Trails of Secrets

14. Kidnapped

Annalise woke up on the floor of a small, empty room. When she tried to get off the floor, she found that she was tied up. She moved around a little to see how strong the ropes were. 

The ropes were very tight. I guess I can't squeeze out of these. 

Annalise snorted. That rhymed.

Somehow, she managed to stand to her feet and walk over to the door. How did she get here again? 

The door flew open and slammed into Annalise. 

Her body fell and she hit her head on the hard, wooden floor. A large man walked into the room and pulled her off the ground. With a closer look, she recognized him as one of the men who had kidnapped her the night before. Oh, that's right. 

She had been kidnapped. 

                                                               ~~~

"I don't know what to do!" Sara cried out. She had been pacing the floor for the past ten minutes panicking and crying. "I just don't know what to do!" 

Liam reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "We will get them back. Either that, or they will return them."

Sara looked at Liam confused. "Why would they return them?"

Liam crossed his arms and asked, "Have you met Annalise?" He raised his eye brow the way that he had seen Chris do a number of times. Or, at least, he tried too. 

Sara laughed a little at his remark and Liam saw the sparkle in her eyes again.

                                                           ~~~

Annalise was seated in front of a large, smelly man. She crinkled her nose at the stench and provided her best unhappy face for him. 

"How rude."

The man looked slightly surprised. "Excuse me?"

Annalise took a deep breath and then immediately regretted it. She began to choke on the thick air and finished her thought. 

"I said, 'How rude.' Knocking me out, tying me up, and locking me in a room- all just to get a stupid meeting with a smelly jerk like you."

The man glared and leaned so close to her face, that she could feel the spit that flew from his mouth as it landed onto her skin. 

"Who.   Are.   You."

Annalise grinned. "I'm so glad you asked. I was born at a very young age and was given a name that I now bear..."

"You know what I mean!" His voice boomed. Annalise blinked. 

"If you want my resume, I left it at home. If you wouldn't mind untying me, I would gladly get that for you."

The man leaned back in his chair and tried to compose himself. "Why were you in that house?"

"Because I am a very nosy person. For instance: When was the last time you took a shower?"

The man roared and slugged Annalise in the stomach. 

She gasped for breath. Then she debated whether it was better not to. 

To breathe or not to breathe. That is the question. Inwardly, she laughed. I'm such an idiot.

"There's more where that came from," sneered the smelly man. "Now answer the questions."

"Is there a certain way I have to answer the questions?"

                                                                       ~~~

Liam and Sara had been sitting on the floor of the house making a plan of how to rescue Chris and Annalise. Even though Liam had joked about Annalise being kidnapped, he was very worried about her safety. Somehow, he felt responsible. He should have talked her out of this whole thing. I should have talked myself out of this whole thing. 

"I don't know where The Collector hides away, but I have a pretty good idea of where the men could have taken them. If we can just make a plan of escape, then we could get them out of there."

Liam watched Sara as she went on and on about what they could do to save Chris and Annalise. But Chris was the only one she mentioned. She thinks very much of him, thought Liam. Poor Sara.

"So how will we escape?" Liam asked.

"I don't know. I figured we could just improvise." 

Chris tried to lift his eye brow again. "Shouldn't we have a getaway plan?"

"I'm hoping we won't need a getaway plan."

"So you are thinking more of the stealthy route."

"Stealth, for sure."

                                                                ~~~

Blood trickled down Annalise's nose. Her ears rang and her head pounded from the blow that the man had given her. 

And her left eye really, really hurt. 

But even so, she wouldn't tell the man anything. 

Well, at least anything important.

"Have I told you about Steve? Oh, man. Do I love Steve. He gives me an extra scoop of ice-cream everyday, just because. It always makes my day. And my book is really coming along. I have eight hundred and thirty-two words written now. I know it doesn't seem like it, but that's a huge improvement. Really. And I really like my house. And my friend Liam is really cool. I have red hair. I've always wanted a pet do-"

The man pushed her chair over and she fell to the ground with it. 

"No more nonsense! I want some answers!"

Annalise choked on the hair that had flown into her mouth. She didn't know how much more of this she would be able to take. 

Annalise looked over towards the door. I wonder where Chris is. I hope that he isn't in the same situation. 

                                                                      ~~~

Liam watched as Sara shoved a few things into his backpack. Since Sara didn't have a backpack, Liam let her use his. 

"We will need this...." Sara mumbled as she threw in a rope. 

He had no idea what the plan was. 

Liam had thought that they were going to formulate a plan together, fill each other in on ideas, spend some time together, etc. But Sara had completely formed a plan in her head and was currently setting it into action without Liam's knowlege of what was happening. 

He hated surprises. 

Sara zipped up the backpack and slung it over her shoulder. 

"Alright. Let's get moving."

Liam followed her as she walked outside the house and into the woods. He asked himself the same question he found himself saying a lot recently.  

What have I gotten myself into?