He led me to a dark apartment after blindfolding me for part of the trip as if afraid I'd get a message out to someone somehow telling that person where I was and how I had gotten there. Boy, the boy was demented.
"You've been watching way too many James Bonds movies. Should I listen for the theme song to start blaring over some hidden speakers?" I quipped as my kidnapper tripped me—making me fall to my knees on the rugged carpet beneath my feet. I grunted at the pain that shot through my kneecap as it struck. My madman just laughed.
"Are you done insulting me, Jude, because I find it puts an incredibly bitter taste in my mouth when you do it. Can I expect just a little compliance maybe?" He asked haltingly as he waved the butt of his gun. I squinted at the metal barrel from my kneeling position on the floor warily. I just shrugged.
"I find the abuse you keep dishing out at me insulting too. Have you ever thought of that?" I asked peevishly as he laughed before kneeling in front of me—lifting my chin up with the edge of his pistol until my eyes gazed directly into his. They were brown. I had to remember that when a sketch artist asked me later.
"My name's Ethan. I have a feeling you and I are going to get to know each other pretty well so we might as well put names with faces." Ethan hissed as I backed away from him. He smirked.
"Finally starting to see some sense come into that face of yours." He remarked as he glanced at the wary way I now perused him. I just frowned at him before motioning at my mouth.
"Have you ever thought it could be bad breath, Ethan? Ever heard of a Tic Tac, Big Red, Double Mint maybe?" I asked him in exasperation as Ethan growled.
"Do you want to die, Jude Harrison? Is that it? Do you even care?" He asked me in irritation as I threw him a long, scathing glance. Did I care? Of course, I did. But I wasn't going to cower either. I was done cowering for the men in my life. I wanted to be the strong, impenetrable one for once. Besides, I was stupid enough to let this guy have pictures of me by getting drunk. I was determined to make him regret every moment of this little heist of his.
"I don't know, Ethan. Do you want me to die?" I asked him sarcastically as Ethan looked over at me in amusement. I could see the fire that burned in his pupils, but I refused to be intimidated by it.
"You have spirit, Harrison. I like that. It'll be useful in the future when it's time to contact the studio. There's nothing I want more than to hear you scream right now." Ethan said on a laugh as I shuddered.
"You have an awful high view of yourself." I stated dryly as Ethan chuckled before walking over to the other side of the room to grab a nylon rope—still pointing the barrel of the gun at my head as he went.
"Oh, you have no idea, Jude. No idea at all." He said on a laugh before grabbing my wrists and ankles—tying them in hard, complicated knots before backing up to survey his work with appreciation.
"That'll do nicely, I think." He said with a quick snap of his fingers before sitting down across from me once again. I glared at him with murdering intent. I was betting on the hopes that he was not a rapist or a murderer. He didn't seem to be. He hesitated too much. I was pretty sure he was just greedy.
"A little kinky, aren't we?" I asked him sardonically as he lifted a brow up at my unwarranted comment. Then, he laughed.
"You constantly surprise me, Jude. It's intriguing and a little beguiling. But, still annoying as hell. Get ready to scream for the phone." He stated simply as he pulled a pillowcase off his bed before opening it up to reveal a very live, very ugly snake. I hated snakes—not because they were bad or anything, but because I just didn't like anything other than myself that ate meat as part of its food chain. It gave me the willies. Something told me things were about to change for me. Fast.
