A million things went pouring through Kates mind in that moment. First, she wondered how long she had been knocked out and what he had hit her with. Her head didnt hurt too badly at the moment, but given the vicious slaps he had given her, that did not surprise her. She then wondered how long it would be before DeMarco got worried and came out to help. And lastly, she wondered if Mercy Fuller was indeed in this barn, right under her feet as Jack had suggested.

He suddenly reached out and cupped her face in his hand. He leaned in again and Kate was certain he was going to kiss her. I can call in sick, he said. Im already late…so I can call in sick and you and I can have some fun together. And maybe when Im done, you can tell me what I need to do with Mercy to make sure the FBI doesnt come looking for me. Because make no mistake about it: if you have any hope of leaving this place alive, you sure as hell arent going to let anyone know what you found out here…who Ive been keeping. He smiled at her again, revealing teeth that indicated he, too, had been enjoying some of the same drugs as Nick Sanders. Do you believe me. Kate?

She nodded, but only because she knew it was her only chance. If she was going to get out of this, she had to make him think he was in control.

Not just for her sake, but for Mercy Fullers as well.

***

Mercy had sat as still as a stone when the man had brought the lady into the barn. She had to sit. The cellar was more like a crawlspace. It wasnt even tall enough for her to stand up in…which made it very hard to move around on her tied legs. She figured there might be four and a half feet between the floor and the ceilingprobably closer to four.

The man had been speaking to the woman angrily, but would chuckle every now and then. He had even spoken to Mercy, too, letting her know they had some company. Mercy had no idea who the woman was or why she was here…not until he had started ranting, letting the womanKate, apparentlyknow what he planned to do to her. He mentioned the FBI and how she had better stay quiet.

Shes with the FBI, Mercy thought. My God, I might get out of here after all.

It was a faint glimmer of hope. After all, the agent was now tied to a chair, silenced with the same tape that was around her face, and being slapped around. It was a desperate situation and it dawned on her that there were now two of them. They could maybe work together and…