Chapter 27: Helpless
Bile rose to my throat and threatened to spill forth. Another hand reached up to grope at me and that did it for me. Noticing that I began to gag, one of the men slapped my face.
"You throw up on us bitch and we'll have you scrubbing the floor, you hear me," he threatened as the others that were around me began to snicker.
I didn't dare lift up to look at Cain again. After our short conversation - and me foolishly assuming that he would let me go - he allowed a few of his men to return. They tied my hands back up, the rope hanging from a hook on the ceiling, as they began to touch and kiss me. I had never felt so disgusted and betrayed before. He admitted that he did not love me, maybe he cared a little. But that was the extent of his affection. He wanted me purely for money, for selfish reasons.
"Amity's golden girl," one of the men in the corner chuckled, "representing the illustrious Summers family - the pride of Peace County."
"And she's all ours, boys," another one taunted, grabbing my breast and licking my neck.
I coughed again, gagging at the thought of being touched by disgusting hands. But almost immediately my head whipped up at the voice off to the corner. He had mentioned Amity's golden girl. He called my family the pride of Peace County. Only someone from Amity would know about that - would know about what my grandparents and parents did during that infamous storm that swept through half of our country. It had hit Amity hard. Abnegation had suffered the worst loss imaginable and it was my family who helped their families return to normalcy.
"Go with happiness," I whispered as everyone laughed except that voice who spoke.
He stood up and walked slowly towards me then. "Peace be with you," he replied.
I attempted not to give it away and I knew that he didn't want to either. A hand came across my face then and I knew - there was definitely someone who was fighting for me on the inside.
"I don't know what you saw in her," the inside man raised my head.
"I know," Cain smirked. "I feel like I deserve something extra in return for spending so many years with her - listening to her whiny voice, tolerating her incompetent family." He chuckled then as though he thought of something amazing. "Perhaps my Dad will let me fuck your cousin Daisy. She's what, fourteen now?"
"You're sick."
"Do you remember how much it hurt when we first did it," he taunted, "and how I kept the pace going because god it felt so good to pop your cherry? I remember you crying a bit and told me to slow down but I didn't." He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "What I wouldn't give to hear sweet, little Daisy beg for me."
"I hate you," I shouted as the men laughed. "I fucking hate you and I hope you die!"
They continued to laugh at me and a sudden recollection of a dream I had entered my mind. I remember waking up, screaming and kicking. Eric had gathered me up in his arms. That's all that this was - a huge nightmare. And soon, I'd wake up.
"Cain," someone ran into the room then. "They're here."
"Who's here," Cain stood up, his chair pushing backwards and scratching the floor.
I released a sigh of relief and barely got a smile on my lips. "Eric," I mumbled softly, feeling more relaxed than I ever thought that I could be. This was just an awful nightmare.
"Shut up," one of the men hit me.
Renewed excitement and anticipation must have been the right antidote to a slap because I didn't feel a thing. There was no longer any physical pain. My heart was beating, bursting at the seems. He reached his arm back and was about to do it again. I didn't cringe but looked straight at the guy. Eric was just outside. I knew it, I could feet it. The man immediately stepped back and put his hand down. But one quick glance over my shoulder told me that it wasn't my cold stare that made him back off.
Thomas Banner stood there, his hand gripped my arm hard. "You ruined everything."
"Stop it, Dad. You're hurting her," Cain stepped forward then.
"Good," Thomas told him. "Then we can hurt her the way she hurt us, the way she hurt you."
"They're here Dad. The CIA, FBI," he was so close to both me and his dad when he leaned down to finish with, "the Coulter's." I wish I could say that I felt a sense of satisfaction in me because I could have sworn Cain looked scared.
"We can take care of a couple of cops," Thomas turned to yell at his son.
"Carmichael is gone," the man who had barged in to announce Eric's arrival, announced that bit of news also.
Thomas's head snapped sharply towards the man. "What did you say," he sneered, as if he was threatening the man to speak such a foolish thing again. The man opened his mouth and Thomas nodded at someone else.
It was then that I did cringe as a gunshot went off and the man fell to the ground.
"Does anyone else want to fucking say something stupid?" Nobody nodded, shook their head or even breathed in that moment. "That's what I thought." He looked to me again and motioned with another nod of his head towards my hands. Someone released me slowly and my body crumpled to the ground. Another person picked me up. "Cain and I will take care of her. The rest of you, make sure we get out of here alive."
Whoever was holding me, handed me over to Cain. Cain slowly put my feet onto the ground. "Do you think you can walk?"
"Of course the bitch can walk," his father scolded him. He grabbed my arm again and dragged me towards a wall, shoving a phone into my hands. "You're going to call your boyfriend, cousin or whoever else is out there and tell them to back the fuck off!"
"I don't know if I, ah," I screamed and doubled over as he kicked me stomach. My hands held my midsection as I gasped for air.
"You listen to me," my body slammed back against the wall. My bare back hitting the surface caused my breath to hitch and my head to whip back and forth. I felt like a scrambled egg. It hurt now. Earlier I was floating on this bubble of confidence. Now I could feel everything. "You listen good, bitch," Thomas Banner took my face between his hands. "Your family stole everything from mine and I intend to get it back. So you're going to call your silly-ass boyfriend and tell him to back down or I'll be forced to take you down with me," I felt the hard, cold end of a gun press to my temple. "I have come too far to go back now. I want my due."
I swallowed in a breath and shook my head.
He was about to respond but we were interrupted yet again by a beeping sound coming from Cain. He reached into his pocket and lifted it to his ear. "Yeah?"
A moment of silence and then it showed on Cain's face. He put the phone down and looked up at his father with frightened eyes.
"They had another inside man," Cain told his father warily. "He opened the doors and released our files at the same time. Plus," he stopped.
"What," his dad questioned.
"They went to our house and arrested Mom and Beth."
Thomas Banner flew into a rage then. He punched the wall, next to my head. I screamed and covered my eyes, his fist missing me by mere inches. Just when I suspected that he had finished, he grabbed my hand with his bloodied one and turned towards his son. "You had your chance, boy," he said.
No!
His hand lifted but before he could do anything, Cain threw his fist forward and landed a blow against his father's face. The gun went off but shot at an empty spot in the room. I screamed before wiggling free. Thomas Banner stood up and started to fight with his son. I didn't know what had drove them to such madness but I wasn't about to stick around and watch. This was it.
I pushed to my feet and began running wildly down the halls. I kept turning around, left or right, up the stairs or down the stairs. My mind was confused, my body started to ache and the sounds of gunfire and explosions continued to go off in my head.
"Eric," I shouted stupidly - a part of me prayed that he would hear me and another part said that if he couldn't, chances are that Cain would. What the hell was wrong with me? I took another sharp turn and saw a door at the end of the hall. Perhaps I could hide in there. I had to do something.
The door felt miles away as I was yanked onto my back.
"No," I kicked out.
"Don't you dare," Cain gripped my hair. "My father was right. None of this would be happening, if it weren't for you!"
"You're the one who kidnapped me!"
"You're the one who owns everything that I want and I'm going to get it," he pulled me up to stand.
We continued to walk forward, going back the way that I came, when I noticed a body on the ground.
"No," I shouted. "What kind of bastard, are you? Why would you do that? He's your father. He's your father," I tried to pull my hands free and began to hit Cain's chest.
"Why are you crying," he pulled me towards him. His body pressed against mine as his arms wrapped around my waist. "You didn't really care about him. I know you didn't. And I'm pretty certain that you wanted him dead for what he's done. You got your wish, now it's time to get mine."
"No, Eric," I screamed as Cain led me away. It was futile.
Tears spilled from my eyes as I was led down dark hallway after dark hallway. A few people were shouting at one another about the situation. I heard men giving orders to other men about getting out. One man came towards us and asked if he should prepare the SUV, the boat or the helicopter.
"No," Cain barked.
"But Cain, you need to get out of here. Our defenses are failing. We're..."
I jumped at the sound of another gun shot. Cain kicked a door to his side and pushed me into the room. He sat me on a chair, roughing yanking my hands behind me and tying them up. I had never been more uncomfortable, nervous and afraid in my life. I could talk down to Cain earlier but this seemed to be different. His father was dead - murdered at his own hands. His mother and sister had been arrested. He was likely on the edge of insanity. Yes, this was different and I felt like a fool now.
"What are you going to do with me," I questioned as he began to close the doors in the large room.
"If I had unlimited time, I know exactly what I would do with you."
The look in his eyes made me sick. I wiggled in the chair - stupidly wondering why I decided to do that now and not earlier. "Eric is going to murder you with his bare hands," I threatened him, staring straight back at him as he chuckled and returned to closing the room that we were in.
"That's if he finds you in here."
A few minutes passed by as the silence began to stretch on. Cain walked back and forth, every now and then checking a door or window. He'd disappear from the room and enter one door. From what I gathered was that he was looking for a good escape. If what Cain said was correct and that there was an inside man working - which must have been the person I suspected earlier - then Cain must have known that his chances were limited.
There was a small beeping noise that caught my attention and I tried my best to scoot the chair back to see where it was coming from. I had just hopped all the way around in the chair when Cain's gun pressed against my shoulder.
"Stay put," he ordered before marching towards it.
He hesitated before pressing a couple buttons. There on the screen was none other than Jessica Coulter.
"Well, well, well," Cain tilted his head. "I thought it be your brother."
"Oh believe me, he's not much of a talker and I won't be either if I find out that you've hurt my soon to be sister-in-law," Jess replied.
"Right now, Ana's a little upset," Cain looked back at me. "She's crying and I have her hands tied behind her back. It's a wet fantasy come to life for me, really. The matching lacy bra and panties - that I'm sure she wore for your brother - is mine to enjoy now."
"You're a fucking dead man, Cain Banner," I heard Jess threaten. "You best let me talk to her."
"Are you seriously trying to make demands?"
"Don't give me that act," Jess sassed. "You're not your father. You'll never be. And chances are that he probably left your little ass behind, got on a plane and dug out because you failed."
"You know nothing about..."
"I know enough. Believe me, the second that I heard Ana had been engaged to your sorry ass, I knew that something was up, knew that something was wrong. That's when I remembered that little incident with your Uncle and that my father had been ordered to kill him," Jess said.
"Shut the fuck up," Cain shouted.
"He was such a screw up that his own mother decided to end his life and I know that the same thing is going to happen to you. I know it, you know it," she finalized as Cain's back stiffened. "Now," she sounded calm and I tried to let her voice keep me calm as well. "How you respond is going to determine how long I keep you alive before my brother finishes you off. You're going to let me speak to Ana - privately. If you don't, you know damn well, what I'm capable of, what the others are capable of. I will break down every single defense, every bit of security you have. My father taught my brother and I well and I have to say that we learned a whole lot more than you or your Uncle ever did."
He turned back to look at me before glancing at the screen.
"Don't think I'm done yet because just before my brother strangles you for taking Ana away, I'll castrate you personally. Slowly and painfully," she finished. "Now, I want to speak to Ana."
Cain muttered some choice words as he walked back towards me. He picked me up quickly, chair and all - dragging me towards the screen. I looked up slowly towards it and saw Jess's eyes soften.
"Jess," I fought to control my voice.
Jess turned towards Cain who released my arm, causing the chair to drop and my butt to fall against it. Hissing at the pain, I shifted and turned back towards her. I shut my eyes tightly but that didn't stop the tears from streaming even faster down my face.
"Ana, I know that this is probably a stupid question to ask but are you okay?"
"I've been better," I tried to smile but only started to sob. "I guess I could also be dead so," I shrugged.
"Listen to me," Jess began. "We know where you are."
I shook my head. "Cain said..."
"Ana," she smiled gently. "My father wasn't the only one who knew computers. Eric and I know the layout of this place. We're only a few feet away, okay," she assured me. "Just hold on for a few more minutes, that's all I ask."
"Where is Eric?"
"I'm right here, baby," his voice sounded and just a couple seconds later, Jess's body was replaced with his. "Hey," he smiled and I couldn't believe my eyes. I made a sound between a laugh and a sob, staring back at him as my bottom lip trembled and the tears continued to flow.
"Get me out of here," I said.
"We'll be there as soon as we can. Are your hands tied up?"
I nodded and tried to wriggle in the chair.
"Keep moving, okay," Eric instructed. "Flex your wrists, do those kicks and moves that I taught you." I nodded. "Fuck," he shook his head. "I wish," he paused and his hands reached up to touch the screen. The torn expression on his face made my heart break. "I'm so glad you called me."
"What?"
Eric looked down and took a step back. "When Marcus was kidnapping you, I guess you called my phone," he explained. "You know how you always reach into your purse and begin to dial whoever's number?" I laughed lightly causing Eric to smile. "I heard him in the background. That's when I started to mobilize and..." he paused and shook his head. "We were hoping we'd get to you before he transferred you out."
Again, I nodded as I tasted the tears on my lips. "He brought me here. You must have figured it out. I'm so proud of you."
"And I'm proud of you. You're not helpless in there. You understand me?"
"I do," I smiled, calming down slightly.
"I love you, Ana Summers."
"I love you too," I replied before I felt a force knock me over to my side.
"As sweet as that all was, I felt like throwing up," Cain chuckled and turned towards the screen. "Tell everyone to back the fuck off, Coulter. Whoever you got with you, FBI, CIA, police," he began to wave his gun in the air, "tell them to back away. If they call later with that textbook hostage negotiation crap, I will disappear and take Ana with me, you got that?"
Cain ended the call before Eric could respond.
While Cain had been talking to Eric I flexed and wiggled my wrists, just as Eric had told me to do. Now that Cain was done talking, I had made pretty good progress of the rope. Once Cain sat me upright, I knew I would be able to remove at least one hand. And that was good enough for me.
I'm proud of you. You're not helpless in there.
Eric's words echoed in my mind and that seemed to be just the right amount of courage that I needed. As if I had waken up from a nightmare and been brought into Eric's arms, assuring me that everything was okay and that he held me now - safe and secure. And sure enough just as Cain pulled her chair so that I could sit up, my hand slipped free. I tried not to smile or let it show as he knelt in front of me. His eyes level with mine.
"I might have to kill you," he told me honestly.
I shrugged with one shoulder. "You got to do what you got to do, right," I replied as he tilted his head.
Cain put the gun down on the side of him. It was like a light bulb went off in my head. Eric and Jess knew where we were, they said that they're close by. I just had to hang in there for a brief moment. And something told me that that gun would help a whole lot if it were in my hands. I just had to distract or throw Cain off balance. But how was I going to do that. He was still staring at me as if he was trying to read me.
"You cared," I licked my lips and looked down at my lap. "You may not have loved me but I know that you cared - probably not a lot but it was enough."
I wasn't sexy enough to tempt Cain - at least in his eyes. He had said so in front of his men, he had even admitted to my face a couple times that I had tried and failed to be seductive. And a small part of me felt stupid. This wasn't the movies, this wasn't some beautiful girl who was kidnapped because the evil man wanted her to become his. No, I thought. This was real life and Cain didn't think I was gorgeous or sexy. He barely could stand the thought of being with me. I almost wanted to cry at feeling these emotions. Here I was, thinking that I could seduce him and get the gun away.
I'm proud of you. You're not helpless in there.
Turning back to look up at Cain, I tried to picture Eric sitting there in front of me. Because to Eric, I was everything. "You were my first kiss, Cain," I began. "If I should die, at least you'll be my last."
That sparked his interest. He leaned forward, running his hands up my thighs. I tried not to squirm or think about how disgusting it felt. I thought about Eric, the tattoos on his arms and shoulders. The first night that he had stripped me down and lovingly cared for me on my couch, he told me about his parents, his father, the meaning behind the tattoo about bravery.
You're not helpless in there.
Leaning in, Cain brushed his lips against my cheek before bringing his face around to capture my lips. It wasn't Eric, my body shouted. It wasn't Eric, my mind screamed. It wasn't Eric, my heart stopped. It wasn't Eric, my soul died. It felt wrong. And just before I pushed him back, he slipped his tongue in. I tried not to gag, tried not scream, vomit or reject the advance.
Cain's hands slipped from my thighs and up my side. My back arched - not from pleasure but from some sickening disease. I moved my leg forward, unintentionally wrapping it around Cain as he groaned in delight. Just as his lips slipped from my mouth and moved down my neck, I slammed my foot into his calf causing him to scream loudly.
Without thinking about it, I moved my leg again, digging my heel into his calf and springing it up so that it could hit his back.
"You bitch," he snarled, pushing back. He had just reached back for his leg, leaving my body free from his hands and his face unprotected.
You're not helpless in there.
Eric had taught me a few moves and now that there was only Cain, something snapped inside of me. This was my 'now or never' moment. I used my head to butt his just under his chin, knocking him backwards. Perhaps it wasn't the smartest thing to do because as I rushed to stand up, my head began to swarm and I fought to gain control of my body as I stumbled forward. Quickly, I pulled at the rope of my tied hand as I heard Cain groan and attempt to stand himself. Just as I turned towards the gun, it was like Cain had regained momentum and glanced at it as well.
We both leaped for it, hitting the ground in a loud thud. My eyes got blurry and I tried to suppress the pain of the earlier head butt. The top of my head pounded as I felt the cool metal of the gun in my fingertips. Cain wrapped both arms around me and pulled me back. I screamed as he climbed on top of me, blood dripping from his mouth. I struggled and clawed at him - the way I remember at the gym. My hand reached out and scratched at his eye, causing his hands to fly away from me and cover them in protest.
He cursed and groaned as I crawled from under him, reaching my hand around the gun and scrambling to stand a few feet away from him. I held it in my hand and pointed towards Cain as he slowly got to his feet, his hand still holding his face.
"Give me the gun, Ana."
My hands were trembling as I shook my head, "never."
"You're going to get hurt," he pointed to the gun, "now give me the gun and it's going to be okay. Alright?"
"Eric taught me," I blurted out.
"Then he's a fool," Cain replied. "What makes him think that one night you won't take a gun and shoot him in the head, claiming it was self-defense?"
"Is that what you were afraid of," I questioned. "That while you slept, your shy, quiet, obedient wife from Amity would take a gun and murder you," I shook my head and went back towards the screen.
"That's where you're wrong, honey," he stated. "There's no way in hell after we were married that I stay in our bed."
My eyes narrowed at him before going back to the screen. I swiped around and pressed a few buttons, every now and then glancing back at Cain to make sure that he was still where he was. After a few attempts, the screen finally showed a familiar face.
"Edward," I smiled and then immediately frowned. "I'm so sorry about Myra, Edward. I'm so sorry," I began to weep.
"Don't," he shook his head and attempted to put on a reassuring smile for me but it didn't help. I knew he was upset. I could see the pain in his eyes. "I just want to take out the bastards that killed her. I think that..." Edward paused and looked down, shaking his head.
"God, I was such an idiot. If I had just..."
"Stop," Edward mumbled, "you can't blame yourself, Ana. Okay?" I nodded. "Now what's going on in there?"
"I got his gun," I said, looking at Cain. "I need help getting out of here, though. I'm still," I sighed and tried to shake the dizziness off. "I'm still a little disoriented."
Cain smirked and inched his way forward causing me to pull the trigger. The gun went off inches away from him as he jumped back. "Damn bitch," his eyes glared at me as he took a couple more steps back.
"Ana?"
"I'm okay. Can you all just hurry," I answered Edward, looking back at the screen.
"Eric is on his way." I looked at Edward and smiled.
Just as I opened my mouth to respond, Cain had ran full speed towards me, knocking the gun out of my hand. I screamed and heard Edward's voice trailing in the background until a loud crash sounded. I glanced up to see Cain had thrown the small monitor to the ground. He turned to me, a predatory look in his face and slowly took off his shirt.
"You're not going to do anything to me, you ass," I pushed myself up but Cain jumped onto me.
Cain pulled onto my hair, making me hiss in pain and anger. I remembered the men pushing me down the hall as I glanced back and saw Myra's body slumped on the ground. I remembered Hec being shoved into an SUV and the taunts that Marcus made about what was to become of him. I remembered the things Cain allowed his men to do, the things he said he was going to do to my cousin. I remembered every gross detail of this entire experience and used that to fuel my body. I fought against him, using my feet to kick out at him, any piece of damage was alright with me. I just had to hold on until Eric and Jess got here.
They were close, I told myself. My head was tilted back as I felt Cain yank at my underwear. That's when I moved my head, Cain's fingers taking a few strands of hair from my scalp. My head was still sore from the earlier head butt and the crash to the ground. And him pulling on my hair only agitated my vision and pain further.
As my head twisted I turned my mouth in and bit down hard on his neck, drawing blood. He slammed my head back against the ground twice. It thumped and vibrated in agony.
"I was trying to be nice to you, Ana," he said as he began to unbutton his pants.
My voice was hoarse and I knew that a part of me sounded pathetic. "Don't do this, Cain," I pleaded.
"All I have to do is get you pregnant," he grunted. "Any child you have inherits it all. That's why it was you," he muttered, using his forearm and pressing it down against my throat.
My hands reached out to push his hands away the best that I could. The pain from my head and the gripping of my throat were causing my eyes to slip close and my body to lax. No, I shouted. I had to stay conscious. I just had to. Cain's leg came up and he held his knee against my leg and waist, keeping me in place as his other hand came around my throat. Now that both his hands were there, they were effectively cutting off my air supply. I gasped, desperately trying to draw a breath. I couldn't even move my legs to kick him as the energy started to flow out of me. No, this wasn't happening.
Cain pressed his hands down with more pressure and I felt like everything was slipping away from me. Slowly, my body was giving up. I was unable to breath, unable to move, unable to fight. Eric, I thought, imagining his face in my head just as my body shut down.
Air immediately filled my lungs, a tingling sensation pumping it through me. I jumped, my body feeling as though it were in overdrive. My hands shot out and hit the restraints that were closing in around me.
"Ana! Ana," the voice shook me and I looked up to see a blurry figure in front of me.
My throat was on fire as I coughed and heaved and reached for anything to stabilize me. My vision was still blurry as the person next to me, scooped me in his arms.
"Come on, it's going to be fine." I recognized the voice but couldn't see a thing.
There was shouting behind me as I felt my body taken from the darkness. A huge light barged in the second we left the room and I wrapped my arms around my carrier's neck. "Eric?"
"He's taking care of some business. Just let me..."
My entire body stiffened. "No, I want Eric," I pushed weakly at my rescuer.
I needed Eric right now, more than I had ever needed him or anyone else for that matter. My entire body ached to have his arms around me and hear his whispers of affection and comfort. More than anything else, I wanted to rest my head against his chest and hear his heart beat, feel it sync with mine.
"Where's Eric?"
"I'm taking you to a doctor."
"No! You will put me down right now and I'm going to fucking wait for Eric," I pushed back. "Eric," I shouted for him.
And that's when I felt something pinch my thigh. I yelped and immediately jerked my body. They had injected me with something and I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit. This time, the effects were calming. Instead of struggling to keep the unconscious state away, I allowed it to overtake me. My eyes shut again and my body lax. I felt myself being carried out of there and being placed on a soft gurney. Voices speaking about my wounds and the blaring of an ambulance lulled me to sleep.