Page 2 of Already Lost

Thesong stopped on the record player, and there was a scratching, empty kind ofnoise as the record rotated alone, no music left to play. The man steadied heron her feet, almost gently, catching her when she almost toppled over and thenholding her by the arms until she had her balance back. Dakota felt like shewas going to be sick. Had she hit her head? Was that why she felt this way? Allshe knew was that something wasn’t right. She was woozy, out of it, desperatelytrying to keep her head so she could figure out what was going on.

“Staythere,” he said, which was unnecessary, because her legs were bound.

Allshe could manage was a tiny shuffle at most, and with her balance so badlyimpaired, she didn’t even want to risk it.

Hemoved back to the gramophone and pressed something, or moved or did something –she couldn’t see – and the record started over from the beginning again. It wasa sultry kind of song, like they all seemed to be from that time. A woman’svoice cut over the sound of the band, giving the impression of a smoky bar, acrowd of well-dressed patrons dancing and drinking together.

He wasmy man, and we were so happy

Twofools in love, how now it may seem

Heturned and walked towards her again, and reached behind her. There was a kindof release of tension, a snap of something metallic, and she found her armsfree. She reached out, trying immediately to push him away –

Somethingaround her back snapped into place and held her wrists apart, a hard linepressing against her skin from behind, her arms not moving any further thanjust past her own sides. A rope. There was a rope between them, kept at adeliberate length so that she could not bring her hands together in front ofher.

Whatwas he planning to do to her?

Thesinger continued her breathy tune, the lyrics seeming to enfold Dakota in ahaze.

Nowwhen I think of how I was happy

Idon't recall was it nightmare or dream

“Therewe are,” he said, taking each of her hands. He stepped in close to her asthough they were lovers dancing cheek to cheek, placing one of her hands on hisshoulder and taking the other in his own hand. After a brief pause to wait forthe next line to start, he began to move, turning around her and dragging herfeet slightly in some awful parody of a dance.

Shecame along, with a rose in her hair

Prettyand young, with a smile like sunshine

He wasso strange in his movements, almost tender with her, like they were on somedancefloor in a bar or alone in a kitchen, dancing to show their love. Butshe’d seen his face now and she still had no idea who he was, no clue as to whyhe had brought her here. No understanding of what his motive for this dancewas.

Thatwas what scared her the most – because even as tender as he was being, she knewshe must be in danger.

Thesinger began to sing a new line, but Dakota never heard it – he whirled hersuddenly, thrusting her at arm’s length from himself, making her almost toppleover. His grip on the top of her arms tightened painfully, making her catch herbreath in a sob.

Andthen she saw his face.

Hewasn’t soft and gentle anymore. He wasn’t a gentleman. He was looking at herwith his upper lip raised in a snarl, and there was so much anger in his eyesthat she flinched, trying to tear herself out of his grip.

Itonly occurred to her as she was falling that maybe he wanted her to throwherself to the ground, where it was even harder for her to get away.

Shehit the concrete hard, going down on her elbow with no real way to catchherself, the wind knocked out of her as the impact of the ground hit her bodyand then her legs. She struggled to find a breath. At least it wasn’t her head.She hadn’t hit her head. She still had enough strength to roll over and startto crawl – gasping in pain as she realized she’d done something bad to herelbow – trying to get even an inch further away from him –

Somethinghard and heavy struck her from behind, and she felt something give in herchest, something wrong. A moment later as she looked down and saw bright redblood pooling on the floor below her, she felt the pain. It wasn’t justpressure or a strike – something had pierced her – something pinning her to theground –

Dakotaopened her mouth to cry out in pain but the sound died on her lips, not enoughbreath left in her body to make it. She felt something else heavy on her back,just in one spot on her shoulder – a booted foot, pressing down on her. Andthen the pressure reversing, the piercing thing withdrawing from her chest andher back.

Dakotatasted something metallic in her mouth. She thought for a second about herlittle brother, who was waiting at home for her – was he waiting? – how longhad it been? – and then nothing else, the world going black around her for goodthis time.

CHAPTER TWO

Laura blinked at thesound of Lacey’s voice calling from the sofa. She must have zoned out for amoment, gone somewhere in her head.

That had been happening alot in the last week, since she’d had that horrible vision.

“I’m just finishing upyour sandwich, sweetie,” Laura called back. “You want crusts or no crusts?”

“No crusts,” Laceyreplied immediately, twisting on the sofa to look over the side cushions andgive Laura a wide-eyed look which made her mother laugh. The five-year-oldhated crusts, as most children seemed to for some reason. She blinked her blueeyes at Laura’s laughter and then tossed her blonde hair to look back at theshow she was watching on the TV, doing her best impression of a grumpy teenageralready.

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