43. Molly
Molly didn’t pay attention to where they were going—Karen seemed lost in her own world, singing along to the loud country music she was playing. Despite telling Molly that she wanted to “catch up on old times”, she clearly wasn’t interested in conversation.
That suited Molly fine. She didn’t have much to say at the moment. Her mind was in turmoil and her heart was aching. She stared out the window as the houses and buildings rushed by and barely noticed when they left the city limits and headed into the more rural area outside the city.
Before she knew it, they were pulling into the gravel parking lot of a small, abandoned-looking building. There was a neon sign over the door that wasn’t lit. In the deepening twilight, Molly could just read the words, Bad Decisions written in curving script.
“Uh, where are we?” she asked, temporarily pulled out of her misery by a feeling of deep unease.
“Oh, this place serves the best iced coffee in the whole city! I should know—I come here all the time,” Karen chirped as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Are you sure it’s open?” Molly asked doubtfully. There was only one other vehicle in the gravel parking lot—a huge, black pickup truck with oversized tires and a red skull painted on the side.
“Of course I’m sure, silly! They’re just not busy yet. That’s why I wanted to take you here—they don’t get busy until later. Now come on!”
Karen hopped out of the car and came around the passenger side to pull Molly out as well. She hooked her arm through Molly’s and practically dragged her up to the deserted looking building—which looked more like a dive bar than a coffee shop, Molly thought.
Despite her unease, she couldn’t really think of a valid reason not to go into the building with Karen. After all, the other woman had driven her all this way—and she was also Molly’s only transportation. She remembered what a quick temper Karen had—if she got angry, she might just leave her here in the middle of nowhere.
If you still had the TET device on, you could call Torus to come and get you, whispered a little voice in her head. Too bad you peeled it off and flushed it! That was stupid, Molly.
Molly ignored the voice. There was no point in feeling sorry about ditching the expensive device—though she was definitely going to have some explaining to do to Commander Sylvan about why she had gotten rid of it. She would probably be out of range anyway—even if she still had it on.
What’s done is done, she told herself firmly. I’ll just get a quick iced coffee and then let Karen know I have to get back. I can always call Councilor Paige if there’s a problem.
Feeling reassured, she followed Karen into Bad Decisions. It was dim inside and she saw a deserted-looking bar with lots of empty tables and chairs. Most of them looked dusty, as though no one had sat there for a long time.
“Where is everybody?” she asked, her feeling of unease getting stronger. “I really don’t think they’re open, Karen.”
“Oh, don’t be silly—they’re probably just in the back. That’s where the real action happens. Come on!”
She still had an arm hooked through Molly’s and she practically dragged her through the empty bar towards a small door in the back.
“Daughter—do not go in!”
The voice in her ear was so loud that Molly stumbled to a halt just inches from the door.
“Did you hear that?” she asked Karen.
“Hear what? Come on—we have to go. I’m dying for that iced coffee!” Karen tugged insistently on her arm, but Molly refused to budge. She might have imagined the voice but the feeling of unease that she’d had since entering the building had grown so strong it was almost a sense of panic now.
“No—I’m not going in there,” she said. Pulling her arm out of Karen’s, she turned and headed back towards the exit. She would call Councilor Paige and ask her to come and get her, she decided. She would?—
There was a creaking sound like a door opening behind her and then some kind of cloth was thrown over her head, blinding her.
“Wha—” Molly began, reaching up to remove the thing—it felt like a pillowcase and smelled like dirty, unwashed hair.
But before she could pull it off, two big hands seized her arms roughly from behind.
“Surprise, bitch!” a voice snarled in her ear. “Got you now and this time you’re not getting away!”