. He looked away from William back to the passage they had come from.

They had walk away from the bar to a more deserted area. It was dark and looked like it would rain.

"Where did you go the next morning?" William asked suddenly.

"Your first aid did not do much for my hands. I needed a real doctor." Adam said.

"But how did you get out of the building. The captain and I were just outside, we should have seen you." William said frowning. The look on Adam's face was clear.

He is hiding something!

But what?

******

Dana was waking up. She found herself lying in a hard stone floor and locked in a cell.

Rubbing her eyes she slowly got to her feet. It took a moment before panic set in.

Where was she?

How did she get there?

Her hands instinctively went around her stomach. But she did not feel any pain.

"Hello! Anybody there?" She called out. But her voice only echoed back.

"Hello!" She called a few more times and then realised she was all alone, trapped. Her entire body was shaking in fear as she slowly sank to the ground, crying.

"How did I get into this mess?" She asked herself through her tears.

Suddenly she heard someone moaning. It sounded like a women.

"Hello?" Dana said again, her voice shaking.

"Dana?" murmured the voice. The women seemed to be coming to consciousness.