Chapter 9

Monday 8.00 am: unknown location

"He's probably going to be back soon." Hailey was getting anxious.

Olivia was thinking hard to get a plan straight in her head. The closest broken pipe was too high for them to try scratch the tape on it. Same thing for the wall, it was completely smooth. No sharp protrusions, no spikes, no edges, nothing they could use to loosen the tape.

"Shit!", she was the one supposed to come up with an idea, she was the one supposed to save Hailey.

Then, like a bolt from the blue, it struck her.

"Hailey, how's your body flexibility?"

"I practice yoga three times a week. What about it?"

"I think I got an idea that will set us free. Have you ever played that game in school? Where you cross your arm with a friend, sitting on floor, like we are, and then you push with your feet and roll over the friend's back to fall in front of them?"

"No, but I know what you mean. Should I roll over you?"

"Yeah, I'll try to spread my legs as much as I can."

Olivia forced the tape around her ankles and could open a space between her knees.

"Ok, you got something like 20 inches."

Hailey looked back trying to take the right measurement.

"On the count of three?"

"Yes."

Hailey lifted her body using Olivia's back as a support. She braced her feet on the ground

"I'm ready; 1…" Hailey took another look at the space between Olivia's legs.

"2…", Olivia started to double over.

"3!", Hailey pushed hard against the ground, rolled over Olivia's back and fell right through her knees.

Olivia yelped for the pain that hit her again in the back of the neck and head. When she raised her head, she could look Hailey in the eyes for the first time.

They both emitted a sigh of relief and smiled at each other.

"What do I do now?" asked Hailey.

"Now you pull up, I push down."

Monday 8.00 am: uptown Manhattan

"It was Cragen on the phone" said Fin on the passenger seat folding his cell " Foster's Mercedes was just spotted on the 95 exiting the Bronx. He is definitely going at the facility."

"The traffic is all incoming the city; he'll be there in 30 mins at most." replied Elliot.

"No!, Don't take the Washington Bridge", yelled Munch.

"Foster is THAT way." said Fin pointing at the street sign.

"We'll get stuck. People work in the Bronx too. Drive north, in the countryside, we'll cross with 95 later. It's longer but there is less traffic and we'll earn some time on Foster. Trust me."

Elliot took his decision and followed the hint Munch gave.

Monday 8.22 am: storage facility

"Got it!"

Olivia and Hailey had been fighting with the damn tape for the last twenty minutes and finally they loosened it enough and could finally shred it from their arms.

Once Hailey was free, she sat back in front of Olivia to free her ankles. The same did Olivia.

Once they were done, they were still deep-breathing for the physical strain just carried out.

Olivia's arms had the pins and needles but she was enjoying it. They were finally free.

Their solace wasn't going to last long. Soon they heard a metallic sound and then footsteps.