Bound by the Past (24 page)

“I think you’ll enjoy their visit.”

Carly tried not to betray the relief permeating her at Cassandra’s words.

“I know about your relationship with Jon and Night.”

With that simple statement, Carly knew all was lost. “What?” It was insane of her to play stupid, but Carly was out of options, out of time.

Her question was met with more pain as Cassandra’s fist plowed into her stomach. Carly gasped, needles attacking her arms and legs, and the punch left her lurching more than the bondage would allow.

“I won’t be crossed. Ever. When we return, you will be completely silent. You are not to utter a sound. Should you do so, my guards have instructions to blow Night’s head off. Do you understand?”

Carly started to nod, then quickly said, “Yes M-mistress.”

She heard movement and a door shutting. Then the world was quiet for far too long. Carly’s hands and feet had gone through the painful stage and were now completely numb, giant blobs of ice she couldn’t feel or move. Her shoulders ached from the bondage.

After Cassandra departed, she’d fallen apart. Cried until there were no more tears to shed. From there, she’d drifted into a state of sheer terror. Now, enough time had passed that it seemed every emotion had been driven from her body.

Her mind was completely blank, her body empty.

Finally, after an eternity, Carly heard voices in the hall. Then the door opened.

“Why is it so dark in here, Cassandra?” Jon’s voice filled the silence. Carly longed to call out to him, to warn him, but she didn’t doubt for one second that Cassandra would follow through on her threat to kill Night.

Carly bit her lip when Cassandra replied smoothly, “You and Night always preferred to train your slaves by torchlight. Has that changed?”

Cassandra hadn’t told Jon and Night that she was on to them. They still believed they were about to prove their loyalty. Did they see her on the table? Did they know she was here?

Night answered her unspoken question. “Who is the woman?”

Cassandra’s voice was closer—too close—when she replied. “Her name is Trisha Jackson. Perhaps you know her, Jon?”

Carly suddenly understood the near darkness. She was a grown woman, too old to pass as a young teenager.

The tension, the anger in Jon’s response proved he couldn’t see her well enough to know it was a lie. “I thought we were going to train the secretary.”

“I changed my mind. It will be much more fun to watch this little virgin bleed.”

Carly pressed her eyes closed, wishing there was some way to tell Jon it was okay. That it was her, not Trisha on the table.

“No.” Jon’s voice was firm.

“Excuse me.”

Night took over. “We’re not doing this.”

Cassandra laughed, the pure, insane evil filling the room. “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you. Rape this girl. Crawl on top of her, Jon, and fuck the innocence out of her. Just like you did with that pathetic, weak-minded little Sarah.”

Silence filled the room. Cassandra had played her hand, letting Jon and Night in on the truth. She’d known everything. Right from the start. She’d lured them all into her trap.

“You knew.” From the resignation in Jon’s voice, it was clear he recognized exactly how much trouble they were in.

Cassandra’s tone was almost a snarl. “Of your betrayal? Of course. Who do you think told Rex about your little crush? Surely you didn’t think that idiot would have noticed on his own?”

Carly wished she could see. From the sudden motion in the room, Jon must have moved closer to his mother. The unmistakable sound of guns being drawn had clearly stopped him.

“I’m going to kill you.” The threat came from Night.

“No, Night. It’s the two of you who are going to die. But not right away. Where’s the fun in that? After all, I haven’t even introduced Carly into the game yet.”

Suddenly the room was filled with the sound of scuffling, fists flying, grunts and curses. Cassandra barked orders in an angry voice that gave Carly hope her men were actually winning.

Those hopes were dashed when she heard more footsteps, more guards entering the room. Carly struggled against her bonds, terrified that this was it. This was the end.

“Don’t kill them!” Cassandra yelled. “Not yet.”

Two sickening thuds told Carly the fight was over. For now. There was more rustling, rattling. Then the room went deathly silent.

For a moment, Carly thought she’d been left alone again. Until the bag was pulled from her head. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus on her surroundings in the dim room. Only Cassandra remained, her evil face inches from Carly’s.

“They’re going to watch you die. Slowly. Painfully.” Cassandra’s threat was uttered in a whisper. Then she bent closer and kissed Carly on the lips.

Cassandra smiled as she straightened, pure mania reflected in her dark eyes. Eyes so much like Jon’s.

Before leaving the room, Cassandra lit three more torches, then she turned in the doorway. “I’ll be back soon.”

She left, with those terrifying words hovering. Then Carly realized she wasn’t alone.

Two limp figures hung from chains along one wall.

Jon and Night.

Night woke up with a splitting headache.

Unfortunately the throbbing in his head disappeared the moment he roused himself enough to feel the pain in his arms.

He immediately recognized the damp smell and chilly air. He was still in the dungeon, the same damn room. Looking up, he discovered he was bound to the cold stone wall, his arms pinned together above his head, his legs chained spread-eagle to eye posts drilled into the wall near the floor. To his left, he could see Jon dangling, unconscious and bound in the same manner.

The room was brighter. Looking around, Night realized more torches had been lit. Rex used to love the menacing shadows produced by the flames, while Cassandra had always preferred the electric lighting, enjoyed seeing every wince and tear shed by her victims.

Even in the dim light, it was bright enough that he could make out a naked Carly, struggling against her own bonds on the same metal table where Trisha had been earlier.

“Carly,” he said softly, clearing his throat when her name came out in a rough growl.

She stopped moving and looked over at him. There were tears in her eyes and he wondered what the hell had happened since the bastard guards knocked him out.

“Night, thank God,” she cried. “I was afraid you’d been seriously hurt. You’ve both been unconscious for a long time.”

“Where’s Cassandra?”

“Once she and her guards chained you and Jon, they left.”

“When did they bring you here?”

“I was here all along.”

Night’s confusion grew. “Trisha?”

Carly shook her head. “No, it was me. Always me.”

“Why did Cassandra leave?”

“I don’t think she wants you to m-miss one minute of my t-torture.”

He cursed at her choked explanation. She was terrified and here he was, helpless to save her. Jon was right. Coming back here, involving her in their scheme, had been stupid. His quest for revenge had led them to this place and if anything happened to her, it would be his fault. He’d never forgive himself for endangering her.

Rising up on his tiptoes, he tried to wrap his hands around the thick chain holding his wrists above his head. If he could just get a good grip, perhaps he could pry the shackles loose from the wall. These things had been installed nearly two decades ago. Surely the mortar had started to crumble. Jon groaned next to him, but didn’t wake.

“I’ll get us out of here, Beauty. Try to relax.” Pulling with all his might—despite the conga drums banging in his brain—he cursed when the chains held tight. His wrists started to ache with the pressure but he refused to stop trying.

After several more fruitless attempts, she called out to him. “Night. You’re going to hurt yourself. Please stop.”

“No, Carly. Christ. This is my fault. I won’t let that bitch hurt you.”

“Night, I volunteered to come here, remember? I knew it was d-dangerous and I still insisted. You and Jon tried to talk me out of it.”

“If I hadn’t been so hell-bent on revenge, none of us would be here. I saw what my demands for vengeance were doing to Jon, but I refused to back down. Both of you tried to tell me to put the past behind me, but I was too stubborn, too stupid to listen.”

“That’s not true. You can say you merely wanted revenge, but I know better. You wouldn’t have been able to rest as long as there were women in danger here. Regardless of what you say, your real reason for coming was to save them. Cassandra’s plans would have been the same regardless of whether or not you and Jon showed up. Her intention to kidnap women and force them to serve as sex slaves is very real. You and Jon are the only ones who can save them.”

He laughed humorlessly. “Yeah, well, it looks like we’re doing a bang-up job so far. Hanging from a wall in chains while you—” He choked on his words, the image of her chained to the table threatening to crumble what was left of his sanity.

Jon groaned again and began to stir. “What the fuck?” he muttered as he looked around. Night saw his complexion go pale when his eyes landed on Carly. “Jesus!”

“I’m okay, Jon,” she whispered.

Night shook his head at her words. She was facing a fate worse than death at crazy Cassandra’s hands and she was trying to comfort them.

Jon looked at him. “We gotta get her the fuck outta here, Night.”

Night nodded and began pulling against his bonds once again. He heard Jon’s chains rattle and knew his friend was trying the same thing. After several minutes, he felt the chains give slightly above his head. “I think it’s working,” Night said through gritted teeth, fighting against the pain in his shoulders and back.

With renewed effort, he continued tugging with all his might. The chains seemed to give a bit more and then, before he could react, the entire hook gave way, sending the heavy mass of metal on top of his already-aching head. He fought against crying out as the blood rushed back into his numb arms with a vengeance.

As soon as his circulation returned, he released the straps at his ankles and moved quickly to release Jon. Once both men were free, they ran to set Carly loose as well. Jon quickly pulled his sweater over his head and put it on her shivering body. It hung to her knees and with her bare feet and legs, Night knew they were all in for a cold journey through the woods.

“We’ve gotta get the hell out of here and get word to Reilly.” Night pushed her toward the heavy door that led to the stone corridor. They were all shocked when they discovered it unlocked, but with the three of them bound, Cassandra clearly hadn’t seen a reason to lock them in. Thank God for small mercies.

There was a back exit from the dungeon that would take them straight outside the building. From there, they would have to avoid the guards on the roof, but for the first time, he felt a glimmer of optimism about their chances of surviving this ordeal.

“Wait, Night.” She pushed back against him. “I heard voices, crying from the other rooms when they brought me down here. We have to let those women go.”

Jon frowned. “Carly, there isn’t time. My mother could be back any second.”

“No, Jon. I’m not leaving without them. They’re the only ones who can testify to what your mother’s been doing. If we leave without them, she’ll move them or maybe even kill them. She’ll destroy whatever evidence might exist. The police will break in here and find nothing. Please Jon, Night. Trisha is behind one of those doors. I just know it.”

Night glanced down the corridor, silently counting the doors. Ten. Five on each side. Behind him—hanging from the same old hook on the wall—was Rex’s ring of keys. He was staggered by the memory of having used those keys in his youth. Pushing the past away, Night grabbed them, hurriedly pulling several off and thrusting them into Jon’s outstretched palm.

“You take the ones to the left, Jon. I’ll take the right. Carly, you get your ass to that back staircase. There’s a door at the top that will take us directly outside. We’ll send the women down the hall to you. If you hear anything, you get the hell out of here and run for help. Don’t look back and don’t even think about trying to save us or I’ll beat your ass black and blue. And don’t forget about the guards on the roof. Do you understand?”

She nodded and quickly took off down the hallway. Night ran to the first room and mercifully found it empty. At the second, he found a young woman, naked and bruised. She couldn’t have been more than twenty years old, yet when her lifeless gaze landed on his, he knew her eyes had seen too much pain in her short life.

“I’m here to free you,” he whispered, but she didn’t respond. Clearly she was expecting a trick. He rushed forward, cursing when the woman flinched away from him. Gently, he took her hand, speaking in tones as soft and soothing as he could muster in his panicked state. “We don’t have much time before the guards and Cassandra come back. I need to help the other women trapped here as well. Please, we must hurry.” He tugged on her hand, and was relieved when she rose and followed him. When they got to the hallway, he lightly pushed her toward the back hall. “There’s a woman down there. She’ll help you escape.”

The woman, now free of her cell and spying the young girl Jon had just released, ran quickly toward promised salvation.

At the next room, Night swallowed back bile as he found another woman lying in a bloody heap on the floor. She was badly hurt and unconscious. She’d put up one hell of a fight, as he could see Cassandra’s trademark stripes lining her back, buttocks and legs. The ones that weren’t bleeding were bruised deeply and for a moment, he felt his blood bubble to the boiling point. Cassandra would not escape justice this time, he silently vowed as he bent over to scoop up the woman. She whimpered at his touch and he paused, wondering how in the hell they would be able to get her to safety. She couldn’t walk, and without transportation or warm clothes or blankets, he felt certain they’d never get her off the mountain alive.

Pulling his sweater off, he gently placed it over her injured body. It wasn’t much, but it was the best he had to offer. With as much care as possible, he scooped the woman up. He glanced toward the hall and saw Jon ushering two more women toward Carly. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought the younger of the two was Trisha Jackson and he hoped to hell the woman with her was her mother. Christ, he still had two more rooms to go.