Legacy

Chapter 14: No

Lifting my eyelids takes more energy than it should. The light stings my eyes as I force them open.

I look up to see Nancy's face staring back at me. She is kneeling by the edge of the couch. Her hand is petting my face gently as the other adjusts a moist cloth on my forehead.

I try to say something but a strip of tape keeps my lips closed in place. She shushes me and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. I shiver and notice my hands are tied tightly together, as are my ankles and thighs.

"Oh, honey," Nancy croons, taking the cloth from my face. "Why would you run away from Michael?" I thrash against my restraints, but they don't budge. "He's a good man." In an attempt to scream, my voice just comes out in a tiny whimper. "But don't you worry. I called him." My muscles turn to stone beneath her touch. "He'll be by soon to pick you up."

NO NO NO!!!

My cries are only muffled screams behind the tape. I thrash on the couch as Nancy observes me and stands up, cool as a cucumber. I'm unable to brace myself as my body crashes to the floor. Nancy tries to help me back up, but I cringe away from her.

"Now, September," her voice is stern as she fights me up to a sitting position on the floor, "he will be here any minute to pick you up. Please don't make this-"

A knock on her door cuts her off. Nancy rises quickly and pats down the frizz in her hair before opening the door.

"Michael!" I stare in horror as he steps inside and throws his strong arms around Nancy. She returns the gesture with a peck on his scabbed cheek.

She walks him over to the rocking chair and checks his eyes with a small flashlight. "It doesn't look like you have a concussion, dear."

Michael lets out a sigh of relief and rubs the back of his head. "Nancy," he replies with a smile as his eyes behind those glasses land on me. "Thank you so much for calling. I was getting so worried about her." He breaks away from her and starts walking towards me, his boots clopping on the floor. "Thought she mighta found a road or something."

"Oh, that would've been just like in the book I was reading," Nancy says.

Why the hell is she so perky?

"Alex Cross treating you well," Michael nudges me with his muddy boot as he continues his friendly conversation. I kick his boot away with both my legs working as one.

"Very." She adjusts a strand of her hair while Michael's back is turned.

I pull my knees up to my chest as he squats down beside me. His nose is crooked from where I broke it, and his face is sporting a few fresh scratches and scrapes on the forehead and cheeks. I can even see some swelling in places, obviously bug bites.

"Really, you spoil me." He bites his lip. "And you didn't have to dress her up for me. It's not my birthday." His fingers curl around the ropes on my ankles causing Nancy to giggle and me to flinch. "You know I enjoy the struggle."

His eyes don't leave mine as he begins to untie the ropes; starting with my ankles, then my thighs.

When the rope falls to the floor, Michael leans his forehead against mine. His lips press hard against the tape covering my mouth and he grabs the sides of my face. As he pulls away, his long fingers work their way beneath the tape and rip it off causing me to yelp. He grips my chin and forces me to look at his smirking face.

"You're in so much trouble, sweetheart." His calm smirk fades into a straight face. Totally unreadable. "Thanks again, Nancy." Michael roughly lifts me up to my feet by my arm causing me to stumble into him. My legs are still trying to wake up from the drugs. "We'll do tea sometime."