Madeline began collecting her supplies and spread them out for maximum effect.

"You know, Harper," my name was spat from her mouth. I winced, recognizing that she felt this was personal. Although I didn't know the reason, her tone spoke volumes. "You remind me of someone. With her, I went too far. The same could happen tonight. She was trying to be tough, just like you. Trying to protect someone, just like you." She cocked her head up and to the right, as if remembering, then cackled, "Actually, I think she was protecting the same someone as you. How ironic!"

"Who are you talking about?" I managed, wincing. The stabbing pain in my shoulder was enhanced with each movement.

She proceeded to secure a chair to the ground, complete with bolts and cuffs. "It's not a good idea to defend Kael. Oh," she shook her head, "you have no idea how bad. Soon you'll understand how bad it is to make yourself my enemy." She moved toward me, placing me in handcuffs before releasing my chains.

She led me toward the chair.

"Wait! Wait!" I leaned back against her efforts. A searing pain split my shoulder where her grip stayed, unrelenting. Lightheaded, I stumbled. 

Falling just before I reached our destination, I gasped, "Are you talking about Kiley? You killed Kael's sister, didn't you?"

She reached down to pull me up, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Are you really surprised, dear?"

"That's why Kael hates you so much," I breathed, making sense of the enraged beating he had given her at the train station.

"He doesn't hate me!" Madeline shouted. She took a deep calming breath, straightening her shirt, then spoke evenly, "He misunderstands me. If he understood my motives, if he could see what I see, he would understand why I did what I did." She was almost talking to herself now which confirmed my belief that she was insane.

She shoved me into the seat and secured my ankles and wrists to the legs and arms of the chair. I wanted to protest or better - faint. Despite my foggy brain, I remained conscious. If I could keep her distracted, perhaps I could delay whatever she was planning. "Do you still love him?" I asked.

She snorted. "You don't even understand a passion like ours. Nor could you ever."

Although I knew Kael didn't harbor any inkling of love for this disillusioned woman, I tried to make sense of her reasoning and think of inquiries that would spur her on in a direction away from me. She was looking over a tray of cruel looking tools, all intended for me.

"Why did you leave him? If you loved him so much?" I asked weakly.

She shot back, "And why do you care? I told you. You wouldn't understand!" She stopped and appraised me, then laughed, "Oh no. Do you think you're in love with him? Please!"

I shook my head and tried to interrupt, but she held up her hand.

"Wait!"

She touched an earpiece, listening to the transmission. Her smile was smug as she nodded, dropped her hand, and announced, "They caught them. All of them. And there's something - a soundtrack we want you to hear."

She pulled her phone from her back pocket, looking smug. "See if you can guess," she winked as she set the phone down and pressed something on the screen.

I jumped when the audio started. The most terrible cries of pain I had ever heard echoed through the chamber as someone was brutally tortured. I wanted to cover my ears but couldn't, my hands fixed to the arms of the chair. The victim was a man. I tried to make it fit Danny, Eric or Porter, but it was no use. I knew it was Kael.

"Please stop!" I sobbed. Any facade of bravery was gone.

"Just leave him alone. Why are you doing this? I thought you loved him!" I continued my cries but Madeline turned a deaf ear. 

She continued organizing her instruments, ignoring the agony coming through on her device. I closed my eyes, trying to go somewhere else in my mind. This wasn't happening; we weren't here right now. We were back at the compound, arguing like idiots about things that we couldn't change. He was right. I had been naive. Telling him he had to change his life trajectory right here and now had been ridiculous. The cries grew louder. The pain must be excruciating. I sunk deeper in the chair, trying to picture the library at Harper Manor, that ornate fireplace. Garrett. His current situation seemed so safe now. I was grateful Kael had the foresight to leave him where he was.

Though I tried to suppress them, the shouts were clouding my every sense. I wished I could take his pain away, even half of it, but I couldn't. I sat there, powerless. I looked toward the table and Madeline, who appeared to be enjoying the noise echoing through the room. If only my legs weren't tied down. I imagined kicking the table leg, knocking over the table, and smashing the phone.

The sound stopped at last. I found myself sweating, breathless. "It's your turn." Madeline whispered. She looked down, pressed something on her phone, and pushed it to the edge of the table closest to me. She held the tiny blade as she adjusted the phone with her other hand.

"Are you recording this?" I gasped, horrified.

"Oh yes. It makes a lovely start to family and friends' experiences. Audio recordings leave so much for the imagination." 

The entire room began to spin. I prayed I would pass out at last. Gradually, I knew I was losing consciousness. Her every movement seemed in slow motion. Final adjustments were made on the phone, the blade spun deftly in her right hand. Her steps were at half speed, almost defying gravity. She grasped my hairline, pushing my head against the chair. I felt the force of impact, but still her motions seemed slow, drawn out. Her eyes locked with mine for an instant before she raised her scalpel. Her eyes measured the track my scar would take. This was it. After that first slice, there would be no going back.

My eyes caught something long and thin swaying behind her. It caught the light briefly before sliding back into the shadows. Was it part of the pulley system? I didn't think so. It looked different somehow. Madeline caught my distracted gaze and turned. Her slow reaction was met with a blow to her face.

The blood loss was making me hallucinate, but I was grateful. In reality, Madeline had begun to lacerate my face with her blade, but in my alternate world, Kael had come down to rescue me. He was facing Madeline. I watched through half shut eyes, praying this fiction wouldn't slip away as quickly as it had come.

Madeline's face was twisted in anger as she righted herself to face Kael. Her heated words were unintelligible as she threw a wild blow toward him. He ducked easily. Yes. He has to win. I prayed my imagination would hear me. They circled each other for a moment. Both of them looked so furious, so lethal. Kael glanced at me. The break in their locked gaze was the window Madeline needed. She spun and kicked high to reach Kael's face, but he caught her leg with his arm, using her momentum to flip her onto her back. She jumped up the moment she hit the floor with terrifying agility. This fight was long from over.

She began to focus then, her kicks and punches calculating and intense. She remembered Kael's ribs and targeted his injured side until a few of her blows met their mark. They fought in the center of the room, in front of me. I found myself in a trance, unable to look away from the imaginary battle. I wondered what was really happening to my body right now. The instant the thought occurred to me, I pushed it away, not wanting my mind to break away.

Kael had her pinned to the ground. I had lost focus for a moment, but I dipped my head, forcing my eyes to stay trained on the two of them. Her legs flew up behind his back, knees digging into his side. He cried out, letting his grip loosen and backing away. Madeline reached for the scalpel. I wanted to warn him but wasn't sure if my words would break me away from my delusions.

Slowly he turned, but not before she shoved the scalpel into his injured side. She pushed the instrument deep, forcing me to look away from the graphic image. Glancing back, I saw that Kael had thrown her to the ground. He stood above her, scalpel pulled from his side and in hand.

She was quick to come to her feet, shouting between clenched teeth. The exhaustion on their faces was indicative of the approaching end. Kael tossed the instrument from his hand into the dark shadowy corner. Madeline came forward. Kael met her challenge. Forced further and further toward the concrete wall, Madeline was soon pinned and started to slide to the side. Kael inhibited her every movement. His head snapped forward to head-butt her, the thud of her head against the concrete wall echoing through the room as the woman slumped to the ground at last, motionless.

*****

Harper thinks she is dreaming, but do you think her rescue is real? If so, she may have escaped Madeline's clutches, but she isn't out of there yet! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, as always :)

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