The opening A/N already? Daaamn.
This chapter is as ready as it's ever going to be, so bear with me.
Here goes nothing. Let's begin with the neverending:
DISCLAIMER!
I don't own any part of the Twilight series, and I don't claim to. As fun as that would be, I really don't. All that's mine, are the characters you don't recognize from SM's work, and yes. They do get away from me now and then, but they're pretty harmless. Kinda.
Next, is the:
WARNING!
This story is rated 'M' for a very, very good reason! This isn't a pretty chapter, and not a pretty story in general. As with all of my stories, none of them are pretty. In this story, just like all the others, is where you'll find far more bad days than good days. Please heed my heads up if you're sensitive. Definitely not for the faint of heart, or squeamish.
I will put an ImPORTANT NOTE at the top of every particularly iffy chapter, but I do try to follow the guidelines of the site. No overly graphic descriptions of violence, yada-yada. Stuff like that, but I do mildly hint with just a dash of description. Believe me. It could be worse. It's not my intention to give anybody nightmares. That'd be against the rules.
That said:
ImPORTANT NOTE: Mild violence in this chapter.
Chapter One
When someone talks about the dark, they never talk about the light in the dark.
More often than not, there was always something. The light from a passing car, the illumination from an alarm clock. Even the stars, depending on where you are. Something. Anything to focus on but the dark.
The pitch dark, however, was another story. Complete lack of sight, no matter which direction you looked. The kind that made every other sense work twice as hard. You heard more, you smelled more. You felt more.
That's what I faced now. The pitch dark around me definitely had me feeling more. More fear, more sadness. More desperation, more isolation.
I forced my thoughts back to just a few hours ago when I'd been taken from my family.
My family, of course, being the Cullens, and oh god, how much I missed them. I had easily figured out how this happened long ago.
Jack, my mother's violently abusive husband, had grown desperate. Used to getting his way, and being desperate, he paid a ridiculous amount of money to someone to be brave enough to retrieve me for him. Going as far as drawing up fake papers to give them. Everything on the forms fake, just so it was believable. Not having given them time to look into it before wrestling me into the backseat of their waiting car, and escaping to Port Angeles for the trade off.
Until my family discovered that they'd been fooled, Jack's father, Ken, managed to escape with all of us with no one being the wiser. All of us, of course, being Jack, my mother, the baby I had yet to officially meet, and poor, terrified little me.
They knew by now I wasn't going to show up, but I knew. It'd be very difficult to find me, considering where they believed I was, was the complete opposite direction I'd actually been taken. Like.. Hours the wrong direction.
I knew with me with them, and with my mom with them, Alice had no chance at seeing anything at all. I knew without Alice seeing anything at all, I was doomed.
My gift, inherited from my mom, prevented Alice from being able to see anything anymore regarding us. Something about my gift blocked Alice's gift from seeing me. Joy.
Not that she could see anything even if she could. Not with the suffocating darkness around me. I grit my teeth in irritation, lightly hitting my forehead against the wall.
So here I was. Smashed between Ken, and the wall in some motel somewhere miles away from home. Wide awake, despite how everyone else slept soundly as I faced the wall. Escape was impossible, as Ken made damn sure of that.
I couldn't even sigh without him waking up, for one. Two, the tight, binding rope securing my ankles together was unreachable for my wrists bound behind me. Even if I could try without getting another punch to the back, I doubted I could reach anyway. I didn't exactly spend my time practicing my escape techniques.
The dark around me only got darker, so I gave up. Closing my eyes. Try to get some sort of rest while I could. Someone in this hellish, crowded motel room would make some sort of sleeping sound, maybe snore, or breathe too deeply, and I'd be wide awake yet again.
My eyes opened again, surprised I got any sleep at all, and I took in the early morning light. It was Ken that woke me, waking up himself. With a deep yawn, he stretched behind me.
"Good morning." He greeted me cheerfully, kissing my cheek harshly. Pausing, he chose to speak right into my ear, "If you promise to be good, I'll untie you." I nodded vigorously, and he chuckled, "Alright."
My wrists were almost gently unbound, and I winced, bringing them in front of me as he rolled me to my back. Pulling loose the rope around my ankles, he tossed the rope to the side and stood.
"Wake the fuck up." He barked to Jack, shoving his shoulder in the bed beside us. Annoyance ensued as Ken's command woke up the baby, and my mom had to get up as well. Trying to prove my cooperation, the most I did was roll to my other side. Curling into a ball.
It'd be the most intense form of stupidity to try anything so soon.
So there I laid now, watching the activity in the room as my mom took care of the baby, and the other two stood talking near the door. I was unbelievably tired, and I was sure it showed. Aside from when I was first taken, I had no interaction with my mother whatsoever.
It seemed she had healed nicely from that gunshot wound I gave her about a year ago now.
She hadn't spoken to me, or even looked at me. As if I were invisible. That was nothing new. I closed my eyes, fighting back the familiar hate toward her. It was easy so far, because of how tired I was, but I knew that wouldn't be the case for long.
I yawned, wishing my head would quit pounding.
"Tired?" I jumped at Jack's voice directly beside me.
"Very." I admitted quietly.
"Well, you can sleep in the car." He told me, "Get your ass out of bed." I sighed, doing as he told me. Standing up beside him. I kept my eyes down, knowing he was studying me, "Damn. It really has been awhile, hasn't it? I didn't notice before, I guess. You're growing up."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I stayed silent. I wasn't looking to piss him off right yet. I desperately needed sleep. Reaching out, he took my chin and had me look up at him. The second my eyes met his, I looked away. I hated seeing his eyes.
"Yeah, I saw that." He chuckled, "Tell me truthfully, bitch. Are you still afraid of me?" He waited.
"Very." I finally admitted again. My voice trembling quietly as his hand released my chin.
"Good." That was apparently the right answer. Pausing for a moment, he lit a cigarette with a sigh, "Do you remember what happened in California?" Glancing over, I noticed Ken listening as well. His arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall.
I closed my eyes, dreading where this was going.
"Do you?" He prompted, and hesitantly, I nodded, "I still owe you a good beating for that. I didn't get to it when I should have. How'd you get out of that box, anyway?"
"It wasn't easy." I lied.
"I bet it wasn't." His tone suggested he didn't believe me, "Trust me. When we get to where we're going, you'll get what's coming to you. We've just got to lie low for a few days. Know what I mean?" I nodded again, "You know what to do."
The sun hadn't even come up yet, and we were already back in the car. Sitting in the backseat, nervousness made my stomach tumble, and we weren't even on the interstate very long until I had to throw up.
Thankfully, the second I mentioned it, Ken believed me, and pulled over. I threw open the door, took two steps, and fell to my hands and knees. I knew he would have been very pissed if I had done that all over the backseat.
Not trusting me in the least, Jack climbed out with me. Waiting.
"Woo." Ken laughed from the car, "That was a close one, wasn't it?"
So far, physically, I was pretty much fine. Maybe one or two bruises from getting hit, or being handled roughly, but that was it. The physical symptoms, however, of my emotional stress was much easier to see. Throwing up, trembling. How tired I was, and of course, my crying.
I just wanted to go home. That's all I wanted. I didn't even care if Jack was ever caught. I didn't care about that. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to know what it was like never having to live in fear.
"Time's up." Jack grumbled, hauling me up by my arm. Handing me a bottle of water, I knew what it was for. I rinsed out my mouth, spitting out the water into the dirt beside the road. I tried handing it back to him, but he shook his head, "Keep it. Might keep that from happening again."
So I climbed back in, and we were off again. I sipped the water slowly, and he was right. It did help a little. It didn't do anything to stop my tears, though. Exhaustion did that.
I'd never cried myself to sleep in the backseat of a car before.
"We'll stop in a bit for something to eat." Ken's voice had me jerk awake, "Just sit tight for now."
What other choice did I have? I just knew if I were to complain, they'd make me ride in the trunk. I could do without that, so all I did was whimper quietly and look out the window.
"Here's how it's going to work, Leandra." Ken spoke up again, "If you behave, you'll be fed, and you'll be comfortable. By comfortable, of course, I mean kept in clean clothes, and allowed to sleep inside the hotel with us. Don't need anybody asking questions before we even get there, do we?"
"No, sir." I knew my place, and I wouldn't reach any higher places by being unruly, "Thank you." He smiled.
"But, if you piss me off, you'll regret it. I'm telling you that right now."
"I know." I mumbled, "I won't." Could I keep that promise?
"Good." He said, "I appreciate your cooperation, Leandra."
"See?" Jack chuckled, "Didn't I tell you I trained her right?"
"But the way you went about it was stupid as hell." Ken replied, and I couldn't help smirking a little, "We wouldn't be in this mess if you'd have just listened to me, dumb ass."
"Hey." Jack barked back at him, "I did what I had to."
"Had to?" Ken snorted, "You're telling me you had to kill that kid? Do you even know how many goddamn things you're wanted for now? Now add kidnapping to that very long list that only seems to be growing."
"I wasn't the one to take her." Jack countered, "That bitch was. She just brought her to me."
"And if she says anything, you're fucked out of your money." Ken replied matter-of-factly, "Brilliant idea."
"Yeah, yeah." Jack grumbled, "Shut up, old man."
"I know what I'm talking about." Ken continued, "You'd be wise to listen to me, boy. I mean it." I kept quiet during their argument, looking incredulously over at my mother.
"It's your fault she got away in the first place." Jack countered, "If it'd been me-"
"She fucking bit me." Ken corrected, "Do you know how much that fucking hurts? And she's a fast little bastard."
"She's not a bastard." My mom spoke up, gaining their attention, "She has a father."
"My apologies." Ken sneered irritatedly, "As I was saying, she's quick. You should have just let Heather call her back in. Jesus, don't you ever think? You never order them like that until you have them in your hands. When they're a flight risk like that, you back the fuck up until they're within your reach. Then you beat the shit out of them. Haven't I taught you anything?"
"Look, I get it, okay?" Jack growled, "Just fucking drop it, dad."
"Don't you take that fucking tone with me." Ken's raised voice sent ice through my veins, and I was immensely glad I wasn't on the receiving end of that, "You know better."
"Just shut the fuck up-"
I flinched at the punch Ken suddenly landed against Jack's face. My eyes wide, and I didn't dare to breathe. Flinching again at Jack's muted yell of pain behind his hands cupping his nose.
"What the fuck?" Jack demanded through blood running down his lips and chin.
"Any more questions?" Ken replied, his stern eyes on him. Now and then glancing back to the road to make sure we weren't about to hit a sudden tree. Jack didn't say anything and Ken nodded once firmly, "Now. When we get there, Leandra, you make one wrong move, one single mistake, I'll stab you right in the neck. Got that?"
"Yes, sir." I muttered immediately.
"Good." Ken barked, "Now that we know what we're doing, everybody just shut the fuck up." Jack threw open the glove compartment in front of him, grabbing a fist-full of napkins. Pressing the wad to his face. I took a breath, sighing it out silently. I wasn't about to say another word.
Jack had always been the strongest man I'd ever known. Human, anyway, and to see Ken treat him that way shocked me. If Ken could treat his own son like that, what could he do to me?
Once Jack's nose stopped bleeding, we pulled into the small parking lot of a diner just inside of town. I didn't even know where we were.
"Leandra." Ken barked, "Come with me." I watched as he climbed out, immediately doing as he told me. He came around my side as I stretched, and lifted me easily. Practically yanking me off my feet, drawing a quiet whimper of pain from me.
He paid no attention to that.
"Just stay calm," He muttered almost silently to me, "And you'll be fine." Show instead of tell. I knew this. Maybe if I made points with him, he would leave me alone?
I hated this, but it was my only option until I could call my family.
Tiredly, as Ken stepped through the doors of the diner, I laid my head on his shoulder. He approved, given the light pat he gave my hip.
We found a booth, and of course, I had the seat against the wall. My mom found a seat to set the baby in, and I noticed, though unsteady, he could sit up on his own. I watched the baby now, needing a distraction. Jack and Ken talked across the table in muted voices, but I didn't pay any attention to that.
"How old is he?" I asked, gaining my mom's attention. She looked to me, finally noticing me, and smiled a little.
"Almost four and a half months." She answered quietly, her tone sounding hesitant, but nervous. Four months ago. He was born in November? That would probably be why Jack came into the store that day. Asking for diapers. The baby had to have been very young back then. Seeing him now really made me realize how much time had passed since then.
The baby looked at me, and I narrowed my eyes. There was no question who his father was, and just thinking about that made me want to punt him. I would never do that, though. It wasn't the baby's fault who his father was, and besides. The baby hadn't done anything to wrong me yet. And he was kind of cute, his small smile making me return it slightly.
He had dark hair, not very long, but he wasn't bald either, and his eyes were a dark gray color.
"What's his name?"
"I named him Hunter." She replied. Fitting, for Jack's son. It was almost ironic. I hesitated, glancing up at Ken beside me.
"Can I sit over there?" I asked hesitantly. Since my mom had the outside seat, I wanted to make it easier to talk to her. He looked at me, narrowing his eyes, "I won't do anything. I swear. I just want to talk to her." He actually considered it.
"No." He finally said, "Talk from right there." I sighed, but accepted that.
I looked to my mom again, hesitantly meeting her eyes. Despite already knowing, I had to ask. I really couldn't help it.
"Is he yours?"
"Yes, he's mine." She laughed, "Why wouldn't he be?"
"Jack's not completely against stealing kids, is he?" I asked in return. The resulting kick, landing painfully against my shin under the table had me wincing, grabbing onto my leg and trying to control the spread of pain.
"I didn't steal you." He growled to me from across the table, "I only took what was mine."
"You obviously don't take very good care of your possessions, do you?" What the fuck was I doing? My reply had his eyes narrow in anger, while my mom looked at me with widened eyes, before she looked to Jack.
When he spoke, his teeth were clenched, "Why you little-"
"Not here." Ken told him, "Shut up, would you?"
"Fucker." I muttered, kicking him in return. I think I hurt myself more than I hurt him, though, but the effort was enough.
Jack moved like he was about to grab me across the table, but I moved, flinched back and tried to stand up on the seat. Ken took my arm, and sat me down.
"Knock it off. Both of you." He growled sharply in muted tone, giving a glance around, "Christ. Perfect. Now we have attention."
"Should we leave?" My mom asked, and Ken shook his head.
"We'll be fine, I think, as long as these two dumb-asses cool it."
"I want to go home." I mumbled, looking down.
"Don't even start." Ken growled to me, leaning closer, "Not here."
One fit was all it would take. That's all it'd take to gain freedom, but his hand on my leg under the table stole my entire focus. Unable to help it, I kept my eyes on the fork sitting on the table in front of him. Every worst case scenario ran through my head. Could he accurately stab me with his left hand? Or would I have an extra second of a chance to get away?
The waitress showed up then, smiling at the baby. Ken ordered for us, plain hamburgers. I didn't care. I was starving, and would probably have eaten anything at that point. I was going to get to eat. I thought twice about running. Just as he predicted, I was sure.
It was uneventful from there, and without lingering, we were back in the car.
The second we were back on the interstate, Jack spun in his seat, reached back. I gave a cry, cringing back, trying to stay out of his reach. Standing up on the seat as much as I could, kicking his direction.
Ken didn't care now, and my mom never looked over.
He managed a grab on my lower leg, and tugged me forward. I cried out again, now in tears as he took my neck in his hand and yanked me forward.
"I just want to talk." He told me condescendingly, "Let's revisit that conversation in the diner, shall we?"
"I'm sorry." I told him immediately.
"Is that what they were teaching you?" He demanded, "To talk back? I knew they were worthless."
"Fuck you." I snapped the moment he finished his last word.
"Pardon?" He asked, surprised.
"You heard me." I told him, "They're a thousand times better than you ever hope to be."
"Oh, I wish you hadn't said that." He smiled, telling me he didn't mean a word of that. Just the same way Ken did it to him, Jack's fist landed right in the middle of my face.
He wasn't kidding before. That hurt.
He let me go, letting me fall back into the backseat. Both of my hands covering my nose, my tearing eyes squeezed shut. My mouth was also bleeding, but doing a quick feel, I still had all my teeth, so all the blood was from my lip. Despite that vague relief, I started to cry. Heavily.
"Jesus, Jack." My mom muttered beside me, "Was that necessary?"
"You'll be singing a different tune soon, bitch." Jack grumbled from the front, ignoring my mom's attempt, "I'll teach you again. Don't you worry about that."
The front of my shirt stained with blood, I didn't have anything to clean my face with until the flow of blood slowed, and stopped. I could finally uncover my face, and open my eyes.
"That's beautiful." I looked up, glaring up as Jack chuckled, taking a picture of me with his phone.
"Send it to that family." Ken chuckled in return, "I'm sure they'd love an update."
"No." I said immediately, "Don't." That made up his mind, and he grinned. Chuckling.
Inside the glove compartment, was a thin notebook that he pulled out.
I peered closer as he opened it, somehow knowing before I looked at it what it was. He had everything written down. It scared me how much he had right at his finger-tips. Just looking over the page had me distracted enough from my bloody face.
Names and the phone numbers, of everyone. Addresses, of the house in New York and in Forks, the address of both schools, and all the places Carlisle worked. The name of the hospital, and the phone number there.
It wasn't just that that scared me. He knew what Carlisle's car looked like, and the license plate number.
How the fuck did he know all that? Especially without them knowing about it?
Seeing me looking, he grinned back at me, "Impressed?"
"How?" I gasped, and his grin only widened as Ken chuckled beside him.
"I have ways, little girl." Jack told me, "Or did you forget?" He looked back down at the page, sighing, "Who should I send this to?"
"None." I answered, "Please don't." Seeing that picture would only worry them, and I knew he knew that. Otherwise he wouldn't be so tempted. He chose the one person I was hoping he wouldn't. Carlisle. With the picture, he typed out a message. He just couldn't help taunting them.
"I'll retrain her yet." Was all the message said, and with that, he sent it. I closed my eyes, hanging my head a little. If they didn't know before, they did now who I was with.
"They can trace that." I snapped up at him, "You know that right?"
"Not this one, they can't." He replied, and that shut me up, "Disposable phones are nearly untraceable, and very convenient, just for that reason." He'd obviously thought about that already.
"Can I at least see it?" I asked, "The picture?" I needed to know what he was going to see if he hadn't seen it yet.
"Knock yourself out." He said, tossing the phone back to me. He knew it was safe to do that, considering I still didn't know exactly where I was. I looked in the sent messages, and whimpered at what I saw. I wasn't a pretty sight.
Blood completely coated the front of my face, around my nose, and down over my lips and chin. Even smeared slightly over my cheeks from where I tried to stop the flow. My eyes were tired, and slightly red from crying.
I jumped a little as the phone suddenly rang in my hands. Jack spun, reaching for it, but I'd recognized the number and answered it.
"Carlisle?" I whimpered, trying to stay out of Jack's reach as my tears restarted.
"Give it." Jack barked at me, fighting with me.
"Leandra." His tone was deeply concerned, and I knew why, "Leandra, what-"
I couldn't hear what he was about to ask, as Jack stretched, reaching further and grabbing a fistful of my hair. Dragging me closer as he twisted my hair painfully in his hand. I cried out as he pulled the phone from me.
"I said, hand it over, bitch." Jack grumbled, "Get back there and shut up." He shoved me away as he righted the phone, placing it to his ear.
I watched and listened closely. This would be the very first time Jack and Carlisle had spoken.
"Carlisle." Jack greeted with a very cheerful tone, "What a-" He cut off. Sitting forward a little, "Now, now." He said, "I'd keep the threats to yourself. She's fine now, aren't you?" He looked back at me. I stayed silent, not wanting to play along, "Answer me, slut!"
"Yes." I mumbled, glaring at him.
"There." He said, "She's still alive, and just asking for another one of those-" He cut off again, listening to a reply, "Wait, wait, wait. Let's put you on speaker phone. I'm sure Leandra would love to hear your voice again." He pulled the phone away for a moment, and a moment later, I could hear as well, "Now, what were you saying, Carlisle? Say hello to Leandra. Don't be rude."
"Leandra." I whimpered the second I heard his voice once more, scrambling to get closer to the phone, "Are you alright?"
"I'm okay." I sobbed in reply, "I don't know where we are."
"Aw, how precious." Jack grabbed my face roughly with his free hand, drawing a fearful cry from me, "She's perfectly fine, Carlisle. For now."
"Jack, for Pete's sake." My mom finally spoke up, "Really? Do you really have to be so cruel?"
"Shut the fuck up." He barked at her, and even I flinched. He turned his attention back to the phone, "I'm actually glad I'm talking to you, Carlisle. I think it'd be a good idea to answer your questions now, wouldn't it?"
"It'd be appreciated." Was Carlisle's reply.
"You want to know how I did it." Jack mused, "Well, it's like this. It was her mom, Gina, that gave me this idea, you know. She didn't even want her back. Probably after what she did to her." I looked down, away from Jack's grin.
"That's not true." Her firm voice had me look to her, "That's not true at all, Jack. I told you why I wasn't going to reclaim custody. Stop lying to them."
"Al-right." Jack sighed, "She wasn't going to reclaim custody because she thought this little bitch was better off where she was." He chuckled a little.
"You're hurting me." I had to let him know his grip was too tight. He just chuckled, kissing my bloody cheek.
"Don't hurt her." Carlisle's words weren't a request. He was warning him.
"Oh?" Jack found that amusing, "Why not?" He squeezed harder, and I held my breath until I couldn't anymore. Letting out a whimpering cry, sobbing as I tried to pry his fingers loose.
"Hurry it up, Jack." Ken barked from the side. With a shove, I landed back in the backseat.
"Right, where was I?" Jack sat up straighter, "Oh, right. She was right, you know. Her mother was right, which is why I wasn't going to give her up. Because I just love her so much. And I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing her again." He pulled me close, cuddling my cheek against his, "And she's just so damn cute."
I gave a quiet sob, hating the amount of fear it was only too easy for him to give me.
"But." Jack continued, pulling me away a little, "It wasn't like I could just go and grab her. Not without a head-start. That would be kidnapping." He smirked.
"Not to mention, very stupid." Ken added, giving a nod.
"Especially with how many people the little bitch had protecting her." Jack added as well, "But I wanted her. I had to have her. It would have been stupid to just let her get away and be happy when I couldn't. Besides, I still owed her for everything she's put me through, and made me do. So, with her mom not willing to reclaim her, what could I do?"
"Pay them off." I answered in a mumble, and he looked to me, "Pay someone else off to bring me to you."
"Exactly." He chuckled loudly, "Exactly. See, I offered more than enough to have them draw up fake papers. Just for one, forgotten little kid, fifteen grand was more than enough. If I found the right person. Which wasn't easy, let me tell you. It took me close to two months to find that bitch. She had to be smart, and dedicated to the job." He sighed, smiling over at me fondly, "And my, how she's grown.." He paused. He eyed me, looking me over, and I wanted to kick him in the face as Jack spoke up again, "Does this answer your question, Carlisle?"
"Yes." Carlisle replied, "It does."
"Now, I have a question of my own. I always wondered who it was that would take in the trash I left behind." Jack's tone lowered.
"Hang in there, shorty." Emmett called from behind Carlisle, which only restarted my sobs. They were all there, listening in.
"I haven't thought about that." Jack spoke up, smiling back at me, "Maybe she'll do some hanging. When I get tired of her."
"We're going to find you." Jasper assured me.
"I wouldn't bet on it." Jack told them, "I really wouldn't."
"Listen, fucker." Emmett was closer to the phone, "If you touch her-"
"Oh, it'll be worse than that." He assured him, "It'll be much worse. Don't worry about that." He and Ken shared a laugh, and I glanced worriedly to my mom, "But I would stop with the poorly attempted threats. It's degrading."
"What was your question?" Carlisle demanded, probably trying to hold onto his own temper.
He didn't like that tone, and he showed it as he took the phone off the speaker option, bringing it back to his ear.
"Alright, what I've been wanting to know is this." Jack wasn't playing anymore, "What the fuck gave you the right to take her?" His tone scared me. He was angry, pissed off. He waited, listening to Carlisle's reply, "That right? Well, I don't give a shit about no stupid fucking law."
I sat forward, "Don't talk to him like that-"
His backhand literally came out of nowhere. Closed-fisted, drawing a yelp from me, and it made my head spin roughly as I fell to the side, hitting my head on the door. I could hardly hear what Jack said next.
"This little bitch is mine." He growled into the phone, "What I do to her is none of your business." He paused, "Is that your bitch behind you?"
I flinched away from my mom's hands trying to help me sit up.
"Don't you fucking touch me." I growled at her, catching Jack's attention briefly as he continued.
"I know I pissed somebody off over there." He told Carlisle, "Good." He chuckled darkly, "Just know this, Doctor Cullen. If anyone ever comes near my property again," Meaning, me, "I'll cut the bitch's head off. And I mean that. Do you understand that? She's fucking mine, and I'm not playing around anymore. For her sake, keep your goddamn distance, or she's dead."
He paused, listening. Until he laughed.
"Oh, really?" He said, looking to me cowered in the backseat, sobbing quietly, "You should know better than to threaten me like that. You really should. Especially since I have what you want right within my reach. I could literally do whatever the fuck I wanted to her right now, and you couldn't do a damn thing to stop it, but again, it's not up to you what I do or don't do to her. My suggestion? Just forget about her. Just live your life the way you did before you met this stupid little cunt, because you'll never see her again."
They were beginning to see, I was sure of it, why I feared him so much. He took about thirty seconds, listening to whatever they were telling him. Whatever it was, it amused him. He laughed, leaning back in his seat a little.
"Carlisle, you seem like a pretty smart guy." He finally spoke up again, "Let's be honest. Do you actually believe I want money? I just paid some skank fifteen grand for her, and I'm not worried."
He paused, "Thirty?" His tone was surprised, "Just how much are you willing to pay? Just out of curiosity." He paused, "Well, that could be-" He paused again as Carlisle must have interrupted him, "Five million."
A few seconds passed, and he sat forward again, surprised, "Goddamn. How much you got, if you're willing to pay that much for this dumb little slut here?" He paused once more, chuckling as he glanced back at me, "Well, I'll consider it." Were they really discussing a price? "I'm not gonna kill her right away, so you've got some time."
I whimpered, leaning my head against the window. Watching the scenery pass as I tried to ignore what Jack was telling him. I could feel it. The desperate way I wanted to go home. Like the fear, and the sadness combined into one emotion I hadn't understood before. I hadn't felt this before. Like a brand new slow breaking of my heart that ached deeply, instead of hurt intensely.
I didn't get to focus on that as much as I wanted to, though.
"Well, sure. I don't see the harm in that yet." Jack sighed, and I flinched as he turned, and held the phone out to me. I immediately reached out and took it, "Just make it quick."
"Carlisle?" I gasped, hoping he was still there.
"I'm here." He answered, and I sobbed quietly.
"I'm so scared."
"I know." He replied, "I know, Leandra. Just stay as strong as you possibly can. We're going to find you." I drew my legs up to my chest on the seat, tucked into the corner between the door and the back of the seat. I didn't know what else to do. I could feel my mom's eyes on me, but I ignored that.
"How?" I cried, "I don't even know-"
"We're doing all we can. Can you discreetly tell me anything about what you see around you?" Uh. Discreetly? I doubted that was possible.
"Um." I mumbled, thinking hard. I hesitated, looking first around the car. Like that would give me any answers. As if a map would be laying around. Think through the fear, I told myself. If they would have any chance at finding me, they needed a hint. A small hint, or a general area where to look.
As far as they knew, I could be anywhere in the world right then. Unless they somehow miraculously stumbled upon the diner, and found my scent there, chances were they wouldn't find a trail. Even for them, there was a limit to their tracking abilities. Without an original scent to trace, I was fucked.
Then I thought about it. What would they need to know the most? Just a start, but it was something.
"Still here." I hoped he understood that. I had a feeling we were still in Washington.
"Still here, as in in the state?" He asked.
"Yeah." I replied. Jack turned around, watching me, "Uh." I needed to give them the right direction we went, somehow without Jack figuring out that's what I was doing, "We weren't there." Opposite, Carlisle. Opposite direction.
"I know you weren't there. Which way were you taken?" He asked gently.
"N." I said the one letter instead of the whole word.
"North?"
"Yes." I said, "Not far. I followed.." I trailed off at Jack's glare.
"Followed the highway?"
"No."
"Interstate?"
"Yes." This was actually distracting me.
"Good, Leandra." He said, and I heard the movement around him, "Did you stop for the night?"
"About 6." I told him.
"Six at night?" It was up to him to ask the questions. I was learning this little game quickly, and apparently I was good at it, because I wasn't being beaten yet.
"No." I answered, hoping he'd get it right.
"You were stopped for six hours?" Bingo.
"Yes. About ten."
He knew this one right away, "Ten at night?"
"Yes."
"Good." He said, "You're doing so well, Leandra." I tried not to smile. Turning to look out the window instead.
"What's she doing?" Ken demanded up front. I tried to ignore him as Carlisle spoke again.
"Have they hurt you?" That one question ensured I wouldn't smile.
"Not yet." I mumbled quietly.
"But you believe they will?"
"Yes." I replied, trying to control the tremble in my voice, "I know it."
"What are you telling him?" Jack asked sharply.
"It's how he calms me down." I answered him, "It's a game." Jack still seemed suspicious, but didn't immediately yank the phone from my hand.
"Yeah, well.." He paused, "Knock it off. I don't like those answers."
"Nice job, shorty." Emmett called further from the phone, somewhere behind Carlisle.
"We need to hurry." Carlisle spoke away from the phone, "Search as thoroughly as you can."
I spotted the mileage sign ahead. I knew for a fact that Ken had too, and I knew for a fact he knew I saw it, given the way I leaned forward. Things sort of exploded right then.
"Shut her up, Jack." Ken demanded, "Now." He wasn't up to taking risks anymore right as we passed the sign. I stood up right as Jack reached for me, and Ken started to slow down. Really quickly.
"I-90." I told Carlisle immediately as we stopped completely, "Ten til Ellensberg. Hurry!" Ken climbed out right as Jack caught my foot and yanked me down with a growl. Ken was already out of his seat, and had rounded the car.
I tossed the phone in my mom's direction as Ken opened my door, and started slapping me. Begging with him, covering my head. The sound of him hitting me rang in the car, and I knew if Carlisle was still listening, he'd hear it.
"Get back in here." Jack barked at him, "We've gotta go. Now."
"You made a huge mistake, little girl." Ken wasn't pleased. He sat me up by my shirt, pulling me closer, "You're going to regret that."
"Come on!" Jack shouted now.
With that, Ken shoved me further back into the backseat and slammed the door roughly with a loud curse word. Rounding the car again, he stopped only to open the other door and yank the phone from my mom's hand, before he got back in, and started off. Quickly.
I didn't even have a chance to right myself before we were moving again, otherwise I would have thrown the door open, and bolted. I whimpered at my lost opportunity.
I panted a little, looking over at my mom. She was scared. That was clear by her expression, but she didn't offer any word of comfort.
"Are you fucking brain-dead, boy?" Ken shouted over at Jack, "I didn't help you get her back just so we can all get fucking caught, okay? Kidnapping one-oh-motherfucking-one, you never give them unsupervised phone conversations!"
"I was sitting right here!" Was Jack's defensive reply.
"Could you hear the other side of the conversation?" Ken demanded in return, "Could you? Do you have some sort of super-human hearing that I don't fucking know about? Huh? No? Use your goddamn head, Jack!"
We had to have been going over ninety miles per hour down the road, for just over a few minutes, but to their relief, we made it into town. Not Ellensberg, but another, closer town. Jack kept me in the car as Ken strode in, paying for a room at a rather dingy motel right off the interstate. Worse than the last one.
Once we had the room, we had to drive around the building to the closer entrance.
"I paid for one night." Ken told Jack, "No phone contact whatsoever. For any of us. Do you hear me? We lay low for the rest of the day, and we haul ass for Seattle tonight. No more fucking around."
"Yeah." Jack was nervous, "Yeah, that's smart."
Ken was the one to drag me from the car, and carried me quickly up to the door. I grunted at the way I was held, unable to do much struggling. Jack opened it for him, and that was that.
"You move, you die." Ken growled, pointing at me as he dropped me on the bed. All I could do was roll over, covering my head. He helped Jack and my mom bring everything inside, shutting and locking the door behind them.
"Are you that stupid?" Jack barked at me, "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Now it was my turn to get yelled at.
"I want to go home!" I practically screamed at him, "Please, just let me go home! That's all I want! Y-You can even just leave me here, and go!"
"That's not a bad idea, Jack." Ken told him, "Maybe we-"
"No." Jack was furious, given his expression, "I worked too goddamn hard to just let her go."
"Well, what the fuck do we do with her?" Ken barked in reply, "It's too risky to go anywhere now. We can't beat her here, unless we can somehow keep her quiet enough not to raise the fucking dead."
"Just let me go." I begged, "Please."
"Get your ass in that bathroom, and clean yourself up." Jack grabbed my arm roughly, tugging me off the bed, "And stop fucking crying, before I give you something to cry about." He shoved me so hard, I hit the floor, but I pushed myself up, practically running into the small, windowless bathroom.
Slamming the door behind me, I had to continue to cry.
As I listened through the thin door, I heard my mom's voice. I listened closely, but I couldn't hear what she was saying. I washed the blood from my face, gingerly feeling along my nose. Nothing seemed broken, thankfully, but I knew I probably shouldn't count on that to last.
Since it was still daylight out, nobody seemed especially eager to even look my direction.
"Sit down, and shut the fuck up." Ken told me, "I don't want to hear one word from you. You're lucky you're still allowed to breathe after that stupid stunt." He turned on the TV roughly, leaving it on the channel it was on, "Fuck!"
"Calm down." Jack told him, "We'll just hide out here until tonight. No big fucking deal."
"No big fucking deal?" Ken replied, "You want to get thrown in jail for the rest of your miserable life? Well, that's fine, but I sure as fuck don't."
Glancing over, I noticed my mom with her eyes on me. Until I looked back to Ken pacing.
"Unless Emmett finds you first." I mumbled, and he looked to me.
"What?" He said, and stupidly, I spoke up again.
"I said, you'll go to jail, unless Emmett finds you first." I replied, "Then there won't be anything left of you to toss in jail."
"Who the fuck is Emmett?" He asked.
"The big one, dad." Jack muttered, lounging back on the bed I sat on, "The one always carrying her ass around." Ken blinked, narrowing his eyes, and considering that.
"You shut up." Ken finally told me, "Nobody fucking asked you."
"You were watching, too?" I asked, surprised.
"No shit." Jack answered, "Even followed you to your little friend's house once." He grinned, "That little black-haired thing? She's a cutie."
"Leave Alyssa out of it." I grumbled, glaring down at the floor.
"We should go pay her a visit." Jack suggested, "I think we could fit another kid in that backseat."
"It's crowded as it is." My mom spoke up instead, "No."
"Aw, fine." Jack chuckled, "Just a thought."
It got quiet in the room after that, and I just sat there for a minute. Blinking tiredly.
"Come here, baby." My mom finally murmured, and I had to. She was my only source of comfort. I stood from the first bed, the one closer to the door, and crossed to the second bed to sit with her. Wrapping her arms around me, she held me to her as I cried. I hated her, but I needed someone to comfort me so badly.
I noticed immediately that her embrace didn't give me the comfort I was looking for. Her arms were too warm, and she didn't hold me the way I learned to rely on from Esme. I immediately knew, as I looked up at her, that I didn't belong to her anymore. She wasn't my mother. She was just some person.
I yawned somewhere during my cries and she sighed.
"Lay down here, baby. Go to sleep." She moved me, and I had very little choice in the matter. I was too tired to fight. She urged me to lay further on the bed, closest to the wall. I took her direction, laying down heavily.
As I was falling asleep, I had a feeling my mom had finally stood up for me. Seeing them so pissed at me, she knew they weren't going to want to leave me alone, so she said something. That was the only explanation.
I was glad I got the amount of sleep I did, because it wasn't that long later until I was woken up again. Unfortunately, it wasn't to being rescued like I hoped. They still couldn't find me. Probably off searching Ellensberg instead.
"Time to go, bitch." Jack was kneeling on the bed behind me, and I tried to roll over to face him, but he took my shoulder roughly in his hand and forced me forward again. Now terrified again, I laid still until he moved me again. Rolling me onto my stomach, he took both of my arms in his hand, pinning them to my back.
My wrists were tied, which I half expected, but he also tied my upper arms. Securing them behind me. It hurt quite a bit to be tied like this, and I made a noise in protest. Gaining a punch to my ribs.
"Shut the fuck up." He told me sharply, "You earned this."
He then got to work tying my knees and ankles together, securing the rope around my ankles and wrists to the rope around my knees, so I couldn't move whatsoever. He completed my binding by wrapping duct tape in three, tight loops around my head, covering my mouth tightly.
Hauling me up, I had no choice but to cooperate. I couldn't move. He carried me, all tied in a neat, painful little package, out the door to the car. Despite how dark it was out here now, he was in a hurry. Instead of the backseat, though, he dropped me painfully into the lighted trunk.
I laid there, moving weakly to try to get into some sort of comfortable position. My breathing labored, both by my sore nose, and the position of my arms as they restricted my lung capacity.
"Hey, bitch." Jack muttered, and I looked up. The second I did, he snapped yet another picture of me. With that, he smirked and typed something out. This time, before he sent it, he showed me what I looked like in the picture.
"She was warned." Was the message he'd typed out with the picture, and seeing myself that way broke my heart. Complete with terrified expression, I looked exactly like I felt. Bound tightly, fearful, and laying on my side in the trunk of a car.
The ropes, from what I could see of my arms, were already cutting into my skin, which was why it hurt so much. Considering my arms had been bear since I left my family, they were the only part of me unprotected against the sharp, frayed rope.
"Think Carlisle will up his efforts?" Jack asked, chuckling. Sending the message, he stood back and reached up. Slamming the lid shut loudly.
I laid there. Unable to do anything else. Seconds later, we were on our way. I tried to hold it back. I really tried, but laying in this position, I couldn't help it. I started to cry. I had to stop, though, when I began getting dizzy.
Crying wasn't going to help me as we headed, yet again, in the opposite direction of where my family expected me to be.
How the fuck was I going to get out of this?
A/N: First chapter in. I hope you enjoyed it.
I'm keeping this A/N short, as it's just the first chapter, and I'm far more curious to know what you all think. :D
THANK YOU to those that were kind enough to review the last chapter of my previous story. I love it! :D
Chapter two will be along, hopefully, within the next couple of days. I'm giving myself a lot of breathing room, as I'm not quite sure what's going on RL wise the next half of the month. Slow going, so if it seems like it's taking longer than expected, I will be updating my author's Facebook page as often as I can. (Facebook name: KNeu Neu)
Until chapter two, my friends! :D