| |
––––––––
Jessica had no idea how long had elapsed since she’d overheard the conversation between her captors. She estimated about an hour. However, it had given her ample time to set her plan in motion. She removed the bloodied vest from her underwear and soaked it in some of the urine in the bucket. It felt like a disgusting thing to do but she was desperate. She then wrung it out over the opening edge of her sleeping bag and on the floor next to it. She now had a bloody pool of liquid on the tiles. Placing her fingers in her vagina she brought out more blood and smeared it around her neck and over her wrists and hands. It was a horrible thing to do but necessary. She didn’t care how she looked, it would wash off when she became free and that was what she was totally focused on. This was her one chance and she needed to give it her best shot.
She had no idea when her meal was about to arrive but it could be anytime soon, so she lay down in the sleeping bag with her arms on top, her right one resting in the pool of watery blood she’d created on the floor. She had no idea how realistic it looked but she hoped at least it would have some shock factor. She lay still and strained her ears willing them to hear footsteps. Her heart was racing and it was hard not to over breathe. She needed to be very still for when Scott, as she now knew him entered her cell.
After what seemed an age she heard the familiar sound of the key in the lock. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest cavity. She was pleased that it was covered by the sleeping bag, otherwise, she was sure that the rapid beating would have been visible. The door squeaked open and she heard footsteps take a couple of paces into the room. They stopped.
‘Fuck! Oh, shit!’ and the tray fell to the floor.
She dared not open her eyes yet. Scott came over to her, ‘What have you done you stupid bitch,’ he shouted and she felt his arms start to shake her.
Suddenly she opened her eyes wide and tried to focus on the face which was about a foot from hers.
‘Ahh!’ he shouted in shock, leaning back slightly.
She quickly removed her right hand from the sleeping bag. Holding the pen as firmly as she could and using all her might and accumulated anger she thrust the pen into his left eye socket.
Scott made the loudest scream she had ever heard. He was crying out, rolling around on the floor in agony. She saw that blood had started to spout from his eye socket and run down his face but she didn’t wait. She ran out of her cell and quickly looked around for the outside door. It was straight ahead. She drew back the bolt on the door and turned the handle. It didn’t budge, it was locked. Jessica was frantic. Scott must have the key in his pocket. She would have to return and try to get them from him. This was a nightmare, she had sensed freedom but it still eluded her. Suddenly she realised that the screaming and shouting had stopped.
She crept back towards the room and saw the prone Scott lying on the floor. He must have passed out with the shock. She went up to him and searched his pockets. This caused him to stir slightly and he began to mumble. Jessica found the keys in his right trouser pocket. Her hands were shaking as she ran to the door. She had trouble holding the bunch of keys but somehow she managed to unlock the door. She relaxed against it as she felt the mechanism turn. Throwing open the door she stepped outside. The fresh air was so wonderful. By now it had gone dark so she felt that at least she had that in her favour. She started to make her way around the building and then stopped suddenly. She should lock Scott inside. That way if the rest of the team returned it would delay the discovery. After a few seconds she was on her way, but which way should she go? She looked around in the gloom and decided to head for the woodland to her right. She hoped and prayed that she could navigate her way back to civilisation.
**
By 7 p.m. the maintenance men had managed to find the source of the leak and had isolated that particular section of piping. An electrician had also arrived and was checking all the circuits with his multimeter and his other box of tricks. They had switched off the electric socket in Hannah’s fume-hood and had switched back on the supply to the lab. Providing no short circuits occurred in the next ten minutes or so they were happy that all was safe. Tomorrow they would send more plumbers out to repair the pipework and the electrician would return to check out the wiring and sockets.
Nick felt exhausted. It had been a long day and the shock of catching Dan in the act of snorting cocaine or at least just having snorted some was starting to trigger a headache. Nick just longed to get out of the building and to return to the comfort of his house.
‘Right, all seems OK now, mate,’ said the electrician as he removed his lab coat. ‘Where shall I put this?’
‘Oh, I’ll take it,’ replied Nick, hanging it up on a hook and waiting for the plumber to do the same. ‘Thanks very much, we’ll see you tomorrow I guess.’
‘It might be me or one of the team,’ said the plumber. ‘Well, see you then. Off out into the rain again,’ he said joking. ‘Absolutely pissing down out there. Watch how you drive home, the roads will be flooded after this. We will have to make a run for it when we get outside!’
‘Bye, and thanks again,’ replied Nick, yawning. He decided to take a couple of painkillers before driving home as his headache seemed to be getting a bit worse. He found some in his drawer and washed two down with some water from his bottle.
‘Are you OK, Nick,’ asked Pat who was just about to leave.
‘Oh, it’s just a bit of a headache, it’s been a long day.’
‘Yes, but a successful one from what I hear. A really good result with your reaction. That’s great!’
‘Oh, thank you, well I hope we can improve on it further, it’s early days.’
‘Right see you tomorrow,’ said Pat. ‘I’m off for a few beers tonight after staring at my laptop all day. Luckily I brought my umbrella!’ and he walked off, waving at Nick with his umbrella.
Nick went over to the windows to peer out at the rain but it was difficult to see as it was dark outside and all he could see was his reflection. He wandered over to his desk and looked at his chair. Where was his coat? ‘Oh, shit!’ he said audibly. He’d left it in Polly’s office when he went over at lunchtime. He’d meant to go over and collect it but with all the excitement of the water leak in the lab and Dan’s little coke episode, he’d completely forgotten about it. He checked his mobile. There were several texts from Polly to say she’d seen his coat and could he come and get it. Then, later on, there was another text saying that she’d been so busy that she’d lost track of time and would lock it away in her office as she couldn’t take it out with her as she was going for drinks after work.
On a normal evening, this wouldn’t have bothered Nick too much as he would just run to the car and then with the heater on he wouldn’t feel the cold very much but from what the maintenance men had said he was going to get completely soaked. Just then he heard a gust of wind and the rain lashed against the office windows. ‘God, what a day,’ he said to himself. His gaze fell upon Dan’s jacket which he had promised to put in a cupboard until the next morning. He considered for a few minutes then went over to put it on. Dan and Nick were the same build and height, they’d joked about that when he first started. Surely Dan wouldn’t mind if he borrowed it. Dan was getting a taxi back home after the formal dinner so wouldn’t need it until tomorrow. Nick found a post-it note and scribbled a message to him saying why he’d borrowed it. He zipped it up and put on his baseball hat which would at least provide a bit of protection against the rain. He checked his desk drawers were locked and slinging his messenger bag across his chest headed to the main door to battle against the elements.
