I tried to break free from the ropes, feeling them chafe against my wrists. I felt the warm blood trickle down my arm. I was having trouble breathing; the gag was so tight, and I was in a pretty small space. My hair was messy; my skin and clothes were covered with dirt and grime.
I watched as Barry came into the room, and he gave me an evil grin. He was wearing nothing other than the white robe he stole from the Hilton bathroom. I began to fight the ropes more as he grew closer.
"Don't be afraid, Sylvia," he hissed in my ear. I shut my eyes as tight as I could, and then I heard his robe fall to the ground. He kissed my cheek. "It's just you and me until the end. This is hardcore."
I felt him push himself against me, and I jerked my knee up; he cried out in pain, and then he smacked my face hard. I felt the tears pour down my cheeks.
Just as he slipped his hand into my shirt, the door burst open and three men and a woman stepped into the room; each wore a vest marked FBI and each held a gun.
"FBI, don't move!" the woman ordered. "Barry Hayden, you are under arrest!"
One of the men pulled Barry off of me, and I felt the gag leave my mouth and the ropes ease from my wrists. I jumped into the arms of the agent who had saved my life. He embraced me, and he repeatedly told me I was safe and I was going home soon. I took down his phone number, address and name and promised I would never forget him.