“Martin, could you please pass me my bag and hold Elizabeth’s hands down?”
Ha hold my hands down shouldn’t be too much of an effort. They are still cuffed. Four against one. I’m not sure, should I be proud that it takes four people to hold me down? It’s clear that Helen is not willing to run any risks this time. She gets a syringe out, lets the air out, and pushes the sleeve up on my right arm. I struggle, but it’s no use.
“Keep still or it’ll hurt. I know you stress out easily. This injection will calm you down. Don’t worry. Good girl.”
I feel my eyes getting heavy. Damn, that stuff is potent and acts quickly. The drugs are playing havoc with my system. I’m glad Ama sent the kids up into the tree house hours ago. Luke is up there too. Only Amadeus is close by, letting me borrow some of his strength and the ever-present Sky. Please, Sky, keep an eye open. I don’t think I can stay awake much longer.
I can’t…
… keep my eyes open. I wish I could rub my eyes, but my hands are still cuffed. For a moment there, I thought I dozed off. My mouth is as dry as the Sahara Desert and my head feels as if it’s made of custard and it buzzes like a beehive. Do bees like custard? They must do. Why else would they be inside my head?
I’m staring into a big, blinding light. I close my eyes and wait a moment until I open them again. The light is still there, and my eyes hurt like hell. I remember now, Helen drugged me. When I turn my head the blinding light… how silly, it’s the sun.
Where am I? I look around as much as I can see being tied up on this couch. I don’t know this room.
“The sun came up a few moments ago. It’s time to leave and get to the boat. Is she awake?” a male voice is asking. It could be Martin Harris, Scott’s friend. He must have alerted Helen to our whereabouts after he helped pull Scott’s truck out of the ditch. Maybe it was wrong to blame Beth? That’s when our troubles began. It hurts to realize that’s also when Scott’s betrayal began. Steps are coming closer and I shut my eyes again. A shadow falls over my face.
“She’s still out. We must carry her into the car.”
Helen sounds smug and satisfied. Catching me must be a milestone in her pathetic life. How unsporting of her, one against a dozen, if not more. That’s not much of an achievement in my book. Where the heck are they taking me, and where the heck are the police?
I’ve never heard of a case where the police arrest someone and then put him or her in a private house overnight. It’s hard to resist the urge to look, but I might find out more if I keep pretending to be asleep.
“Let me do it. We have to hurry to catch the outgoing tide in Greymouth.” Two rough hands scoop me up. Martin. No doubt, it’s Martin. What has he to do with Helen? They seem to know each other well.
“She’s too heavy, you take her legs.”
They pull me up from the sofa and I have to bite back a giggle. Helen must put a lot of trust in her drugs if she believes I’m still out. They lay me down on the backseat of their car and rush into the front seats. I have no complaints. The car is super comfortable and quiet. A Mercedes is my guess, you know, the ones that drive so quietly, you only hear the ticking of the clock. My cuffed hands are the only discomfort I feel.
They could at least have taken the cuffs off. What do they think of me? That I’m stupid enough to jump out of a car doing sixty miles per hour? Sometimes I think people watch too much TV and believe it’s real. This is not a cops and robber James Bond style scenario.
This is a puny, pathetic woman who gets off on abusing children and vulnerable people. I’m sure I’m underestimating the power of the group standing behind her, but when everything is accounted for, they are shitty, creepy people who are too weak and too incompetent to make a decent living the legal way, so they have to prey on the most vulnerable of society.
A cell phone rings and Helen answers it.
“Where are you? They’re waiting for you. Don’t mess this up.”
The person on the other end shouts loud enough that I can make out a distinct, Irish lilt. Whoever it is, is at the brink of an explosion.
“We are only minutes away, don’t worry, Seb, she won’t cause any further troubles.”
I’m sure Helen is talking about me. For a second I bathe in the satisfaction that not only Helen, but others too are fearful of my ability to create problems. I pledge to do my best not to disappoint them. If I don’t find a way to escape, I’ll at least try making their lives a living hell.
Sky’s cautious voice interrupts my thoughts. “Be careful, a frightened enemy is unpredictable. They are past smacking us and calling us naughty.”
Who does Sky think I am? An amateur? I know what they are capable of. I just don’t see any benefit in launching into an all-out panic. I leave that to the others in the Tribe. I need to keep a clear head. A panicked mind has little chance of coming up with good solutions. And one thing is certain, we urgently need a perfect solution, or we are toast.
We must have arrived at our destination because the car stops. Time to stage my waking-up-oh-my-where-are-we performance. I start with a few moans, a pulling on the handcuffs, and a loud groan.
“She’s awake.” Helen throws a quick glance at me, opens her door, and
