15. *Escape*

POV change, some backtracking, story extension. Explicit wording

***** 

Noah lowered the temperature in the torture room so that Annette could have more time with her friends. After an hour of making out and groping each other, Lauren and Adam finally sat up and looked at Annette. Noah was keeping an eye on her too; she was mentally clocked out. Her classmates eventually picked up on this too and walked over to talk to her. It wasn't long before Annette was signing asking for it do be done. Noah sighed and reluctantly sent everyone back to their rooms. 

After Noah called her down to the control room, Jess had a new sense of pride for the prisoners they harbored. Annette looked weak as she leaned against her wall and the other two had yet to go back to their rooms; they were working together to destroy Lionel's room. "Finally! Someone's fighting back," she muttered. Noah gently reminded her of Annette's question. "Oh right! Of course she can! Oops! Guess she needs the answer. Turn on her intercom please, love," Jess ordered as she kissed his cheek. Then after telling Annette she was safe to prop herself up, Jess looked at her boyfriend again. "She's safe. Call me if there's another surprise. Love you," she murmured, kissed him softly, and left the control room.

"Love you too," Noah mumbled. He intently watched his screen as Annette positioned herself in the corner furthest from the door after emptying her stomach contents. "Hang in there, 'Nettie," he whispered as Tyler squeezed his shoulder sympathetically as he gave Noah some food.

"Tough break. I'm still going to send her food later. Sorry she couldn't keep the nutrients down. At least she has some electrolytes she can replenish with," he mused. "You need to eat. I'm done here for now. Have Jess come get me if you need a break. I know you were ordered to stay here and if it was my sister on the screen, I wouldn't want to leave either. Don't run yourself ragged. Take care of yourself, man." Noah nodded but didn't look up. Tyler made his silent departure. Noah studied his sister again as he mindlessly ate. With one pillow behind her back and one behind her head, she looked peaceful even though her cheeks were wet. Noah looked around the empty control room and happily shut the beeping algorithm alarm off and turned up her temperature slightly, hoping she would get some well deserved rest. Annette didn't flinch or acknowledge the change.

"It's not much, 'Nettie, but I hope it helps. Stay strong, sis. I'm here for you. This is unfortunately the only way I can protect you. I love you. Just hang in there," he whispered as he continued to eat absent-mindedly. "I'm sorry I failed you and brought you here." As if she could hear him, her body shook with tears as she curled into a ball, her head resting on her knees. The pillow behind her head fell to the floor, but she didn't move to pick it up. Noah froze; not once had she ever just wept freely, especially when she knew people were watching. "'Nettie," he breathed as tears ran down his own cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Pat. It's all my fault. I should have listened to you," she whispered, in a barely audible and breathy voice. Noah would have missed it if he hadn't turned up the microphones in her room earlier. He refused to write down that; there was no way he would give Lionel extra fuel. Noah threw the name around in his head. Who was this Pat and why did she feel guilty because of him? Had she finally found someone she could care about? He knew how hard it was for her to open up and truly share her heart. He hoped this was the case, that way she had at least one person doing what they could to find her; he knew his parents wouldn't look very hard. When asked questions, she had said she was single so Noah didn't hold his breath for a devoted boyfriend to head up the search, but maybe, just maybe, she had sparked a relationship; that would be enough for anyone who knew her except their parents. Had she finally reached rock bottom? Noah couldn't picture her as as anything but happy, but he could tell she was slowly starting to lose that bright spark in her eye. Oh how he wished they had been in contact more this past year! They always told each other everything, and she was always so good about noticing even the tiniest detail. "I like your girlfriend," she had signed. He grinned. She would notice who he was dating. When her breathing finally slowed, he cleaned up his station, edited the video feed - removing the audio of apology, and went to his cot in the corner of the room, still in sight with his monitor. He couldn't take Tyler up on his offer; he had to know she was still alive. He had to know if she would talk to him in their special way. Most of all, he had to know she was still fighting. It was only 8pm, but he desperately needed to sleep. Her sleep schedule was messing with his, but how could she know; she had no way to tell the time. 

Tyler came back into control a few hours later and grinned. "I'm sorry I had to drug you, but you really needed some sleep too. A good eight hours is just what you need. But I was given orders and you would kill me. I would if it was Jess," he murmured as he looked at Noah sleeping on the cot before moving over to Noah's computer. "Sorry, Annette. Forgive me," he whispered as he began to blare girls screaming over the intercom into her room. Tyler was certain they were from the complex as well, but he didn't want to confirm it. Annette stirred, began pacing the room and putting her hands by her ears. Then she began to hum. She kept glaring at the mirror, but didn't say anything. After three hours of the abuse of the other prisoners, it stopped. Annette kept pacing, but Tyler could tell she was just going through the motions. Would she even remember this? He hoped not, then he grinned. He would ensure she wouldn't. She eventually curled back in her corner and tried to go to sleep. "Let me help you get some rest too. You are definitely stronger than anyone could have predicted," Tyler mused silently as he sent her a vapor form of a mild sedative and amnesia drug. The soft chemical mixture didn't create a cloud and nothing would appear in the computer code or on screen. When her body relaxed, he turned off the fumes. "Sleep well. You've earned it. 4:56am. Damn, girl. Ugh. Not even three hours before your day is supposed to start again. I wish I knew what the plan was. I really hope that I can get a chance to help you. Unfortunately, I still need permission. I put the plans in motion. Now it's just the waiting game. Hang in there, honey."

"Tyler!" A voice startled him. He turned around in his chair.

"Morning, sir. How can I help you?" Tyler asked in surprise.

"Has she submitted yet?"

"No. She hasn't. No verbal allowance. She doesn't touch herself for the physical permission. Nothing," Tyler confirmed.

"And that's what you want?" Tyler looked back at the computer and grinned.

"Yes. It is. I want her in my bed," he admitted. He looked back at the visitor again and smiled. "Dad, you know I've been waiting for the perfect girl to come through. I think I found her. I get off supervision duty in a few hours when Noah and enforcers are awake over here. I want to enjoy a meal with her later today, take it slow. I don't want them around her anymore. She'll be dead before I get a chance. Please. I never ask you for anything, but I want her. Dad, once I can get her to trust me, I'll pull her to my room. She's more than I ever could have hoped for. I think she's perfect. I love how she wild and unbroken and has remained so even after all this time. No other girl has come close to this time length. I don't want a tame little sex kitten. I want her. I would love to see her fight me. I would love to see her passion, feel her warmth, and to claim her as my own. I want to make her squirm just by touching her. I want her to get wet just because she hears my voice. I want her dependent on me. I want to hear her beg for me. I'm turned on by the thought and I'm going to make it a reality. I told you this earlier out of respect. Tell me no, I'll go grab her now. "

"You did tell me that and you can have her. She'll be your lunch date, not before. Then if she agrees to see you again, she's all your's. If not, she's mine and she'll make her rounds through the pits. I want to see you succeed. I would be happy for you to plow one p***y multiple times, even happier if you lost your ridiculous morals and fucked whomever you wanted, whenever you wanted, and as often as you wanted. However, this girl, she's doing something for you and I couldn't be more proud. So go ahead and take off now. Get some rest, it sounds like you'll need your energy later. I'll do guard duty for the rest of the night. And son, you can bet your a*s I'll be watching. I want to see you succeed; she would be a profit I wouldn't mind losing if it meant your happiness. You deserve the best and she's still pure. Doesn't get much better than that." Tyler nodded, looked at the computers with a large smile then stood up.

"Thank you, Dad. I appreciate your blessing," he replied as he took in what was being said, but didn't meet his father's gaze. Instead he rubbed Annette's sleeping form on the monitor. "Alright, Annette! Permission has been granted. I'll get you to agree to see me again. You won't suffer in pain anymore. I'll protect you. I'll bring you back to my room for a shower and uninterrupted sleep. I swear I mean you no harm and won't touch you, just please trust me later today. It'll be a hell of a show. We can pull it off; we have too. No more pain, honey. I'll see you at noon on the dot," he thought happily. He took a deep breath and walked by the man leaning against the door frame. "Thank you, again. It really does mean a lot to me."

"I can tell. Finally ready to become a man," the boss man praised as he pulled his son in for a hug. Tyler stood there awkwardly and patted his shoulders before pulling away and going to his room. The man walked over to the computers and watched all the footage quickly. He slammed his fists on the desk. The girl on screen was definitely a conundrum. She looked perfect, but was mouthy and defiant. He liked his s***s to be obedient and not so spirited. "Those legs. Mm-mm-mmm. Once you start f*****g, you are getting lessons on the pole. Perfect figure. Blonde hair. Long legs for your short stature. Ooh! Those curves. Barbie, you will bring in new clients for years. Oh the things I would do to you," the boss mused as he began to jerk off to the footage of her working out. At 9:15, Lionel walked into the room sleepily. "Bout f*****g time. We're about to lose our newest money maker."

"Boss! Everything alright? You're never over here! What do you mean lose her?"

"Yep. Everything is fine or it will be. I was just doing some final recon. Wake the tech up. You have until lunch or Tyler gets her. It's unlikely that she'll turn him down. He's my son after all and women will swoon at his feet. If she agrees, we'll never get a penny off of her. That won't sit well with me and you'll be responsible since you brought her here," the boss warned.

"That good for nothing son of a b***h! He's stealing all my glory." The boss stood up, walked over to Lionel, and punched him gut, making Lionel double over. 

"You will not talk about my son like that!" He bellowed. Lionel nodded and stood up again. "Tyler is damn good at what he does and you will respect him, even if he doesn't bang every s****y hole that walks his way. That damn w***e didn't even beg for it to stop when the screaming started. I can see his interest in her. What is she made of?"

"Honey. She tastes like it too. She's an insolent little tease that's full of vinegar too. She was supposed to be easy to break; that's what all the intel said. I want her. She'll break him. And I'll get Jess!" The boss grinned.

"Two for the price of one. Jess can stay in your bed, Barbie can be at your beck and call. I need Barbie in the pits and my bed. Think you can make it happen before lunch?"

"Hell yeah! That b***h will f*****g spread her legs. She'll beg me to f**k her. Can I do whatever it takes? If she wants to continue to fight, do I have permission to take it up a notch and make her bend to my will?"

"Anything you want," the boss confirmed with a malicious grin. "Cage her later so I can taste her honey too. If Tyler was serious, he would have positioned himself in front of her door. Instead, he went to bed to rest up for later. He's bewitched by her, there's no denying it and it's about time he gets some action. But not her. No matter what, you f**k that w***e. Consent is no longer needed. Just once and she's ours. F**k her before Tyler gets his lunch date. You won't get another chance like this. He can find another s**t or he can take sloppy seconds, thirds, or whatever number. Just as long as he doesn't get her first. I doubt he'll want her after that, but if he gets her first, she holds all the power and we could be looking at an uprising. She needs to be put in her place. A hundred pound girl should be no problem for you, but make Ronnie hold her down if needed. I'd rather just see the one-on-one action though. One more thing, Lionel. Make her scream."

"Happily. Thanks, Marvin."

"Good night. I look forward to the show. I'll watch the replay later," Marvin replied as he left, headed back to his own wing, pulling two hooded girls -with their arms tied up behind them- with him. Lionel grew more and more impatient as Noah still slept on. Loud noises, slapping his face, dumping him out of bed, and even pouring cold water on his face didn't even make Noah stir. 

"Worthless piece of s**t! I should kill you now but I need your damn help. I need you to watch your sister writhe under me as I finally take what's mine! Marv gave me all I need. Things will no longer be at level 2-3. It's all or nothing time," Lionel spat as he left control again and headed to the torture room, shocked to find the state of the room. "That little girl is going to pay," he muttered before letting out a string of profanity. He walked back to the control room and tried to calm down. He had to appear as friendly for things to work in his favor. Lionel got a cup a coffee and sat in the chair outside of the control room waiting for Noah to get up. Lionel made sure he could see Noah's seat perfectly. 

When Noah finally got up, stretched, and got a bite to eat. He took a towel to his face and looked back at his cot. "I haven't tossed and turned like that or drooled for a while. Damn. I must really have needed some sleep," he pondered softly as he looked back at his screen. He checked on his sister, happy that she was still sleeping and grateful the halls were empty. Then he looked at his clock. It was now 10:23am, Wednesday morning. "Holy s**t! I shouldn't have slept that much" Noah gasped as he spit some of his food on his monitor. 

"Yeah. And it's about damn time you woke up, boy," Lionel sneered from the door frame. Noah turned around in shock as he felt the color drain from his face. "I've been waiting well over an hour for you to get your damn beauty rest. I need to play with my Annie. Obviously our last visit wasn't clear enough. Don't keep me waiting. And don't interfere again or I'll really kill her. DON'T TRY TO LIE TO ME!" Lionel bellowed as Noah opened his mouth to protest. Lionel shook his finger. "I know exactly where I left that s**t. She's breathing again and you're still here. I will kill her if you don't stay put. This time, you won't be able to bring her back. Would you prefer a knife to her heart or a bullet to her brain? No response? Pity. As for that room, I know it's all your fault. She'll pay. She doesn't get a choice; you sealed her fate," he threatened over his shoulder as he made his way to the torture room. 

"She hates the name Annie. She can take it, just don't kill her. I'll behave," Noah pleaded weakly as he watched Lionel on the camera. When he was standing outside her door, Lionel shook his fist at the camera. "I can't. She's safe right now. I should have kept her in there last time," Noah whispered. Lionel grinned and pulled out a little remote from his pocket and pressed it. When Noah still didn't move to open the door, Lionel turned up the voltage. Reluctantly, Noah opened the door to his sister's room again as he convulsed in his chair. Lionel grinned and put the remote back in his pocket. "Please don't kill her," Noah begged as he clasped his hands together. He wished he wasn't in this position. He wished he could rescue her, but all he could do was watch helplessly from his computer screen. He knew that Lionel's endgame was to have him commit suicide; killing 'Nettie would pretty much ensure his own demise because she was his solid foundation and backbone. "I'm sorry, 'Nettie. I'll be strong no matter what," he whispered to the screen as he studied the room carefully, looking for an opening to help her. The floor was still wet from the water in the tank, so Noah risked making his sister face more punishment if he turned on the electric current. Lionel looked directly into the camera and smiled viciously as he entered her room. "How does such an evil man have any friends?" He pondered out loud as Lionel covered the distance of the room in three strides. Noah felt his heart stop as Annette was brutally forced to stand by her hair and led out of the room. She whimpered and bit her lip as she was thrown into the wall and had her arm twisted behind her. "You go, girl! Don't let him make you scream. You got this," Noah cheered internally. When Lionel pinned her against the wall and forced his lips on hers, Noah felt like he was going to be sick again. Annette didn't let him down as she fought back, using the wall for extra force with her small body, she managed to shove him off of her. Unfortunately, Lionel now had her shirt in his hand. That's when things went from bad to worse, and Noah lost the contents of his breakfast to his garbage can. The spark was back in her eye as she antagonized him; which did not work out well for her. "Oh, 'Nettie. Please, stop! I know you don't like it, but stop fighting. He'll kill you," he cried silently. She bit her lip when Lionel yanked her arm, but Noah heard the pop and knew she wouldn't be able to move it. He was still proud of his sister. Not once had she given that monster the satisfaction of hearing her scream; she only uttered soft cries. She began demanding he free her classmates and he could do whatever he wanted with her, until that time, she would fight. "No! 'Nettie, no! Please stop," Noah begged around several gasps. 

Tyler walked in whistling, causing Noah to look behind him. One look at Noah's face, Tyler scurried over to the computer, looking over Noah's shoulder as they both looked at the screen. Lionel had taken his pants off and uttered, "it's more fun laying down anyways." 

"Son of a b***h," Tyler muttered and he took off. Noah didn't pay attention to where or why. He was glued to his sister; she had just kicked that monster in the gut.

"Stop, 'Nettie," Noah pleaded, with a few strokes of the keyboard, he pulled up the electric current program, knowing it didn't matter which part he activated; the water would act as a conduit and shock everything. 

"So you are a fighter. Excellent." The grin on Lionel's face got even more evil as he approached her again. Noah's hands were turning white from the amount of pressure he applied to them as he locked them together again. Once again, Annette kicked the monster in front of her, but was only half as successful. "You wanna play dirty? Let's play dirty?" Lionel had said has he broke her leg. Noah emptied his stomach contents again into the trash can, his sister's scream echoing in his ears. The sound of her leg plopping on the concrete was worse. Noah began to cry for her, she was fading fast and there was nothing he could do for her. She looked directly into the camera and let her tears fall; Noah saw her will to fight leave as she closed her eyes and tilt her head down.

"I'm sorry, 'Nettie. I failed you. I'll see you in the next life," Noah wept as he placed his hand on the screen and turned up the current to 85%. It would kill her, but it would also kill that monster. Noah knew that if he used any more power, he could create massive power failures, the circuits in the computer operated rooms would short, unless people knew where the kitchen was, nobody would be able get food any more, and many people would die. He was certain more would happen, but wasn't sure exactly what. "You're done fighting, 'Nettie. It's okay. You can give up. I'm so sorry. I'll help you out. You're done. It's okay. I'll love you always," Noah thought as tears trekked down his face and his sister opened her eyes. "Good-bye, 'Nettie. Forgive me." Right as he was about to hit the last few keys to activate it, there was massive movement on screen. Noah pulled back in shock as he witnessed Tyler tackling Lionel. "Am I dreaming?" Noah thought as he tried to make sense of what was happening on the screen. 

"I told you to leave her alone," Tyler hollered and was punching Lionel's face with every word. Ronnie followed shortly behind with a gun in hand. He took one look at Annette and whistled at Tyler. She was pale, the only iris he could see kept trying to roll in the back of her head, and Noah could tell she was quickly giving up her fight. Noah's breath caught in his throat as a hand gently rested on his back. Noah looked up at Jess, embraced her and cried into her abdomen. 

"Noah Gibson! Close that program right now! They're going to help her, not hurt her," Jess rebuked. Noah closed the shocking program down and stared intently at his sister on the screen. Jess calmly rubbed his neck as she watched. "She doesn't have to endure any more pain or threats," she whispered softly. Noah kissed her belly and continued to sob.

"She was ready to barter. She offered herself for their freedom. I was going to give her freedom, an act of mercy; death before he touched her. I may still lose her. She's fading. Jess, she gave up," he wept in a breathy voice. Jess just rubbed his head as tears threatened to fall from her eyes; she had no words for him.

"Stay with me," Tyler was saying on the screen. Noah forced himself to watch his screen again, pulling up two cameras for the room.

In the first camera, Ronnie stood over a bloody and beat up Lionel with the gun pointed at his head, "It's not your decision to make about what happens to her. You have already tried to kill her. You were told to leave her alone. You are fired. Good-bye," Ronnie muttered under his breath and pulled the trigger. Then walked around Annette and Tyler and began breaking the table in the room, scattering food all over the floor. Noah gladly switched the screen to show just his sister in a split screen; a close up of her face and watching Tyler's face as he looked over Annette.

Tyler was having Annette do a strength test with her hands. Noah tried to watch both of their faces, but he was glued to the screen with just Annette's face. When Tyler asked her to squeeze with her left hand, Annette's face showed that she was trying, Tyler's showed he felt nothing. Tyler pursed his lips together as he asked her to try again. He then began barking orders at Ronnie, before turning back to Annette. "Your eyes. Jess. They match. Siblings," she managed weakly. 

Noah looked at Jess in surprise. "Y-y-you mean th-th-this whole time, I knew. I knew your b-b-brother?" Noah stammered as more tears fell from his eyes. Jess nodded and rubbed his neck and shoulders. "I messed up so bad, Jess. Lionel was right, you don't deserve me."

"Noah. Shut up! He's so wrong. I love you. I'm excited to carry your baby. We're trying to help your sister. Focus," she ordered, turning his head back to the monitor. She knew that he needed to see this as much as hear what was going on.

"No! You're not going to die. You're done here. You're going home," Tyler was saying. Noah looked up at Jess again. 

"I'll answer your questions later, right now, just be quiet. I'm going to have to help them in a minute. We're all getting out. She'll pull through," she promised. 

"We'll join you on the outside. Can I give you some medication?" Jess stood up taller. "Hot pink and green." She pecked Noah on the cheek and left the control room. Noah watched on screen as the three of them worked to take care of his sister. When she was asleep again, they transferred her unto the lid Ronnie had brought in, using the blanket that was now under her. Tyler looked at his sister as she dabbed some blood off Annette's shoulder. "Is the speaker on?" Jess nodded. "She's bleeding?"

"He's using camera 5. Lionel nicked her, but it's not bad; barely a scratch. This injury is nothing to worry about," she replied. 

Tyler nodded as he stood up and looked directly at that camera, squinting his eyes slightly as the lights were blinding him. "Noah," he began. "I know you're confused at the moment but right now, I need you to send her friends order number 127 from my computer. Ronnie, let's move her to the van. Try not to jostle her too much. Now, Noah, where's the closest hospital to home?" 

"There is a small one in the town, but for the best care, Missoula," Noah confirmed over the microphone after he pushed send on Tyler's computer, "but based on how long it took you to get to her workplace in Haugan, Missoula is at least three hours away."

"We'll have to risk it," Jess stated quietly. She continued to stroke Annette's head. "If we don't cross the Montana state line again, nobody will find these guys. And if we don't get her to a big hospital, she won't be care for properly. We cannot rely on mercy flight," she stated. 

"Missoula it is. Noah, open up the hallway doors, but leave those two in their rooms for now. We need to get the tank and mattress out of the way so that we can move them later," Tyler instructed as he and Ronnie took Annette to the garage; Jess followed closely behind. 

Noah pulled up the screens for Adam and Lauren. They were pacing nervously in their rooms, looking through Annette's open door. He rewound the feed, lining it up with what happened in the main room. They both jumped up and ran to the mirror when the gunshot went off. Neither could see who came in or left, but both were straining to see. Noah went back to the live feed. "You can't kill her," Adam was yelling pounding on the mirror. "Annette! Somebody please let me know if she's alive. She can't die! Tell me that wasn't a gunshot." Noah choked on a sob and shut Annette's door. He couldn't respond. "No!" Adam gasped as he crumpled to the ground and pounded on the mirror. "Open that door. Come on! She's not dead. Please!" Lauren was crying as she rested her hand on the mirror, covering her mouth with her hand. Both were starting to gasp as tears ran freely down their faces. Noah wanted to answer their questions, but he had no words. "She's not dead. She's going to come through that door any minute. Come on," Adam begged.

"Annette! You shouldn't have. I told you not to die for me," Lauren whispered around a sob as she lowered her head into her knees.

"I'm sorry. She may yet die," Noah whispered to the screen as he left the control room and headed towards the torture room. He put a steel chair in the doorway incase it accidently closed; it would remain open that way. Then he kicked Lionel's lifeless body in fury. "That's my sister, you f*****g a*****e!" He screamed as he delivered kick upon kick. "We won. You died, not us," Noah huffed with a scowl. He could spend all day kicking that lifeless body, but 'Nettie needed him to focus instead. he removed the mattress from Lauren's hallway first, setting it upright against the wall. By the time Ronnie and Tyler came back, Noah had calmed down and was no longer crying; he had gotten the tank partially out of the room, but it was heavy and slow going. Together, the three of them moved the tank out of the room, wrapped Lionel's body in the soaked blanket, and stuffed him in the tank. "How's 'Nettie? Don't lie to me," Noah begged as he met Tyler's eye. 

"She's sleeping and stable. She's strong. I've never seen anyone like her. She can recover. She needs a reason to fight though," Tyler remarked. Noah nodded and bit his lip.

"Does she have a reason? 117 hours of pure torture and pain. Her reasonings and inner pep talks should be all but gone. Her voice cracked on the last one," Noah thought morosely. "I know she could help if she had to encourage someone else, but to encourage herself? That's new? Would she give up? Life sucks at home. What did she say? Her one friend won't notice she's gone. What's the name of her best friend? Rachel? NO! Renae. YES! Now think, what's her number? You know this. It was 'Nettie's safe place. Come on! It's close to Mom and Dad's. Think! Can you pull anyone else in? Pat! Is he a co-worker? I'll have to try." He looked at Tyler and spoke firmly, "we'll have to find a way to give her a reason to fight. I might have a few friends I can get ahold of for her." Tyler punched his shoulder gently with a smile. 

"That's the spirit. On another note, Noah Gibson, it's nice to meet you officially. I hear you have a thing for my sister. I'm Tyler Nelson," Tyler chuckled sticking his right hand out. 

Noah returned the smile weakly as they shook hands. "Yeah, I guess I do! She's one of my favorite people. Why didn't you ever tell me?" Noah chuckled in reply.

"You wouldn't act the same around me, always walking around on eggshells. I like you; even better, she likes you more. You're a good man, Noah. Let's head back to control. We have some finite details to flesh out," Tyler replied. "For starters, I have found the code to disable the shocking setting in the anklets, but I need your help to decode how to get them off without blowing our feet off. I haven't done any work on them yet. The quicker the better." Tyler turned towards Ronnie, shook his hand while embracing. "Ronnie, it has been a pleasure. You've been a good conversationalist and a second father. Thank you for helping us end this." 

"She's the only one, in twenty-six years, who I felt guilty hurting. It's the best thing I can do. She doesn't deserve this life, or to be turned into one of your dad's w****s," Ronnie confessed. He met Noah's eye. Noah kept a balled up fist behind his back, but kept his right hand at his side. "I'm sorry you had to witness this. I didn't know you two were related until a couple days ago. It's why I haven't gone back; she offered to take the all the torture, but we were torturing you too. It wasn't right. Your sister is one of a kind. She never acted the way I expected. I didn't know we were hurting your sister or why; nothing was routine about it. I am sorry for hurting her. I'm glad she laughed most of this experience away," Ronnie rambled. Noah bit his lip and turned away with a small nod. "I'll happily drive the six of you away from here. Tyler, just promise you'll come visit me. You're a good kid, with a fine head on your shoulders. It's been a pleasure getting to see you become the brilliant young man you are," Ronnie quietly expressed. 

"Thank you. Of course I'll come see you. You're closer to me as a father than my sperm donor is," Tyler remarked as Ronnie headed towards his room and Noah and Tyler turned into the control room. On screen, Adam was still pacing nervously by his mirror, begging to find out something about Annette. Lauren was weeping in her bed. They were now beginning to slur their words as they sobbed and looked at the mirror. Fatigue seemed to take over. Lauren's sobs became less frequent. Adam crumpled by his mirror but he kept hitting the wall, looking for answers. Both of them had their eyes shut. "You didn't tell them?" Tyler asked shocked. Noah shook his head.  

"They heard the gunshot; I thought the glass was soundproof," he replied.

"It is, but the gunshot echoes. I'm not surprised they heard that. Why didn't you tell them she's still breathing?" 

"I was more focused on 'Nettie then them; I'm honestly not sure if she'll make it. I can't give false hope. I kicked Lionel around a bit and have words to express now if you want me to tell them," Noah offered.

"No. They should be drifting off soon," Tyler replied as he hit more keys on his keyboard.

"Something's been bugging me," Noah confessed. Tyler looked over at him and gave him his full attention. "If you're the boss' kid, why were you fitted with an anklet? I mean, I understand the view on women here so I can understand why Jess was, but you're not a chick. If you are basically second in command, why do they have you chained and not Lionel?" Noah asked curiously. 

"Simple answer: I'm not big on action and that's a huge flaw. If I treated the girls in here like Lionel did or the way Dad does, things would be different for me. And truth be told, your sister wouldn't have a prayer of getting out; her only hope would be to sleep her way around but that wouldn't gain her any ground. I do think she's remarkable and unique, and I want to see her truly happy. So I would do anything to help her find it and protect it. That mindset is almost unheard of here. Dad always wanted me to be like him: a different girl every night. He gave me ample selections, and said 'you have f*****g entered manhood now, own it. Show those b*****s who is in charge.' So twelve years ago, I did it once. It started out fun, but I quickly realized that I didn't want that lifestyle. She was terrified of me, cried the whole time. I didn't finish, I just couldn't enjoy myself knowing she hated it. Thinking about it now, it's just repulsive and I hate myself for it. It's like what your sister said, or close to it. Why should I tarnish myself for fun now, when I can have a real connection -like you and my sister- for the rest of our lives? I want my relationship to mean something. I don't want her to fear me. Or be forced to lay with me; it was not worthwhile for either party. So when I refused to sleep with them any more or beat them, Dad turned on me. That's when Ronnie interfered; promised to keep me under his wing if I continued to test my chemistry and computer skills, which I'm eternally grateful for. I could easily lose myself in that line of work. This complex is huge. We only run a quarter of it, and it just so happens to be the side closest to the way out. The further into the complex you go, the higher the security is. Lionel was hoping to improve some of ours until he broke your sister of any notions of escape; so our chances of running away would become even harder to find. Anyways, Dad was hoping that one girl would make me change my mind. Jess took a liking to you, and that's why you currently aren't a male prostitute, hired muscle, or pushing drugs for more income. Or dead, which as you know, was Lionel's desire. My anklet was added because I had hoped to find a true connection in the real world shortly after she left, but Dad didn't want me to leave. If I leave the complex, that's when mine activates. Kind of a catch 22 situation all around. He left my inherited authority in place so that I could have dibs on a girl that met my fancy, have my way all I want, and no one could take her away. I used it for your sister. I was going to give her the option to sleep in my bed. She doesn't deserve to be sentenced to this life, not just because she's your sister; she's too pure and kind. You're family, that makes her my family too," Tyler explained in a soft voice in case anyone walked by, not that they needed to be extra cautious; Ronnie was monitoring the entrance that lead deeper into the complex where everyone else was - his room was the closest to it. Noah nodded and Tyler turned back to his computer, pulling up the code he had found on the electronic anklets. "You are exceptionally gifted with computers and codes so please look over this and help me figure it out." 

Noah nodded and pulled up his chair. After studying it carefully, he pointed to the screen and spoke softly, "here's the line we want oh and these three. There might be a couple more, but it shouldn't take too long to figure out. I'll get right on it. So what's order 127? I haven't seen them eat anything." Tyler moved to Noah's computer and played around with the feeds while Noah began to edit the computer code. 

"It slowly removes the oxygen from their room, until it reaches the bare minimum. They're asleep within ten minutes, it'll actually be less with how much they're gasping and crying. We can then go in there and give them a small dose of chloroform to insure they sleep until we get where we're going. And doing it this way, I can use less but they'll still have it registered in their system when they get checked into the hospital too. The quicker we can get on the road, the better. We have about an hour window before Dad will come back over here, but getting on the road now is better than later; I don't want to push our luck. Annette is stable for now, but as you know she desperately needs the doctor. It's just easiest to get everyone to the same hospital first." 

Noah nodded and kept working. "Done. Here let's test it," he stated as he faced the far wall and undid his anklet. It came off easily; the trigger device was deactivated. "It worked!" Noah breathed in relief as he took off Tyler's too. 

"Great job, man! Our friends are out too. Go get two wheelchairs and Ronnie. We'll get them, you come back here. Don't open their doors until we're right outside the door. The extra oxygen will wake them up and we'll probably experience some fighting from him; she would probably just roll over and cry more. Once it's open, head to the van and get Jessica's anklet off. Make sure it isn't in the vehicle; even though they aren't active, the GPS signals in them can't be shut off. Then buckle up; it's time that we all left this place behind for good," Tyler remarked with a grin. Noah returned the smile as they both left the control room. At the hallway intersection, Tyler went right and Noah headed left to Jess's office and grabbed two wheelchairs. He continued down the hallway to Ronnie's room. Ronnie was pacing back and forth from his room to the inner complex door. One look at Noah and he met him halfway. Together, they took the wheelchairs to the torture room. Ronnie clasped Noah shoulder and squeezed it gently, a look of remorse on his face. 

Surprised, Noah met his eye and smiled. "You have nothing to apologize to me for. You were just following orders. Thank you. For everything," Noah genuinely expressed as he ducked back down the hallway to the control room. He sat down at his computer as Tyler ran into the torture room, wearing a firefighter's mask and holding a second mask and two cloths in his hands. Ronnie took one of each. After making sure their masks were secure, they both pushed a wheelchair down a hallway. Ronnie reached his door first. "Door opening," Noah said over the intercom as he opened Adam's door. Ronnie went in and placed the rag over Adam's nose. At this time, Tyler had reached Lauren's door. "Door opening," Noah repeated and left the room heading towards the garage. The bottom half of the van was now a turquoise color, the top was still white. Noah paused outside of the open door, Annette was stretched out in the first row, her head in Jess's lap, covered in a blanket. Noah looked at his sister's feet and grinned. "It's a good thing you're short, 'Nettie! Bumping your feet to get someone else loaded up would only cause you more pain," Noah thought proudly as he looked back up at his girlfriend. Jess was absent-mindedly stroking Annette's now loose hair and looking at her face. "Hi, beautiful. How's it going?" Noah asked warmly. Jess looked up in shock and quickly dried her wet cheeks.

"Hey, love. She sleeps. She looks so peaceful right now. I gave her a sponge bath, shaved her leg and armpits, and I unbraided her hair, I didn't have time to wash it for her though. I would want someone to do the same for me. I gave her a new shirt, we'll burn the old clothes for her when we stop. I looked over all her injuries again too. As long as we can keep her breathing, she should be okay. I wish I could do more," she admitted. 

"I love you, Jess. You have done what you could to take care of her. Thank you. The guys are just getting her friends. Can I take your jewelry off?" Noah asked gesturing towards her anklet. Jess grinned, gently lifted Annette's head and laid it down softly on the seat before heading to the open door. Noah quickly took her anklet off and threw it in the corner of the garage. "Your brother said we need to buckle up. So can you tell me what the plan is?" 

Jess pulled him into the far back seat, and kissed him passionately before answering. "Ronnie is going to drop us off at the closest hotel to the hospital, then he'll go directly to the hospital and accidentally hit one of the light poles in the parking lot. He'll be arrested for drunk driving, murder, and kidnapping. Oh! We need Lionel's body!" 

"Already taken care of, sis!" Tyler called out. They had made a portable tank using the two wheelchairs and the tank holding Lionel's body. Adam was laying on top of the tank, Ronnie was steering the contraption, while Tyler carried a limp Lauren. Climbing in the vehicle, he positioned Lauren in the left corner of the middle seat and buckled her seat belt. He then turned around to assist Ronnie who had Adam draped over his shoulder. Tyler drug him to the right corner seat in the middle and buckled him up too. Ronnie had the back doors open and was working on sliding the tank in. "Need help?" Tyler asked kindly. 

"Nope. Got it," Ronnie puffed as he slid the tank in and shut the doors. Tyler closed the side doors, sat beside Noah and buckled up. Ronnie got behind the wheel and looked over his shoulder, his eyes lingering on Annette. "Will one of you two boys please ride with her? I'll need you to hold her in place if things go sideways," Ronnie requested. 

Noah kissed Jess again and stood up. "I'll do it. The closest I've been to my sister in the past year is less than 10 feet, and I couldn't even hug her," Noah insisted as he made his way to the front. Picking up her head and setting it in his lap, he nodded to Ronnie as he buckled. "Ready to roll." Ronnie nodded and turned around. 

"Sorry, Noah. You may have observed how far away the van was, but you can't know exactly where this place is. We'll wake you in an hour when we cross the state line," Tyler said apologetically as he put the cloth with chloroform over Noah's mouth and nose. It wasn't long before Noah was out. "Jessica you've left this place before so you're fine. Please hold this over my face, I don't care to know where this place is; we're never coming back. Here's the smelling salts. Wake us up at the border." Jess took the cloth and smelling salts and helped put her brother to sleep. 

"Everyone is out, Ronnie," Jess stated. 

"Wonderful. Come up to the front seat. Make a list of all her injuries; there's a pen and notebook in the latched compartment beside you. It'll be helpful when we drop her off. Now, we have to get going. Pit stop for an early lunch; I haven't eaten yet and you should feed that baby. So think about what you want." 

"Fine. Just don't waste too much more time. We'd hate to have her develop osteomyelitis - you know a bone infection. Keep an eye on her in your mirror. Let me know if she starts to look flushed. Then screw Missoula, we have to get her to the closest hospital." 

"Yes, ma'am. Anything else?" Ronnie teased, as he began to drive away. 

"Nope. We're good, but I'll want Wendy's curly fries and a frosty," Jess replied with a smile as she pulled out the pen and paper. Then she headed to the front seat and buckled up. Ronnie smiled and pulled through a Wendy's drive through and handed her the food she requested. After finishing her food, Jess wiped her hands and wrote, "On Friday, August 4th, Annette Gibson, Lauren Malloy, and Adam Scirelly entered our facility. All three of them were immediately separated and had suffered some contusions from binds on their wrists and ankles. Adam sustained a broken nose. During her stay, Annette had sustained multiple injuries including but not limited to: right broken femur and tibia, three definite broken ribs and two ribs possibly injured with a hairline fracture -two bad on the right, one bad on the left. Left rib possibly poking into lung, dislocated left shoulder, acute cyanosis due to suffocation by submersion, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, broken blood vessel - left eye, malnutrition, multiple contusions, and at least one concussion. She developed muscle weakness and often braced herself against a wall or makeshift cane to get around. Treatment was limited to aspirin, ice, and an ace bandage. Only a stethoscope and hands were provided for the examination. No additional equipment was used to process information. On Wednesday, August 9th, about mid-late morning, I was forced to do another write up. Annette was unconscious as I gave her a quick examination and small sponge bath before they wheeled her away. Hopefully now she gets the medical treatment I cannot provide. All information is as accurate and true given my resources. ~In house medical assistant~ JAN." She read it over twice; Noah had been a big help with the names. She looked over at Annette and did another mental check, making sure she didn't miss anything.

"We're in Montana, Jess," Ronnie stated beside her. Jess looked up with a start. Ronnie continued, "I was thinking, maybe it would be better to have all six of you in the hospital. Won't it seem kinda weird if all of a sudden, the girl who's been missing for about week suddenly has three visitors that won't leave her bedside?" 

"We weren't all planning on being in the room at the same time. Shifts until she woke up. And if we show up a day after she was admitted it wouldn't be as weird. Especially since the other two will get the word out as soon as they're awake, and she's got extensive work that needs to be done. We don't think she'll wake up until tomorrow at the earliest," Jess replied, eyeing him cautiously. 

"You're right of course. Just an errant thought. For safety measures, that's her work there. Tomorrow, come back here subtly let the cooks know where she is, and get out of there. Got it," Ronnie instructed, Jess nodded. "Go wake up the guys. And let me know how she's doing." 

"Yes, sir! Thanks, Mr. Dad," Jess remarked and moved towards the back. "Annette is fine. I'm waking up Tyler. He can deal with Noah, plus I need to sit before you make me land on my belly and hurt my baby." 

"Hey, I didn't design the roads. And I would never hurt you. You're like my daughter. I've watched you since the day you were born and I swore to myself that one day you'd be free of that place. I couldn't let your father turn you into a prostitute too. So I looked after you and your brother and you took an instant liking to the medical field. Quite helpful with my hobby. I would never hurt you or the baby you carry. I'm happy you found this knucklehead and that he makes you happy. Send your brother up here. We have much to discuss." Ronnie smiled in the mirror as Jess sat down again at the back of the van and buckled up. She returned the smile and dug out the smelling salts. 

"Hey, bro," Jess jabbed as she waved the smelling salts under his nose. "I'm supposed to be the one who is always tired. Up! Up!" 

"Ugh! Five more minutes," Tyler slurred. Jess waved the salt under his nose again. "Alright! I'm up!"  

"Good. Now go wake my boyfriend! And the man we call Mr. Dad wants you up front. I think Junior and I earned a nap," Jess chuckled.

"Of course. Let me just check on everyone first, Nurse Jess; since you forget to take care of all your patients when you're knocked up," Tyler teased as he ruffled her hair. 

"Oh, well as a matter of fact, they're all sleeping still," Jess quipped sticking out her tongue. 

"Har. Har. Can I have the salts please? Thanks." Tyler grinned at her sleepily, leaned over, and kissed her cheek before he made his way to the front. "Sensitive or can Noah hear?" He asked Ronnie. 

"Sensitive. I don't think he'll like hearing this," Ronnie replied. Tyler nodded and sat in the front seat. "First, what about the recordings?"

"There's no recording stuff in control or our bedrooms; I checked those frequently. Last check was today, I had the device in my pocket as I came into control; it never went off. It fell out as I was loading up the friend. As for that room, I erased all but like an eighth of the audio feedback and scrambled the remaining words, just after you shot him and I told her I would take care of her - the first time. They'll catch a few words, nothing about what we're doing, just a few snippets of sentences here and there. Then I scrubbed the editing so they couldn't fix it later. I've never told anyone I want to take care of them before, and I did tell Dad that I think I found the girl. I got his permission to have a chance with her and to cut Lionel off from further attempts. Hopefully, when the video is looked at, it'll show concern and care; something I haven't shown for anyone else besides Jess. Even that hasn't happened in a long time really, not like before when Mom was around. I also disabled the feed, microphone and camera, here in the van too. If they try to get them going again, all the computers our control will catch on fire, but that will be the least of their problems. I got several hidden viruses embedded in that code. To be safe, I'll cut the wires in here too, but I see you already disconnected them. We can say anything. It's safe," Tyler promised as he snipped the final wire connected to the camera in the rearview mirror. Ronnie nodded.

"When your father hears about this, and he will, he'll hunt you down. Your sister is just an afterthought, but he wants you to rule by his side, maybe even sleep with a few of the same people. I don't know how his mind works. If he does see the devotion and concern, you know what he's going to want to know; he'll demand proof. How are you going to spin this? It has to be more than a girl opened your eyes and you had to protect her. Are you planning on wooing her?" Ronnie inquired.

"No. That was the plan for dinner or breakfast, after the initial lunch date. I would have wooed her in front of the cameras for her own safety. Eventually, I would have convinced her to come to my room where she could just shower, change into some clean clothes - probably my t-shirt, sleep, and be safe from Lionel until we were able to find a way out, without scrutiny. I had no actual plans of touching her. Now that we're on the run, the stakes have been upped," Tyler admitted, looking back at Annette.

"It's a clean get away. You guys do have all the bases covered," Ronnie praised. Tyler nodded, reached back and squeezed Annette's left knee tenderly.

"I know that every move we make now will be under constant scrutiny until he's convinced. I just want her safe. She feels like a sister; it's my job to protect her. I failed already, but that stops now. For her sake, when my father comes around, I'll act like a puppy in love. If I don't act like she's changed my world, he'll take us both back to his world and make a point of sexually abusing her in front of me. Constantly. I was told if she doesn't choose me, she belongs to him. I know he was already counting the income she would bring in, but then he said he'd be happy to lose his income to finally see me doing some work. I don't know; I can't get a good read on him. Ronnie, if we go back, neither one of us will be allowed to leave again. Eventually, he'll have me kill her because it was all a lie anyways. I do know that much. I can't let her go back, and I'm never going back either. I will protect her, doing everything in my power to keep her safe. I just hope I don't have to cross any lines," Tyler explained with a shaky breath as he released her knee and sighed. He put his hand back in his lap as looked at Ronnie. "Like you said though, I know what he's going to ask: when will I take her? I can convince him; I have to. I know that Noah and Jess will be free. However, they have to steer clear of the hospital until he leaves though. I hope Annette understands that I don't mean to hurt her or want to use her." 

"She's a wild card. She never acted in the way I thought she would; her laughter was contagious and I wanted to join her. However, that would be frowned upon when I'm supposed to be intimidating them, not joking with them. That girl back there, she's something else. I've never seen anyone like her. She's got a strong spirit; I doubt we could have broken her at all. I'm sure she'll surprise us either way," Ronnie insisted as Tyler faced forward again and slumped in his seat. "I don't know if you can convince your dad. He doesn't like to be fooled. He has a blind spot for you though, so I believe if anyone was to fool him, it would be you. You have my support. I know how much Jess means to you, so I know how protective you'll be of Annette. Tyler, cross the lines if you have to. Explain to Annette the whole situation. There are no cameras for him to use against you. Marvin may be a despicable pig, but he was a decent boss and I am his loyal servant. Of course he doesn't know that I actually love you and Jess like my own kids and that makes our bond stronger, but Marv demands respect. He'll have to be my phone call from jail," Ronnie stated. Tyler nodded.  

"Are you afraid to go to prison? We don't want you to sacrifice yourself like this; you were as much of a prisoner as we were," Tyler whispered. 

"I can handle my own. Don't you worry about me. I rather go there then kidnap someone else. I appreciate your concern, son," Ronnie reassured him with a smile. "Go on it's time to wake him. We have about an hour left to drive. Tyler, I'm proud of the man you became. Protect those girls." 

"With my life," Tyler swore as he squeezed Ronnie's shoulder and knelt in front of Noah. Because of his larger frame in a small area, accidentally bumped Annette's shoulder and her face contorted in pain. Quickly he waved the smelling salts in front of Noah's nose then felt Annette's head. "Ronnie, step on it. Make it half an hour or less. Noah. Wake up, man! Jess, can I take her blanket off? She's got a sheen of perspiration on her forehead, she's warm, her breaths are shallow, and she's starting to move about." 

"She was just fine before I woke you! I swear. Yeah, she's modest take off the blanket. Cool her down or we have to take her into this small time clinic. They won't have the right equipment to take care of her properly!" Jess insisted with a squeak in her voice. "I finally met my sister, I'm not about ready to say good-bye!" 

"Jess, calm down. Extra stress is not good for the baby. Noah! Wake up. Ronnie, do we have any water in here? Jess, I'm slapping him awake. I need his help. Annette's face is still contorted in pain," Tyler spoke in a firm voice, but he was very concerned and started to panic. He didn't pay attention as close as Jess did even though he knew a few things when it came to patient care in the medical field. Jess nodded her consent to slap Noah as Tyler met her eye again but slunk into her seat, the color draining from her face. 

"Here's a partial water, I'll get something to drink later," Ronnie stated as he handed it back. Tyler took off his shirt and poured the water on it. He gently dabbed Annette's face and looked at Noah again. He splashed some of the remaining water on his face.

"Dude! It's like waking the dead! Actually the dead might be easier to wake. Noah! Wake up!" Tyler called as he slapped Noah's face. Finally Noah stirred and opened his eyes momentarily. "Focus, Noah. Annette needs you. Don't make me slap you again!" Groggily, Noah opened his eyes and Tyler shoved his shirt into Noah's hand. "Stay awake. She's spiking a fever. Dab. Keep her cool. Ronnie, snacks? I have to take care of Jess now." Ronnie handed him a bag of potato chips and a chocolate bar and Tyler made his way to the back seat again. "She's fine, Jess. I accidentally bumped her shoulder. Good news, she still has feeling at the joint. I'm not too sure about the rest of her hand though. We'll admit you to the hospital too if you pass out. You're not just taking care of yourself anymore." 

"My brother, the mother hen. Who knew?" Jess chuckled weakly. "I'm just concerned. If she felt you bump her, are her meds wearing off?" 

"I don't think so. That was an awfully potent pill; the second most powerful knockout pill I've engineered. On a healthy person, they wear off in approximately 12-16 hours. She's been fighting all week. She should be exhausted, weak, and unable to fight anymore. I'm hoping for at least a full day that she remains unconscious. She's different though, her body doesn't react predictably. Although I'm quite certain she'll come back to us in high spirits. She smiled and laughed through so much like it was natural and the thing to do," Tyler said positively, handing her the chips and chocolate. "Here. Eat." 

Jess happily accepted the food. Leaning forward in her seat, she checked the breathing pattern and pulse of Adam and Lauren before speaking, "Noah, darling. Lay her head flat on the seat. You can sit in front of her and continue to dab her head." 

"I think she just overheated. Her cheeks aren't flushed. She's not sweating any more. The blanket was just too warm for a day like this, even with the A/C on full blast. Her breaths are still shallow, but she seems fine. I've spent a lot of time caring for her injuries. This is by far the worst, but she's doing her thing. Everything seems normal given the circumstances," Noah reasoned over his shoulder. Jess sighed in relief and sat back, the color slowly returning to her cheeks. 

"Does that mean I can slow down a little?" Ronnie inquired. "I thought the whole purpose was to get arrested at the last minute. If I get pulled over for speeding, we could be in trouble." 

"Yeah. You can slow down," Tyler confirmed. "Sorry about the knockout and slap, Noah." 

"But they were necessary," Noah finished for him with a chuckle. "I get it. It's fine. Guess I was behind on my sleep. Annette always was the light sleeper; I could sleep through a tornado and often got in trouble for it. I can toss and turn, snore, drool, and fall out of bed and still not wake up. I did that this morning in control, but I think it's just because I haven't slept very well in the past week. Anyways, Annette would have woken up as soon as I tossed in bed and made it squeak. If I was causing her too much trouble to get to sleep, she would wake me up, say something witty, and go back to bed. She kicked me out of my bed on more than one occasion because the floor was quieter." Everyone laughed as he yawned. "So I have a question. How are we supposed to pay for everything now? Our jobs didn't exactly pay us." 

"Not to worry. Dad made plenty of money in his sadistic business. Even after paying his goon squad, he still pulled in quite the haul. Every dollar he made, he'd split two ways, he'd give me 40% and keep the rest. I might have seen 5% in cash, but I monitored the rest that he directly deposited into a bank account. Beginning of this year, there was over 350 grand in it. We were allowed to use it whenever we wanted. Jess or Ronnie was responsible for making sure it got shipped to the right place. When Jess came back, I made plans on getting both of you out. With the intention to join you. So gradually in the past seven or eight months, I transferred the money in the account to several smaller ones in different banks all over, never over $10,000 to alert the IRS. I knew we were planning on escaping and there was always the possibility of Dad closing off our access to the funds, so I made sure he couldn't. Once I got them in a big bank chain, I immediately transferred it to another bank; he wouldn't be able to trace it. He'll have the initial bank number, but he doesn't know the password to get into that account. Last night, I planned on finishing, but I left about $25,000 in the main account. Everything else is in other banks. We'll be just fine," Tyler explained. 

"And I have access to all the new accounts," Jess offered. "I've kept my shopping to a minimum, but we're going to have to go shopping now for a lot of things. We'll have to go into the actual branches to pick up the bank cards though; I took precautions so he wouldn't know where the money is. We'll be fine. Dad won't be able to track us. Ronnie, Junior says I need a pit stop. Please!" 

"Of course, we'll stop in the next town. Tyler, you're the only one over 21 out of you three. If the driver pays for gas and booze, it's suspicious. I need you to go in and get me something to drink so I can be under the influence at the hospital. I'll put gas in. Noah, cover your sister back up with the blanket; it is less conspicuous if people get a glance inside the vehicle. Also, Tyler needs his shirt back. Another 10-15 minutes and we should be in Missoula," Ronnie stated. Everybody nodded and they pulled into the gas station. Noah gave Tyler the shirt off his back. Tyler gave him a confused look.

"Walking into a convenient store partially drenched also looks suspicious, even in summer. There's no water or swimming hole around here. Plus, we happen to wear the same size," Noah stated, putting the wet one on himself. Tyler nodded and put the dry shirt on. 

"One, no 2:30 now, we crossed time zones. Let's be back on the road in under five," Ronnie ordered as he looked at his watch. Everyone nodded again. It was a quick stop. By the time Tyler and Jess had returned, Ronnie had only filled the tank up halfway. "They're going to tow it anyways, but this will deceive them on how the distance we traveled and keep them from finding the complex," he thought to himself as he paid and left. The remainder of the trip was quiet. They drove past the hospital and noticed a hotel across the street. Ronnie drove around the block and found a quiet area to let Jess, Noah, and Tyler out. He met them on the sidewalk and embraced each one. Noah hung back but allowed him to give him an awkward embrace. Noah immediately held onto Jess' waist. "Take care, kids. Again, I'm sorry. I got to get that angel admitted and taken care of. Jess, put the note on her chest, keep the notebook. I'm sure you can find a rent-a-car or you guys can buy one yourself. Here's the rest of my on hand cash. It's been a pleasure," Ronnie spoke quickly handing over a little under $700 cash. Holding back his emotions, he guzzled another beer. 

Jess and Tyler's eyes gleamed with tears, but none spilled. "We'll be good, you too. Thanks for protecting us all these years. We love you," Jess affirmed as the tears fell. Ronnie quickly embraced her again and got in the van and pulled away. "Does he have to go to jail?" She asked her brother. He solemnly nodded. "Prison or home? Not much of a choice," she stated glumly as they walked to the hotel. 

***

Ronnie finished off two more beers on the way to the hospital. His six pack now gone, he pulled into the hospital parking lot, put his arm up to keep Annette from rolling out of the seat, and purposely ran into the light pole closest to the front door. The van's engine shot up smoke, and while he was unhurt, Ronnie slammed his head on the horn making it blare and his nose bleed. He removed his hand from Annette and held onto the wheel with both hands. He remained in that position until three hospital attendants ran out to assess the damage. He opened his door and stumbled out. "Passengers," he slurred as he sat on the curb. The closest attendant gave him a weird glance before running to the side door and opening it. The second attendant looked over Ronnie. 

"Go get more help! There's three more people in here! We need stretchers," the first person yelled at the third who was just approaching the van. He turned around quickly and ran to get more help. Satisfied she had done all she could, the second attendant left Ronnie to help the first one. "They're all unconscious. The two in the back are stable, but this one," he trailed off, handing over the note. She scanned it for a second before looking at their faces. 

"Lauren! That's my daughter! Call the cops. He's the kidnapper!" Mrs. Malloy exclaimed climbing into the van and unbuckling Adam and Lauren and gently shaking them. "Lauren! Honey, wake up. You're home!" She cried. Turning back to the first attendant, she asked, "how can I help?" 

"Based on that note and a brief look over, we have to get her into x-rays then surgery. Popping her shoulder back in place should come first," he stated. "I believe she's also stable, but her breathing is very shallow indeed. I think the nurse missed a serious head injury. Concussion is quite likely. She has a cut here, just in the hairline above the right ear. I almost missed it, very little blood, but this golf ball sized lump can't be good. By not letting her bathe, this grease build up helped clog it instantly. If she wakes up at all, she's going to be in a lot of pain." Mrs. Malloy looked at the note again as several more helpers arrived with three gurneys then looked at her daughter again. Mrs. Malloy's heart broke as her co-workers picked up the petite blonde and moved her to the gurney.

"She was always so happy. I only got to see her on the basketball court when she played with Lo, she has a lot of spunk. That could've been my daughter. Oh that poor girl," she whispered, holding Lauren's hand.

"Your daughter was just returned to you too. Why don't you be a mom and let these guys help me?" She nodded and got out of the van and walked back to Ronnie; he was still bleeding. Mrs. Malloy scowled at him.

"I shouldn't help you. I should be following my daughter in," she stated angrily as she crouched down again and pulled out another pair of gloves and looked at his nose after putting only one on. 

"She wasn't hurt or touched," Ronnie stated. 

"Who?" Mrs. Malloy asked nonchalantly. 

"That brunette. Two meals a day. Private room. No one in or out; the only interaction she had was with the other two. They were going to stay in the hotel with me until that one was better," Ronnie partially lied. "Little Ms. Blondie wouldn't let me hurt anyone else; I needed them for leverage so she would comply. Had to kill my partner too. He tried to sleep with the her while I brought those other two out. She was mine. It wasn't time. Open the back. I won't run," Ronnie growled as he slurred his words. His eyes tracked Annette as they rushed her to the door - in concern; Mrs. Malloy saw it as lust and was disgusted by it. 

"Stay with him. Don't stop the bleeding just yet," Mrs. Malloy instructed one of the extra hands as he handed over her cell phone. Mrs. Malloy watched carefully as Lauren and Adam were wheeled away. "Those two! Same room. Blood draws. Tox screen. No one else in or out unless approved by me," she yelled. The attendant nodded in understanding as he ducked inside the hospital. Mrs. Malloy looked back at Ronnnie, put her phone in her pocket, then approached the back of the van and opened it. The tank was shut, half of the white blanket inside was red. She cautiously opened the tank and moved the red part of the blanket down until she revealed Lionel's face. Not one to usually get sick, Mrs. Malloy found herself retching as she held onto the tail light. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with her ungloved hand, got out her cell phone, and called 911. "Yes. Hello. A kidnapper just ran into a street light at the hospital. He had three kids with him and a dead body... Definitely. One of the kids is my daughter... The kids have been admitted.... The driver has a broken nose and is intoxicated, otherwise he's just fine... Yes. We'll stay with him. Thank you." She crouched down and wept. "Let them all be okay," she pleaded into the empty air. She picked up her phone again and called somebody else. "Ryan! Thank goodness you're there... No and yes. They're back... All three of them... Call their families... Right here at St. Patrick's... No. They're all unconscious... But they're home... Thank you," she wept.

*****