Chapter 75: Trapped

"Please be careful with her Riptide!" Cal hisses as the manservant carries the bound, unconscious, and heavily pregnant woman through the back door of his house. All the other servants had gone home for the night and the mansion was as dark as its master's soul. The two men had driven home in complete silence, knowing what they had now become a part of, literally, selling their souls to the devil himself. But to Cal, it was still a victory, Dawson would never ever defeat him and the steel tycoon would have everything no matter how many people he had to stomp on in order to get it. Rose was his and always would be.

"My apologies Mr. Hockley, but please keep in mind she is incredibly heavy and I cannot move without harming the infant."

"I understand your pain, but what I meant was don't hit her head on the door frame. It might wake her up, and I want to be the first thing she sees when it happens. I could care less about what happens to Dawson's bastard spawn in her. We'll take care of that later."

Riptide bites his lip, he's not sure if his master has thought through what this could mean for him in terms of consequences or how would he expect to marry Miss Dawson and have the life he wanted if he'd already kidnapped her and was holding her against her will. He shuddered slightly at the man's comment of "taking care of" the baby. The manservant may do a lot of things, but he would certainly not murder an innocent child, much less an unborn one. He pants and readjusts a few times to ensure that he did not drop the pregnant hostage.

The two cut through the back kitchen, Cal unlocking doors and holding them for his servant. His eyes often went hungrily back to the redheaded prey, helpless and finally could not run away. He should have tied her up a long time ago and kept her in the mansion always, she was like a wild animal, not being able to stay in one place to be domesticated.

Mr. Hockley opened the door to the furthest cellar/basement, which was cold and very dark. The steel tycoon lit a candle and supported his manservant with the heavy load down the stairs.

The cellar was an awful place, made almost completely of concrete, with no windows, a few large wine vats lined the back wall and a single light bulb swinging on a chain, which Cal pulled as they entered the room. Since the invention of the icebox, there was no need to store food down here anymore, so it sat dormant until now. It was one of a few that was now a prison cell for a woman who had been trapped more times than one could count. And this would be one more.

"Set her here," Cal says, pulling up an old chair. The man had prepared the room to his liking, complete with everything he would need to hold Rose hostage.

Riptide sat Rose in the chair, her head lolling from one side, still unconscious. The manservant then went to the corner of the room to rest. Cal then lifted her bound arms and put them over the back of the chair until it appeared that she'd been tied to it. He then grabbed some more rope from the corner. He wound it around her upper body, not caring how tight it might be that it would ruin her wedding dress or that it would compress her baby bump. She shouldn't have a child inside her anyway. He then adds and ties her already-tied feet to the legs of the chair. He then stands back to admire his work.

Rose looked completely helpless, almost like a rope sculpture, there was no way she would escape or that anyone would be able to find her. Then he leans down and kisses the top of her head.

"She probably won't wake until morning," Cal says confidently. "We can go and rest, you certainly earned it. Then tomorrow, I can bring some more tools down here."

"Very good sir," Riptide says, still sounding slightly out of breath. The manservant goes towards the steel door that is locked from the outside and pauses.

"Sir...?"

"What?"

"If you don't mind me asking... what do you hope to achieve from all of this?"

Cal swallows a very large lump in his throat and even through the dim lightbulb, one could see that his face and ears were turning red. Being asked this question infuriated him to no end. He sucks in a breath and turns to face his trusted "friend."

"Let me tell you this Riptide, and I'm only going to tell you it once." The dark-haired tycoon steps closer and closer as he speaks. "Working for me is the opportunity of a lifetime, no one will pay you as well as I do. You knew when I hired you that you would have to deal with more unpleasant things. If you suddenly feel squeamish after all that's happened... let me give you an ultimatum..."

Riptide is backed against the steel door as Cal is now inches from his face. The servant's heart is pounding loudly, he tries not to show fear but a few frightened breaths escape his lips.

"Either you serve me with complete and utter loyalty, not questioning my authority or... I can make sure that you never work again..."

Riptide nervously gazes into the man's dark eyes, they were soulless and devoid of any form of love, sympathy, or regret for what he'd done. He was a man who got what he wanted one way or another.

"Breathe a word of this to anyone and you will be very sorry," the man adds. "You have your choice..."

"I-I give my loyalty to you and o-only you," the man breathes nervously.

"That's what I thought, now come, our work is done for tonight."

...

In the beginning, there was nothing but pain.

Why do I hurt so much?

Rose's head hurt. It's throbbing continuously, pounding against her skull. A lot of her body was in pain and she wasn't sure why. Her mind is very foggy and she can vaguely feel her senses slowly coming back to her. Her hands and feet were tingling a lot too. It was so strange.

Where am I? What happened? She ponders. She breathes in the seemingly cold autumn air to clear her head. She tries to open her eyes to get out of this darkness. Her neck is numb as she slowly moves it upwards, trying to find the light. She continues to try and open her eyes, but they won't budge. Her mouth is very dry and she can't seem to speak at all.

What happened to her? Was she dead? Why was it so cold?

Then something in her abdomen moves. She can feel the tiny familiar sensation of a baby kicking against her. The rhythmic beat of small feet trying to let her know that it was there. This seemed to bring Rose back to reality more and suddenly the memories come flowing back like the rush of a waterfall.

The wedding! She and Jack were just about to kiss when police barged in and arrested him. She fought to keep him there and she ran after the police out into the church parking lot. She watched Jack being loaded into the police wagon, he seemed to try to be screaming something to her, but as she ran after the wagon, delirious in grief and confusion, she let her guard down. As the wagon rounded the corner, Rose went with it, still in her wedding dress, which was slowing her down. She went around to the back parking lot of the church, tears burning her eyes. She wanted to scream out in fear, but she never got the chance.

Suddenly, something covered her nose and mouth with an extreme amount of pressure. It muffled the scream she tried to let out, some dark gloved hand was holding it to her face while others tried to grab a hold of her entire body. She immediately started struggling with all the strength she had; trying to fight what she now knew was a rag that was pressed against her face. She stomped on her feet, twisted herself out of the grips of the hands and at one point, turned her head enough to escape the cloth, allowing her to bite down hard on something. She tried to turn and see who was attacking her, but all she saw were rimmed hats and trench coats. A pair of hands managed to grab her arms and force them behind her back. She thrashed and fought, but somehow the rag stayed to her face.

After a few moments, her entire body became weaker and weaker, her strength to fight was leaving her. Rose could feel her head spinning and the world around her seemed to follow. She had very little time to comprehend what happened next when darkness claimed her consciousness.

She knew she'd been grabbed by someone, that much was true and now, Rose would try fighting again. Although not all her strength was back, she'd have to try. She begins struggling to move her limbs and to her horror, she finds she can't move them. She tries to scream out, but all that comes out is a muffled scream. She begins thrashing back and forth, trying to break whatever bonds were holding her, but to no avail.

Suddenly, a cold voice reaches her ears.

"I'd stop struggling if I were you, it will only make it worse."

Rose's heart drops to her stomach. She'd recognized that voice anywhere. The last time she heard it, he was asking why she was going to powder her nose. It was cold and unforgiving, with little kindness behind the words. She began to panic and became very much afraid. Her mind is racing with questions, wondering how he found her and why he'd do this to her.

She thrashes even more until she feels something on her face and then she can suddenly see again.

Her green eyes blinked frequently to adjust to the light, it wasn't very bright, but once her vision was in focus she saw the face of a man whom she never wanted to see again.

"Hello sweet pea..." he smirks. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Rose wants to yell out, but she finds her mouth stuffed with a thick gag. She looks down at herself, she's still in her dress, but she's nearly bound from head to foot. Her eyes looked frantically around, trying to find out where she was. It was dark and the only source of light was from a bulb above her. The chair she was tied to rocked a few times as she struggled until Cal put his hands on either side of it to stop the motion.

"You really thought you could escape me?" he hisses menacingly. He cups her chin so they are looking eye to eye. Rose tries to look brave, but her entire body is trembling. Cal looks more deranged and angry than he ever did before. She knew why he was all those things, but it didn't make her understand this anymore. Her heart pounds in her ribcage, a shiver going up her spine as he forces her to look at him.

"You really thought that you had outsmarted me?" he says, malice and satisfaction dripping in his voice. "I thought I made this clear to Dawson and everyone else that you were 'friends' with, I always win."

If she wasn't gagged, Rose would have tried to bite him. She attempts to turn away, but he grips her face harder, forcing it to stay in place.

"LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" he barks, squeezing her chin tightly so much it hurts.

His entire body is filled with rage. He wanted to make her pay, to make her feel the pain that he had gone through... the embarrassment, the rage, the need, the anger and now... he could.

"You can give up the idea of escape," he taunts with glee. "No one knows that you're here nor do I doubt that they care. Even if they did, your beloved gutter rat will be spending many years behind bars for child kidnapping, assault involving conception, theft and attempted murder."

It clicks in Rose's mind that it was Cal who got Jack arrested in the first place. She glares at him with as much anger as she can muster. She tries to struggle again, but he holds the chair in place.

"I'm going to enjoy this very much, Rose..." Cal says, licking his lips and then his teeth. He keeps her face in his grip. "I'm going to make you feel what I've felt these past few months..."

Rose shudders in fear, she tries to say something to Cal, but can't.

"What's that?" he smirks. "Why yes, I do think you deserve it..."

Rose makes more noises in anger.

"Don't worry about the spawn, I have plans for it too. You should know by now, that I am not above hurting women or children." Both flashback to the showdown on the stern where he threatened to kill Emma and baby Sybil.

"But first, we're going to have a little fun..."

A/N: Cal has what he wants and he's not going to let it go. Please read and review