Chapter 4

Everyone was still asleep when I went upstairs with breakfast for Sadie.

“What’s going on downstairs?” she yawned.

“The nun’s awake.”

“How is she?”

“She wasn’t a nun, just dressed like one to go to a Halloween party and strip. She has a nasty lump on her head, and she’s scared green of dogs.”

“Fine. I won’t count on any help from downstairs, but the dogs won’t be a problem after we take care of Master. The sorceress understands animals. I dreamed she made me walk with a couple of them last night. She spoke to me through one of them. She’s angry, you know. She sees her opportunity to make things right with her greater power, or something like that. I didn’t understand all of it, but I think Master is going to be very sorry.”

“I still don’t see how you think you can resist him. We don’t know what the drug will do.”

“We’ll worry about that if the drug has an effect on me. The sorceress said it won’t. She said she’ll guide me when she has to.”

“I don’t like it, Sadie. You don’t know Master. He’s crazy, but he’s smart. He’s evil.”

She put her hand on mine, the touch jarring in it’s warmth. “You worry too much.”

The phone rang in the lab. I hurried to pick it up. “Yes, Master?”

“When do I get that progress report?”

“I had to sedate her again, Master. Shall I finish up here, or do you want me in your office immediately?”

“I’ll shock the dogs in ten minutes. You shall grovel in my office one minute later. I want her awake soon.” He hung up.

“He doesn’t want me sedated. Good. The sorceress works better when I’m awake,” Sadie mused.

She was under the shower-head when I locked her cage. “Lie down and play dead if you hear the laboratory door,” I said.

“Woof! Woof! Pant! Pant! I’ll be fine!”

I hurried to the modern portion of the castle.

Master faced the windows, looking out over the dying autumn landscape. “My tea leaves said I should have patience. Were they correct?”

“Yes, Master.”

He spun in his chair to confront me. “You sniveling idiot! Can you say anything else?”

“Yes, Master. I mean, yes, sir, I can.”

“Good. How is she?”

“She woke in the night. She was restrained, but I heard her. I talked to her in the dark. She wasn’t too bad until I went in to feed her.

“You didn’t wear a mask?”

“Of course, Master, but she fought with me. I didn’t want to mark her for you, so I let her struggle. She tore my shirt.”

“Moron!” he screamed. “Your incompetence may have ruined things.”

“Master, she calmed down a little after that. I didn’t hurt her, and she learned she couldn’t hurt me. I restrained her again and fed her. She asked me for a pill to help her sleep, so I gave her a small one. The tea leaves may be correct, Master.”

“She’s trying to get herself under control, is she?”

“Yes, Master. It appears she is.” I wasn’t lying that time.

“If she can get comfortable with something like you, she may like me very much.”

“She’s got spirit. Maybe you won’t need the drug, Master.”

“Hmmm. I must study that variable. My natural charm could skew the results of my experiment. Very well, Igor. Report back to me before I retire for the evening.”

“Yes, Master.” In the hallway back to the laboratory, I watched the dogs, frozen in place, sniffing the air and drooling as I passed. Master allowed me enough time to bolt the laboratory door behind me before I heard the first frustrated snarl.

Sadie lay on her bed. “I’m glad you’re alone, Igor. The sorceress says it will be easier to defeat him than we think. I won’t be affected by his drug, regardless of what it is.”

“I don’t like it. He’s going to give you something horrible, and if it doesn’t kill you right away he’s going to rape you.”

“He’s going to try.”

“The best thing you can do, Sadie, is put yourself under and hope he tells me to take you to the furnace when he’s finished with you. You’ll meet the other girls, and maybe we can think of something together. Hopefully, you and the stripper will be able to help me move the others if we can.”

“You worry too much. Tell him tonight that you think I’ll be ready to meet him sometime tomorrow. That will give me time to make a plan. Maybe you should check on the others.”

Mary’s voice was the first one I heard. “Is that you, Igor?”

“Yes. Keep your voice down. What is it?”

“Would you come in here, please? The girls told me everything. They said Master tried taking videos of the women as their feet blistered on that damn furnace-feeder he built. I want to apologize.”

I unlocked their cell door.

“I want you to let me out of here, Igor.” The “nun” fell to her knees in front of me, unzipping her hoodie and popping her big boobs out over the top of Sadie’s little tank top. Then she started on my pants.

“We told her it wouldn’t do any good,” Frieda said.

“It won’t.” I pulled Mary to her feet and held her at arms’ length. “If I wanted that from you I would have already taken it and more.”

“I don’t know what else to do, Igor. I’m scared.” She wept quietly until Belinda enveloped both of us in her arms in a tight, comforting hug.

Mary dried her tears on the tail of her hoodie. “You smell like my grandmother’s place. What is that?”

“Master’s favorite soap and his so-called ‘demon water’, both with his experimental scents.”

“I always think Igor smells like hot sand, and tropical flowers and fruit,” Belinda purred, moving to snuggle against me.

“It’s hand sanitizer and library paste for me,” Sharon chuckled.