Lulling the Kidnapper

by O. L. Gregory

  He turned in his lounge chair to enjoy the sunset with me, “The sunset is exceptional tonight.”

  “Gorgeous.”

  “The scenery here gives you an immense sense of pleasure, doesn’t it?”

  “Like I said when we first moved here, the water calms me. Nature paints these beautiful pictures that are here and gone so quickly. If you don’t stop and appreciate it, you’re only cheating yourself. I don’t want to waste evenings like this.”

  “You wish to deserve them.” It hadn’t been a question. He’d twisted what I had said and changed my meaning. This was his way of telling me how I should feel about it.

  Actually what I had meant was that I knew what it was like to live without scenes like this, to be denied the opportunity altogether. But, for his benefit, “Exactly, if I don’t stop and appreciate it, then someone else should live here, someone who values the treasure that a piece of land like this is.”

  He relaxed back into his chair and fell silent as he, too, took in the play of light. He continued to choose to buy into the notion that I was out here because the scenery gave me pleasure, no more, no less.

  A smile of triumph, disguised as pure joy, slowly spread across my face.

  Chapter Six

  I Still Exist

  It was driving me crazy, waiting for time to pass and people to launch their boats for the season. I couldn’t stand the possibility of knowing where I was, but not being able to verify it. Any plan for escape I had come up with had being where I thought I was written all over it. I was depending on my perceived location.

  Not knowing exactly where to go, once I was loose, was what had caused me to fail the last time I tried to escape.

  I’d spent the morning absorbed in my studies. Asshole knew that I had completed the eleventh grade materials and had moved on. But he didn’t know that I was virtually through the twelfth grade curriculum, as well. I inhaled whatever curriculum or course he brought in and put up in my little classroom area. I was convinced that if I ever managed to get my hands on the GED testing, I’d now be able to pass without a problem.

  But, I’d been sitting at that desk since he’d left, stealing glances at the river every time the slightest noise or shadow of a flying bird stimulated my senses enough to be detected. I couldn’t sit anymore. I had wandered downstairs, and decided to have a banana for lunch. I had too much nervous energy in me to eat anything more than that.

  I’d begun pacing and looking around. I needed a project. Maybe I’d waited long enough, and behaved well enough, that he’d let me use some tools. Regardless, I could still make a plan.

  I opened up the walk-in pantry and stared into the space. This area held endless possibilities for me. But, it was already fully shelved and organized. It didn’t make any sense to redo a closet that was already organized…

  I was drawn to the closet in the extra bedroom. I wanted to spend time in a closet for one simple reason; I didn’t believe that he had cameras in any of them. And this house had big closets. They were areas that I could be in and actually be by myself for a change. I could literally breathe easier once I stood inside that empty closet.

  I had been reluctant to even come into this room. At first it was because I feared the possibilities of what he might want to turn it into. And then it was because I was terrified of what I knew he intended to do with it. But now, since he hadn’t brought up the idea of children again, I’d begun to think that maybe I should start to lay some sort of claim in here before he let his torturous imagination take hold.

  This house had been built with seclusion in mind. The back wall was completely exposed to the view, it was done with the intention of life on the river being the theme and focal point. There were windows built into the front, but only the driveway and the small area cleared for a yard were visible from them. The rest of the world was hidden behind trees, not even the dirt road leading back here was visible. The windows allowed the morning sun to illuminate rooms, and to allow for cross-ventilation.

  The house had no windows on the sides. No way for neighbors to peek in on you, or for you to peek over at them. No way for captives to study the bridge downstream, get a view from the second floor to see how far away the neighbors really were, or for captors to worry about rigging with an alarm system.

  Because of this, the large walk-in closets tended to be built along those side walls, since the builders didn’t have to worry about the closet placement getting in the way of window locations. Which meant, I thought as I stood inside the closet and stared at the outer wall, that if I managed to dig a hole through it, I could shimmy through, feet first, and let myself drop down to the ground.

  I may not have any tools yet, but it was most definitely time to start making a plan for this closet.

  I’d gathered my little foot-long ruler, a pencil, and some graph paper from my desk full of school supplies and settled down to spend the afternoon in the closet. It had nothing more in it than one shelf mounted above, running along three walls, a clothes rod along the back wall, and a couple of hooks on the front wall. I was drawing up plans for a total closet organization project.

  It was a little euphoric, spending time in privacy. I’d been over every internal square inch of this closet with a duster, no cameras. No holes, cracks, or crevices where one could be lurking. I danced, I sang, I stuck my tongue out. I talked to myself out loud, cussed, and used slang instead of the more formal and proper speech patterns that he insisted upon. I was going to have to drag this little endeavor out for as long as possible.

  The afternoon got away from me, and before I knew it, I heard Asshole enter the house and come straight up the stairs.

  I stopped in mid-measurement and let out a disgusted sigh.

  His feet hit the classroom area overlooking the great room and he called out, “Amelia!”

  Hmmm, interesting that he isn’t sure which room I’m in. Could this mean that he wasn’t recording anything going on in either one of the bedrooms? That thought was a comfort to me. It was nice to believe that he wasn’t recording any nightly activities and attempting to sell or share the recordings over the internet. It was also nice to think that he had considered the fact that someone else could tap into his little monitoring system and be watching, too.

  If not wanting to share his imprisoned toys with others was his only redeeming quality, I’d take it.

  “In here!” I answered, and emerged from my little safe haven.

  He stalked into the spare bedroom, an exasperated look on his face, “What have you been up to all afternoon?”

  “Trying to decide how to turn our house into a home. With this room being empty for now, I thought it would be easiest to start in here.”

  He blew out an annoyed sigh. Then he regarded me for a moment while he calmed himself. “So, show me what you’ve come up with,” he said in a more even tone. He had originally seemed irritated with me, but now it appeared that he was shifting his annoyance to veiled paranoia.

  “I used some of the graph paper you gave me to lay it all out. I’ve drawn up a couple different options.” I handed him the papers and watched him look at the plans with genuine interest.

  “You’ve got one that looks like a clothes closet, another designed for storage, and a third that looks like it could be used for either.”

  I nodded, “I was trying to be thorough. I didn’t know your plans for this room after we decided to wait to have children.”

  His eyes darted to mine, “I only offered one child.”

  I flashed him an obedient expression, “Understood.” I should have guessed that he’d only want one child. Multiple children would attract much more public attention.

  He placed the plan for the third closet design on top. “Let’s go with this one. Planning for it to serve whatever need we may have is best.”

  “I thought so, too. I just needed to get my ideas for a singular purpose down on paper first, so I could visualize how the two could be combined.”

  “You’v
e done a fantastic job with this plan. It’s well organized, thoughtful, and it looks flawless. But, I wonder, are you able to execute your plans as successfully as you’ve devised them?”

  I raised a self-effacing eyebrow, “You’re not the only one who wonders that.” In more ways than one…

  “Perhaps we’ll take a weekend together and put these plans into action.”

  I winced, “You’re a man of many varied talents, but I don’t know that home decor is necessarily one of them. Hanging shelves level and secure may not be quite your area of expertise.”

  “And it’s one of yours?”

  “Well, no. But I have had some practice. The closet can be my guinea pig, so I can see if I can handle it.”

  “Some practice?”

  “That summer job painting that I told you about. Sometimes we had to dismantle all the hardware in a storage area, a closet, or a room. Then we had to put everything back together.”

  “But did you ever do that by yourself?”

  “No. But,” I sighed, “I need to dig my teeth into something. I need a project.”

  “You have your studies.”

  “Yes, absolutely, but I need to get up and move around a bit. A little physical labor will do me some good.”

  His mouth set in a grim line, “I’m afraid I may be neglecting your need for exercise.”

  My answer was automatic, “You’re not neglecting me. You always have plenty of time and attention to dedicate to me.” Too freaking much time, as a matter of fact.

  “Thank you for having such faith in me, but exercise is vital to a healthy mind and body. And now I realize that I’ve been remiss in the needs of one so young.”

  I put my head down, careful to not appear to be trying to admonish him. “You never meant to harm me.”

  He put a finger under my chin and lifted my face to look him in the eyes, “I may never have intended to cause you any hurt, but that doesn’t mean my intentions succeeded.” He released me and looked around the room. “Perhaps we could turn this into a home gym. What do you think about that?”

  I brightened as if on cue, “That sounds like a lovely idea.”

  “Good, that settles it, then. I’ll do some research online and figure out what kind of closeting system would come close to matching your ideas and we’ll go from there. I assume you’ll want some sort of kit?”

  I giggled, “Kits with plenty of instructions, yes. Please don’t just bring home a pile of lumber and a saw.”

  He smiled. “Perish the thought. I’ll print out some options that different companies have and you can let me know which you think will be easiest for you to manage. And remember, if you can’t lift something, or need an extra set of hands, wait for me. I’m not completely useless.”

  “I will, I promise.”

  There, we’d just managed to have a normal conversation where he hadn’t pissed me off about something. Sure, I’d had to compliment him and pander to his ego a bit. But it sounded like he would be letting me handle some tools and spend some time in the closet. And hey, if I was still here by the time we turned this room into a home gym, then I could get into better shape before I made my getaway.

  “Now,” he said, “onto the next issue.”

  I felt a little dread, but showed bewilderment. “What issue?”

  “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

  “Oh… no, I don’t. It’s getting late, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, do you have any plans as to what dinner might be?”

  Oh, shit. My eyes met his with a startled gaze, “Uh… no. I haven’t even set anything out to thaw. I’m so sorry,” I started to brush past him, to leave the room and head downstairs. “I can whip something up in no time.”

  He reached out and grasped my arm as I tried to move towards the door. “No.”

  “No?” I eyes him warily, “How mad are you?”

  He smiled, “I’m not mad. You got focused on something that shows you’re settling in here. Something you actually seem excited about. How can I be mad when your eyes are glowing with plans to make us more comfortable here, even if you are trying to shut me out of it?”

  “I’m not trying to shut you out of it. I just don’t want to add to your burden. You already spend your day working. Helping do the research and gathering materials for me is more than enough, really.”

  A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth, “Liar, you just don’t want me messing it up.”

  Is he teasing me? I dared to show a little sparkle in my eyes and teased back, “You paid the delivery men extra to assemble a few chairs. Now tell me you can hang shelves.”

  He gave a small chuckle, “I guess we all have our weaknesses.”

  “Of course we do.” My mind shifted back to the subject of dinner. “If you don’t want to me whip something up, what are we going to eat?”

  “Actually, I thought we could get some take-out.”

  That got my attention, “Oh.” Of course, he would have been watching and known that I didn’t have anything set out for supper. “You picked something up on the way home?”

  “No.”

  “So, you’re going back out? You never go back out once you come home.” Damn, he was changing his habits on me. He must have been too concerned, about where I’d disappeared to for so long, to think dinner through.

  “Well, maybe this time you’d like to tag along?”

  Whuh! Real and true shock registered on my face. “You’re going to let me come with you?” I sputtered.

  “It might help with your cabin fever. Besides, I think it’ll be a good first step, don’t you? We’ll go there, get our food, and come back.”

  Ooooohhhhh, daaaaamnnnnn!

  “You don’t have to look so scared. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Ha! My eyes were wide because I was feeling so giddy, not fearful… I was so giddy that I thought I might hyperventilate. Once we got into the business part of town, I’d be able to tell right away if I was where I thought I was! And if I wasn’t, I might see a sign that could help me figure out if I was close. Careful to keep my exaltation hidden behind a mask of shock, I responded with a lame, “…Okay.”

  It occurred to me, when I opened the passenger side door and climbed in, that I hadn’t ever actually shared a simple car ride with somebody in well over a year. I hadn’t seen any part of the world speed past me in so long, it was a bit disconcerting. My brain was no longer conditioned to accept blurring sights as second-nature. Though it came back to me quickly, I idly wondered if I’d suffer from motion sickness if I sat here for a long enough road-trip.

  I wanted so badly to take in every single detail of where we were and where we were going. But I had to try to look overwhelmed by my surroundings, rather than intensely interested in them. I focused on using my peripheral vision to its fullest extent.

  Once we’d turned off of the long, narrow, dirt road, my heart started pounding. Though I’d never taken notice of the little dirt road that wandered into the woods before, I knew exactly where I was. A couple turns off this side-street and we’d be right in the heart of the small Maryland town!

  God help me if he knows the full truth about this town and he’s placed me here on purpose. I’m just going to stick to my guns and play dumb. All I can hope for is that he’s brought me here by chance, because if not, it’ll all blow up in my face. And this time, the bullet he fires at me might do more than just graze my calf.

  It took all of five minutes for him to drive through the town and pull into his destination. And my heart shifted from pounding out an erratic beat, to all but ceasing. He’d pulled into the little convenience/sandwich shop that my family used all the time during the summer. It took every bit of focus I had to keep my breathing even.

  I’d been here hundreds of times. Every time we came down for the weekend, we’d stop and get subs here to take down to the trailer for Friday’s supper. I was going to have to be extremely careful to not act like I knew my way around inside th
e building.

  At least I could walk into the store, confident that I would not be recognized. The owner knew the locals well, but summer brought too many temporary residents to town for him to keep track of them all.

  But adding even more to my surprise was the fact that a police cruiser was sitting in the parking lot and Asshole had stopped nonetheless. Many local cops stopped here to grab lunch. The shop stood at the intersection of the only two main roads near town, which proved to be convenient for them. And it was also because the small staff at the store spoiled local law enforcement by overstuffing their sandwiches and pouring out free coffee.

  Oh, temptation, you are a clever, sneaky bastard. This was another test, and Asshole was confident that I would pass. Yet, to bring me out and parade me in front of a cop, he had to have a plan of defense if I tried to use the officer to stage an escape. Damn, this was going to be a stressful interaction. But, if I passed his test, this could be a real turning point…

  As we entered the store, Asshole was greeted by the first name ‘Sam’. How freaking many identities did this man have? Sam was a new one, and I idly wondered if it was the same name he used for work, or just how he’d introduced himself to the owner.

  The local police officer - who must have been new because I didn’t recognize him from the speed traps, marina patrol rounds, or the store - also greeted him as Sam. He turned to smile at me, “You must be Mia. We’d begun to wonder if you really existed. Sam talks about you all the time.”

  I was standing slightly in front of ‘Sam’, so I risked trying something. I made eye contact with the officer, gave him a fleeting pleading look, then switched to a haunted smile. Careful to keep my tone normal, I replied, “I exist.”

  The officer’s eyes took on just a hint of sharpness, and he shifted his gaze over to ‘Sam’.

  “See?” fake Sam said, “I told you I’d managed to snag myself a wife.” He placed his right hand against the small of my back and propelled me to the counter to place our order.