Crys' POV

I'm not sure how long I've been here, but I'm certain one night has come and gone since I was brought to this shit hole. After passing out from the horrible beating Michael gave me, I woke up for a few minutes and couldn't see any light through the cracks of the window. The candle that was lit seemed to be the only source of light I was getting, making my theory more likely.

Waking up a second time to see a bit of light streaming through the slits in the board covered window, I feel like crying at the thought of being stuck here with this monster any longer. 

My body is aching, and my brain feels like it is pounding against my skull but I think nothing has been broken at least. I fear how long this will go on for, but I'm trying to hold onto the happiness I get, knowing that everyone else is safe from him. 

He can do as he pleases so long as they're all safe. 

I still feel nauseous and tired, but I'm hoping that if I just stay laying on this bed, I'll feel better again after some more rest. I need to look after myself while I'm here, I don't know if he has the compassion to leave me be long enough to recover at all.

Footsteps can be heard somewhere in the house, as well as the occasional yelling, telling me that Michael isn't the only one here. I'm not sure how many are here, but I know my uncle certainly isn't the only one. Michael seems to be very good at rallying people, and sadly, he likely has gotten some very unsavoury people to work with him in all of this. 

The thud of footsteps breaks me from my thoughts, and fear rises all over again with every thump they make. The familiar feel of my anxiety rises, so I do my best to try and keep control of it. I'll be in worse shape if I pass out from panic again, or start hyperventilating before they even get to the room.

The rickety door creaks open, and an unfamiliar face walks in with a Subway bag in his hands. He doesn't look like someone who should be mixed up with Michael, though I guess appearances don't mean everything. I don't really get a bad vibe off him though, his sad green eyes looking at me with regret and his blonde hair is hanging over his face.

"Here, Mike told me to get you some food." He offers with a sad smile, passing me the unopened bag. 

"U-Uhh, thank you," I whisper back, surprised by the kindness of his voice.

He looks lost in his own thoughts as I eat my sub from my spot on the bed, occasionally opening his mouth before closing it again. I want to talk to him, try to convince him to let me go, but I just can't see that ending well. Michael is good at getting people to do whatever he wants, and I doubt anyone who works with him will betray him.

I don't doubt he'd kill anyone who even thought about it.

"I'm sorry." The blonde man eventually whispered after he looked around the rundown bedroom to make sure we were still alone. 

"Don't worry," I mumble, finishing my of sub. 

What's the point in getting angry at this guy, he hasn't done anything directly to me yet. He clearly isn't one of the men who took me, his smaller frame tells me that much. If anything he's the only one here who might not harm me, since he got me food and something filling too.

A friend in this shit situation would be pretty nice. 

"He threatened my sister. She's in hospital after getting hurt at work." He explained with a low voice, making it all click together like a puzzle. 

"I'm sorry she's hurt, I understand though. I'd do anything for my brothers." I whisper back, putting the rubbish back in the bag. 

He gives me a sad smile as he takes the rubbish from me, walking towards the door that keeps me held here. Before he goes to leave, he looks back my way one more time with the same regretful look in his eyes, before closing the door slowly behind him. 

I hate Michael for what he's done, and even more so for what he is still doing. 

He's made others scared to lose their own loved ones if they refuse him, and tore my family into pieces. After all, he has done. I know the twins must be going out of their minds while I'm here, and I hate that there is nothing I can do to reach out to them. 

The tiredness soon becomes too much for me to resist and the need to sleep gets stronger, so I figure it's best to give in and get more rest while I can. 

***********

Waking up to the thud of someone's shoes getting louder, I silently wish that it's just the blonde guy coming back to check on me. He could potentially make this situation a little bit nicer to handle, though Michael might send him away if learns that bit of information too.

The steps are too harsh for me to believe it's him though, proven right the moment the door slams open to reveal a very angry Michael.

*** violence ahead ***

"Hand it over!" He yells, slapping my cheek so hard I taste blood.

Lifting my hand up to hold the side of my face, I look at him for a moment trying to figure out what he's talking about. Fear bubbles up from my stomach making me want to heave, but I keep myself calm. 

"Hand what over?" I ask quietly, my cool hand slightly soothing the sting of his slap.

"You know damn well what!" He yells in my face, punching my stomach so hard I end up heaving as I hold my side.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" I try to yell, coughing slightly from my curled up spot on the edge of the bed.

"Move your damn hands, take what you deserve!" He snaps at me, a crazed look blazing in his eyes as he pulls my arms from my body.

He walks out for a moment, hearing him yell at whoever is still in the house before he comes back to the room with zip ties in his hands. 

His sick smile stays on his face as he walks closer and closer to me. Trying to shuffle away from him only works for so long before the chain on my ankle pulls tight, causing a pained whimper to escape my lips. His evil chuckle sends chills down my spine before my fear rises as he reaches for me a second time.

"If I only get you to myself for so long, I am going to take full advantage of the time we have left." He smiles, before grabbing the ties from where they sat on the bed.

I try to fight him off from grabbing my wrists, only to be met with a hard punch to the side of my head. My sight blurs slightly as he grabs hold of my wrists, tightening them painfully around my skin. I vaguely feel him doing the same to my ankles, after removing the chain from my tender ankle. 

Getting pulled up by my hair, I let out a silent scream as he pulls my face to his. The sneer he's wearing is chilling, and the hate in his eyes makes me feel saddened. I wish things were different between us, as a kid, I wished I was as close to him as I was to my brothers.

Some things are just not meant to be.

"I don't know how you did it, but the police are outside!" He tells me, rage evident in his voice. 

A hard punch lands on the side of my mouth, and I feel blood slightly dripping from my lips. Another blow lands on my side, while my mind is trying to process the words he sneered out to me. 

The police are here?

But how?

"I don't even know where we are..." I wheeze out through the pain.

"Bullshit! No one else here has the balls to test me as you do, my darling niece!" He yells, grabbing a hold on my hair again.

I'm forced to the floor by his firm grip, forcing me to cry out from the pain erupting through my skull. The anger and annoyance are clear as day on his face, despite my clouded thoughts. Maybe that means they really are here, but why haven't they come in yet?

Roughly lifting me into a sitting position by my arm, he gets so close that I can smell his rancid breath over my face. I feel like my eyes are going in and out of focus, and my mind is struggling to keep itself awake again.

"If I'm going back to that fucking cell, I'm getting my missed years of fun out of you now. Maybe you'll live long enough for me to escape again, or maybe you'll just die like you were supposed to, all those fucking years ago." He grits out, hatred lacing his voice. 

I look up at him as he pulls away slightly, smiling up at him with my bloody teeth on display. He's fucked either way, no matter what happens to me at this point. They'll lock him somewhere no one can get to him, or by some chance, he'll run out to the police with a gun and get killed. 

I'll take anything if it means he never gets free air ever again.

"If they're really here, you're fucked!" I sneer, spitting in his face. 

Laughing at him while he yells about getting my blood on his face, I can't help but enjoy the weird feeling I have right now. Maybe I'm losing my mind. Or maybe knowing he won't be free for much longer is just having a strange effect on my mind. This just doesn't even feel like it's real at this point.

My head is spinning and everything keeps going in and out of focus, almost like I'm waking up from a dream. 

Wouldn't it be nice, to just wake up from all of this hell...

"Think this is funny, do ya?" He sneers, throwing another punch to the side of my head, making me hit the metal pole on the bed.

I just keep smiling at him, before another hit lands on me. This time I'm sure I heard something crack on the side of my body, but I don't feel anything after it. 

Maybe it really is a dream.

A loud crashing noise is heard from another area of the house, which seems to draw Michael's attention for a moment. I watch as he quickly goes over to the door to lock it, and push a tallboy in front of it for his own added security. 

I just chuckle at his desperation before looking down at my bound arms and legs, hating how my ankles feel with these ties. The purple and black bracelet that Lee gave me is covered with spots of blood, sadly making it look ugly now. Twisting my wrist and fingers at an odd angle, I decide to try and unclip it and take it off since the clips been digging into my bound wrists.

Hearing Michael growl in annoyance, I look up at him to see him leaning near the door. 

"What are you doing?" I chuckle at him.

"Shut the fuck up!" He growls, but I do notice he kept his voice lower than usual.

Looking back down at my lap, I keep fidgeting with my bracelet until I painfully push on the tie. Seeing it unhinge has to be the happiest moment I've had here. This bracelet has been fairly useless since I was taken, but now it might finally have some purpose.

Lee gave me this woven bracelet as a form of weapon to help myself with. 

How, you might ask?

Simple. 

When I unclasp it, there is a small blade hidden. It wasn't of any used before, since it isn't exactly going to cut metal. Plus it isn't big enough to have inflicted too much harm on Michael, he would have overpowered me before I could do any real damage to his ugly face. 

But now, I can at least cut these painful ties. 

My head keeps throbbing and feeling hazy, but I need to be able to defend myself. I know that if he gets too cornered, he's going to just kill me. That much is a certainty. He tried to kill me that day years ago and now is his one chance to finish what he started.

I just need to stay alive long enough for the police to get him.

Keeping my eyes on Michael, I see him glancing back at me every now and then, before going back to listening at the door. Even I can hear the commotion that must be going on downstairs, but I don't know how they plan on getting in here. 

Every time his back is turned, I start slicing at my ankles until they're most of the way cut through. Leaving a small piece to keep it connected, I do the same to my wrists. It takes me a little while since I have to stop fairly often, I can't risk him seeing the blade. 

When both are most of the way cut through, I look around the room hoping to see something I can use to defend myself with. I see an old candle holder on the bedside table that just might help me. 

A knock at the door breaks my thoughts of weaponized lamps, watching Michael tense up until he hears the familiar voice of Mr Blonde Guy.

"Michael, quick! Let me in, we just took down a couple of the officers that came too close." He pleads, the rest of the house now in total silence.

He seems to think about it for a moment before giving in, pulling the tallboy away to open the door for the blonde man. I'm surprised when  I don't see anyone else follow him in though.

"Where are the others?!" Michael sneers at him.

"The police stormed in, sir. They took down Murphy and Lawrence." He rushes out, adrenaline still rushing through him.

"Fuck!" 

Blondie looks over at me, looking me up and down with a frown on his face, before looking back at Michael again.

"What do we do now sir?" He asks, keeping his voice low.

"We aren't getting out of this. But I'm not going down without some fun first, keep watch." He smiles, turning towards me again. 

As he takes a step in my direction, fear races through my aching body. Though when he is halfway between us, I watch as the blonde man looks torn.

"Stop!" He suddenly shouts, pulling something from his belt.

Tilting my head slightly, I see a small black handgun. I want to smile at him, but my mind is struggling to keep up with all that is going on right now.

"You think you're going to shoot me?" Michael laughs, turning to face my only hope out of here.

"I don't want to, but I will if I have to." He answers, shaking slightly.

With Michael's back turned, I pull at my ankles tie slightly to give it that last little snap it needs to be off. The relief I feel from having nothing wrapped around my ankles is pushed to the side, as I do the same to my wrists, placing the ties to the side gently.

Locking eyes with the other man, I nod at him, hoping he knows to keep attention on him. His eyes meet mine for a split second before they are back on the evil man between us.

"You don't have the balls! Your sister was better in this line of work than you will ever be!" He sneers at the blonde man.

Slowly standing up, I make sure to avoid making a single creak. Careful that I don't alert the mad man that is my uncle.

"She wanted out of this work! No wonder too, if she works with people like you."

As I finish standing, I grab the metal candle holder and turn to face him. 

Fear courses through me at doing this to someone, no matter how horrible he truly is. I don't want to kill him, but this is my only chance of getting away from this horrible situation. 

My sight starts to blur further, black spots begin invading my vision at the same time. 

I have to do this before I pass out again.

With that thought in mind, I yell out a battle cry before slamming the heavy handle holder down on the back of his head. He stumbles a few steps as he turns to face me slightly, confusion and pain are evident on his face. 

He lands with a thump just as the black spots start to overtake my vision, the world around me tipping.

"Crys! Stay awake!" The blonde man yells from above me.

"He's down! Get in here!" His yells sound distant, as the throbbing in my skull gets too strong to ignore.

Michael slowly sitting up is the last thing I see, before darkness wins over.

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Sorry for the little cliffhanger there!

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