“Damn, you two are pathetic aren’t ya?” Vinnie mocked. His voice grew
closer and I knew he was coming towards us. Brian let out a muffled yelp
and the shoulder I was leaning on was suddenly jerked away. I started
yelling in protest, but the tape prevented it from being intelligible.

“Shut up!” I didn’t even know what hit me, but out of nowhere, I was
backhanded across the face.

I whimpered, but didn’t make another sound. Brian was yelling behind his
gag too, but the sound was growing farther and farther away. Where was
Vinnie taking him? I dared not move for fear of another smack. That and
the fact, I had no idea where we were. I forced myself not to make a sound.
A door slammed not too far away and then all I heard were the nighttime
crickets and acadas.

“You gonna cooperate with me now?” The voice made me jump and I cursed my
blindfold. My nerves were shot and I hated not knowing what was going on.
I cried out when a rough arm circled around mine and pulled me out of the
van. I stumbled and would have fallen, but Vinnie yanked me up again. My
legs felt like jello, but I willed myself not to fall again. He shoved me
forward and again, I had to fight panic. One of my biggest, and probably
most irrational, fears was having to walk where I couldn’t see. Even if I
was in a big open gym, if it was dark, I couldn’t move. Almost like I was
afraid something would magically appear in front of me. Something I would
hurt myself on or a huge hole I would fall into. Crazy, but it was a
paralyzing fear nonetheless. My knees locked and I couldn’t move.

“What the hell is your problem?!” Vinnie growled as he shoved me.
Panicked tears started to fall and I crumpled to the ground. “Oh for...”
He grumbled. I felt him physically pick me up and carry me. I didn’t know
whether to be relieved or even more scared. We climbed a couple steps and
went into what I assumed was a house. We twisted a couple times and then he
opened another door. We went down some stairs and then he dumped me out of
his arms. I cried out again, but another pair of arms steadied me before I
fell.

“You deal with her. She is too much of a pain in the ass, I am gonna kill
her if I have to spend another second with her.” Vinnie snarled. I heard
footsteps fade away and the door slam.

“Lizz, sh-h-h-h. You’re okay.” Brian soothed. I felt his hands work the
ropes around mine. A moment later I was freed. I immediately pulled the
blindfold off and then ripped the tape from my mouth. That made me wince
too. Of course that might have been from my now slightly swollen
cheekbone.

“Brian...” I choked out, tears coming again.

He wrapped his arms around me. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get through
this. Lizz, look at me.” He pulled back and tipped my chin so I was
looking at him. “We have to be strong okay?”

I nodded. “Where are we?” My voice was barely above a whisper.

“I don’t have any idea. A basement as far as I can tell.” He replied,
looking around.

I looked around too. A single light hung from the ceiling. The floor was
cement and there were no windows. Brian and I were both sitting on an old
cot. A rough looking army blanket was folded at one end, a stained pillow
at the other. Off to the side of the room was a half flight of steps going
up, I guess to the rest of the house. I ducked my head down and rubbed my
sore wrists. Rope burns, how nice.

“I’m sorry for falling apart like that.” I said softly to Brian.

“No need to apologize. I wasn’t too far behind.” He smiled a little.

“I just lost it though. Between not being able to see or move or anything
and then...I dunno, I have this crazy phobia where I can’t walk where I
can’t see.” I explained somewhat sheepishly.

“It isn’t that crazy. Who would like to walk where they couldn’t see?”
Brian reassured me.

I explained to him the open gym thing, which had actually happened many
years ago. He laughed a little when I told him that and that made me smile
too. “So now what?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure we will find out soon enough.” Brian sighed. He
looked paler than a ghost and I could plainly see the toll this was taking
on him. Couldn’t those idiots have at least waited till he was a little
better?

Neither one of us spoke for awhile, but finally I had to say what I
couldn’t get out of my mind. “Do you think Nick is okay?”

Brian actually winced at the question. “Can you feel anything?”

I almost smiled. He was a little unsure about the whole link thing, but he
asked me if I was feeling anything pretty often. I’d tried to ask myself
the same question, but I didn’t know. The almost-smile became a deep
frown.

“I don’t even know. I have been so scared since we got taken away and I
don’t know if it is all me or him too and we are bouncing off each other.
Wouldn’t be the first time that happened. I would like to think I could
feel it if...if he...” I couldn’t even finish the thought.

“Let’s not think about that okay?” Brian said softly.

I nodded.

The door flew open and banged up against the wall, causing us both to jump
at the loud sound. I was sitting closer to the door than Brian was, but he
immediately scooted over so he was between me and the door. I wasn’t happy
with that idea because if it came down to it, I would get between Vinnie and
any harm that he was going to inflict towards Brian.

“Time for a little reunion my friends.” Vinnie walked slowly towards us.
He had this horrible cocky grin, knowing we wouldn’t try anything.

“What do you mean?” Brian asked warily.

Vinnie whipped out his cell phone. “Time to call Marcus and have him bring
Carter here so he can join the fun. Maybe Freak will come so I can finish
up what I started on him.”

I narrowed my eyes and opened my mouth. Before I could utter a sound,
Brian reached a hand back and squeezed mine. Hard. Okay, okay, I’ll keep
my mouth shut...for now. He knew me too well.

Vinnie dialed a number and held the phone to his ear, all the while, his
grin growing bigger.