No Peace for the Damned

natural predator. Fluid. His lunge was beautiful, smooth and fast in a way that seemed choreographed. And watching him move through his own eyes, I saw how automatic his grace was, how disciplined and confident…and deadly. The skinny man was dead on his feet before he knew we were out of the chair.
    Theo gently laid the man on the dirt floor and began scanning for cameras and other security. I wasn’t sure if I was more impressed by his gentleness or his fierceness. Either way, I was totally getting hot.
    They know something’s happened
. Theo thought.
They’re turning on some kind of furnace or something
.
    Oops.
    Er, no, the only camera is on the other side of the door. The wire is exposed at the doorframe
.
    The last thing I needed from him was more attitude so I didn’t force his eyes upward to where the wire was obviously visible.He’d barely started to scan the doorframe when he turned a sudden about-face and ran to the desk. Quickly he rummaged through the drawers.
    Um, we’re kind of in a hurry here
.
    He ignored me. In the second drawer he found it: a long horseshoe pritchel. Twelve inches long, it was thicker than an ice pick and sharper on its tip. It had dried blood thick on the length of its shaft. Theo held it up to the light, examining it as he rotated his wrist back and forth. He held it like he should—like a weapon. Watching him in all his seductive, predatory glory set off my butterflies.
    The wire
, I reminded him.
    Instantly, he was back at the door. He glanced over the exposed cable twice before he saw it. With his fast fingers—not the time to ponder that fact too closely—he disabled the camera. In a matter of seconds we were poised at the door to make our escape.
    Wait
, I cautioned
. They always keep someone on guard outside. I’m going to need to listen. Do you
mind
if I use your ears?
    His eyes rolled and a wave of dizziness rocked our balance.
    OK, don’t do that again
.
    Well don’t be so damn patronizing!
    Great, more attitude.
    Are you going to let me listen or not?
    His arm waved in an impatient response—my sign to go ahead. He leaned closer to the door, not realizing that it wasn’t necessary. Once he turned over control of his ears, I could hear the stale conversation of the yard crew on the southern acres, and then, farther, voices of those in the main house.
    All at once my heart stopped. Father was here, inside the main house. I could hear him snapping orders to one of the servants. His voice scraped along the inside of my mind, paralyzingevery other thought. Theo froze, sharing in my terror. I could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
    What’s happening?
    I couldn’t respond, couldn’t even think. The horrors of my life were too close. Please don’t let them know I’m alive. I felt the words more than thought them.
    Mag
. Theo’s thoughts were stern
. Mag, I need you to focus. I’m not going to let them do anything to us, do you understand? Just show me the way out and we will leave this place
.
    It took a full minute, and everything I had, to turn away from my father’s voice.
    OK
, I finally responded.
There’s no one outside the door, but security guards monitor the cameras so we only have a few minutes before someone comes to check on the disabled wires
.
    Theo tucked the horseshoe pick in his waistband and used both hands to grip the large dead bolt. With a heave he cranked open the heavy metal door. There was a small, enclosed area, maybe four feet by four feet with a low sheet metal ceiling and concrete floor. At the end was a second locked door that led to the outside. Theo swung the large metal door closed behind us, locking it in place with a clang. He winced as he turned to the second door. A step forward, then he hissed. Clutching his right shoulder, he fell against one of the unfinished walls. When he brought his hand back down, blood covered it.
    You’re hurt
.
    Wherever my body was, it had stopped breathing. Fear, worry, guilt—I was consumed by the thought of someone tearing into Theo’s body they way they had mine so many times. How stupid could I be? Assuming that when I had awoken in his mind, his time as a captive had just started. I should have known better.
    What did they do to you? What did they want to know?
    I don’t remember
, he thought and clutched his shoulder tighter. I could feel him trying to recall what happened, but his thoughts were fuzzy, disjointed from the drugs.
    Don’t worry about it now. We