Chapter 29

When Kimber came to, she had found herself at the exact same place she so badly would've wanted to forget the whole time. Even before opening her eyes she recognised the smell and knew she was back in her old solitary confinement. She reluctantly opened her eyes. For a small moment she hoped she was only having one of her nightmares that haunted her night by night. But she already knew on a whim that this was no nightmare this time.

Kimber cautiously moved her arms and legs and determined that with this occasion Quentin didn't put her in shackles. Her body was jacketed into an old cotton bedspread instead. Kimber concluded surprised that she was naked under that. Then she remembered what happened in the McNamara house. Quentin attacked her in the bathtub and anaesthetised her after that. Kimber shuddered at the thought of it. She was really fearing death when her head was pushed under water again and again. What irony of fate, she thought. She was just thinking about killing herself and when she was fighting for her life under the water she wanted nothing more than surviving. It crossed her mind why she was there all of a sudden.

She sat up slowly and looked around. Where was Christian? There was a sagging feeling in her stomach. If he wasn't here, then Quentin must've have already killed him anyway. Kimber stood up and went over to the paled door with wobbly knees holding the covers tightly onto herself, "hallo?" She called out with a scratchy voice, "is somebody here?"

It took a while before she saw somebody coming towards her in the little trace of light coming from the window. The iron gate was pulled up and made way for...

"Kit!" Kimber said surprised when she recognised who her visitor was.

Light filled the room when Kit switched on the lamp on the ceiling.

Kimber blinked because her unaccustomed eyes were hurt by it.

Kit laughed, "hallo Kimber! It's nice to see you," with lithesome movements she hugged Kimber and scrutinised her from top to bottom, "you didn't expect me, did you?"

Kimber shook her head, "where's Christian?" She asked with a shaking voice.

"He's at a safe place," Kimber answered avoidantly.

"What have you done to him?" Kimber's voice was shaking from her repressed anger now.

Kit shrugged, "me? Nothing at all," she said playing innocent, "Quentin's responsible for all that."

Kimber felt her heart sinking, "is he...is he...?" She didn't dare to utter the word.

"If he's dead?" Kit completed the sentence. She shook her head, "no, he's alive, but I wouldn't know for how long now."

Kimber's initial relief over the fact that Christian was still alive mixed with feeling fear for him, "what do you want with him?" She asked, "but he didn't do anything! Please let him go!"

"Nice try," Kit was unimpressed, "it's really moving how concerned you are about him. People might think you're still in love with him."

Kimber pressed her lips tightly together and looked down. Kit could think whatever she wanted. She will not open her heart to her.

"But as always," Kit continued and made a dismissing gesture, "I'm not here to talk about Christian."

"Why...why are you here?" Kimber asked hesitating.

"I have a present for you," Kit answered smiling, "only a little minute and I'll be right back," she turned around and left the cage.

Kimber twitched when the door's grating fell back into place. She was alone again. She pulled her covers higher up on herself freezing. She thought about Christian. What did Kit mean when she said she didn't know how long for he will still live? Was he hurt? That would explain the blood on the hankie the ring was wrapped into. Uncertainty stretched Kimber's nerves. She wanted to get to him to see with her own eyes how he was. However, as long as she was locked up in there she had no chance to do that.

The grating was lifted up again and Kit stepped in. She was holding a cardboard box, "here's my present!" She said and put the box down onto the floor, "open it!"

Kimber crouched down hesitantly and reluctantly opened the box. The last time she got a present from Quentin, it was her engagement ring equipped with a bloody greeting. What was waiting for her this time, she asked herself shuddering. Christian's head?

She found out surprised that it was her wedding dress in the box. Kit had apparently went into the bother of cleaning it, because it wasn't smeared with blood anymore anywhere. Kimber looked up at Kit confused.

"Put it on!" Kit said impatiently, "for me," she added more mildly.

Kimber shook her head mechanically. She had only put this dress on for one person alone-for Christian. And she wouldn't do it for the second time, even less so for Kit.

Kit suddenly fetched a knife from somewhere and held it up in Kimber's direction threateningly, "put it on!" She repeated her instruction, "I don't want to hurt you."

Kimber took the dress out the box with shaking hands and started to clothe. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she ignored them.

"Wait, I'll help you," Kit put the knife away again and let her hands slide along Kimber's back while she put the dozen little hooks that held the dress in one piece together.

Kit's touch gave Kimber the goose bumps. She squirmed ill at ease.

"And now turn around!"

Kimber turned to Kit repulsively. She felt extradited under her invasive look and hung her head impetuously.

"Perfect!" Kit stepped to Kimber and watched her fascinated.

Kimber saw Kit's peculiar look and became terrified.

"You're fair and beautiful! Do you know that? The perfect bride!" Kit said admiringly. She put her hand out and stroke the white satin dress almost reverentially, "do you still remember what I've told you when we were all together? You could never be safe with Christian."

Kimber nodded as a reflex action. She stood there like a statue.

"You can only be safe with me. The two of us belong together," Kit let her hands slide down from Kimber's shoulders to her breasts, "your skin feels like fine silk," she said with a requisitioning look, "I have loved you from the first moment like I loved nobody else before. But you only had eyes for Christian," she said scornfully, "now he's gonna pay for what he had taken from me!"

Kimber looked at Kit perplexed. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. This could only be some nightmare! Kit loved her? And that is why they kidnapped Christian, so that they can get to her? Transgression out of jealousy? Her stomach tightened. This was worse than a nightmare, maybe even worse than death! She pulled one step back to put a stop to Kit's fondlings, "let me go!" She entreated her in her desperation, "I don't love you!"

Kit's face suddenly became like a stiff mask, "because you still love Christian, right?" She said ice coldly. She went to the door and turned back to Kimber, "all right, then I'll have to do whatever's necessary so that you forget him for ever!"

Kimber understood the meaning behind Kit's last sentence. She'll kill Christian-here and now! And it was up to her whether he lived or died.

The grating plunged downwards with a loud rattling sound after Kit had left her confinement.

Kimber shook the bars of her cage despondently, "no, Kit, wait!" She shouted, "I'll do everything you want me to, but please don't hurt him!" She sunk to the floor crying, still hanging on to the railing, "please don't kill him! Take me...!"

But nobody responded to her cries. Kimber's screams died away in the high stockrooms.