“Stop it, bitch!” he commanded with a deep, harsh voice, as he slapped her right across her face. His hand connected with her cheekbone and Anna thought her face was going to explode. Anna rubbed at her face and was shocked to see blood when she pulled back her hand. “Such a pretty face, don’t make me mess it up,” he threatened. His deep rasping voice sent a shiver down Anna’s spine. Before Anna had time to fight, he snatched Anna’s arms and tied them behind her back, binding them with thick strips of grey duct tape.

As reality sunk in and the terror took over, Anna began shaking uncontrollably. Her sobs grew louder until he barked at her again. “You, little Missy, are going to give me everything that my heart desires.” He ran his fingers up and down Anna’s arm, a slimy smile creeping over his face.

Anna summoned some courage that she didn’t even know she had. “H-How can I do that?” stuttered Anna between sobs. “I’m not successful or rich. I’m just a nobody. I’ve got nothing to give you.”

With an evil grin and a vicious laugh, he explained, “It’s not money or success that I want. All I want is what is rightfully mine. Before that sleazy friend, boyfriend, lover or fiancé or whatever the fuck you’re calling him these days, gets it first. I deserve it. I earned it. And I assure you, I always get what I want. I warned him. But he wouldn’t listen.” His calloused fingers stroked her leg. Nausea had her firmly in its grasp. He was going to do whatever he wanted with her until James played into his hands.

The woman in the front turned around and glared at Anna. She was a rather pretty girl with fiery red hair. Her face was covered in freckles and her narrowed brown eyes were filled with hatred and disgust. Anna couldn’t decide if the hate beams radiating from her were targeted at her or the sleaze bag beside her. She looked about the same age as Anna, maybe a few years younger. “Where to?” she asked in a gentle voice.

“I think we would like to go back to my place. Then we can get better acquainted.” She just nodded and focussed back on the road.

***

James

James was going crazy. He was still stuck in the centre of the media frenzy. He knew something was wrong. Really wrong. Anna wouldn’t just disappear like that. He had to find her but right now he was trapped. Quickly he realised that the only way to get Anna back in his arms where she belonged as quickly as possible was to ask for help. Again. He knew that he would look like a fool losing Anna twice and in such a short space of time, but right now he couldn’t care less how he came across. Anna was more important than attempting to save face.

“James!” someone called out over the crush of bodies. “What’s wrong? Lose your gold medals?” he was asked as a microphone was thrust into his chest.

James sighed. “I wish,” he murmured under his breath. Running his hands through his hair, trying to contain the panic building inside of him, he pulled himself to his full height. “That young woman who was here with me a minute ago is my fiancée, Anna. Did anyone see where she went?” he asked hopefully.

James’s eyes filled with tears as the cameramen switched their microphones off and put their cameras down. Maybe they do have some morals and compassion, he thought, surprised. One petite young blonde told James that she had seen Anna being whisked away by a man in a heavy grey overcoat and sandy coloured hair. She told him that Anna looked scared and like she was struggling to get away.

James’s heart leapt into his mouth. This couldn’t be happening. They had only a handful of perfect hours together before the world as they knew it had been ripped away from them. Again. Now Anna had been fighting as some guy had thrown her in the back of a car. James’s legs felt like jelly beneath him and moments later he collapsed into a heap on the footpath. People pushed and shoved, trying to get to him. James didn’t know what to do. He was lost. He felt like he couldn’t breathe as he struggled to take in deep breaths.

The doors of the airport once again opened and Ian strolled out onto the street.

“What the hell is going on over there?” Ian asked as he wandered over towards the action. Fans and journalists jumped backward, allowing Ian to part the crowd like it was the Red Sea, right through to where James was. When Ian’s gaze landed on James, he was unable to hide his shock. James was sitting on the cold, hard concrete shaking and struggling to breathe. He was as white as a ghost. “Someone call an ambulance,” Ian boomed. He sat James up and wrapped his arms around him, trying to keep him warm.

One young fan took off his jacket and handed it to Ian. “Here, use this.” Ian just nodded and draped it over James’s shoulders.

“What the fuck?” Ian queried. It was obvious to anyone who took a moment to look close enough he was balancing on the very edge, threatening to go catatonic at any moment.

The blonde started to explain when a fight broke out behind her. One of the cameramen had started filming again. The news reporter that accompanied him snarled, “This is not news. Turn that fucking thing off!” The cameraman kept filming James, who was sitting there on the ground but his mind was more than a million miles away. The reporter snapped again, snatching the camera and chucking it to the ground, where it smashed to pieces.

The ambulance arrived. Carefully the medics loaded James onto the stretcher and into the back of the ambulance. “We’ll take him to the private hospital,” the ambulance officer told Ian quietly.

“Okay. I’ll make some calls. Is he going to be okay?” The ambulance officer just shrugged his shoulders. Although it wasn’t what Ian wanted to hear, it was his honest opinion. He had no idea. He didn’t know what had caused it and he had no idea how he could be snapped out of it.

***

Anna

By the time the Land Rover stopped not only was Anna blindfolded with her arms bound, but he had also managed to bind her ankles, leaving her powerless and at his mercy. She had no way of defending herself. His accomplice, the oddly quiet driver, pulled the car to a halt and jumped out.

With his large hands he picked Anna up. Deliberately he snaked one hand on Anna’s bum, giving it a generous squeeze while the other landed on her back. Anna whimpered. She heard his sharp intake of breath and then they were moving again. She couldn’t see where was going, all she knew was that he was climbing stairs before she was roughly thrown onto what Anna could only assume was a bed. She was still pleading with him to let her go, but her cries went unanswered. She didn’t want him to touch her or even talk to her. All she wanted to do was go home and have a shower. When she heard the slamming of the door, Anna assumed he’d left her alone. For now anyway.

She lay on the bed feeling sorry for herself. Forcing herself to swallow down the pity she was feeling, she started trying to wriggle free from her bindings. A moment later she heard the door creak open and footsteps echoed through the room. Despite knowing she should keep calm and talk her way out of this, her anger got the better of her. Anna started squealing. “Get out of here. Leave me alone,” she screeched as she tried to fight her way free.

“I’m sorry, Miss. I really am. What’s your name?” It was his accomplice.

“What the fuck do you care?” Anna snapped.

“Look, I said I’m sorry. What more can I do?” Anna could tell the young woman was faltering. Her voice had become shaky and soft.

“Let me go. Please. Help me get out of here. At the least untie me. Give me a chance,” Anna begged as her anger began to fade and desperation laced her voice. Anna couldn’t find the strength to hate her any more. Now she just wanted this woman’s help. She needed it.

“I can’t. He’ll kill me. I’m sorry,” she whimpered and left the room as quietly as she’d appeared. Anna’s cries started again as she heard a door slam. It was too far away to be the door to the room where she was being held.