Save Me

Chapter Seventy-nine

“Eileen!” Rose cried out in relief. The office was smoky but Eileen was alive, struggling against rope that bound her to a metal chair. Her eyes were wide above duct tape covering her mouth. A bruise on her forehead showed fresh blood. She made guttural noises, trying to talk.

“Don’t worry, I got you.” Rose rushed to Eileen’s side. Duct tape bound her ankles, and her arms were wrenched behind her back.

“Hang on, this’ll hurt.” Rose yanked the duct tape from her mouth. It came off with a zzzp, leaving a wide red welt.

“Oh, God.” Eileen took a huge gulp of smoky air and started coughing.

“Wait, we need oxygen.” Rose looked around. There was a windowless metal door between metal bookshelves on the back wall, and she hustled to it. “They brought you in through this door, right?”

“Yeah.” Eileen coughed, her face turning red.

“Hold on.” Rose turned the knob and pushed the door open. The bay was empty. The white security sedan was gone. Sirens sounded louder, closer. Fresh air whooshed in the office, making a whirlwind of the smoke that set Eileen coughing harder, and Rose went back to her side, kneeling. “You okay?” she asked, touching her back.

“Get your hands off me!” Eileen coughed. “Don’t think we’re friends now. You should have saved Amanda, instead of me.”

Rose didn’t have time to discuss it. She grabbed a scissors from the desk and wedged the blade between the rope around Eileen’s hands. They had turned bright red, her circulation cut off.

“You left my daughter.” Eileen kept coughing. “I’d give my life for hers any day.”

Rose sawed through the rope, thinning it. She yanked, and it broke, then she started to cut and unravel the rest.

“Bastards.” Eileen squirmed and shimmied, struggling to free herself. “They killed Bill. They were gonna kill me when Mojo got back. I bet he took off.”

“No, he didn’t.” Rose snipped the last rope, flashing on that awful sight. “He’s dead.”

“How?” Eileen bent over and undid the tape on her left ankle. “In the fire?”

“More or less.” Rose bent down and ripped the tape off of her right ankle.

“Sorry I hit you, but you deserved it.” Eileen jumped up and shook off the pieces of rope.

“I’ve had better apologies, but let’s get out of here. I’ll show you the way, once we get outside.”

“Gimme a break. I know this plant like the back of my hand.” Eileen scooted out the door, with Rose on her heels.