Chapter Two- World of Shadowy and Unsettling Questions

My head was throbbing and I was too weak to open my eyes. I heard voices. Unfamiliar voices, all male and all nearby. There was a splitting pain in my ankles and I unwillingly opened my eyes to see what it was. Mascara was stinging my eyes taking me a moment to adjust. The pain in my ankles became insignificant when everything around me became more apparent. I was in a small, dimly lit room that smelled of piling up filth and an unsettling smell of blood. I realized that my hands and legs were tied up and reality hit me. I've been abducted. I felt terror dawn on me as I meaninglessly tried to untie the rope around my ankles, only making it tighter, causing an agonizing pain that sliced my ankles. My feet were becoming stained red, as I muffled the cries of pain that was bottled up in my throat. I realized I was laying on a cut up couch with one pillow that had the strong odor of sour sweat. I tried to get up, wanting to become familiar with my surroundings but failed miserably and landed on a small table slicing my arm, forcing me to cry out in pain. I heard the voices stop and I realized it was coming from above me. I tried focusing but the pain was making everything unclear.

"What the hell was that?" I heard someone demand. I heard a door being unlocked and a door swing open. A gush of air hit me like a slap in the face and until then I didn't realize how stifling it was in here. I watched as four figures came down the stairs and I became conscious to the fact that I was in a basement.

"Where are the damn lights?" I heard someone ask. I knew that voice. Before I could think about it a blinding light caused two abrupt pains in my head, blinding me for a moment.

"Jesus." I heard one of them said.

"Go on." Said the familiar voice. "Go help her, I don't want blood everywhere."

I finally adjusted and my vision became clear. Four men with burglar mask over their faces were in front of me. They were all tall and muscular. Two of them violently helped me up causing me to cry out in anguish.

"Be careful." One of the ones in front of me said. He sounded familiar too. What's going on? "We're not here to hurt her."

"We will if we have too." One of the guys said that was holding me up.

"Yeah but she hasn't even said a word." He argued.

"Go bandage her up Eagle." The other familiar voice said. They were using nicknames.

"Yes Chief." The Eagle said coming towards me. I felt his hands on my ankles as he untied the rope that imprisoned them. I felt a gush of blood come ooze out of my ankle causing an undeniable burn that made me fall back for a moment. Someone behind me helped me stay up while my whole body started to shake violently.

"See this is what happens when you try to get away." One of them said spitefully.

I didn't say anything, this was a reminder.

The Chief stepped forward and started talking to whoever spoke to me. "You know what your job is and that's not. Get back to work both of you." I watched as the two men walked away, angry because they were put in their place.

The Chief looked over at me, his eyes were visible but I looked away immediately. "Jude," He began. I looked at him startled. "Yes I know your name." He said reading my mind. "I know a lot about you and we'll just leave it at that." He said. "We are not here to hurt you, that's not part of the plan." He said talking to me like I was a business partner. "Those guys might not be as considerate so don't try to get on their good side because they don't have one." He was silent. "I'm a good guy sometimes but you won't see that often, I'm here for business purpose solely and you work for me, got it?" He questioned.

I nodded weakly.

"You're in a lot of pain right now, I can see it, I can smell it." The smell of my blood was becoming intoxicating. "That's your fault. Those ropes were made specially for this situation. There is a certain way you have to untie them because pulling them makes them tighter, as you can tell." He said gesturing to the blood that dried on my feet. "And your arm was cut, I'm guessing by the table." He said noticing the blood stain on the end of the table. "All because you were in a desperate attempt to escape, believe me it will only get worse if you continue." He said lecturing me. "Listen my job isn't to hurt you but I will if I have to. So don't put me in that position." He looked at me. "If you end up dying or coming out of this with more then the cuts you have now, it will be all your fault." He paused. "So really your death won't bother me because I know that I gave you fair warning of the consequences. I won't kill you for no apparent reason because that is a waste of a bullet and a life but I will if the occasion arises." He was silent for a moment. "All you have to do is stay here and be quiet, just cooperate Miss Harrison and you'll come out of this with only the cuts you have now."

He turned to the Eagle. "Just clean her up and give her some new clothes. I don't want the guys to get any ideas."

I realized I was still wearing my dress, which was now ruined with all my blood. The Chief turned and walked away. I watched as he took the last step of the stairs and closed the door behind him. I looked at the Eagle who was now untying my wrist. They were a little red and I rubbed them trying to smother the stinging.

"So there is a shower in that room." He said gesturing to a door I hadn't noticed before. "Just clean off all the blood and I'll bandage you up."

I walked slowly over to the door, the pain in my ankles was excruciating. I opened the door and a wave of repulsion came over me. The smell was sickening, a mix of vomit, blood and urine all in one. I closed the door and slowly took off my dress, careful to not let it touch my cuts. I studied the room and there was no escape, it was completely closed off and there was not one visible window. There was a mirror and I realized how awful I looked. My makeup was smeared all over my face and my hair was just a mess giving me this pathetic look. I turned on the shower and there was only two temperatures it gave me. Cold and cold, though it felt good after I adjusted. The burning on my ankles went to a dull sting and I felt myself relax. I used some questionable soap and washed my hair and body with it. I got out of the shower and looked at myself. I looked clean and innocent. I wanted that, like the Chief said I don't want the guys to get any ideas. I looked around and noticed there weren't any towels. You have to be kidding me.

I heard a knock on the door.

I didn't say anything; I felt that keeping my mouth shut was the right thing to do.

"I have a towel and some clothes." The voice said.

I opened the door just enough and grabbed it from him and shut the door. I dried myself off and slipped on an over sized shirt and shorts. The shirt covered the shorts and ended about in the middle of my thigh. I felt exposed but I was comfortable. I opened the door and looked at the Eagle.

"Come on I have to bandage you up." He said in a hurry. He led me to the couch and I sat down. He had some disinfection stuff and he put it on my ankles, bringing tears to my eyes for a moment. He bandaged them up and I couldn't help but notice how gentle he was, different from the others who didn't care if I cried out in pain. Once he was done with my ankles he went to my arm and put the disinfection stuff on it and it burned awfully. I fell back surprised by the pain but the Eagle caught me. His arm was around my waist keeping me steady, while he put pressure above my cut to ease the pain. The pain soon went away and removed his arm from around my waist and bandaged my cut.

"I'm not going to tie you up again." He said looking at me. "What happened before was a warning, just don't act up and you'll be fine." He said getting up.

"Why am I here?" I asked him.

He halted, startled that I actually spoke. He recovered from his shock and continued to walk away, ignoring my question. I sighed and lay down on the couch. I looked around me. I was in a world of shadowy and unsettling questions.