The Misadventures of the Laundry Hag 00 - Swept Under the Rug by Hart Jennifer L

Author:Hart, Jennifer L. [Hart, Jennifer L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-09-21T16:00:00+00:00

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Neil was sprawled on the air mattress by the time I walked through the door. The chiming clock on the mantel tolled twelve as I dropped my coat on the hall tree and stumbled toward the bathroom.

A quick shower and I supposed the worst of the astringent smell was off, but I shampooed twice to be sure. Not having the energy to properly dry myself off, I swathed my dripping carcass in a terry robe and blotted my hair with a towel. I combed through the tangles, ripping a few strands out, not caring all that much. The pain kept me from tumbling face first into the mirror.

I shut off the light before opening the door. A quick check on the boys revealed everyone in bed and asleep. My feet dragged on our thin carpet as I headed for the air mattress. Given my exhaustion, I flopped onto the makeshift bed with enough force to wake the dead, but Neil didn’t stir. I listened to his even breaths until sleep claimed me.

Although physically spent, my mind agitated like an unbalanced load of wash and I wasn’t surprised to find myself in a basement, having no memory of how I’d gotten there. Little light permeated the crusty arrow slit window several feet above my head and the smell of mildew overpowered my nose. I turned, squinting into the darkness in hopes that I’d spot an exit. A clinking noise, like metal on metal caught my notice and I headed in the direction of the sound, feeling my way along the damp walls to orient myself better.

“Hello? Is someone there?” I called out, stumbling over a crate I hadn’t noticed in time. The clinking grew louder and blood roared in my ears as my pulse rate kicked up beyond jogging levels. I walked for what seemed like forever, the basement bigger than I had first realized. My hand hit a pipe and my eyes abruptly adjusted to the dim light. I’d reached what looked to be a large cylindrical tank with several pipes leading out like a mechanical spider with crooked legs. Deciding to back away and go around the tank, I stumbled and screamed as my ass met the concrete.

My teeth snapped together with such force that I saw stars. I groaned and pulled my feet underneath me, ready to start out again when I caught sight of what I’d tripped over. A woman was handcuffed to one of the pipes, a gag tied around the back of her head. Scrambling forward, I reached behind her to untie the fabric. The light was too dim to make out her features.

“Maggie, you’ve got to get out of here!” Her eyes were wild as she glanced from me to the far corner of the room. “He’ll kill you!”

My fingers followed the handcuffs that wrapped around the pipe, seeking a spot of rust or some other weakness that I could use to free her. “Who did this? Who brought you here?”

She yanked away from me, sliding down the pipe as far as she could go.

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