“Watch your head.” He pushes my head down, holding on to my elbow as I’m steered forward. A cool breeze sweeps across my bare lower arms and around my head when the covering is finally removed.
Strands of knotty hair blanket my eyes, restricting my vision, until calloused fingers sweep them aside. My vision adjusts quickly to the dim light of my surroundings. An involuntary shudder rips through me, and I gulp as I stare at the four men, cloaked head to toe in black, standing around me. Voluminous hoods mask half their faces, concealing their identity. All I can see is their chins, mouths, and lower portion of their noses.
“Be careful on the steps. They’re old,” the man in charge says, gripping my elbow again.
Shivering in the chilly room, I stare at the crypt with my mouth slightly open. It’s a massive, tall and wide space with vaulted ceilings composed of stone and marble. A steep set of stone steps lies in front of us, leading down to a lower level. Sturdy pillars, adorned with marble etchings on one side, prop the structure up. The walls are composed of the same beige stone as the steps and the ceiling as is the succession of arches flowing throughout the space.
My heart is in my mouth as I descend the steps, advancing farther into the spooky chamber. Two cloaked figures walk in front of us and one behind. My escort keeps a steady hold of my elbow the entire time. The only lighting is from candles mounted to the walls, casting creepy shadows across the space, adding to the overall sense of dread I’m feeling. Although it is clean, with no visible cobwebs or dirt, and it seems well maintained, I have no doubt this crypt is old as dirt. Smells like it too. My nostrils twitch with the damp, musty scent in the air.
We stride through the vast space until we come to the end of the room with arched doorways on either side, leading to lower levels. I am guided through the right-hand doorway. The staircase is steep, narrow, and winding as we make our way downstairs in single file. Cold air whistles up the steps, and a shiver tiptoes up my spine. All the fine hairs on my arms are standing at attention, and I’m doing my best not to hyperventilate because this is some weird as fuck shit, and I have no idea what is going on or what they have in store for me.
I’m thankful I didn’t eat much of my dinner. I have a feeling I’d be revisiting it soon if I had. Panic is an ever-present pressure sitting on my chest as I stumble my way down the stairs. It’s not easy to navigate with my hands tied behind my back, and I’m grateful when we reach the lower level without tripping.
A number of narrow hallways branch off in different directions, and we take the one on the far right, passing by several rooms with heavy brass doors. I stumble over a rock on the floor, almost face-planting the ground. My kidnapper straightens me up before that happens, his lips tipping downward in displeasure. “Watch where you’re going!” he snaps, his impatience clear.
“Fuck you,” I retort, done playing the suppliant mute.
Tightening his grip on my arm to the point of pain, he practically drags me down the hallway until we come to a wide brass door at the very end.
One of the goons up front removes an ancient-looking, skeleton key and turns it in the lock. An ear-piercing creaking sound assaults my eardrums as the door opens. The man shoves it with his shoulder to fully push the door inward, revealing an empty room made entirely of stone with no windows, only two wall-mounted lit candles offering minimal light, and shackles hanging from the ceiling and one wall. Bloodstains decorate the barren well-swept floor and spatter the beige stone walls. The smell of urine is strong, even from out here, and my stomach rebels, retching and twisting with the natural urge to hurl.
Slamming to a stop, I automatically step back, my body refusing to enter the room.
“There is no place to run,” my captor reminds me, yanking me forward as I continue to resist, pushing back with my body when he tries to drag me into the room.
A stinging pain whips across my face as he slaps me. “It is futile to resist. This is happening whether you like it or not.”
Launching my head back and then forward, I slam it into his skull. His hold on me loosens with the unexpected maneuver, but the dick behind me grabs hold of my bound arms, and he lifts me up, tossing me over his shoulders like I weigh nothing.
I kick and scream as he carries me into the room, pummeling my legs into his body, wishing I’d worn heels instead of sneakers. I land a savage kick near his groin, and he growls, grabbing my hips and preparing to throw me.
“Don’t drop her!” the man I headbutted says, coming into the room with one hand under his hood, rubbing his brow. “She can’t be marked. You know the rules.”
What rules? What the hell is going on?And he’s such a hypocrite spouting that crap after he just slapped me.
The jerk places me down on my feet, and I can tell it kills him to be gentle. “Hold her against the wall,” the main man instructs, and I gulp over the surge of panic swimming up my throat.
“Gladly.” The man shoves me to the wall, pinning my chest with a meaty arm and gripping my face with his free hand.
I bite his hand, digging my teeth in as I lift my leg and knee him in the balls. He lets go of me with a roar, hunching over as he cradles his crotch. “Fucking entitled bitch.”
“Enough.” The main asshole steps forward, flicking a long scary-looking needle as he approaches me. “I told you there’s no point fighting. You’ll only make it worse for yourself if you do.” He gestures at my body. “Take your clothes off, or we’ll do it for you.”
“Eat shit and die.” Swallowing the lump in my throat, I level him with a defiant look. I’m not going to help them to defile me.
He sighs. “This is what happens when they’re not trained young.”
Darting forward, he presses the needle against my neck as his fingers pop the button on my jeans. “I don’t want to inject you so soon after the last shot. Don’t make me. I promise nothing will happen to you if you just obey.”
I crank out a laugh. “Nothing will happen to me? Are you for real?” I glare at him, wishing I could see his eyes. “News flash, asshole. Something already did, or have you convinced yourself you didn’t kidnap me?”
“This bitch is giving me a headache,” the douche says, snatching the needle from the other man. He presses the full weight of his body up against me as he pricks the surface of my skin with the needle. “Cooperate or we’ll put you to sleep and strip you while you’re unconscious.” His lips pull into an ugly sneer. “There are no cameras in here. No one will know what we do to you, not even you.”
The other man grabs hold of my shirt, while his dickhead pal keeps the needle at my neck, ripping it up the front with his bare hands, exposing my bra-covered breasts and my stomach to the other men in the room.
Knots twist in my gut, and I briefly contemplate fighting so they’ll stick me and I’ll black out. But that’d be the coward’s way out. I would rather be fully present for what’s about to happen, so I grit my teeth and stare straight ahead, pretending I don’t feel ravenous eyes latched on to my chest.
He pulls the shredded shirt away, ripping it at the back to remove it from my constrained arms. A blast of icy air washes over me, hardening my nipples.
