We drove for hours and Tony didn’t say a word the whole time. It wasn’t like I tried to draw him out in conversation either, but still. It was creepy the way he just stared at the road, slowly bleeding down his arm, this weird smile on his face the whole time.

I wanted to scream and run, but he never slowed down, never stopped the car. There was nothing I could do except watch the miles tick past and breathe what were probably my last breaths.

Soon the landscape began to change. We moved from the southern tip of Iowa back toward Chicago and the top of the state. Things began to seem less rural, less spread out. We drove all fucking day and a large chunk of the night before finally I began to recognize some of the suburban features of Chicago’s outlying counties.

“We’re nearly there,” he said suddenly, surprising me. “We’re nearly there,” he repeated.

He lapsed back into silence. I stared at him, horrified, but he didn’t say another word.

We drove for about a half hour, getting closer to the city. We pulled into an industrial area, except it seemed totally abandoned. There were factories everywhere, large, warehouse-like buildings with smokestacks and winding roads. Tony drove us down a long, empty road before suddenly pulling off and turning toward a building.

It said “J&J Shipping” in white on the front in big, bold letters. The paint was chipped and peeling, and I could tell that nobody worked at this place and probably hadn’t for a long time. Tony drove the car right up to the front door and pulled over.

“Out,” he said. He climbed out of his side and I climbed out of mine.

I knew it was stupid, but I started running. I ran as fast as I could toward the road, screaming my head off for help. I screamed and screamed and ran, trying to get away.

I heard Tony’s laughter as he followed after me. I kept running and screaming, getting toward the road.

“There’s nobody here,” he yelled out. “There’s nowhere for you to go.”

I got to the road, out of breath, and desperately looked around.

He was right. The streetlights weren’t even working. There was nothing around me and I was alone, so fucking alone. I thought about Gates, his strong body, the smile on his face as he went down on me. Those were good moments, beautiful moments, some of the best moments of my life. I wished that I could go back there and live in them, enjoy them, accept them for what they were. I wished I never had to end up at this warehouse.

And then Tony was on me. He punched me in the skull and threw me to the ground. He kicked me until I screamed out in pain, not able to stop the tears.

Finally, he pulled me to my feet by my hair. “Don’t run again,” he said simply, and began to drag me back toward the building.

I went with him. I had no other choice. I could run but there was nowhere to go. I couldn’t get far enough to get away from him, not in the shape I was in. Plus, he had a gun, and could kill me at any time.

We went into the front door. The place was empty and smelled like mildew and mold. He took me down a hall and through some plastic hanging doors. We moved through an open warehouse floor with old machines scattered around. He pushed me in through a door into what looked like an office.

“Sit,” he said.

I sat down in the only chair there. He rummaged around in a bin near the door and found a rope. He tied me to the chair, making the knots nice and tight.

Once he was done, he stepped back and admired what he had done.

“What are you going to do with me?” I asked him.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“You can’t just keep me here. Someone will find me.”

“I can do whatever I want.”

“You’re hurt, Tony. You need help.”

He laughed. “I’m fine, you stupid whore. I’m fine.”

He was unhinged, unraveling. I could hear it in his voice. He was losing his freaking mind and he was going to bring me down with him.

Fear lanced through my body again. I didn’t know what he was going to do with me in this room. He clearly knew this building and had been in this room before, since he knew where the rope was and brought me directly to this chair. Maybe this was the spot he brought people when he wanted to hurt them, the sick bastard.

“I’ll be back,” Tony mumbled then left the room.

I tested my restraints, working as hard as I could. I wasn’t done trying to get away, not by a long shot. I twisted my body, pressing against the ropes. As I worked it, chair feet rattling on the floor, I suddenly lost my balance. I tipped over and crashed onto my side.

I started to cry out of frustration. I felt so stupid laying there on my side, sobbing like a baby, but I couldn’t help it. I screamed, so damn angry, so damn helpless. I hated that I was being held there against my will and could do nothing about it.

Tony came back a few minutes later. He looked down at me and smiled slightly.

“Friends are coming,” he said simply. “They’ll help deal with you.”

“Bastard,” I said.

He shrugged and helped me back up. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “It won’t be long now.”

I spit at him, but he just wiped it off his face and left the room again, that creepy smile never leaving his face.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I thought about Gates, about what he would do in this situation.

He would be brave. Gates was the bravest, strongest man I’d ever met, and I had to be brave. That was all I could do.

I pushed back against my fear and prepared to accept whatever came next.