Because she wanted to see if what she’d done worked.
So she sat there, watched as they stalked toward her, waiting because there wasn't anything else for her to do.
Expecting things to take a sexual turn after what they’d implied, Indigo was a little surprised when the younger of the two grabbed her, sitting on the bed behind her and yanking her up so her back was pressed against his chest. He flung one of his legs over one of hers, pinning it in place, and with his arm keeping her arms pinned at her sides, there wouldn't have been anything she could have done to fight them off, even if she’d been going to try.
The older of the men, the one who carried her, was grinning at her like an idiot as he pulled out a knife. It glinted in the overly bright white light of her prison cell, and she didn't need a vivid imagination to guess what they were going to do.
“I didn't think this would be as cool as it is to hurt you and know you don’t feel any pain,” he told her as if she actually cared what he thought. She wasn't a game, wasn't entertainment, wasn't a toy to be played with and broken.
She was a human being, and that meant she was worthy of respect and basic human kindness.
For the first time in her life, Indigo actually believed those words, that sentiment. Shewasa human being, and thatdidmean she was worthy of respect and basic human kindness. It wasn't her fault that her parents were horrible people, nor was it her fault that some people signed up for the foster program because they wanted to get their hands on vulnerable children. It wasn't her fault that her first boyfriend had been a sadistic psychopath, or that he’d taken her need for love and affection and used it against her. It wasn't her fault that her ex-husband had decided to play with her because, apparently, dating a woman he saw as a loser, as less than him made him feel better about himself.
Nothing that had happened to her was her fault.
So she didn't shy away from meeting the man’s gaze as he plunged the knife into her leg. She supposed it was a good thing that he had targeted her already broken leg, if she got a chance to run, this new injury wouldn't impede that ability any more than it already was.
“Look, she really isn’t in pain,” the younger guy who was holding her said in wonder, like this was a simple and fun kids’ science experiment, making a baking soda volcano or something.
It was getting old.
Okay, she didn't feel pain, but that didn't make it fun to inflict wounds on her just to prove that.
“Dig it around a little,” the younger guy said, his voice all heady with excitement.
Which the older guy seemed only too happy to do.
Indigo could feel the knife moving inside her, but felt no pain, just a weird and uncomfortable feeling that came from a foreign object invading her body.
“What about if you?—”
Whatever the younger man was going to say was cut off when gunfire sounded outside the truck.
Both men immediately straightened, all traces of amusement and playfulness gone from their expressions as they realized that playtime was over. The knife was removed from her leg, the man behind herjumped up, and they both went running out of her cell, letting the door fall closed behind them.
But they never looked back.
Never noticed her drag herself off the bed and crawl over to the door.
Never saw that the tiny scrap of material she’d ripped off the blanket and placed right at the opening of the door, hoping that when opened, it might flutter into place and prevent the door from fully closing.
Never even thought to check that she was secure, as she grabbed hold of the tiny piece of material, now wedged between the door and the doorjamb, and managed to open the door.
Elation filled her, strengthened her, and Indigo couldn’t believe that for once something had gone her way. This plan of hers, she would have given a less than one percent chance of working, and yet it had.
Now she stepped out of her cell and stumbled down the walkway to the back of the truck. She had to assume that it was Voodoo and the guys out there, but she couldn’t place all her faith in that.
So the second her feet hit the ground she ran as fast as she could with a ruined leg, hoping that if it was Voodoo’s team they’d be able to track her easily enough with their enhanced skills, and if it wasn't, that she was able to find a place to hide until she was strong enough to find her own way to safety.
Chapter
Eighteen
January 25th
3:03 A.M.
Almost the second Voodoo hit the water, bullets followed him in.
