Chapter Six:

Nora woke up that morning after finally falling into a fitful sleep. She had stared evil in the eye before, first Todd then Colin and she’d seen the same look in Nick’s eyes last night and it sent a chill down her spine. Something had happened to Nick Manzo in prison and whatever it was has turned him into the person she saw last night.

She pulled herself up as best she could and leaned her head back against the wall. She closed her eyes and thought about the day the three of them had gone to the Phillies game. She remembered how excited Matthew was when Bo helped him catch his first foul ball. He had carried that ball around with him for weeks; everywhere Matthew went so did “their” ball. She let her mind drift to the night of Matthew’s “prom”. She certainly never expected to dance with Bo that night. If she really let herself think about it she would have to say that that was the night. That was the night the old feelings started to surface, that was the night she first realized that she’d never fallen out of love with him. That deep down she knew he would forever own her heart. She just hadn’t let herself give into it.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Nick walked into the room carrying a tray of food.

“Good morning, Nora. I hope you slept well.”

“Don’t pretend to care about how I slept, Nick.”

“Sorry Nora, I was just trying to make conversation.”

“I have no desire to converse with you, at all.”

“So how about some breakfast?”

He attempts to feed her but she turns her head away.

“Nick I’m a grown woman. I can certainly feed myself. Untie my wrists, please.”

“I already untied your ankles last night so you could sleep.”

“Come on Nick, honestly where do you think I’m going to run off to? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“Fine, I have other things I’d rather be doing anyway besides feeding you.”

Nick untied the ropes around Nora’s wrists. She reached over and picked up the coffee cup and started to bring it up to her mouth. Before Nick knew what was happening Nora threw the coffee in his face. He immediately brought his hands up to his face.

“You bitch”, he yelled.

She dumped the tray and with all the strength she could find she picked up the tray and hit him with it. He fell back on the bed. She reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. She quickly climbed off the bed and ran out of the room. She ran outside, trying desperately to find a signal. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally found a small clearing and was able to get a signal. She dialed Bo’s cell phone number.

“Buchanan.”

“Bo, Bo it’s me…”

“Nora? Nora I can hardly hear you.”

“Help me Bo. Nick....It’s Nick Ma...”

Nora felt his arm wrap around her waist, his other hand across her mouth. He grabbed the cell phone from her but not after removing his hand from her mouth. Bo could hear her yelling but then the call ended. Nick pulled her into the house.

Nick threw Nora back down on the bed. He grabbed the pair of handcuffs he had stashed away in the drawer. He handcuffed her right wrist to the bedpost. She kicked at him, trying desperately to fight him off. He was yelling at her trying to get her to shut up. He slapped her a few times hoping that would silence her. She continued to scream at him, telling him that Bo would find her. He knew there was only one way he was going to get her to stop screaming. He walked out into the living room and came back in carrying a syringe. Thank God for the connections he’d made on the inside he thought to himself. Nora saw the flash of silver and the liquid squirt out the top of the needle. Nick looked at her and for the first time he saw fear. She tried to get away from him and the needle. A pain ripped through her shoulder as she pulled in vain against the handcuffs.

“No get it away from me. Get that thing away from me. No needles…Please Colin…please.”

Nick looked at her confused wondering who she was talking about. He injected her with the drug as she continued to ramble.

“Please no more needles…no more Colin no more...(the drugs start taking affect) Matthew…(her eyes slowly close) Bo…

At the same time back in Llanview:

“Antonio, get in here!”

Antonio jumped out of his chair and ran into Bo’s office.

“What’s up, sir?”

“Nora just called me. I know who has her. Somehow she was able to call me.”

“Who?”

“Nick Manzo.”

“That SOB. Was she able to tell you where she was?”

“No, I heard her scream and I heard him yelling at her before the line went dead. There was a weak signal so I know she was calling from a cell phone. I want you to find out everything you can about Nick’s activities since he was released. Find out when he was released. Who his parole officer is…”

“Sir, we know the drill. I’ll get right on it.”

“Okay, I’m going to go have a chat with his ex wife. Maybe she knows where he might have taken her, a place where he might hide.”

“I’ll call you the minute I have some answers.”

“He’s going to get desperate now that Nora was able to make contact. Who knows what he’ll do. Just remember this is not the same Nick Manzo we knew 7 years ago. This is a man bent on revenge.”

Antonio picked up the phone and started his search. The other detectives each made their calls, tracking down the information Bo requested. Bo grabbed his cell phone and headed to Philly.

Her telephone call kept running through his mind as he made his way down the interstate. She had sounded so frightened. So many thoughts we’re going through his mind, all at once. He could hear the way Nick was yelling at her, telling her to stop fighting him. He tried to keep his mind from drifting to the worse scenarios. He knew what people were capable of when they’re desperate and out for revenge. He knew all too well. Thoughts of what Todd and Colin tried to do to her ran through his mind. He said a silent prayer that Nick’s ex wife would be able to clue them in on where Nora might be.

Back at the cabin: Later that afternoon.

Nick was pacing back and forth getting drunker by the minute. She had played him for a fool. Once again he had been fooled by a woman. It wasn’t going to happen again. He was going to make her pay. He’d knock the fight out of her. He downed the last of his whiskey and threw the bottle across the room. He walked into the bedroom and saw her lying on the bed. The effects of the drugs had worn off and she was wide awake. She saw him walk into the room. She could smell the whiskey before he even made it to the bed. She pulled herself up, trying not to cry out as the pain ripped through her shoulder again. She pulled her knees up to her chest and just looked at him.

“You really shouldn’t have made that call, Nora.”

“What’s the matter Nick, you scared? You should be. Bo knows that you’re the one holding me here. He’s going to find me.”

“No one knows about this place, Nora. No one.”

“Are you sure about that Nick? Bo’s a smart man. He’s going to figure this out.”

“Too bad it’ll be too late for him to save you.”

He reached out and touched her cheek. She moved her head to the side resisting his touch. This only made him madder. He reached over and un-cuffed her wrist. He held on to her wrist and pulled her down on the bed. He stuffed the gag back in her mouth to keep her from screaming. He grabbed her other wrist and held them both above her head. The pain in her shoulder brought tears to her eyes, but he didn’t care. He used his other hand to rip her nightgown off her body. Nora fought back as hard as she could but with each movement he would hit her. She tried to keep the tears at bay as she felt his hands touching her body. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her. Twice she had escaped this fate, but this time her luck had run out. Nora’s world faded to black as he finished his assault. Nick climbed off the bed and handcuffed her wrist back to the bed.

“You really shouldn’t have made that phone call, Nora. Now look what you made me do.”

He looked down at her before walking out of the room, leaving her lying there, beaten, bruised, and broken.