Chapter 97- Square One

"So what now?"  I ask, looking over at Tracy. Tears stream down her dusty cheeks and I long to comfort her. I try to stand but the broom handle wedged behind my arms kept me locked to the couch.  After several escape attempts our captors finally found a way to secure it to the springs of the hide-a-bed under the cushions and I'd been pinned uncomfortably ever since. Tracy had given up trying to loose the wire wrapped tightly around her wrists and arms, and the wooden chair to which she was secured wouldn't budge without sending her crashing face first to the floor. I had to hand it to them, whoever they were. Their methods were primitive but effective.  

I picked at the duct tape wrapped around my wrists as best I could, each movement dislodging armhair uncomfortably stuck to the adhesive. Despite the annoying pain, I twisted and tugged, hoping to stretch it out just enough to get one hand free, but I didn't feel like I was making any valuable progress. "Hey, we're gonna be okay." I say, hoping my optimistic tone would cheer her up.  She looked up and gave me a halfhearted smile. I seized her momentary happiness and tried to make a joke.  "On my way here I found a convenience store stocked full of food. All we have to do is get there." Tracy looked at me skeptically. "Even if we do find food, this place is compromised!" She said realistically. They know where we are, they have to know we'll escape eventually, and they'll be back as soon as they get hungry again." 

I nodded, knowing that what she was saying was accurate. "So we keep moving then. Keep pushing higher into the mountains.  Eventually we'll find a place we can protect and we'll start building. We'll go down to that store, stock up on food, and find a car to carry it all back.  Then we load up as much as we can from here, tools, basic survival items, as much as we can carry.  How well do you know this area?  Are there any rivers we could follow?  Ideally we need to find a source of fresh water." Tracy nodded. "It's a good plan.  There's actually an old abandoned mine a few miles north of here, a few hundred feet away from a stream.  We could use the mine for storage and temporary shelter while we build something nicer." 

I could tell her spirits were lifted and I doubled my efforts against my duct tape. The key was working slowly. Pulling hard would only serve to bunch the tape together, making it more difficult to tear. If I moved slow enough, in a back and forth motion, I could detach the tape from my skin. I knew it would take off all the hair and the first few layers, but otherwise it should be simple enough. 

As I worked my arms free, I felt my stomach rumble. "Getting hungry" I said to Tracy "Do you think they took everything?" She craned her neck to see over the kitchen counter. "Probably anything worth eating. I think I see a can of peas..." I couldn't help but laugh. If there was one thing I hated it this life it was canned peas. I couldn't blame those idiots for ignoring them. 

"Voila!" I called out, ripping one arm free. It was red and raw, but it felt amazing.  "Excellent!" Tracy called out.  "Now get that other arm free and untie me, I gotta pee!"