Chapter 41
FORTY-ONE
‘Hey, asshole, are you there?’ Janey shouted a lot louder now she had her voice back, and Scarlett couldn’t help smiling at the words that were full of attitude.
‘I don’t think he’s here; I’ve been listening and there hasn’t been any kind of movement. Try loosening that piece of wood that you said is a bit wobbly.’
‘Okay, have you felt around to see if there are any in yours?’ Despite feeling weak, because she couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten, Scarlett stood up, feeling for the piece of wood that had creaked and moved slightly earlier when she’d pressed against it.
She pressed each post until she felt the slightest movement. ‘Found it.’
‘Good, push it as hard as you can.’
Scarlett began to try and rock it with both hands; it gave a little but no more.
She kept pushing and shoving then turned around and pushed it with her back, pressing against it with all her might.
There was a loud crack, and she felt a sharp pain in her side.
‘Ouch.’ She fell to her knees the pain was so intense.
Feeling sick with pain, she lifted her hands to her body and felt around.
‘Oh, God. I’m going to be sick, it’s sticking in.’
‘Pull it out.’
‘I can’t, it hurts.’
‘Scarlett, listen to me, you have to grab it and pull it out. It’s just a splinter.’
‘Huge fucking splinter.’
‘I know, but you’re at a disadvantage and you don’t want that. We need to be ready to fight if he comes near us, and you can’t with that inside you.’
Scarlett felt the tears pool in the corner of her eyes; this was so unfair. She didn’t deserve this, none of them did. Anger giving her some strength, she grabbed the shard of wood sticking through the flesh and pulled it out.
‘Ahhhhh, fuck.’ She gasped and then she started to cry as she slid to the floor, gripping the sharp piece of wood. A metallic, coppery smell filled the air and she realised the splintered, broken end was slick with her own blood, then she began to laugh. Loud laughter that echoed around the room.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘I just got myself a stake, my wound is probably going to get infected, and I’ll probably end up paralysed, but at least I have a weapon. I’m going to use it the minute he enters this cell.’
Janey clapped her hands together. ‘Yes, that’s more like it. Can you get the rest of the wood out so you can slip through it and open my cell door?’
‘I don’t know, give me a few minutes and I’ll try. It fucking hurts.’
She felt like she had lost her mind as she laughed, cried and then curled up on the damp mattress.
Her side a burning ball of fire as it pulsated and throbbed, she pushed the piece of wood underneath the mattress, out of sight.
When the creep came back, she was going to have to sit or stand in front of the broken piece of wood to hide it, but the minute he tried to hurt her, she was going to have a huge surprise for him.
She knew they didn’t have much time left, but she wasn’t going down without a fight.