The train bore down on Shondra Lockwood. The track she was hog-tied to vibrated beneath her with jaw-rattling fury. She pulled on the leather strap that held her hands bound to her feet and the track. The subway tunnel, dark mere moments before, filled with light from the front lamp of the train. Shondra looked back at the quickly oncoming subway train, focused for a second on the horrified face of the train engineer as he spotted her bound to the track and knew he couldn't stop in time.
The knot holding her wrists to her ankles parted. Shondra felt the sudden slack and threw herself from the track, rolling to the sidewall of the tunnel just as the cyclone force of displaced air from the rushing train slammed into her. The train rolled over the spot Shondra had just occupied and sped uncontested through the tunnel.
Shondra lay against the wall, still bound hand and foot and gagged, panting like she'd just run a marathon and staring at the train that nearly killed her. It took a few moments before she recalled Susan and Xia and the disk and everything she had repeatedly risked her life for. Sighing, wishing she were a child of five back home playing with her mother, Shondra willed herself to tug at her bonds. Her hand slipped out of the loop just like that. She propped herself up and pulled the gag from her mouth, and reminded herself once again that she still had work to do.
Cindy mewled pitifully at the stranger rifling through her apartment, pleading in the microscopic hope that he would at last take pity on her and untie her. It didn't work. He continued meticulously searching drawers, closets, books, her purse and other places of concealment. He felt under desks. He checked every CD case in her collection. He searched the plants, the seat cushions, the pictures on the wall. He felt along the ceiling molding and tested the echo of the floorboards.
And when he was finished, he moved to Cindy's bedroom.
Cindy couldn't believe her misfortune. Ever since she had brought Susan into her home, she had been kidnapped, bound, threatened and her home invaded and ransacked. How could one simple CD be so valuable that so many people were willing to visit misfortune on so many others just to secure it? She let her head fall to the floor, too weak and frustrated to keep holding it up. Her wrists hurt. Her legs hurt. Her shoulders were on fire. She had rope burns on her arms and legs and carpet burns on her right side. She was thirsty, she was hungry and she wanted to be free and safe and by herself.
Armand covered the bedroom with the same efficiency he covered the living room. He knew a million potential hiding places from experience and covered them all. He spent an hour searching the room from one end to another, carefully checking each place either the CD or a related clue could be found. At the end, he knew some of Cindy's most intimate secrets, but he didn't know where the CD was.
He moved to the kitchen, again ignoring Cindy's muffled pleas for freedom. The kitchen took less time to search, because it was a smaller room. It, however, yielded no clue either. The CD was not in this apartment, nor was there any indication as to where it was hidden. Armand took a moment to think, to ponder his next move. Then he took a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. Returning to the living room, he knelt down next to Cindy. Cradling her head in his lap, he carefully pulled the tape away from her lips and brought the glass of water to them. Cindy gratefully accepted the water. She tried to gulp it, but Armand withheld it.
"Slowly," he admonished. "If you gulp, you may choke."
Cindy sipped the water, then slurped some down at the end.
"Thank you," Cindy offered timidly. "My throat was so dry."
"Yes, I understand," he smiled paternally. "Have you been tied very long?"
"It seems like years," moaned Cindy.
"I doubt that. Now, my dear, I have done you a kindness. Perhaps you may do me one?"
"Like what?" Cindy asked, glancing suspiciously at him.
"Your sister has a computer disk..."
"Oh, no!" groaned Cindy. "I don't know where it is! All I know is we haven't had a moment's peace since she got it!"
"She told you nothing about where the disk might be?"
"The only thing I know is that some French woman took it, but nobody wants to believe that!" Armand looked disappointed, which made Cindy nervous. "I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you!"
"Do not trouble yourself. You cannot tell what you do not know." He produced the strip of tape and Cindy's eyes grew wide. "I apologize for having to do this."
"No, please! Don't gag me again!" wailed Cindy.
"I fear I must. Freeing you would only make you an impediment." Armand smoothed the tape back over Cindy's mouth, then brushed away her tears with his thumb. "Do not cry, my dear. It will make it hard for you to breathe. Salvation will come."
Armand went to the door and eased himself out, the muffled pleas of Cindy at his back. Closing the door and making sure it was locked, the thief strolled down the hall mulling over his next move. It was at the elevator that he met up with an unexpected surprise. As he moved to get on, Detective Joe Gullickson, in search of his partner, got off. The two locked eyes for a moment, then recognition came to them both.
"You're that Pleusse guy!" Gullickson exclaimed and pulled his gun.
Armand dived into the elevator and jabbed a button. The door almost closed in time, but Gullickson wedged his arms in and forced them open. His revolver pointed directly at Armand.
"Don't try anything!" snapped Gullickson.
"I shall not," Armand replied warily, raising his hands. "You have won this round. I will go quietly."
"So what were you doing in this building?"
"Ah, just because I have surrendered," grinned Armand, "does not mean I must testify against myself."
Gullickson cuffed Armand, then gave a cursory check to the front doors on the floor. When he jiggled the knob on Cindy's door, she mrrfed as loudly as she could. However, he didn't hear her and eventually left with Armand in custody, leaving poor Cindy frustrated and disappointed once again.
Susan jerked her head up. Realizing she must have dozed off, she took stock of her situation. It was very dark in the bathroom, so it must have been the middle of the night. She was still tied to a chair; that she could tell from the ache in her shoulders, her wrists and her bottom. She still felt the towel tied in her mouth. Her shoulders sank. She still must be a prisoner of Armand and Marie.
Then she felt fingertips brush against her hands. Startled, she glanced over her shoulder as much as she could and spotted Angela Hoffman. That jogged her memory. Angela had been captured, too. She was tied to a chair and gagged just as Susan was. Only she had inched her chair over so they were back to back with the nurse and she could feel Angela's fingers brush against her hands.
"Mmmpphh?" Susan asked questioningly.
"Mnnngh nngghh!" commanded Detective Hoffman.
She couldn't understand what the woman was trying to do until she felt the fingertips grasp onto the ropes binding her. At last Susan understood. Angela was trying to untie her wrists. Susan held herself as still as possible while Angela worked to try to undo the knots.
It was slow going. Armand had hidden the knot on the underside of the binding, making it hard to reach. The ropes slipped through Angela's fingers several times. However, she remained doggedly determined to see it through. Susan admired her stamina, but couldn't really blame her for her single-mindedness. It was perhaps the only opportunity they had to gain their freedom.
She could hear Angela grunting, the exertion of what she was attempting betrayed by those sounds. To pass the time while she waited for Angela to untie her, Susan pondered why the police detective was there. Was Angela looking for her? Had she just been investigating Marie over the fire and gotten too close? Whatever the reason, Susan was grateful she was here. Having a fellow captive increased their odds of escape. Besides, it just helped to have someone else sharing her predicament. It made her feel less alone and abandoned.
Angela grunted some more and Susan glanced over, grateful for the effort the woman was putting in on their behalf. Then she felt the loops on her wrists loosen some. It wasn't enough to let her slip her hands out, but it was enough to get her excited. Susan held her arms rigid and tried not to let her excitement over her anticipated freedom overwhelm her. Control of her emotions in a crisis situation had gotten her through every crisis so far, whether it was in the ER or during this last day and a half from Hell. She waited, though it was agony, and felt the ropes loosen more and more. Finally she could stand it no longer and tried to tug her hand free. An immense sigh of relief came when she succeeded.
"Nnngghh!" Angela urged her on, but Susan didn't need any prodding.
Twisting her arm up, Susan clawed for the ropes holding her elbows together. She finally snagged them and pulled down as she twisted her other arm around. Her skin had been chafed raw before and the pain from these new abrasions furrowed her brow. When this was all over, Susan was going to climb into a warm bath and soak herself until she dissolved. A few more tugs and a few more twists got the ropes to slide far enough down her arms that she could wriggle out of them. After pausing for a few beats to catch her breath, Susan hooked her thumbs under the rope across her chest and wriggled out from under it.
"Mmmpphh mmmmmm!" Angela gurgled impatiently.
Susan tore at the knot in the towel and finally parted it. She gingerly removed the thick terry cloth from her mouth and yanked out the washcloth. Her mouth was sore, but it felt so good to have that out of her mouth. Angela stomped impatiently, spurring Susan out of her fatigue-induced lethargy. She reached around behind her and, with some small difficulty, untied the ropes around Angela's wrists and elbows, then turned to free her own legs.
"God, I thought I..." Susan began, then felt Angela's hand clap over her mouth.
She turned to the woman, surprised and suspicious, and saw her gesture for quiet, then point to the next room. Of course, Marie was probably still in the next room and, though she seemed disabled by whatever bout with bondage she'd suffered through, she still might be an impediment to their freedom. Angela scooped up some of the rope that had just fallen from her body and crept over to the door. Susan's legs felt like jelly, but she followed suit, determined to help in any way to subdue Marie if it meant her freedom.
The door opened a crack. Angela peered out and surveyed the situation. Marie lay on the sofa; she seemed to be asleep. There was no sign of Armand and Angela decided it wasn't in her best interest to wait for one. She popped out of the door and crept silently across the carpet to the sofa, Susan mirroring her every movement. The two women got within arm's reach of the sleeping French woman. Angela glanced at Susan and gave her a nod.
The pair pounced on Marie, dragging her from sleep as they dragged her from the sofa. Angela straddled her hips while Susan straddled her neck. They forced Marie's arms behind her back amid a torrent of squeals of pain and curses in both French and English. Susan held her arms while Angela tied her wrists palm to palm behind her. Marie thrashed beneath them, trying to buck the two women off, but their combined weight was too much for the woman and she remained pinned to the floor. Rope encircled her elbows, drawing them tightly behind her back. Marie howled in pain again, her sore muscles and joints screaming at her. They climbed off their victim and wrestled her to a sitting position so Angela could draw some rope over her chest.
"You do not need to do this," Marie said, her breathy seductive voice containing a hint of desperation. "I can be very amenable."
"Honey, I won't trust you after I have you hog-tied," snorted Angela, tugging on the chest rope so it cut a deep furrow into the pliant skin of Marie's chest.
"Please," continued Marie. "We can still deal. Name what you want."
"Give me that," snapped Angela, snatching up a roll of tape.
Marie struggled to avoid being gagged. Angela finally had to throw Marie on her back and trap the woman's head between her thighs so she could apply the tape to her mouth. When she released the woman's head, Marie shook it violently, trying to throw the tape from her mouth. Angela threw the woman face down on the floor and kept her pinned while Susan bound her ankles crossed.
"That's good," Angela commented. "Where's a nurse learn how to tie people up?"
"I've had a lot of experience with it the last couple of days," grinned Susan.
"Been a busy girl?" Angela asked. "Now draw her ankles to her wrists."
"Oooh, that's going to hurt," chuckled Susan.
"You're not feeling sorry for her, are you?"
"Oh no. As far as I'm concerned, it couldn't happen to a nicer person."
"Mmmmmph!" Marie cried.
"So what was she talking about?" Susan asked.
"What?"
"She mentioned a deal?"
"Oh," Angela said, rolling her eyes. "They tried to bribe me earlier. The guy offered me a percentage of what they planned to sell the disk for. She clocked me with a lamp when I wouldn't take it."
"Well," Susan said, drawing the knot tight on the rope that held Marie's wrists to her ankles, "I'm glad you showed up when you did. I didn't know how I was going to get away from them."
They let Marie fall onto her side. The French woman writhed on the floor, trying without any success to squirm out of the hog-tie she was in. Angela slapped her playfully on the hip, then pushed herself to her feet. Susan rolled back on her heels, pulled herself up onto the sofa and eased back. She watched Angela punch up a number.
"Who are you calling?" Susan asked.
"The station," Angela replied. "Just calling for a pick-up for her. She's still wanted on arson and attempted murder charges, last time I checked."
"Mmmmmm!" Marie groaned.
"Oh, don't think I haven't forgotten about that!" Susan snorted, nudging Marie's hip with her foot.
"Nnnnn, mmnnggghh mmmpppff!" Marie pleaded with Susan, looking up at her from the floor.
"Maybe you can add kidnapping to those charges, too," Susan scowled, staring Marie directly in the eye.
"Mmmmmm," sobbed Marie.
"Well, they're on their way," announced Angela. She glanced around the living room. "Now what did they do with my service revolver?"
While Angela searched the room, Susan let her shoulders sag. Her most fervent hope was that all of this was finally over.
"So I guess the disk she took wasn't the real one," Angela said while she searched.
"Huh?" Susan asked, startled by the question.
"The disk you told me she took," Angela continued, those pale blue eyes glancing at her and piercing through all the lies and half-truths she'd told. "Obviously it wasn't the right one or they wouldn't have abducted you again."
"You're right," Susan admitted, dropping her head in her hands. "I switched a blank CD into the jewel case when I first got it. Dr. Dressendorfer sounded so adamant that it not fall into the wrong hands and I just wanted to be careful."
"Nobody's blaming you," Angela smiled. "It's hard to know who to trust these days, particularly when you've got thieves and secret agents kidnapping you at every turn."
"Or your family," Susan added. "Oh, Cindy."
"Was that who the victim was in that kidnap scene?" Angela said, finding her pistol in a drawer. She checked the cylinder to see if it was still loaded. "When I saw those rope burns on Marie, I thought she was the victim. Look, Susan, I don't know what all happened there, but we only found one body and it wasn't your sister."
"Then she may still be alive?" Susan asked, hope swelling within her.
"She's probably back at her place worrying where you are," Angela said, crossing over to the nurse. "Why don't you tell me where the disk is and then go home to your sister and forget all of this ever happened?"
"Um," Susan hesitated. "Why don't we go to Cindy's and I'll think about it."
"That's withholding evidence, Susan," Angela said patiently. "I could throw you in jail for that."
"You don't know I have it," Susan replied thinly. "I never said I still have it, so don't threaten me with jail if you don't have evidence to hold me with."
Susan then felt the barrel of Angela's gun jam into the side of her head.
"I want that disk," Angela said and Susan recognized the telltale signs of greed in her eyes and voice.
"Not you, too," sighed Susan. "I thought when you turned down the bribe..."
"Hey, why settle for a percentage," Angela smirked, "when you can have it all?"