As Hollow As A Mannequins Grin (Keveridge)

19 - I'm Sick Of Always Feeling Like I'm Failing To Impress

There was nothing I could do as they dragged me from the house, leaving Drew chained to the wall. I'd heard pleas and small cries coming from him before silence and I immediately thought the worst about what had happened the moment I left. I half understood now why they'd beaten me up - not only for the sheer pleasure and humiliation in it, but also so when the time came to escort me somewhere else I wouldn't be able to fight them off as well as I could have. I tried my best to trip them up as they dragged me out the door and behind the carriage, but all that got me was a laugh from the one on my right.

The carriage door swung open and I was shoved inside by the two bandits, who climbed in after me and made me sit in the middle of the two of them, facing The Cardinal. Before I could even think about a chance to escape, the door was pulled shut and the carriage lurched to life, taking off down the street. 

The journey was not a comfortable one. Because The Cardinal's driver was taking smaller roads and back passages to get to the palace, the streets were a lot rougher and contained more cobbles, which hurt every time we went over them. It didn't help the fact that my hands were bound behind my back and were digging into it, slowly becoming numb with the pressure they were getting from my body weight leaning on them.

The atmosphere that was also in the enclosed space made things that little bit more crap. The bandits were most likely under orders not to speak, and me and The Cardinal despised each other, so chance for a conversation to emerge from that was less than likely.

My eyes were trained onto the floor as I thought of what happened back in the house: would Drew still be alive? If so, how long for? Would Cyrus and the others ever find him, or will he just be lost forever?

A loud clap snapped me out of my mind as I looked up to see The Cardinal sitting there with a grin on his face. "Oh Laurence, it's very good to see you after this time. You've caused quite a stir, you know. Thought we'd lost you," he said with a chuckle.

I said nothing and sat there with a glare plastered firmly on my face.

"Come, come now, you're not even going to be a little civil with me?" I didn't grace him with an answer and lowered me head so he couldn't somehow get to me. "That's not very nice at all now. Where are the manners your mother taught you?"

That brought my attention straight back to him and my head snapped up. I snarled and spat in his face, going to lunge at him, even in this tight space I knew I could manage it when a dagger from my left appeared at my throat and I knew that there was nothing more I could do. At least I'd managed to do something to The Cardinal to know that I wasn't taking any of his shit from now.

However as he wiped my spit from his face, all he did was smile and I felt my face fall into a small frown. This didn't make any sense. Why would he be so calm after what I'd just done? He confused things for me further when he signalled for the man on my left to lower the dagger away from me.

His hand struck out and slapped me across the face, but before I even had time to react to that his hand appeared, snatching my chin in his grasp and pulling my face close to his, "It took me a long time to find you, so shut you're fucking mouth until we return to the palace." He finally let my jaw go and shoved me back in my seat, before leaning back to his original position in his.

We didn't have to wait much longer before the carriage jolted to a halt and I saw people turning their heads towards it. The Cardinal and the bandits noticed too and I heard a small curse coming from his direction. It took me a moment to realise why they had all gone tense before it hit me. They were my way out.

This is your chance Laurence. They'll see you here and come get you. They're more loyal to you than they are to The Cardinal. 

"Cover his face and make sure he can't speak," was all that was said in the next few seconds as thoughts and ideas went through The Cardinal's mind. A gag was forced into my mouth and I felt it tighten behind my head, enough so that it almost brought tears to my eyes - but I refused to let them see any sign of weakness. I watched as a black bag was produced from somewhere - I wasn't paying attention to actually look for the location - and finally pulled over my head.