Hostage

'Put her in here. Tie her to the chair, and tie her tight. Tie her feet. I'll take care of the windows and the door when I finish with the boy.'

Mars looked at her with unfocused eyes, as if he were waking from a deep sleep and she was the memory of a dream.

'I'll check how you tie her when I come back.'

Mars pulled Thomas away as Kevin brought her into the room. The lights were on because she never turned them off; she fell asleep with them on, either talking on the phone or watching TV, and woke with them on, and never thought to turn them off when she left to start her day. The shades had been pulled and the phone was on the floor against the wall, its plug smashed so that it couldn't be used. Kevin dragged her desk chair into the middle of the floor. He avoided her eyes, nervous.

'Just let this happen and everything will be okay. You gotta pee or anything?'

She felt a flush of embarrassment. She had to use the bathroom so badly that she burned.

'It's in there.'

'Where? You got your own bathroom?'

'Uh-huh. It's right there.'

'Okay, come on.'

She didn't move.

'You can't come with me.'

He stood in the bathroom door, waiting.

'I'm not going to leave you alone.'

'I'm not going to the bathroom in front of you.'

'Would you rather pee on yourself?'

'I'm not letting you watch. I don't have guns or anything in there, if that's what you're worried about.'

He seemed annoyed, but she didn't care. He stepped into the bathroom to look around, then came back.

'Okay, I won't go in with you, but you can't close the door. I'll stand over here. That way I can't see you.'

'But you'll hear.'

'Look, piss or don't piss. I don't care. If you're not going to go, put your ass in the chair before Mars comes back.'

Jennifer had to pee so badly that she decided to go. She tried to pee quietly, but it seemed louder than ever. When she was finished, she returned to her room too embarrassed to make eye contact.

'You're disgusting.'

'Whatever. Sit here and put your hands behind the chair.'

'I don't see why you can't just lock me in. It's not like I can go anywhere.'

'Either I'm going to tie you or Mars will tie you.'

She perched on the chair, tense and wary.

Kevin had two long black extension cords. She cringed when he touched her, but he didn't treat her roughly or twist her arms.

'I don't want to make this too tight, but I got to tie you. Mars is going to check.'

His voice held a regret that surprised her. She knew that Kevin was scared, but now she wondered if he felt embarrassed at what they were doing. Maybe he even had a conscience. He finished with her wrists, then moved around in front of her to tie her ankles to the legs of the chair. She watched him, thinking that if there was a friend to be found among them it was him.

'Kevin?'

'What?'

She kept her voice soft, scared that Mars would hear.

'You're caught in this just like me.'

His face darkened.

'I've heard the three of you talking. You're the only one who seems to know that you're making it worse by being here. Dennis doesn't get that.'

'Don't talk about Dennis.'

'Why do you go along with him?'

'Things just happen, is all. Don't talk about it.'

'My father needs a doctor.'

'He's just knocked out. I've been knocked out.'

'You know it's worse than that. Think about what you're doing, Kevin, please. Make Dennis see. If my father dies they'll charge you with his murder, too. You know that.'

'There's nothing I can do.'

'You knew better than to rob that minimart, didn't you? I'll bet you tried to talk Dennis out of it, but he wouldn't listen and now you're all trapped in here and wanted for murder.'

He kept his face down, pulling at the extension cords.

'I'll bet that's true. You knew it was wrong, and it was. Now you know this is wrong, too. My daddy needs a doctor, but Dennis is just being stubborn. If you keep following Dennis and Mars, the police will kill you all.'

Kevin leaned back on his heels. He seemed tired, as if he had been worrying the problem for so long without solution that the worrying had worn him out. He shook his head.

'I'm sorry.'

A shadow moved behind Kevin, catching Jennifer's eye. Mars stood in the door, staring at them, his face blank. She didn't know how long he had been there, or what he had heard.

Mars didn't look at Kevin; he was staring at her.

'Never be sorry.'

Kevin stood so quickly that he almost fell.

'I tied her ankles too tight. I had to tie them again.'

Mars went to the windows. He hammered heavy nails into the sills so that the windows wouldn't open, then came back to stand in front of her. He stood very close, towering over her in a way that made him seem to reach the ceiling. He squatted between her legs, then tugged at the bindings on her ankles. The cord cut into her skin.

'This isn't tight enough. You tied her like a pussy.'

Mars wrapped the cord more tightly, then did the same at her wrists. The wire cut into her flesh so hard that she had to bite her tongue, but she was too scared to complain. He tore a strip of wide gray duct tape off the roll. He pressed it hard over her mouth.