Chapter 29

“Hey! Are you going to have a shower or what?” The guard’s voice nearly gave me a heart attack as he opened the main door a crack and hollered in. “I don’t hear any water running.”

Scrambling away from the mirror to avoid his gaze, I moved to the nearest shower stall and closed the door behind me.

“Yah! Just had to use the toilet!” I threw an irritated tone into my voice as I yelled back.

“Just hurry up.” His snarly attitude was going to make this easier, now that I knew what this pen really was and how to use it.

A plan. I need a plan. A diversion.

Plotting for moment, I searched my mind for an idea. With the limited resources I had in front of me, I had to dig deep. I nearly yelled with happiness as the idea struck me.

Excitement and fear mingled in my system as I took off my white jumpsuit. Running to the last stall and turning on the shower full blast, I then retrieved the white towel reserved for me. Wrapping it around my naked body, I then moved stealthily to the mirror.

With the pen held in my mouth, I grabbed my long black hair behind me with both hands. First forming a pony tail and then twisting it around several times, I folded my hair up into a tight bun. Holding the style with one hand, I reached around and took the pen from my mouth and proceeded to tuck it tightly into the chignon like an oriental up-do.

Giving myself one last look and a nod, I prepared myself with a deep breath.

I almost felt giddy.

This just might work.

I wasn’t going to allow myself to think too far ahead, but the taste of freedom was moving passed my lips and nearing my tongue.

Tip toeing quietly to the main door, I placed my jumpsuit on the floor behind the garbage bin, out of sight. Opening the door just a crack, I peered through the sliver at the guard. Obviously bored, he leaned against the wall just a few feet from me. Taking a quiet breath in, I decided it was now or never.

Swinging the door open quickly, the guard jumped a little as I apparently startled him.

“I need your help.” I stated with a seductive voice and forming a soft pout on my lips. “I can’t get the hot water to work; the knob is too hard to turn. Will you help me?”

His eyes widened as he looked me up and down, my towel just barely covering the essentials, I was pleased when I saw his cheeks redden.

“I, um, I’m not supposed to…” Adjusting his collar, he glanced around with uncertainty.

“Please.” I edged toward him, reaching for his arm and touching him lightly. “I need a ‘hot’ shower.”

Giving him my best ‘come hither’ look, I moved even closer to him. Intentionally resting my chest against his arm, I stifled a giggle as he ogled my cleavage.

How easily a man can be seduced by a woman.

Staring down at my body moving against him, he stuttered as he leaned his gun against the wall. “Well, I’ll just have a quick look, okay?”

“Thank you.” Stepping out of his way as he entered the room, I followed closely behind as he checked out the shower.

Leaning in, he reached for the hot knob and gave it an easy turn. Turning to face me, he gave me a quirky grin like he’d done some serious hero work.

“There you go.” His voice cracked a little as he slowly moved toward the main door.

“Wait.” I pushed myself softly against him, blocking his departure. I ran my hand up his arm and caressed the back of his bare neck. “I’ve been alone for a very, very long time. I could use some…attention, if you know what I mean.”

Tilting my chin down as I gazed into his eyes like a cat stalking her prey, I pulled his face forcefully towards mine. Kissing him lightly on the lips, I ran my hands through his hair. His hands quickly went around my waist as he hungrily kissed me back.

As he groped me all over my body, I reached down and released the top of my towel. His eyes widened as I pushed him down to kiss my breasts. Diving right in, he began devouring me like a starved wolf.

With him completely preoccupied, I carefully and slowly reached up to my head. Pulling the pen from its secured location within my hair, I brought it swiftly down into the back of his neck. Clicking it lightly with my thumb as I would if I wanted to begin writing a letter, a tiny needle extended into his skin and released what I hoped was only a sedative. His body slumped instantly against me, nearly knocking me over.

Moving away from him, his limp body fell over and landed face up on the shower floor.

After turning off the shower so the poor man didn’t drown as the droplets splashed his face, I swiftly ran to retrieve my jumpsuit and put it on.

With his body half in and half out of the stall, I grabbed one of his arms and tried pulling him further into the shower. Heaving him as hard as I could, I couldn’t believe how hard it was to move dead weight.

After several attempts and a lot of groaning on my part, I finally managed to pull him to the corner of the stall.

Checking the pulse on his neck, I was relieved to feel a steady beat. Giving him one last look, I closed the stall door behind me and strode triumphantly toward the main door.

Holding the pen in one hand, I slowly opened the door with the other. Peeking out, I waited for a few moments to be sure it was really safe. I only had a couple feet to get to the janitorial closet, but it meant the difference between life and death, so I wanted to be certain I wasn’t going to get caught at the beginning of the game.

Feeling confident that the hallway was clear, I moved out of the shower room and with my back against the wall, I slid toward the closet. Paranoia was rampant within me; I imagined that every noise was the enemy about to pounce on me. Reaching the edge of the door to the closet, my heart in my throat, the sensation of success began to sweep through.

Extending my hand to the doorknob, I worried for a split second that it would be locked.

That would be my luck!

Placing my hand on the cool, metal knob, I turned it with trepidation. Luckily, it turned perfectly and I slipped into the closet with ease.

With an audible click behind me, I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt somewhat free and safe for the first time since I’d been abducted.

Looking around my new, and fairly dark, environment, I decided to turn over a silver bucket in the corner and have a seat. I had no idea how long it would take for Keanu to show up so I thought I’d better make myself comfortable.

Almost there.

I patted my stomach to reassure my silent passenger that our freedom was just around the corner.

For the first time in months, I actually felt normal…even human…again. Since the whole nightmare began, I hadn’t allowed myself the privilege of considering a future for myself, but now, it seemed as though it just might be a possibility. If Keanu could get us out of here, we might just have a shot at a life. Maybe not a normal life, like a ‘live in the city and go to school’ kind of life, but a life none the less.

Growing up on the reserve had given me a different perspective on the standards of living. Though the Hopi people didn’t have much need for technology or modern housing, they had an understanding, an appreciation, for the land. They moved as one with the earth, bonded, with the energy of Gaia.

After so many years in the city, I’d almost forgotten my adopted roots. Even though I was not Hopi Indian by blood, I was still a member of their community, trained with essentials to survive even the harshest elements; they’d taught me how to live.

In my youth, I learned how to gather and utilize the necessities provided by the earth. It had been years since I’d had to think about the basic survival teachings, but now, I couldn’t imagine going through all this without it. I was going to have to dig deep into my memories and retrieve everything I’d learned from the elders to get me through the next part. We’d have to live off the land just like the Hopi people, possibly for the rest of our lives.

It saddened me that I was never going to be able to finish school.

Even more, I missed Amy. My only friend.

Seated uncomfortably on my little silver pail reflecting on my past, present and future, I almost didn’t hear the doorknob turn. Alarmed, my eyes widened as I watched the door move open slowly.

Keanu!

Excitement rushed through me as I realized how close I was to getting out of here.

I had a silly grin of achievement already planted on my face. I hoped he’d be proud of me for sedating the guard and following his letter loyally. I even ripped it up into tiny pieces and flushed it just as he’d asked even though it broke my heart to do so.

As the door swung open, however, I was met with a pair of startled eyes.

“What are you doing in here?!”