Matronly Duties Read Free Page A

he says my name, my stomach plummets and my heart beats a million miles an hour.
    George steps in front of me and pulls his Taser out of his holster. “You’re going to have to go through me to get to her.”
    “We can do that,” the leader snarls.
    “Run!” George yells as they advance on us.
    I don’t hesitate. I take off in the direction we came. A quick glance over my shoulder reveals George has managed to stop two of them from following me. However, the other two are hot on my tail.
    I push myself faster, running harder than I ever have before. Footfalls thud on the pavement behind me, sounding incredibly close, but no matter how fast I go they have no problem keeping up with me.
    It seems to take twice as long as I expect to reach the door where we entered the catacombs. Salvation is almost within reach, but a quick glance over my shoulder reveals my pursuers have gained ground. Before I can turn to face them, though, something hits my back and a shock of fire courses through me. My muscles spasm and my knees give way, bringing me to a heap on the ground.
    “Help!” The pain wrenches a scream from my lungs. “Please! Stop! I’ll give you whatever you want.”
    “You are what we want,” one of them says. His deep gravelly voice makes the words menacing.
    Kicking and screaming, I fight with all my might to escape. The men pick me up, one holding my legs, the other with his hands under my armpits. I continue to wriggle, trying to get free.
    “Let me go! Where are you taking me?” I force my eyes to stay open. As frightened as I am, I need to keep my head and not give in to the panic threatening to overwhelm me. If I don’t pay attention to where they’re taking me, I might never find a way to escape.
    “Somewhere nice and private where we can open your eyes to a few things you need to know.”
    I shiver at the thought and, in a last-ditch attempt, scream at the top of my lungs.
    Any hope that someone might hear me is crushed when a cloth is placed over my mouth. Then everything goes black.
    ***
    My eyelids are heavy and it takes me a couple of tries to get them open. My vision is blurry and something doesn’t feel right. I try to rub my eyes but when I move my hands, I can only move them a little way. I tug again and a biting sensation stings my wrists.
    Oh man, ow! Not a dream.
    I blink a couple of times and my vision clears some. A small sliver of light from under a door lights up my surroundings. I appear to be in some sort of cell. It’s dark and dirty, and I can’t even tell the time of day. My hands are cuffed and chained to the wall above my head, and a hard yank confirms I won’t be able to free myself.
    I consider yelling for help but common sense kicks in—anyone within hearing range is likely one of my captors.
    How am I going to get out of this mess?
    A key jingles in the door and then it swings open. A tall blond man enters. “Well, look who’s finally awake. Have a nice sleep?” He strides over and stands beside the bunk.
    “Not that it matters, I’m sure, but no.” With him inches away, I catch a whiff of the most disgusting body odour. I have to fight the bile rising in my throat. “What are you going to do with me?”
    He sits next to me and runs his hand up my leg. Goose bumps cover my skin. Every molecule in my body screams for me to run away. Chained to the wall, however, that isn’t going to happen. I settle for pulling my legs towards me, curling up into a ball.
    “Now, don’t be frightened. I just want to have a little fun.” The sinister tone of the man’s voice has me shaking. I suspect my idea of fun and his are completely different. “We don’t get pretty ladies like you down here.”
    He places a hand around my one of my ankles and pulls my leg out straight. When I try to shake him off, his grip tightens, his fingers digging painfully into my skin.
    “Let go!”
    He ignores my plea, laughing as he pulls at my other leg. “Nah . . . we’re going to have