LtV Ch. 18
Jack Rogers
(in honor of my favorite summer sandals)
1 1/2 oz Jack Daniel's® Tennessee whiskey
Coca-Cola®
1 oz grenadine syrup
Pour Jack Daniel's over ice in a glass. Fill with coke, and lace with grenadine, to taste. Garnish with a cherry (optional), and serve.
Chapter 18
Warning: Potentially disturbing scenes, but nothing explicit or graphic.
Where we left the last update:
After fighting sleep, Edward finally drifted off around two a.m. When the alarm sounded at six, he really wanted to hit the snooze button and throw the pillow over his head. But knowing they had a busy and important day ahead of them, he swung his legs to the floor and looked over at Jazz's bed. Seeing his friend's long legs extended an extra foot off the mattress made him laugh.
That bed is about a foot too short for him.
Last night's encounter with Bella had left Edward in a great frame of mind, even if his body protested and wanted him to sink back down into the bed again.
"Oh, Bella." He spoke softly, unable to contain the silly smile spreading across his face. His mood was light and happy, almost giddy, as he welcomed unfamiliar emotions all centered on her.
Humming to himself while he put on his t-shirt, Edward walked into the open area between the two bedrooms and saw that Bella's door was open with a light shining from within. He peeked into her room and noticed her bedding strewn haphazardly on the floor.
Walking toward the bed, Edward spotted a pen-like object nestled in the carpet. As he edged closer, he realized it was thicker than a pen and looked familiar. Crouching down to retrieve and examine it, his heart sank.
Fuck. There's a needle. Jumping up he began yelling. "Bella… BELLA!"
Frantically, his eyes searched the room for something, anything that would assuage his worst fears. Her purse sat atop the dresser with her phone charging close by. The bathroom door was wide open, dark and vacant.
Holding the injection pen, he ran into the living room and stopped dead when he saw their hotel room door standing ajar. There was no sign of Bella. Nothing. His hands began to perspire and a sick feeling hit him.
"James."
"Good God, Edward. What the hell is going on?" A disheveled Jasper appeared at the door to Bella's now empty room.
"Jazz, man, it's Bella. Something's happened to her." Edward paced the floor, combing his fingers through his hair. "I came into the living area and noticed her door open. Then I peeked in and saw the bed covers scattered everywhere."
Jasper was starting to feel concerned for Bella's safety too. As he looked around the room he couldn't help but conclude that something awful had occurred.
"Okay, Edward, you need to calm down. Take a deep breath."
"How can I calm down when I found this lying on the floor next to the bed?" Practically shouting, Edward held up the empty syringe and handed it to Jasper. "Fuck, Jazz. She was taken right out from under our noses."
Jasper watched his boyhood friend collapse onto the edge of the bed and bury his head in his hands. Standing at Edward's side, Jasper placed his hands on his distraught friend's shoulder.
"You yelled the name, 'James.' Do you think he had something to do with this?"
Lifting his head, Edward looked up at Jasper, with an anguished expression and fearful eyes.
"Who else could it be?"
Bella woke up with no idea where she was or what had happened to her. Her arms and legs struggled to move against the restraints holding her tightly. Even when she screamed for her freedom, layers of duct tape muffled the sound.
She concentrated hard to beat off the panic she was feeling and pushed through the fog still floating around in her head. Where am I? I can't move at all. How did I get here? Her disconnected thoughts bonded together as she tried to remember. Her head hurt as she tried to concentrate.
Finally, memories from the previous evening started coming to her. Bella recalled falling asleep after the smoldering kisses she and Edward had shared. Tears threatened to flow when she closed her eyes and remembered the passion she'd experienced with him. The intense need she felt as he pressed his body against hers. His lips skimmed along the curve of her throat. Hands that slipped down her back to hold her closer. How she longed to feel his touch again. She wanted to wake from this nightmare and open her eyes to see his green ones filled with desire.
Thinking that she'd never see Edward's beautiful face again grieved her and an ache settled deep within. It was the same pain she experienced when her parents died. Her eyes filled with tears, but before one could fall, she steeled herself and reached down deep to resurrect what she needed to rely on to save herself… her FBI survival training.
Bella tried to wiggle out of her bindings on the trunk's floor. But it was no avail. She was unable to budge her arms or legs, so she shifted and turned her constricted body toward the rear of the car. A narrow stream of light drifted from the taillights. Though faint, it helped her feel more focused. Bella wished she knew who was behind her kidnapping and where they were her.
No matter where the car was headed, one thing was for certain; she was at the mercy of her captor. In her present state, there was nothing she could use as a weapon for self-defense. She was completely incapacitated. Her teeth were hidden away under sticky tape, her arm and leg bindings nearly cutting off her circulation. The only avenue left for her now was to wait as each bump in the road and turn of the wheels took her farther away from Edward.
The highway miles snaked around the lush green hills and countryside as James put miles behind him after leaving Forks. He nervously tapped the steering wheel with his long, boney fingers to the music playing on the radio. His lack of sleep combined with taking stimulants to keep him alert left him jumpy and on the edge of falling deep inside his already crazed mind.
Pulling out his cell phone, he pushed the number that connected him to his final stop. His trafficker in San Diego answered.
"James. We received your photos. Our buyer was pleased in your selection, and is very anxious to view it in person. Though he finds it hard to believe that it is untouched."
James smiled as he heard the response concerning the photos that he had sent of a passed out and bound Bella.
"It's untouched. I'd bet my life on it." James spoke with conviction knowing that his life and riches were on the line.
"If you're wrong, it'll be your final mistake. Make no doubt about it," his contact replied menacingly. "Our buyer has his yacht in dock awaiting your delivery. When will you arrive?"
"Seventeen hours or so." James left the exact time open in case his planned stops took longer than he estimated.
"Call when you are leaving L.A. We will be on standby at the shipyards."
The phone went silent and James threw it down on the seat beside him. He nervously ran his fingers through his oily hair. He cursed himself for not taking the time to at least shower before he left. He remembered seeing a San Diego Padres hat in the trunk and thought it would hide his disheveled look. But he was still deciding when to stop and open the trunk and check on Bella. It wouldn't be long now though.
The car was driving on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. When the city traffic had thinned out to a few random cars in the distance, James looked for a place to exit. He needed a deserted side rode that would allow him to check on Bella, his treasured prize.
He didn't fear her reaction or anything she might try, after all she weighed about half of what he did. His perception of her was possibly his biggest mistake, his Achilles' heel. The possibility of possessing a million dollars clouded any thought of defeat or misjudgment in his twisted mind.
James was going to demand a little more than just a million dollars too. He wanted his own little plaything and he didn't give a fuck what her status was either. Virgin or whore, he'd take whatever he could get. His hands began rubbing against the hardness beneath the zipper of his jeans as he envisioned having his needs met whenever and however he wanted. His mind drifted as he stroked himself, his mind was submerged in the words loudly belting from the car's speakers. It was the classic Springsteen song, I'm on Fire, and it spoke to his evil soul.
Hey little girl is your daddy home
Did he go away and leave you all alone
I got a bad desire
I'm on fire
Tell me now baby is he good to you
Can he do to you the things that I do
I can take you higher
I'm on fire
Sometimes it's like someone took a knife baby
edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley
through the middle of my soul
At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet
and a freight train running through the
middle of my head
Only you can cool my desire
I'm on fire
As the song ended, he found the perfect place to remove Bella from the trunk. He considered removing the tape from her mouth and letting her finish what his own hand started. A slight twitch against his tight and straining jeans confirmed the need.
After pulling the keys out of the ignition and releasing the door handle, James exited the car and stretched his aching back. The fresh air of the pine trees, surrounding the hidden dirt road, filled his lungs and was invigorating. As he looked around the area, he spotted a cluster of bushes that would be a perfect place to have Bella help him out.
Standing at the back of the car, James lifted the trunk lid. He snickered sinisterly and a shiver ran down the spine of the fully awake Bella. Before she could focus her light-sensitive eyes, she recognized the voice from the previous evening. Oh my God, it's James! The realization of her captor's identity shot a wave of adrenaline through her. She had one goal, escape from this madman no matter the cost.
"Well, what we have here?" James sneered. "The little princess is awake."
Bella prayed that her status as an FBI agent was still unknown to James. He wouldn't be expecting her to put on a brave front and fight. Her training taught her to aim for the element of surprise. So acting like the little frightened victim for now would be expected; what wouldn't be expected was when she turned on him ready for combat.
Widening her eyes to appear afraid, Bella was getting ready to put on the show of her life. Somehow showing fear without giving into it.
"Look at you now, all bound and defenseless." James' words were whispered and laced in lust. He gazed at Bella's thin white camisole and how it outlined her braless breast. Full, high and round. His favorite.
Slowly, James reached into the trunk and lifted Bella in his arms, clutching her against his chest. He quickly ran to the bushes growing along the tree-lined road and sat her down on her rear with her legs extended in front of her. Bella noticed the roll of duct tape around his wrist as he pulled away from her. His eyes followed hers and he laughed dropping the tape to his feet.
"It's really amazing how many different uses I've found for this fucking tape," James declared as he kicked the roll to the side.
"You're probably wondering who, what, where and why? The how was pretty easy." James ran his fingers along Bella's shoulder. "You really should be more careful and lock all your doors. You never know who's lurking."
Lock the doors? Lock the doors! His words echoed in Bella's head. Shit, we didn't lock the doors to the deck. Bella realized the mistake that she and Edward made the night before. In the heat of the moment, they forgot simple and basic protocol. Secure all entrances and exits. Simple and basic rules. Day one coverage during training.
"Yes, the glass door. You look shocked, Bella. It was so easy. Your friends should've been more careful with you. Now you're nothing but a helpless little human."
James grabbed Bella's arms and pulled her to her feet. Wobbling for balance, she wondered what his next move would be as he gave her a command.
"Drop to your knees." James reached inside his pocket and bought out his pocket knife. "This may hurt a bit."
Bracing herself as James brought the knife to her face, Bella froze as she felt the cold stainless steel sliding across her cheeks. But no pain followed. He sliced the duct tape and peeled it away from her mouth. She considered screaming, but chose to play the compliant victim in hopes that she could catch him off guard in a less defensive moment, because she now had a weapon. Her teeth.
"You remain as quiet as a lamb. A little virgin lamb."
"Virgin?" Bella whispered as she spoke the first words since her good night wishes to Edward.
"You're surprised that I know." James expressed his amusement in revealing Bella's secrets. "That's why you're here with me. You're my golden ticket."
"What do you mean?" Bella was at a loss. She had no idea how James knew that she was a virgin, or what he had planned for her. Confusion and a low riding fear battled within her. She wanted answers, but tried to stay coherent and focused, waiting for an opportunity.
"Again, your friends are to blame. Mr. Ferrari and the Cowboy were talking about your lack of sexual experience after you left with the Volturi kid." Mockingly, James continued. "They were worried about your precious virtue."
"But how did they know?" Bella voiced her question without thinking, instantly regretting it. James slyly smiled at her. She had unwittingly confirmed James's suspicion.
"So I was right." Throwing his knife to the ground, James moved closer to Bella and began unzipping his jeans. "Well at least parts of you, the most important parts, will still be a virgin when I deliver you."
Bella understood now why he cut the tape from her mouth. Glancing quickly at the knife and tape on the ground, Bella knew her escape or doom were mere seconds away.
A/N: We would liked to thank our Special Agents…..Betas Elizabethan and Aquariumjenn
Springsteen, Bruce. "I'm on Fire." Born in the U.S.A. Columbia Records, 1985