The Con
Preface
I had never been so terrified in my entire life. Every memory and emotion I had ever felt paled in comparison to this moment.
Chapter One
“Honey, you’re going to be late!” Ally called up the stairs to her husband, Anthony. They had been married for nearly eight years and without her, he would forget his own name. Moments later Anthony lumbered down the staircase, buttoning his shirt along the way. He smirked and grabbed his dark grey suit jacket from Alley, shrugging it on as he made his way out of the front door. Several seconds passed and the front door flew back open as Anthony returned for his keys that Ally held out in her hand with a smirk.
“Thanks, Hon.” Anthony said and quickly pecked Ally on the cheek. She smiled as she walked into the kitchen, fixing her long dirty blonde hair into a loose bun, securing it with a pen she grabbed off the counter top. She chewed her lip as she read over her schedule for the day. Her heart sunk as she read Sadie’s Fundraiser 3pm scrawled out in the calendar block. She grabbed the island countertop with both hands to steady herself, closing her eyes and counting to ten. Tears stung her eyes as she squeezed them tighter begging them not to fall. Her breathing became more rapid and uncontrolled. She reached for her purse and desperately searched for an orange pill bottle labeled valium. Panic set in as she knocked the purse to the floor and its contents scattered.
“Shit!” she muttered aloud as the flood gates opened and tears streamed down her face, stinging her cheeks. She collapsed to the floor and rummaged through the mess, coming up with her prescription bottle. She struggled desperately to pop the child safety cap off. The irony of not having a child to protect did not miss her. Her home was now sickeningly silent since she closed down her day care. Finally, the lid sprung free sending pills all over her lap. She gathered two and grabbed her glass off the counter, filling it quickly with the water tap on the door of the stainless steel fridge. Swallowing the pills, she took a moment to calm herself before finding her cell phone from the mess on the floor. She opened the address book and paused at her husband’s name. After a moment, she continued down the list and selected the name Doctor Hemler. After three excruciatingly long rings, a receptionist answered the phone.
“Dr. Hemler’s office. How may I help you?” a sweet soothing voice called through the receiver.
“Yes, um- is Doctor Hemler available?” Ally asked trying to keep the shaking in her voice hidden.
“He’s in an appointment this morning. May I take a message and have him call you back?” The voice responded.
“NO-no.” Ally stuttered and suddenly felt embarrassed by her breakdown. “I just forgot my appointment time, but I found the slip right here. My mistake.” She said with a nervous laugh. She clicked the end call button before the woman could respond. Taking a deep breath and finally feeling the effects from her medication, Ally bend down to retrieve the contents of her purse. She quickly stuffed all of her belongings into her designer bag, hanging onto a picture of her beloved Sadie wearing a pink tutu.
Sadie was the spitting image of Ally, with long dirty blonde hair, big bright blue eyes and dimples framing her smile. She could have easily passed for her daughter. At four years old she dreamed of being a prima ballerina, taking lessons once a week at the Tutu Studio. Ally babysat her nearly every night, indulged in her every whim. They were partners and crime. Ally came alive when she was with Sadie. It was the only time her smile touched her eyes. One night in June while Sadie’s parents were out of town for a business trip, they were leaving a local park after ditching pre-kindergarten to have ice cream and some good old-fashioned fun. They spent nearly two hours climbing trees and swinging from monkey bars.
“I think we better be getting home.” Ally told Sadie as she checked her watch and realized Anthony would be home from work soon and she hadn’t decided on anything for dinner.
“Awww.” Sadie whined and gave her best pout trying to win a few extra moments of play time out of Ally.
“One more trip down the slide then we HAVE to go. You know how your Uncle Anthony gets when he is hungry.” She said making an exaggerated angry face. Sadie giggled and ran off to the sliding board. She smiled and chatted with a little boy who had made it to the ladder just before her. Brushing the long blonde curls from her face, she hurried up behind him, anxious to take her turn. Ally rummaged through her purse and checked her cell phone for messages. There was none, so she scrolled to her husband’s name and sent him a quick text letting him know they would be home soon. As she hit send, the horrible screeching of tires and metal colliding with something suddenly grabbed her attention. Time slowed as she whipped her head around to see what had made that awful noise. A crowd gathered around as the white car flipped into reverse and sped off, dragging its bumper under the front of it, sending sparks cascading down the road behind it. She quickly scanned the playground for Sadie. A little brown haired boy slid down and no one else was in sight. Her eyes darted to the swings that swayed empty. Her heart leapt into her throat as she searched desperately for the little girl.
“Sadie!” she panicked, her voice cracking and barely making a sound. “Sadie!” she called again, this time in a scream. She rushed to the crowd of onlookers, pushing through the crowd desperate to find her.
Ally’s hands were still shaking as her tears fell onto the photo of the young girl. She stroked the picture with her thumb and she fought to swallow the lump in her throat. She had worked for two years to set up this charity event to help injured children in the name of Sadie, but she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to go through with it. She smoothed out the corners of the picture and slid it back into her brown leather wallet. If she could get through that day, she knew she could get through anything. She needed to do this for Sadie. She climbed the spiral stairs to her bedroom on the second floor. The walls where covered in a soft ivory paper and the windows where adorned with intricately hand sewn lace curtains that her mother had given her as a house warming present. The sun shining through the windows sent wild patterns over the plain white comforter on the bed, making it look much more ornate than it actually was. Ally slid off her flesh colored heels and lumbered into the master bathroom to fix her make up before going to run errands. She flinched as she caught sight of her mascara that had run clear down to her chin. Without make up Ally could have easily been a model. She was a natural beauty that everyone envied but she never noticed. She had always felt awkward and outcast. Her father was a soldier in the army until she reached middle school when he was forced to retire after his arthritis in his knees became too much to bear. He was lucky enough to get an entry-level job at a new up and coming business. He worked hard and one promotion came after another until he had reached the top and the company exploded with success. With lots of hard work, he managed to gain a small fortune that he quickly invested and nearly tripled his money. In high school everyone envied her family’s success. She was ridiculed and picked on until one day her mother had to pull her out and get her a tutor. She spiraled into a deep depression. She struggled to earn her diploma. When the day finally came, she had turned herself around enough to be excepted into a small but highly regarded college on the east coast. She could not wait to leave her life behind and start her own, being whoever she chose. Just two years into college, she had gone out drinking with a few friends at a local bar. A fight broke out between rival football players and Ally was left at the table alone to fend for herself as her friends scattered. As glass rained down from the wall behind her another student from the rival school grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the booth, shielding her from any harm. He had dark hair that was cut short, making him look much older than he was. When they reached the street, he shrugged off his letterman jacket and slung it over Ally’s shoulders. That was how she had met her husband. In six months’ time he had proposed. To avoid any backlash Ally and Anthony eloped, and she dropped out of college to set up a home for them and begin a daycare, her life-long dream. Anthony was a senior and was able to stick it out and graduate with his class. Ally’s father welcomed Anthony into the family and had even invested in his startup business. Anthony always promised to one day pay him back but that day seemed to get pushed further and further away.
The phone rang from the bedroom night stand as Ally was wiping the stains from her face, causing her to jump and poke herself in the eye. “Shit.” She cursed herself and hurried over to the phone.
“Christiansen residence” She answered.
“Where the hell have you been? I thought something happened. Why haven’t you answered your phone?” Anthony asked angrily. Ally rubbed her forehead hard.
“I must have left it downstairs. Everything okay?” she asked, not wanting to explain any further. He sighed and the line hung silent for a moment. Their relationship was strained, to say the least, when Ally could not move past the accident. She often wondered if they would have ever stayed together at all had it not been for the tragedy.
“Don’t you have a busy day?” he asked and she knew he meant Sadie’s fundraiser.
“Yea, I was just getting ready.” She replied, letting her voice trail off.
“Better get a move on then.” He said, not unkindly. She nodded but did not respond. After a moment, she heard his end of the line go dead and she hung up the phone. “Love you.” She said quietly under her breath and headed back into the bathroom to finish getting ready for the day.
Chapter 2
Only ten minutes had passed and she was sliding her heels back on and heading down stairs to gather her belongings. She scooped up her purse and grabbed her pill bottle that still sat on the counter. She slipped it into her back and grabbed her keys. She punched the code into the alarm system before heading out the door into her garage. Feeling for the light on the wall, she flicked it on. The light shined off her white BMW and she took in its beauty for a moment before hitting the button on her key chain and causing it to beep and come to life. She slid into the driver seat and threw her purse onto the passenger side. Hitting the button on her visor, the garage door slowly pulled itself open. She turned around, placing her hand on the back of her passenger seat to navigate her way out onto the street. She bit her lip as she noticed the small pink bunny on the seat directly behind her. The doctor had encouraged her to take it out but Ally couldn’t except the fact that she was gone. Not yet. She needed more time. Hitting the button again, the garage door slowly descended and Ally was on her way into town. She fidgeted with the pre-sets on the radio, finding it hard to settle on anything. Her mood had been hampered, and all she wanted was some good crying music. This was not the time nor the place. There was too much that needed to be done. Unfortunately, the valium had set in full blast and she had no energy left to do anything. She settled on some classical music and turned it loud enough to drown out her own thoughts.
Her first stop on her to do list was the grocery store to pick up a few ingredients for hors d’oeuvres. She made her way up and down the aisles of the store absentmindedly grabbing things that made better comfort food than snacks for guests at a charity event. In her sadness this morning, she had forgotten to eat anything for breakfast. She hurried to finish her shopping and headed over to the nail salon to meet her mother. She was running late and her mother would be agitated. Ally wasn’t much for primping but one thing she hated more was upsetting her mother. She checked out and hurried as fast as her heels would take her. Stopping by her office she called up to Anthony to let him know she had gotten the extra food and he sent his assistant down to collect the goods and store them in the fridge of their break room. Ally smiled as she mentally checked off one thing from her list. The nail salon was only a few blocks away but Ally had to take an extended detour to avoid the park where her Sadie had tragically lost her life. This turned her five minute drive into a twenty minute excursion due to lunchtime traffic. When she finally reached Glamour Boutique, her mother was enjoying a foot massage but her expression was anything but relaxed.
“I know I know.” Ally said shaking her head, disappointed in herself. “I’m sorry I’m late Mom.” She apologized as she leaned in to kiss her mother’s cheeks.
“It’s okay dear. I scheduled your appointment for a few minutes later than mine. I know how you are.” She replied and rolled her eyes. Ally’s cheeks burned red when her mother’s masseuse turned to her and smiled. Her mother always had a way of making her feel like a child, but she knew that wasn’t her intention. Ally grinned sheepishly, the smile did not reach her eyes. She pushed passed her mother’s chair and took a seat in the one next to her. This was the last thing she needed to be doing today, but it was better than being alone.
“Mimosa, Dear?” her mother asked, holding out a champagne glass. Ally shook her head and bit her lower lip. She wanted a drink more than anything but she knew if she indulged herself she would be lucky to make it lunch. “You’re not?” she asked with entirely too much enthusiasm.
Ally rolled her eyes. Her mother had asked her if she was pregnant at least once a week since she had married Anthony. After what had happened, Ally didn’t trust herself with a child of her own. She fidgeted nervously as the nail technician came over and slid off her heals, sitting them on the floor next to her chair.
“I don’t see why I need my toe nails painted. No one will see them anyway.” She complained. Her mother rolled her eyes and made a grunting type sound. Ally rolled her eyes once her mother looked away. She was never taken seriously and never treated like the adult she was. After the accident, people took it a step further practically controlling every moment of her life. Ally was partially to blame for this because she never stood up for herself. She daydreamed about the day she took control and for once, everyone listened to what she had to say. Today was not that day. She swallowed back her feelings and leafed through a two month old magazine. Her mother rambled on and on about preparations for the even and Ally just waved them off, saying she had everything under control. Inside she was falling to pieces.
By the end of her pedicure the valium was starting to wear off and her mother was becoming less and less bearable by the minute. Ally bid farewell and cited her never-ending list of things to accomplish before the fundraiser. Her mother didn’t seem to mind and let her go without any long winded lectures.
She left the nail salon in a pair of pink flip flops, carrying her heels in hand as to not mess up her freshly painted crimson toes. The color would match nothing she owned but she was pretty sure no one would ever even take notice to them. Slipping into her beamer, she pulled out her cell phone and checked for messages. There was nothing. She tossed it onto the passenger seat with a frown. The radio blared Mozart and she crinkled up her nose and pressed the press set buttons. When she couldn’t find anything to suit her mood she pressed the CD button. Scrolling through the songs, she finally settled on ‘Don’t Know Why’ by Nora Jones. Trying her best to make her voice sound soulful, she sang along as tears pricked her eyes. She had heard this song a million times and knew every word but it still affected her every time she heard it. Something about the regret in Nora’s voice drew her to it. Glancing down to check her watch, she realized she was running slightly behind schedule. Her stomach panged with hunger and she pulled into the closest fast food drive thru to order herself a salad. She was nervous to speak at the event and she knew her stomach couldn’t handle much more than that. Pulling into a parking spot, she quickly poured dressing onto her meal and went over the notes for her speech. Her strength wavered as she read the story of Sadie’s tragedy. She decided to put the notes away and speak from the heart. That would be for the best. Before pulling back out she decided to hit the drive thru one more time and grab Anthony something to eat. She had to go back to the office anyway to make sure the hors d’oeuvres were prepared and she was sure he hadn’t taken any time to eat. His schedule was packed full of meetings clear up until the event.
With food in hand, Ally set back on the road, taking the long way across town, careful to avoid the park. It was close to two o’clock when she finally made it to the office. Slipping off her flip flops, she wiggled her feet into her heels and grabbed the bags of food.
“Hello Mrs. Christiansen.” The receptionist bellowed as she entered the lobby. Ally just smiled. As she reached the elevator, she blew out a heavy breath. No one seemed to remember she still went by her maiden name. Anthony insisted on her changing it but she always like her name and was proud of where she came from. It stung her to remember the fight they had right before their wedding. She pushed that out of her mind as the elevator bell dung. With her bright smile securely in place, she stepped out onto her husband’s floor, greeting all of his coworkers.
“Hey, Ally! How have you been?” Jeff, Anthony’s business partner asked, jumping in front of her and blocking her path. He was an odd fellow who was a little too friendly.
“Fine, Jeff. And yourself?” she replied, stepping to the side to walk around him.
“Good. Anthony is in a meeting so if you can just wait right here I will send him your way as soon as it wraps up.” Jeff responded and placed his hand on Ally’s back, guiding her to the waiting area. She frowned but followed along, not wanting to barge in on her husband while he was busy. She sat in the faux leather chair for nearly half an hour sliding her shoes on and off, letting her toes peek out from behind the nude color heel.
“Ally!” Anthony called in a stern business voice causing her to jump. She glanced up towards him as two very serious looking men in dark suits excited his office and waited for the elevator.
“Hey! I brought you some lunch.” She responded, standing up to hug him and present him with his meal. His expression warmed and he gave her a quick hug before taking the bag.
“Thanks, Sweetheart.” He said with a smile.
“Everything for the fundraiser is falling into place.”
“Running a little behind aren’t you?” he asked, checking his watch.
“I had to meet mom at the salon.” She replied, rolling her eyes and sliding her foot out of her heel. He gave her an annoyed glance and turned to head for his office. “I’ll go get the hor d’oeuvres ready.” She called after him and he stopped.
“We pay people to do that for us Ally.” He yelled back and turned around to look at her as if she just didn’t get it.
“I know. I just wanted to contribute.” She shrugged and smiled her best seductive grin. He turned and continued to his office, oblivious to her flirtation. Ally let out a sigh and headed for the break room to retrieve her groceries.
Chapter 3
Bags in hand, she made her way back to her car. It was after three when she started the engine and drove across town to loop back to their home. The fundraiser was set to begin at five and she had to be there an hour early to make sure everything was in place.
She fumbled with her bags as she punched in the alarm code at her home. Sitting everything on the kitchen island she clicked on the radio and music boomed through the built in speaker system, drowning out the quiet. She hated being alone and she found it hard to keep herself busy. As she sang along to the music, she pulled out her ingredients and set to making some simple snacks while munching on the comfort food she had bought for herself. Halfway through the chorus of ‘Bleeding Love’ her shrimp dip was complete and she turned to the cabinets beside the fridge to find some clear wrap to cover the dish. When she turned around three young men stood on the opposite side of the island. She jumped, knocking the bowl of dip to the ground.
“Sorry, Ma’am. Mr. Christiansen sent us to help with preparations.” The short one of the group spoke up. Ally clutched her chest, willing her heartbeat to slow back to a normal pace.
“Of course he did.” She responded and slammed the clear wrap on the counter, searching for a towel to clean up the mess.
“We’ll take care of that Ma’am.” The one on the right spoke up. She was in no mood to argue. Her nerves were already shot thinking about her impending speech.
“It’s all yours.” Ally replied and huffed up the stairs to her room. If looks could kill, she would be spending her evening digging holes.
She was already wearing her outfit of choice but it had fresh shrimp dip sprayed up the side of her brand new skirt. She ran her hands over the rack of clothing in her walk-in closet stopping on a simple plum colored A-frame dress. She shrugged off her cream colored dress and slipped into the new gown. Eying herself in the full length mirror on the far end of the closet she decided the shoes would still work. She made her way into the bathroom and pulled the pen from her hair sending dirty blonde waves cascading over her shoulders. She ran the brush through, making it sleek and smooth. After selecting a hairpin encrusted with dark purple stones, she pulled the top of her hair back and secured it into place. There was nothing left to do. She leaned on the bathroom sink and took several deep breathes, trying to give herself the courage to leave. With a quick nod to her reflection, she switched off the bathroom light and headed down the steps to the front door. She didn’t bother telling her hired help that she was leaving. Instead, she pulled out her phone and sent her husband a quick text.
Thanks for the help. Have to leave. Can you supervise?
Ally’s phone beeped with a new message before she could even start her car. She didn’t check it. She knew it was from him and that he would try to talk her into staying with the help because he was busy and his work was more important than hers. This day was stressful enough without added problems. She was still reeling from the shrimp dip fiasco.
Her phone began to ring as she drove down the block. She laughed and turned the radio up louder, drowning out the sound. So many things in her life were out of her hands and she reveled in the small moments she could take control. Those moments came few and far between.
Chapter 4
The event went off without a hitch and Ally was able to keep her tears at bay for the sake of Sadie’s family. In all they raised $27,000 for the charity and she couldn’t be more pleased with how things turned out. Anthony was enjoying himself and mingling with all of the guests as Ally cleaned up and made sure she shook each and every attendee’s hand.
“Leave it.” Anthony said, taking a dish from Ally’s hand and sitting it back on the table. He pulled up his suit sleeve and checked his watch.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as disappointment crept across her face. She didn’t want Anthony bailing on her tonight.
“Nothing. I just didn’t get to eat much of that lunch you left earlier and these snacks aren’t doing it for me.” He replied, rubbing his stomach.
“Aww, why didn’t you say something? I can make you something as soon as we get home.” She smiled.
“No, I couldn’t have you cook after all of this.” He gestured around to the event. “I’ll just stop at Ramone’s on the way home and get some take out.” He kissed the top of her head and turned to walk away. “Damn it.” He mumbled under his breath. Ally hurried to his side.
“What? What is it?” she asked.
“I forgot the Johnson File for the big merger I’ve been working on. I have to drive all the way back to the office before they lock up for the night.” He explained, rubbing his forehead.
“What can I do?” she asked, wanting to keep the mood easy.
“Nothing, hon. I’ll head over there and get home as soon as I can. On second thought, would you mind picking up something from Ramone’s on your way home? I can be back in a half hour tops. I’ll even call in the order from my car” His fingers caught a stray hair that had fallen from her clip and he tucked it behind her ear. She couldn’t help but blush.
“Of course.” She replied without hesitation. Anthony leaned over and kissed her softly on the forehead before heading off to his car. Ally said her final good byes and headed off to Ramone’s. She had pulled off the impossible and was floating on cloud nine from the success of the event. Even Anthony seemed in good spirits, which was a pleasant change. Things were finally looking up and she couldn’t wait to get home and spend some more time with him. She cranked the radio and sang along to old rock love songs for the entire drive.
The restaurant had a decent dinner crowd but it wasn’t busy enough that Ally would have to wait long for her order. She slipped off her heels and breathed a sigh of relief as her feet stretched out into her flip flops. She grabbed the clip from her hair and shook it free. All of the stress of the day had washed away and it was worth every moment. She hopped out of the car into the now dark parking lot and made her way inside. The bell above the door chimed as she entered and waited for someone to help her. Benches lined the entry and one loan man in his mid-twenties sat at the far corner flipping through a magazine. He glanced over the top at Ally and their eyes connected. She gave him a polite smile and tried to keep a blush from spreading over her cheeks. He returned the gesture and went back to his article, seemingly oblivious to her blush. After a few moments, a young man in a maroon polo shirt made his way to the podium.
“Can I help you?” he asked with a tired grin.
“Yes, I have a to-go order for Christiansen.” She said softly.
“Of course. Have a seat. I’ll go get that for you.” He replied and padded of to the back of the building. She turned around and eyed the benches. The man peeked over his magazine again and she cast her eyes down and took a seat at the far end of the bench. A few costumers came and went. She picked up a magazine from the stack and began to leaf through it. Suddenly the room was full of commotion. Screaming and panicked cries filled the air. She looked around trying to figure out what was happening. The room fell silent around her and she stared blankly at the other patrons trying to make sense of the scene. It lasted only seconds but in her mind, it felt like hours. The once quiet man in the corner was now shouting commands and wielding a dark object that appeared to be a gun, but Ally couldn’t be sure. He was demanding money and jewelry. Her body finally understood and quickly she began to strip off her bracelets and locket from around her neck. The door chimed and a young couple entered. Everyone began to lose their cool. The gunman snatched a young blonde hair girl from her mother’s grip. She looked to be about 8 years old. Ally’s hand involuntarily reached for the girl. The mother was in hysterics and the situation was growing rapidly out of control. He didn’t point the gun at her but she couldn’t help but feel she had to do something. The girl’s doe eyes were remarkably similar to Sadie’s.
“Take me.” She yelled louder than she had meant and a hush fell over the crowd once more. She cleared her throat and at a more even tone repeated herself, “Take me.” The man moved swiftly, nudging the girl back towards her mother and quickly looping his arm around Ally’s neck. He stepped behind her and pulled back, holding her tight against him as a shield. Together they backed out of the door.
Chapter 5
It was completely pitch black outside and Ally was grateful she had changed into her flip flops. She struggled to keep pace with the gunman who was now dragging her across the parking lot towards his vehicle. She had hoped that once outside he would let her go and make a run for it, but that hope quickly melted away as he held on tightly and pulled her along. She held her breath as he made his way to the passenger side of an old black muscle car with dark tinted windows. She wanted to run, break free from his hold and fight for her life but she had given up. Frozen in fear she stood dazed. He pushed her back and she fell into the front seat. He rounded the car quickly and got in. She recoiled, sitting as far away from him as possible. He kept his eyes on the road and one hand on his gun as they flew through the streets. She struggled to get her bearings. If she could remember the roads they had taken maybe should could call for help. The streets flashed by as her captor made an unnecessary amount of turns. She saw the lights from the local bakery sign and realized where they were.
“You have to turn.” She whispered in a sad broken voice. The man didn’t respond. “You have to turn!” her voice cracked as panic swept over her. They were fast approaching the playground that she desperately avoided since the tragic accident. This got the man’s attention. He looked at her as if she was crazy. She grabbed at her bag that still hung from her shoulder flinging the contents onto the floor in front of her.
“Calm down!” he commanded. The car suddenly veered off the street into a dark isolated alley way. Ally gripped the dashboard, her fingers turning white as she closed her eyes and began counting to ten. The man threw the car into park and ran his hands threw his short dark hair. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he demanded an answer. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, slowly turning to face him, tears soaking her cheeks.
“I need my pills.” She choked. He stared at her in disbelief. He spotted a pill bottle on the floor by her foot and snatched up, inspecting the label. “Ally Stanford.” He read aloud. He shifted his gaze to her but she just stared at her lap. “Valium?” he asked, but he wasn’t really asking her anything. She bit her lip and snuck a glance at him. He was struggling to open the child- proof cap. He dumped a pill into his free hand and held it out to her. She glanced quickly to the gun that lay on his lap. He glowered at her and pushed his hand closer. She hesitantly took the pill from him and swallowed it. He kept his eyes on her as he closed the bottle and tossed it on the seat next to him.
They drove off into the night for at least an hour before pulling into an old warehouse. He exited the car and came to her side, opening the door. He waved with the gun for her to get out but she cowered. He grabbed her by her upper arm and pulled her out of the car.
“Whatever you want… I can get you money.” She stuttered as she tripped over her feet, trying to keep pace. He didn’t speak, just clenched his jaw and looked ahead. From behind, he was very intimidating. His shoulders were broad and the muscles flexed below his fitted black cotton tee. A silver colored ball chain peeked out from behind his color and she recognized it immediately from her childhood. He was military. Any hopes she had of escaping were instantly dashed.
“My husband will be worried sick.” She said, her voice low and steady, thanks to her medication. She had heard once that if you try to relate to your capture as a person they would form a bond with you and be less likely to cause you harm. “My father will pay you anything you want. He was a soldier. He’s trustworthy.” Her words lost their strength as he glanced over his shoulder at her. She snapped her mouth shut and followed him through the heavily rusted metal door. He flipped a switch to the left, flooding the room with light.
“Over here.” He motioned with his head and Ally followed his orders. There was an old dirty couch at the far end of the room. “Sit.” He ordered and she complied. He grabbed two black oversized zip-ties from the floor and bound her ankles and wrists. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized that there was no hope of rescue. She was completely at the mercy of a man with no name. He turned and walked back out the door they had entered. She quickly pulled and twisted her hands, trying desperately to free herself from the restraints but it was impossible. The loud roar his car’s engines echoed throughout the cavernous space. A large bay door slowly opened beside the smaller door they had entered. It blended in with the mute colored walls and she hadn’t even noticed it. The man pulled his car inside and closed the door behind him.
