Eeny Meeny (35 page)
What now? All was silent again, apart from the man’s laboured breathing. It was getting hot inside the hood. Could oxygen get in here? He forced himself to breathe slowly. If he panicked now, he would hyperventilate and then …
Suddenly he flinched, his nerves pulsing wildly. Something cold had come to rest on his thigh. Something hard. Something metal? A knife? Now it was drifting up his leg, towards … The man bucked furiously, tearing his muscles as he wrenched at the cords that held him. He knew now that this was a fight to the death. He flailed wildly, but the cords held firm, burning his wrists and the airless hood suffocated him. He was becoming lightheaded now, starved of oxygen and hope.
Finally, he gave up the struggle, lying supine and defeated on the bed. Once more the metal object began its slow journey up his thigh, coming to rest just beneath his scrotum. A long, long second, then it batted his flaccid penis to one side, freeing up his scrotum for attack. The man tensed himself, expecting the worst, his body drenched in sweat.
But the metal object glided higher, running over his scrotum and his protruding belly. Perhaps they weren’t going to hurt him after all? Perhaps they just wanted to scare him?
Then suddenly the most incredible pain. The shock reverberated through him as the blade plunged into his stomach. His body convulsed in agony, stars danced in front of his eyes and blood gushed into his mouth. This was it, then. This was the end.
He shrieked for all he was worth. But the tape held firm. His bonds wouldn’t yield. And there was no one to hear his screams.
THE BEGINNING
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PENGUIN BOOKS
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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published 2014
Copyright © M. J. Arlidge, 2014
Cover photographs © plainpicture/Kniel Synnatzschke and Wild Wonders
All rights reserved
The moral right of the author has been asserted
Typeset by Palimpsest Book Production Ltd, Falkirk, Stirlingshire
ISBN: 978-1-405-91489-5
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