Time To Play by KA Richardson (best book club books of all time TXT) 📗

the chill off, she sat and methodically ate her way through several pieces of chicken, only stopping when her stomach was so full that she felt sick. She popped open the can, and took a slurp, giggling slightly as she burped loudly.

The tarp was her safety blanket. The spot under the stairs was warm and there was no one there who could hurt her. It wasn’t long before she’d dropped off again into a deep sleep.

Unit 12b, Sunderland Enterprise Park – 7 November

Danny suddenly jerked awake, completely unaware of his surroundings. Then the pain from his jaw filtered back into his mind, he felt the chains digging into his arms and fear coursed through him again as he remembered where he was.

Fuck, I’m in the unit.

His arms and legs felt numb. He had no idea what time it was, but it was still dark outside, at least all he could see was black at the rear of the unit where the back door was ajar.

His senses kicked into overdrive as he heard scurrying sounds around his feet, and he about wet himself as he realised they were rats. He hated rats. Always had. And now they were right around him.

Grunting he kicked outwards, feeling his toe connect with a small body that let out a squeak. He shuddered so violently that the chains rattled loudly, breaking the silence in the room.

He tried praying: Please God, let me live. I swear I’ll be better; I’ll get out of this business and focus on raising my daughter.

But there was no great bolt of lightning freeing him from the restraints, no rumble of thunder as some magical being leapt down to earth to help him. There was nothing except the sound of tiny claws on a concrete floor as the rats came closer to him.

Really, he supposed he’d been lucky, he felt like he’d been there for days, but the rats hadn’t attacked him. Maybe they would just leave him alone. He felt a surge of adrenaline; no way would he just let it all happen. He jerked from side to side, trying to loosen the chains and get free, but they held fast. There was no way he was getting out of there without help.

He felt his head drop to his chest in defeat and realised that he was freezing cold. It had been a chilly November so far; the temperature dipping below freezing every night so far. And tonight was no different. It was already past the point where he would shiver. He knew if he could see his fingers, they would be blue.

Danny remembered reading somewhere that hypothermia was a good way to die. He recalled something about a person just falling asleep and not waking up. It sounded good to him. Better than being eaten alive by rats at any rate. He didn’t know if it was true, but he knew he was tired of holding on and fighting.

The last spurt of adrenaline died off, and all Danny wanted to do was close his eyes.

So he did.

His eyes closed, and he slowly drifted off.

He didn’t feel the rats congregate around his feet, he didn’t feel their tiny sharp claws as they climbed up his trousers and jacket towards his face, and he didn’t feel any pain as one dug its teeth into the soft flesh of his bottom lip.

Where he was, nothing could hurt him.

 

Chapter Twelve

Ryhope, Sunderland – 7 November

H e unlocked the door to the room and entered. It wasn’t normal for him to visit at this time of day: he usually liked the quiet of the night to do his work. He would just check on her and initiate stage one of her learning process before leaving.

It was even darker in the small room than it was outside. He snapped on the light.

He watched as the girl uncurled herself in the cage and looked up at him with big brown eyes. She looked like she had a cold; snot had dried around her nose and on her top lip. He could see her pupils were dilated and the vomit in the cage indicated she’d brought up the sandwiches he’d left for her. He felt a momentary anger. What a waste. My mother would have tanned my hide if I’d eaten then been sick afterwards.

But this girl wasn’t him. And he sure as hell wasn’t his mother.

He turned on the video camera in the corner, double-checking the view hadn’t changed, then made his way to the cage.

‘Subject seven, day three. Subject is displaying symptoms consistent with a cold, but I believe this is due to withdrawal of the heroin that was in her system. I am unaware of how long she was at the address in Sunderland so don’t know when she had her last fix. Today, I will provide her with some bruising. I expect her to be resistant.’

He unlocked the cage door and waited for Nita to clamber out. He knew she’d think she had a chance of escape. They all did. He’d have to teach her escape wasn’t an option.

Grabbing her arm as she exited the cage, he gripped hard and forced her into the chair, methodically securing her hands and feet. After the incident last time, he wouldn’t be so careless as to forget to do that.

Knowing it would come without warning to the girl, he slapped her hard. The crack echoed round the room, and she cried out, tears springing to her eyes as redness flooded her cheek. She started mumbling again in her native tongue.

He changed tactic and gently ran his hand down the side of her cheek, placating her with his touch, or trying to anyway. She pulled her head away from him in fear, and he slapped her again. Before she could react to the pain, he punched her with an