This is the second installment of the Butterfly with the Broken Wing. I appreciate all the feedback on the first chapter, and I'm excited to see where this story goes. Thanks for the support. xxx
The voices of X and the other men were retreating. Claire could hear them moving to the other side of the service bay from where she sat behind the parked Hellcat. She felt feverish. Her right ankle had begun to swell already and her hair stuck to her face where it had scraped along the wall.
But she knew now might be her last chance at survival. Claire had gained some energy back on the concrete floor. Ignoring the pain in her ankle, she slowly turned on the pretense of putting her back against the tire. Nobody was in her line of sight.
She got into a crouch, limping her way around the front of the car closest to the machinery and service bay wall. It was dimly lit in the bay, but she knew there was an emergency exit nearby. She'd have to cross in front of four more cars to get there though, and Claire had no idea where the men and X had gone. Her hands were still tight behind her back, throwing off her balance. Taking her chances, Claire inched forward slowly, trying to ignore the pain now radiating up her leg.
Looking ahead over the bumpers of the silent parked cars, the red neon glow of an exit sign was just visible behind the last car. She kept her ears out for the slightest noise in her direction, stood into a stooped position and moved quickly toward the exit. The glow of the sign grew brighter as she approached, and the door came into sharper view.
Her heart was beating fast again, this was her way out! Wasting no time, Claire wheeled herself around so her back faced the door, gripped the round knob with her still zip-tied hands and tugged hard on the door. Nothing happened.
She gripped it tighter, twisting and turning the knob in her slippery grip. She could feel the mechanism working,
"Why the fuck won't it open?!" she thought.
A shout went up behind her.
"The girl! She's gone!"
It was the voice she'd heard earlier in the small office, most likely that little brat helping X steal the Hellcat. Quick footsteps were heard approaching the car, and she knew the men would easily overcome her if she were found.
Claire was in full panic now, she felt like a caged animal. Turning back to face the door, she scanned it up and down, searching for the cause of the hold up. She spotted it at eye level. A door latch had been installed, a stupid bathroom-stall type metal latch that, right now, was all that prevented her from leaving this hell.
"Claire!" called X into the bay while the sounds of quick footsteps could be heard. "You can't hide in here for long. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Claire swore under her breath, she would have to try to bend her arms and reach the latch -- anything to escape. Putting her back against the door, she was able to see into the rest of the bay while she tried to reach the latch.
She was sweating, her hair falling in front of her face and her black dress rumpled oddly as she tried to unlatch the door. Her fingers were just pushing up on the metal bar when a man's head came into view over the cars.
Claire must have been illuminated perfectly in the red glow of the door. The man's eyes raked her up and down, taking in her ridiculous position at the door. He was older, with a thick black mustache and a sinister grin on his face as he called out, "I got her right here Xavi, come and see," he laughed. "She's trying to make an escape."
She was terrified now, her fate seemed laid out before her. Beaten, raped, left for dead. She felt backed into a corner in every sense. But instead of closing in, the man remained far from her and watched in a detached sort of way as she continued valiantly to try and unlock the exit door. X appeared seconds later behind him, clapping the man on the back as he walked forward toward Claire. She threw herself back against the door.
"Don't come near me!" she screamed at him. "Leave me alone, just let me stay here!"
There was a crowd forming next to the unknown man, maybe four or so people -- their faces shrouded in the darkness of the service bay. X acted as though he didn't hear Claire as calmly walked closer. She felt the urge to run, fight and freeze all at once.
"This has been enough for one night Claire," he told her, reaching out for her with his right hand as he closed the last few feet between them. Claire ducked, but it was no use. X grabbed her already sore upper arm and dragged her upright. Her feeble attempts to kick out at him were thwarted as he leaned down and grabbed her legs, throwing her over his shoulder easily. The men behind them laughed.
She was embarrassed at how easily she was overpowered, and dangled uselessly as he walked her back to where the Hellcat sat. From her position upside down, she could see the doors were already open. X tossed Claire into the passenger seat, her head thumping against the headrest with a muffled thud.
Inside the car, the seats were slick black fabric with red accents. The shift gear was a large red gemstone, and the dash looked freshly polished.
"Get her ankles for me," X directed at someone behind him as he ducked back out of the car. Claire could see him in the rear view walking around the Hellcat to the drivers side. She briefly thought of kicking the kid as he scurried forward with the zip ties, but thought better of it considering she was vastly outnumbered.
The kid awkwardly bent down and pulled the zip tie around her ankles. She cried out as he tightened it painfully around her sore ankle, and glared at him. He pretended not to notice, shutting the dark tinted car door in her face when he was done.
