Maggie - Controlling lives
“Hey, man. You promised,” Griffin said, pointing a shaky finger at him.
Ethan smirked and dug something out of his pocket, a baggie, and threw it to him. “Pathetic.”
“Thank Fuck,” Griffin murmured, then Hunter and Archie’s only guardian slunk out of the room, leaving me alone with Dr. Ethan Whitaker.
“You?” I whispered.
He laughed. “Of course. You didn't think thugs could head up a whole multi-million dollar organization, did you?” He grinned slowly, showing all of his teeth. “Drugs are a beautiful thing, aren’t they?”
I glared at him.
“No response? Wow. You were always so… Chatty,” he decided. “Always speaking your mind, now you don’t want to, Margaret?” He stepped closer and his beefy hand reached out to touch my cheek, I stretched to avoid him, but couldn’t. The contact made my skin crawl.
“Fuck off,” I spat, struggling to try to move the chair back, away from him.
He threw his head back laughing. “God, you’re fun.” He straightened up, smoothing his white button-down shirt. “These drugs are beautiful, you want to know why?” he continued. “They give me the ability to turn people whichever way I want them. Take old Griffy for example. Because his withdrawals were so bad, he turned over both his little brothers to do my bidding. And they were so easy to manage. Really couldn’t have asked for a better set up, you being his teacher and all? About shit my pants of happiness when Griffy told me.”
“They’re just kids, you asshole,” I growled.
He cocked his head to the side and gave me a look of disapproval. “Don’t look at me like the bad guy. It’s your fault we had to involve them in the first place. This,” he twirled his finger, “could’ve all been avoided had you come home with me the other night.”
“What?” I asked breathlessly.
“Mmmhmm,” he said in a teasing tone. “Either way, it would’ve ended like this.” He rolled up the sleeves of his button down and my body shook with panic. He laughed as he took a syringe out of his pocket and moved toward me.
No, no, no.
“Aren’t you a doctor?!” I called out desperately. “You’re supposed to heal, not hurt.”
He pulled back slightly and tsked at me. “I’m not hurting, Margaret,” he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m controlling . There’s a difference.”
“But why?” My eyes jumped from his fancy watch to the labels on his designer clothing. “Why do you need control? Why do you need to be involved in this? Don’t you have a good life as a doctor?”
He snorted. “Do you know where you are?”
I looked around the factory. “No?” I answered weakly.
“What state we’re in. You don’t know what state you’re in?” He shook his head in amusement. “Wow, I didn’t realize you were this stupid, Margaret. Do you know Colorado is becoming something of a… mecca for millennials?”
I stayed silent, but my mind was reeling with ways to stall.
“That means it’s also the mecca for easy drug sales, sweetheart.” He smirked. “Bunch of lonely, single, thirty-somethings with money and nothing better to do. They need something to take the edge off. As a medical provider, I am here to provide that. So, yes, I make a solid salary at the hospital. But this…” he gestured to the factory around him and laughed evilly. “This is making me millions. This is giving me control. Power,” he growled.
Because the drugs they manufactured were highly addictive. He was destroying lives for money.
“You’re disgusting,” I spat.
His face twisted into a hateful look. “I can see why Timothy was so taken by you.” He stalked closer and I again tried to jump the chair away, making him laugh.
“Now, don't you want to know my plan for you?” He trailed his finger down my throat.
“You’re just going to kill me either way,” I said, craning away from him the best I could. I just hoped Coleson and the FBI would find me before then.
“Oh, we’re not going to kill you… Yet . You’re our bargaining chip for dear Timothy.”
My breathing went ragged as his eyes and animalistic grin slid into my mind.
Dr. Whitaker laughed. “Ah, so you do remember him, don’t you? He can decide what to do with you when we get him out. But for now…”
The syringe jabbed into my arm.
My head felt it immediately. It was the same feeling I had back in my classroom when I was drugged, but intensified by ten-fold. I struggled to keep my eyes open, to keep my focus, but it was no use. I was being pulled into a black abyss.