Still drowsy from whatever drugs they’d given her, Ruby felt like she was in a dream. Maybe it was a dream—or a sick joke and her mum would jump out any minute now after teaching her the greatest lesson of her life—always listen to your mother.
But it wasn’t a dream or a joke. This was actually happening—every terrifying second of it.
The crunch of car tyres on gravel sounded soon after Cody left and she’d heard nothing but silence since.
Screaming had only managed to wear her out within minutes, causing her to drift off again.
She awoke to a scraping sound outside the door.
“Hello? Can anybody hear me? Help! Please help,” she called.
More silence.
Her eyes filled with tears and she shivered, her teeth chattering. Although the weather outside had been warm and muggy, the tiny room felt cold and damp.
Thick black plastic ties dug into her wrists and ankles causing her to wince every time she moved. The ties were threaded through chains anchored somewhere underneath the bed. She knew it would be pointless trying to unfasten them. The only way they were certain to move would be to tighten even more, cutting the blood supply off.
This situation was exactly what her mum had professed would happen. Why the hell didn’t she listen to her?
A tightness in her chest made it difficult to breathe and a pathetic whimper came from her throat. How would she escape this? Cody was clearly deranged, but Steve might help her.
“Steve?” she called. “Steve. Please help.”
Nothing.
“Kyle—Kylie. Please.”
Ruby’s heartbeat thudded in her ears as the doorknob turned slowly. The anticipation was enough to kill her there and then. Who was it? She couldn’t breathe—her eyes were trained on the opening door.
After what seemed like forever, a man appeared. His shaggy mop of blond hair and sapphire blue eyes told her he was related to Cody and Steve.
“Kyle?”
“I’m-not-allowed-in,” he said from the door. His voice sounded slow and slurred, every word ran into the next. He was nothing like Cody had described.
“It’s okay, Kyle. I give you permission to come in—I need your help.”
“Only-an-mergency.”
“Yes, Kyle. This is an emergency.”
“This-is-an-mergency?” Kyle tilted his head to one side, one eye half-closed in confusion.
“Yes, I promise. This is an emergency.”
“Okey dokey-then.” Kyle stepped into the room. “Do-you-like-my-fire-truck?” He shoved a bright red fire engine towards her.
“That’s beautiful, Kyle.” She didn’t have time for this, but this odd man-child was her only hope of escape.
Kyle nodded as he studied the truck—a simple, sweet smile on his face.
“Kyle?”
Kyle pressed a button on the truck and a siren sounded.
“Kyle, can you help me?”
“Can’t.” Kyle shook his head and stepped backwards, a frightened expression clouded his face.
Ruby panicked. She knew she needed to get this overgrown child on side and fast.
“You know, my uncle is a fireman,” she said, making her voice sound as bright as possible.
Kyle gasped. “A-real-fireman?”
“A real one. He’s the driver,” she said, smiling.
“Did-you-touched-it?”
“The fire engine? Yes, I touched it. I even had a ride in it.”
Kyle’s eyes bulged as Ruby watched the cogs turning in his brain.
“I bet I could get him to take you for a ride too. That is if you want to?”
“I-go-for-a-ride?” His excitement was almost palpable.
“Uh-huh. If you could help me get out of here.”
Kyle’s expression clouded once more. “Can’t.” He shook his head.
“Please, Kyle.” Ruby twisted herself as far around as possible, she wanted to be face to face with him, but a searing pain in her left wrist made her cry out. She examined her wrist. The plastic tie had cut so deep that blood soaked into the sheets and mattress.
“Blood!” Kyle shuddered, his face screwed in disgust. Shaking his head, he put the fire engine underneath his arm and marched from the room, leaving the door open.
“Kyle!” Ruby screamed. “Kyle, please—I need you. It’s an emergency.”
Nothing. Her whole body trembled.
Think—think. There must be some way out. If she’d done what her mum insisted she do, there would probably be a search party arriving any minute. But all she’d told her mum was Cody’s first name and the approximate location of the pub.
Taking another deep breath, she exhaled in a noisy blow and closed her eyes, bracing herself for one last try.
“Kyle?” she called, her voice now quieter—calmer. “I’d love to see your fire engine, Kyle.”
She heard the plastic rattle of the fire engine’s wheels. Kyle was close by.
“It’s okay, Kyle. There’s no more blood. Why don’t you come back in and I’ll tell you about my uncle’s fire engine?”
“It’s-called-a-fire-TRUCK,” Kyle said from somewhere outside the door.
“Oh, I’m sorry, buddy. My mistake—fire truck.”
Kyle appeared in the doorway. Inching slowly forward, he held out the plastic red toy to show her.
“Wow! That’s a beauty. Does it have a ladder?”
“Yup.” Kyle’s eyes lit up as he pointed to the ladder on the back of the truck.
“So it does,” Ruby smiled. “And what about a fire hose?”
“Course-it-has-a-fire-hose-look.” Kyle laughed. His blue eyes crinkling at the corners.
“My uncle told me that although they need the fire en—truck to put out the fires, a lot of their work is rescuing people from other situations.”
Kyle’s eyebrows furrowed.
“For example, they rescue a lot of cats from up trees.”
“My-cat-climbs-trees.”
“Does he? They also rescue people that are stuck.”
“Up. Trees?”
Ruby laughed. “If someone climbs a tree and gets stuck, then, yes, they’d rescue them. They would use the fire truck with a cherry picker on top.”
“Ah.”
“But if a fire officer was here right now, he would rescue me by cutting these plastic ties and helping me get out of here.”
Kyle backed up, shaking his head.
“No, Kyle—Kyle, come back, it’s okay.”
“I’ve-got-to-go. My-head-hurts.”
“I’m sorry, Kyle. Just one more thing—do you know the number to call in an emergency?”
“Nine-nine-nine.”
“Well done. Could I ask you to do it for me? Dial nine-nine-nine?”
“Kyle shook his head. “Not-an-mergency.”
“It is. I’m trapped, see?”
Kyle scurried away.
“Kyle.” Her voice was now tinged with hysteria.
The sound of tyres crunching on gravel filled the little room, followed by the slam of a car door and footsteps.
It was too late. She’d missed her opportunity to escape.
Steve kicked the door fully open, a frown on his face. He seemed relieved to see Ruby still tied to the bed. “Has somebody been here?”
Ruby shook her head, her lips tight shut. She didn’t want to get Kyle into trouble.
“Who opened the door then?”
Ruby shrugged, whimpering.
Standing to the side of the bed, Steve checked her out from head to toe. The bulge in the crotch of his stonewashed jeans was unmistakable, even to her innocent eyes.
“Please Steve. I need to get home. Mum will be worrying by now.”
“Oh no, she won’t. Cody’s seen to that.”
“What do you mean?” she cried. The thought that Cody had hurt her mother tore at her insides.
Steve’s laugh had a maniacal quality to it.
Ruby shuddered as she realised he was loony too.
He bent towards her face and inhaled deeply, as though he could smell her fear.
Ruby flinched and tried to twist away from him. Another searing pain in her wrist made her squeal.
“Look what you’ve done to yourself, silly girl,” Steve said as he noticed the blood. He bent a little further and kissed the raw wound.
Ruby gasped for air, certain she was about to pass out if he didn’t get out of her space. He didn’t smell horrible. In fact, all Ruby could smell was polo mints, an aroma she normally loved as she associated it with her dad. But the sudden rush of nostalgia mixed with her current situation threatened to tip her over the edge.
Steve finally pulled back. He slid to his knees beside the bed, and with blood all over his lips and chin, he stroked her hair.
She whimpered. “Please, Steve, please...”
He leaned forward and his mouth muffled her screams.