A/N: Ok I am going to apologize in advance because I am not very happy with this chapter. I really did not want to write it. Hopefully it isn't too bad. And I am also sorry that it took so long for me to get this up and I am sure that most of you are ready to start feeding me to the wolves but I just need to make it through the next week and things should start to get a little better. I go on spring break in a week so I should have quite a bit more time to put to my writing!!! Review and let me know what you think and I will try to have another chapter up soon.

Disclaimer: I do not own Josef, Mick or anyone else that you may recognize. Riley and all of the others that come out of my head are of course mine. No copy write infringement is intended

Chapter 8

The hand clamped down over my windpipe and threatened to snap my neck. I tried to keep myself from panicking. All of the sudden the hand lifted both me and the chair that I was attached to off of the ground and threw me across the room. I crashed into the wall and the chair beneath me broke into splinters, freeing both my arms and legs. Unfortunately, I think I also broke a bone, which basically made it impossible for me to think about standing up or escaping. Damn my luck.

"Ms. Riley Michaels, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. We have a mutual friend, I do believe. I will go get you some food, and then we will have a chance to talk." With that she walked out of the room. I was thrown back into darkness. My body hurt all over and I wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.

I was able to pull my hand up to my face to cover my eyes before my kidnapper came back into the room. I was able to block out most of the light but that didn't seem to really matter. She walked over to me and picked me up once again. However, this time I was set down, somewhat carefully what I assumed was a bed. I felt like I was going to throw up but I forced myself to open my eyes and look at whoever it was holding me hostage.

She was staring down at me, an evil smile plastered onto her face. I closed my eyes again and tried to block everything out. I wanted to sleep.

"Riley, there is food on the table. Until you decided to eat, I should probably fill you in on why you are here. I am sure it won't be a surprise to you to hear that this has something to do with Josef, what he is. I am sure that you know what he is, you don't seem too afraid of me and that leads me to believe that he has let you into our world. I actually haven't been a vampire very long even shorter time than Mick, as a matter of fact. I was reborn almost 15 years ago. I didn't necessarily want to become what I am, but I needed my revenge. Josef ruined my life, caused me to live in fear for almost two years, until I decided to fight back."

"What makes you think that Josef will even come looking for me. What makes you think he cares one bit about what happens to me?" As much as I hated myself for saying the words, I couldn't help but try to guess at the truth behind them. Was anyone going to do anything about my disappearance? Mick had promised me that he would always look out for me, but would Josef get in the way. How angry had I really made him?

"Why do I think he will come looking for you? This is almost too easy. You would be the second girl he has lost to me and Josef can't have that. Not only would his morals not allow that, but the police would eventually discover that he is the mysterious link between you, the other office girl, and of course me. I almost made the last one too easy for him. He nearly caught me before I could kill the other poor girl, what was her name, Carrie Ann. She was a sweet girl, too innocent though. She really thought that all I wanted was the money I had asked Josef for. She didn't understand, as I hope you do, that she was dead from the minute I took her."

She paused for what I could only assume was dramatic effect. As scared as I was, she was right about the fact that I understood what was happening. I was as good as dead. I didn't want to give up so quickly, but really who was I kidding. I had walked out on Josef and all that he offered. I could tell by the look that he gave me that he was beyond angry.

"You're as good as dead, as I am sure you have realized. You still have about a week left. It should take him at least that long to track us down. Until then, we are going to be spending a lot of time together. We should get to know one another. Eat, I have to run a quick errand and then we shall take all of the time we need. Oh, by the way, my name is Charlie." With that she stood and walked out of the door.

I walked over to the table where she had left my food. The assortment of breakfast foods was overwhelming. Laid out in careful order were French toast, eggs, oatmeal, sausage, pancakes, bacon, and toast of at least three varieties. I may be a prisoner, but I was apparently going to be eating damn well. I sat down and started to pick as a few of the things in front of me. I didn't know what I could do at this point. There wasn't much of a way that I could make myself sick enough to go to the hospital, I couldn't out run her or fight her and there was no way that calling for help was going to be of any use. I really did appear to be at a dead end, facing a no doubt slow and rather painful death. I guess I would just have to wait, wait and see if any possible chance appeared. That was my only choice.

-Josef's POV-

It had been six hours since I had found the ransom note. Mick had dropped Beth off at Buzz Wire and then met me at Riley's apartment to start looking for any sign of where she might be. We had gone through anything left out at the apartment. We then went through Mick's old notes of Charlie. Nothing had turned up yet. Beth was doing what she could to track down any information on Charlie from before she had been turned but still nothing of great significance had turned up.

I picked up the file that I had been reading over once again and began to look through its pages. I could not accept the fact that I had once again managed to let my employees down. I had to find her, and soon. I knew that I would have about a week, if the last girl was anything to go on. She had been killed 6 days and 20 hours after she had gone missing.

We weren't getting anywhere. This was one of the few times I could remember throughout my long life actually feeling helpless. I stood up and told Mick that I was going for a walk. He offered to come with me, but I knew that I needed some time to myself. I made my way to my car and quickly found myself on the main road. I parked not far from a small park that I sometimes come to.

Even during the middle of the day there were hardly any people in sight. I walked for almost an hour until I found myself back at my car. The cool air had been diverting and I had been able to clear my head. I drove back to my office, planning on Picking up a few things and then heading back over to Mick's.

I had picked up all that I needed when I noticed another note sitting on the corner of my desk. I took a breath and picked up the letter.

Josef – You know what all of this is about. You know what is going to happen to the girl if you don't find me in time. I promise that she is being well taken care of for now. She should be enjoying a rather large breakfast as you read this. I have missed you and our game. I can assure you that it will get interesting before we are finished. By the way, you're looking in all of the wrong places.

Best of Luck

Charlie

I grabbed the other things I had come for and got back to Mick's as fast as I could. I threw the other papers down onto the table when I walked in and handed him the letter.

He scanned over its contents quickly and looked at me. We both sat down and sighed. This was going to be one hell of a long night.

A/N: Ok once again I am not thrilled with this chapter. I didn't want to write this and I think it showed in the way it turned out. I ask all of you to just bear with me for another 10 days and hopefully I will be able to put up a few better quality chapters. I do have to tell you though that unless I can get another chapter out tomorrow, you will probably not see me for the rest of the week. I will do the best I can to make up this short chapter and long wait to you all but you have to give me just a little bit more time!!! Review and let me know what you think of this chapter!