The Cunning (18+)

11

She waited for what felt like forever but was about fifteen minutes before sliding the drawer open and picking out the bobby pins. She chewed the plastic coating off and jammed them in the keyhole – something else her dad had taught her that she thought was irrelevant at the time.

"Oh, thank fuck," she sighed in relief as the comforting click echoed through her body after some tense jiggling. Madison steadied herself and pressed down on the handle. She poked her head out, shaking with apprehension. A heavy silence soaked into the walls, nothing but the gentle thrum of electronics.

For a moment, she contemplated letting the other girls out, but there was no way of knowing when the men would be back. She'd report the house as soon as she was free of it.

Though the house felt empty, Madison moved with caution, avoiding loose boards under the carpet. A misjudged step released a moan from the floor, the whine amplified in the surrounding quiet. Madison winced, quickly removing her weight, shoulders hunched in fear.

She held her breath. Nothing happened.

The house nestled back into silence, the creaky floorboard hanging in the air, its cry ebbing away. With that, she snapped into survival mode, stealth thrust out the window as she raced down the stairs, throwing herself at the front door.

"Fuck," she hissed. Of course, it was locked. The pure elation at the prospect of freedom had clouded her brain. If she was honest, it surprised even her that she'd made it out of the bedroom. The backdoor was locked too and Madison's hope was starting to wane.

She went into the kitchen, pushing on the window. When that didn't budge either, her stomach lurched. It was another key lock. Sweat surfaced, moistening the back of her neck and beading on her forehead as panic set in. She hadn't come this far just to come this far. Her eyes darted about the room, cataloguing its contents in search of something useful. The only item that seemed at all helpful was a chair. It wasn't the most covert way out, but it was a way out.

Shattered glass snowed down onto the windowsill; the chair clattered to the ground. Madison kicked it out of her way, brushing shards of glass off the counter before hoisting herself up and through the pane-less frame.

The grass that cushioned her landing was refreshingly damp. She gulped in the crisp night air, refraining from bursting into a ridiculous mixture of hysterical laughter and tears. It hadn't been a full week but she'd forgotten what fresh air felt like. The ecstasy of her success numbed the warm trickle of blood dribbling out of a gash in her palm.

The initial thrill of her liberation subsided as she looked around, taking in the unfamiliar setting. She looked back at her prison. It gave off a menacing feel, but wouldn't garner speculation of its contents by the average passer-by. The detached red brick house was situated at the end of a cul-de-sac. Side onto the street, the black front door stood in the shadows of a short cut-through leading to the back gate. The view from the bathroom window. On the front garden was a patch of grass beneath the kitchen window and two black Mercedes parked on the concrete slabs, their only distinguishable feature being the number plates. The road directly in front of the house was empty.

The street was derelict, the closest neighbour was a house at the top of the road cloaked in darkness. She was far from any civilization, even further from home.

It was gone midnight. Madison had no money and no phone. Behind the house was an expanse of thick and intimidating wood she wanted to avoid if possible. Her plan had only taken her as far as getting out of the house. She'd failed to think past that. Rather than risk anyone coming back and getting caught, she took off at a sprint. The distance between her and the house grew. Freedom was at her fingertips.

She could taste it.

A smile spread across her face at the burning in her lungs as she ran, a sensation she didn't think was possible to miss. She flew past a second house. Then the third before diving down an alley, bringing her out into a car park surrounded by garages. The dust from the house that had managed to get under her skin was flaking away, the pull of its shadow getting weaker. The further she ran, the giddier she got. She was free!

Madison slipped into another alley, planning on catching her breath in the cover of a slim pathway between the garages. She bent over, hands on her knees when movement at the top of the alley caught her attention.

The broad figure in black froze, as did she. That hoodie, the way they stood, was so faintly recognisable. Her mouth dried.

The pin dropped for Jase at the same time.

ACTH flooded Madison's adrenal glands, expanding her pupils. Her vision exploded into high definition; the weak glow of the streetlights suddenly almost overwhelming. Hair stood, mounds unearthed beneath her skin as the buzz of adrenaline struck like lightning.

Neurons flittered through her synaptic network - her fear response triggered. Her instincts had advanced from freeze to flight.

She only caught a glimpse of Jase's eyes widening before she bolted back out into the street. The muscles in her legs were stringy as her motor skills took a moment to calibrate. The sound of Jase's trainers scraping loose gravel spurred her on, forcing her body to push its limits. Hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, hips, abdominals, calves. They worked in unison, her tendons elasticated with every stride. Her ankles absorbed the impact of each step, saving the rest of her body from shattering. Her bones ached. Strain bled into every inch of tissue wrapped around her skeleton.

She wasn't built for this.

Jase was faster, stronger, he knew the area better.

A pain exploded under her ribcage. Her lungs emptied. Her mouth gaped open. Jase had grabbed her, his arms tight around her middle, the embrace so sudden and violent it knocked the air out of her. One gloved hand came up, covering her mouth before he dragged her backwards, down the side of a long-forgotten garage. Madison could feel his heartbeat pounding between her shoulder blades as they stood in the shadows.

He spun her around, grabbing her wrists and pinning them either side of her head against the rough brick.

"Are you fucking stupid?" he seethed.

"No, I'm persistent," Madison spat back. Jase slammed her wrists on the wall. She inhaled sharply through her teeth, feeling the back of her hands graze.

"You are not special. If hurting you is the only way to get through, then I'll do it. I let you go once. That was my mistake."

"Then let me go again. You didn't see me," she growled, and he rolled his eyes,

"You're an idiot if you think it's that simple-" Their heads turned at the sound of talking. It was heading in their direction. Jase closed his eyes in frustration. He'd been on his way back to the house, Benny had left his phone. Benny, Adam, and Sam were doing laps of the estate, waiting for him to return and they were on their way back around. Jase looked down at Madison, deciding the scolding could wait. "Pull your hood up and keep quiet if you want to make it through the night." The insinuation of being in more danger was enough to make Madison bite her tongue and follow his orders.