Chapter 3 - Cindy

I sat as still as possible as we came to a stop. The man sat momentarily before I heard him getting out and moving about. He came back and extracted the man from the back. Unsure of what to expect, I didn't move.

He opened my door and, gently pulled me out and placed me down on the ground. In angst, I lay waiting for his next move. I kept my breathing shallow; maybe he would just leave me if he thought I was dead.

I kept my eyes shut when he pulled off the blindfold, praying he would just go away. Hoping to wake at any second to find it was all a nightmare. He leaned over me as if waiting for me to wake. I wasn't going to do that; I wanted him to believe I was dead and of no use to him.

His large hands moved softly over my skin as he loosened my hands and down my legs to my feet. His touch was light as a feather, causing my skin to tingle. As I felt the bounds around my feet fall away, I knew it was now or never.

Opening my eyes, I aimed up at his chest, pulling my legs in. I kicked with all my might and jumped to my feet. Looking up and down, I wasn't sure where I was but knew I had to run away from him.

Turning my back on him, I wobbled into a sprint, heading up what appeared to be a driveway. My skin felt cold and clammy as fear tried to numb my legs. It was so dark around me I could barely make out the gate up ahead. Pulling the tape from my mouth, I huffed at myself as I ran. "Almost there." I tried to move faster. "Just a couple more steps…,"

My words fell away as I felt a hand closing around my waist and the other over my mouth. With the sudden stop, I felt us going down. My heart was beating in my throat as my arms waved around in the air. I felt the big hands gently turning me to face him.

The man stopped our fall just barely as he lay me down on my back and held himself up inches away from me. His hands were against my sides as he pinned me to the ground. I noticed he was a big man earlier, but having him haunched over me, I realized he was almost double my size.

I felt a tingling as fear bolted through me, turning my skin to ice. My heart suddenly beat in my throat as he stared deeply into my eyes. Breathing became harder as my airway appeared to be closing. My lungs were on fire, and I gasped for air, feeling panic taking over.

His hand was warm against my cold skin as he placed the tape back over my mouth with one hand.

Even though he was half sitting over me, I noticed his grip was solid but didn't hurt as he tied my hands again. I squirmed under him, hoping to wiggle my way out of his hold. Glancing at his arms and chest, it dawned on me that he was a well-formed hunky man. Yet, for his size and strength, his touch was almost caressing and not harmful in any way.

He rose to his feet, pulling me with him. I tried to protest as he picked me up and headed toward the gloomy-looking building. My muffled screams and pleading couldn't be heard by the outside world but echoed through my mind as we moved.

It seemed that the plant life had almost taken over completely, as the exterior of the building was covered in vines and moss. A cloudiness appeared to be engulfing the entire place. My throat felt like it was thickening.

The dimness of the driveway made me shiver as he walked towards the hidden door. Shadows creeped out of the corners, reaching out with long, winding fingers as if death itself was coming for me. As the man stepped inside, he kicked the door closed without turning. It closed, and I heard a clicking sound.

The brightness was almost too much, and I had to blink a couple of times. Strangely enough, I nearly felt safe in his arms. Yet, I still feared him with all that I had seen tonight.

The room we had entered appeared to be split in two, with two doors leading out of it. To my left were a chair, a table, and a cupboard with little else around it. On the right of us was a small kitchen-looking area, but this space didn't hold much either. There was a large basin, holders with knives and other instruments, and some cupboards.

Thinking back to the room where I saw him, I swallowed hard at the mass forming in my throat. It felt like I was trying to force a ball of sludge down, which was stuck. This had to be his personal interrogation room.

He didn't stay long in this room and moved through the door to our right. I was astounded by this area. It looked sleek and cozy, completely contrasting with the outside and the first area we came through.

It was a prolific change compared to the outside. It was almost breathtaking and warm with its spacious and appealing design. The place appeared to sparkle, clean, and everything had its place. It was modern and compact, with a small kitchen leading into a living room, and I suspected a bathroom lay behind the door at the other end.

There were stairs leading up to what seemed like a bedroom with a door below it. This door, I assumed, led to the front of the house, but I couldn't be sure. To our right, I noted another closed door.

The man lowered me to my feet and pulled me with him as he moved across the cream-tiled floor to the door closest to us. He unlocked it and stepped inside, forcing me to sit on the floor.

"What's your name?" he asked flatly as he pulled the tape from my mouth and removed the cloth.

After coughing a little, I looked up at him, "Cindy and you?"

He replaced the cloth and tape before stepping back out and closing the door. Before he shut it completely, he spoke. "Sit still and be a good girl now."

I heard a scuffling on the other side of the door, and then a phone rang. Sitting quietly, I tried to listen. "Hey Leon," a woman's voice blared in the room on the other side of the door. Then suddenly her voice went quiet, but I could hear the man named Leon speaking.

"No names, you know that. I had you on speaker, and I have company." There was a second of silence before he spoke again. "Yes, yes, I know this wasn't the plan." He replied to something she said.

There was another pause, and I could only presume he was listening to her. Then he spoke again. This time, I caught a hint of irritation in his voice. "I said I'll take care of it, and I will, okay." A long silence followed before I heard him speaking once more. "Yes, I know, see you later."

There was a loud bang in the other room, followed by another uncomfortable silence. I knew then that I had to get out. He would take care of it, which could only mean one thing, and I didn't want to wait around to be killed. First, I had to get into a more comfortable position so I could work at freeing myself from the restraints.

Breathing in deeply, I tried to silence my beating heart. O, dear heart, please stop trying to flee from my body . Feeling my eyes burning as a tear strolled down my cheek, I tried to swallow the mass in my throat. I wasn't going to get anything done with a lump of peanut butter stuck in my throat. And I knew crying wouldn't change the situation.

Shaking my head, I pushed back at the panic, trying to take control of me. It was quiet outside; no sound came from the other side of the door. This couldn't be good as I was sure he had returned to wherever he had placed the man. I just knew he would come for me once he was done with the man.

My throat felt dry and scratchy; the lump of peanut butter seemed stuck no matter how hard I swallowed. I needed some water and a way out. Studying my dark surroundings, as my eyes adjusted, I saw a table and chair to one side. On the table was a computer which was off at the moment.

Next to the table was a cabinet and a comfortable-looking puff lounger to the other side. The room appeared to be a sort of an office. Yet, thinking of the little I knew about him, it could well be another torture room. The walls were filled with shelves holding books and two paintings.

Shifting forward on my butt, I moved closer to the table. Maybe I could find something to loosen the bounds with. I tried leaning against the table leg, moving my arms up and down, but the surface was too smooth. Turning back to face the table, I saw a glass had moved to the edge with my struggling against the leg. My body felt chilly even though I was sweaty.

Trying to lick my lips, I knew I had to get water soon. I also needed him to loosen the bounds. Staring at the glass, I decided to kick at the table; maybe the glass would bring him in to check what was happening.

Aiming for the table leg with my feet, I couldn't decide if I really wanted to bring attention to myself. Yes, no, yes, no, my mind twirled with all that could happen. Glancing around again, I knew there was no other option. I felt sure it was my only way to get water and maybe escape.

Yet, I needed to get the bounds off first. Shifting sideways, I managed to get to the cabinet. The edge looked rouch enough; turning, I moved my arms again, hoping to cut through the bounds. After what felt like an eternity, they started giving way. Pulling hard, I was able to pull one hand free. I untied my legs and quickly moved back to the table.

Taking a seat before it, I loosely placed the bounds around my legs and held the others in my hands behind my back. I was ready.

Kicking with all my might at the table, I heard it bang against the wall. The glass lifted one side, then the other, and finally flipped sideways, speeding to the floor below it. The glass flew to the ground with an alarming, loud, and impressive shattering sound echoing through the room.

I didn't know what would happen if this didn't attract his attention. I shifted back slightly, listening for any movement on the other side of the closed door. It didn't take long for the door to open and Leon to step in. The brute of a man stood towering over me as he spoke in that deep, low voice I had heard earlier. "What is your problem?"

My body numbed as panic stepped in. "Don't get hysterical, " I told myself, breathing deeply through my nose. Looking up into his eyes, I felt mine widen with a petrified stare of what may come from my half-brained idea. His dark eyes had a cold, dead look.

How could I think he would come in calmly and untie me so I could have a drink? He kidnapped me. How stupid could I be? I should stick to formulas, I thought as he moved in closer, his eyes locked on mine.

"I need quiet for my interrogations, and I can't focus if you don't do your part. Can you keep quiet?" He spat at me.

I mumbled, trying to pull my eyes from his without breaking into hysterical sobs. My chest felt crushed as I struggled to catch my breath. He lifted his hand quickly, and I flinched, making him stop mid-air. Glancing at his hand, I noticed he was moving slower as he brought it to my face and removed the tape. Tears were threatening to flow like a waterfall as I tried to keep my breathing steady.

"Don't you dare scream," he said as he pulled the cloth from my mouth.

Once the tape was off and the cloth removed, I could breathe easier. As I spoke, I heard my voice breaking but managed to hold back the tears. "Water, please," I asked in a barely audible voice.

He looked at the table, and the glass shattered on the floor below it. "You just broke my favorite glass; why should I give you anything?" He asked, lifting his eyebrows.

Lowering my head, I replied softly. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't call." I hoped my voice sounded sincere enough for him to believe me.

Leon stepped back, hesitantly observing me. I glanced at him and back down, hoping he wouldn't see the treachery I felt was surely written all across my face.

"Water," he said after a while. Replacing the tape, he turned and left the room. Soon, he came back with a glass. Kneeling next to me he removed the tape again and held the glass to my lips. He lifted it slowly as I greedily gulped down the cool water. Once again, I realized he was handling me with care as he held one hand under my chin, wiping the water dripping past the glass.

About halfway through the content of the glass, I felt the peanut butter lump becoming a smooth paste. I felt my stomach turning and growling. Sure, I was also hungry, but I decided not to push my luck. Leon rose to his feet, stepped back, and stared down at me for a moment.

I felt uncomfortable with his dark eyes focused intently on me. It felt like I was staring down the abyss. I was sure he was trying to assess the situation. "I'll leave the tape off if you promise not to scream?" he said questioningly, as he smoothed his short raven black hair back.

Shaking my head in agreement, I looked away, scared he would see the excitement in my eyes as I felt a spark of hope lifting my weary spirits. He left and pulled the door closed behind him. I didn't hear the door locking and waited only a second before jumping to my feet. I opened the door quietly and stuck my head out to see if he had left the inner room.

My head had barely gone through when I felt a shove against the door. I was pushed back hard, losing my balance. I tried to grab on, but there was nothing I could get my fingers around, so I fell back. There stood Leon in the doorway, grinning down at me. Sweat instantly covered my skin. It felt like I was covered in ice as I looked into those deep, dark eyes.

I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing how I felt, so I pushed my fear down. He hadn't hurt me yet. If he wanted to, I was sure he would have by now. This gave me a nudge of confidence.