Over the next twenty minutes, I try to wriggle free from the ropes that bind my wrists. They are too tight. Way tighter than Gabriel would have ever bound me. And the more I move, the more they cut into my wrists. I can feel the sensitive skin burning as blood seeps from my wounds, but I don’t care. I need to do this. As Alanna begins to stir, my efforts become more fervent.
Eleanore asked Allan to call her back when they woke up, and now time is running out. I’m hoping for at least a few extra minutes, but as soon as Allan sees her moving, he picks up his cell phone and walks into the kitchen.
For the few brief moments he’s gone, I wriggle furiously, pulling at one of the ropes with my fingernails in an attempt to shred it. Allan comes back before I can get anywhere, and Alanna groans as she comes out of her drug induced stupor. She blinks her eyes a couple times before they quickly fill with terror. Before I can think of anything to comfort her, Eleanore slips through the front door.
Her heels click along the hardwood floors as she walks into the center of the room, taking stock of all the puppets at her disposal.
“Well, looks like the gang’s all here.” She muses. “Now the real fun begins.”
I still my wrists when her gaze turns to me, cold and deadly calm.
“Now Victoria,” she says. “You get to choose who I kill first. Your best friend, or your boyfriend.”
The word no tumbles weakly out of my mouth as I shake my head vehemently. It’s all I can manage, and this only seems to irritate Eleanore further.
“I think you seem to have forgotten how persuasive I can be.” She turns to look at Allan, waving him over. “Untie one of her hands,” she orders.
Though my fear is a real living, breathing thing at the moment, it’s overshadowed by a small glimmer of hope. If Allan unties my hand, I may have a shot at getting the gun.
Like a good little soldier, Allan stomps over and nimbly undoes one of my binds. He strings the rope back beneath me, dangling my bloodied wrist in front of Eleanore.
At the site of it, Gabriel snaps. “What the fuck do you want Eleanore?” he pleads. “I’m sure whatever it is, we can work something out…” his voice trails off and his eyes fill with desperation. “Just please don’t hurt her any more.”
Eleanore shoots him a stone-faced glare. “There is nothing you have that interests me. This…” She waves her hand around the room. “Is what I want. And as long as you play along with my game and follow my instructions carefully, I won’t kill her just yet.”
Allan kneels down on my free arm, effectively holding it in place as Eleanore hands him a giant metal tool that looks somewhat like a wrench. My stomach churns as I try to stay calm, taking in large gulps of air.
“Now.” Eleanore focuses on Alanna and Gabriel. “This is what we are going to do. I need you to listen carefully to my very simple instructions. I will ask you a yes or no question, and you will respond with yes or no only.”
Alanna glances nervously at Gabriel and then back to me, tears streaming down her face.
“If you say anything else, and I do mean anything else, even so much as one word,” Eleanore continues, “I will break one of Victoria’s fingers.”
Gabriel glares at her as Alanna sobs, trying to control her rising panic.
“Is that clear?” Eleanore asks.
Alanna nods meekly and Gabriel simply grunts before looking down at me with his most reassuring expression. I know he’s trying to tell me he won’t hurt me.
“Okay.” Eleanore smiles. “Let’s get started then, shall we?” She pulls a chair from over by the door and sits next to me.
“Alanna,” she hisses, “we’ll start with you. Victoria’s best friend. Someone she relies on and trusts with her every secret. Someone I’m sure she has come to think of as a sister.” She glances down at me with an icy smile. “What do you think Victoria here will think of you once she has learned of your betrayal?”
My face contorts in confusion as Alanna shakes her head violently.
“Let’s talk about Dallas, shall we?”
Alanna tries in vain to bury her face in her shoulder, blocking out everything around her as Eleanore’s voice rings through the room.
“I believe it was in Dallas four years ago, that you sold out your best friend for a little fix, wasn’t it?”
Alanna remains silent in response, and my whole face goes clammy. I don’t want to believe it, but she isn’t saying anything to defend herself.