CHAPTER FOUR

Lost in this world, out on the edge with death by our side.

She was in the middle of running her dirty fingers through her filthy brunette hair when Allison heard someone making their way into the basement. She had been here almost a week (if her count of days and nights were correct) and the only person she had any contact with was Vaas. Supposedly he was the only one who knew about her. Still, she always felt her gut tighten and her breathing screech to a stop when she heard that door scrape open against the concrete floor.

"Alice?" Vaas' voice cut through the dim basement light, the sun having set not but ten minutes ago. Alli didn't respond to him. She never responded to him at first, just in case he wasn't alone, and it was always good to see what kind of mood he was in first.

The light flipped on in the basement, electricity whirring before the high-wattage light bulb replaced the sound with a distinct buzz. Once the light flooded the dank room, Allison saw that Vaas was indeed not alone this time. With him, he had a woman, her hands bound tightly and a bag over her head. She was dressed in dark green capri pants, a dirty button-up shirt and a blue patterned scarf was around her neck. The confusion must have been present on Allison's face, and even a slight fear etched in her eyes. Was she being replaced? Did she have a new "roommate"? Vaas, as he kicked the heavy door closed behind him, didn't seem like... his usual self. He looked upset, or possibly stressed.

"Alice," Vaas spoke again, "Help me."

Alli perked up at her new nick name from Vaas. Afraid to ask any questions, she immediately stood up from her mattress and walked over to where Vaas was forcing the girl into the only chair in the room, the one Alli had once been bound to.

"Tie her in," Vaas said, slinging a small bundle of what looked like climbing rope off of his shoulder hand handing it to Allison. "I'll hold her down." The girl didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight but she did struggle against Vaas' suppression. "You know how to tie a knot, chica?" Vaas asked her as Alli began to wrap the rope around the girls middle, before tying each individual end around the girl's wrists. Vaas only gave her this one piece of rope, and Alli was afraid it wouldn't be enough. When she was in the chair, she had her legs, arms, and her torso tied separately.

Allison didn't verbally respond to him, but the look in her green eyes when she made eye contact with Vaas told him that she didn't.

"Hold her down, let me tie it," Vaas commanded, and Alli was thankful he didn't sound angry or disappointed. She let the rope fall from her hands and moved into Vaas' previous position, keeping her hands on both of the girl's shoulders. The girl didn't struggle at all against Allison, not like she was against Vaas, and Alli couldn't help but wonder why. Had she simply given up already?

"Alice," Vaas said, still knelt behind the chair as he finished up his knot. He stood up then looking very serious, and walked up to Allison. He pushed her away from the new girl by a few steps, both of his hands gripping her upper arms. "Listen to me carefully. Don't let her get out of here, and don't let her draw attention down here. Got it chica?" Vaas began and Allison nodded, keeping eye contact with him. "If anybody comes down here and finds you I'm fucked. And if I'm fucked, you're fucked. You're fucked by some ugly bastard pig's cock, got it?"

Allison, still silent, nodded "yes", understanding that what Vaas meant is that she would be immediately sold off to some "ugly bastard pig" as a sex slave.

"So don't let her free. Don't let her scream, got it?" Vaas stressed and Alli nodded once more. "Matter of fact don't even take that bag off her head. She's not here at all. Okay chica?"

"Wh-what do I do if she gets free?" Allison stuttered out, anxiety over the situation slowly flooding her gut.

"She won't. If need be, hit her-" Vaas said, moving his right hand behind Allison's head, his fingers moving her hair aside until he was met with her scalp at the base of her skull, "-here. Hard. Knock her out." Vaas' hands on Allison's skin both made her stomach twist and gave her an odd since of security. Something else must have been readable on her face because Vaas continued. "Don't be scared. She'll only be here a day, I promise. Then it's back to just me and you chica," Vaas smiled at her, finally letting her go.

"How's your water?" Vaas asked, treating her like some kind of pet. Vaas stepped back from Allison before making his way to the metal door.

"Good," Alli replied quiet and prompt. Vaas had given her, on a few occasions, a variety of containers full of water with some looking cleaner than others. She had a good two or three gallons still.

"When did I last feed you?" Vaas asked her. Alli remembered back to that morning when Vaas hadn't even bothered coming down to the basement, he had only tossed a burlap sack with a small variety of citrus fruits into the basement via the barred window.

"Today," Alli replied again, shortly. Vaas looked like he thought a moment to remember before moving to make his leave.

"If you need anything Alice, I'll be back tomorrow." He opened the metal door and stepped out

Before the door closed, before Alli could stop her tongue from speaking, "Vaas?" had left her lips. He stopped, poking his head back into the room, serious once again and Allison was afraid she had just messed up. She had been acting so good until now. She saw that he was actually waiting for her to speak and her next words were forced out, with a shaky voice. "Uh, M-Molly?" She asked, standing frozen in place, still only in her bikini and cover-up.

Vaas rose one of his eyebrows before stepping back into the room. "Not the drug..." Alli continued and Vaas looked thoughtful again for a second.

"She's still here. I'm still looking for someone to take her but my men and I will keep her until then," Vaas answered straight, only to be met with more of Allison's silence. "Sierra is with the bossman, not sure if she'll live through that," he decided to continue and Alli's eyes began to water, though she did try to hide the sudden surge of emotion. "Sam is here too," Vaas added, like it would help cheer her up. "I've found a sick fucker who wants him, interested in teenage boys. Motherfucker. So everything is good, Alice, okay?" Vaas made to leave again, one last sentence said before the door closed, "As long as you're with me you're safe. Don't fuck up."

Allison was left standing there, holding back tears as she hugged herself. She was no longer alone, and even though this new girl was just another captive, Alli didn't feel comfortable crying in front of her. She stood there for a while more, staring at the metal door Vaas had left through as she composed herself, before turning to look at the new captive.

She wasn't moving, her covered head slumped to the side and her body looked limp. Allison couldn't even tell if the girl was breathing. Suddenly, Alli's sorrow became fear, what would happen to her if this girl was dead when Vaas came back? Would he be mad? Would he kill her too? Allison moved forward slowly towards the girl, making as little sound as possible. Standing in front of the new captive, Allison stared at her a few moments longer, still unable too see if the girl was breathing or not, with the way she was slumped over in her chair.

"Hello?" Alison called out, the word barely carried out from her dry lips. Allison didn't get an answer and after another moment, she reached forward to slowly pull the sack from over the girl's face. Underneath was an American, mid twenties with brunette hair caked in blood and a filthy face. Her eyes fluttered open for a brief second, showing Allison a bright blue, before they closed again. The new captive, however pretty she was, had been ruined by Vaas, and now she was gagged and tied to a chair. Just like Allison had been. A gut wrenching fear settled heavy in Alison's stomach. She just might be replaced by this new girl.

She thought about putting the bag back over the girl's head and having nothing more to do with her until Vaas came back, but Alli also couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "Hey," Allison took hold of the woman's shoulder and shook her. This time the woman opened her eyes and was able to keep them on Alli.

"Do you... Do you want some water?" She asked the woman and watched her blue eyes slightly widen with a feeble nod. "If I take the tape off, you can't scream. Okay? We'll both die," Allison spoke, almost urgently while the new woman kept staring at her. "Nod if you understand me."

The woman promptly nodded and Allison reached forward, trying to pick at one of the corners enough to lift it up. "Please don't scream," Alli said as she did so. "Sorry! I'm sorry," she repeated, having to forcefully rip the tape from the woman's cheek, losing her grip a couple times before the tape was off. Alli heard the woman grunting in pain but she looked relieved once the tape was off her face. Some of the woman's skin had been left raw, especially around her dry and cracked lips. She opened her mouth wider and Alli saw her trying to force out what looked like gauze with her tongue.

Alli reached forward and grabbed the gauze with two of her fingers, gingerly pulling it out of her mouth asking, "Please don't scream," as she did.

"Thank you," the woman was able to finally speak, letting out a long sigh after. Alli didn't answer her as she dropped the gauze on the ground and left to grab the cleanest water she had.

"Here," Allison returned and helped the woman drink her fill.

"Thank you," she mumbled again after most of the water was gone. What is this place?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"I'm Alli. We're in some sort of basement. I woke up here like you," Alli explained and the woman looked confused.

"You weren't put into a cage? Did you try to escape?"

"No, Vaas put me here when he took me off my yacht with my friends," Alli tried not to think of them, and fought the urge to ask the woman if she had seen anyone else.

"You aren't being sold off?" The woman pushed

"No, Vaas is keeping me."

"Keeping you for what?" The woman looked shocked and then worried in a split second.

Finally a question Allison wasn't sure how to answer. "I don't know. Vaas said it was a better fate than being ransomed and sold off," Alli replied truthfully.

"Vaas isn't a better fate. We need to get out of here, help me undo my hands," the woman began struggling with her bonds

"I can't, Vaas would kill us both if I helped you escape," Alli shook her head, stepping backwards from her.

"Vaas will kill us anyways if we stay here. He doesn't just keep people for no reason." The woman tried arguing with Allison.

"I've been here for a week at least and he's done nothing but hide me from his men and feed me," Alli explained, leaving out the time he drugged her. More oft than not her food had been clean.

"I've been here four days and, please believe me, Vaas is not a nice guy. A girl like you shouldn't trust him," she told Alli urgently.

"What did you do to to him?" Alli ignored her.

"I escaped. Today, I escaped and he caught me again. I heard from the other pirates that Jason and Grant had escaped also and I was trying to find them. I have no idea where the others are but..." The woman began to cry as she explained her predicament. "Vaas killed Riley... I think he killed Riley."

"I don't know who you're talking about," Allison replied tenderly, understanding her pain.

"My friends... My boyfriend. Jason escaped and I know he's looking for me. I don't want him to to come here, I need to go to him."

"I can't help you escape," Alli admitted, "I can't even get out of this room. And if Vaas found you once, he'll find you again," she explained, believing every syllable of what she said.

"Oh God," she wept and Alli just watched her. "I'm not even supposed to be here. I should have went home," she sobbed and Alli didn't know what to do. "Its like I'm in a life or death situation and I keep worrying about missing the stupid audition."

"Audition for what?" Alli asked, perking up slightly.

"... Hollywood." Alli could see the hope fizzling out of her eyes.

"You're an actress?" Alli asked, her own eyes widening. She knelt before the woman, very intrigued. She had dreamed of auditioning in Hollywood before. As for her life so far, she was only able to land "major" roles in her school plays.

"Not yet," she answered Alli. "God, are you listening to me?" Alli didn't know how to comfort her, she had no idea if either of them would ever see civilization again, let alone more than just the sliver of sky she can see from the basement's thin window. "What's your name?" She asked in Allison's silence.

"Alli," she responded.

"I'm Liza," she introduced herself, tears falling down her cheeks from her blue eyes.