Becky closed her eyes when she felt Bayley working on untying her blindfold, in the expectation that the light would hurt her eyes. Feeling the towel removed, she slowly opened her eyes, pleasantly surprised to find that the room actually wasn't well lit. The thick curtain that was drawn across the window had taken care of that. It took her a second or two to focus on the woman sitting on the bed beside her. Becky made a small, involuntary gasp of surprise into her gag.
This was Bayley? One of her kidnappers? She could hardly believe it. Looking back at her, with a timid half-smile on her face, was possibly the cutest woman she had ever seen. Those gorgeous eyes had only told a minuscule part of the story. Even the way she wore her hair in a side ponytail was adorable. She looked more like the kind of person who would randomly hug you in the street, rather than kidnap you.
The two women just looked at each other for a moment. Becky found herself wondering if this was Stockholm Syndrome. Her limited knowledge of the term told her that it had something to do with kidnap victims falling in love with their captors. Was that what was happening here? Surely not. Not after only a couple of days, and having only just set eyes on Bayley for the first time. No, she wasn't falling for her as such, but she couldn't help finding her attractive either.
"I'll take your gag off now, if you'll promise not to talk any louder than this," Bayley said.
Becky nodded her agreement. The corners of her mouth hurt so much because of the towel rubbing against them, and she'd had more than enough of the detergent taste from the sock. Worst of all was the fact she couldn't close her mouth or swallow properly, which made her drool everywhere. It was one of the most pathetic feelings to experience.
Bayley leaned over and worked on the knot behind Becky's head. As before, Charlotte had tied it as tight as she could manage; way more than was necessary to keep the gag in place. It had been as much about inflicting discomfort and pain on Becky as keeping her quiet. There was something seriously wrong with that woman, Bayley thought, conscious of the fact that she was now number one on Charlotte's hit list. Should they ever cross paths again, she would be in serious trouble.
Untying the towel took several attempts, but Bayley was eventually able to succeed. She then pulled it out of Becky's mouth, being as gentle as she could. The sock was still stuffed in there, though. Grimacing, for the first time, Bayley missed the long since discarded latex gloves that had annoyed her so much. She pulled the saliva-soaked sock out of Becky's mouth and tossed it across the room with a groan of disgust, then wiped her hand on the bed cover. She would have to go wash it once she was totally sure Becky was settled in.
With a groan of her own, Becky used the newfound freedom to move her mouth around as much as possible, trying to ease the pain in her cheeks. "Could I have a drink?" she croaked out, throat raw from lack of moisture.
"Okay," Bayley said cautiously. "I'll get you a cup of water, but you have to lie here quietly, and lie still. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you make me."
"I won't make you," Becky promised.
Willing to trust her, Bayley got up and picked up one of the two cups that had been left on one of the nightstands for guests. She noticed that one of them was chipped, a fact which didn't surprise her at all. She walked into the bathroom, which, remarkably, was clean, and filled the cup up with water from the sink after quickly washing her hands.
"Thank you," Becky croaked when Bayley walked back into the room.
"Okay, sit up so you can drink."
Becky did as instructed as Bayley sat back down on the bed beside her once more. She then held the cup for her to drink, being careful not to tip it too steeply and spill any. Becky drank the whole cup of water in one hit.
"Thank you," she repeated when she was done. The water had helped to take the edge off the nasty taste that the sock had left in her mouth. "Please don't put that sock in my mouth again, Bayley. It's so horrible, and it makes it hard to breath."
"I can see the towel hurts you, too," Bayley said softly, looking at the red marks at the corners of her mouth.
"It really did, with how tight that tall woman insisted on tying it."
"That was Charlotte," Bayley revealed. "She's the one who's going to be coming after us now, intent on killing us both. But no, to answer what you said, I won't put that in your mouth again. I will have to gag you at times, if I have to leave the room for example, but I'll use this." She reached over to the jacket which had been left on the bed and pulled the roll of duct tape that had been in Becky's room at the cabin out of her pocket. She'd had the foresight to grab it before waking her captive up when they had made their escape.
Becky's heart sank at that. She'd been hoping to talk Bayley into letting her go. That appeared to be very unlikely, at least for the time being. "You're not going to let me go, then?"
"Honestly? I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. All I know is I couldn't leave you there to suffer the kind of painful death Charlotte would have inflicted on you. I didn't get into this to see anyone killed."
"Why did you get into it?" Becky quickly asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"I needed money," Bayley replied. Her tone clearly conveyed the message that she didn't want to say anything more, and Becky certainly wasn't going to push her on it.
"I don't suppose you'll be willing to untie my hands? This rope keeps rubbing on me. My wrists feel so sore."
Bayley considered that. She didn't want Becky to be in too much pain, but she was mindful not to go too far in the other direction and enable her to escape, at least not until she had made a decision. There was still the possibility of someone paying a significant amount of money for her, if she could find a buyer, and if she could bring herself to actually hand her over to that buyer. That was becoming a bigger problem that she had ever expected. Why did the inventor they had kidnapped have to be such a stunningly attractive, and to judge by their limited exchanges so far, a seemingly genuinely nice woman? Things would have been so much simpler if she wasn't either of those things.
"I'll untie you," she decided, "But I'm going to have to tape your wrists to the bed. I need to go out to get supplies. When I do, I'll buy you something to wear with long sleeves so your skin is covered up. It's a shame I didn't think to grab your jacket at the cabin."
"I'd be too hot with a jacket on all day," Becky pointed out. "But I would appreciate something to protect my wrists. They really do hurt so much."
"Turn around," Bayley ordered, voice still gentle. "I'll untie you and take a look."
Becky did as she was told. When Bayley untied and unwound the rope, she saw why Becky was in pain. Her skin had been rubbed raw to the point of bleeding. It had to be a lot more painful than Becky had let on, perhaps in fear of retribution of some kind. She was a kidnap victim after all. Bayley had to try and see things from her victim's point of view. It was one thing to be told you were going to be safe, it was another to believe it was true when all you wanted was to be set free.
"Oh God," Becky breathed when she brought her hands around in front of her and saw the state of her wrists for herself.
"Don't worry," Bayley said, surprised by how much she wanted to take care of her. "I'll stop at a pharmacy when I go out, and I'll pick up some bandages and some cream to clean you up with. We also need food. I'm sure you're as hungry as I am."
"I'm starving," Becky admitted. "All I've had since you snatched me is a few chocolate bars. I also need to use the bathroom. Can I please go without you tying me up?"
Since you snatched me. Those words made Bayley feel guilty, but she forced herself to ignore it. "You can. But you'll have to go with the door open so I can see you. Like I said before, I'm trusting you, but I will hurt you if you give me a reason."
"I just need to pee, Bayley," Becky said earnestly. "I'm not going to attack you or do something dumb. I know you could have left me in that cabin, and if you had I'd probably have been killed real soon. All I want is to go back to my life, to my friends, and to go back to Ireland and see my family." Saying the words out loud brought tears to Becky's eyes and they began to trickle down her cheeks. "I didn't ask for any of this. I was just living my life, doing my job. I was on the brink of having it made with the new chip I was working on, then the three of you showed up. Just let me go, Bayley, please."
Again, the plea made Bayley feel guilty for what she had been a part of doing to this poor woman. Yes, she needed money for a good and important reason, but was ruining this Becky's life and possibly getting her killed the way to get it? Or was she making a mistake by having this conversation at all, letting Becky get in her head? That was definitely what Ronda would have told her, and Ronda was a very smart woman. The whole situation was a real mess. Feeling attracted to Becky wasn't making it any better, either. From somewhere, she found some determination. She had to make her own decision, in her own time, and she couldn't allow Becky's pleading to influence her. There was too much at stake.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said, as firmly as she could. "You can go to the bathroom now, but no more of that begging. I don't want to hear it."
"Okay," Becky mumbled. She walked into the bathroom, with Bayley following close behind. Sitting on the toilet, she felt embarrassed by the fact that Bayley had to watch her. There had been something in her captor's eyes when she had asked to be let go. She had considered it for a second, but then her expression had hardened. Whatever the reason was that Bayley needed money, it was very important to her. Becky had an inkling that at least part of her regretted the kidnapping, but now couldn't see a way out other than following through with the original plan of selling her on to someone else. That was something to consider. What if there was another way out that still involved Bayley getting money? Was there any such way? It would help if she knew what the money was for. She decided to broach the subject again later, not wanting to risk making Bayley angry.
After she had flushed and washed up at the sink - the first time she'd been allowed to do that since the abduction - Bayley lead her back into the main room.
"Back on the bed, please. I'm going to go out for supplies now. I'll bring back plenty of food and the other stuff I mentioned. We can talk more when I get back."
Becky sat back down on the bed, then lay down with her head on one of the pillows, sure that she knew what was coming. "You're going to tie me up again?"
"I have to. But I won't use the rope. Put your wrist against the bar, please."
As requested, Becky put her right wrist up against one of the bars that made up the bed's framework. She was glad in a way that the cheap bed actually had metal framework, otherwise Bayley would probably have tied her to the chair. That would have been a lot more uncomfortable than lying on the bed. Bayley went to work with the duct tape, wrapping it around her wrist and the metal bar several times. It wasn't as painful as rope, but it was just as secure.
"What if I figured out a way for you to get money if you let me go?" Becky asked as the tape was applied to her other wrist.
"We'll talk later, Becky. I need to think. There are so many things going on in my head right now. For now, I need you to lie here and be quiet. I'll try not to be long." Bayley didn't wait for a reply before sticking the end of the tape to Becky's cheek and pulling it tight over her mouth. She wrapped the roll around her head three times, considering that to be about as effective a gag as she was going to achieve with duct tape. The gap between Becky's nose and the bottom of her chin was completely covered. As she tore off the roll and set it aside, she found her eyes locked with Becky's. They were wide. She was scared. She was vulnerable. She was beautiful. There was no denying any of those facts.
"Mmmmph," Becky mumbled as she tested the tightness of the tape, closing her eyes in defeat as she did so.
Forcing herself to ignore the sudden urge to kiss Becky, Bayley used two fingers to smooth the tape down over her mouth, sealing it as tightly as possible. "I'm sorry," she said softly, genuinely. "But I had to do that. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Becky watched Bayley leave the room and calmly close the door behind her, hoping that she kept to her word and came back soon to let her out of her fresh bonds. She had been gagged with this tape once before and knew what to expect this time. If she tried to talk or make any sounds, breathing would soon become difficult. Trying to move her lips to loosen the adhesive wouldn't work. Bayley had taken care of that by wrapping it around her head so many times that it was simply too tight.
Shifting her position, she looked at the tape around her right wrist. Trying to move it confirmed her suspicions; There was no way she was going to struggle out of the situation she was in. Her ankles had been left unbound, but that was of no use to her, either. There was nothing she could reach that might be of assistance.
Growling in frustration, she let her head fall to the pillow. She couldn't get free. The location had changed, in not having Charlotte or the other woman whose name she had forgotten around anymore, her circumstances had changed, but she was still bound to a bed, and gagged. How long was this going to go on for? She lay there on the verge of tears for several minutes, consciously breathing in long, deep breaths through her nose. Getting enough air wasn't particularly easy with her mouth so thoroughly taped.
"Mmmmmpph," she moaned, only frustrating herself further with how weak it sounded. Hovering on the edge of despair, she told herself no, she wasn't going to give in. She was going to use this time to think about what to say to Bayley when she returned.
Finding out what she needed the money for, and how much she needed were the top priorities. Was there a real possibility that she might buy her own freedom? She had to admit it was unlikely because she didn't have all that much money herself. She had an idea that was worth a fortune, but that fortune was some way from becoming a reality. Bayley was hardly going to be stupid enough to let her go on a promise of a future payment. That was ridiculous.
So, what then? Would she have to rely on Bayley to make the 'right' decision? And what if she didn't? What if she was out there now on her supply run making calls to people who might want her for the same reasons as whoever had originally ordered her abduction? That thought was too terrifying to dwell on.
One thing that did keep coming back to her was how Bayley's eyes had lingered on her own after she had applied the tape to her mouth. There had been genuine sympathy there, but also maybe something more. Or was she imagining it? Could the insane attraction that she seemed to developing to her kidnapper really be mutual? Could a kidnapper fall for a victim? Was that the way to get out of this alive?
Becky made a decision. When Bayley came back, she would wait for the right time and find a way to tell her that she felt an attraction for her. The reaction she got would tell her a lot about what her future was going to hold.