Amita yelped as someone woke her by kicking her hard in the thigh, "Your boyfriend is real broke up over your situation."
"What do you want with Charlie?"
There was the glint of a blade and Amita's eyes fell on a large hunting knife in the attacker's hand. The blade was waved back and forth in front of her, "Mostly, his head."
"Sorry I asked."
"In fact," The killer squatted down to sit on their haunches, "I owe you too."
Amita watched in terror as a bare and bandaged arm latched onto her only free limb. No one heard her screams of pain as the hunting knife made two long cuts from the elbow to the wrist.
"I will be fair though, that's all I owe you. Don't worry; I didn't cut you that bad."
Drawing the injured limb into her body, Amita used her restrained arm to try to mop up as much of the blood as she could. The skin color on her arm had been turned red with the precious life fluid. She was biting her lip to keep back any tears of pain, she was damned if she was gonna let this psycho see her cry.
The killer just sat there, watching her. Amita could only see a pair of eyes through the new mask.
"I already know who you are, why are still wearing the mask?"
"I haven't ruled out the possibility of beating that memory out of your head." The attacker made like they were about to smash the knife into Amita's face.
She recoiled and whimpered, trying to shield her head with her knees and arms. There was a slap to her knee, "C'mon, I don't have any real business with you."
"Why are you doing this?"
The assailant threw up her hands, "Do you think I'm gonna tell you? This is not the little Saturday morning cartoon where I reveal my evil plot right before the hero walks in and you get to bust me later. You're not very smart for a professor."
"Thanks." Amita looked away, gazing toward the door.
"Hon, I hate to tell you this, but this isn't gonna end well, don't you know that? That guy you're dating, he's gonna do the noble thing. I'd bet money, that won't let his brother and the FBI get involved. He'll come at night, hoping to get you back, and walk right to me. Oh, I'll let you go first, I won't make you watch. Then, by the time you get the police and bring them back here, I'll be halfway to my next stop with my 17th trophy."
Amita sniffed, drawing in the air to keep from crying. She imagined herself sitting alone in the office she shared with Charlie. Her mind showed her visiting his grave and crying herself to sleep at night.
A single tear slipped down her cheek. She reached up to wipe it away. The movement revealed the contents of her back pocket.
The killer snatched up the envelope, "What's this?"
"Nothing. The whole faculty had to get blood tests done for this HIV / AIDS thing, those are just my results."
"Mind if I read it? I'm getting bored."
"Go ahead, what am I gonna do? Stop you?"
"Point, Dr. Ramanujan." Using the knife, the killer sliced open the top of the letter. Almost comically, they looked around from the side of the letter, "Good news, you don't have HIV or AIDS."
"Oh."
"Geez, they tested you guys for everything."
"That's nice."
The killer was silent for awhile before finally folding up the letter, "Amita, I'm sorry things had to happen this way. If you hadn't torn my mask, I would've just left you there."
Amita didn't say anything.
"I only say that because I'm not really happy about what this has come to. You know, woman to woman, this not a nice move on my part."
"It's not a nice move on anyone's part."
"Yeah, but it's too late to go back now." The woman got up and walked over to the phone. She flipped on the voice synthesizer.
"Don't you just love these things?" Her voice now sounded like a technology garbled male voice. Any humor was lost on her captive however.
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Don patted his father on the back as he exited the FBI kitchen. Larry and Alan were having a rather intense conversation over a couple of strongly made cups of coffee.
He could see his brother up ahead. Charlie's head was bent low over his steaming coffee as he lingered in the conference room.
"You okay Chuck?"
His brother gave him a rather annoyed tired look, "What do you think?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm doing everything I can."
"I know."
Megan, Colby, and David walked in, with Agent Davidson trailing behind, "Morning everyone."
"Where's your partner?"
Davidson put his coffee cup down on the table, "She went out early this morning to check an abandoned parking garage."
"By herself?"
"No, a few LAPD went with her."
The phone on the table suddenly lit up. Don pressed the speaker button, thinking another agent was calling him.
"Good morning Agent Eppes!" A cheerfully garbled voice was on the line. Everyone in the room tensed up.
"Dr. Eppes, are you there?"
"Yes."
"Can I assume that my two little trackers have explained me to you by now?"
"You want me because I'm Don's brother."
"Good to know that Davidson and Anderson are still doing their jobs. Hi guys. Davidson, you know I still have your brother's phone?"
Davidson swallowed, "Fuck you."
There was a laugh.
"How about Anderson? You know, your partner's little sister's head is still the most beautiful in my collection."
"Anderson's not here. She's out hunting you."
"Oh, I love trading barbs with that bitch."
Don nodded his head sadly, "Oh don't we all. Now – "
"I want to talk to Dr. Eppes, actually."
Charlie leaned in, "Let me hear Amita. I want to know she's alive."
The voice turned from the phone, "C'mon dear, speak up."
Amita's voice came in over the phone, "I'm here Charlie." She sounded hurt, desperate, and scared.
Charlie closed his eyes, "I love you Amita."
"Dr. Eppes, that's so touching. Probably should have said it sooner, huh?"
"Please just let her go. I'll pay any ransom you want."
"You know that money isn't the object here. If I have enough skills to kidnap or kill without being detected, I think I could steal money. My deal will stand; I'll trade your life for Amita's and only your life."
"I bet you wouldn't mind getting your hands on Anderson and me though." Davidson interjected.
"Sweetheart, you just wait until I hit city twenty. You and Anderson will be the two bonuses on my shelf."
"Keep thinking that."
"Anyway, I wanted to sweeten the pot in Amita's favor."
"I don't understand."
"See, I want Amita to have more of a chance. I thought you did too."
Charlie remained silent and the killer chuckled.
"I know you're probably not too thrilled about the idea of trading yourself for Amita, but I think I can sway you."
There was a rustling of paper. From where she was chained up, Amita saw the killer reading over her test results. She began to panic; there must be something wrong with her. Maybe she had some disease that needed treatment and would ultimately force Charlie's hand.
"I have your girlfriend's test results and there's something very interesting."
Charlie's thoughts replicated Amita's. She must be sick.
"Don't worry, there's nothing seriously wrong with her. Instead, I think I should congratulate you, Dr. Eppes."
"What?"
"Dr. Ramanujan here is pregnant, that means you're gonna be a father." There was a sick sense of enthusiasm in the voice.
Don saw Charlie's eyes briefly light up before sinking into a depression even deeper than before.
"Oh my God." Larry had just entered the room. His mouth hung open in shock. Megan, along with all the other agents stared on in disbelief, especially Don. He wanted to be able to congratulate his brother and relish in the prospect of being an uncle, but he couldn't.
Amita lifted her head from where she'd laid it against the wall and looked over at her captor. The masked woman walked back over to her and handed her the results.
Her fingers flew down the list of negatives, until she saw the only positive. Then came the tears she had tried so hard to hold back.
Don was on the phone now, "Wait, how do we know this isn't some kind of a sick joke or something?"
"Tell them." The phone was being held up to her ear.
"It's true Don, it's right here on my test results."
"See Agent Eppes?"
"You could be forcing her to say that."
"Agent Eppes, I can always send her back not pregnant either way. Then it won't matter if I lied or not."
"Don, trust me!" Amita's voice came in over the speaker at the FBI office, "If she gets Charlie, the baby is all I'll have left!"
Charlie's eyes were so pained it was hard to look at them.
Agent Davidson looked at Don, "It's a woman?"
"This doesn't fit the profile." Megan noted, "She's like a long range Lizzie Borden."
"I made up my mind." Charlie was speaking to the killer.
"And?"
"You return Amita and the baby unharmed, you can have me. I'll come quietly, no tricks, no FBI, nothing."
"Deal. I'll send a letter with instructions." The phone went dead.
"You see? I told you. He took the noble, self-sacrificing route. Mathematically, Dr. Ramanujan, it makes sense. Two potential lives in exchange for one."
Amita leaned her forehead to her knees and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Every word drew new tears from her already strained eyes.