Kathryn

2

A hard jolt to my backside pulled me from my sleep and I tried to sit up but found I couldn't. My hands and feet are bound tight. I was in a small cramped space, but I wasn't alone. Other bodies pressed against mine. They were crying. If I could cry I would too, but I was too numb for that.

Everything my father ever taught me seemed to be laughing at me. He'd be so disappointed in me right now. After all his lessons on not getting into a situation just like this one, here I was, bound and gagged. Probably in a trunk. I only hoped Neely got away. I hated to think of her in here or in another trunk similar to this one.

I felt so stupid. How could I let myself walk into this? Or get dragged into it by Neely. I'd be pissed at her if I wasn't so worried about her. I was afraid I'd never see her again. What if Bastien killed her and I was on my way to become a victim of human trafficking? Red heads were a catch on the black market.

Well, I didn't know if they were or not, but that kept going through my mind, so I didn't brush it off as my own imagination going crazy. I was too terrified to not think of all the what ifs and realize any of them could come true.

Another jostle of the car sent me rolling into the hard metal of the trunk and I winced. Whoever was driving couldn't actually drive. Or they just didn't care they had live people back here who would end up black and blue by the time we reached our destination.

My head hurt and I was thirsty. So thirsty I could probably drink a gallon of water straight down. To be fair, though, my last memory was of puking my guts out so it's no wonder I'd sell an appendage for a bottle of water right now.

Whatever Bastien put in my drink sure was strong. It knocked me useless in under a minute. To think I'd thought he was cute and even considered taking him home. Crap on toast. I never thought like that about any guy. I must have really been drunker than I'd first thought.

But oddly, I remembered his eyes. The kindness I saw in them made me not want to believe he did this even though clearly he did since I'm hog tied in the back of a trunk.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

My throat burned and the need for water grew. I ached to quench the thirst gnawing at me. At least I didn't need to pee after all the water and drinks I'd had tonight...wait...oh God, what if I pissed all over myself?

Well, it might make me less appealing to some old man who wants to buy a petite redhead to chain up in his basement, barely feed, and do awful things to. Yeah, maybe if I pissed all over myself, I might not be the top choice.

Not that it mattered, really. I might end up with someone worse than the old man if I'm the bottom of the barrel. So not peeing on myself was just as much a boon as stinking of piss. I was screwed either way.

I shook off the last of my fuzziness and took stock of the situation. I might be screwed, but it didn't mean I couldn't fight. My hands were tied high up, but I could still stretch my fingers down to where my phone was stashed in my back pocket. Only it wasn't there. They must have searched me for anything I could use to call for help. I doubt any of us in here had a phone left on us. Unless one of them hid their phone in a less conspicuous place. Trust me, with skirts and dresses a girl could get creative.

Frustrated, I snapped a kick off at the trunk lid, but being bound as I was, I only managed to cause a cramp in my leg and no way to relax it. A charlie horse as my grandpa always called it was one of the worst pains imaginable. I got a cramp so vicious once, my leg was sore for a week.

I wish they hadn't stuffed a gag in my mouth. At least then I could talk to the others in here with me. They're as scared as me. Most of them were crying and the ones that aren't, well, they could still be unconscious or numb like I was. Either way, being able to talk would have calmed our nerves down a bit.

And I'd know if Neely was in here with me.

Was she bound and gagged, terrified for me too?

Tears tried to leak out, but I refused to give these a-holes the pleasure of my tears. Not they could see them right now, but it was the principle of the thing.

Where were they taking us? I hated feeling helpless. It's why I went out in jeans and nice shoes. I could run in shoes as opposed to heals. Didn't do me a bit of good, however, if they drugged me ahead of time. How could I be so stupid as to let a stranger buy me a drink? I knew better. Always get your own drinks, Daddy said. I'd followed his advice every single other time.

But Bastien and those eyes of his. I found myself trusting him in the moments I met him. Was I ever a lousy judge of character.

There was no hint of light streaming through the cracks where the trunk lid so I assumed it was still night. So maybe we hadn't gone far. If I could get away when we got to wherever we were going, I wouldn't have far to run to find help.

Maybe.

Someone bumped into me and I jumped, not expecting it even though I knew there were others here. The girl seemed just as surprised as me as she pulled away. She was one of the criers. I heard her because she was close to my ear. She sounded so scared and I could do nothing to comfort her because of my bonds. My mom always taught me to try to help others if I could.

There was nothing any of us could do to help each other as the hours passed and our fear grew, though.

Allwe could do was wait.