Chapter 18

Dean had been pulling and tugging at those chains for what seemed like hours. If he could just get the clamp in the ceiling that was holding the chains loose enough, he might have a chance, he thought. His whole body hurt. His head was still killing him, but he continued trying to get free. His side screamed out in pain, but finally the clamp gave a little. "Come on!' he said as he tugged again. This loosened the clamp a little more. He was about to try again when he heard the basement door open and voices as the men came down the stairs.

"Shit!" Dean said. He hoped they wouldn't notice that he'd pulled the clamp loose. "Please," he said to himself.

"What are you doing, Dean?" asked one of the men as he walked over to him.

"Oh, just hanging around," said Dean sarcastically.

The man nodded. "You're not just hanging around," he said as he looked up at the ceiling. He saw the loose clamp hanging there. The man looked back at Dean who shook his head. "Do you realize that all I have to do is make a phone call and the doctor will kill your brother?" He took out his phone and started to dial. "Is that what you want?" He held the phone to his ear.

"No! Wait!" said Dean. "Don't call him! I'm sorry, okay?" The man hung up the phone. He hit Dean hard in the stomach, causing the clamp to break loose. Dean fell to the floor, his hands still in the chains, clamp dangling. Two other men picked him up and shoved him into a chair. They chained his hands behind him and then chained his feet to the floor.

"You are not going to get away, Dean!" said the man that had hit him. "I guess you need another lesson." He went over to the table and chose his weapon. When he turned around, Dean gasped. It was an electric handheld drill!

"No, man, are you crazy? COME ON!" Dean said. He had no doubt that the man would use it. He started toward Dean with the drill. "What the hell are you doing?" asked Dean in fear.

"I'm trying to decide where I'm going to drill a hole," said the man who appeared to be the leader of the group. "Now let's see," he said, thinking. "I could drill one here," he said as he placed the drill against Dean's temple.

"No!" said Dean.

"Or, I could drill a hole here," he said as he placed it against Dean's neck.

"Please!" Dean pleaded.

"What about if I drill one here?" he asked as he placed the drill right below Dean's heart.

"Wait, I know!" the man said as he began to get angry. "I could drill a hole here," He placed the drill against Dean's side. "I could even go lower!" said the man. "Know what I mean?"

"DON'T!" said Dean.

"Why don't you decide Dean?" the man asked. "Where do I drill the hole?"

Dean shook his head. "YOU'RE CRAZY!" he shouted.

"What?" said the man as he flipped the switch and turned the drill on. He placed it close to Dean's face. Dean closed his eyes. "Where's it going to be Dean?" he asked. "Where do I drill it? You decide or I will."

"Please!" said Dean. "Stop!"

"You don't seem so tough right now, Dean. What's the problem? Where are your smart ass comments, huh? WHERE DO I DRILL THE DAMN HOLE, DEAN? PICK!"

Dean started breathing very hard. He swallowed. "Don't!" he said again.

The man's cell phone rang. He turned off the drill so he could answer it. "Hello," he said, listening to the caller. "Yes," he said. "I understand," and hung up the phone.

"Where do I drill the hole, Dean?" He said as he came back over to Dean.

Dean shook his head. "Please!" he said.

"You were very lucky this time," the man said, grabbing Dean by his hair and forcing his head back. "You won't be next time."

He let Dean go. "We're to take him back to his room," he told the other men. They unchained Dean's hands and feet.

"Can I have some water?" he asked.

The men looked at the leader. "No, you can't," he said.

They took Dean back to his room. They shoved him back down on his bed and strapped his wrists down. They locked the door and pushed the bookshelves back in front of it, then went back upstairs.

Dean swallowed hard as he thought about what had almost happened. He closed his eyes and thought about his brother, alone at the hospital with that psychopath. Finally exhaustion overtook him and drifted off into a fitful sleep.