Chapter 3

He came before me then, a cloth that looked like a dish towel wrapped around his neck, blood seeping through it. He looked major pissed. I felt a slight hint of fear.

"Why would you do that? He asked calmly. That sure wasn't expected.

"What a question. You seriously didn't expect to just abduct me, take me here and order me around like a pet without me trying to do anything did you?"

"I'm helping you!"

"You call this helping me?" I motioned to the traps holding me down, "helping me from what? My life. I want to go home-"

"Home?! You-" he stopped and pressed a finger to his wound to stop the pain, "you don't have a home"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He came closer and stopped before me.

"Listen to me you spoilt little brat, I'm helping you OK. From your life. If you had any idea about the society you live in you'd shut your mouth about home. Look around you, there is no one else and no way out. Think about that the next time you wanna be heroic."

"I was trying to save myself"

"From what?!" His voice rose, "I'm not trying to hurt you. You've been here25hours now I would have if I wanted to."

"What do you want form me?" I asked, my voice shaky as the fight went out of me.

"Trust. I know its a stupid thing to ask but its what I need to do what I have planned. I just want you to cooperate with me Kay-lee. I swear I won't hurt you. I wasn't stupid to put the fork there in your view. It was because I trusted you. You did exactly what I expected but that's what people do when the trust each other. They give you the go ahead even when they expect the expected."

Not even a sound would come out when I opened my mouth to speak. For some strange reason I felt like a betrayer. He stood and headed into the living room. I knew he was leaving. 
"Wait!" I called after him, "you're leaving me like this?"

"Think of it as a punishment for what you just did. Trust Kay-lee, that's all I'm asking. You don't want to make me the bad guy. And that's a warning." I listened closely. Footsteps, a door opening and closing and then silence. Nothing but dead silence and the rumble of my stomach...

***

I jumped awake to the feel of someone shaking me. It was him of course, with a bandage visible beneath a whit sheer shirt he wore; along with khaki cargo shorts. I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep. And as soon as I saw the pizza before me my stomach gave another ominous rumble.

"Its past time you eat something now," he said down to me. He bent and unbuckled the straps, then he dropped a paper bag with something in it on the table before me and headed in the living room. I didn't know where he got it or what was in it but I was too hungry to care. I tore the bag apart. There was a dish with vegetable salad inside, another with what I recognized was chop suey and fried rice. Chinese mmmm. There was also an apple and a bottle of orange juice. I strangely felt flattered, and in no second lager i was diving in. And man did it taste really damn good.

After I was finished, and I did eat everything, I sat still, stuffed as a pig. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to get up, I mean I don't think I could take another punishment but I didn't know how to call him either so I took the chance. I spotted a trash can near the counter in the kitchen and I threw the remains in it. I wen to the sink and washed my hands with pure water. And after drying them in a dish towel, I headed into the living room.

He was standing before a stereo system - amount the many things I hadn't noticed on the first day - roaming through some CDs.

"What re you doing?" I asked gingerly. He placed a CD into the slot and skipped through a few songs until he stopped at a slow steady classic song. He walked over to me, stood before me and held his out hand.

"Do you trust me?" His question was ever so polite, as usual, a smile curving on his lips. I pulled my brows together.

"I really don't think I'm at that stage yet," I replied and instantly his smile dropped.

"Do. You. Trust. Me?" He asked again, but this time slower and louder as if he was certain I didn't hear him the first time. Seemingly it was a one way answer.

"Yes," I raised my hand to rest in his. No point fighting back now. He led me to the middle of the room, the exact spot I first woke up in, and pulled me to him. I was eager to push him off at first but I didn't want to upset him, plus his body felt good against mine. His every hard masculine outline. I exhaled. He dropped the hand that was at the top of my back lower and lifted me, resting my feet on top of his. So I was actually off the floor. And then we started to move.

We swayed - well more like he did - steadily and slowly to the song. I kept one hand entwined in his and the other on his shoulder as the dance required; my eyes fixed on the wall before me. His perfume, same one as before, still a smelt great and was still hypnotizing. I felt my eyelids lolling. I inhaled, drinking him in. And suddenly the music came to a stop and he was swinging my body to the floor. I closed my eyes tight shut. This is it, the moment I'd die, all the time I was too busy enjoying his scent to notice. I freed my hands and waited for the blow. But nothing came, my body wasn't on the floor but instead mid way in the air. I slowly opened my eyes and instantly looked up into his. Hazel eyes - more green than brown. They were so beautiful and...familiar. I drew my brows together. I know these eyes, I couldn't recall from where but they were lodged into my memory some how. And for some reason I couldn't fit a face to them. Who are there eyes? How do I know them?

And suddenly as if seeing what I was trying to do, he swung me back up and sat me back on my feet. He wasn't going to kill me, he was just dipping me. I felt relieved at that fact but the other that I knew those eyes bothered me.

"Are you sure I don't know know you?" I asked, another confused expression forming in my face as he pulled out a small yet very thick briefcase from under the couch.

"Positive," he answered flatly and rested it on the small coffee table. He switched the CD to one of a more modern type and headed for the door.

"You're leaving?" I asked surprised at the tone of sadness in my voice.

"Yes I'll be back tomorrow," his mood had somehow gone stern now. I got even more confused.

"First you punish me and then you serenade me. I'm confused. What are you?"

"Think of me as the dad you never had," I noted that as he reached before him.

"What's in the case?"

"The combination's your birthday. And no its not a bomb," and before I could ask anymore questions he was through the door; closing it and denying me the tiniest peek of the other side.

I had no idea what was sin the case, what/who was on the other side or how in hell he opened the door without so much as a secret knock or something if the sort. But I would surely find out. Everything. Starting with what's inside that case...

***

The following day he can back to find me crouched over in a like of papers. I'd read so much my eyes started to hurt. There were files on practically everyone I knew here, friends, family even Blaine. I was sick to my stomach. He crouched over before me and started sorting through some of the papers. All of this can't be true. Maybe it was just a front. To make me vulnerable, to make me trust him and maybe even like him. This is so low.

I jumped to my feet and put my hands on my hips. I'm so finished with being calm and cooperative.

"This is real low you know. How can you make up all these things about everyone around me and expect me to trust and believe you?"

"I didn't make anything up. Everything you see here is true, I did the background checks."

"And you expect me to to just up and believe you? With no proof at all that this is true"

"You think I'd lie to you-?"

"Why not," I jumped in before he could finish, "you did abduct me didn't you"

"I rescued you," his voice rose, "'m trying to help you"

"Why? Why do you wan to help me? Why do all this?"

He remained silent for a bit. I was getting impatient.

"Why?!" I shouted.

"Because I care about you okay"

"Care about me? You don't even know me."

"I know more about you and your life than you know your yourself."

Now this is really starting to piss me off. I rose a foot and smashed it down into the small center table; it broke down to the pressure. I took up a huge piece of the glass and aimed it toward him. He didn't look the slightest bit taken aback neither did he budge.

"And just what do you think you're doing with that?"

"Let me go! Or I swear..."

"Swear you'll what? Do you actually think you stand a chance against me?"

"Its worth a shot," I said a calmly. My breathing was accelerating. I made a strike, he shifted and I missed. Crap. Breathing increasing still. Suddenly he reached down, lifted the frame of the table and threw it across the room, little bits of broken glass following it. He moved closer then, right into the piece of glass I held, its tip pressing deeply into his chest. I froze with shock.

"Go ahead," he said through clenched teeth, "make another strike and make it your best shot. But while you're at it think about how you'll get out of here. And don't think you'll figure your way out because you never will. Might as well just kill yourself too cause you'll die right after anyway."

I didn't have to think that through to admit he was right. I felt helpless.

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered.

"I'm trying to help you!" He stepped closer and I could feel it sinking into his chest, "...the sooner you realize that the better off you'll be."

"I just want to go home"

"After reading all that? I'm trying to help you. Those people are all liars, deceivers-"

"And you're better? You abducted me. I don't know if you're gonna kill me-"

He drew the glass so fast out my hand, my heart skipped a beat. He pushed me back into the couch, came over me and held it to my throat. A sob formed in my throat and goosebumps evaded my skin.

"Stop trying to make me the villain," he said staring me straight in the face. Fear erupted. "Those people, who call themselves your friends are. The ones who claim to care about you and love you. I'm your friend. A friend trying to help you. If I wanted to kill you I would have long ago. Hell I can do it right now. Just tear your throat open with this piece of glass, wrap you in plastic bags and bury you where no one will ever even think to look for you let alone find you. Is that what you want? Huh?" He paused waiting, nothing would come out. I was too busy trying to shake that image he just conjured up out my head. "Answer me!!" His voice sent shivers through me and my head shook involuntarily. "I thought not."

He rose from over me and dropped the glass.

"For the one hundredth time I'm trying to help you. If you'd only cooperate with me. Because the way I see it I'm the only source of survival and true friend you have here." Once again I felt like a betrayer and real stupid. Maybe all of this was true, maybe he really was trying to help me. I looked up at him and knew, that under that mask, there was an expression I'd never wan to see. One of more than disappointment or failure of trying to help someone.

He headed for the door. Tears welled up.

"Wait," my voice broke. He turned back to me. "Can I at least know your name?" I was desperate.

"I won't tell you my name. Its completely useless at this point but since you already have it lodged in your head. Why don't you call me Abductor."

I tried to think of something rational to say then but nothing would come up. We just stared at each other for a bit.

"I'll be back in a while with some food and something for that okay," he inclined his head towards my hands. When I looked down at them I was surprised to see twin slashes across my palms. They were bleeding. I wonder how I didn't feel them. Her another sense of feeling masked by drama. When I looked back up, he was gone. And somehow I wasn't shocked at all. It was if I was getting used to his way of doing things.

I suddenly felt a surge of sleepiness. Maybe it was an effect of what just happened and all the emotions welling up inside. The stinging in my palms grew as I lay on the couch. I had no clue how long he'd be for or what would come next but I knew for sure I had only one thing to do now. Just trust him and cooperate like he asked.