After

Chapter 4

"Where are you taking me?" Lauren asks, her voice shaky as her captor just turns around and looks at her. She can see his eyes through the slits in his mask, they are dark brown eyes, seemingly familiar, but she doesn't know where she has seen him before. Then again, she has seen so many people in her life; she wouldn't be surprised if he was a fan who came in contact with her once or twice before.

"Somewhere they'll never find you." He replies.

"What do I call you?" She asks.

"Call me... Max." He responds.

She is encouraged by the fact he is still using the voice modulator and still wearing his mask. She thinks maybe it means he intends to let her go in the future and doesn't want her to see his face now. This is her hope. This is the only way she is going to be able to survive. She watches his every move, trying to determine his strong points as well as his weak points. She looks to see if he has any nervous ticks when he talks to her. Nothing. His hands aren't even shaking. He's not nervous at all; he acts as if this is just everyday life to him. Maybe it is.

After what seems like an eternity, the boat docks on a small island. 'Max' ties the boat to the dock and takes hold of the chains attached to Lauren's wrists. She is pulled to the ground and dragged to the exit of the boat. "Stand up." He commands but Lauren doesn't budge. "I said stand up, stupid." She still remains of the floor, knowing her legs are too weak to support her. He rushes over to her and roughly picks her up. She lets out a gasp as he places his arm around her back full of wounds. "Now you're really gonna get it, Laur." Normally only her friends call her that. Maybe she did know him outside of her large fan base.

He sets her down, deciding it would be more painful for her if she was dragged across the ground. Her body is placed on the refreshing cool grass, but after only a few feet, the grass ends and the ground is made up of dirt and rocks. New cuts and bruises form on her already beaten body, as tears once again begin to fall from her face. She thinks this is the most she has ever cried in her life. Suddenly, she is being dragged across a very cold but smooth surface. It might have felt a little nice if she hadn't been so bruised. She realizes she is in a house, and a pretty nice one at that. It looks very modern and is complete with a large white sectional couch, flat screen TV, very up to date kitchen, and then she sees it. Her nightmare has somehow become worse. She sees two other men, both wearing masks, both looking like they could kill her with one punch to her head.

"No no no." She whispers as fear settles over her body once again.

"Look man, are the voice modulators necessary?" One asks.

"You know why we use them." He replies, "She would recognize our voices, and she needs to figure out who we are by herself."

"Fine. We'll do it as long as she does what you promised she would do." The other states.

"She's ours... well, mainly mine, but you know I'm good at sharing." The man holding Lauren's chains responds as Lauren shudders. He brings her past the kitchen and down a hallway with multiple bedrooms on either side. At the end of the hallway on the right, there is a room with a steel door. Max opens the door and drags her in the room. There is a mattress on the floor with a pillow and blanket, a full bathroom, and a closet with clothes that looked like they would fit her. She doesn't want to know what these men have planned for her. All she knows is there is no possibility of her escaping.

Meanwhile, the girls other girls are flown to Washington D.C. They are sent to the main FBI headquarters and are left waiting in a room filled with comfortable couches, pillows, and blankets. "When will we be able to see our families?" Dinah asks, smoothing out the fresh clothes given to her on the plane.