Obvious Surprise: Chapter 5

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Emma couldn't stop thinking about the night's events while driving home. What a clusterfuck.

Emma also felt a twinge of guilt. As much as she hated Regina's personality, she didn't plan on upstaging her in front of half the town. She noticed a glimpse of vulnerability in Regina's eyes before they left and it made Emma feel sorry for her. She also worried that Regina might snap and do something to Henry. Maybe I should stop by on my way home to apologize.

Emma pulled up to the Mayor's manor and immediately knew that something was wrong…she could feel it in her bones. Regina's car was parked in the driveway but there were no lights on. The front door sat slightly ajar and the lock appeared to be ripped off by a blunt object… a crowbar? Emma drew her revolver and slid cautiously into the darkness behind the door. Her heart was racing and it took every ounce of resolve she could muster to suppress the panic rising in her stomach. She tried to turn on the lights but found the power to be cut off. Shit. This is how the babysitter always gets murdered…I should call Jane for back up. Before she had a chance to turn around, a bag was slipped over her head and the revolver was kicked out of her hand. She tried to break free from the assailant's grasp with all of her might but was quickly over-powered. She could tell that the assailant was a man by his upper body strength. She also figured that he had police or military training by the way he quickly tied her wrists and ankles together. The man easily flung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and began walking through the house.

"Let me go you mother fucker!" she screamed and thrashed. "Where's Henry? What did you do to him? I swear to god I will kill you if anything happens to him!"

The man ignored Emma's threats and descended down a steep staircase. The air was cooler and she assumed that they were in Regina's basement. He positioned her upright in a wooden chair and she suddenly heard the panicked moans of another woman behind her. He ripped the bag off her head and blinded her with a large spot light.

"What the fuck? Who are you and what do you want?" Emma shrieked.

"Shut up!" he commanded in a menacing voice. He placed a piece of tape over her mouth and a black piece of fabric over her eyes. She emitted her own muffled moans and the man began to snicker.

"For two people that are supposed to have magic, you're both surprisingly pathetic. I hope you learn how to use your powers by the time I return with your supplies…you have a lot of work to do."

The last sentence sent a shiver down Emma's spine…the man was clearly deranged. I can't believe this…I am going to die in Regina's basement at the hands of a psychopath. A tear slipped past the fabric over her eyes as she wondered if Henry was still alive. The man walked up the stairs and proceeded to lock the basement door behind him.

Emma's overwhelming feeling of terror was interrupted by the moaning woman behind her who was trying to get Emma's attention. Emma twisted and turned her body as much as possible but felt resistance at every move. She extended her fingers out and was surprised to feel a set of soft fingers within her grasp. At least I can die holding someone else's hand. Great. Emma was shocked when she felt her chair thrust forward from the other woman's attempted escape. Our chairs must be tied together. The woman tried again to shove her chair against Emma's chair. Emma decided to follow her lead and they both shoved in unison. The front legs of Emma's chair caught in the ground and Emma went flying face first into the cement. The other woman was thrown even farther over the top of Emma and moaned loudly when she hit the ground. Emma felt blood trickle down her face and knew that the other woman must be more injured than her. She also noticed that a pointed object had fallen next to her wrists during the shuffle. She palmed the object and determined that it was a stiletto heel. Stiletto heels…oh my god…am I tied up to Regina? Emma couldn't believe that Regina wasn't allied with the unknown assailant. Shit…this is bad. He must be really insane to kidnap the Mayor.

Emma rubbed her wrists furiously against the pointed stiletto for what seemed like an eternity. She finally felt the rope slacken and proceeded to rip herself free. She removed the tape from her mouth and tore off the black material around her eyes. She then took a deep breath and spotted Regina sprawled out a few feet away. Emma ran over to Regina's side and gently turned her over. Regina's brow was stained with blood and her breathing was shallow. Emma carefully removed the tape from her lips and slid the blindfold off. Regina coughed and squinted against the spotlight. Emma quickly untied Regina's rope and examined her lacerations.

"Regina! Where's Henry? What the hell happened?"

"I…I don't know!" Regina stammered. "That lunatic broke into my house after I came home and threw a bag over my head! I couldn't see what happened to Henry…but I heard him screaming!" Tears formed in Regina's eyes and she started to visibly tremble. Emma wrapped her leather jacket around the Mayor's shoulders and subconsciously rubbed her shoulders.

"Oh god…ok …we need to get the fuck out of this basement before he gets back. Is that door the only way out?"

"Yes…" Regina rasped. She felt so feeble in this world…she used to be able to flatten brick walls with the flick of a wrist and now she was trapped in her own home.

Emma quickly took stock of the basement and frantically searched for something that could break the door's lock. She noticed that the farthest corner of Regina's basement was set up like a jail cell with steel bars and a raised bed. She also noticed various sets of chains, ropes, whips, and straps mounted on the wall. "What in the hell do you do down here with this stuff?" Emma asked incredulously.

Regina wiped away a stray tear and scoffed, "Nothing you would understand…you're too vanilla."

"Too vanilla? What's that supposed to mean?"

Before Regina could educate Emma about the profound complexities of BDSM, both women heard the floor above them creak. Emma froze and held her breath. Shit shit shit! She grabbed one of the whips off the wall and motioned for Regina to stand behind her. Regina complied and they both waited in the shadows under the staircase hoping to surprise the man from behind. They heard the lock click open and the man scraping each step with his shoes. He immediately noticed that Emma and Regina were not tied up and drew Emma's revolver from his jacket pocket.

"I know that you're both down here," he growled. "Come out with your hands up and nobody gets hurt." The man reached the base of the stairs and looked toward the jail cell. Emma knew that this was going to be her only opportunity to strike and she took it. The whip cracked angrily against his face and he fell back in shock. Emma tried to recoil the whip for another strike but the man sprinted toward her and smashed the revolver's barrel against her head.

Regina's terrified scream and cold cement were the last memories she had before blacking out.