They answered in turn, their English much like Sabrina’s.
“Blossom.”
“Daphne.”
“Tara.”
“Belinda.”
“Jasmine.”
“And what are you particularly good at?”
All of them flushed, but they began to name various sexual activities.
* * *
U
PSTAIRS
E
LIZABETH
WAITED
in the hall. She’d heard the doorbell ring, and she prayed that Matt had arrived.
When she reached for his mind, she found him and breathed out a sigh of relief.
Everything okay?
he asked.
Yes. I’m going to take a bunch of women down the back stairs and into the kitchen. If the coast is clear, I’ll send them to Sabrina. She’s waiting at the edge of the woods.
There are five women down here. I’ll see if I can get them to the back of the house.
She broke off the voiceless conversation with Matt as Maria hurried back with six more women. Some looked frightened. Others doubtful.
“Everything’s going to be all right. We’ll go down the back stairs. The way I came up,” Elizabeth said.
She debated whether to get them dressed in something more suitable for the outside, then decided that the better alternative was to get them away from the house as quickly as possible.
She put a finger to her lips in the universal symbol for quiet, then led the way down the stairs, pausing at the bottom to make sure that none of the guards had come back to get a snack.
The coast was clear, and she motioned for the others to follow.
The women peered around fearfully as they stepped into the kitchen, all of them looking like they expected a slave master to materialize out of nowhere and punish them for being downstairs.
It’s all right. Everything’s all right. You’re perfectly safe. You’re going to get away from here,
Elizabeth kept assuring them. At the back door, she repeated the procedure she’d used when she arrived, waiting for a guard to pass. As soon as he had disappeared around the corner of the house, she opened the door and pointed toward the section of trees straight back from the door.
“Nobody is watching the video monitors. Sabrina is over there waiting for you. Go to her. She’ll get you to the van.”
The first woman cautiously stepped outside and started across the lawn. The rest followed, and Elizabeth watched them go. She breathed out a small sigh as she saw them make it to the shelter of the trees. From the shadows Sabrina waved, and Elizabeth waved back.
Now they just had to get the women out of the parlor, and they’d be home free.
She turned and made her way toward the front of the house and stopped short when she saw Matt.
I’m here,
she said.
I’m going to tell Mrs. Vivian that I’d like to take this group of women into the kitchen.
Will that work?
She’s been completely cooperative so far.
But that could be problematic.
We’ll see.
She heard Matt switch his mental attention to the hostess.
I love cooking. I’m taking the girls into the kitchen for some treats.
“What?” the woman said aloud.
“We’re just going back to the kitchen to whip up some brownies,” Matt said, madly projecting the message to Mrs. Vivian that what he was doing was perfectly normal.
“Come on,” he said to the women.
None of them moved.
You get them to come with you out the back door. I’ll keep Mrs. Vivian in line until you tell me they’ve all made it to the woods.
They had just started across the room when Matt heard a car pull up in the parking area.
Damn. It would have been better if they hadn’t had to deal with another guest.
As that thought flickered through Matt’s mind, the front door opened.
Another guest?
It was apparently someone so sure of his welcome here that he didn’t need to ring the bell or knock. The footsteps in the hall gave Matt a bad feeling.
He turned to see a tall, broad-shouldered man who appeared to be in his late forties stride into the room with the confidence of someone who knew no one was going to challenge him.
He stopped short when he saw Elizabeth, and a smile spread across his face.
Chapter Fourteen
“So good of you to show up here,” Derek Lang said as he and the man next to him both drew handguns. The other man pointed his weapon at Matt. Lang covered Elizabeth.
Elizabeth’s body went cold. This was the thug she’d been running from for more than a week, and she’d just put herself into his clutches.
Above the buzzing in her brain, she heard Matt switch his attention to Lang.
It’s all right. Everything’s okay. We’re not doing any harm. We’re going to walk out of here with these girls. And you’re glad to see them go. None of them was working out, anyway.
Elizabeth knew she should add her power to Matt’s mental assault, but for long moments, she simply couldn’t manage it. It was all she could do to lock her knees and keep standing there in front of the man who had been repeatedly trying to kill her.
And apparently Matt’s mental suggestion wasn’t having any effect on Lang.
Help me,
he shouted in her mind
She pulled herself together and added her strength to Matt’s, but Lang’s will must be strong. He acted like he hadn’t heard the powerful suggestions they were now both aiming at him, and she realized that they should have simply zapped him instead of trying to convince him of something so against his best interests.
But it was already too late. He slammed Elizabeth against the wall, making her head ring as he fixed her with a murderous look. “You’re going to be sorry that you ever got involved in my business.”
He kept his hand on Elizabeth as he turned to the tough-looking man standing next to him. “Southwell, lock them in the basement.”
He stopped and thought about the order. “No, wait. There’s something strange about these two. They keep getting away, and I can’t explain why. I want them separated. Leave Ms. Forester with me up here, and put Dr. Delano in the basement.”
Elizabeth was still trying to clear her head, and she understood why Matt hadn’t zapped Lang. The man was holding on to her, and if Matt hit him, he’d hit her, too.
Southwell flicked the gun at Matt. “Come on, let’s go.”
Elizabeth wanted to scream, but she wasn’t going to show Lang that she was terrified. She watched the minion hustle Matt out of her sight.
It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.
Matt sent her the reassurance over and over, but she didn’t believe it. How could they possibly get out of this?
When Southwell and Matt were out of sight, Lang looked toward Mrs. Vivian, who was watching the scene wide-eyed.
“How did that guy get in here?”
“He said he was a friend of Harry.”
“Harry who?”
“I...don’t know.”
Lang snorted. “We’ll discuss that later. I want the girls upstairs out of the way. Elizabeth will stay here with me,” he said, tightening his hand on her arm. “Bring me some rope.”
“Yes, sir.” Mrs. Vivian turned to the women. “You heard Mr. Lang. Go upstairs to your dormitory.”
She followed the young women out of the room, leaving Elizabeth alone with Lang. He looked pleased with himself as he kept the gun on her and inclined his head toward a straight chair near the wall. “Sit down there.”
With no other choice, Elizabeth sat, struggling to calm the pounding of her heart. She’d understood that sneaking into The Mansion was dangerous, but she hadn’t anticipated that Lang was going to show up.
Mrs. Vivian was back all too quickly, holding a coil of rope.
“Tie her arms behind the chair back. Then tie her legs to the chair legs.”
Don’t do it. Don’t tie me up,
Elizabeth silently screamed, still fighting the fuzzy feeling in her head and trying desperately to project the message toward the woman who was standing meekly beside the chair.
When Mrs. Vivian hesitated, Lang’s reaction was immediate and furious. “What are you waiting for? Tie her up, if you don’t want me to shoot you.”
The woman made a low sound and hurried in back of Elizabeth, pulled her arms back and began to wrap the rope around her wrists.
Don’t make the bonds tight. Give my hands some circulation,
Elizabeth said, not sure if that was going to do her any good. But maybe if the bonds were loose enough, she’d have a chance of getting free. Or maybe she’d get clearheaded enough to zap Lang, although she still couldn’t risk it when he was holding the gun on her. And what good would that do if she was tied up?
* * *
T
HE
HARD
-
FACED
MAN
named Southwell, who’d already tried to kill Elizabeth and Matt, marched Matt out of the room.
As soon as they were out of sight, Matt started to send his captor a message that he should let him go. Before he got out more than half a thought, the man raised his gun and brought the butt down on Matt’s head.
He dropped to the floor, desperately trying to cling to consciousness.
“That’s for all your tricky plays,” the thug said, his tone understated. “You got me in a lot of trouble with the boss, and I don’t much appreciate that. You’re lucky I don’t kill you now. But I think Mr. Lang wants to talk to you. I’m hoping he gives you to me when he’s finished.”
Matt heard the tirade through the fog in his brain.
“Get up.”
When he was slow to comply, Southwell grabbed Matt’s arm and dragged him toward the kitchen. He was aware of being pulled across the tile floor. They stopped as the guy opened a door. Then Matt was being dragged down the steps, his limp body thumping against the risers as they descended into the cold and dark room.
The guy reached the bottom, hoisted Matt onto his shoulder and carried him across an open space to a small room. He tossed him inside like a sack of rice. Matt hit the floor and lay still.
Southwell crossed the room and kicked him in the ribs, sending a wave of agony through his side.
“You’ll be damn sorry that you made the mistake of hooking up with Elizabeth Forester. I’ll be back when the boss wants to have a crack at you.”
The thug closed the door behind him, leaving Matt dizzy and disoriented on the cold floor.
* * *
I
N
ONLY
A
FEW
MINUTES
,
Elizabeth was tied to the chair, but Mrs. Vivian had at least done what was requested. Elizabeth thought she had a little bit of wiggle room at her wrists, and maybe if she had some time alone, she could get away.
Lang walked over, studying her. “I see the little social worker looks more like a prostitute. The outfit becomes you. Maybe as part of your punishment, I can let my men have some fun with you.”
Elizabeth fought not to react.
“You know, the way your hands are tied thrusts your breasts toward me.” When he reached down and cupped one in his hand, she tried to cringe away, but the chair and the ropes stopped her.
He pinched her nipple hard, and she couldn’t hold back a gasp.
“What possessed you to get involved in my affairs?” he asked in a conversational voice.
She forced herself to raise her head and looked at him. “I couldn’t leave those poor women here against their will.”
“You’re a real angel of mercy.”
She didn’t bother with a retort.
“How did you learn about this place?” he asked.
Thinking she’d made a mistake by answering his first question, she pressed her lips together. No way was she going to tell him about Sabrina. Oh, Lord, she thought suddenly. Sabrina was in the woods across the lawn, and the guards were still outside patrolling the grounds. Could she send Sabrina a message? Warn her?
All that was racing through her mind when Lang asked his question again.
“Where did you learn about my private business?”
When she didn’t answer, he slapped her hard across the face.
* * *
I
N
THE
BASEMENT
ROOM
,
Matt scooted backward so that he was propped against the wall. It was almost pitch dark, and he could see nothing.
He tried to reach out to Elizabeth, but his brain was too fogged to make the connection.
Was she all right? What was Lang doing to her up there? The pictures in his mind terrified him. He had to get out of this room, but he had no idea how.
But first things first. Southwell had roughed him up, but was there any serious damage? Quickly he began to take a physical inventory. His head hurt where the thug had clunked him, and he knew he was going to have bruises where he’d thumped against the stairs and been kicked in the ribs. But as far as he could tell, nothing was broken, and he had no internal injuries, thank God.
He stayed where he was for several minutes, then pushed himself to his feet and felt the surface behind him. It was a wall made of brick, because the house must have been built before the age of cinder-block construction. Next, he walked along the wall, turning a corner where new cinder block met the old brick, making him wonder if the room had been constructed as a cell. For what? To discipline women who didn’t want to cooperate?
He grimaced as he thought about that but kept walking carefully and holding out his hands in front of him so that he wouldn’t smack into anything.
When his shoulder brushed something different, he stopped. He’d reached the door where he’d been thrown in here. Positioning himself in front of it, he began to feel his way over the surface. It seemed to be made of wood, and when he thumped his fist against it, it felt very solid. Not one of those hollow-core jobs, yet somehow he had to get out of here.
If he could only see the room, he’d have a better idea of how to escape. But there was no light source except for a thin line at the bottom of the door, making him as good as blind.
In frustration he smashed his fist against the door. Then he realized he wasn’t thinking straight at all. He wasn’t going to break out of here in any conventional way, but he and Elizabeth had used bolts of energy to zap rocks and then the men coming after them. Couldn’t he use that power to free himself?
He backed across the room and braced his shoulders against the wall, then tried to send a bolt of power toward the door. All he got was a massive jolt of pain in his head.
He cursed aloud in the little room, then took several breaths, gritted his teeth and tried again.
* * *
U
PSTAIRS
, L
ANG
BACKED
away from Elizabeth and stared at her, studying her like a rat he’d cornered in the basement.
“You think you can keep from spilling your guts to me?” he asked.
When she said nothing, he shook his head. “What if I told you I was going to poke a knife into your eye? Would that help to loosen your tongue?”
Fear leaped inside her, but she kept her voice even. “If you were going to do that to me, I’d know you were planning to kill me. And what would be the advantage of telling you anything?”
“There are many ways to die, some a lot more painful than others,” he answered.
From the side of the room, Mrs. Vivian was watching and listened to the unfolding scene with a sick look on her face. Elizabeth would bet that she’d never anticipated anything like this when she had signed up to run Lang’s bordello.
Elizabeth switched her attention away from the woman when she saw movement in the doorway in back of Lang. Afraid it was the henchman coming back, she braced herself.
But it wasn’t the man who had taken Matt down to the basement. It was the guy they’d called Baldy, whom they had encountered outside when they had scoped out the place a few days ago. The man Matt had disabled with a jolt of energy to his brain.
* * *
D
OWN
IN
THE
basement room, Matt marshaled his energy. He hadn’t been able to blast the door, and that wasn’t an acceptable outcome. He had to get out of here because Lang had Elizabeth upstairs, and the man had already been angry with her. Now that he had her in his clutches, there was no telling what he would do.
Matt clenched his fists, gathering his will, putting everything into his effort to escape. Coldly he told himself there was no room for failure as he aimed a blast of power at the lock on the door. This time he felt the mental energy shoot out of his mind and hit the door with such force that he would have been knocked backward if he hadn’t already been standing with his shoulders against the brick wall. The door rocked on its hinges but stayed in place. Matt redoubled his efforts, keeping up the stream of power, praying that it was enough to get him out of here.
The lock finally gave, and the door burst open, slamming against the outer wall.
For a moment Matt couldn’t move. The effort had taken so much out of him that he could barely stay on his feet, but he knew that he had to get to Elizabeth. Finally he summoned enough energy to stagger out of the room. As he passed through the doorway, he felt a jolt of heat and realized that the door frame was smoldering.
In the outer part of the basement, he crossed the floor as quickly as he could, heading for the stairs. Looking back, he saw that the door frame was now on fire, and the flames were creeping toward the joists of the floor above.
He and Elizabeth had talked to Sabrina about burning down the house, but not while they were still in it.