Secret Deception (Jonathan Black's Love Story)

Chapter 52: Chained

I knew the moment I heard his voice that something was wrong and not just that Cameron was missing. His voice was horse. He was hurt. I knew his voice better than almost anyone.
I drove out to the parking lot and found a large white van in the back corner.
I called Penelope and slid the phone back into my pocket before climbing out of the car.
"Dr. Black. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." A deep voice calls from inside the van.
"So, I'm here. What do you want?" I asked standing at the hood of my car.
"I want you to come with me willingly. I don't want to have to hurt such a pretty face."
"Where's Jonathan and Cameron?"
"Cameron's waiting for us back home. As for Jonathan..."
The van's back doors opened to reveal my husband hanging by his wrists from chains hooked to the corners of the van. His shirt torn and tattered barely hung by a thread from his shoulders. He had multiple bruises and a few decent looking cuts. One to his side, one to his stomach and what looked like a through stab wound to his forearm. He was gagged and he looked at me weakly.
"If you come willingly I'll let you get him down so you can care for him. If you insist on fighting me I'll kill him right now and take you anyway." The voice said.
"You have to leave our children alone." I called back.
"I have no interest in your children. Do we have a deal, Dr. Black?"
I looked at my husband as his head bobbled against his chest as he came in and out of conciousness.
"If we have a deal toss your gun back into the car and walk slowly to the van with your hands raised and I'll give you the key to his bindings so you can get him down before we leave."
I tossed my gun locked my car and raised my hands walking towards the van. He flinched as I gently touched my husband as I climbed into the van around him.
The doors slammed shut behind me causing Jonny to panic.
"This is how we're going to do this. On the floor are two sets of handcuffs. They're just a formality but I want them on. The key to the chains is hanging on the wall to your left. Release him long enough to lay him down the put the first pair of handcuffs on him. Then take the second set and place them on yourself. You can use anything you find back there to clean his wounds and care for him."
"How did you know I'd do what you wanted?" I asked as I undid Jonny's chains and took his weight into my arms pulling him a little further into the van.
"You love them. You'd do anything for them." He answered simply.
"Can I take this gag off of him? He's having trouble breathing." I asked closing the handcuffs around his bruised wrists.
"Yes." He answered.
I pulled the gag off him and lifted him up long enough for him to catch his breath before laying him down so I could secure my own wrists in the handcuffs. I knelt down next to my husband and began cleaning the blood from his arms and upper body so I could see the extent of the damage.
"Hey. Jonny. Look at me, baby." His eyes fluttered open before he raised his eyes to mine and managed a small smile.
"You came?"
"Of course I came." I muttered incredulously as I wrapped up his forearm tightly to control the bleeding.
"I'm sorry, Lexa." He muttered quietly.
"For what?" I asked tending to his stomach wound.
He struggled to help me lift him up so I could wrap his first wound.
"I should have leaned on you when he took Cameron. I was reckless. That's why were in this situation now." He winced as I moved to the wound on his side.
"We're going to be just fine. Don't worry." I said kissing his forehead before laying him back down after his torso was wrapped.
"Can I ask what it is that you want?" I asked after I situated Jonny's head into my lap as I sat against the van wall.
"All in good time, Dr. Black." He answered.
"We're here."
"Jonny can't walk right now." I stated.
"I'll carry him. You do as your told and I'll let him stay with you."
"Okay." I agreed.
When the van doors opened a tall man stood in front of the door way.
"Let me take him, step out and stand right here." He gestured and I complied.
A stone stairwell laid before us.
"One stair at a time and stop at the door."
I took the stairs one at a time coming to a stop in front of a large wooden door.
The man carried Jonny over his left shoulder and used his right hand to unlock the door.