Zack sat in a corner of the dark café, pushing his food around on his
plate. Jondy had brought him here when she first came to Boston – Zack
stuck to Chinese take out back then or he cooked himself and Jondy finally
dragged him out. They'd wandered around Boston for hours – looking at the
lights, in the shop windows and finally, coming to this café and eating
what Jondy proclaimed 'was one of the best meals she'd ever had.'
Antonio had been a waiter at this café for over ten years and recognised Zack as the man who accompanied the pretty blonde girl with the drastically short hair. He always enjoyed serving them - she praised the food and chattered away at everybody and he sat there, eyebrows raised as if to say 'Are you quite finished?'
An odd match. But both well known in this café.
"And how is your lady tonight?" Antonio asked Zack, as he cleared the table. "Well, I hope."
"Um, she's not in Boston any more," Zack said, taken aback.
"Lovers tiff?" Antonio said sympathetically, in his thick Italian accent.
"Sort of. More like family problems," Zack sighed, handing Antonio his credit card.
"You must go and find her and bring her back here," Antonio said, as they walked over to the cash register and Antonio got the bill. "Such a charming girl. A breath of fresh air."
"Yeah, Jondy is," Zack said absently then snapped back to attention and signed the credit card receipt.
"Thank you, Mr…" Antonio looked at the receipt. "Mr Hill. I hope to see you and your girlfriend again." Very soon.
"I think I might go find her," Zack nodded. "Thanks."
Antonio nodded and took the tray into the kitchen.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jondy let out a muffled scream as soft, plastic string dug into her wrists, her face held against the wall. Then the handcuffs appeared and went around her wrists.
It was late, around nine at night and her senses dulled from the beer. She'd come in for a glass of water and some aspirin. The glass lay shattered near her bare feet and the container of aspirin had spilt all over the kitchen floor.
Julian had grabbed her and shoved her against the wall, trying her wrists together- plastic string hurt like a bitch to snap, and with handcuffs, she was stuck.
Jason held her still as everything became quiet.
"Let me go," she yelled, trying to alert someone to help her.
"Keep quiet, Jondy," cooed Julian, holding up a syringe. "Just need to give you this…"
Jondy kicked him in the leg and pulled from Jason's grip. Julian grabbed her shoulder and jabbed the syringe in her neck.
Jondy froze; feeling drained all of a sudden. She felt Jason's arms hold her up.
"Let her sleep the meds off – they will make her drowsy for about an hour, then we can prep her for transport," Julian ordered, throwing the syringe on the kitchen floor.
Jason cut the string and undid the handcuffs. Jondy felt the world spin as Jason lay her one the lounge, letting her sleep…
…She was jerked awake, disoriented a while later. Jason and Julian were on the balcony, eating. She stood up, realising they had left the handcuffs off and adjusted her eyesight – the smudges on their necks were barcodes. She swallowed and stood up – she had to run like hell.
Creeping across the room, she lifted the phone and hit Zack's mobile phone number.
*C'mon Zack, answer, * Jondy thought, holding the phone so tightly it cracked.
She heard a noise on the other end, just as Julian ripped the phone from her ear and hit her so hard across the face she tumbled backwards. She leapt back to her feet, the broken glass from earlier cutting her feet up. She punched Julian as hard as she could, but…
"Don't bother getting violent, Jondy," Jason said from the door. "The meds have drained your strength – it was a precaution we had to take."
Jondy stood, watching both the Manticore soldiers. Not moving.
She twisted and dashed to the door, trying to open it – stupid doorknob wouldn't twist.
Just as the door opened, Julian grabbed a hold on her necklace and yanked her back, the silver chain snapping and tumbling to the floor.
Her hands were pulled behind her and the handcuffs were slapped back on. Then Jason covered her face with a cloth.
Jondy struggled and felt her senses grow even fuzzier. *Chloroform, * Jondy realised, as her vision grew black and her breathing became shallow.
Antonio had been a waiter at this café for over ten years and recognised Zack as the man who accompanied the pretty blonde girl with the drastically short hair. He always enjoyed serving them - she praised the food and chattered away at everybody and he sat there, eyebrows raised as if to say 'Are you quite finished?'
An odd match. But both well known in this café.
"And how is your lady tonight?" Antonio asked Zack, as he cleared the table. "Well, I hope."
"Um, she's not in Boston any more," Zack said, taken aback.
"Lovers tiff?" Antonio said sympathetically, in his thick Italian accent.
"Sort of. More like family problems," Zack sighed, handing Antonio his credit card.
"You must go and find her and bring her back here," Antonio said, as they walked over to the cash register and Antonio got the bill. "Such a charming girl. A breath of fresh air."
"Yeah, Jondy is," Zack said absently then snapped back to attention and signed the credit card receipt.
"Thank you, Mr…" Antonio looked at the receipt. "Mr Hill. I hope to see you and your girlfriend again." Very soon.
"I think I might go find her," Zack nodded. "Thanks."
Antonio nodded and took the tray into the kitchen.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jondy let out a muffled scream as soft, plastic string dug into her wrists, her face held against the wall. Then the handcuffs appeared and went around her wrists.
It was late, around nine at night and her senses dulled from the beer. She'd come in for a glass of water and some aspirin. The glass lay shattered near her bare feet and the container of aspirin had spilt all over the kitchen floor.
Julian had grabbed her and shoved her against the wall, trying her wrists together- plastic string hurt like a bitch to snap, and with handcuffs, she was stuck.
Jason held her still as everything became quiet.
"Let me go," she yelled, trying to alert someone to help her.
"Keep quiet, Jondy," cooed Julian, holding up a syringe. "Just need to give you this…"
Jondy kicked him in the leg and pulled from Jason's grip. Julian grabbed her shoulder and jabbed the syringe in her neck.
Jondy froze; feeling drained all of a sudden. She felt Jason's arms hold her up.
"Let her sleep the meds off – they will make her drowsy for about an hour, then we can prep her for transport," Julian ordered, throwing the syringe on the kitchen floor.
Jason cut the string and undid the handcuffs. Jondy felt the world spin as Jason lay her one the lounge, letting her sleep…
…She was jerked awake, disoriented a while later. Jason and Julian were on the balcony, eating. She stood up, realising they had left the handcuffs off and adjusted her eyesight – the smudges on their necks were barcodes. She swallowed and stood up – she had to run like hell.
Creeping across the room, she lifted the phone and hit Zack's mobile phone number.
*C'mon Zack, answer, * Jondy thought, holding the phone so tightly it cracked.
She heard a noise on the other end, just as Julian ripped the phone from her ear and hit her so hard across the face she tumbled backwards. She leapt back to her feet, the broken glass from earlier cutting her feet up. She punched Julian as hard as she could, but…
"Don't bother getting violent, Jondy," Jason said from the door. "The meds have drained your strength – it was a precaution we had to take."
Jondy stood, watching both the Manticore soldiers. Not moving.
She twisted and dashed to the door, trying to open it – stupid doorknob wouldn't twist.
Just as the door opened, Julian grabbed a hold on her necklace and yanked her back, the silver chain snapping and tumbling to the floor.
Her hands were pulled behind her and the handcuffs were slapped back on. Then Jason covered her face with a cloth.
Jondy struggled and felt her senses grow even fuzzier. *Chloroform, * Jondy realised, as her vision grew black and her breathing became shallow.