Chapter 5: The Kidnapping
After Kim and I left the bar, we not once discussed what had happened between me and Thomas, and I thanked God she didn't mention anything about it. I felt as if I could have torn her apart, so I was extremely relieved that she never brought up the dreaded Thomas topic.
That night, Kim and I rode a taxi back to our apartment. All I wanted to do that evening was put on my PJs, turn on my favorite movie, Doctor Zhivago, and curl up on our sofa with two of my very best friends, Ben and Jerry; all Kimberly wanted to do that night was puke in the toilet. Unfortunately, neither of us got to do what we wanted that night. As soon as I unlocked the door, I felt that something wasn't quite right. The apartment felt cryptic and eerie, almost like in a scary movie, when there is some deranged killer lurking the night, waiting to pounce on some innocent soul. Immediately, I turned on the lights and not a moment before I set my keys down on the coffee table, seven men in black ski masks jumped out of the corners of our apartment, surrounded us, and forcefully grabbed the two of us and bound both our hands and feet. Together, Kimberly and I screamed as loud as we could in hopes that someone would hear us. Regrettably, no one came to our rescue. The men then suddenly wrapped around our mouths several thick layers of duct tape and began carrying us out to their van. We tried to free ourselves by squirming and wiggling about, but their gasp was far too strong. We remained where we were, for squirming and wiggling was all we could accomplish and we did that with very little success. Finally, they threw us not-so-gently into their dark van, locking the double doors, which would soon become a moving steel prison for me and my friend. I didn't know what Kim was feeling, but I was terrified for our lives.
Everything was more than silent for a moment and then a sudden, loud booming sound was heard and one of the men lay dead on the ground. He had been shot in cold blood and was no more now than road kill. I didn't know why it happened. You could say before any of this I was very... naive, but all of that changed that very night. I then heard the engine start; it startled me. I was so frightened I nearly vomited. The van began to move. The shriek from the tires put skid marks that now made a permanent tattoo on the road. By this time, so many questions filled my head: Why was this happening? Would we live? Would we die? All we could do was sit there and wait for whatever lay ahead, which appeared to be our deaths at the time. As horrified as I was, I couldn't help but recall a certain fond memory of me and my Uncle Jack.
This was about the time that my parents died. I hardly knew Uncle Jack, but he was the only immediate family that I had. Oh, I'll never forget it; I learned a valuable lesson that day. I was staying with Uncle Jack for the summer. That was the only time I can remember that Kim and I were ever apart. Kim's parents thought that I needed time to process my parent's death, not drown it out by having fun with Kim. Although I hated their decision at the time, I respect and thank them for it now. Come to think of it, if it weren't for their decision, I never would have had the remarkable relationship with my uncle the way I do today. Anyway, back to my story. My uncle was coming to pick me up from the airport. He actually lived in Cape May, New Jersey, where I lived in Essex, so you can imagine how far of a ride it really is for a kid. I was so scared. I felt like I was meeting him for the first time, but I knew I had met him many times before; I just couldn't remember him for the life of me. I stepped off the plane and there he was, waiting just for me. He held high the sign that had my name on it firmly in his hands. He lowered it only after he was sure I'd seen it. He must have seen the nervousness in my face, the way he lit up the airport with his warm, bright, and friendly smile. I slowly approached him. The closer I got, the more my heart pounded. I was petrified of doing something that involved people without Kim by my side every step of the way. The moment of truth finally came. He placed the neatly made sign on the floor, took my bags, and set them on the floor. Finally, he extended his comforting and inviting arms and stepped forward as he threw his arms around me, resulting in a big hug. Somehow he knew how introverted I really was, something in his eyes that I still do not understand to this very day; somehow he knew that I was already very home sick missing my parents and Kimberly. Everything he did, he did so in a way that respected my personal space. We then faced each other and he asked if I wanted to get some ice cream. What kid in their right mind would refuse an offer like that? So, we went for ice cream. Along the way, he started asking me an obscene amount of questions in order to get to know me better, such as what's it like where you live? What are your hobbies? What's your favorite thing to do with your friends? There were also many others, but I cannot for the life of me remember what they were. On one hand, I felt like I was being patronized and invaded, on the other, it felt nice that someone else other than Kim wanted to know something about me. So, I cheerily responded in full detail to each of his questions. He seemed fascinated to hear all about my life back home, my family, and my friends (Kim). I made sure not to leave out the slightest detail; after all, it's not every day an adult takes a kid's opinion so highly. When we arrived at the ice cream parlor, he said to pick any flavor I wanted, so I did just that. I picked double chocolate fudge ice cream with caramel and chocolate syrup, chocolate sprinkles and a juicy, delectable cherry on top. When you're a kid it seems like you can eat ANYTHING. We then sat down outside, it being a beautiful day in Cape May. I began eating my ice cream so fast that it didn't even need to hit my mouth in order for a brain freeze to occur. I watched as the expression on Uncle Jack's face changed from happy to melancholy. He looked at his ice cream like there was something very interesting about it. He then looked at me, smiled, and slowly ate his ice cream. Then, there was a peculiar silence for only a moment as we both ate. He looked at his ice cream once more and then started to speak.
"Elizabeth?" He asked in order to receive my attention. "Life is ever changing. One minute you're sitting down enjoying an ice cream, and then the next... anything can happen." I stopped inhaling my ice cream and looked at him for a moment, puzzled by his vague implications. "What I'm trying to say is," He said with slight frustration, "Life is always handing you different situations, some are happy and some are sad. We always enjoy the happy times, but we never enjoy the sad times." I still didn't understand and looked at him bewildered. "What I'm trying to say is," He said with slight frustration. "When life throws something at you that you don't particularly enjoy, you should be able to make those times just as happy as the happy times. Do you understand, Elizabeth?" He then asked with compassion and understanding.
Uncle Jack never was very good with words, but his intentions were always good hearted. I looked at my ice cream and then at him and I smiled with understanding and said, "I do, Uncle Jack." At that point, we both smiled at each other and that was it; no more words needed to be said. I sat there that day and took a new perspective on everything. I ate my ice cream more slowly and enjoyed it thoroughly. Come to think of it, I never enjoyed an ice cream more than I did that day. It occurred to me that sunny afternoon that a positive attitude is the key to leading a fulfilling and successful life, no matter who you are or what your current or future situation is or will be. Treasure every moment of life while you're alive, for time fades faster than the ever dwindling words that escape another's lips.
It's funny, I never thought of that day until now, when my life was being threatened. Quite some time passed as I was lost within my thoughts. Then, the van stopped. Kimberly nuzzled her chin to my shoulder, struggling to get closer. At the time, it appeared as if Kim was more frightened than I was. I did feel quite relaxed. Dredging up my old, fond memories seemed to calm my most frayed nerves. Suddenly, I had remembered where I was. I had one of those fleeting thoughts, at first thinking it was all a bad dream that I was going to wake up from anytime now. I was then again face to face with reality, realizing that it was no dream; it was more of a cruel and torturous nightmare that I couldn't awake from no matter how hard I tried. I then heard the men arguing, but it was muffled and distorted. All I heard them say was Kimberly's name and mine; I was quite curious to know why. I slowly tried opening my mouth to ask Kim why the men spoke our names, but as I was preoccupied with conversing with myself, it had completely slipped my mind that the tape on my mouth was stopping me from speaking. Besides, little did I know, all of my questions would very soon be answered in full. The men then opened the back doors and carried us inside what was a very large warehouse. As one of the men carried me upside down, my head bobbed back and forth in a gentle swaying motion. Now that the blood was rushing to my head, it became difficult for me to see what the warehouse contained. I saw unclearly at least fifty boxes of dynamite and from the looks of the wooden crates, additional, miscellaneous war supplies.
After a time, the men quite roughly set both of us down on old, rusty chairs side by side to one another. The chairs made an awful squeaking sound whenever we tried making the slightest movement. The two large men then stood behind us, almost like security guards. The one man standing to my left reminded me so much of Professor Blaten - the way he would stand over your shoulder if you didn't understand a problem. He didn't care if he had to stand there all day, as long you understood the work you were doing. The man on my right side, however, looked gruff and tough and very mean. We then saw a very dapper man in a sharp looking business suit slowly approach us; he was extremely intimidating to behold. Following him was a skittish, not-so-neat-looking man wearing discolored khakis and a lab coat that looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in years. I looked at Kim and noticed how she was in a locked stare with the unkempt man. She just kept staring at him like she knew him, but she didn't speak a word. The fact I didn't know what she was thinking was killing me. Just then, a cold and unfriendly silence filled the room, until the well-groomed man's authoritative voice broke the silence and unlocked Kim's stare.
The man asked in a rough uneasy tone, "Did you get the right girls this time?"
The man on the right side behind us answered back just as harshly, "What happened with the other girls wasn't my fault. Besides, I took care of the guy who screwed up the first time."
"I don't give a damn whose fault it was!" The first man said angrily and impatiently. "All I care about is that we have the right girls now."
The man on the right just proudly shook his head yes, like he had just lost the common tough guy vs. tough guy fight and his ego had been beaten.
"Well, well, well," Began the other man, as he slowly approached Kim. "You've been a very naughty girl, Kim. Just how long did you think you could hide a secret like this until I found out about it?"
Kim looked angry and refused to answer him. The man quickly filled with rage and slapped Kim's face so hard that she nearly fell out of her chair. "Don't play games with me, girl! Now, answer the question!"
Kim became very choleric and spat angrily, "You fiend! We would have died if it meant that what we found would have died with us. All of us! You're an evil man and you will never deserve the good it has to offer. Ever!"
"Well then, lucky for me your brother felt a little differently," The man said smugly.
"My brother would never help you," Kim stated vehemently.
The man ignored Kim and spoke again. "I bet we can even change your friend's mind about the matter."
"Leave, Elizabeth out of this, you bastard! She doesn't know a thing about it."
"In that case, why is she still alive?" The man asked as he looked at the men standing behind us, signaling them to kill me.
"LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!" Kim screamed. "I swear to God if you so much as lay one finger on her…
"You'll do what? I think we may have found your Achilles' heel, Kim," The man said as he chuckled pugnaciously.
Kim then looked at me and whispered in my ear, "I won't let them hurt you, Elizabeth - I promise."
For some reason that escaped my mind completely, I wasn't the least bit frightened, although I was very confused as to everything that was happening. I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs: "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" However, those words, no matter how hard I tried, just wouldn't seem to come out. I realized I was too helpless to try to be heroic and save us, so from that moment on, I sat there and observed everything - from the hairs on their heads, right down to the floorboards. Still, no matter how much I seemed to observe things, I never anticipated what happened next, that is, until it finally happened.
"Elizabeth Fields," The man said as he paced unpityingly about the room. "Your mother and father never told you who you are, did they?"
"Don't let him in, Kid!" Kim offered as a rebuttal.
Now normally I would have just let Kim fight this battle for me, but my curiosity as to what he meant overrode every other emotion, including my fear. The man snapped his fingers and his two minions who stood behind me and Kim brought forth a man with rope around his hands and a mask covering his face. He walked over to the man they held captive and placed his hand over his head, preparing to remove the mask. He then turned to Kim and said with a long pause and threatening tone, "You will die for your mistake! I will hunt down and find each and every one of you who tried keeping this from me. Consider that a promise."
He soon pulled off the mask, revealing Kimberly's brother, Peter. He had cuts, bruises, and abrasions from head to toe, and was nearly unconscious from his severe pain. Hunter then pulled a knife from its sheath and placed it against Peter's neck.
"No!" Kim screamed at the top of her lungs as she thrust back and forth in her chair, desperately fighting to free herself. "Don't do this, Charles. Please, don't do this," She repeated as she began to cry incessantly. The man named Charles appeared as if he didn't even acknowledge she was in the room and viciously pulled off the duct tape from his mouth.
"I suggest you say your final goodbyes now," He said brusquely.
"Peter," She said as she continued to cry. Charles then made a small enough incision to make Peter suffer as he struggled with taking his very last breaths.
"Ki... Kim... I... I... I'm so... sorry," He struggled in saying as he slowly bled to death. Afterwards, Peter collapsed to the floor and Kimberly screamed and continued to scream with horror, as she repeatedly spoke her brother's name.
"Fortunately for you, Elizabeth, your time has not yet come," Charles continued shamelessly as he wiped the fresh blood from his knife. "However, one way or another, you will end up helping me. Whether you want to or not is of no consequence to me. Who knows? You may even enjoy helping me," He said with a devilish smile, accompanied by a small chortle. These were the last words I heard him say before he left the warehouse. He signaled to his men to grab me while he took a match from his pocket and struck it on the floor. Without hesitation, Charles threw the lit match into the area containing the active dynamite and walked out of the warehouse, leaving the rest of the work for his men. Kimberly was still experiencing the shock that comes from watching your family member being slaughtered before your very eyes. She screamed and continued screaming, as she did nothing but stare into Peter's cold, dead eyes. After a while, her shriek sounded like any normal noise caused by a common household appliance, such as a dryer or even a coffee maker.
As for me, I didn't quite know what to think, except that I needed to get my act together and fast. The man that stood to my right began cutting away the ropes that secured me to the chair. I made it certain that as soon as he cut the last rope, I was going to make a run for it. As he cut the last section of the last rope, I once more thought through my plan of action. I then realized I was free and took my elbow and shoved it into the man's jaw, which distracted him long enough for me to make my getaway. As I collected my bearings, I tried looking past the smoke and shooting flames, struggling to make out exactly where was. I finally found where Kim was, but as I ran towards her, I saw a dark shadow emerge from the fire that grabbed me; it was without a doubt the other man who stood behind me and Kim. I had to think fast, the flames sure weren't going to wait for me. I subsequently bit as hard as I possibly could into his arm so that he would release me from his grasp. He screamed out in pain and threw me to the ground. I seized that moment of opportunity by crawling around the room, feeling with my hands where I was. While on the ground, I found a stray gun on that storeroom floor. I picked it up, not knowing what to do with it if I did in fact have to use it, and held it as firmly and as far away from my body as I could. I tried to see past the smoke, but it was hopeless. My eyes were now watering as I began to cough persistently. I then did the only thing I knew could possibly work, I yelled out Kim's name in hopes that she would answer. I kept yelling as loud as I could and waited. It seemed like it took longer than forever, but Kim finally responded saying, "Here! I'm over here!"
I followed the sound of her raspy voice and quickly ran over to her. I then struggled with loosening the knots which held her where she was. Eventually, Kim was free. It became time to make a run for the door, which appeared to be invisible due to the flames that now completely surrounded us. I looked closely in order to find the door and then perceived dimly water reflecting the moon's light. After that, I quickly covered both of our heads with our coats to shelter us as we flew through the blaze. As we became closer and closer to the exit, we both jumped from the last of the flames and into the lake. At that moment, we heard a huge explosion which made the warehouse debris fly through the air and plummet into the water, just like a million shooting stars. We stayed under the water for as long as it took for most of remaining fire and falling objects to lighten. Afterwards, Kimberly clung onto me the whole time, shivering and shaking from the cold and shock. Meanwhile, I was dealing with my own problems. Who the Hell was I? I had questions and not the slightest idea where to go to get the answers. Once I was passed the aftershock, I realized how horrible our entire situation really was. I wished more than anything that I could have done something to stop it, but at the time, we had even bigger problems. We were God-knows-where with nowhere to sleep, nothing to eat, and more importantly, nowhere to go. As far as we knew, we could trust no one.
Although I knew a long journey was ahead of me, and Kimberly probably wasn't the person I thought she was, (nor was I) I was thankful that we had made it this far. I really couldn't believe we were still alive.
I suddenly became exhausted, but tried pulling past it long enough to build a shelter. I knew Kimberly wasn't up to the challenge because she had fallen asleep on my shoulder as we made our way through the thick drudges of that unknown forest. I realized that Kimberly had a lot of explaining to do, but I also knew it could wait until morning. After all, we sure weren't going anywhere anytime soon.