by J. L. Drake
The man leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. A nervous ball of energy grew inside of Thompson. This was their chance. If they could just get past the armed guards, they could get Katherine from the basement. Surely they could do it. But, how? How could they do it without attracting attention? They would have to wait for nightfall and take each guard out one by one.
Mancetti lay down next to him. “All right, we should have backup here shortly.”
He pulled down the binoculars and turned to Manchetti. “When you say backup, who’s coming?”
“The hostage unit.”
His stomach sank. “The hostage unit? How many people are in there? I think we’re going to need a small army to get Katherine out of that basement.” He pointed to the window and handed the binoculars over to Mancetti.
“You think she’s in there?”
“Well, yeah. It makes sense he would keep her down there. If she was on the main floor, she’d have a better chance to escape.”
Manchetti grabbed the binoculars. “I see your reasoning. Hmm. Did you see the guy napping?”
“Yeah. Let’s hope he’s the example of all the guards. It might not be as hard to bust into that house as we thought.”
“I’m not counting on it. Bertalucci’s men are known for their hostility and having no mercy. We’ve got our hands full here.”
“So should we call for more than just the hostage unit?”
Mancetti laughed. “Somehow I think you got the wrong impression about the team. The hostage unit is the small army you are looking for. They’re equipped with multiple snipers, a bomb unit, surveillance, and more equipment and manpower than either of us are used to. There’s no doubt in my mind they can take care of this situation.”
Relief flooded his body. “I think we should wait until dark. Then the snipers can take out each guard without it being as noticeable.”
“I agree with you; I’m sure they’ll make that assessment when they get here. In the meantime, we need to keep an eye on things and make sure Matteo Bertalucci doesn’t try to make a run for it. I’m going to grab a couple of sodas out of the car. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure. Take your time. I’m just going to sit here and make sure nothing goes awry.” Thompson settled in and prepared for a long night ahead. With any luck, he’d be on a plane back to the United States tomorrow.
Chapter
Thirty-Three
“Eat!” Katherine’s eyes popped open to find the green-eyed monster slamming a plate of food down in front of her. He seemed unusually tense; her other encounters with him had been anything but pleasant, but he had always seemed cool and relaxed—even when he was beating the crap out of her. It was almost like a game to him, and he always wore a smug smile.
This time was different; his jaw was tight, a vein bulged out the side of his forehead, and his lips were pursed. There was no adventure to be had with this encounter. She would have to mind her Ps and Qs this time, or this may be the last time she ever woke up.
“Did you hear me? I said eat!” The green-eyed monster slammed his fist on the table.
Dried blood collected in the back of her throat. The acidic taste diminished any appetite she’d mustered. She cleared her throat. “If you’d please untie me so …”
“No! You’ll eat off the plate with your mouth—like a dog. You rich little bitches think you’re entitled to everything. All you are is a headache for the rest of the world. This is what you’re worth. Nothing. Now eat the fucking food!”
The last thing she wanted to do was eat, especially if she had to eat with just her mouth, no hands, and no silverware. She was at an impasse—if she didn’t eat at least part of the meal, the beatings would begin again. She didn’t know how much more she could take. She’d never felt pain like this. As it was, every muscle in her body screamed in agony.
When the beatings first started, they were tolerable. She’d never been hit by anyone before. Somehow, the physical pain was a relief from the emotional pain she’d felt for the last few weeks; it was somewhat cathartic. Now, she could feel her life slipping away with each forceful blow he inflicted. She was too tired to fight anymore; her strength was gone, and the only glimmer of light she had left was the will to not die like this.
“You’ll eat now!” The green-eyed monster grabbed her by the back of the head and slammed her face into the plate. Her nose smashed into the hard surface, causing a tingling sensation and pain shooting into the back of her head. She slowly raised her head from the plate as tears clouded her vision.
Slowly, she opened her mouth to take a bite of food. It was pasta; gnocchi, to be precise. What normally would be one of her favorite pasta dishes, made her stomach queasy. She took the bite in her mouth, but before she could swallow, her stomach constricted, her mouth began to salivate, and she vomited all over herself. She was too weak to move her head to the side, so instead, she rested her head on the table in defeat. She had nothing left to give. She was too tired. All she wanted to do was to go back to sleep.
“Not such the princess now are you?” The green-eyed monster pulled her hair, yanking her head up. “Open your fucking eyes! Look at me when I’m talking to you!”
She fought against the fatigue and forced her eyes open. Her eyelids were heavy, and she found it hard to focus on the hideous beast who had been torturing her for what seemed like an eternity.
“Look! Look over there at your boyfriend. You’re going to end up just like him if your dad doesn’t stop playing these games.”
She didn’t care anymore. The green-eyed monster could do whatever he wanted to. She didn’t have the resolve to battle him anymore. She just hoped her dad wasn’t going to end up in this same predicament; he was a smart man—much smarter than she was. He would be fine.
She shifted her gaze to Tony. His head was sunken down and resting on his chest. Blood covered his shirt and pants, and what she could see of his face was swollen and bruised—perhaps more than so than the last time she’d seen him. She looked down the length of his body. To think this was the man who helped break her out of her shell, who she gave herself to without any regret, and she threw caution to the wind for.
His fists! His fists are balled up! He’s awake. He knows what’s going on. Her heart flooded with an overwhelming sense of warmth. Her pulse quickened, and life shocked back into her by a jolt of electricity. If he could forge on, then so could she. She had to be strong. She had to get out of here.
Her exhaustion battled her newfound motivation to stay awake. She had to move. She had to get out of the chair and stretch her stiff muscles.
“I have to pee.” The words were a raspy whisper and barely escaped her mouth.
The green-eyed monster tugged on her hair snapping her head back a little further. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”
“May I please go to the bathroom?” Her words were stronger this time.
“That’s better. Since you asked so nicely, I’ll take you to the bathroom instead of leaving you here to piss on yourself again.”
The green-eyed monster released her hair. Her head to fell to her chest. She pulled her head up and stared at Tony as the monster untied her. His hands began to relax; he too had a show to put on and if he was caught, it could be the end for both of them. She had to nail her part if her plan was going to work out.
Her hands were freed first and she pulled them to her chest. The ropes had cut into her skin, leaving bloody sores. Her hands were scraped up and bruised from being thrown on her back in the chair. Her once perfectly polished manicure was nothing but chipped polish and broken nails.
When the monster untied her feet, she resisted the urge to kick him in the face. Even with her strongest kick, she was no match for him. Not in this state, anyway.
“Will you please help me up? I’m not sure I can stand.” She wasn’t lying. She didn’t know the last time she bore weight on her legs and would need something to steady her.
“Absolutely not! If you n
eed to go to the bathroom, you can get your own sorry ass up those stairs. You just fucking vomited all over yourself. You think I’m going to rub that shit on my Armani suit? You’re going to have to work this out on your own.”
Bastard!
She placed her hands on the table and braced herself for the battle that was about to take place. She separated her feet, providing a wider base on the floor. Katherine pushed her weight onto her arms as she slowly pulled herself up from the chair. Instantly, her knees buckled, calves spasmed, and her body collapsed back into the chair.
The green-eyed monster started laughing uncontrollably. “You’re fucking pathetic. You’re going to wet yourself before you can get out of the chair!”
She closed her eyes and pursed her lips in an attempt to fight back the words that were ready to spew from her mouth. She had to maintain control over her filter. One wrong word could set her back.
She put her hands back on the table and prepared to stand again. This time she would be successful. This time, she would not fall over. She envisioned herself standing; her mind was in control of her body. At least, that was what she tried to tell herself. She steadied herself as she brought her body up from the chair. She shifted her weight from her hands to her legs. Success! She was standing. Now, if only she could get her legs to move across the basement and up the stairs.
“Can you hurry the fuck up? We need to get out of here before nightfall.” The green-eyed monster tried to hurry her along with the swish of his arm.
A glimmer of hope sprang to life at the possibility of being reconnected with her father. “May I ask where we’re going?”
“No, you may not. Let’s just say an informant of mine has led me to believe the Guardia has found our location. I’ve secured another location for you and your precious boyfriend. If you’re lucky, I’ll even let you dig his grave.”
The bright light, which had shone like a beacon in the sky only moments before, had flickered out, leaving her in a dark abyss. It was amazing how this man could dash all hope with just a few words. She refused to pleasure him with a snarky retort. Instead, she put one foot in front of the other and made her way across the room toward Tony and the stairs.
As she walked past Tony, she placed her hand on his shoulder and his breath hitched.
“Don’t you fucking touch him! Move up those goddamned stairs now!”
The monster grabbed her by the arm and yanked her up the stairs. Her feet couldn’t keep up with the force of his pull, and she collapsed about halfway up.
“Get up!”
She used the rails to pull herself to her feet and finished climbing the rest of the steps. Once into the bathroom, she shut the door and leaned against it. She felt like she’d just run a marathon. Her body was spent and exhausted as she slid against the door to the floor.
What was she going to do now? They were being moved to a new location. This wasn’t all bad. If the authorities knew she was here, then there’s a chance she could still be saved. Maybe they would get her out before she could be moved. All she needed to do was hang on a little bit longer. She could do this!
Her newfound hope gave her the motivation to move her body back into a standing position. She leaned over the sink and looked in the mirror. Death on a leaf. I look like death on a leaf.
She splashed some water on her face. The water was tinged with blood as it went down the drain. The coolness invigorated her, but stung every little cut. Instead of dwelling on what the pain represented, she focused on the fact that if she could feel pain, she was still alive.
She took her shirt off and rinsed the vomit off into the sink. It was like déjà vu from when she rinsed her pants. What she wouldn’t give for a shower and a clean change of clothes. All of the things she took for granted in life all the sudden seemed like the most luxurious items in the world.
Katherine took a handful of water and drank. The cool liquid was like an oasis in the sandy desert that had become her mouth. Refreshing was an understatement. She took several more handfuls before the fist slamming against the door startled her, forcing the liquid down the wrong pipe, and causing her to cough.
“That’s enough time. Come out now.”
She hadn’t gone to the bathroom, nor did she have the need to go. The lack of food and water over the past few days virtually eliminated that need. She wiped her hands on the towel and opened the door. The green-eyed monster smiled down at her.
“You cleaned yourself up. I’d say you look beautiful, but I’d be lying.”
She forced a smile and proceeded down the steps holding steady to the handrail. As she passed Tony, there was no movement and she couldn’t tell if he was awake or not.
“Where’s my food?” She searched the empty table for the tray that was provided to her earlier.
“I took it away. You lost your chance to eat. I only serve dinner once.”
She walked over to the chair. “Can you just leave me untied until it’s time to leave?”
The green-eyed monster sneered. “What do you take me for? What kind of idiot would I be if I left you untied only to go rescue lover boy over there?”
“It’s just the chair…it’s so uncomfortable. Maybe you could tie me up on the floor? At least I could lie down.”
“Are you telling me laying down in the chair wasn’t comfortable?” The green-eyed monster cocked his head to the side, feigning shock.
She clenched her teeth together and thought about all the things she would love to do to this jerk if given the opportunity. Pulling his fingernails out one by one was the first thing that came to her mind.
“I suppose I can do that. Get on your stomach.” He began laughing. She had learned it was never a good sign of things to come when he started laughing.
She slowly got down on the ground. She didn’t know what to expect, but had to have some faith that he wouldn’t rape her or something worse.
“Put your hands behind your back.”
She complied. If she only had her hands tied, she could still stand up and get over to Tony. Unfortunately, her plan wasn’t going to work. Before she knew it, the green-eyed monster had her hogged tied. If she hadn’t lost all of her self-worth before, she certainly had now. This was the most demeaning thing that ever happened to her.
“Are you comfortable? Or would you prefer the chair?” Ray was certainly deriving some sick and twisted pleasure from torturing her. Who did this to other people? Who raised him to be such a sick bastard? Were people born this way or was it a result of their upbringing?
Instead of submitting to the torture, the acts of the green-eyed monster only fueled her anger. She was going to beat him if it was the last thing she did. That thought resonated somewhat comedic with her. She was almost ready to give up a few minutes ago; she felt as though she were going to die. Now, she had this fight in her. Suddenly, she let out a chuckle.
“What the fuck are you laughing about?”
“I apologize. It’s just the irony of the whole situation.” She attempted to look over her shoulder and make eye contact.
“What’s that?”
“Well, I left New York thinking I’d just gone through hell after I caught my fiancée with another woman. Now, I’m in Italy taking what was supposed to be my honeymoon and learning what hell really is. I’m not sure what’s worse…the physical pain or the emotional pain.”
“Would you like me to remind you how bad the physical pain is?”
She paused; she had clearly overstepped her boundaries and the fact that the green-eyed monster was already in a bad mood made her not want to push him any further. “No. I think I have a pretty good understanding of the physical pain. Thank you for the offering.”
She realized her comment was snarky even before she received the blow to her left kidney. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut? As if the pain to the rest of her body wasn’t bad enough. Now, her lower back was throbbing. Great. Just great.
“So, what you’re telling me is that lover boy over there
isn’t, in fact, your boyfriend. So, why would you get involved with him? Why have you been traveling all over Italy with a complete stranger?”
“I don’t know. Obviously I’ve been asking myself that same question while tied up in this dungeon. He was nice and charming, and I was looking for a change. I guess I was looking to find a new me. What a freaking joke.” She put her head to the floor. What had she been thinking? What could possibly come from being with Tony? Yeah, he was hot. The sex was out of this world. But…he was a stranger, and she hardly knew him. Why would she risk her own life for him? Why? Because the unknown fascinated her. The unknown was nothing like anything she experienced in her sheltered life. And despite everything, there were sparks. She and Tony had some sort of chemistry that she never experienced before. What it was, she didn’t know. The one thing she did know is she wanted to feel more of it. She wanted to feel the electrifying touch of Tony’s hands as he caressed her skin and devoured her body.
“Unfortunately for you, you picked the wrong guy to hook up with. Fortunately for me, I’m going to benefit greatly from this exchange.” The green-eyed monster turned and took off up the stairs. To his mistake, he never looked back.
Chapter
Thirty-Four
“Tony. Tony. Wake up.”
Tony opened his eyes to find beautiful Kate lying before him bound in a less than appealing position. The bastard fucking hog-tied her.
“How did you get over here?”
“I’ve taken yoga for years; I’m pretty flexible. I just rocked myself on my stomach all the way over.”
