DEAD IN BED By Bailey Simms: The Complete Second Book

PART 11, AUTHOR'S NOTE - 2/13/15, 2:50pm

The cop screamed again, "Bailey, cuff yourself to the God damn bed!"

I hurried to fasten the cuff around my wrist as quickly as I could while my fingers trembled almost uncontrollably. Kyle coughed and sputtered.

I threw the handcuffs key at the door. As soon as it clanged to the ground beside Kyle, the cop pushed open the door, pinning Kyle against the wall in the process. Then the cop grabbed him by the string and pulled him to his feet. Kyle breathed deeply, trying to catch his breath.

The cop pointed right at me with his free hand. "You owe me the next part," he screamed. He was out of control now in a way that I'd never seen.

Now he turned to Kyle and barked, "I told you no intimacy or any of that crap!"

He dragged Kyle into the hallway, slammed the door, and locked it.

In as much time as it must have taken the cop to cuff Kyle back to the heating pipe in the basement, I heard him come back upstairs. He pounded his fist on the door.

"You can see him again if you give me Part Eleven," he called out, just as terrifyingly agitated as he'd been before. "But not until then."

For a moment I could hear only his heavy breathing.

"I didn't think it would have to come to this, Bailey. But if you try to pull any more crap and refuse to write the next part, here's what's going to happen. Do you see what's on the computer screen?"

I noticed only now that for the first time the screen was displaying something other than my blog.

Instead, it showed footage from a hidden surveillance camera.

It was a bedroom. A teen girl was sitting in the window, smoking and talking on her phone. She was laughing, totally oblivious that she was being filmed. Finally, I recognized who it was.

It was Megan. I'd been in that room with her a thousand times as a kid. My heart stopped.

A digital display in the corner of the screen displayed the current date and time. Somehow, the cop had installed a hidden camera in Megan's room. But I didn't understand. Why had he done it? And why was he showing me the footage?

"If you don't get to writing fast, Bailey, I swear to God I will kidnap that girl. And I will bring her here. And I will put her in the basement with Kyle. And I will let those two lovebirds get up to whatever they'll get up to until you finally keep your promise and finish your book." He took a moment to breathe. "Got it?" he yelled. "Something happens to that girl, it'll be on your head! Not mine."

I heard him storm away down the hall. Once again, I was all alone in this silent room.