Lana sighed in relief as the last strap was removed. Sitting up, she rubbed her back which had been steadily aching for the past hour or two. She wiggled her arms and legs to get the circulation running again, and hoped that she wouldn't have to beg to be taken to a toilet. Helen stood nearby, watching with mild interest. "The door will be locked at all times, and armed guards are posted outside."
"Lovely," Lana muttered. Bathroom please!
"If you attempt to escape, they will simply shoot you, and then I'll have to cut the baby out. Do you understand? I am taking your baby regardless." Lana nodded and glanced around the room. It was the first time since she'd arrived that she could really see where she was, and actually there wasn't much to look at. A door that she hadn't noticed before was at the far end, and one chair stood next to the bed beside a small table.
I wonder if I can take this bitch out with the chair?
"Neither are actually sturdy enough to be used as a weapon," Helen said then as she followed Lana's gaze. Lana snapped back to attention. "I need a bathroom." Helen nodded. "Yes, that would be helpful." She pulled out a set of keys from her pocket, and unlocked the mystery door, revealing a tiny unlit bathroom. Lana entered, and turned to see Helen standing in the doorway. "What? You want to make sure that I don't use the toilet as an escape hatch?" Helen gave that sickly sweet smile that Lana was beginning to hate. "Just want to be sure you're safe."
Alone in her room again, Lana walked around in circles, feeling a bit like a hamster taking a turn on its exercise wheel. She wants to take our baby. The wheel goes up. But why? What does she want with him? The wheel goes down. She'd felt panic when Helen first told her that she would take her baby, and now she felt anger. Angry at Helen for threatening her baby, angry at herself for feeling so helpless and angry at Lex for not rescuing her and for meeting the bitch in the first place. She sighed and sat down in the flimsy chair carefully. It wobbled a bit, letting Lana know that Helen had not lied about its sturdiness. An image flashed in her mind of the chair breaking, and her falling flat on her fanny and having to call Helen for help. She got back up with difficulty and continued circling the room. The small of her back was aching fiercely, and a sharp pain had begun in her side.
After a few laps, Lana pressed her ear to the door and listened. There were at least two far away voices, one of which must have been Helen, and the other was possibly a man.
"...waiting for you there," the man's voice said. "There shouldn't be any other problems once we cross the border."
"Thank you," said Helen. "It shouldn't be much longer- by morning for sure, and then we can leave." Her clicking heels approached the door, and Lana backed away as it opened. "Cross the border? Where are you going?" She placed a protective hand over her belly and glared. "That shouldn't concern you," answered Helen. She began feeling for Lana's pulse, and placed a hand on Lana's stomach, which she slapped away. "And why wouldn't it concern me?" Helen's black eyes bore into Lana's. "Because you'll be dead," she shrugged.
Lana's jaw fell open a bit, and she clamped it shut. She'd had just about enough of this. "And you think you can just do that? Lex is looking for me you stupid bitch! You think he really won't find me?" Helen just laughed, and placed a hand on her hip. "Well, he didn't find me did he? They can look for you all they want, but they're never going to find you. They don't even have the first clue where to look." Lana placed a hand at the small of her back, and tried to think. Certainly Helen would lie to her to make her think that everything was hopeless, but it felt true. How would Lex know how to find her? He didn't even know Helen was alive. How could he possibly track her? A sudden wave of nausea passed over her, and she placed a hand out to the wall to steady herself.
Alone. She was alone and having a baby, and she didn't know whether or not she would make it through this. Tears welled and fell, and so did Lana, down to her knees as the pain from her back whipped around to her front and stole her breath away. "Ahh," said Helen. "Right on time."