Kate’s heart thumped loudly in her chest as she realized where she was. Lying on her side with her eyes covered, every bump made her body ache. Something hard was pressing on her back and she winced. After her abductor had used the stun gun, he must have carried her through the back of the building and placed her in the boot of his car. She only hoped a neighbour had been looking out, witnessed the event, and called the police.
She didn’t know how long she’d been in the back of the car, but it came to a stop. Minutes passed before she heard a car door open and gravel crunching beneath his feet. Kate felt fresh air on her face as the boot was popped open. She began to scream but then felt a gloved hand over her mouth.
‘Oh Kate, ssshhhh … Please don’t do that. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.’ She felt a prick in her arm and then she was woozy. ‘Just a little something to calm you down. I’m afraid I won’t remove my hand until I know you will be quiet.’
Her life depended on her playing his game. It wouldn’t do her any good to fight at this moment in time. Her hands and feet were tied and her eyes were covered. She was at his mercy.
‘Good. I’m just going to pick you up and take you inside. You’re home now.’ He grunted as he lifted her out of the boot.
An icy shiver went down her spine.
***
Kate woke up on a bed. Her hands and feet were once again bound, so she couldn’t move. She felt a hand caress her face and tried to move away from his touch.
‘I know this must all seem a bit unusual, but you can trust me, Kate. Don’t you see, we’re finally together. I only wish you hadn’t made it so hard. I tried to keep away; I tried to use others. But I should have known they could never be the one. They left me. It was always you.’ He gently prised the tape from her mouth.
She tried to speak but her throat was dry.
‘Hang on. I’ll get you some water.’ He held her head up and a straw was placed between her lips. ‘Here you go. Be careful you don’t spill any on yourself.’
She coughed and turned her head away after taking a bit of the water. It was cold against the back of her throat. ‘Where … where am I?’
‘Sshhh. Rest now. There’ll be plenty of time for us to talk in the morning.’ She could feel something hovering just above her face, but he didn’t touch her this time. Instead, she felt cold lips on her forehead. ‘You’re home now. We have a lot to plan. Goodnight, princess.’
A tear trickled down the side of her face. The water must have been laced with something as she began to feel groggy again. The more she tried to fight sleep, the worse she felt. She gave in and knew that tomorrow she would have to try harder. She didn’t know how long he would keep her alive, so every second counted.