Chapter Twenty-Eight: Unity

Gwen leapt up, cringing as the grit from the dirt on the floor scrapped her sore covered bare feet. She reached for Sam and together they backed into the cement wall, clutching each other close. "What are you gonna do?" Gwen asked, barely managing a tremble free voice.

"Can't you tell?" Wes asked, holding up a pair of hollowed wrought iron and clear see-through tubes. "This is for oxygen, this is for food and water."

The whimper that left Sam's lips only made the glee in his eyes brighten. His excitement would've been contagious if he wasn't about to murder us. That thought was sobering and frightening. "Where's Bear?" was the only thing Gwen had running through her mind.

Wes raised a black, sculpted eyebrow and his tan mouth lifted in a half-hearted smirk. "On a nickname basis now are we?" He shrugged casually and walked towards them with a set of handcuffs and two needles. "I guess he cut you up enough. Bear, doesn't enjoy this part of the festivities. Hence the morphine to make you more compliant when I bring you above ground."

"You think I'm just gonna let you stick me with that crap?" Gwen said through clenched teeth, her fingernails biting into Sam's forearms.

"Crap? This is clean pharmaceutical paradise right here. And Gwennie, what makes you think you're going? Both of these needles could be for Sam."

Gwen knew better. Wes Lambert was a very audial serial killer. He liked the terrified sounds his victims made. He wasn't going to give them enough to knock them out for too long, but long enough. Gwen bit her bottom lip at the thought. Of course he would drug them.

"I was hoping you'd argue, but it seems you've already figured it out." He heaved a defeated sigh, shoulders slumping for a brief minute before he straightened. With a determined, anticipatory grin he walked towards them.

"Wait..." Gwen started, but what could she say that would delay? That need in his eyes was a sickness that was all consuming. Nothing could stop .

Gwen lost for only a moment in her panic, blinked and he was there, slipping the shiny silver need almost casually into her skin. Her arm shot out to push him away, but he depressed the burning liquid and stepped away quickly, laughing at her.

It was all happening too fast. She blinked rapidly as she watched him inject Sam with lightning speed. Cement tore at Gwen's shirt as she fell backwards and slid down the wall.

They were going to die.

"What do you say Sammy girl? One more fuck before the real fun starts?" Wes said, pushing fingers through her greasy brown hair and wrapping his hand around the back of her neck. He glanced down at Gwen when she kicked her foot out, snarling her upper lip. "Don't like that idea do you Gwen? Perhaps you'd like to watch?"

The metal door that locked them in pushed open wider and Bear, decked out in his green scrubs, walked through. Tears spilled down Gwen's cheeks as she watched him come closer. She couldn't even feel the morphine working on her. When it happened it would be instant. And Bear was here to help.

Wes turned towards him. "What are you doing here? Decide you want to have a go?" He gestured towards Gwen. "She's free. Red-heads never did it for me."

Bear scoffed, folding his thick arms across his chest. "I told you, rape doesn't do it for me. I've come to discuss my contract."

"Now?" Wes asked, gesturing widely with his hands. "I'm kind of busy."

"You're asking price is way too high. It was cheaper last time."

Gwen's brow furrowed.

"Interest is rising," Wes said, a smug smile in place as he pushed Sam face down on to the dirt covered ground.

"I can't afford fifty thousand!" Bear's face was red with anger as he stepped forward to reach for Wes's arm. He yanked Wes up from his straddled position over Sam. "Can you not do that? We need to talk business here!"

"Well you better talk to someone for some help if you want to play with the next girl. Why don't you stay and help bring them up? Five to ten minutes tops before they can't walk at all. I'd rather not carry the dead weight. Grab Gwen. Bring her up and get her ready. We'll talk about it later," Wes said and got to his knees again, pushing Sam's used-to-be white short styled underwear to the side.

Bear turned his head disgusted at either the scene before him or the price as he bent down to grab at Gwen. "At least ten thousand off for helping until the end! And how about a loyal customer discount."

"Damn it, Andrew!"

"Hey! Don't call me that. It's Bear here. Come on Gwen," Bear said, but turned. "Hurry it up."

"I'm too excited for it to take too long." He unzipped his jeans and hurriedly shoved at the waistband.

Bear snorted. "Doesn't surprise me."

The whimpered grunt of pain from Sam made Gwen want to vomit as Bear pulled her out of the cell. Gwen dragged her feet, hoping to slow him down, but it was like trying to stop a speeding car with a feather.

"Please Bear, don't let him do this. Please. Help us get away. We won't tell."

He didn't answer the plea. It was the first time she'd begged and Bear didn't even flinch as he shoved her up the stairs that led out of the cellar. Her knees felt like jelly as she climbed those stairs slowly.

The thoughts started colliding together, hoping that if she concentrated hard enough she could stay awake. It's why doctors had patient mumble a count down. It was easy. No thinking and bam, out like a light. So maybe if she concentrated it would make a difference.

When they got outside Gwen was tempted to try and get away, but it didn't take long for her to realize it wasn't going to happen. Her vision was starting to gray. Half of her weight was against Bear as he dragged her towards a running stream of water. Just next to that stream were two open wooden coffins with red velvet cushions covered in pink bleach spots.

It really hadn't taken long. Ten minutes before Wes was hauling Sam outside with them. Gwen lifted her gaze, staring at Sam. Sam's stare looked vacant though and only when Sam's shoulder touched Gwen's did she flinch away.

Bear dropped his hand from Gwen's arm and advanced towards Wes, who'd leapt into the deep hole in the ground, one iron pipe in his hand, the other left out, almost hidden by the long green grass.

Screw that measly rock.

Gwen knocked her shoulder into Sam's. "Look at the pipe. They're distracted. Now's the time. I'm starting to fall out. Do you think you can—"

Sam interrupted her, "I want that pipe. I might be underweight, but I'm no stranger to drugs." Sam glanced down at her dirty scrapped knuckles. The look of shame could've been for anything that had been happening in the last weeks, but Gwen had an inkling it was about her drug addiction. "Morphine was my favorite. He didn't give me enough for it to work right away, even with how much weight I've lost."

She didn't have time to respond to that. Gwen simply took it as a sign. They were going to get out of this. "I think all I can manage is a knee to the groin. He won't expect it," Gwen said, her voice lowering as Bear and Wes continued to argue.

"As soon as I hit Wes, I'll get him too. Run with me Gwen!" A light Gwen hadn't seen in a long time, even before the girl had been kidnapped, sparked in Sam's eyes.

The change in Sam's attitude could've been attributed to anything. Maybe she saw some hope of getting away given the situation, maybe whatever happened down in that cellar had been the last straw for her, or maybe it was something else. Maybe she'd found her will to live. Whatever it was, Gwen was thankful because it was going to save them both.

"I'll try. Just make sure you go for help. I don't think I'll get far. "

Sam lifted her doe eyes to Gwen. "Do you think less of me?"

"For what?"

"The drugs?"

So that shame before had been about the addiction.

Gwen shook her head, not bothering to hide the tears in her eyes. She blinked, letting them fall down the curve of her cheek. "No. You're past is saving your life and you're stronger now. You know what you can survive through. You can have a new beginning Sammy."

"You too, Gwen. You too."

Gwen wasn't so sure about that, but there wasn't time to dwell on it. Not with Bear walking towards them. It was go time. "Now," Gwen said in a harsh whisper.

The knee to Bears groin was satisfying and the punch to his face as he crumpled to the ground was just the icing. That feeling didn't even come near to the satisfied expression on Sam's face as she swung that iron pole like a bat in a surprised Wes's face. It clipped him on the cheek just as Gwen let out a howl and stood on Bear's balls. Bear passed out, but Wes was still moving, sluggishly, but still moving.

"Run Sam!" Gwen called out to the girl as she started to pull her arm back. If Sam went to hit him again it could easily go wrong. He could grab the pole and pull her in. "Run!"

Sam's head jerked around and she stared at Gwen. Her scream at Sam had been enough to make her realize and she nodded. Sam threw the pole towards Gwen and took off. It rolled to Gwen's feet. Her fingers itched to reach for it, but she didn't. She wouldn't get far, but running in the other direction at a slower pace might make Wes come after Gwen instead of Sam. Gwen eyed Wes as he tried to pull himself out of the ground. And she waited until he got out. When he made eye contact with her, she flipped around and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction from where Sam had gone.

The searing pain in the back of her head let Gwen know her plan worked as she fell to the ground. Her vision blurred as Wes stood snarling over her. Just beyond him Gwen saw Bear, still on the ground, passed out. All she saw before the morphine kicked in was Wes lifting the iron pole Sam had thrown at her.

----

"Sam! You're alive."

"Get in the car! We need to go. Please."

Sam leapt through the passenger's side and turned to yank at Bailey's shirt, trying to pull her in. Bailey cringed as her bruised side scraped against the seat, but got in, slamming the door shut. Damien quickly turned the truck on and then stared at Sam.

"You're alive..." he whispered, swallowing as he reached out to touch her.

She grabbed at his arms, her nails digging into his skin. "Drive!"

His foot slammed on the gas pedal and the squeal shot through the air as they peeled onto the street.

"Listen, he drugged me. I've built a tolerance to it, but it's going to work soon. Promise me something," Sam said, her voice harsh and frantic as she spoke to Damien. "No police and no hospital."

"Sam... " Damien started.

"Damien!"

"It's the police, isn't it?" Bailey asked. It was like a light bulb not just turning on, but exploding. That was why the police had told the Atherton's to give up hope so quickly. That was why they'd stopped searching so quickly.

Sam turned halfway towards Bailey. "You're that new girl. The one that cried at my party almost a year ago?"

Bailey offered a half smile. "That's me. Bailey Roberts."

"Bailey Roberts... Gwen talks about you saving her all the time. She said you would save me too. I-I can't believe—I never should've doubted her," Sam said crying as she reached for Bailey's face. Her dirty finger tips grazed the top of Bailey's cheek before she pulled away. "Bailey, Gwen is alive, but not for long. No police, because the killer is Wes Lambert and a nurse nick named Bear. You have to save her."

Damien slammed on the brakes.