There was nothing in the corners, nothing behind the rack of wine but a stack of cardboard boxes so heavy I couldn’t pull them out. I could probably break one of the wine bottles and use it as a weapon, but I believed him when he said he’d have a gun.
No, fighting him wouldn’t work. There weren’t any other doors in the basement. I didn’t know how I could escape. I was beginning to hyperventilate. I sat down in the middle of the basement and hugged my legs to my chest.
Well, Kat, I told myself, there’s nothing you can do right now. But it doesn’t seem like he’s going to kill you, not yet, anyway.
How could I get him to let me go? It was impossible. I thought of Jules working in the library. What would happen tomorrow morning? She would get to work and I wouldn’t be there. I was never late. She would realize something was wrong. But how would she know what had happened? She wouldn’t.
Terror took hold of me again and I let myself sob.
Let it all out, Kat. Let it out. Cry and be done crying. Then I could figure something out. It was better than letting myself go into a full-fledged panic attack, anyway.
I must have sat there for an hour before he returned. His hair was wet and dripping, but he was wearing clothes. He had brought a blanket. He put the blanket on the floor.
“I took care of your car,” he said.
I looked up at him, unsure what he meant. He raised his hand and mimed driving a car off of a cliff.
“Down in the canyon. Sorry about that, but you won’t have any use for it here anyway.”
I breathed in sharply. I’d saved for two years to buy that stupid car, and despite the more pressing situation at hand it still hurt me to think about my car being destroyed by this maniac.
“My car...”
“I’m sorry, I truly am. Same with your cell phone. It would be stupid for me to keep them around, though. And I’m not a stupid person.” He looked at me as though hoping for agreement. “Your wallet was in there, too. Kat, is it? I think I’ll keep calling you kitten. Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”
“Please,” I said. I could hear my voice trembling no matter how I tried to steady it. “Please, I won’t say anything if you let me go.”
“See, now that would be stupid,” he said matter-of-factly. He pulled up the extra chair and sat on it, setting the blanket to the side. “And what did I just say about being stupid?”
“You’re not a stupid person,” I whispered.
“I’m not stupid,” he said, nodding.
“What are you going to do with me?”
“For now? I’m going to keep you here.”
I began to cry again. I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to make him mad, but I couldn’t help it.
“No,” I said. “Please don’t. I don’t want to stay here.”
He spread his hands out in front of him.
“There’s nothing I can do.”
“I’ll run away,” I said, choking on my sobs. “I’ll escape and run away.”
He frowned.
“Now that would be very stupid,” he said. “Very stupid, indeed.”
“I’ll scream,” I said. Anger was building up inside of me and I couldn’t keep it from pouring out, just like I couldn’t keep myself from crying.
“Then scream. Do you know how far we are from anybody else out here? Go ahead, try. It won’t work.”
“Please,” I said, desperation creeping through my chest. “Please let me go.”
He shook his head.
“The sooner you realize that you’re here for good, the better,” he said.
He stood up and I scrambled to my feet, limping after him.
“No, please. Please don’t leave me here. Please!”
He kept walking to the door. I grabbed his arm and he whipped me around in a single motion, pinning me to the wall with his own body. I hadn’t realized how tall he was, but he had me lifted inches off of the ground. My toes scraped the floor just barely, and my hurt ankle screamed with pain.
He spoke, and I could feel his hot breath on my face. His dark eyes sparked and he moved one hand over my hair, brushing through it with his fingers. I had fucked up. I had played with fire, and now it was going to burn me.
“Do you really want me to stay down here with you?” he whispered.
I cringed. His body was pressed against mine, and in spite of everything I could feel myself responding to his touch. He shifted his weight and pushed one of his legs between my thighs. I burned with the pressing ache there.
“You wanted me before, in the elevator,” he said, his eyes searching mine. “Do you want me now?”
A shiver ran down my spine. My lips parted, but all I could do was shake my head slightly from side to side.
“No? Then stop tempting me.”
He stepped back and let me down. I fell to the floor, clutching my hurt ankle. He flicked off the light and the room went dark, but I could still see his silhouette in the doorway, looking back at me.
“Have a good night,” he said, and shut the door.
Gav
The girl had given me an idea.