It was half past midnight. Dillon knew because he had checked the time using his talking watch. The house was quiet and he was sure Nurse Sterning was asleep. She always retired to her room promptly at 10:00 p.m.
He carefully made his way down the hall and into the kitchen. Without thinking about it, he had brought his cane along and now he had to work to make sure it didn't bump against anything. He almost gave himself away, however, when he tripped over a chair. It seemed that Nurse Sterning had been rearranging the furniture and hadn't bothered to tell him there was now a table and chair in the hallway. Holding his breath, he listened. Had Nurse Sterning heard the scrape of the chair over the tile of the hall? He breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't come running. Then he moved on. Entering the kitchen, he silently lay the cane upon the counter and opened the first drawer.
His questing fingers met with silverware. Knives, forks, and spoons were neatly placed in a plastic holder. Shutting it, he moved to the drawer below. This one appeared to contain towels. Dillon tried to remember how many drawers there were in the kitchen. Suddenly, it seemed like there were a hundred of them even though he knew that wasn't right.
The third drawer held odds and ends, but not the kind he wanted. He muffled a cry as he pierced his finger on a meat thermometer. Sucking his finger, he closed the drawer. The lowest drawer was deep and Nurse Sterning had placed onions and potatoes in it. They rolled against each other as he eased the drawer shut again.
Slowly Dillon made his way around the counter. It took him quite a while since he didn't want the drawers to make any sound as he opened and shut them. He constantly worried that the contents would shift and clang together as the drawers were in motion. Ascertaining what the contents were wasn't much easier, either. He had to be very careful about where he placed his fingers.
Dillon was just about to give up hope when he came to the last drawer. It was the one next to the back door. However, he didn't believe that what he was looking for would be in there since nothing was in the same spot anymore. Why would Nurse Sterning leave this drawer intact?
Dillon cringed as the heavy drawer groaned and rattled as he pulled it out. That was a good sign, however. Those keys were heavy, along with the other things he had kept in his junk drawer, like a hammer and screwdrivers. Not daring to open it all the way, he pulled it out just far enough for his hand and lower arm to slide in. His fingers met the handle of the hammer! Dillon's heart beat rapidly as he ran his fingers up the handle to the head.
There it was! Right above the hammer was the bag of keys. Dillon withdrew his hand to the handle of the hammer again and carefully pulled the hammer from the drawer. Then using his other hand, he reached back into the drawer and grasped the bag of keys.
Pulling them toward him in the drawer was an excruciatingly slow process. If anything were going to give off a lot of noise, a bag of keys would do it. Finally though they sat at the front of the drawer. Dillon picked them up and then placed the hammer back in the drawer, which he eased shut.
Taking his time, Dillon moved out of the kitchen and down the hall. He almost ran into the table and chair again, but he remembered them at the last minute. It was only when he reached the first stairstep that he remembered his cane. He couldn't leave it there. It was a definite giveaway.
Backtracking, Dillon retrieved his cane. Now the problem became making sure the cane didn't hit anything and keeping the bag of keys silent while finding his way without tripping over anything. The damn table and chair were the only real obstacles, however. Without them it would have been a straight shot down the hall.
The journey up the steps was a tense one. They rarely creaked, but from time to time, as the house settled, they would speak out. One did groan as he placed his weight upon it and Dillon froze again. Nurse Sterning was down in the study and he hadn't checked to see if her door were completely closed. Had she heard that?
The sound of the study door opening scared him. Dillon heard her walk to the downstairs bathroom and shut the door. He crouched down on the stairs so that he would be as small as possible, hoping to blend with the shadows. He couldn't remember what color he was wearing and unfortunately had no way to check.
Only when Nurse Sterning was back in her room a heart-pounding five minutes later did Dillon dare to breathe freely again. He wasn't sure why, all of a sudden, he didn't trust her, but something no longer seemed right.
He hadn't analyzed his feelings. He was only going with instinct on this. But his instincts told him she was hiding something. Yet, there was no reason for her to do so. Unless she was doing something illegal, he didn't care what she was doing. He was too busy trying to figure out what he was doing with his life to worry about what she was doing with hers.
Reaching the top of the stairs, he traveled the few steps down the hall to the guestroom. He carefully placed his cane upon the floor, glad he had re-carpeted the hall not long ago. The carpet was thick and high, muffling the sound of the cane hitting it. With trembling hands he carefully opened the bag. The keys clinked quietly together, but he didn't think they were loud enough to rouse Nurse Sterning again.
The first key fit into the lock, but would not turn. The second wouldn't even go in. The third fit, turned slightly, but not all the way. The fourth also fit but did not turn. It was the fifth key that worked. It wasn't a perfect fit. But it turned farther than the others and with a bit of finessing Dillon got it to unlock the door.
**
Seth listened to the door rattle. What was going on? Was Nurse Sterning standing out there and enjoying the chance to torment him? He'd rather she just came in. If he was going to die tonight, he didn't want it to be after long hours of torture. Scratch that, the waiting had already been long hours of torture.
The lock finally clicked and the door eased open just a fraction. There was the sound of some clinking and then the door opened completely. The moon shining through the part in the windows showed a muscular figure who turned and silently closed the door behind him. It was Dillon!
Seth could have sobbed with relief. He watched as Dillon moved to the dresser and set a bag of some kind down. Then Dillon began to open and close drawers, searching for something. Seth was sure that Dillon did not know he was there.
Sucking as large a breath in through his nose as he could, Seth began to thrash on the bed with all his might. His ties didn't allow him much leeway, but he used whatever he had. He also cried out against the gag, creating muffled sounds.
Dillon jerked aright. "Who's there?" he asked softly. "Is someone there?"
Seth worked harder, his body straining against his bonds. Still clutching his cane, Dillon moved toward the bed. Only when Dillon's fingers slid over the comforter and onto his leg did Seth stop moving.
Dillon's hand slowly traveled up his body. In any other situation, Seth would be moaning with delight. Dillon's touch still sent sparks through him, even now.
Dillon's hand jerked back slightly as it brushed against his crotch. Seth could almost be amused if this weren't his only chance of rescue. Dillon's hand continued its upward journey, over his stomach, which had been flat before but was closer to hollow now, and up the center of his chest.
When Dillon's hand reached his face, Dillon discovered the duct tape. Seth felt Dillon's fingers move along it to the edge. Dillon was much gentler in its removal than Nurse Sterning had ever been. He peeled it carefully away from Seth's skin. It still stung; there was no way to avoid that given how raw the skin underneath was.
Seth worked his mouth once the gag was removed. His jaw was incredibly sore and his mouth dry.
"Who are you?" Dillon asked.
Seth swallowed several times, trying to bring saliva to his mouth before answering. "It's me Dillon, it's Seth," his voice was hoarse from disuse.
"Seth," Dillon breathed. "Seth, what's going on?"
"I'll tell you all about it later," Seth replied. "Please, just untie me now. We have to get out of here before Nurse Sterning comes."
Dillon hesitated for a moment. Seth was sure he was weighing his need to know what was going on in his own home against Seth's urgency. Luckily, Seth's fervor won out and Dillon ran his hands up Seth's right arm to the tie there.
Muttering at how tight it was, Dillon lay the cane upon the bed between them. Seth watched Dillon work at the knot with both hands. All of Seth's struggles had actually tightened the knots and Dillon had to work hard to get them undone.
When Seth's right hand was free, Dillon moved to Seth's right foot. Seth half sat up the best he could and went to work on the bindings surrounding his left hand. Sweat was beading on his brow. It was amazing how a physically fit body could be so reduced in four days' time.
Seth would spend the rest of his days thanking the Lord that he chose that moment to glance at Dillon. If he hadn't, he never would have seen Nurse Sterning enter the room, intent upon filling a syringe with something.
"Dillon, watch out!" Seth cried. Dillon jerked up and back, before swinging around. He had to know that Nurse Sterning was there even if he couldn't see her. There was no other reason for Seth to react that way.
