1. #2
The woman wore a black leather corset and bra, which greatly accentuated her breasts, and a leather thong and fishnets. She sat as if she was a guest awaiting a host instead of a bound and gagged prisoner, her mouth sealed with a strip of grey duct tape that almost matched her eyes.
“How’s it feel, to be as helpless as your countless victims.” Lin smiled at Lotus.
Lotus just stared at her with those unsettling eyes.
Lin took a seat in a chair across from Lotus and crossed her legs, as if chatting with an old friend.
“I’m sure that a woman like you just abhors being helpless, at another person’s mercy.” Lin continued.
Lotus still made no reaction.
“I’ve waited so long to sit here and have a talk with you. As much as I’d love to keep you muzzled, I think it’s time to talk.” She gestured to Kincaid, who shuffled over, removed the tape from Lotus’ mouth, and backed away.
Lotus let out a breath once her gag was removed and licked her lips.
“Agent Rossi, how I have been looking forward to meeting you as well.” Lotus answered.
“Well, we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.” Lin countered.
Lotus turned her head, taking in the safe house.
“What a beautiful home you have.” She complimented.
“It’s just a safe house, our base of operations, in fact, Kincaid, why don’t you contact local P.D. about using their holding cells for our guest.” Lin gestured to her partner, who nodded and stepped out of the room.
“Shame, I was looking forward to having comfier accommodations.” Lotus shrugged.
“Better get used to a cell, that’s where you’ll spend the rest of your life. Fitting isn’t it, a life of captivity for you after you did the same to so many women.”
“How do you know that I’m not familiar with being a captive?” Lotus asked.
“I know everything about you.” Lin grimaced.
“And I you.” Lotus smiled.
“Is that so?” Lin tensed, knowing that Lotus was trying to get into her head.
“You chased me across the world, I thought it might be prudent to know my enemy.” Lotus’ face was blank, a mask.
“Then you know what I want.” Lin tensed.
“Your sister.” Lotus smiled.
“You know, Ace is looking for any excuse to prove they haven’t lost control of Marston’s Pointe. Maybe if you tell me where Janna is I won’t feed you to them.”
“Please, I know you won’t, and I know you’ll do anything to find your sister.”
“Lotus, you don’t have much time before we haul you off to jail. Then, with backup, I’m going to tear apart your little massage parlor. How many women will I find there who have been imprisoned against their will?”
“Why didn’t you look for yourself?” Lotus narrowed her gaze on Lin.
“Because I wanted to have this little chat first.”
“Quality time, I appreciate that.” Lotus laughed.
“So use your time wisely.” Lin settled back in her chair.
“Do you know what it’s like, being in captivity?” Lotus asked.
“I’m sure you’re intimately familiar with it.” Lin spat.
“More than you know.” Lotus’ eyes betrayed something in that moment, a rare show of emotion from the stone cold woman.
In that moment, her eyes showed anger.
***
The Past…
Beauty was always my gift, and my curse. With beauty, I could get anything I wanted, any man I wanted. They never saw me as a person, but as a thing. When they looked into my eyes, they only saw what they wanted, but had no idea what I held behind them.
It was these eyes of mine that got me kidnapped so long ago.
I was young, a student in Seoul, and these grey eyes were vibrant, filled with hopes and dreams, and I had many hopes and dreams for that night when I went out.
My clothes were tight, accentuating every curve and sinew of my body.
As the music played at the club that night, I could feel my nipples pressing through the thin fabric of the black shirt I was wearing.
My pants were little more than a pair of black tights, with panties that were barely a string.
When I wore clothes like that, I felt strong, powerful, and sexy.
Sometimes, as I slipped on a pair of small thong panties, I would get aroused at the thought of how desirable I was, and that night, I looked absolutely delicious.
As I danced to the beat of the silly pop music blaring through the speakers, I could feel the men’s eyes on me.
There on the dance floor, I was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the men thought they were the hunters but when in reality, they were my prey.
You see Lin, I wasn’t only gifted with beauty, but with brains too.
I had graduated at the top of my class, and was attending one of the finest universities in South Korea when my life changed, when captivity made me what I am today.
I studied during the week, keeping my head down and between the pages of a book, but when school was over, I went out to find a companion for the evening.
Love and relationships never interested me, and I never wanted a man’s company longer than what he was good for.
They were distractions and for recreation only, though I brought women home as well. It made no difference to me.
Then I locked eyes with him, standing at the bar, clad in all black, poorly fitted clothing.
He was older, disheveled, with tired eyes.
The man stuck out like a sore thumb, and when I met his gaze, I instantly regretted it.
As a woman I’m sure you’ve encountered the type, the sad and lonely kind of man who follows the first women to smile at him around like a puppy dog.
He broke into a crooked smile, revealing even more crooked teeth, and I turned away, hoping to find a better partner for the night.
But unfortunately, meeting his gaze was enough for the man.
He shuffled across the dance floor, his eyes glazed over with desire.
Suddenly, in my thin shirt with no bra and tight pants with nothing underneath but a g-string, I felt more vulnerable than I ever did.
Of course, as a woman, you must handle such situations with grace, so I made my way deeper into the sea of bodies on the dance floor, sweat coating my entire body as I pretended to move to the beat of the music.
But I had lost the beat, and the only rhythm I knew now was the pounding of my own heart.
Like a shark, he pursued me through the water of the club, but I continued to play innocent, hoping some other poor woman might cross his path.
But still he followed, staying at a distance but close enough so that I knew I was his target.
How did a man like that get into the club? Why wouldn’t anyone do something about him?
The thought had occurred to me to inform someone of my distress, but I was too young, too proud, too headstrong. I thought I could handle a man like him on my own. Speaking as a predator, I knew that if I proved too difficult, he would move on to easier prey.
Then an arm clamped on my wrist and my heart practically burst out of my chest. I tensed and spun, raising a fist to strike, but stopped when I saw that it was a woman.
“Oh there you are! We’ve been waiting for you!” She smiled a dazzling, perfect smile at me.
She was older, perhaps middle-aged, but her beauty had no faltered with time. My rescuer was not Korean but looked to be of Chinese descent, and had her in twin buns on either side of her head and wore a red, silky skirt that accentuated her toned, powerful looking legs.
“Come on, meet the other girls!” She smiled, while flashing a look over my shoulder.
Despite her elegance and beauty, her grip was strong and powerful, and her eyes were full of intelligence.
I was not the first young girl she had rescued from men of ill intent.
She spun her athletic body around and pressed it against mine, inviting me to share in the charade, to dance like we were old friends or lovers reuniting.
The man backed off. Men like him are always afraid of women in packs, but he didn’t stray far. As the night went, he remained at the bar, watching us with hungry eyes.
The woman didn’t leave my side, and as the night wore on, her body grew closer to mine.
At first I played along, pretending to be her companion and friend for the evening, but as the night wore on, I too moved closer to her, realizing that I may yet go home with a prize.
She pressed her back against mine and my hands ran down her hips, feeling the thin fabric of her skirt fly up, and the soft flesh of her buttocks inviting me closer.
Our bodies intertwined on the floor, her graceful neck arching towards mine, and those intelligent eyes filled with longing.
“Want to get out of here?” I sighed into her ear, both of our bodies slick with perspiration and longing.
“We still have a friend.” She leaned her head back and motioned to the bar.
The man was there, watching, waiting…
“Follow me.” She took my hand and led me across the dance floor, marching like a soldier to battle.
The man at the bar barely had time to react, and shot up, trying to grab his drink as he did, but we had already disappeared into the throng of bodies.
I gave myself to the woman in that moment, and she navigated the crowded dance floor like an experienced sea captain braving rough waters.
Then we plunged through a service door and out into the alley behind the club.
We were giddy with excitement at evading our unwanted friend, and the cool night hair hitting our sweat soaked bodies refreshed us. We laughed, our eyes meeting, and then I leaned in, ready to spark the flames of passion that would carry us through the night.
Before our lips met, a cloth was pressed over my face. A nauseating smell invaded all of my senses. I tried to scream but the cloth silenced any attempt at protest or cry for help.
“Mmmmph! Ummm mmph!” I cried, unintentionally breathing in more of the noxious smell as I tried to call for help.
The sound of my own muffled cries would become common to me after that, and soon I forgot what my voice sounded like. Every word I spoke was through a layer of cloth or a gag filling my mouth.
Everything went black.
When I woke up I found myself in the most luxurious bedroom I had ever been in.
The bed was a king and made with the finest silk sheets.