Chapter Three

"You can call me M," the scarred man told them as he took out some yellow rope and tied them; Lily to a wooden chair brought from the kitchen, Bug to the stair's banister. Both sat with their hands behind their backs.

"She needs medical attention!" Bug struggled uncomfortably with his back to the room.

The blonde woman on the sofa was regaining consciousness. Lily watched her eyes flutter open and closed. Her legs and arms moved as if in painful sleep.

M walked up to her, his shoes thumping along the wooden floors. He aimed the butt of his shotgun at her head. The boy next to her looked, terrified, into his eyes and let out a whimper as he held his mother tighter. Lily screamed, "No! Please, don't!"

He stopped, inches from her head and changed course. His eyes gleamed furiously. Holding the barrel of the gun with his left hand he walked, with a calm demeanor, to Lily and back handed her across the face with his gnarled right. Lily let out a surprised scream. Tears formed in her eyes, clouding her vision as he took her face and pinched it, bringing it closer to his, "I give the orders around here, pretty."

Forcing back her cries, she lowered her head so that her hair shrouded her face and nodded in understanding.

Bug nearly exploded. If he had superpowers, he would have torn from his bondage and attacked that man, succeeding in eliminating him, then he would sweep Lily up and carry her to safety. But he didn't have super human powers. He was a regular doctor and he was tied to a banister while the woman he loved was smacked around. And a woman he didn't know groaned in pain. He felt helpless, blameful, and weak.

The scarred man known only as M began to methodically check the windows and doors. He ensured that they were locked tight and that the curtains were drawn. He checked outside to see that no suspicious vehicles had pulled up. "I'm leaving the room for a moment. Any mischief and I'll shoot the boy," he said confidently revealing a pistol from his side. He went into the kitchen.

"We've been in situations like this before. We'll get through this one," Lily said, her whispers barely audible.

"That's right. We just have to figure out a way to get out of this one. We can do it Lily," Bug said, instilling confidence in her. When he turned his head, he could see that she was shaking, her hands, instinctively fumbling with the knots behind her.

M's footsteps told of his return. At the same moment, there was a knock on the door. A muffled voice from outside announced whose arrival it was, "This is Detective Seely of the Boston Police Department. Open up, I just have a few questions."

M's face grew red with anger. His fists clenched, his knuckles cracked. Lily watched his eyes. One moment they were calm and the next like a raging storm, they were filled with intense anger. He stood, rooted to his spot in the center of the living room.

The knock sounded again, as well as a long bell. Bug wanted to scream out, how easy would it be? He sat feet from the front door. Surely Seely would hear him and take action. But he might harm Lily or any of the other captives in the process. He stayed silent.

Lily turned her head to the door desperately. She, the damsel in distress; he, her savior.

"Say a word and the red-head dies," M mumbled.

Bug's cell phone began ringing and vibrating on his side. He assumed it was Dr. Macy calling to tell him of his findings, calling to check his location. He wished he could answer it.

M was in his face, "What the fuck is that?" Bug wanted to wipe the spit from his face.

"My cell phone, take it if you want it."

And he did. He wrenched it from his belt and threw it toward the kitchen. He watched, satisfied, as the battery separated from the phone. He turned to Lily, "Do you have one too?"

At that moment with M's back turned, Lily saw Matt's face peer into the living room. His hands cupped over his eyes to better see into the darker area. Lily looked away despondently, as if responding to M.

"No, it's not here."

"You're not lying to me are you?" He whispered into her ear, his scratchy voice irritating her so that she flinched. She covered up her disgust by shaking her head. "You know," he said, still in her ear, "I could untie you for a while, if you're willing to do a little something for me." He touched her, his hand traveling from her hip to her breast; he let it rest there for a bit.

She felt bile rise in her throat. She glanced at the window. Matt was frozen there; he couldn't take his eyes off Lily. She raised her eyebrows in a signal, as if to tell him to get moving and to call for back up.

He stumbled away from the bay style window, distracting M from Lily for a moment. He glared at her, unsure of what he saw. She sat, emotionless, violated, but inwardly pleased that they still had a chance to get out alive. She sat with her hair covering her face. He went to the window and saw the detective strolling down the walk at a leisurely pace, apparently giving up on finding anybody home. But when he passed Lily, she could see the suspicion in his eyes.