The Nosferatu Scroll

24

For about twenty minutes after the men had left the cellar, the only sound Marietta could hear from the adjacent room was a dull moaning. The girl, whoever she was, had clearly reacted badly to being shocked by the taser, and was taking a long time to recover.

Eventually the girl’s breathing grew more regular as the effects of the high-voltage current she’d experienced subsided, and Marietta could hear her starting to move around on the bed. She left it another couple of minutes, then called out to her.

‘Who are you?’ The girl’s voice was tremulous, racked with fear and uncertainty.

‘My name is Marietta Perini. Who are you?’ She echoed the girl’s question.

‘I’m Benedetta Constanta. Where am I?’

‘Didn’t you see where they brought you?’ Marietta asked.

‘I was just outside my apartment when a man walked up and fired something at me. The next thing I knew, I was in some ruined church. I started fighting and struggling, and they shot me again.’

It sounded as if Benedetta had taken a lot longer to recover her senses than Marietta, or maybe the men who’d taken her had used a higher voltage in the weapon.

‘They snatched me in just the same way as you, but I was conscious for most of the time,’ Marietta said. ‘We’re on an island out in the lagoon, but I’ve no idea what it’s called. It’s not very big, and I think the only buildings on it are a house and the ruined church that you saw. We’re in the cellar under that church.’

‘But what do they want with us? Have they – you know – attacked you?’

Benedetta didn’t use the word ‘rape’, but Marietta knew that was exactly what she was thinking.

‘They haven’t touched me,’ she said, trying to keep her voice steady. ‘They’ve fed me regularly, and brought me warm water and soap so I can wash. But the nights are the worst – it’s very cold and dark, and I… I keep hearing things…’

‘How long have you been here?’

‘About two days. I think it’s Wednesday today, and I was on my way to see my boyfriend in Venice on Monday evening when I was attacked.’ Marietta wrapped her arms round herself to stop the shivering. ‘He’ll be wondering where I am. What happened-’

‘What do they want from us?’ Benedetta interrupted harshly.

Sitting on her bed on the other side of the old stone wall, Marietta shook her head. ‘I don’t have any idea,’ she said, rubbing the tears from her eyes. Her voice broke as her mind vividly replayed the last words the guard had spoken. ‘But I think we’re going to find out very soon.’