Stolen

Christmas was coming and the snow had fallen so deep it was hard to make it through the woods. They knew she was back home. They had seen the reports. But they needed her back if they were going to pull of their plan successfully.

The van pulled up outside the hotel and he got out, stretching. It had been a long drive. There was a layer of ice under the snow that made it dangerous to drive unless you knew how to drive on ice. He tromped into the hotel and asked for a room.

“How long will you be staying with us?” the secretary asked just as the TV showed footage of the escapee leaving a home.

“Not long,” he said in a dark voice.

==

Vincent watched Carmen nervously. She was getting comfortable on the bed and patted next to her. After a look at Kevin, he sat down. Kevin sat in the chair and Tara shut the door. They made sure no one was outside the window and Tara sat down on the other side of Carmen.

“You’re certain about this?” Kevin asked, leaning forward.

“Yes,” she said in a small voice.

“What will it accomplish?” Vincent asked.

“You want to know.” She looked around at them all. “You won’t like what you’re going to hear, though.”

Vincent sighed. “Where do you want to start?”

“The first time they took me to the room,” she whispered.

Carmen struggled as they dragged her through the white halls. It was a stark difference to her room which was dark since all it had was a single lamp. They had forced her into a weird gown, taking her dress and putting it “away for later use” as they said. Her feet were bare and she slipped on the tile.

“Would you stop struggling?” one of the guards snapped. “It won’t help you any.”

Carmen didn’t respond but she did stop fighting them. He was right: she wasn’t getting anywhere by fighting them. But she didn’t want to just go obediently. So, she slowed her pace and the man growled in frustration. He lifted her off her feet and tossed her over his shoulder, making her shout in surprise.

Finally, they reached a set of double doors. He opened it by typing in a code and the doors hissed quietly as they opened. She heard a low hum that she recognized as computers.

“We have 707A,” he said.

“She was supposed to walk here,” a person in all white with a mask over his mouth and nose said.

“I got frustrated with her,” the man shrugged and tossed her on the floor.

She fell on her butt and grunted.

“They’re not supposed to be injured,” the masked man said.

The guard shrugged again. “That’s not my problem. Now, what do I have to do?”

“Just wait outside,” he said as another person helped Carmen to her feet. “It should take two hours.”

“Fine.”

Carmen was led to a chair that reminded her of one she sat in at the dentist’s office. The untied her wrists but restrained her arms onto the arm of the chair. She couldn’t see the faces of those who were doing this and she started to cry.

“Please,” she breathed. “Just let me go.”

“Did they get her temples?” one said.

“Yes, looks like it,” the first one said.

Someone attached two nodes, one on each temple. Then they disappeared into the darkness. She whimpered, pulling on her binds to no avail. They had taken Braden – who they called 707B – two days ago and he came back unconscious. He was still out of it and she was afraid that would be her. What were they going to do?

There was another hissing noise as the doors opened again. She tried to lift her head to see who it was but her head was strapped down tight.

“Good morning,” the Warden said and Carmen whimpered.

“They won’t let me go,” she said. “Please, Warden. I’ll do whatever you ask.”

“Yes, I know you will,” she said. She was holding a syringe and checking Carmen’s arm. Carmen tried to jerk her arm away but she couldn’t move. “This is a simple medication. It won’t hurt you. All you have to do is lie still there, 707A, and it’ll be over before you know it.”

Carmen cried out as the Warden put the needle in her vein. She gasped as something cold spread up and down her arm and into the rest of her body. Her body jerked as it tried to reject the medicine but she eventually succumbed. She let out a long sigh.

“What’s your name?” the Warden asked.

“Carmen Jones,” she said in a monotone voice.

“How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m going to leave. Stay right here. Do not move. Do not speak. Do not fight. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

The Warden said something to the scientists but everything seemed far away to Carmen. She was aware that she was on that strange recliner but she couldn’t see beyond that. Her eyes were heavy so she shut them but she couldn’t sleep. The hum got louder and she winced.

There was a strange pain in her temples. What was that? It got sharper and her head tried to jerk but the restraints held it in place. She gasped as it got harder.

“Increase it by 40%,” she heard someone say.

“Are you sure? That’s a little intense for the first time.”

“She can take it. Increase it.”

A scream ripped through Carmen as her body jerked in the restraints. She sobbed as pain spread through her nerves. Scream after scream left her throat until, suddenly, the pain stopped. She lay limp, panting heavily.

“Vitals are…. Well, that’s strange,” he said slowly.

“What?”

“There’re no changes to her vitals.”

“Stupid. You’re not reading it right.”

“Come here and see for yourself, then.”

“Shit. That’s not right. Her heart rate should be at least-.”

“I know what it should be,” the first snapped. “I thought she was just telepathic. If this is true then-.” He gasped. “Get the Warden. Now.”

Carmen’s head was swimming. She moaned, feeling close to throwing up. A few minutes later, the doors opened again.

“This better be important,” the Warden snapped. “I was busy.”

“Look at these readings,” one of the scientists said. “We’ve found her, Warden! We’ve found her!”

There was silence for a while then the Warden laughed in a low voice.

“Well, yes, it would seem we have,” she said. “Well done gentlemen.”

Carmen gasped as a gun fired twice. The Warden walked forward, putting a gun back in a holster on her hip. She smiled kindly at Carmen, stroking her cheek.

“Oh, 707A,” she whispered. “You’ve come at just the right time. Let’s get you back to your room so you can rest.”

“They came every day after that,” Carmen said.

Kevin was pale and Tara crying into her hands. Vincent felt like he’d be sick. Carmen sniffled and leaned into him. He held her hand as she continued.

“I tried to fight them but they would put that medicine in me. Each time it was a new set of scientists. She killed the set that worked on me the day before. Braden was nice and he let me have some of his water rations when I came back sick from dehydration.”

“Why would they do that?” Tara asked.

“To see if my powers could be extracted,” Carmen answered. “They wanted to know if I could impart some of my powers into another person.”

“Was that all they did?” Vincent asked, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

“No. Sometimes they submerged me in water until I passed out. Sometimes they….”

“They what?” Kevin pressed as Carmen began to shake. “Come on, Car. What did they do?”

“Brought in someone to rape me,” she mumbled and everyone made cries of outrage. Vincent put his arm around her and pulled her close. “It was a different person each time. I don’t know if she killed them like she did the scientists.”

Tara was weeping and Kevin looked close to fainting. Carmen hid her face in Vincent’s side. He had no idea what to say. None of them did.

“What happened next?” Kevin whispered but Carmen had fallen asleep.

Kevin sighed and helped Tara move the blankets. Vincent tried to put her under the blankets but she wouldn’t let go of him. He looked at Kevin.

“Go ahead,” he said in a resigned voice. “Just, Vincent, be careful.”

He nodded, getting under the blankets with Carmen. She snuggled up like usual and Kevin shut the door quietly. Vincent sighed. It was nice to know that Kevin wouldn’t be hovering all the time but he wanted to figure all this out before they went even further. Assuming she wanted to, that is.

She moved in her sleep and whispered his name.

“I’m here,” he whispered, turning so that he was facing her. Her face was troubled and he kissed her lips gently. “I’m here.”