ILLINOIS : ONE YEAR, ELEVEN MONTHS AGO

Ryan's adrenaline rush wore out miles ago. He had fought the men putting him in a coffin and tying him down. The fight hadn't earned his freedom, just a black eye and bruised ribs. They had been thoughtful enough to tear out the water seal around the edges so he wouldn't suffocate, but it did nothing for the heat. The box wasn't designed for a living person to be kept in it.

Once the adrenaline wore out, the rocking and sound of the road had lulled him to sleep. He tried to fight that urge, but his body was exhausted and weak. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink since the morning of his kidnapping and all he'd done since was fight. Eventually sleep won.

The hearse came to a jerky stop, waking him. The engine was cut and he heard the doors open and slam shut.

"Chrissie!" someone called out.

He heard people talking but the conversation was muffled. It faded away and he was left alone. Ryan pulled against his restraints, twisted his ankles and wrists to pull them free until the plastic bindings cut into his skin and wet his skin with warm blood. Ryan stopped. He lay listening to silence, noticing there wasn't even the sound of birds or insects. Where was he? Slowly his mind began to wander away from his situation, to take him to places and times that had been safe.

He heard a door open and close and then footsteps on cement. The back door of the hearse was opened and the coffin lid lifted open. Chrissie smiled as she moved along the coffin. There was light coming in from around him, and he guessed he was in a garage or building of some kind – that would explain the absence of sounds. She was carrying a Styrofoam food container and cup. She sat it down on the floor, never taking her eyes off of him. Ryan almost begged for his freedom, but stopped. She had stalked and kidnapped him for him.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

He didn't answer. She opened the container, doing something.

"You like ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise on your hamburger – but not that sweet mayonnaise, the salty kind. No pickles, double cheese and bacon." She smiled at him. "I know. I had them fix it just like you like. And the fries are crispy too. I got lots of ketchup for them. I would have gotten you a beer, but I think water is better for you. You should eat better, you know that Ryan?"

He didn't respond.

"Do you remember the night we met?" Chrissie stopped, looking up and smiling. "You were so sweet and gentle. I was a little out of it, but you weren't even rough when you handcuffed me."

"What?" Ryan asked. "I never…"

He stared at her face when she looked at him. He suddenly remembered what she was talking about. She was doing forty miles over the speed limit when he pulled her over. The plates had come back as a car reported stolen. When he tried to talk to her, he could tell she was strung out on something. She fought him at first, but when he laid his hand on her shoulder she stopped and got this doe-eyed eyed look on her face. He took advantage of it to get her handcuffed, in his squad car, and back to The Village that she'd escaped from. That explained why he'd always had a nagging feeling he knew her and why he had been uncomfortable through the entire date. If she'd been infatuated with him since then his trouble just got worse.

She leaned over the side of the coffin, offering him two fries dipped in ketchup. He turned his head away. To take food from her meant giving her control, and he couldn't do that, even if he was starving.

"Ryan, it's been almost five days since you had anything to eat or drink. If you don't eat something you'll die. Is that what you want? To die?"

Ryan stomach grumbled at him. He knew she was right, unfortunately. He had to eat something if he ever wanted to escape her. So he gave in and accepted the fries.

"Guess what state we're in?"

Ryan didn't answer.

"Come on. Guess."

Ryan accepted the next bite, but he didn't answer.

"Illinois. We made good time from Miami. We only left yesterday. Jerry does a little meth and he's up all night!"

Ryan ignored her as she continued to chatter. He was only interested in the sustenance she was offering him. She pulled the cup away before he was finished and moved them aside. She laid her hand on the coffin next to his and he noticed it for the first time. Was that another kidnapped person or a corpse full of drugs?

Ryan's thoughts were interrupted when Chrissie climbed on top of him.

"Feeling better?" she asked, kissing his neck.

Ryan pulled his head away, trying to pull away from her. "Get off!"

"Oh, my pet, I've waited so long for tonight."

Ryan dodged her lips when she tried to kiss his mouth. She giggled softly in his ear then sat up and pulled off her shirt. In the seconds between her dropping her shirt to her finger unfastening the top button of his shirt he realized what she was going to do to him.

"No!" Ryan hissed as he struggled to get her off of him.

She kissed him as she exposed skin. "Relax, Ryan. This won't hurt… Much."