Lewis’ eyes narrowed as he engaged in a silent staredown with Mitch. His mouth was open and his heart was racing in his chest, and when he snuck a glance at Sophie, he saw she’d paled significantly. “What exactly do you mean that ‘we’re not allowed to leave'? You cannot force us to stay here,” Lewis warned. Lewis usually tried to be even-tempered and level-headed, but he was incredibly sick of the lack of morality and heightened sense of entitlement that was festering among the people they’d had to deal with, and he couldn’t keep his fury from his tone.

Mitch sighed and shook his head. “The dinner table is not an ideal place to get into this. I suggest you sit and eat, and we’ll talk afterwards. You’re in no danger here.”

Lewis quirked a brow. “In no danger from two mysterious people who aren’t giving us any answers, keeping secrets, and desire to hold us here? Who do you work for, exactly?” Lewis growled. “Because I have had just about enough of Lemuria and all their goons trying to-”

“Lewis?” Sophie interrupted him. She grabbed his arm gently from her seat and he frowned as he glanced at her. She shook her head. “You cannot fight him,” she murmured. “Take a breath, sit down.”

Lewis glanced back at Mitch and sighed. Sophie was right. Perhaps he could have had a chance in a fair fight, but not fresh out of an accident and sporting a broken arm. Begrudgingly, Lewis dropped back into his chair.

Once he was settled, Sophie released her grip on his arm and turned back to stare Mitch down herself. “Now sounds like an excellent time for some proper answers. Who brought us here and why? Who do you work for, is it the Lemuria Institute?”

Lewis studied each of their faces closely for their reactions. Sara seemed impassive about the entire conversation. She maintained eye contact but continued eating her stew. It was Mitch that pursed his lips and seemed to mull the inquiry for a few seconds.

“I believe we’ve dealt with Lemuria before – once or twice – or rather, a few of their offshoot organizations, but it’s been at least a few years since we’ve had contact with them. Why? Are they interested in you too?”

“Interested is a kind word,” Lewis muttered.

“They’re holding our family captive,” Sophie elaborated. “It’s why we’ve been in such a rush, we’re trying to help them.”

Sara clucked her tongue. “I always got a bit of a slippery vibe from some of their agents, I’m not surprised. I’m sorry about your family, but I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about your situation. Ours is precarious enough as it is.”

“Then why do this?” Lewis demanded. “If it’s so dangerous, why get involved in this sort of thing?”

“It’s not always so simple,” Mitch sighed. “Our lives depend on our continued cooperation. Back when Sara was still going through medical school, our son developed a really serious condition; a tear in the left ventricle of his heart. Doctors estimated he could last a month, maybe two. He needed a new heart, but there are waiting lists.”

“We’d have done anything to save him,” Sara continued. She fingered the rim of her water-filled glass and sighed. “We were approached by a group…shady types, really, but we were desperate. They had a way to get Bernie a new heart, with a wait time of two days…It came with strings, but it meant he would live, he could be happy and have a future. At the time, that was worth any price, even selling our souls.”

“They were interested in setting up a safe house of sorts. Sara was a year off from getting her medical licence and we just thought they wanted a place to get stitches without it being logged in the system. We helped the people they brought in….or didn’t, depending on what they wanted, and didn’t ask questions. Over time, it spread and we became a one-stop rest point for many different groups. I imagine the knowledge was sold to others by the initial group. We deal with so many people now I couldn’t name them all.”

“But we can’t ever stop, because to go against our bargain…it was made very clear if we ever refused or betrayed them, they’d kill us and take back the heart they lent out. Bernie’s away at college now, he wants to be a lawyer, he has a steady boyfriend, and a track and field scholarship. He’s living his best life and I couldn’t be more proud of him.” There were tears in Sara’s eyes as she spoke. “I’m sorry about your family, I really am, but I hope you understand that our son is more important, and he always will be.”

Lewis couldn’t help but sympathize with their story. After everything he and Sophie had been dragged into – everything that had happened – he couldn’t fault them for doing something extreme to save someone they loved. He knew he would do just about anything to protect Sophie and their adoptive family.

“I’m sorry about your son,” Sophie replied. “I know firsthand what it’s like to have your back against a wall trying to help someone you love, and I am grateful to you for helping us, regardless of how or why your aid was enlisted. But our daughters are in danger and I’m already not sure we’ll be able to help them; they’ve suffered too much already, and we have to do what’s best for our family too. We can’t just sit here waiting for someone else to decide our fate, especially if we don’t know who’s involved.”

“You won’t be here long,” Sara stated in response. “Our instructions were to take you in, administer any required medical care and ensure you both recovered as swiftly as possible, and then to hold you here until your benefactor returns in two days.”

“And who is this ‘benefactor’?” Lewis demanded. “What do they want with us?”

Sara shook her head and shrugged. “I’m afraid we don’t know. We’ve never worked directly with the person who dropped you off. It’s not exactly a system where we keep records and files or ask a lot of questions. We have a password that when provided, proves they’re with or have purchased usage rights from the people who set us up in this position. We get the confirmation, we do as we’re instructed. There’s nothing in between.”

“Is there nothing more you can tell us?” Sophie pressed. “Even just about the person who brought us here? Anything?”

Sara pursed her lips and drummed her fingers on the table. “There’s not a lot to say about them. We weren’t given any names. There were two of them, actually – a man and a woman – but they didn’t seem particularly recognizable. No gang tattoos or evil vibes if that’s what you’re worried about. They were actually a little different from the types we usually deal with, less rough and ill-mannered. I don’t think you’re in any danger, but I guess I can’t really guarantee that.”

Sophie shook her head. “We can’t stay here. I for one have no interest in meeting these benefactors of ours. I have a rotten feeling that they won’t be quite so beneficial for us. So just, tell them we died or overpowered you or something and we’ll be on our way.”

When she stood up, Lewis followed in suit, only to have Mitch clap a hand down firmly on his shoulder. The man shook his head and frowned. “I’m afraid that’s not an option. I don’t much care for violence, but I’ve subdued far rougher folk than the two of you, and Sara’s equipped with enough meds to keep the two of you medically subdued through the deadline. But with your current injuries and headaches, those will leave you feeling pretty hollowed out and rough, so I don’t recommend forcing us to pursue that option. Your only other one is to comply and wait patiently for the next day and a half or so now.”

A tense silence hung between them all after Mitch delivered the threatening ultimatum. Lewis couldn’t help sizing him up once more. Mitch was taller and bulkier and certainly looked like he knew his way around a brawl. There was little chance Lewis could win that fight, especially injured as he was, but it wouldn’t stop him from trying if it came down to it.

Mitch maintained an even gaze as he focused his attention on Lewis in return. “It’s not a good idea, mate,” he advised. “You and your girlfriend are better off just accepting the situation for what it is. I’m sorry that you’re in a jam, but I have my own loved ones to look after and I can’t help you. But I won’t hesitate to forcibly subdue you if I must.”

“Physical violence is going to get us nowhere,” Sophie sighed. She reached out and touched his arm and Lewis lifted his hand to clasp hers and squeeze her fingers gently. “We’ll figure something else out, we always do.” She turned to Sara and nodded down at her picked-over bowl. “Thank you for the meal, but I’ve lost my appetite.”

Lewis nodded. He didn’t think he could stomach the food either at the moment. He missed the days when life was simple and people didn’t try to hold him captive and control him through threatening those he cared about. He wanted a sense of normalcy back and to live a quieter, peaceful life with his family.

Sara dipped her head. “That’s not surprising. I’ll worry about cleanup. Mitch will show you both where you can stay for the night. I imagine you’re both worn thin; you’ll feel better after a proper night’s rest.” She came around the table and took Sophie’s free hand. There was a wry, terse expression on her face, but regret glittered in her dark gaze. “I am sorry about your situation, but I hope you understand why it has to be this way.”

Sophie nodded. “I do,” she agreed with a sigh. “You have to do what’s best for your son, I understand that. But I hope you can understand in return why we strive to do the same. I don’t wish any of you ill, but your son means nothing to me if it’s between him or my daughters.”

“If our situations were reversed, I’d feel the same,” Sara acknowledged. “Go with Mitch, he’ll get you both settled.”

Lewis wanted to protest, but he was resigned to the fact that it would get them nowhere. He offered Sophie his arm in case she needed to lean on him again, but she was looking steadier and shook her head. She did keep hold of his hand though, and her pace was slower than normal as they followed the man back through the halls of the house. He stopped outside a room at the end of the hall and pushed the door open.

Inside was a simple, but large room. It had a small two-person table with fold-out chairs pushed in, a queen-sized bed with a colourful patchwork quilt, a simple desk, an armchair beside a squat bookcase, and an adjacent door that looked like it led to a small bathroom.

“This is where you’ll stay until you leave,” Mitch stated. “You’re free to utilize anything in the room, and we’ll bring in meals for you.”

“A phone?” Lewis inquired as he noticed a corded desk phone sitting off to the side on the desk.

“Don’t get too excited about it,” Mitch replied. “You can’t make any calls on it. Lift the receiver and it notifies us that you need something is all. It’s for in case of emergencies.”

Lewis wasn’t surprised. He wasn’t really expecting the couple to have made such a significant oversight with their apparent line of work, but he had wondered about it.

Mitch didn’t seem inclined to linger, because after reminding them to use the phone if they needed it, he bid them goodnight and pulled the door shut behind them. The click of the lock echoed through the silence of the room and felt like a sucker punch. More locked doors and hurdles keeping them from their end goals.

They listened to the man’s retreating footsteps for a moment until the noise faded away and they were left in silence.

Sophie stumped over to the bed across the room and sunk down onto it. She put her head in her hands and groaned.

“Head hurt?” Lewis asked. He crossed the room and sat down beside her.

“Uh-huh,” she moaned.

Lewis wrapped his good arm around her shoulder and drew her close to his chest. He tangled his fingers in her hair, carefully avoiding the wrappings around her skull so he wouldn’t brush an injury and hurt her. As he rubbed her scalp, Sophie sagged against him and murmured something unintelligible. He was worried about her. She needed to rest and recover, not become further stressed out. He kissed the crown of her head.

“We need to find a way out,” Sophie mumbled.

Lewis shook his head. “No, you need to lie down and get some rest,” he instructed. “And I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. You have a concussion, you’ve barely slept in weeks at this point, you’re going to collapse if you keep on like this.”

“But we-”

“No,” Lewis refused. “I will take a look around, but you are going to rest, right now.” He reached behind them and pulled one of the two pillows closer and patted it.

Sophie mumbled some form of further protest as Lewis forcibly guided her into a reclined position. Her legs were hanging off the bed, but he suspected she wouldn’t be coaxed into standing or crawling further up into bed. As soon as he had her reclined, she pulled her legs close to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Maybe there’s some medication in here,” Lewis suggested.

Sophie shook her head as he rose off the bed. “I don’t want it. Just…can we turn the lights off?” she requested.

Lewis nodded. He crossed the room and clicked off the light. Night had fallen, and it plunged the room into near darkness. He smiled when he heard Sophie’s relieved sigh.

“Lewis?” she called softly. He glanced back to the bed where she was still curled up. She raised a shaky and pointed at the wall. “The window?”

As she said it, Lewis noticed the small-paned glass for the first time. It wasn’t a large window, just big enough to let some sunlight during the day.

He walked over to it and studied the frame. It had a simple turn-latch lock, so he flipped it and pulled. To his surprise, the window began to open. But his hopes were dashed when it clicked and the frame refused to raise any further. It was just barely open enough to reach his arm through and let a little crisp, night air in. He sighed in disappointment and tapped on the pane. It made a rubbery thunking sound when he hit it. Reinforced. They weren’t breaking through it. “I don’t think we’re getting out that way,” he admitted with a resigned sigh. “But it was a good suggestion.”

He peered out the window. There wasn’t much to see in the dark, but he could make out the flat, dusty ground and a few sparse brackens. It didn’t look like there were any nearby lights other than the dull glow of the moon. “And even if we did manage to get out the window, it doesn’t look like there’s anywhere to go. Not unless you know how to hotwire a car. Assuming Sara and Mitch have one we can steal.”

“It’s okay,” Sophie slurred. There was a fragile whimper lacing her tone and it chipped at Lewis’ heart to hear her sound so broken and frail. “We’ll…figure something else out.”

He pulled the window shut once more. It was a windy night and having it open was creating a harsh howling noise in the room. He didn’t think Sophie’s migraine could handle that right now. He walked back around the bed and carefully eased himself onto the mattress so as not to jostle her too much. He laid at her back on his good side and awkwardly pulled her closer until she was resting against him. He was half off the bed and had a feeling he would be even sorer in the morning if he slept like this, but he didn’t dare disturb her. She seemed to be finally falling asleep.

He wished he could hold her properly, but with his broken arm wrapped in a cast and aching every time he moved it, it made it hard to cuddle with the woman he loved. He toyed with a coil of her curly red hair as he lay in the dark with her. He hoped if she could get a proper night’s rest, she would feel steadier, but he also knew it could be dangerous to allow her to sleep straight through the night after a brain injury. “How do you feel?” he whispered.

“I’m okay,” she assured him. “My head hurts, but I’m not dizzy or nauseous.”

“Good,” he replied. “Soph? Just try to rest okay? Don’t worry about all the other stuff for right now, there’s nothing we can do about it in this state anyway. It’ll be alright.”

Sophie hummed softly in response, but the sound was weak. “Tomorrow,” she mumbled. “Tomorrow, we have to get away from here, no matter what. I’m worried about Katie and Riley and the others.”

Lewis nodded and continued to pet her hair as gently as possible. “I know you are, but try not to be. They’re a tough bunch, they’ll be alright and so will we.”

There was a moment or two of silence that followed his statement and Lewis began to wonder if Sophie had nodded off. Her breathing was deep and even, at least. Then, she spoke in a hushed whisper. “Lewis?”

“I’m right here,” he reminded her.

“I love you.”

Lewis smiled and kissed the nape of her neck before settling back down. “I love you too.”