Alec coughed as they approached his beat-up Camarro about half a mile back into the woods from where he'd apprehended Rachel. Checking his watch, he swore quietly. Five-thirty. Damn. She'd put him behind half an hour. He smirked and gestured grandly at the snow-dusted car and Rachel hesitantly glanced at it. He sighed and pulled open the door.
She shook and bit uncertainly down on her lower lip. Alec rolled his eyes irritably and unceremoniously shoved her in. With a quiet cry, she stumbled into the seat, catching herself before her head caught the low ceiling.
She was cold. Alec climbed in on his side and noted her quivering lips and paling face. Perhaps she was scared, or in shock. He coughed again and decided to find out himself.
"You scared, in shock, or just cold?"
She stiffened, which was a positive sign that if she was in shock, it definitely wasn't as serious as he'd originally thought. "Let's see," she snapped. "I just got kidnapped by a knife-wielding maniac who broke my arm, and, on top of that injury, also managed to rip my coat almost completely in half, so I'd say it's a combination of the three."
Alec blinked as they drove roughly on the wide trail and then pulled onto the highway. "Wow. Don't tell me I kidnapped the wrong girl." When did she become so outspoken?
She cut her eyes at him. "For my sake and yours, I hope you did."
"Was that a threat?"
She didn't answer for a moment after his jab, but after a long, labored silence she finally spoke in a low, weighted voice. "Listen. I don't know what you want with me, but please, whatever it is, just tell me or...get it over with. I don't know what exactly I did to deserve this."
Alec sighed and clicked on cruise control. He glanced at her. "I'll tell you, but unless you feel like dying prematurely in a car crash, you better not hit me."
Rachel sucked her breath through her teeth and hissed at him, "So, you do plan to kill me."
"I never said that," Alec snapped. "Prematurely. That could mean any time before you should. Which is at a ripe old age of ninety-seven. If you do what I say, you have a fine chance of doing so. Now, do you want to hear this or not?"
Rachel nodded and chewed her lip.
"My business with you in actuality has nothing to do with you. It has to do with your uncle."
"My-"
"Frederick Nolan."
"The governor?" Rachel replied all too quickly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've met him, but he's not my unc-"
Alec abruptly reached out and struck her in the face. "Lesson one, Rach, don't lie. Ever."
Her cheek reddened from the hit and she was silent for a moment. "What do you want from me?"
"Its easy, sweetheart," Alec told her mockingly. "You just be a good little girl and stay with me for a while."
"I don't see what that has to do with my uncle."
"You don't need to. Too much knowledge is dangerous."
"I think I have a right to know, don't you?" she snapped angrily. He sighed. And this is the reason why I'll never get married. Why do women have to be so goddamn nosy?
"Bait, Rachel. You're bait."
"What do you even want from him? Who are you? What do you have against him?"
Alec swerved the car to the side of the road and grabbed Rachel's collar, pushing her into the back of the car. She screamed and shoved at him, but of course at one hundred and eighty two muscled pounds, he had the upper hand. With one hand on her neck and the other holding her hands together, he spoke close to her face.
"Listen to me, Rachel, because I'm not going to say it again. Quit with the fucking interviews. You're bait. My name is Alec Rocher, I work for a company that specializes in assassinations. Your uncle is my target, and you are what will bring him to us. Its nothing personal, just a job. If either of you fail to comply, you will die. If you somehow manage to escape, Chris dies. I'm not saying it again, so this better be penetrating that thick skull of yours."
She didn't speak and he squeezed her chin. "You know, Rach, I'm surprised by you. I've been watching you for months and although you're tough, I expected you to be crying or fainting by this point. Every other person I've ever kidnapped, males and adults included, was either bawling or catatonic by now, and although it kills me to admit it, you're a hell of a lot smarter than all of them. What gives?"
She was shaking like crazy but managed to force out an answer. "I'm not going to give you the satisfaction."
For some reason, her defiance angered him. I want the satisfaction. His anger turned to a furious passion and he touched her cheek. Smiling, he whispered, "Don't worry, beautiful Rachel. I'll have you broken by high noon tomorrow. I can assure you of that."