Chapter Three: The Kidnap
Shelby walked down the deserted street to St. Peter's church. The place was strangely empty for a day of mass. Maybe it was a private mass, she thought. She wore a simple black pantsuit with a tailored jacket. Not ideal church attire, but it was what she felt was appropriate. She came to the front of the church to find it deserted. The doors were closed and not a soul was in sight. A dingy old street lamp dimly lighted the street. Suddenly she noticed a shadow approaching. It was a hunchbacked man with a crippled leg.
"Spare some change, ma'am?" He croaked. Shelby nodded and opened her purse. As she was digging through she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up nervously. She saw two additional silhouettes, one large and hulking, one tall and thin. Suddenly the large man lunged forward and she felt a sharp pain in her head, and then darkness.
* * * *
Shelby awoke some time later in the backseat of a Taurus station wagon. She was bound and gagged but she could hear her captors talking in front of her. She strained to listen.
"Where are we going again?" A deep voice rumbled.
"Shut up and drive. I'll tell you where to go." Another voice croaked. She recognized it as the hunchback.
"Seriously, sir. Both of us would like to know." A softer male voice asked.
"We are going to the Exco building. Now shut up."
* * * *
Marco arrived home and glanced around, looking for Shelby.
"Dearest?" he called. "Shelby?"
"Shelby has left for the evening," His butler answered. Marco's face began to get very red.
"I forbade her to leave! She probably went to that horrid cathedral. I shall have to go pick her up." Marco grabbed his jacket and stormed out the door.
* * * *
The Taurus station wagon rumbled further down the deserted road. Shelby had peeked out the window and had noticed they were in the countryside. But she had noticed something else. The road was not completely deserted, for a black sports car followed rather silently behind them.