Page 57 of Kidnapped in Dark Waters
They had been to both men’s shanties before. Both were small. All they’d have to do was open the front doors and it would instantly be known if Dominique was being held in one of them.
Let her be here, Luke prayed.Let her be here so we can rescue her and take her home. They would arrest the kidnapper and she’d never have to worry again. And let her be okay.
At the idea of the kidnapper harming her in any way, a rage momentarily stole the fear from Luke. Who was this creep who thought it was okay to take a woman from her life and those who loved her?
It didn’t take long to learn that Dominique wasn’t in either of the shanties. Neither man had a solid alibi for the night before, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t there.
As they headed back to their cars, a new, deep despair took hold of Luke. They had checked all the men who had been on their suspect list and had come up with nothing.
Where did they go from here? How on earth were they going to find her? A dreadful thought shot through his head. What if they never found her?
IT FELT ASif she’d been alone and tied to the bed forever. Without a window in the room, it was impossible for her to see what time it might be. She didn’t even know if it was day or night.
She continued to pull and tug at the restraints until her wrists were raw and burned from her efforts and she became breathless and had to rest.
She didn’t scream anymore. She’d realized there was no point in it. She’d screamed enough already and nobody had come to help her. Wherever she was, there apparently wasn’t anyone else around.
What she did know was she wasn’t in the swamp anymore. This room smelled faintly of sawdust and paint, not the sweet green and floral scents of her home.
When she was exhausted by her exertions, her thoughts ran free. She thought about her life. She thought about her mother’s murder and the loss and grief she still felt. Finally, she thought about Luke.
She was in the midst of thoughts about him when she heard the sound of a door slamming shut. Heavy footsteps came closer and she tensed with terror. Who was going to come through the door? Who had done this to her and what did they want with her?
The steps came closer and closer and then a lock clicked and the door slowly crept open. He stepped into the room. “You,” she gasped in stunned surprise.
He smiled at her. “Hi, Dominique. You really belong to me now.” He pulled out one of the chairs at the table and sank down.
“Please, you need to let me go. This isn’t the way to go about things,” Dominique said feverishly. “Untie me and let me go and you won’t be in any trouble.”
“I’ll untie you when you’re truly ready to be my wife,” he replied. He leaned forward. “Oh, Dominique, I’ve been so lonely. You know I’m crazy about you. Now, are you hungry? I have a nice steak for dinner for us this evening.”
She stared at his familiar face. Had he lost his mind? She was tied up in a bed after having been kidnapped and he was talking about steak for dinner?
“Actually, what I’d like is to use the restroom,” she replied. He would have to untie her and maybe she would be able to get away.
“Of course.” He jumped up out of the chair and moved to her side. She remained frozen in place as he untied first her wrists, then the rope around her waist and finally the one that had kept her legs from moving.
“You shouldn’t have to be tied up after today,” he said as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“That would be nice,” she replied evenly. Maybe untied she could figure out a way out of this nightmare. He gestured toward the closed door. “The bathroom is right there.”
She stood a bit unsteadily. She stayed in place until the pins and needles in her feet and legs stopped. After being in the same position all day, they all had gone numb.
“Feel free to use the shower in there whenever you want, and there is a large variety of dresses in the closet for you to wear.” He beamed a smile at her. “I’m particularly partial to the yellow dress.”
He stood. “Oh, Dominique, we’re going to have a wonderful life together. Now, I’ll be back with our dinner very soon.” With that he walked to the door, stepped out and when he closed it behind him she heard a lock fall into place.
Slowly, she walked into the small bathroom. She needed to find a weapon…something she could use to disable him so she could escape.
In the bathroom there was a stool, a sink and a shower with a bar of soap on the floor. There was no mirror that could be broken and no window to crawl through.
She left the bathroom and began to explore the rest of the bedroom. The vanity held nothing but a plastic bristle brush. There was absolutely nothing in the room that could be used as a weapon.
She sank down on the bed.Oh, Dominique, we’re going to have a wonderful life together. His words played and replayed in her head. The man was obviously delusional.
Maybe she could rush him at the door when he came back in. He would probably be carrying a couple of plates of food. It might be her only chance to escape.
With this thought in mind, she moved to position herself just inside the door. He was bigger than her, but she would have the element of surprise on her side.
