Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

TUESDAY

Head filled with cotton and mouth so dry her tongue stuck to the roof, Shiloh blinked into the darkness. Disoriented, she shook her head trying to remember what had happened but had no memory of anything after climbing into the truck with the cop. The sudden realization that her mom was hurt and in the hospital frightened her. Fear crawled up her spine. What if Mom had died? What would happen to her? At the thought of losing her mom, tears stung her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She tried to search for a memory of what happened and could only recall drinking the soda the cop had given her. How did she get here and where was she? A tiny light glowed on a table that held a bottle of water, but darkness closed in around her.

A sob escaped her lips as she pushed one hand over the sheet beneath her. The bed was huge and seemed to stretch out around her. It held a musty smell that reminded her of old socks left in the bottom of her laundry hamper. She ran a hand over the silky material covering her. She didn't recall getting undressed or wearing anything so thin when ice was still on the ground, although the air inside the room was warm. She tried to sit up and her head swam, the room moved in and out of focus. Gritting her teeth, she crawled to the edge of the bed. Every muscle in her body ached. Her back hurt bad, but she needed to reach the water. Had she fallen and banged her head?

Crying wouldn't help, and her mom always told her she was sensible for her age. She needed to drink and survive. Struggling, she dropped her legs onto the floor. No carpet but cool tiles pressed against her bare feet. She stood for a few moments, getting her balance, and then headed slowly toward the light. Gripping the table, she reached for the bottle of water, removed the top, and allowed the cool water to moisten her parched throat. The light was a lantern and the same as her mom's. It had a dial on one side to make it brighter. She turned the dial and held it up to peer around the room. On the wall she noticed a light switch, and using the wall for support, she moved her wobbly legs toward it and switched it on. Light flooded the space and she blinked at the brightness. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she scanned the room.

The area was bigger than she'd imagined. The bed sat at one end of the room alongside a closet and nightstand. The other end of the room had been split into two. One part held a large sofa and two chairs opposite a fireplace with a large flat-screen TV above the mantel. The other half was a small kitchen, complete with a refrigerator, microwave, and sink. An L-shaped countertop led to an island in the center with chairs all around. Above these, a line of kitchen cabinets and a pantry set in one corner. She noticed two doors, one leading from the sitting room, the other located at the bedroom end of the room.

Shiloh took a few deep breaths and moved to the first door at the end of the sitting room. She closed her hand around the doorknob and turned. A wave of panic shot through her. The door was locked, and she shook it hard but couldn't move it. She pressed her ear to the crack in the door and peered out into daylight but couldn't see anything but a few green patches that could be trees or grass. At least it was daytime. She looked around the room again and realized to her horror that there were no windows anywhere. Moving back the way she'd come using the wall for support, she headed toward the door near the bedroom. This time the door opened and inside she found a bathroom. An old iron bath on ornate feet looked strange next to a modern shower with gleaming white tiles. She used the toilet and then washed her hands and splashed water on her face at the bathroom sink. Maybe the cop had locked her in to protect her?

She dried her face and went back to the bedroom and opened the closet doors and found more nighties and a robe. Where were her clothes? She pulled on the robe, but it was too long and dragged along the floor as she headed back to the kitchen. Hunger gnawed at her belly. She'd cared for herself many times during vacations when her mom was at work and could cook a few meals. She opened the refrigerator and found milk and juice. Each shelf was packed with food of one description or another. She turned and went to the pantry, pulling it open to find a variety of different packages and cans. One thing for sure, she wouldn't be going hungry. She selected her favorite breakfast cereal and placed it on the kitchen table and then went in search of a bowl and spoon. She'd just finished eating when she heard a key in the lock and turned to see a girl coming inside.

"Hey." The girl walked into the room and closed the door behind her. "I'm Luna and your name is Shiloh, is that right?" She unbuttoned her coat and tossed it over the back of a chair. "They sent me to talk to you to explain things." She gave her a long look. "Don't make a fuss, but your mom is dead. Mine is too."

Unable to control the flood of tears, Shiloh sobbed into her hands. Her heart ached and she trembled all over. "What's going to happen to me?"

"That depends"—Luna's eyes held a faraway look—"on if you're good or if you make a fuss and cry all the time. I've seen the girls who do that, and they are sent away to the bad place."

Sobbing, Shiloh peered at her between her fingers. "Bad place?"

"Doc said those girls are locked into a closet with spiders and snakes. They starve them until they behave." Luna shuddered. "I don't want to go there, do you?"

Shaking her head, Shiloh went to the countertop and pulled a strip of paper towel from a roll. She blew her nose and wiped her eyes. "No." She sat down and looked at Luna. "How did you come to be here?"

"Doc took me in two years ago and I care for him. We just came to this town, like you, but it's different for me. I did as I was told and now I get to live in the cabin. Before I was in a room like this for a long time."

Stomach knotting, Shiloh stared at her, uncomprehending. "I can be good and not make a fuss."

"There's something you need to know." Luna went to her and bent to whisper in her ear. She straightened. "And they take a ton of pictures and movies."

Shocked beyond belief, Shiloh shook her head. "I can't do that."

"You already have. You just don't remember." Luna let out a long sigh. "The fruit juice they gave you makes you forget things. They give me pills all the time as well. They make me sleepy."

Trembling, Shiloh looked at her hands and then lifted her head. "Can you help me escape?"

"We are many miles from anywhere and you wouldn't survive a day without shoes and dressed like that in the cold." Luna shook her head. "I tried to escape once and I was punished for three days and locked in the root cellar for a month. If you want to have good food, a TV, and a warm place to sleep, you'll need to do everything they say without making a fuss."

Unconvinced, Shiloh shook her head. "How come you're allowed to walk around?"

"I'm not." Luna shrugged, defeated. "I talk to the other girls when they arrive to make it easier for them, is all." She pointed to the ceiling. "Before you try and break down the door just remember there are cameras all around the room. They can hear and see everything."

Suddenly very alone, Shiloh grabbed her arm. "Will you come and see me again?"

"No." Luna shook her head. "You might see other girls from time to time, and you might be given to someone else. I met a girl who had been moved six times and she was only twelve." She leaned closer. "I figure she was crazy. She tried to bite me." She turned, grabbed her coat, and headed for the door and then looked back at Shiloh. "Good luck."

The door closed behind her and a few minutes later it opened again and in a rush of cold air the cop walked in and smiled at her. She stood up and swallowed hard. Fear gripped her belly and she wanted to pee. "Luna told me what you did to me."

"Did she now." The cop slowly removed his coat and hung it on a peg beside the door. "You don't believe her, do you?"

Shiloh shook her head. "No, I'd remember something like that."

"You will from now on." He chuckled and switched on the TV. "Come sit with me and watch. It's all on tape."

Backing away, horrified, Shiloh shook her head. "No!"

She gasped when in two strides he had her by the arms. Zip-ties cut deep into her flesh and then he tossed her onto the lounger. She glared at him. "Leave me alone. You're never going to touch me."

"I can do whatever I like with you. Get used to it." The cop sat down beside her. "I'll ignore this outburst one time only. Step out of line again and you'll suffer the consequences." A smile curled his lips. "I met your grandma this morning. Shame she's too sick to take care of you. You be good or I'll go and burn down her house with her inside."

Shiloh shook her head and tried to move away from him. "Cops don't do that to people."

When he grasped her face and squeezed hard, pain shot into her eyes. His face was an inch away from hers and terror shivered through her at the hate in his eyes.

"Here's the problem, Shiloh. I'm not a cop." His mouth twisted into a smile. "I'm the big bad wolf."