Nothing good happens after 2 am

Two in the morning I am just leaving my art studio to go home for the night. When someone comes up behind me grabs me and covers my face with a cloth; “You’re coming with me, Scarlett.”

Before I could argue or fight, I was already out cold and put in the back of a car. I woke up and I can’t move, I can’t even open my mouth wide enough to make a sound. A sweaty, greasy man noticed I was awake.

“Awe, sweetheart don’t move, you’ll make the ropes tighter,” as he bent down in my face, I could smell the stench of how greasy and sweaty, filthy this man was.

I wouldn’t say I was grateful in that instant, but two men stormed into the room and then the greasy man stood up and walked a few feet back.

“Ahh, Scarlett I was getting worried about when you were going to wake up. Nice of you to join us.”

I glared at the man because what the actual fuck is going on; “Now you must be wondering what is going on. Do you know who I am Scarlett?”

Now that he mentions it- “I can see you’re gears turn in that pretty little head of yours.”He uses the end of his knife and touches my temple with it. He ends up cutting the side of my head with the knife and I flinch.

He yanks the bondage out of my mouth, and it feels like a hint of freedom. I spit in his face; “ahh you do know who I am.”

Before I could answer he slaps me in the face and causes me to bite the inside of my mouth and blood started to pool, “You’re the douche who killed my husband.”

Alexander Deep worked with my husband for seven years before he was murdered. He tried to steal the project and claim it for his own. My husband confronted him, and Alexander shot and killed him.

I spot the blood and spit pooled in my mouth on his face. He laughed and cleaned his face then I felt a sharp pain in my head. Several hours later I woke up with an awful headache.

“Scarlett, oh Scarlett you need to cooperate if you want to keep that head pretty.”

“Fuck you.”

“I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that and you’re going to tell me where the locker is. The locker of which your husband holds all of his precious work.”

“Even if I want to tell you where this locker is, no way in fucking hell would I tell you.”

He drilled the knife into my thigh, I couldn’t help by scream. He lifted my chin and I bit him. This went on for days. Honestly, I actually have no idea about a locker or even know where it is. But I’m not going to tell him that.

I watch them come, torture me, I give nothing, and they leave. I watch them closely and they seem to be on shift work and Im left along for a few minutes at a time. I have to figure out how to get out of here alive.

Alexander comes into the room; “Are you ready to tell me? Where this locker is?”

“Why is this locker with my husband's work so important to you?”

Alexander backhanded me; “You don't get to ask questions. Just answer them. But if you must know, the work your husband was doing before I had the luxury of killing him was extraordinary. He found a way to get off the planet and successfully jump to the next universe’s version of Earth. There isn't too much research on that planet or even the solar system. That's why I need that locker. So, you will tell me where it is.”

“Naweh, that's okay. Thanks though,” Like I’m going to give him that kind of information.

Obviously, he didn't like that too much. After backhanding me again in the side of the head Alexander stormed out of the room.

I waited till they left the room. They always seem to leave me alone at the same time every day for a few minutes. For a shift change maybe. But this is my chance to get out. I’m not sure how much more I can endure. If I don’t get out now, I’ll never leave- not alive at least.

I watch the men pace back and forth. Come on. Everyone is supposed to disappear for a shift change. What’s taking so long. I thought to myself. Now that I think of it, what is the problem? This is the time everyone leaves. I check the ropes on around my hands are still loose enough for me to make a quick escape.

Next minute the men look down at their phones and they start to leave the room. I have about 5 minutes where I am left alone when they switch out the workers. I’ve spent what feels like months, it’s actually been about a week, but it feels like months.

As soon as they leave the room I slip out of the ropes, untie my ankles and I run for the door. I find what seems like a very long never-ending hallway to the door. I hear voices of the men for the shift change and I don’t even hesitate when I just run for the door at the hall.

“Hey! Where did she go?” the one man said in a panic.

The door closed behind me; “Hey! There she goes! Get back here!” the other man shouted.

I run like hell to the door while five men are now chasing me down the long hall. I am so weak from all of the abuse I’ve endured but I just made it. I pushed through the big heavy door and basically fell into the desert floor. It’s so bright outside the sun is almost blinding. I’ve been locked up for so long it takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to what I am seeing.

When my eyes started to adjust, I realized standing there was the Swat and FBI surrounding the door I fell out of. The chief of the FBI and two other officers picked me up off the floor.

“Scarlett?” I looked at him in disbelief that he knew my name. “It's okay, we are with the FBI. We have the Swat team here to take these pieces of shit down.”

Engulfed in the desert’s parched silence, I was nothing but another grain of sand in the wind.