Paul said "Mrs. Miller is still in the ward" with a voice as he hurried beside Nickson through the long hospital corridor. "She is probably in danger," he added.
The hospital lights were very bright. It was hurting when someone tried to look at the white walls and polished floors.
Their footsteps were loud. Echoed through the corridor.
Nurses quickly stepped aside. Pressed themselves against the walls as the two men rushed past.
Nickson's face became dark. His jaw tightened very hard that the muscles in his face were visible .
His eyes became stiff and cold.
"Lock every gate in this hospital" he ordered in a dangerous voice. "No one leaves. Not a single person" he said.
Paul nodded quickly. Said "Yes, sir".
He did not wait another second. Went around and ran back the way they had come.
His shoes hit the floor hurriedly and unevenly.
Nickson stopped in the middle of the way and he was breathing heavily.
Something felt wrong. Very wrong.
The feeling was heavy in his chest.
His fingers slowly curled into fists by his sides.
He thought of Laura.
The thought of her flashed through his mind. A cold fear spread through him.
He had a feeling Laura was in danger.
Just within the hospital Laura was tied to a chair.
Her wrists were locked behind her back with ropes that almost penetrated deeply into her skin.
The ropes had already scratched her wrists. Her fingers trembled weakly.
Her head had sided to one side and dark strands of hair covered the half part of her face.
She was still not yet on her senses.
The room around her was cold and quiet.
A weak bulb hung from the ceiling above her. It twitched on and off, throwing shaking shadows across the room.
Every time the light twitched the faces in the room were moving.
Allison was standing a step away while folding her arms neatly above her chest.
A slow cruel smile rested on her lips.
She looked perfectly fine, strong, steady and not blind.
She took steps toward Laura, the sound of her heels clicking softly against the floor.
Then she stopped in front of her. Said "Splash her" in a cold and flat voice.
One of the men standing nearby grabbed a bucket. Threw the cold water straight into Laura's face.
Laura's body shook violently. She started breathing heavily.
She opened her eyes fast. At first everything was blurry.
The light above her danced painfully in her vision and the room spun.
Her breathing turned uneven.
Slowly Allison's face came into focus.
Laura. Her eyes widened.
Her lips parted in shock. She whispered "Allison...?" with a shaking voice.
Allison smiled, a poisonous smile and said "Yes" softly spreading her arms a little.
Laura stared at her. Saw no shaking legs, no weak body, no wheelchair and no helplessness.
Allison was standing very comfortable in front of her.
Laura's heart slammed hard against her ribs and her chest rose
She thought of the hospital, the accident, the blindness and the weakness.
It was all a lie.
Her fingers twisted painfully against the ropes. She pulled hard.
The chair scraped against the floor. The ropes only tightened deeper into her skin.
She shouted "Let me go!" with a breaking voice.
Allison laughed, a sharp and empty sound.
She said "Oh, Laura, you don't understand, do you?"
She bent down slowly until her face was inches away and her sweet heavy perfume wrapped around Laura making her stomach twist.
Then Allison's lips curved. She said "I was the one who planned what happened at the hotel".
Laura's entire body went still. Her breath caught.
For one second the room. Her mind threw her back into that night.
The hotel room, the door, the trap, the shame, the fear, her body trembling, the helplessness.
The memory hit her hard, her stomach twisted painfully and her face lost color.
Allison watched her reaction with pleasure and asked mockingly "Did you have fun that night?"
Laura lifted her head sharply. Her eyes burned with rage.
She said "I knew it" through clenched teeth.
Allison's smile. She said "It wasn't only me".
Laura's breathing. Allison leaned closer.
She said "Gordon gave me the idea".
The words hit harder than the slap that would come later.
Laura stared at her. Her eyes widened so much it hurt.
The room seemed to spin and she whispered "No..." weakly.
Her chest. Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs.
Then Gordon's face flashed through her mind, his eyes, his anger, the way he never listened, the way he always believed Allison, the way he looked at Laura like she was worth nothing.
Suddenly every moment made sense.
Her lips. A sharp pain spread through her chest.
Allison. Her smile turned satisfied.
She said "You should even be grateful" softly.
"At least Gordon never touched you," she added.
Laura looked up sharply. Hatred burned fiercely in her eyes.
Allison bent close again her lips near Laura's ear. Said "You must have been very lonely".
Laura's body shook harder. The cruelty in those words cut deeper than she expected.
Not because they were true. Because Allison wanted them to hurt.
They did.
Laura lifted her chin as much as the ropes allowed and her voice came out raw.
She said "You and Gordon will go to hell".
The room went silent. The men near the door shifted slightly.
Allison's face changed instantly. The sweetness vanished.
Fury twisted her features. Her hand flew across Laura's face.
Laura's head snapped violently to the side. A gasp escaped her lips.
Pain exploded across her cheek. Her lip split against her teeth.
A metallic taste filled her mouth. Blood slowly slipped from the corner of her lips.
Laura stayed still for a moment breathing hard.
Slowly painfully she turned her face back.
Her cheek was burning red. Her eyes were getting wet with tears.
She did not look down and there was still fire in her eyes.
That only made Allison more angry. Her chest rose sharply.
She took one step back. looked toward the door.
Four men stood there silent, watching.
Allison's lips slowly curved again. This time the smile was far worse.
She said "Go coldly.
"Do whatever you want with her," she added.
For one second Laura did not. Then the words settled.
Her blood ran cold. Her face turned pale.
She whispered "No...". Her fingers fought wildly against the ropes.
The chair shook beneath her and panic slammed into her hard she could barely breathe.
She said "No, no no…please!" with a breaking voice.
Her breaths came out shaky and full of pain.
She sobbed "How can you do this?" with tears falling at the moment.
Allison only stared, her face blank, cruel.
Laura swallowed hard. Her throat burned.
She said "If Gordon finds out…". Before she could finish Allison burst into laughter.
The sound filled the room mockingly and cruelly.
She laughed hard and she held her stomach.
Then slowly she looked back at Laura. Said "Oh poor Laura".
She added "Gordon knows everything" and Laura froze.
Her eyes searched Allison's face desperately looking for a lie, a crack, anything.
There was nothing, only that terrible smile.
Allison whispered "You're so naive" and walked back, toward Laura.
She bent low until Laura was forced to look into her eyes.
She said "He does not care about you" Laura's lips wiggled a little bit.
A tear dropped down her cheek. Then another.
Not only because she was afraid. Because the truth was now standing naked in front of her.
Every cold word Gordon had ever spoken every look, every moment he chose Allison every time he made Laura feel small, worthless.
It all made sense and the truth crushed down on her chest heavily it became hard to breathe.
Her head shook weakly. She whispered "No...".
Even to her own ears the word sounded empty and broken.
Allison straightened up slowly, satisfied.
Laura calmly adjusted the sleeve of her dress as if Laura and Allison had just finished discussing something
Then Laura turned toward the door.
Her heels clicked slowly against the floor.
Laura's breathing turned ragged.
Her eyes stayed fixed on Allison's back.
At the door Allison stopped.
Allison turned her head over her shoulder.
Allison's eyes glittered with cruelty.
"Have an amazing night, " Allison said sweetly.
The poison, in Allison's voice, made Laura's stomach drop.
Then Allison walked out.
The door opened wider.
For one second Laura saw the shadows of the four men begin to move.
They took steps.
They came closer.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
The air became too heavy.
Laura's lungs fastened.
Laura's body moved suddenly against the ropes.
The legs of the chair made a harsh scrapping sound against the floor.
Laura's wrists were hurting.
Laura's shoulders screamed in pain.
Laura kept struggling.
Laura's whole body shook uncontrollably.
Terror swallowed every thought of Laura.
Every breath of Laura.
Every part of Laura.
The men kept coming
Their shadows stretched over Laura like darkness.
Laura's eyes opened more in horror.
Laura's chest pounded harder.
Laura said "No... Please... No...!"
Laura's voice came out broken and desperate.
Laura's scream ripped through the room.
Laura screamed "NOOO!"