Locked Together (In Chains) (15 page)

She narrows her eyes at me. “A little.”

I run to the bathroom, Bailey’s uniform is still on the floor. The pants look okay, but I ripped the shirt open and most of the buttons flew off. I sigh. She’ll have to wear Reece’s scrubs shirt and wear her shirt over the top. I pick up her stuff and go back through to the bedroom; I drop the clothes at her feet and untie her hands. She glares at me as she rubs her wrists. I untie her ankles, I’m waiting for her to kick me, but she don’t. I point at her clothes. “Get dressed.”

She pulls down her pants, I really don’t wanna see her naked but I have to keep my eyes on her, I don’t trust her. I watch as she puts her guard’s pants back on, Reece is sitting on the edge of his bed, drooling over her. She picks up her shirt and frowns. “How am I supposed to wear this, it’s ripped?” she says.

“Shush, keep your voice down, you’ll wake Savannah,” I tell her. “Reece, give her your shirt.”

She glares at me as she puts the shirt on. Savannah’s wearing my scrubs top, so I’m gonna have to go out bare chested. It’s dark; I’m hoping there won’t be many people about. I grab hold of Bailey’s arm and lead her over to the door. Before I open it I put my hand around her throat and push her up against the door. “If you scream, or try to run, or do anything to get us caught, I’ll snap your neck,” I snarl at her. I open the door and pull her outside.

“Where are we going?” she asks.

“A shop. I need to get something to take off this collar, and take out my chip.”

She laughs. “Good luck with that, I hope you kill yourself.”

I walk as fast as I can, I can’t see any people. I hold my breath as a couple of cars go by, but they don’t stop. I don’t know if there’s a shop near here, I’m hoping there is. I try to move faster, dragging Bailey along with me. I’m running out of time, they’ve probably already tracked us; I need to get rid of this damn chip. I see a big store and it’s lit up, it must be open, I run.

I push open the door and pull Bailey inside. No one looks at us. I can see a couple of people shopping but they ignore us, they’re too busy doing their own thing. I drag Bailey past shelves filled with food and clothes. I need to find a knife, or something sharp. Finally I find the tools. Keeping a grip on Bailey I run my thumb along the edge of a thin saw, it cuts my thumb, it’s sharp enough. I pick up a knife with thin changeable blades. “Have you got enough money for these?” I ask her.

“Not on me,” she smiles.

I stare at her. “You told me you had money.”

She laughs. “I do, back in my purse at the Compound.”

My mouth is dry. I look down at the tools in my hand, I need them. I look over at the door, there ain’t many people here. I flip open the blade of the knife, grab a handful of Bailey’s hair and force her head back. I hold the knife to her throat. “We’re gonna have to make a run for it.” I dig the point of the blade into her skin. “Don’t do anything stupid,” I snarl at her. Holding the knife and saw, I grab her arm and run for the door. As I burst through the alarm goes off, I can hear voices calling out and footsteps running behind us. I don’t look back.

Reece jumps up off the bed as we get back in the room. I’m panting and my heart is pounding. I look across at Savannah, she’s still asleep. I push Bailey into the bathroom and Reece follows us. “Get the sheets and tie her up,” I tell Reece. He ties her wrists and ankles and she sits on the bathroom floor, scowling. I look in the mirror and press the tip of the saw against my collar. I move it back and forth, I think it’s cutting it, but it’s taking forever. Finally it cuts through. I rub my neck; the skin that was underneath the collar is red and sore. I hand the knife to Reece. “Cut out my chip,” I tell him.

I rest my arms on the wash basin and lower my head. Reece rubs his fingers over the back of my neck. “Where is it?” he asks.

“I dunno, it’s in the back of my neck somewhere.”

He rubs his fingers over my neck again. “I can’t feel it. Where shall I cut?”

“Let me do it, if he does it wrong he could harm you,” Bailey says.

I stare at her. “You think I’m gonna give you a knife? And what do you care, you wanted me to die earlier.”

“You don’t want someone cutting into your neck who doesn’t know what they’re doing,” she says. “If he does it wrong he can paralyse you.”

“And I don’t wanna give a knife to someone who might stab me with it.” I rest my head in my hands. We don’t have time for this, it’s gonna take too long, they’ll be here soon. I’ve gotta give Savannah chance to get away, without us she has a chance. “Bailey, I’m gonna give Savannah time to get away and then I’m gonna turn myself in.”

“Hell no,” Reece snaps, “I’m not going back to that place.”

“You don’t have to,” I tell him. “Leave now and take your chances, just don’t go near Savannah while you’ve got that chip.” I push past him and head for Savannah. I can’t tell her I’m gonna turn myself in, she’ll wanna stay with me. I gently shake her awake.

“Baby, you need to leave, someone from the Pound is gonna be here soon.” I pick her clothes up off the floor and hand them to her. Her eyes are bleary and she’s looking at me, confused. I lower my voice so only she can hear me. “Do you know how to get to the farm where Clay is at?” She’s still frowning but she nods her head. “Get dressed and go there now,” I tell her.

She puts her hand on my arm. “Aren’t you coming?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

I have to make sure she leaves; I have to get her away from me to keep her safe. I swallow the lump in my throat. “Because I stand a better chance on my own. I don’t wanna have to worry about you. You’re slowing me down. You’re gonna get me caught.” I look down at the floor before she sees the pain in my eyes.

“Kayden,” she gasps. “You don’t mean that, do you?” She leans closer and cups my face in her hands and I wanna cry. I wanna fucking cry. “We have a better chance together,” she says, “two sets of eyes and ears are better than one.”

I take a deep breath and force my mouth to say words that I don’t mean. “I don’t love you Savannah, I never have. You should have listened to your brother because he was right, I’ve been using you and now you’re slowing me down. We’re done, it’s over.” I can’t say anymore because my throat has dried up. I can’t look her in the eye because I’m scared of what I might see there. I pull her hands away from my face and rush back to the bathroom. I don’t look back at her, I can’t, because if I did I’d be down on my knees begging her forgiveness, pleading with her not to leave me. My legs are trembling as I walk into the bathroom, close the door behind me and lean my head against it. I close my eyes and try to breathe.

When I open my eyes, Reece is standing at the mirror, sawing the collar off his neck. The door handle turns, I lean against it to keep it closed. I can’t face her, if I see her again I won’t be able to walk away and I have to, it’s too dangerous for her to be with me. I press all my weight against the door. She taps at the door and then I hear her voice. “Kayden, please open the door. I know you love me. We need to stay together; we can leave now before they get here.”

I swallow and my breath shudders. I don’t answer her; I don’t trust myself to speak. Savannah taps on the door again. “Kayden, let me in, we need to talk.”

Dammit, she’s not gonna go and they’re gonna be here soon. I have to make her go. “Savannah,” I scream through the door, “Get lost will ya. I wanna be with Bailey; we’ve been seeing each other behind your back. Now go.” I squeeze my eyes shut, my muscles are tense, my throat feels like sandpaper and I think I’m gonna throw up.

“Okay, I’ll go.” I open my eyes, my stomach lurches. “You know where I’ll be, meet me there,” she says. I hear the door to our room open and then close. She’s gone. Reece goes back to sawing at his collar, as if nothing has happened. My head feels like it’s gonna explode. I drop to my knees in front of the toilet and spew my guts up. I reach for some toilet tissue to wipe my face.

Reece is untying Bailey. “What the hell you doing?” I ask him.

“I need her to cut out my chip,” he says as he unties her wrists. “I ain’t going back to that place, d’ya get what I’m saying? Even if they don’t track us, the damn chip will set off alarms if I go into a shop, or somewhere.”

I freeze. Thoughts jumble up in my head. Alarms. I frown; I didn’t set off any alarm when I went in that shop with Bailey. They didn’t use my chip to shock me when I was at the Pound. Maybe it ain’t working. Maybe they turned it off. My breath catches in my throat. If it ain’t working, then they ain’t tracking me. I need to find Savannah. I leap up off the floor and grab the door handle, then I stop. “Bailey,” she has the knife in her hand, Reece is bending over the sink, she could kill him. “My chip, do they do something to it, to stop it working, or to make it work? Coz I didn’t set off no alarms?”

Reece spins round, grabs the knife from Bailey’s hand and slams her back against the bathroom wall. He holds the knife to her throat. “Don’t give me no bullshit. Is this chip working, or not?” he snarls at her.

“They deactivate them when you’re in the Compound because most of the slaves there don’t have them. They reactivate them when they sell you. So no, your chip isn’t working,” she says.

I don’t wait to hear any more, I yank open the door and run out to the parking lot, Savannah can’t have got that far. I run to the street and look both ways; it’s empty except for a couple of cars driving past. Would she have gone right, or left? She’ll be heading to the farm but I dunno where it is. Left, or right? I head right and run as fast as I can, my feet pounding the pavement. I have to find her, I’ve gotta find her. I look in every doorway and turn my head to check both sides of the road. I run right to the end of the street, she’s not here; she must have gone the other way. I quickly turn around and head back in the opposite direction. My heart is thumping and I’m feeling light headed. I force my legs to move faster. I reach the opposite end of the street and she’s not here either. Where the fuck did she go? I scream out her name.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Savannah

I glance back at the hotel several times, I’m expecting Kayden to come running out but he doesn’t. I need to get off this main street and onto a back street. I hunt around in my rucksack for the cellphone Simon gave me and dial his number. “Simon, I need you to come and pick me up. I’ve left the hotel and I’m heading left. When I hang up, I’m going to head to the back street that runs parallel to the main street, I’ll keep heading left. Meet me somewhere along that road please. I’ll explain everything when I see you.”

I end the call and run, heading for the smaller back road. Most people will be using the main street, less chance of me being spotted. I look over my shoulder to see if I’m being followed but the road is empty and quiet. Kayden seems to think the Pound knows where we are. Are they tracking his chip? Is that why he doesn’t want me with him? He must be afraid. I stop. I can’t leave him all alone, what will they do to him if they catch him? I’m about to turn around when I hear the sound of a car slowing. Is Simon here already? The car pulls up alongside me, but it’s not Simon’s car. Someone winds down the window and a man pokes his head out. I can see another man in the passenger seat.

“Hey sweet cheeks. What you doing out all alone at this time of night?”

I keep walking; I’m just going to ignore them. Their car is cruising along, staying level with me. I’m feeling tense and my heart is pounding.

“What’s your problem you stuck up bitch? Do you think you’re too good to speak to us?”

I quicken my pace and hold up my cellphone so they can see it. “Leave me alone, or I’ll call the police,” I tell them.

“We’re not doing anything wrong; it’s not illegal to speak to a sexy woman.”

My palms are clammy. I can’t call the police, I’m an escaped criminal. I try to control my breathing. “It is illegal, it’s called kerb crawling,” I tell them. Why isn’t there another car when I want one? I check the time on my phone, please Simon, hurry.

“Kerb crawling, that’s when you solicit a prostitute, are you saying you’re a prostitute darling?” The other guy is speaking, his voice sounds deep and gruff. “How much do you charge?”

“Go away and leave me alone,” I shout at them. I can hear them laughing. They continue to drive slowly alongside me; I stop and dial Simon. They stop their car and leer at me through the window. When Simon answers I don’t give him chance to say anything, I speak loud enough so that the men can hear. “There are two men following me, I’ll give you their car’s registration number.” As I head to the rear of their car, they pull off and speed away, which is what I was hoping for. “It’s okay, they’ve gone,” I tell Simon. “But it may not be safe for me to continue walking. I’m going to hide in the bushes, text or call when you get here.” I find a spot hidden from the road; I sit down and lean against a tree trunk. I can’t see the road from here but it’ll be okay because Simon is going to text me. It’s dark and rustling noises are coming from the bushes; I don’t even want to think about what creatures might be in there. I can hear footsteps, someone’s running. I hold my breath; please don’t let it be someone from the Pound looking for me. Whoever it is, runs past the spot I’m hiding at and I let out my breath, maybe it was a late night jogger.

I bring my legs up to my chest, it’s cold. I debate whether I should go back for Kayden, but if he thinks they’re tracking his chip, he isn’t going to come with me. I’ll go to the farm, that way he’ll know where to find me, I’m sure he’ll join me there, it’ll take him about a day to get to the farm on foot, but what if he gets caught? I squeeze my eyes shut, I can’t think that. It’s going to be okay, he’ll be with me in a few days. I play a few of the games on my phone to pass the time and to take my mind off Kayden and the rustling noises in the bushes. Finally, I get a text from Simon. As I step out from the trees I see the beam of headlights, the car comes to a stop and Simon gets out. I fling my arms around him; I think the hug is more for me than it is for him.