Chapter Four

I jolted awake only to find myself in a dimly lit, large, cluttered room. I was sitting in a chair with my arms tied around the chair behind my back and my legs were bond around the legs of the chair and another rope surrounded my middle, restricting my breathing. A mouth gag was tied forcefully around my head and in my mouth so that I could not speak. I had a splitting headache which made it hard to focus. Syaoran was placed slightly in front of me yet still beside me, already awake and in the same situation as I was. He struggled against the thin but strong rope that restricted our limbs. I had no idea how he had come to consciousness before I had, since he had been mad drunk before we were kidnapped.

Kidnapped. That word suddenly brought me to my senses and caused my heart to rapidly increase its rhythmic pounding. I too began to thrash about against the restraints.

"We had only wanted the girl but to discover that we also had a Li in our clutches was an even pleasanter surprise," a voice rang out against the large room. A figure emerged from the shadows and stood in front of us. Both Syaoran and I simultaneously stopped moving. I could not see his face for he wore a ski mask. Another man approached, shorter than the first, also sporting a ski mask, and stood by his side.

"Indeed," he said bobbing his head up and down in a nod.

The man who had spoken first stretched out his arm and softly began to stroke my cheek with the back of forefinger. Syaoran's eyes were glued to that man's hand. I tried to pull away but he roughly pulled my head back to center. I could hear a low growl from Syaoran and as I looked towards his hands I could see that he had somehow managed to loosen the knot of the rope.

"Such a pretty thing," the taller man mumbled. "It is too bad that you are in such peril right now."

The shorter one stepped forward and began to speak to me.

"Except your family is the reason why our parents are dead! I remember the day all too well. Your father was speeding, something about trying to get to the hospital for your poor, sick mother." He dragged on the 'poor' and 'sick' as though attempting to mock her. "Well guess what, your mother never made it to the hospital and our never came home. Your asshole of father crashed headfirst into our father's car, killing him instantly. Our mother couldn't cope with the lost and killed herself. She fucking KILLED herself! Your father only lost one life, but we had to lose two, so we are here to settle up the score." He smirked at the last word sentence, and I could feel a shot of fear shoot throw my veins.

The atmosphere changed suddenly as the taller one who was behind, shoved his brother aside and pulled out a pocket knife and held it against my throat. Syaoran shouted but his voice was quieted by the gag. I could feel the cold blade touch my skin and the man slowly pressed a little deeper causing a small cut. I cried as I felt the blood slowly curved its way down my neck before dripping off and landing in my lap.

"First we'll have a little fun, shall we? You know before I kill you." His brother nodded eagerly. "And your little boyfriend can watch." Together to two pulled me forward and turned me around so that I was facing Syaoran.

The two siblings moved away from us, whispering words that I could not hear. Finally one of them left and the other turned towards me with a maniacal grin that was so large, I could not see the corners due to the ski mask. He reached his hand out and stroked my face like the other one and I could feel his other hand slowly slide its way down my chest until it played with the button my jeans. He untied the rope that strapped me to the chair, so now only my feet were tied to it and my hands were bound together.

I was facing Syaoran while the man's back was towards him. I stared at nothing but Syaoran's eyes, pleading.

Now the man had undone my jeans and his filthy hands had was fingering with the waist of my underwear. I was shaking, and silent sobs wracked my small figure.

Suddenly I saw Syaoran's hands shoot forward. He had somehow managed to undo the rope around his hands and around his chest. He quietly was now undoing the thick knot that held his legs securely to the chair.

My kidnapper was now having fun and his hands slipped up my shirt. The next thing I knew Syaoran was standing above him with his folded metal chair raised above his head and with a satisfying bang the chair made contact with the captor's head and he fell promptly to the ground.

Syaoran's head snapped around looking for where our stuff was. Finding it on the far table he grabbed my bag and whisked out my phone where he dialed 911 as he tore of his gag, and I heard him curse as he was put on hold on the other end. Finally his deep voice was heard talking to some unknown operator. He spoke of our situation and described our odd surroundings until finally he snapped the phone shut.

He walked over to me rapidly and caressed my jaw bone and spoke tender words of comfort as he began to undo my gag.

I remember seeing the shadow of the other man appear out of nowhere behind Syaoran. I remember seeing the baseball bat that he grasped around his grubby fingers. I remember squirming trying to speak but the gag prevented me from doing so, and as it finally fell off, I shouted, "behind you." I remember as Syaoran's head turned to look back, and his skull met the steel bat in mid swing… and I remember the sickening sound it made.

My screams rang out as his body flew behind me and I could not see him for I was still in the chair. The remaining kidnapper was retying the gag to muffle my screams and although he did so, my cries were not silenced, merely softened.

Without warning six policemen with armed guns raised ran into the room pointing their guns at my captor. Their shouts of law enforcement overcame my cries but I still could not stop. Both men were awake now and they were trying to get away. I heard the explosions of guns and I saw one fall but the other was escaping with police at his heels.

Paramedics with stretchers ready ran in and I saw some of them rush towards Syaoran as others ran towards me. As soon as I was cut loose from my restraints I stood up receiving a head rush in the process and turning towards Syaoran. The calm voices of the paramedics telling me to remain sitting were quickly lost as my eyes connected to Syaoran's body. He was lying in a heap, facing away from me, with his head surrounded by a crimson pool of blood. That is all I remember because then I met face to face with darkness and my world swirled into nothing.