The Z Contingency

Chapter 73

Natalie fought a wave of nausea as she regained consciousness. Her head was pounding, and her vision was blurred. She blinked several times to try clearing her vision before giving up, and shut her eyes tightly. What happened? Where am I? Did I faint...? No... Someone grabbed me around the neck from behind. I must have lost consciousness. Natalie held her eyes closed as she thought about all those thrillers she had watched on television and at the movies, trying to remember what the characters in those stories had done when they had awakened from a choke hold. When nothing came to mind, she slowly opened her eyes again. She could see more clearly now. She could see that she was seated at a desk, and that her wrists were tightly tied down to the arms of the chair. She could feel that her ankles were tied to the chair legs as well.

Through the small grimy window in front of her, she could make out an expansive lot, with many piles of junk scattered all over. No, the piles seemed somewhat organized. There were various kitchen appliances closest to her vantage point; to the left she could see ranges and stoves. Scanning clockwise from there, were ovens and microwaves, then dishwashers, and finally refrigerators were lined up to the right, near a door to the building in which she was held captive. Piles of smaller items like range hoods and sinks could be seen piled up behind the larger appliances. Far across the yard she could make out a small trailer-style building.

She turned her attention to her immediate surroundings. It appeared that she was was being held in an office. In addition to the desk she was tied behind, there were a number of filing cabinets, and calendars with photos of scantily-clad women were tacked up to the walls. As her vision was becoming more focused, she looked to see if any of the scraps of paper on the desk would tell her where she was.

It was then she noticed a scrawled note on the desktop, directly in front of her. The words "You're sitting on a bomb, so don't move around too much" sent a chill up her spine.

Natalie immediately stopped struggling against her bonds. She looked all around her, straining to see where the bomb was. When she looked down, she could make out some wires going under the desk, but not the bomb itself. She could also see the dangling ends of a dirty red bandana tied as a gag over her mouth. She forced herself not to think about where that bandana might have been.

She strained to see or hear any signs of her captor, but finally concluded that she must be alone, and turned her attention to figuring out how to free herself.