Chapter 25

Would like to say thank you to my awesome beta! You are amazing! And to all who continue to read this story!

His home - or more correctly, his mansion - was grand to say the least. It had the charm of the old world yet the modernization of today's technology worked into every hallway, doorway, bedroom and almost every wall, I'm sure. He loves his hidden passageways. It's his eyes and he makes sure he sees everything. Of course, by first glance, you would never be able to tell of all the cameras that are so well hidden, but when he knows things that you do that are in private, you start looking for the little glass lenses that are betraying your secrets and private moments. I had to hand it to him, though. He did very well in making them almost invisible. To be honest, I have only found two and it was hidden so well that I was more impressed than outraged. His ingenuity in hiding things is incredible. I hate to say it, but it's the truth.

I never did see his entire world that he keeps so well hidden from me. He has many secrets, that's for certain… but I don't think he likes them. He acts as if the world would end if I ever found them out. That's a load of bull-crap, if you ask me. I think if I ever did find out, it would be the end of his world. It would be kind of nice to flip his world upside down and see how he likes it! But, I'm afraid that may never happen as he is the most alert and informed (possibly a mind reader?) person I have ever met.

That being said, the one instance where I found out more about him than he would have liked me to was a night I will never forget. It changed something within me that I wish had not occurred; something that I never would have thought possible because it was so unexpected. Kind of like when a T-Rex is coming after you, and all you can think of is a giant, scary, reptile thing coming at you with giant, sharp teeth. But what you don't see is that the giant, scary, reptile thing is hunting you in order to feed its babies that are anxiously and hungrily waiting on their mama for food.

Kind of a bad analogy, but I'm sure you get what I mean. I hope so, at least. I don't want to say I'm giving myself up to the T-Rex as a sacrifice to feed its kids, but you can't help feel compassion for what it's trying to do. It's not after you to kill you and leave you, but it needs you in order to survive, not only for itself, but also for its young.

Erik is my T-Rex and he needs me to help him survive. He seems scary and threatening, but, in reality, his intentions are not evil. Here is what happened that brought me to that conclusion:

I had left the temporary shelter that was my bedroom and let my curiosity take control. It was impossible to not be curious in a house that had sooooo many secrets! Plus, I was stuck without a TV, phone, or anything else that used electricity.

I knew I shouldn't have explored like that, but I couldn't resist the temptation of finding out more about Erik and a possible way out. The one thing that made me suspicious that he wanted - and knew - I would go exploring his castle was that there were no guards outside my door. He always had someone standing there day and night.

Strange that no one was there now. And even more strange was the whole idea of having a bodyguard in your own home!? Like, who really has that? The president, I understand, but not just anyone who has some cash. But whatever, I didn't care, and I definitely wasn't going to remind him that he forgot and should put one by my door now.

I was already off, looking around every corner cautiously. It seemed quiet and no foot traffic when usually there is a guard at every corner. I may not have left my room much, but I knew that wasn't normal routine around there. I was either heading for a trap or was just …really lucky in my timing? Either way, I needed to keep moving and try and make my way out of this maze.

I came around a corner which opened up to a wider hallway that had led to the kitchen. I could easily slip out from there. Usually, I supposed, the cooks were super busy concentrating on whatever they were ordered to cook. I'm sure their life depended on cooking it exactly as Mr. High and mighty wanted it.

But before I could reach the kitchen, I had to pass by his office and living quarters. Not going to be easy, as I could already see his office door was slightly ajar. I blew out a breath slowly. I was feeling nervous and when I felt this way, I usually ended up making clumsy mistakes like tripping over my own two feet or running into a wall or something.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my nerves, breathing in and out steadily, telling myself that this might be my chance to escape. This was my chance to leave the crazy man that kidnapped me and ruined my life! Excitement and energy surged thru me at this wonderful thought of freedom. I could be free and go back to my family!

My heart dropped instantly from the euphoria I had created. I was so stupid. This man has found me no matter where I've tried to go. He has tracked me down as if I was dog and made sure to let me know that wherever I go, he will come after me; even if it was Heaven or Hell.

I stood there in utter numbness of knowing I had nowhere to go. I really had no place to run to, no one to call my hero to rescue me from his madness. And what if he hurt the people if I ran, too? What if he hurt the people I loved? He has made plenty of threats in the past and continually hints at it all the time, as if to let me know that the warning sign is not physically there for me to see, but it is permanently there in the air I breath. No one was safe to run to and no place was secure or strong enough to keep him out.

I wondered why I even left my room to begin with and thought how stupid I was to not have thought of all of this before. I guess I had to just tease myself and make sure I suffered before I accepted the truth of the situation. Head down in defeat, I stood leaning against the wall and looked down the hallway back to my room. More like my cage.

But just as I was about to talk my first step back down the hallway, something deep within me was fighting its way thru all the despair I was feeling. Something deep within me was telling me who I was, and a quitter was not what I was. I was going to try and escape, even if it meant living in a forest away from all my family and friends. I maybe wouldn't see them, but at least I would have my freedom in some sense.

I could just lay low and live somewhere far away from his radar. It was a HUGE maybe but I was going to try. I was going to go thru with what I had set out to do. Freedom was a few steps away…possible.

I turned around, back on the path I had originally planned on walking. I took a deep breath and readied myself to cross his office as skillfully as a spy would. I imagined myself as an agent. Like Bond, James Bond 007! I laughed at myself on the inside but also chided myself for making jokes in such a critical moment in my life. I had to go thru with this and maybe be able to find something in his office that I could, in turn, blackmail him with. That's if he wasn't in there?

My hands clinging to my sides were beginning to get sweatier the closer I got to his door. The tall, dark mahogany doors were both beautiful and frightful at the same time. They were the type of doors that you know some carpenter bled and sweat for weeks to complete and bring to its magnificent finish.

As I came just a few feet from the open door, I heard a crash. My heart stopped, my body froze, and I held my breath. So much for finding dirt on him in his office: he was in there and there was no way I was going to be able to go ahead with my original plan.

I walked a little closer to the door. Why? I don't know, but I could see his back at this angle and he was facing a large window. His tall frame and stance dominated the room already and this was just his back that scared me like this. You could see the thin material that wrapped around the back of his head that held his half mask. I rarely saw the back of his head and never really noticed how thick and black his hair was.

I snapped myself out of my admiration of his hair and tried to decide if I should turn back or just go for the kitchen. I looked around again and saw no bodyguards in sight, only Erik's back that was turned against me.

I took a step back. I had decided to go for it! Looking at his back, I hoped this would be the last time I would see him and began to take my first steps to freedom, to a new life.

"Interesting choice, my little dove."

Erik's smooth and amused voice sent shivers down my spine and I froze in place for the second time.