“Do you know those guys?” I ask, trying to keep her engaged as I squirm and twist, inching closer to the rock.
Nora sniffles. “I don’t know. Some of them were at the game. The big one with the beard was there. He’s the one who pulled me out of my car. I thought he was gonna kill me right there.”
“Okay. You’re safe right now. We’re both safe right now.” I know it’s a lie, but I need her to stay calm. I stretch my fingers, the sharp rock scraping against the plastic of the ties. My shoulders ache from the angle, but I keep working, rubbing the plastic back and forth. “Do you know anyone who might come looking for you?” I ask, hoping to distract both of us from the grim reality we’re in.
Nora swallows hard. “No . . . I mean . . . maybe. I was supposed to check out of my hotel today. If I don’t show up back home, my daughter will call the police, but . . . but I don’t know how long that will take. Maybe the next school break.” She starts sobbing again.
I press my lips together, feeling the rough edge of the rock slice a tiny bit of the plastic. It’s something.
The ground is dry and gritty, and dust keeps blowing in from above. I try to ignore the way my heart’s racing, the way my mind is screaming that this could be the end. I have to focus. I have to get us out of here.
Nora shifts, pulling her knees up to her chest as best as she can with her hands tied behind her. Her breathing is quieter now, but still shaky. I almost tell her to look away when I spot movement out of the corner of my eye.
Something small, dark, crawling just inches from my head.
A scorpion.
My breath catches, and for a second, I can’t move. It’s close enough that I can see the curve of its tail, the tiny pincers tapping the ground. My whole body goes cold, and I feel sweat break out on my neck. I want to scream. I want to thrash and kick and get the hell away from it. But I can’t. I can’t make a sound. I can’t risk drawing attention to us so Joel comes back for another one of his crazy games.
The scorpion crawls closer. I close my eyes, my pulse thundering in my ears. I try to keep breathing, try to keep still, even though everything inside me is telling me to run, to fight, to get it away from me.
After what feels like an eternity, it skitters away, heading toward the other side of the pit. I release a shaky breath, and my body trembles so badly I almost pass out. I can’t fall apart. I can’t let fear paralyze me. I dig my wrists against the rock again, pushing harder, ignoring the sting of skin breaking.
I can hear Nora muttering prayers under her breath. I keep my own thoughts focused, forcing the panic down. I have to be smart. I have to be faster than them.
The plastic weakens, and I hear a faint snap. My hands jerk forward, almost free. I twist again, trying to force the rest of the tie to give way.
Nora is watching me now, her eyes wide, hope flickering across her face.
“Come on,” I whisper to myself, dragging the plastic over the rock again. My heart pounds, and I can’t tell if it’s from the adrenaline or the leftover fear. Finally, the tie breaks. My wristsare raw and bleeding, but they’re free. I rub them quickly, trying to get the circulation back.
I move closer to Nora, my hands trembling as I reach for her ties. She’s shaking so badly it’s hard to get a good grip. “It’s okay,” I murmur, trying to calm her down. “We’re getting out of here.”
Nora looks at me, doubt clouding her face.
I keep working on the ties, my hands still shaking from the near miss with the scorpion. I don’t care how scared I am. I just need to get both our hands free before they come back. I continue scraping the jagged rock against Nora’s zip tie, the plastic cutting into my own hand every time I twist it. She whimpers with each scrape, and her breathing gets shallower.
“Hold still,” I whisper, trying to keep my voice steady. “I almost got it.”
She hisses again when the rock catches on her skin, and then she pulls away, shaking her head. “Stop. Please. It hurts.”
I let out a frustrated breath, trying not to let it show. “Okay. Maybe you should keep trying. I’m going to look for something else.”
She just stares at me, confused, as I shift closer to the dead guys, keeping an eye on the top of the pit, listening for any signs that Joel or his men are coming back. I glance at Jarred, his head slumped at an awkward angle. My stomach flips, but I force myself to crawl closer.
“What are you doing?” Nora gasps.
“I’m going to go through their pockets,” I whisper.
She lets out a small, strangled noise, like I just slapped her. “What? You can’t just—just steal from them. They’re . . . they’re dead. That’s shameful.”
I whip my head around, staring at her like she just grew another head. “I’m not robbing them, Nora. I’m looking for something sharp. A pocket knife, nail clippers, keys, orsomething. Anything to cut your ties. You really think I’m trying to loot their bodies?”
Her cheeks flush, and she looks down, guilt clouding her face. I want to snap at her, tell her to stop being such an idiot, but I bite my tongue.
I inch closer to Jarred, trying not to look at the way his mouth is still half-open, like he got caught mid-scream. I take a deep breath and reach for his jacket pocket, trying not to touch the stiff, cooling skin. My hands are shaking so bad I almost miss the inside pocket, but I finally manage to dig my fingers in and pull out . . . nothing.
I check his other pockets—just a crumpled pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Great. I toss them to the side and move to the next guy. There’s blood dripping from his temple, and I force myself to look away as I reach for his coat.
