by Eden Elgabri
"You better hope so. That way she can hide the fact she still has it on her."
John stared at the phone. Calling her had a certain level of risk to it. If the guy heard the phone, he'd take it from her. If she could continue to conceal it, she might be in a position to get her hands on it and use it later. He ran his hand through his hair and tugged, then punched in the number before he lost his nerve.
The phone rang and John shut his eyes as each ring brought him closer to voicemail. Did he really think this would help in any way? Then the ringing stopped but her message didn't come on. He took the phone from his ear and looked at the screen. One word was displayed—connected. Shit. Someone had answered the phone.
He took a deep breath and tried to regulate his voice. “Dani, it's John. I need you.” Somehow if she was able to hear he wanted her to know. Wanted her to figure out that he wasn't just talking about sexually. “Can you come to my house now? Dani, are you there?"
The sound of some type of movement caught his attention. Then her voice, low, and in the background.
"Help! If anyone can hear me, I need help."
"Dani,” John yelled. “Are you okay?” She couldn't hear him. Hell, he'd barely heard her. Fuck, this didn't bode well.
"John? Oh, God, help. Call 911."
"Where are you?” He glanced at Lori. “Call it in. Have them trace my number. Do a bounce to hers."
Lori called the station as they darted toward John's car.
"Not sure where,” Dani's voice came from a distance. “Heard a train about ten minutes ago. Shit. Don't answer, someone's coming."
John put his phone on speaker and threw his keys to Lori. “Drive fast. Real fast."
"Soon as we have a direction to go in.” His jaw tightened. They had to find her. Had to. He bit down on his finger to hold in the anguish that bubbled to the surface like lava from a volcano. I won't fail you, Dani. I can't.
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Chapter Six
Dani screamed in spite of herself. A very big man dressed all in black stood in the doorway. Black jeans, black Tee shirt, black ski mask. She couldn't see his face. Only his eyes. A deep dark black that seemed more animal than human.
He laughed and the sound scraped along her raw nerves. He wanted her to know he would hurt her. That he'd enjoy her pain. He approached her slowly like he had all the time in the world. He stepped behind her head, making her twist to see him. He took both hands and pulled her hair away from her face and tugged it so that it fanned out behind her. His hand slapped her face just enough to give it a little sting. A hint of what would come.
The hole in the mask split into a grotesque grin. “Little girl, you're gonna be my cum bag."
Dani whimpered and her body began to shake. She didn't want him to know her fear, but wasn't able to hide it.
"I'll shoot my wad into each one of those holes of yours. Fuck each one over and over until you beg me to switch to another one. I only fuck one week during the month. I save up my cum and then screw it all out.” His hands reached over her and unbuttoned her blouse.
The feel of his fingers near her skin galvanized her terror. “Please, don't,” she begged.
His slap across her face had a little more bite this time. “That mouth is for my cock. You speak only when I say you can. And don't you forget it.” He spread her blouse open like tissue paper inside a gift, and then his hands gripped her breasts like a vice. Dani cried out and was rewarded with another slap.
He reached underneath her and unhooked her bra, his fingers tainting her skin, leaving a trail of evil. He pushed it up, and her breasts lay exposed. Demonic eyes, devoid of a face, ogled her breasts. His gaze soiled her more with each second. His desire defiled and degraded. Her stomach roiled. Worse would come and she had to be able to handle it. Block it out. Distance herself from her surreal reality.
Her captor clamped his hands down on the soft tissue of her breasts, crushing her self-esteem with the muscle. Dani gritted her teeth and shut her eyes. She couldn't escape the pain, but didn't want to witness it. Couldn't bear to watch his eyes as he violated her. Her defiance only made him grip harder, until his vice-like fingers slaughtered her resolve. A sob erupted, her pain a blistering echo through the night and the phone line.
"Keep your fucking mouth shut, bitch.” His mouth descended on one breast. He sucked the nipple greedily, roughly, until it felt like it would be torn off.
Please, John, find me. Save me before there's nothing left. The possibility that he'd hear something, that he'd lead the police to her was the thread that kept her sane. As long as John, or the police, remained on that line she had a chance. She might not come out of it emotionally intact, but she'd be alive, and for now that was all she hoped for.
The monster's hands moved down to the top of her skirt. He tugged at the zipper and yanked the cloth down her legs. As he flung the skirt to the floor the phone slipped out of the pocket and landed with a thud. The sound startled them both.
"What the fuck!” His shadowy form bent to reach for what had been her lifeline. As he picked it up, its blue glow illuminated the dark pools of his widening eyes. He stared at the light which signaled the phone was in use.
An animalistic growl preceded the hardest slap she received from him. “You bitch!” Then he held the phone up to his mouth. “Now I'll have to kill this bitch.” He made a show of hitting the off button. As the glowing light extinguished, so did her chance for survival.
Her scream started as soon as the phone went black. She kicked out at him but he sat on her legs and pulled something from his side pocket. The round object filled her mouth and tasted like rubber. Dani's eyes widened in terror and mascara stung her tear filled eyes. Her stifled screams seemed to amplify her diminishing strength. Can't breathe. Damn it, focus. Think. Breathe. Slowly. Dani's chest heaved as she attempted to inhale enough air through her nose. That's it, slow breaths, in and out.
He released the rope from her left wrist, slid cuffs from his pocket, and shackled her wrists behind her back. Her moment of false hope stymied, she felt more exposed and vulnerable than ever, her skin chilled as if already dead. The shock of it momentarily froze the thoughts blasting through her mind.
He pulled the thong from her bottom and slapped the cheeks hard. No, I can't die like this. Think, damn it. Drool from the gag slid down her face. Naked, covered in drool. This is how I'll be found. She pushed the thoughts away. She couldn't think of her ultimate humiliation, couldn't focus on her death. She had to completely concentrate on the moments she had left alive.
The masked monster tethered her ankles. A chain about a foot or so in length attached to each shackle. He lifted her by her arm and her legs swung down to the floor. He was going to move her. This might be it. Her chance to escape. Then he placed a cloth around her eyes, and the loss of sight caused another round of panic.
He pulled her along, half dragging her naked into the night. The cooling air nipped at her exposed flesh like a rabid dog. The earth beneath her bare feet poked and cut, reminding her she was alive. But for how long?
A twig stabbed into her foot and she hobbled along until he lifted her and flung her over his shoulder like a duffle bag of dirty laundry. A second creak of a door reverberated in her head like a siren. If they were going indoors, it might be where she'd take her last breath. Dani struggled but he only tightened his grip. She couldn't even see or yell.
He tossed her down on what felt like a bed and yanked the chain on her ankles upward, securing it. Her legs were tethered wide open. He could take whatever he wanted and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
His voice cut into the air like a knife. “I'm going to fuck you bad, and then I'm going to kill you. But first I'm going to get you out of here.” His footsteps moved away and Dani wondered how the hell he planned on doing that with her shackled practically upside down. But every moment's delay was valuable. Each one increased the possibility that someone would come to save her.
An
engine turning thwarted her hopes. He didn't care that she was naked because he'd hidden her inside some type of camper. He'd move her, fuck her, kill her and then dump her on the side of the road somewhere.
As the vehicle bumped along the short duration of her life played before her. It hit her that she hadn't lived long enough. She'd only recently started to experience things, but then again, it was her recent experiences that landed her in the boat she was in.
A siren started, and hope washed the unshed tears down her face. Could it be for her?
"Fuck. You damn bitch. Look what you've done.” He continued with a string of curses, expounding on the ways he'd make her pay. They picked up speed. Everything moved too fast and at the same time in slow motion.
And then they were flying. Screeching tires mingled with the man's scream. They'd die together. She bounced helplessly on the bed, her ankles secured to the roof by the chain until she tumbled off the edge of the make-shift bed, and hung by her ankles as the vehicle slid sideways to a stop. On the last bounce, her head hit the floor and she slipped into another kind of darkness.
* * * *
He'd never endured anything like the sound of Dani's scream. It would echo through his brain for the rest of his life. It had taken all his control to keep from screaming himself while he had to listen to that psycho maul and hurt her.
They weren't moving fast enough. He'd heard the directions and knew where the police were headed. “Pull over and let me fucking drive."
Lori glanced over at John and sped up. “I can't go any faster even with the siren. We'll intersect in a few minutes."
A blip on the radio and a call went through. “We got the RV. Hit a pole on Maple two blocks from the highway. Two cars are on it. No movement from the vehicle yet. He may use her as a hostage, depending. What's your ETA?"
John radioed back, “Minute or two, tops.” He knew what the depending meant. Depending on if both of them were alive.
His heart beat wildly and his stomach lurched. No. She had to still be alive. His heart ached with things unsaid. The things he hadn't told her. The things he hadn't realized were true until the possibility of her never hearing them arose.
The car skidded to a stop and John bolted from the door to the side of the RV, gun raised. He ignored the yells from his colleagues to stop. It didn't matter if the perp shot him, as long as he got off a fatal shot. At least that way, Dani would have a chance. If she was still alive. The thought galvanized in his stomach and he yanked the passenger door open.
The man from the club worked diligently to unpin himself from the deployed air bag and a crunched front end. He had managed to slide from the seat where he continued to groan and pull at his leg, which was obviously broken. John held his gun cocked in front of him and turned to yell for the others to approach when a knife hit his arm. He dropped his gun but kicked it out of range before the man could pick it up.
The man grabbed at John's cut arm and pulled him down to punch him. John swung with his left and got him in a choke hold when he saw Dani's nude body hanging there not moving. Unbridled rage flooded his body and he tightened his grip. The driver's side door opened and two officers held up their guns. “Let him go, man. We've got it now. “
A groan from the back made him drop his grip and run to Dani. He pulled the chain down and scooped her up in his arms. “Look for cuff keys,” he yelled back to the others. “And make sure there's more than one ambulance. She's not going to be anywhere near that bastard."
"John?” Dani's voice was no more than a whisper. She looked up at him for a second and then drifted back into unconsciousness.
He wrapped the comforter from the bed around her and waited for the ambulance to arrive. An hour later he sat at her bedside relieved that she'd suffered no more than a concussion and a few bumps and bruises. She'd come to and had asked questions, but he'd told her to save her breath, that they'd have plenty of time to talk. And it was a talk he wouldn't relish having.
His boss walked into the room with Lori. John nodded at them. “You fill in the locals?"
Trevor nodded and Lori walked over to the side of the bed. “How's she doing,” Lori asked.
He smiled a tired smile. “She's going to be fine.
Trevor put his hands in his pockets. “You know we have to talk to her. We don't know what he might have done. . . . “
The thought of her naked body hanging like a slab of beef filled his mind and turned his stomach. “I asked the doctor after the examination and it didn't look like he'd. . . . “ He paused for a second, having difficulty completing the sentence. “I think he had to move her before anything could happen."
John turned toward Dani when he saw both Trevor and Lori were staring at her. Dani's eyes were open and she blinked as if trying to focus.
"Ms. Summers, I'm Trevor Whitman with the FBI and I'm here to ask you a few questions. Do you think you might be able to answer them now?"
John stood up from the bed. “Can't this wait? She's been through enough."
"I can answer. It's fine, John. Let's just get this over with. Will I have to repeat this to the police or can I just say it this once?"
Trevor pulled out a small recorder. “Once should be enough."
John glared at him and sat back down.
"Um, I think it might be best if we spoke to Ms. Summers alone,” Trevor said looking at John.
"I'm not leaving. Not unless she wants me to.” He looked to Dani pleadingly. “If there is something you'd rather I don't hear, then I'll leave, but I'd like to stay.” More than anything he prayed there'd be nothing she wouldn't want him to hear, prayed that the monster hadn't violated her in any way.
She reached her hand for his. “You can stay,” she whispered.
Trevor pressed the record button. “Can you tell me in your own words what happened when you left the club, Ms. Summers?"
She nodded, then remembered the recorder. “Yes. I was walking to my car when a cloth covered my face. The next thing I remember, I was tied up in some type of garage and a man with a mask threatened me, slapped me, and undressed me. I'm sure he would have done more but John had called. My cell phone was on when the guy came back for me. When he was undressing me he noticed the phone and then shut it off. He stripped me, cuffed me, and shackled me inside the RV. When I heard the siren he sped up, and the last thing I remember is hitting my head."
"So he didn't rape you?"
"He would have. He said he'd rape and kill me. He just didn't get the opportunity because of the call. He knew someone heard what he was saying and would contact the police. It's what saved me. You'll still be able to charge him, won't you?"
"Don't worry. We're gathering evidence as we speak. This wasn't his first time.” He shut the recorder off and headed toward the door.
"I'm glad you're okay. I'll leave you two alone now,” Lori said. She glanced at John and followed Trevor to the door.
"John, I can't thank you enough. If you hadn't called. . . . “ Dani shook her head and her eyes filled up with tears.
"Let's not think about it. But it's my fault you were there in the first place. If you weren't looking for me you never would have been in any danger.” He looked down, unable to face her.
"You can't be serious. You're in no way to blame. I got myself into this and I'm the one who went to the club when you specifically said you were busy. If I hadn't been checking up on you it wouldn't have happened to me. But he just would have picked another girl. And the thing is, it could have happened anywhere, in any type of club."
Even after everything that happened, she still didn't think of herself. She thought of other potential victims. She protected his sorry ass by trying to take the blame. So good. So generous. He didn't deserve her. “Now you need to rest. Get some sleep and everything will be better in the morning. He bent down and kissed her forehead.
"John."
She didn't say any more than his name, but he knew he couldn't stay any longer. He'd have to write his report and see Trevo
r. “Sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. And they'll probably let you go in the morning."
He stood and Dani tried to hold on to his hand, but he pulled away. He smiled at her and walked away. Once on the other side of the door he leaned against it and shut his eyes. What had he been thinking? He'd gone too far with her. He started off playing a role. But it hadn't taken him long to figure out he was the Dom he played. And he'd dragged her into the depths of it. Now he had to go back to reality. The smart thing to do would be end it. The case was over and so was the relationship. So why did he feel like there was a big hole in his heart?
* * * *
Two days had gone by and not a word from John. She'd called and left messages on his cell but still no word. When she was released from the hospital she'd thought maybe he'd pick her up, but she had to call her family. That was something she was hoping to avoid. She didn't exactly want to explain what she was doing at the club to begin with.
Her parents had hit the roof and demanded she change the genre of her story. She listened to them rant, and snuck in a call to John. She managed to keep the fact that he was involved in the club a secret. She wasn't giving up John. And she couldn't let him give her up, either. Not because he blamed himself for what happened to her. Or he feared she wouldn't be able to remain a Sub after the ordeal she'd suffered. What he didn't understand was how safe she felt with him. The words John used didn't matter. She would never associate John's touch or his words with the man who kidnapped her.
She looked at the address she had written down. This federal building housed offices for the FBI. Who would have thought it? Providence was the state capital, but she'd never thought agents worked and resided in the Ocean State.
She trudged up the marble staircase thinking of nothing but John. On the second floor she went down a long corridor and found the room she was looking for. The man who'd spoken to her in the hospital wanted her to come in and sign an affidavit. Then her involvement would end. He guaranteed she would never have to face the man who abducted her. There were plenty of others who'd be able to give enough evidence that he'd be put away for a very long time.
