Scarlett
The car stopped about half an hour later, I guessed, though I had no sense of the time. I had bumped my head often during the undignified transit and was slightly bruised and disheartened. The trunk opened suddenly and low afternoon sun blinded me. The bag was unceremoniously placed back onto my head as I was roughly pulled out.
No longer hearing the noise of the city, I presumed we were out in the suburbs. Or maybe the countryside.
I struggled to suppress my rising fear. Travis was resourceful, but how would he know where I was?
Or what if he was…
Steeling myself, I pushed the thought away. I had to keep faith in him. It was the only way I could keep my strength. I didn’t want to turn into a gibbering wreck. I needed to keep my wits about me if I was to help Travis in any small way I could, even if it was just by staying safe and unharmed.
I was half-dragged, half-carried across grass. I heard a door squeak open in front of me, and I was pushed from behind, probably by Mr. Broken Nose. I was then taken up a flight of stairs, where the bag was removed.
I recognized my kidnappers. The guy whose nose I’d broken stared at me viciously. He approached, turning me on my feet so that I faced a mean-looking Russian or Eastern European sitting on a plush office chair that looked out of place in the dirty room surrounding us. It seemed that we were in an abandoned building or something. Maybe a farmhouse.
The guy with the broken nose raised his arm as if to give me a back handed-slap. The guy in the chair raised his arm. Broken-Nose froze in fear.
“Don’t touch her, you fucking idiot.” He rose to his feet. He was massive—well over six feet tall, but not muscled like Travis. He walked forward and poked the guy hard on his broken nose.
I laughed, amazed at myself. I was no longer afraid. It wasn’t in their interest to harm me. Not yet, anyway.
Plus, I knew Travis was undoubtedly looking for me. So essentially, they were all dead men walking.
The leader turned to face me, amused. Then he looked back at his bleeding henchman. “You have already been stupid once today. You let a little girl break your nose.” He laughed and the other guys in the room joined in until his face abruptly went dark.
“If you are stupid once more today,” he continued, “I will feed you to the dogs, and I will let her kill you.” He jerked a thumb my way and then turned his gaze toward me. “Now, miss, please excuse my men. They’re stupid. They know how to fight, and that’s it. I, however, will be civilized. If you are respectful, you will not be in danger. I have food, water, and a bed for you. You will not be touched. I will not allow any harm to come to you…As long as your father and I can…come to an arrangement.” He raised his eyebrows, smiling. “Okay?”
I looked up at his menacing face. He tried to put on a soft expression but didn’t look much less scary. I nodded nonetheless.
He gently removed the tape from my mouth.
I smiled. “That would be nice, thank you. I promise to be good, sir.” I looked down at my hands and feet. “If we are to trust each other, can I be untied, please? My arms and legs hurt.”
He snapped a finger at his men. They complied, cutting the tape gently, taking great care not to cause me any discomfort.
“Now, miss—please do not get used to making demands. I am fair, but my patience is short. This request I grant as a sign that we can be respectful to each other.” He gestured at a large mattress in the corner of the room. A handcuff was attached to a radiator behind the bed. “Please make yourself comfortable, but don’t try anything. I don’t want to have to chain you up like a dog. You’re too beautiful for that.”
I felt sick as he unashamedly ogled my breasts through my thin blouse, but I put on a brave face and walked over to the bed and sat down. I then took a long mouthful from a sealed bottle of mineral water next to the pillow.
The leader pointed to one of his men. “Vincent, you are not to leave this room unless I am here. You are to keep this girl safe. If any of the idiots so much as goes near her, you are to kill them. Understand?”
The man named Vincent nodded and dragged a plastic chair over towards me, facing outwards from the wall behind him. He sat down, arms crossed.
The leader approached me. “Vincent is my voice when I am not here. He is not stupid like the others and understands the importance of our…negotiation. He is my most trusted man, and he will not allow the other idiots near you.” He paused, thoughtfully. “If Vincent tells you to do something, please do it. Thank you.” He turned on his heel. “I have business to attend to now, so I will leave you for a while. Please try and relax.”
He pointed to one of his men, shouting in Russian. The guy shook his head. The leader screamed angrily, his hand reaching for a mobile phone. He dialed a number and waited, but apparently got no answer. He threw the phone at his men, who flinched. They looked down at their feet, mumbling something I couldn’t understand.
Well, I guess their assassin didn’t get on very well, I thought. I hope that’s what they’re talking about. Come on Travis, stay focused.
The leader left the room with one of his henchmen in tow, following along like a trained dog.
The other two stood at the door, their hands down by their sides. I imagined Travis sneaking up to the building, a gun in each hand as he crawled silently through the grass.