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The moment I’d been dreaming of and praying for over the past several months.
My chance at freedom.
Riff moved toward me, slowly, like he was approaching an injured animal. And, I guess, that’s exactly what I was.
He came closer and I found myself holding my breath as he lowered down onto the floor, reaching for the shackle and turning it so the lock faced him.
“I think I can get this off,” he said, reaching for something at his waist, and I watched as he pulled some sort of retractable keychain away from his belt loop.
On it was a set of keys, but also what looked like a pen flashlight, a multi-purpose tool, and something else. A small circular thing with something sticking off the edge of it. A tool of some sort?
No.
No.
That was a handcuff key.
“Might want to say a silent little prayer with me here, Vienna,” he said, holding the shackle, and bringing the key toward it. “This thing is supposed to be universal. But I dunno if it works for a fucking shackle.”
I did exactly what he said, praying to God that it would turn and click and release.
Then, just a few seconds later, the prayer was answered.
“Thank fuck,” he said, his shoulders relaxing as he pulled the shackle open. “Oh, shit,” he said, seeing my ankle.
“It’s okay. I can walk,” I insisted.
“In bare feet?” he asked, moving back from me to stand, shaking his head.
“No… no. I had shoes when he… when I came here,” I said. “I think they’re over in the corner,” I said, pointing toward where he’d come in.
He turned and made his way in that direction, glancing behind a big drum of… who the hell knew what, and coming back with two dusty nude-toned ballet flats.
“Better than nothing,” he said, carefully putting them down in front of me, allowing me to step into them.
“What’s going on?” I asked, looking up at him.
“Nothing good,” he said. “Two of the men inside are injured. One isn’t. The rest will probably be back pretty soon. We have to move and we have to move fast.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding a bit frantically. “I can do that. Believe me,” I added, watching as horrified understanding crossed his face.
“Okay. I am going to go out of that window first, then I will reach up and pull you through. I would push you through first, but I don’t want to risk you falling and snapping something.”
“Okay,” I agreed, knowing he was right, that if I fell in this weakened condition, the risk of something breaking was a lot higher.
With that, I followed him silently to the window, watching as he hauled himself back through it.
There was a panicked second of me thinking he would decide he’d be faster without me before his arms went up into the window, waiting for my hands to grab.
With one deep breath that burned my lungs, I did the only thing I could at this point.
Put my faith to rest in this stranger.
My hands slid into his, and they tightened on my elbows, pulling as my shoulders screamed, the window ledge pressing painfully against my protruding bones as I slid across it until, finally, his hands grabbed me around the sides, and pulled me down to place me carefully on the ground.
“Okay, Vienna,” he said, giving me a long look. “Now we need to run.”
With that, his hand grabbed mine, fingers lacing, and he turned and ran. Leaving me no choice but to follow.
