Lindsey couldn’t help the pain rolling through her heart. He had at least one accomplice, and it appeared as if they’d already found Sandy, and most likely Dr. Stamos as well.
The door opened, and Lindsey stopped struggling against thug number one as a new man entered the room, this one far larger than the guy holding her. She knew her chances of getting away from him were slim to none.
Why hadn’t she just called 911 immediately when she’d gotten the bad feeling? Wouldn’t it have been better to beg for forgiveness if she’d been wrong? Maybe she could have saved her coworker and friend if she had trusted her instincts.
“You found a new one,” the large man said as he took his time examining her.
“Yep, appears she wanted to join our little party in here,” the smaller man holding her said with a laugh. “I just wanted some easy drugs, but this is so much better. Remind me to thank Pete again for the recommendation. He said last week the night shift was a skeleton crew. Guess he knew his shit.”
“Yes, Pete’s pretty damn smart,” the larger man said as he stepped right in front of her and ran a filthy finger down the side of her cheek and then over one breast. “I prefer bigger, but she’ll do. She’s feisty. That makes up for her lack of size.”
Lindsey jerked back against the man holding her, but his vice-like grip didn’t loosen at all. He just laughed as he stepped back and leaned against a counter as if he had all day. The longer these men took, the more chance of someone arriving.
“Hey! You got the last one. This one’s mine,” the small man behind her snarled.
The good humor on the large man’s face vanished as he shot a look at the man holding her. Another chill traveled through her because she had no doubt who the boss was in this relationship. The man behind her shut up.
“No. They are all mine first,” the large man said almost pleasantly.
The man behind her let go of her throat and she sucked in a much-needed breath before it was knocked back out of her when he pushed her forward hard enough to drop her to her knees on the hard floor.
The large man gripped her arm and yanked her back to her feet, sending shooting pain arrowing through her shoulder before smashing her to his chest. Up close, she could see dents in his face, and missing teeth from years of drug use.
Fighting tears, she tried to plead with him. “Please, just let us go.”
Leaning back, he smiled before his fist came out and knocked her in the side of the head, making her see stars for a moment. She almost wished blackness would overtake her vision just to free her from the hell she was in.
“If I want you to open your mouth, I’ll let you know when and how wide,” he told her. “We’re going to have a good time here, and then you’re going to unlock these nice pretty cabinets with drugs in them.”
The man’s stinky spit splashed her in the face, making her shut her eyes for a brief second as she tried to regain her bearings.
“I don’t have access to any of that,” she told him. That was partially true. The sort of drugs they wanted had to come from the doctors.
The man slapped her again for her less-than-satisfactory answer. She tasted copper in her mouth and couldn’t help the whimper of fear and pain that escaped. It was exactly what he wanted, but she still couldn’t help herself.
He shook her for a moment before a gleam returned to his eyes. “I’ll just have to get you a bit more relaxed and then you can give me what I came for.”
“Where’s Sandy?” Her voice was a bit stronger this time, but still not as forceful as she would have liked.
“Me and Sandy had a good time a few minutes ago. If you’re a real nice girl, then both of you will get to walk away from this. Do you understand?” he said. He then began pulling her toward a curtained room.
“I get her next then?” the first man hollered as the giant continued moving.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get her nice and prepared for you,” he replied back.
“Fine. I’m gonna search this place then.” The first man stomped out of the ER.
Pushing Lindsey down on a hospital bed, her attacker leaned close as he pointed his disgusting finger in her face and smiled, his rotten teeth showing.
“We’re gonna have us a good time, sweetness. If you cooperate and do what you’re told to do, then no one gets hurt. If you fight me, then I’m going to carve you up into so many pieces they won’t be able to identify your body unless they’re real good with puzzles,” he told her.
Then to make sure she understood he was serious, he took out a huge knife and stabbed it into the bed only a foot from her face.
“Where is Sandy?” she asked. The more she kept him talking, the more time she was giving herself.
“She’s tied up at the moment,” he said with a chuckle, standing there, admiring her. In that moment, Lindsey had a sick feeling that her friend was gone. He’d done what he’d wanted with Sandy, and then disposed of her like he was planning on doing to Lindsey.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she begged. She hadn’t given up, but the situation seemed so hopeless.
He backed up a bit and Lindsey knew she had to try something. She lunged for the door. But she made it no more than a foot when his meaty hand wrapped around her arm and swung her back to him before shoving her face first into the mattress.
Time stopped having meaning as he yanked at the tie in her hair. When it was loose, he pulled the long strands while he pushed up against her behind. She choked back sobs and bile as he struggled to undo the drawstring on her pants.
If he got them off, the battle would be over. She continued fighting against him, but she knew she was losing. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the struggle continued. She could hear his belt buckle jingle and felt him fidgeting with his own pants. The sounds of his grunts and her whimpers mixed through the air. Then she could feel that he’d gotten his pants down and only her scrubs barred him from violating her.
“That feels good now, doesn’t it, princess?” he jeered as he pressed himself against her.
As he struggled again to get her pants undone, Lindsey remembered the scalpel in her pocket. Reaching down, she managed to pull it out, and then she struck without giving it a second thought.
With all her might, she swung her arm backward, aiming as high on his leg as she could go, hoping to hit his femoral artery. God willing, he’d be too busy bleeding out to retaliate. Then she could call for help.
Lindsey knew she hit something, because his howl of pain and rage assaulted her ears before she managed to pull the blade out and push him away.
He stumbled back and Lindsey turned around, trying to decide whether to stab him again or make a run for it. He made the decision for her when he lunged back into her face, his cruel eyes completely arctic now.
His hands circled her neck, and instantly her vision blurred as he looked into her eyes with vengeful hatred. She knew if she lived through the night, that look would haunt her for years to come. Lifting her arm again, she stabbed him once more, this time in the side.
The man let go of her neck and punched her hard enough that the room went black. When she became aware again, she felt deep pain in her abdomen, and then felt the stickiness of blood as it trickled down her side.
Lindsey felt a tear slip as she realized she was going to die. There was nothing she could do to stop this man. It was over. The last thoughts were of the pain her family was going to go through. Her mother and father would be devastated. Her brothers would seek revenge. So much pain was going to be caused by this evil man, and she’d been too weak to stop it.