Chapter 25

A brisk chill seeped through the cracks in the door and windows. Sue closed her eyes as an intense shiver shook her entire body. While the bodysuit she wore with the prosthetic provided her with some insulation against the cold, she wished she had her heavy jacket with her. Without it, she knew it wouldn't be long before the bitter weather overwhelmed her.

Sue had no idea how long they'd been left in here alone, but she was beginning to worry about her co-worker. Myles had been unconscious for what seemed like an impossibly long time, and the pool of blood under his head was cause for concern.

The other blonde woman didn't seem to be faring much better. Sue wished she could remember what Jack had said her name was, but her head had been aching so badly that she wasn't able to concentrate on their conversation last night. Bobby, knowing she was hurting when they returned to the suite, had left out many of the nonessential details as he cajoled her to go to bed early.

Maybe I'll still get that opportunity to know her name, Sue thought grimly as she opened her eyes to check on the other woman. Despite her obvious pregnancy, the men had been quite rough with her when they dragged her into the small tool shed. The pain the pregnant blonde was feeling was evident each time their eyes met across the room.

With Myles out of commission, and Jack and Bobby who knew where, Sue knew it was up to her to find a way out of this. The bindings around her wrists had cut into her skin when her kidnapper had tied her to the pole, but now she could barely feel it.

Since most of the other ropes suspended around the small shed were for climbing rather than rescue work, Sue hoped the loosening she felt was from the rope's construction and not frostbite in her hands. Concentrating hard as she blocked out everything else around her, she twisted her arms back and forth, praying that she could get her hands free before the other men returned.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought she felt the cord slip down her hands. While part of it was from the friction of the cord burned her delicate skin, Sue was almost bursting with joy at her progress; she wasn't about to give up.

After several minutes of trying, Sue jerked in surprise when her hand suddenly slipped through the ropes. Though she wanted to cry out in triumph, she controlled herself long enough to throw the rope away and pull the thick cloth from her teeth.

She struggled to her feet, the protruding bump hindering her movement, and moved to the other woman's side, casting a worried glance at Myles on her way by. "Are you okay?" she asked, pulling the cloth from the frightened blonde's mouth.

Seeing the woman nod, Sue watched her mouth for a response. When it didn't look like the pregnant blonde was going to actually say anything, Sue leaned around behind her to untie her hands.

Sitting back up, Sue blinked when she realized the woman was talking to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't get that," she apologized carefully, knowing some of the attitudes she received when people learned of her hearing loss. "I'm deaf, but if you look at me when you're talking, I can read your lips," she explained with a gentle smile.

"Oh, uh…I," the other woman stammered, staring at Sue like she'd grown two heads.

Sue knew the woman had been through a lot, so she tried to brush off the reaction. "I'm Sue."

"Traci," the bewildered mom-to-be replied automatically.

Traci! That was it! Sue thought to herself, wondering how she could have missed such an easy name. "Nice to meet you. I just wish it was under different circumstances," she grimaced before suddenly remembering Myles, lying not too far away. "Let me check on Myles, and then we'll see what we can do about getting out of this place," she offered confidently.

She was about to turn away when she caught Traci starting to say something. "Sorry. What was that?" Sue asked, spinning back quickly.

"Oh, sorry," Traci blushed, looking away embarrassed. Then, remembering what Sue had just told her, her head snapped back around. "Sorry," she apologized again. "I was just wondering how you knew Myles?"

Sue hesitated for a moment, realizing her mistake. Myles was undercover, and she'd just blown it for the tall New Englander. Then again, she thought with a frown, it was probably already blown by the way he came charging in here.

"We work together," Sue answered simply, figuring it probably wasn't a big deal anymore.

"In the FBI?" Traci asked, bewildered.

Myles told her? Sue frowned, knowing it was so unlike her proper, by-the-book co-worker. As if on cue, images of the blond New Englander standing outside the shed earlier flashed through her mind. Ah, he would have identified himself without even thinking when he pulled his gun, she realized with an understanding smile. "Yes."

"Oh," Traci instinctively returned her smile, glancing at the man on the floor by her feet. Her eyes widened expectantly as she said, "I think he's waking up!"

Sue spun around quickly to see that the other woman was indeed right. Joy and relief mixed as the slight movement of his head indicated that Myles was starting to come around. With their almost equally swollen stomachs, the two women had trouble crawling next to the prone agent. Since they knew they'd just have to get back down and he was so close, they didn't even try getting up.

"Myles?" Sue called quietly, wincing as she ran her fingers through his blond hair and encountered a large knot at the base of his skull. She could see his lips moving and felt the vibrations of his moaning through her hand on his chest, but she couldn't hear what he was mumbling.

"What is he saying?" Sue asked worriedly, looking up at the other woman for answers.

"Not much that I can understand," Traci frowned, shaking her head. "It looks like his head's stopped bleeding, though. The cold probably helped with that."

"But he's lost an awful lot already." Sue's voice held concern as she shivered uncontrollably at the thought of the weather outside.

"Oh my!" Traci exclaimed, realizing Sue's clothing situation for the first time. "You must be freezing."

"I'm managing." Sue clenched her teeth together, trying to keep them from chattering. Her mother had always taught her to take care of herself, and she didn't want to appear weak, even to this stranger. Even so, she was so cold she was having trouble thinking rationally "We need to find a way out of here and get Myles some help," she told the woman, in an effort to change the subject.

"How do we do that?" Traci questioned, looking around the small shed at the various tools and equipment.

"We can try prying one of the windows open," Sue offered optimistically. She didn't know if it would actually work, but she had to try something.

Sue was just pushing herself to her feet when Traci suddenly grabbed her arm to get her attention. "Someone's outside!" she gasped, the panic on her face clearly indicating who she thought it might be.

"Get back over there." Sue indicated the floor where Traci had spent a long time tied up. She grabbed the ropes from the floor and flung them out of sight as the other blonde moved back into position, shifting the gag back over her mouth as she sat down.

Sue scowled as she looked around the room for some kind of weapon. Seeing a metal pole in the corner, she grabbed it before sliding into position beside the door. With her back against the wall, she lifted the heavy pipe over her shoulder and waited.