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Claudia looked around. The room was empty, and she wondered if they had really left her alone. Cautiously, she tried to sit down; having her hands tied behind was a little bit more difficult, but she did it. She stood up, and understood she had weak knees and every part of her body was sore and numb, so she waited a little. The silence was near absolute, only a few dogs’ howls and the beating of some hammers in the garage broke it.
Having summoned all her courage, Claudia began to walk to the door. It wasn’t locked, and she managed to open it with her elbows and shoulders: she headed for the garage, whose metal door was also open. She opened it slowly, hoping it didn’t creak, and she looked inside. As Marvin had said, there were only three men there; the two younger brothers, Wayne and Mike, and the retarded Sean, now carrying a gearbox as it was a toy. They weren’t far, and she could hear their dialogue; shivering, she understood they were speaking about her.