Connection

Chapter 73 - Connection

Mike pulled Eve's dress back down as carefully as he could, making sure the fabric covered her properly before smoothing the wrinkled material over her legs. She stood quietly while he did it, her arms hanging loosely at her sides and her eyes fixed somewhere on the floor. She looked as though she was barely aware of what was happening around her. Mike crouched down and looked beneath the bed until he found her shoes.

He picked them up and helped her put them on one at a time, making sure she was steady before moving to the next. She did not say anything throughout it. The silence felt heavier than any words could have.

Once he was certain she was dressed properly, Mike turned toward the two men lying across the room. Danny was still unconscious near the broken chair, blood visible around his mouth and nose. A few feet away, Sam lay against the wall, his eyes half-open but his body too dazed to move properly.

Mike recognized him immediately. He was the same man who had helped drag Eve into the room earlier, and seeing him there brought back everything Mike had witnessed through the warehouse window. Mike's jaw tightened as he looked at him, but instead of attacking either man again, he forced himself to focus on what needed to be done.

He searched the room and noticed a coil of rope lying in one corner. He picked it up, walked over to Danny, and pulled his arms behind his back. Danny groaned faintly when Mike moved him, but he was too badly beaten to resist. Mike wrapped the rope around his wrists several times and pulled the knot tight before binding his ankles as well. He then moved to Sam and did the same thing, securing both men firmly enough that neither could easily get free.

When he finished, he dragged them closer together and positioned them against the wall. Danny's head dropped forward, while Sam gave a weak grunt and tried unsuccessfully to shift his bound hands. Mike checked the knots once more before stepping away.

Eve had moved to the remains of the wooden chair. She sat carefully on what was left of the seat, her hands resting together in her lap. She looked small sitting there, almost lost inside the room. Mike watched her for a moment before walking back toward her, and as he got closer he noticed the bruises around her arms. His steps slowed.

He had questions.

Too many questions.

He wanted to know where she had been, how long she had been there, who had brought her to the warehouse, whether she was hurt, and what exactly Danny and Sam had done to her. He wanted answers immediately, but when he looked at her face, he realized that asking everything at once would only make things worse.

Her eyes were red from crying, her shoulders remained tense, and every few seconds her fingers moved nervously against one another. Whatever had happened inside this room had left her frightened enough that even sitting safely beside him did not seem to make her feel safe yet.

Then Mike looked at the two men again.

The anger returned.

His hands slowly curled into fists.

He knew he should leave them for the police, but the memory of Danny standing over Eve made it difficult to simply walk away. Mike turned toward them before he could stop himself and crossed the room. He stopped beside Danny and drove his boot into the man's ribs.

Danny's body folded slightly despite being unconscious, and a broken groan escaped him.

Mike kicked him again.

"You piece of shit," he said, his voice shaking with anger. "You really thought you could get away with this?"

He turned toward Sam and kicked him hard enough to knock his shoulder against the wall. Sam groaned and tried to move his bound hands, but the rope held them firmly behind his back. Mike took another step forward, ready to strike again, when he suddenly felt someone grab his arm.

He looked down.

Eve was holding him.

She had gotten up from the chair without him noticing. Both of her hands were wrapped around his arm, and although they were trembling, she held on tightly. She looked at him for a long moment before slowly shaking her head.

"No."

It was barely more than a whisper, but Mike understood.

He looked at her face.

The anger that had been burning inside him began to lose its strength. He glanced back at Danny and Sam, then returned his attention to Eve. She was still frightened, but she was asking him to stop. Whatever he wanted to do to those men could wait. Right now, she needed him to be beside her, not standing over them.

Mike let out a slow breath and lowered his arms.

"Okay," he said quietly.

He placed both hands on Eve's shoulders and gently guided her back toward the chair. Once she sat down, he pulled another piece of the broken chair away so there would be room beside her and sat there himself. For several seconds he said nothing. He simply remained beside her, allowing the silence to settle while the distant sounds of movement outside slowly became easier to hear.

When he finally spoke, his voice was much quieter than before.

"Tell me what happened."

Eve kept looking at the floor.

Mike waited.

"How did you end up here?" he asked. "How did they trap you in this place?"

Her fingers tightened together in her lap. She swallowed, but no answer came. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor as though she were trying to force herself to remember everything that had happened without having to say it aloud.

Mike did not interrupt her.

He could see the struggle on her face. She opened her mouth as if she were about to speak, then closed it again. She took a shaky breath and rubbed her thumb against the side of her hand. The room remained silent except for the faint groaning of the old building and the occasional movement from the men against the wall.

Finally, Eve lifted her head slightly.

"Claire."

Mike frowned.

The name came so quietly that for a second he wondered whether he had heard it correctly.

"What?"

Eve looked at him, her eyes still filled with tears.

"Claire."

Before Mike could ask anything else, a distant sound began rising outside.

At first it was faint enough to blend with the other noises around the warehouse, but then it became clearer.

Sirens.

Mike turned toward the windows.

Blue light began flashing across the walls as several patrol cars approached the building. The sound grew louder until it filled the warehouse, and within moments footsteps could be heard rushing through the corridors. Voices shouted commands from outside, followed by the heavy sound of the main entrance being pushed open.

Police officers entered the warehouse with their weapons drawn, quickly securing the area before moving deeper inside. Mike immediately stood and raised both hands to show that he was not a threat. He pointed toward the two men against the wall and spoke quickly, knowing that there was no time to explain everything at once.

"Those two attacked her. They had a jammer was there, we turned it off."

One of the female officers approached Eve carefully. She lowered her weapon once she was certain there was no immediate danger and spoke to Eve in a calm voice. She removed her jacket and placed it around Eve's shoulders, covering her as much as possible before helping her stand. Eve looked toward Mike as the officer began guiding her toward the exit, and Mike gave her a small nod.

The other officers moved toward Sam and Danny. They checked the ropes, removed them, and replaced them with proper handcuffs before pulling both men to their feet. Danny could barely stand without assistance, while Sam remained dazed and unsteady. Neither man said anything as the officers escorted them out of the room.

Mike stayed where he was until Eve disappeared through the doorway.

Only then did he move.

He walked outside and watched as the police vehicles loaded everyone up. The flashing blue lights reflected across the warehouse walls and the wet pavement, making the entire street seem strangely unreal after everything that had happened inside. Eventually, the patrol cars began pulling away, carrying Eve, Sam, and Danny toward the station.

Mike remained outside for a while, watching the lights disappear into the distance.

Then he started walking.

The streets were quiet as he made his way back toward the dorm. The adrenaline that had carried him through the warehouse was finally fading, leaving his body heavy and exhausted. He kept replaying everything in his mind, especially the moment Eve had looked at him and said that single name.

Claire.

He stopped beneath a streetlamp.

The connection between the name and the rest of the situation suddenly became impossible to ignore.

Claire was with Mia.

Mike pulled out his phone and opened the map. Mia's location was still marked exactly where it had been earlier. The small blue indicator continued to glow on the screen as though nothing in the world had changed.

Mike stared at it.

Everything looked normal.

That was what bothered him.

After what had happened to Eve, he no longer trusted things that looked normal.

His stomach tightened as he remembered Eve's voice.

"Claire."

Mike shoved the phone back into his pocket.

Then he turned toward Mia's location and started running.

He did not know what he was going to find when he got there.

He only knew that he could not afford to arrive late again.

Vol. 2, chapters 90-94, are live. Read them on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/KDaddy935?vanity=user