Chapter 22
Nicole
I had no idea how much time passed as I lay tied to the rickety bed. I was sore, so sore and hungry. My stomach felt numb at this point because I was so hungry and weak from lack of any food or water.
I saw a little light in the small window above me but this was naturally a dark room. There was only one small lamp on a table that barely offered anything in the way of light, and I was finding it difficult to see anything.
I just knew that it was dirty from my first look around when I still had some fight in me. I didn’t want to think about the blanket that was dirty with possible bloodstains on it that was pulled up around me as best I could manage it. I was cold in this dank room and wanted my bed with the frilly purple comforter that my sister loved.
I wanted Allen’s big bed and his body wrapped around me. I’d tell him how I felt about him instead of being so scared about everything, knowing now I was falling for him. It didn’t matter at this point because I had no idea if he was even going to find me or not. I couldn’t help him and it seemed like Ricky took us a far distance away.
I could still hear people above me all through the night, talking and shouting sometimes. I was incredibly lonely down here, but I didn’t want anyone to come down and hurt me. I’d rather they just leave me alone but I couldn’t help but wonder what their plans were. Ricky seemed to be keeping me alive for some reason and I assumed that he was going to ask for a ransom.
The only question was when.
My stomach growled again as nausea filled me and I let out a whimper. I never hurt like this, not this bad. I’d slept in some uncomfortable places in my life but this was torture.
I laughed weakly at the vow that Noelle and I were going to get professional massages when we moved here. I’d take her up on that if I was ever freed and a tear slid down my cheek. I prayed that Brandon and Allen were keeping her company right now rather than looking for me. I wanted her to be safe if I couldn’t be since she was my life. Noelle could go on without me and make something of her career. She’d been passionate about choreographing since school and once she got over losing me, she’d push herself to do the best that she could. Maybe she’d end up with Brandon.
I started to cry weakly as I thought about her. Ever since Noelle was born into my dysfunctional family, she became my reason to live. She was my reason to fight and I adored her. Why did Ricky think that I told the police about him? I didn’t tell anyone other than Allen, not even knowing that he was an undercover officer at the time.
All of that seemed trivial now that I was possibly facing not going home ever again. If I got the chance, I’d tell him that it didn’t matter and I only wanted him. I wanted us to work and try for a future together. I might never get that chance but I’d make it right if I did.
I must have dozed off because I was awakened when I heard footsteps on the stairs and Ricky’s voice. “You’d better talk to your lover boy so I can get my money. He wants you back, Nicole.” I heard the sarcastic tone in his voice as he sat on the bed beside me and shoved a cell phone to my ear.
“Nicole? Are you there?” Allen asked in a stressed tone as I started to cry. It was so good to hear his voice and there was so much I needed to say to him as he kept asking me questions. “Are you okay?”
“I am locked in a room but okay. I’m so scared, Allen,” I said weakly as I heard him hiss into the phone.
“Mother fucker. We’re working to find you, baby. Do you have any idea where you are?” he demanded as I tried to think back to the uncomfortable drive here.
“I was blindfolded. It was bumpy and a long drive but I haven’t seen anything but this room.” I felt Ricky shift beside me as panic started to flood my body. “Please save me, Allen. They’re going to kill me and I’m so scared.” I started to cry again as Ricky yanked the phone away from me, hearing Allen calling my name, as Ricky slapped my face. I cried out as I heard Allen again and slumped back as Ricky kicked me in the side.
“Your little bitch is being dramatic. Just get me the money the way I ask and everything will be just fine.” Ricky snarled into the phone as he paused at the bottom of the stairs. “She’s fine. I told you that she’s dramatic.” He glanced back at me as I cried in the bed. I was filled with both adrenaline and fear at the sound of Allen’s voice.
Rickey walked up the stairs and slammed the door as I struggled with my racing emotions. There was so much more that I wanted to know but the conversation was too brief.
I decided to go with hope that he would find me. They could trace phones and get a location from what I’d seen in the movies and then there would be a dramatic rescue. Allen would walk in here and carry me out, right back to my sister and our little apartment I missed so much right now. It was like a palace compared to this place. That’s what I wanted to believe and I focused on it as pain radiated through my body.
I shifted between hunger, exhaustion and pain as I drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep. I dreamed of my sister and seeing her again, going back through childhood again in a random flash of memories.
I dreamed of Allen and him walking in here to carry me to an ambulance. He rode to the hospital with me, professing his love for me all the way as he held my hand. Noelle came with Brandon and didn’t leave my side and I woke up crying alone in the dark room.
I didn’t know what happened after Ricky left. It sounded like Allen was concerned about me and would do whatever it took to get me back. I didn’t know how much money he was asking for but it was fifty thousand the first time around, the amount had to be huge now. How could Allen come up with that if he even wanted to? In the movies, the police department handled that type of thing but I wasn’t sure how much they knew about me. I just knew that they were looking for me, according to Allen.
I wanted to talk to him again so badly. That wasn’t enough time to convey everything I was going through right now. The little bit of time we did talk made me think that he cared enough about me to help me but that faded the moment Ricky hit me. I was weak right now and I took a deep breath as my body screamed to be released. When were they going to finish this? I was in pain with hunger and a need for water and just being kept here in this bed.
Maybe death would be a welcome relief. I didn’t know how I was ever going to be able to move again and I just wanted the pain to be over. I knew that I was supposed to be strong right now, but I felt so weak and tired. I didn’t think I’d ever sleep well again as I closed my eyes and tried to adjust the position of my arms.
I felt so broken.
I started feeling delusional and thinking that Noelle would be better off without me. There was no way that I was going to bounce back from this with the way I was feeling. I was in so much pain and Ricky already told me that he was going to kill me. He might as well just end it because at this point, he was just doing it slowly. I couldn’t take it.
I cried on and off as I’d wake up, feeling hopeless and scared. Nobody came down to the basement to check on me or tell me anything that was going on and I wept with the pain of that.
Nobody cared if I was okay or not. I was glad that Ricky wasn’t down here hurting me any longer but I was starting to get sick with the quiet of this room. I was scared I’d never recover if I was set free and be the person that I needed to for Noelle. I was always the strong one and now I was on the brink of death. I wasn’t going to make it.
At some point, I woke up to the door opening and Ricky placing a plate on the bed as he looked me over. “I brought you some food and water. We need to strengthen you up.” He moved beside me, and I froze in fear as he released the ropes and shot me a dark look. “Don’t try anything funny. You know I won’t hesitate to hurt you.”
My arms drop weakly to my sides as tears stung my eyes. It was hard to move and I tried to focus on the plate that held a sandwich and some chips, along with a few bottles of water. My body wanted it, needed it but I was having trouble moving.
It took a few minutes until I felt like I could move. I slowly inched towards the plate, paying close attention to Ricky as I did. I didn’t trust him and I reached for a water first. I couldn’t open the lid and he jerked it away from me to twist the cap and hand it back to me.
I was shaking as I tipped it back to drink, feeling a lot of it running down my face. “Slow down. You’re going to make yourself sick and I have some money to collect.”
I stared at him as I lowered the bottle slowly. “He agreed to it?”
“We’re talking. I’ll keep it at that,” Ricky barked at me as I winced and looked down at the plate. “It’s going to be a process. Just eat so I can keep you going for the time being.” He stood and I watched him walk to the door with a key in his hand. “The door will be locked so you’re not going anywhere. Enjoy, Nicole.”
He left and locked the door behind him as I took another slow drink of water. I doubted that it could make me feel worse but I should be careful.
Ricky might let me go. He was feeding me after all.
I drank a few more sips of water and reached out to tear a piece from the sandwich. The bread was a little hard and I hoped that it wasn’t moldy as I turned it in my hand. The light was dim, but the chunk looked okay as I sniffed it. Peanut butter and jelly.
It took me a while to eat and I couldn’t finish everything. I went about it slow and paid attention to my body before I took the other water bottles to the side of the mattress to rest against the wall. I felt a little bit stronger and I twisted the cap from another bottle to sip it slowly.
I thought for a moment that I could get through this as I closed my eyes. I knew that there was a window above me but it was small. I couldn’t get through it and I didn’t have enough strength to try.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had a little hope after all.