Forced by fate – Destined to be his Wife

“Look for something sharp to get these off of me. We need his car keys too and his cell.” Linlin was a little more pulled together than TangShi was and knew she needed to take the lead. In life she had always bene the one to guide TangShi and tell her what to do in her weakest moments and knew she needed her now. Still suffering from the aftereffects of whatever he did to her, and her aching stomach, but it was improving.

TangShi did as she was told and scrambled around his body first, searching his pockets hectically for his phone and something useful. Finding nothing at all except more ties and a bottle of clear fluid. She held it up to Linlin and waved it.

“I think this is what he used on you to knock you out. We should take it.” She knew the hospital might need it to identify properly what had been given to Linlin if they needed to give her something to counteract it, thinking ahead and being hopeful..

“We should make the bastard drink it and be done with him.” Linlin snapped, Using her feet to try and kick at his lifeless body. Hating him for everything he had done to them and unleashing some of her own building rage. Shock wearing off with the drowsy effects of whatever was in that bottle.

“I’m going to try the car.” TangShi got up and ran at full speed to the parked black car. Hauling the door open and spying his bag on the passenger seat. She yanked it open without hesitation and much to her relief found a phone and a pocketknife on top of money and clothes. She wondered if he had been the one to stab the tire on Linlin’s car and made it that they pulled over with a flat. He must have been watching and waiting and timed it just as they left the café.

TangShi came back to Linlin at speed, pulling her forward and cutting the ties around her wrists first with the small blade, gasping in horror at seeing how roughed up and sliced they were from the pressure of trying to get her hands out of the plastic by herself. Red rings of smeared blood and bruising ruining her pretty wrists.

She released her then handed her the knife as she got to work at finishing untying the rope she had started earlier. Linlin worked one arm free and out and tended to her ankles, keeping one eye on him the whole time, still very scared about him waking up as they worked in urgency. He looked secure but she just wanted to get TangShi and run to safety. The instinct so strong it was making her fingers fumble on her task.

Linlin was released after a few minutes of tugging and TangShi helped her up on unsteady feet, her body swaying and loose Still. Dizzy as she got upright and realizing she was far from recovered fully. Linlin held on around TangShi’s shoulders and they hobbled towards the black car at a fast pace, leaving him in the dust as he began to groan and move around.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

TangShi flicked her glance back in horror, seeing him come to and hurried Linlin towards their escape.

“You can’t drive. It has to be me.” Linlin pointed out as TangShi tried to lever her into the open passenger door.

“Look at you. How can you drive like this? We don’t need to go far, just away from here while you call the cops and we find out where we are. I can do that. I can try.” TangShi pushed Linlin in without further argument, having learned the basics of driving as a teen even though she never went onto pass her test. Linlin relented, slumping in and TangShi closed the door after handing her the phone and ran around the other side. One eye on him as she dashed as fast as she could.

The keys were still in the ignition, much to her relief and she started it quickly. Her hands shaking, her vision blurry and she took a long calming breath to get her brain to work on the mechanics of getting going. Pulling up her lessons form an instructor years ago and mentally going through the steps.

Linlin lifted the cell to call the cops and held the phone to her ear as TangShi pulled out slowly. Rong caught their attention as his body rolled sideways and he sat up, shaking his head and looked around him in disorientated weirdness. It was obvious he was dazed and there was a trickle of blood running down the back of his neck. A scowl appeared on his face as he spotted the slow, moving vehicle, recovering fast, and he started to fight his binds and gnash his teeth, kicking out across the floor to break them. Furious at finding himself bound up.

“Something tells me we should have used more than one on his hands and feet. I don’t think they’ll keep him. Drive…. drive.” Linlin’s fear exploded at the way he was rubbing his ankles at odd angles to stretch and snap the restraints and her gut said he would be free soon enough. They weren’t thick and he was a big guy with obvious strength and way more know how then them on how to snap them.

TangShi floored it. Screeching and burning rubber and kicking up dust as she put the gas peddle to the floor and drove forward, looking for a way out. The car lurching and giving her a fright with the sudden burst of speed at her fingertips.

There were huge double doors ahead of them and even though they were closed, she didn’t ease up the speed but instead went crashing through them with force. Too wound up and afraid of him coming that she didn’t stop to worry about what would have happened if they had resisted instead. Splintering the old wood and showering the car with debris but they kept moving forward with momentum and Linlin clung on for dear life as she swung them around a corner and headed for what looked like a gate to open road. The buildings all around them seemed derelict too and they were well concealed in a place neither girl had seen before.

“Hello, hello?” Linlin was straining to hear the voice on the other end of the phone call but the signal was dropping and breaking the up because of their location. She got no further than being asked what service she needed. She couldn’t hear them and doubted they could hear her either. The phone disconnected by itself as the signal dropped right off and she clenched it in frustration.

“Our signal sucks. We need to get away from these buildings and out onto a main road. Go that way. We need open air and no interference by whatever these pylons are.” She pointed ahead, towards a gap between more huge factory buildings but there was signage indicating a way out. The sky overcast and dull and the clouded atmosphere made this place feel like some dystopian reality where no humans dwelled.

TangShi followed direction, driving fast, barely able to control the car well due to inexperience but they were managing to get out and she was slowly relaxing at being able to do this. It was a blessing this car was automatic and didn’t require a lot of skill. Breathing out heavily and swallowing hard, finding ways to self-calm and stop her body from shaking so violently.

“You can do it. We got his, Tang. Just stay focused and calm.” Linlin encouraged her, tapping at the phone again and exhaling with a heavy sigh at the lack of any kind of signal at all.

“Are you okay? How’s your stomach? How do you feel?” TangShi turned to Linlin not daring to take one hand off the wheel to check her temperature but still worried about her pallor and overall wellbeing.

“I’ll live. As soon as we get out of here I am booking myself in for a long stay in the VIP ward of Shanghai East International Medical Centre. I’ll treat it like a vacation stay. You better bring me grapes.” Linlin joked, clutching her abdomen which was finally dulling down but she was sure he had left permanent bruising and maybe cracked a rib. IT was as bad as her worst kind of period pain.

TangShi threw her a half smile, teary eyed and relieved they were free and slowed down the speed as they approached the turn out for fear she would make them crash. Linlin checking the phone for signal repeatedly and trying again while TangShi navigated the windy road and kept them on track.

A red car screeched out behind them, pulling both their attention with the noise and sudden appearance, zigzagging across the road in an erratic manner and TangShi gawped at it in her rearview. Seeing the manic driver as he pulled up close behind them and tried to ram their car from behind. Rong was smashing his fist into the center of his steering wheel and blowing the horn at them like a madman, bouncing around in his seat and screaming something at them that they couldn’t hear. His face was puce in color, veins throbbing in his temples and he looked ready to commit murder.

“It’s him…. Oh my god…it’s him. He had two cars. What do we do?” TangShi wailed, turning to look over her shoulder and putting the foot to the floor once more in sheer fear of his behavior. Linlin spun around, hitting her head rest with an open palm in frustration and screwed up her face at his insane jerky mannerisms.

“God dammit, he’s pissed as hell. Okay, stay calm…. Focus on the road, keep up the speed. Oh my god, oh my god. Think Linny, think…. What would ZhengLi tell you to do right now?” Linlin had no idea what to do. This seemed somehow worse, having the maniac driving a metal box he could use to smash them off the road and potentially kill them, instead of being held captive in a warehouse. Clenching her fists and tapping her feet as she tried to think.

TangShi swerved left, spying an alleyway between buildings and hoping the narrow space would offer them protection so he couldn’t get beside them to nudge them over. Cursing herself inwardly for not securing him properly and threw a wide-eyed look of ‘help’ at Linlin.

“We need to switch. I’m the better driver and you don’t know what you’re doing.” Linlin rambled, making a decision and knowing she would be better off in charge. She pulled TangShi by the arm forcefully, no hesitation, and shoved her forward against the wheel so she could climb onto the seat behind her and perched awkwardly above her. Using every ounce of strength and energy she had in her to do it.

“What are you doing?” TangShi squealed, barely managing to keep the wheel straight as she was forced forward on the slippery seat.

“Keep your foot on the gas and slide away, soon as my foot covers you can move it.” Linlin made the maneuver quick and easy, grabbing the wheel and steering them while TangShi did exactly as she said. Relinquishing her seat and moving but not letting up on the gas until Linlin’s foot shoved her off it. Linlin floored it and pulled away from that asshole faster than TangShi did.

Switching from auto drive to manual and upping a gear to give the car more vroom. This was a dual control vehicle and in manual mode it had more torque. Linlin had always been a fast and crazy driver and for once it seemed to be paying off as TangShi wriggled around looking for the discarded phone and found it under her butt. Putting distance between them and the car but reaching dangerous speeds.

She hauled it up, staring straight at the screen and its one bar of signal and almost whooped in joy as it began to climb with them getting further from the warehouse. Pressing the last number redial and held it to her ear and waited. Scrunching her face up and clenching her knees together as she crossed her fingers and hoped to god they could get through now.

TangShi glanced up just as they rounded out of the dark alley, having to swerve because of bushes near the exit onto a road. Linlin didn’t slow down. Only instead of a clear path to freedom, a huge arctic truck going almost as fast as them was right in their path, head on, and Linlin squealed before slamming the wheel to a hard right to dodge the oncoming collision and slamming her foot to the break. Throwing them hard and fast and attempting to control the car as she lost it completely on a slick surface.

The last thing TangShi saw, was metal bars of a signpost, the scraping rush of foliage and debris, wood, and dirt coming down over the windscreen and roof to obscure their view. The scream of both girls in unison as they tensed up and clung on for dear life. Skidding into obstacles as the car plunged into a man-made ditch before they came to a sudden vicious halt and she was flung forward. Smacking her forehead on the dash with a jerking blow which rendered her completely unconscious.