Finder's, Keepers. | Scomiche

Chapter 10

      Mitch almost yelled with joy when he felt the damn screw under his fingers finally budge. He was pushing up onto his toes the best he could to relieve any pressure from the screw and had been working at it so long, the raw ring around his wrist had broken to blood. He undid it the rest of the way and carefully pulled it out, fisting it, not sure what to do next. Just as he bent his other hand to work on the other side, he heard the door open and noises of struggle.

     "Ugh, let go of me!" A woman's voice. Sean got Stephanie. There were grunts of struggle before he heard a thump.

     "Stop kicking!" Sean's voice. He sounded annoyed but also amused. "Mitch was a fighter, too."

     He followed the footsteps around the plastic to the left of him. "Mitch? You kidnapped him too?" He wanted to yell out to her, but he was sure that would only bring trouble.

     "Well, I had someone else bring him in here, but essentially yes. Right over there." Mitch heard her grunt in pain and another metal chair slide across the concrete. A bright light turned on and he could see Sean and Stephanie through the plastic. He watched her hands get zip tied, her position identical to his own. The bag was yanked off her head and he watched her squint her eyes against the light. "Poor Stephanie. You really know how to pick the psychos don't you?" He patted her cheek and she coiled away from his touch. "I won't hurt you. Like I told Mitch, I'm just doing a favor for an old friend. I think I'll stick around to see how it ends though." Sean stepped back and looked in Mitch's direction. "Did you two know each other before any of this shit started?"

     He saw Stephanie watch him look over here and she looked at the plastic too. "Mitch?"

     "Yeah, I'm here."

     "What the fuck is going on?"

     "I have no clue." He ended their conversation, not wanting to talk in front of their kidnapper. "No, we didn't know each other."

     "Interesting that you ended up involved with the same people. The world works in mysterious ways. Anyways, I'm outta here for a while." He flipped off the bright light and stepped back through the plastic to Mitch's area. "Make sure she doesn't flip out. You already know the whole no scratches thing. Hey, I thought I said not to tug on the straps, you're bleeding."

     Sean reached forward but Mitch didn't want him anywhere near where he was holding a screw. "No! Don't touch, it'll make it hurt worse. I know I shouldn't have pulled but I just..." Maybe he could be honest and vague. "Had to try to fight anyways."

     "Right..." He reached forwards anyways and clipped the restraint from his wrist. "I'll just move it higher." Mitch wanted so, so badly to punch or scream or fight against getting another zip tie, but he had only one arm, and this guy was almost twice his size. "Hmm..." He watched Sean crouch down and examine his wrist. "You are quite resourceful. Did Scott teach you that?" His hand was pried open and the screw taken from it. He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that whatever punishment he was going to get would be quick. "I'm just gonna put this right above the elbow, yeah?" His voice lowered to barely above a whisper. "I already said I won't hurt you. In fact, I'm rooting for you. Keep working, kid," The zip tie secure around his bicep, Sean stood and headed for the door. It slammed shut. He's helping me?

     "Oh my god, Mitch!" He could hear Stephanie starting to panic and pulling at the things tying her down.

     "Stephanie, calm down. You need to listen. I think Sean is on our side and just owes some bad people some favors. He is Scott's brother." He heard her sniffling on the other side, trying to get a handle on her breathing. "Who is your boyfriend? Or previous ones or anyone else that you have been with the past year? There's got to be someone. Sean said that we were connected by the same people, we just have to figure out who."