The Collector watched as his trained dogs were beaten, he'd seen to it that the elder gentleman fell right into a death trap.
Head titled to the side as the guns bullets run out, he'd missed every shot.
The girl he'd originally slammed into a box was being protected from harm by her female rescuer, but the women weren't the beings that got to him.
Sure, Elena had escaped the box, but she could never be Arkin. The man hadn't even been a part of his plan, yet he'd shown up that fateful night.
He'd obviously been there to steal the ruby, after much digging the collector found out his motives, once again Arkin O'Brien was trying to be the hero.
His wife owed money that was due, herself and her young daughter would have been killed.
They would have been had he not smuggled the ruby out of Arkin's pocket when he'd been unconscious and delivered it.
Why he'd done so, he'd never know. Honestly Arkin had become his most favorite, even surpassed the make up caked blonde he was so fond of.
Arkin had escaped his traps, he'd gotten out of the house, the collector had no idea he'd even been there until he beat him over the head with a gun and saved Hannah.
Switchblade being tossed from right to left and back, head now poised up as a plan begins to form. He could easily grab Elena, set a trap and capture the other lady and Arkin.
Only he didn't want her, he only takes the people he likes and he really likes Arkin. Still, he'd need a lure for the women while he fully secured Arkin.
Reluctantly and with a show of true anger he wraps his arms around Elena, making a performance of dragging the young girl from the room, afterwards it was simple duct taping and strapping her down to a table.
The collector made it a point to announce his plan, head lifting up towards the hanging cage before walking from the room.
Now he just had to make sure Arkin isn't inside the trap when it goes off. Elena struggles and continued to scream, echoing footsteps follow down the halls as the bait does her job.
Paz and Arkin cautiously enter the room, Paz immediately rushing to help Elena, Arkin would have done the same had he not been grabbed from behind, black, gloved hand covering his mouth.
With his free hand, the collector pulled the switch, gravity doing its work as the metal cage encases the two females.
Arkin struggles in his grasp, choice angry muffled phrases spilling into the collectors hand, arms latching to pull off the hand gag.
The collector lowers to the man's right ear "Ssshh" free hand grabbing fiercely onto sweat drenched locks of brown hair "Arkin"
Arkin freezes, the psycho knew his name, how he didn't know, he'd never let that information slip. Must have been Lisa when she spoke on the news, asking for his safe return.
The collector takes everything in, the women were trapped and going to die, the cops had been alerted to his whereabouts so he'd have to destroy his own house ... But none of that bothered him, Arkin was his prize and he had him once again.
Quickly, much like when he'd dragged him kicking and screaming from the ambulance a few months back, he forced the struggling man along.
The collector wished he had more time, he'd need to secure Arkin, spread the gas, light the tanks and get the hell out with his prize before the cops got in.
Arkin's struggled pace picked up upon sight of the lone, open red box. Dried blood lined the walls and lid, this crate was different from the others, inside there was enough chains to halt any movement.
The collector lowers Arkin to his knees beside the box, fist clenching before smacking into the side of the man's head, rendering him into a state of unawareness.
Manacles were clicked into place on his ankles and thighs, hands crossed over Arkin's chest before being secured to the box walls, neck chocked in a bruising collar to another side of the box.
Arkin pulled on his arms and legs, only for the restrictions to tighten "Fuck you!"
Duct tape is stretched from its roll, followed by a stapler waving in the collectors hand, Arkin fought but couldn't move his head due to the collar "Get away, fuck you, man!"
The end of the tape is smoothed over Arkin's lips, four painful staples follow. Arkin screams as the points penetrate his skin, the man can only glare as the tape is repeatedly wrapped around his head.
Minutes pass as the winding continued, he had to be sure Arkin couldn't talk or be heard. The collector runs his hand down Arkin's left cheek before another punch to the face is delivered.
The box lid is slammed shut and latched, followed by a padlock to further secure Arkin inside, the man was a pro at picking locks.
With his prize locked away, the collector began his spreading of the gasoline. Can after can is sloshed throughout his hotel home.
He could care less for his older test subjects, he'd been searching the entire time for his piece of resistance and he'd finally found it.
Room after room is drowned in kerosene, the place was going to burn to the ground with everyone inside. Now it was time to deal with the girls.
The collector wasn't at all surprised to see them still trapped, knife now fallen on the ground. He'd known they wouldn't escape, they'd have had a chance had Arkin been with them.
He toyed with the lighter, watching the fear bubble fourth on their faces, listened to their pathetic pleas as he ignites the fuse.
The girls were weak, begging was futile. That's part of the reason he liked Arkin, the man never begged, he'd demand to be let out, he'd threatened to eat his heart and kill him.
Arkin was different, a diamond in the rough ... And he now belonged to him.
The collector returned to the box, kicking the side harshly, in turn receiving a pained yell from the confines, Arkin was still inside.
Hands grab hold of the boxes handle, the collector drags the trapped prey towards the hidden back door. He'd seen from security footage the cops hadn't found it yet, but just to make sure, a lit match was thrown into a pool of gasoline.
The room caught fire instantly, the police and fire department wouldn't have time to check the back area.
Arkin tried screaming in protest inside the box, fear slowly taking over as reality of the situation hits full force, he was being kidnapped by this psycho once again.
Arms and legs pulling against the rattling chains holding him prisoner, blood dripping from his injured wrists. He couldn't get out, he'd been unable to escape all the other times, but the collector was intent on keeping him, usually he'd be chained by the ankles and that was all.
With mobility out, Arkin had one other option, screaming. The man yelled as loud as he could, his voice barely leaving his sealed lips. Tears of anger and frustration swell up in his blue eyes.
Was this it? He'd spend the rest of his days trapped with this madman in the red box? Would the collector leave him in here to die of hunger? No, he could feel the box moving, he wasn't being left behind, but taken along.
Arkin smelled the gas, could feel the heat from the flames. The son of a bitch had set the place on fire, he'd heard Elena and Paz screaming, the girls were good as dead if he still had them.
The collector listened as Arkin screamed, he could hear every move the man tried to make and every pained groan that followed.
The man leans down to the box once more, lips inches away from the wood "Ssshh, Arkin"
He'd used his name again, he knew who he was, after he'd sent those flowers to the hospital he should have known it wasn't over, even if Lucello hadn't dragged him here at gun point, he'd still have been re-collected.
The collector licked his lips, messing with Arkin was very enjoyable, he couldn't wait till he got the man to his real home.
The back door is noisily opened, echoes of police and fire fighters drifting through the air, if he could hear them, so could Arkin. "Not a word"
Arkin groans, as if he could talk with the tape over his mouth, the fucker was playing with him.
The collector smiles as the hotel explodes, the fuse had finally reached its end. His house of horrors was burning to the ground.
He sat on the box and watched, thousands were now dead if they hadn't been before. His collection was gone, but he had his prize.
Every collector has their favorite piece and his was bound and gagged below his feet. Arkin O'Brien, the man who he hadn't planned, the one person he'd taken that wasn't meant to be there, and lastly the only man to escape him twice.
The box is dragged once more to the hidden white van, the collector lugs the crate into the back, securing it in place before slamming the side doors.
It was time to head home, he'd drive around awhile to confuse his captive, make a fake map and directions.
First off I have to say this movie and The Collector is severely underrated, but it's definitely not for everyone, watch it at your own risk. This story takes place during its sequel :)
