A/N: Alright, here's the second chapter of James' POV of Held. It occurs a few hours after the party while he makes arrangements for kidnapping Victoria. James and Victoria are the property of Stephanie Meyer, but don't tell them they belong to anyone or they'll probably kill you (literally). As always, Liyorah, who is writing this story with me, is freaking fantastic and she'll be posting the second chapter of Victoria's POV of Held shortly.

Chapter Two

I spun the rosary beads I'd taken as my trophy from my kill not five minutes ago lazily around on my finger. The crucifix caught the light and I smiled. Humans were so idiotic sometimes, believing that plastic trinkets could save them from me.

I tied the beads to my belt along with several other trophies I'd collected over the centuries. I would admit that the hunt hadn't been particularly fun, possibly because, for the first time in a very long time, I was simply hunting to sate my thirst. That was rare, the urge to drink came second to the hunt, but I didn't have the patience to hunt tonight. My thoughts kept straying back to my red headed pet somewhere in this god forsaken state. She was probably enjoying her boyfriend's carnal embraces, unaware of the future that was about to unfold for her.

I smiled and strode away from the mangled body of the woman. I had to pride myself on my handiwork, draining her completely in seventh floor apartment, pushing her off her own balcony and then jumping after her to make sure that she really was dead; it had been clever. When I hunted in densely populated areas, and there was no shortage of variety in places like Ithaca and the wider New York state, I tended to make the deaths look like accidents or suicides. In less populated areas an unexplained death was usually written off an animal attack, so there was less need to disguise the cause of death.

As I walked I wondered, where would I take the girl, Victoria, she'd said her name was, when I kidnapped her. If at all possible I wanted to avoid using force, not because I didn't want to hurt her, oh no, she would have an extraordinary good understanding of exactly how the human body felt pain by the time I was through with her, but because I didn't want to draw attention to us. She was very distinctive with her flaming hair and hourglass figure, she would stand out for miles and taking her less conspicuously would save me from having to come back and cover my tracks later.

Also, people were less likely to pay attention to a girl like her leaving with someone like me than they were to anything that even looked remotely violent. If possible, I would like to kidnap her someplace quiet, a little isolated even, so that it would take time for people to notice she was missing and there would be less people around to hear her short, quickly cut off scream.

I would also need a place to take her. I considered the seventh floor apartment that had recently been vacated by the owner's unfortunate 'suicide', but then remembered that Victoria would probably scream quite a bit, which would alert the neighbours both above and below, and there would no doubt be a police investigation in that apartment shortly once someone found the body of my victim from tonight.

I could keep her in one of the small places I owned, but no. Even though they were isolated they were designed for short term play with a victim, I could keep her in one of them for a day, at the very longest. There were no bathroom or kitchen facilities in any of them and just because Victoria was about to become my pet did not mean that her human needs would magically disappear. But my isolated little properties - which were owned by 'Jim Withers' - could be a good place to take her once I first had her as long as I knew where I was going to take her next. That could work; I could leave Victoria at the house, I'd probably have to tie her up to make sure that she didn't injure herself while I was gone, and then go and deal with any humans who might be living in the accommodation I'd chosen for my pet and myself and then come back to get her.

I considered for a moment before deciding that the aforethought plan was easily the simplest and most effective way of taking Victoria away from help and keeping the damned humans off my trail. I smiled to myself, finding myself going back in the direction of the club where I'd first met my beautiful red headed pet, it was shut for the night but her scent, mixed with the scents of hundreds of other humans, still permeated the air. I followed her scent, the scent of her boyfriend and a slightly oriental scent I guessed belonged to her Eurasian friend. She and her boyfriend split ways at an intersection and I followed her scent and the scent of her friend to a block of student apartments near Cornell University.

Making sure that it was completely dark I quickly scaled the building, following their scent to a window near the top of the apartment block. They hadn't drawn their curtains yet and I peered in.

Victoria and her Eurasian friend, Victoria was calling her Flo, were laughing and talking with each other about college and classes. From what it could pick up, it appeared the Flo didn't share Victoria's passion for ancient Rome. I watched while they got ready for bed and, had I been paying any attention, I would have noticed Flo looking right at me. As it was, I didn't see her until she gave a small scream "Vicki!" and I darted away just as my red headed pet turned to face the window saying "What?! What's the matter Flo?"

Once I was safely away from any prying eyes I smiled to myself. I knew where Victoria lived, where she went to college and, if her actions tonight had been anything to go by, I knew what she did in her spare time when she wasn't quizzing herself on the habits of Julius Caesar.

I would wait maybe a week or so before taking her. That way I would simply become a rather tame memory, a man she met at a club who she would never see again. I laughed softly, unable to help myself. Ah, precious Victoria, if only you knew!

A/N: I know this was a short one, the action will start next chapter. This was basically just warming up and allowing you a bit more insight into the workings of James' rather creepy brain. Review (pretty please with sugar and James on top) and also check out Victoria's side of the story which can be found under Held on Liyorah's profile.