The Agent
How the hell am I supposed to get away from this asshole? I thought as we walked down the hallway towards the back exit of the restaurant.
Just after he’d gotten inches too close to remind me of his cruel intentions, he tossed my jacket back over my shoulders, hoisted me up out of my seat and pushed me toward the door. Cool metal pressed against the back of my spine before he opened it. “Behave,” he quietly warned.
Nodding, I made the silent promise not to scream. Complying to their wishes was always the hardest part of being held against your will. But the more time I had, the better. Especially since I didn’t have back up. If I wanted to survive, then I needed to stall for as long as possible.
We walked through the threshold and into the dark, cool night. The lights of the restaurant only stretched so far back here, leaving most of the terrain a mystery to the eye.
Glancing around, I sought for a better glimpse at the area beyond the parking lot. The restaurant itself stood off to the side, separated from other shopping centers by one or two miles by a few wooded areas.
If I move fast enough, I could make it to the other side of the main road. Get help. And if I was lucky, have the bastard close enough behind to knock his ass out and put him behind bars.
Squinting, I tried to make out where the lot ended and the trees began. I needed to be close if my plan was going to work.
“Don’t even think about it,” my captor warned as he noticed my wandering gaze. “You run and your boy toy gets a bullet in his head.”
I whipped my head around to look up at him.
In the newfound darkness, I could barely make out the silhouette of his face.
I could only imagine some of the features I’d made out in the flickering lights of the candles.
The perpetual, apathetic line on his lips.
Sharp jawline. Steady yet piercing dark eyes.
Not much for a detailed sketch, but at the very least, a strong foundation.
“You promised he’d be safe,” I said.
“On the condition that you behave.”
“I will if you let him go.” I dug my heels into the pavement, trying to cease our steps. “Now.”
My protest didn’t make him skip a beat. Continuing his stride, he swooped down, swooped his arm around my thighs and threw me over his shoulder.
“Hey!” I yelled, taken aback by the sudden lift. “Put me down!”
“I don’t take orders from my targets,” he replied.
Growling, I balled up my fists and punched his back with all my might. “Let go of me, you brute!”
“Name calling won’t do you any favors.”
“Ugh!” I groaned. I writhed and wiggled in his grasp, but his grip was iron tight.
He walked a few extra feet before finally stopping.
I heard the soft creak of metal locks and doors. I tried to crane my neck to see over my shoulder, but I couldn’t catch a good view without the light. My silent questions were quickly answered when he flung me off his shoulder and onto a hard, metal surface.
My back roared from the collision. Sharp tingles trickled down my spine into my hips and legs, stunning every muscle in their path.
Taking advantage of my temporary paralysis, my captor grabbed both of my wrists in one hand and a string of rope with another. Harshly, he yanked me up into a sitting position and wrapped the thick rope around my wrists.
I gritted my teeth at the uncomfortable prickling of the sharp straw poking out of the rope. It was wound so tight, it felt like tiny needles digging into my skin.
Once my hands were bound, his gaze lowered to my legs.
An instinctual roll of nausea rolled through my stomach as I brought my knees up and crossed my ankles. “Don’t touch me,” I warned as I scooted backwards. “I swear to God, tied up or not, I will claw your fucking eyes out.”
I couldn’t see his expression in the dark, but I noticed the slight tilt of his head. “I’m not a good person,” he admitted. “But there are lines I would never cross.” He held out his hand. “I need to take your shoes off.”
His words, drenched in his deep voice and mixed with the silent chivalry of holding out his palm as if asking for mine, almost made me believe there was a kind soul in there - somewhere deep, deep down.
Then, he snatched my ankle and yanked me so harshly I flew backward, and all thoughts of potential redemption slipped away.
Familiar with the tingles of pain, I ignored the sensation and kicked my stilettos towards his face. “Let. Me. Go.” I said firmly, flicking my leg with every word.
Effortlessly, he wrapped his arm around both of my flailing legs and pinned them against the side of his abdomen.
With his free hand, he unhooked the straps of my stilettos around my ankles and replaced it with the rugged texture of the rope.
As he dropped my legs onto the ground, I felt a different type of tingle roll over my body.
The one I got whenever he looked me over, like a predator admiring the prey they’d caught.
He lingered there for a moment as if he was going to say something, but ultimately stepped back and closed the door.
Cloaked in blackness, I couldn’t see past my nose. My heart began to race and my stomach threatened to clench. Walls I couldn’t see began to cave in, and it became harder to breathe in the lack of space. I started breathing faster, desperate to catch every single ounce of oxygen available.
No, no, I told myself as I shut my eyes. I can’t panic. I’ll find a way out of this. I always do.
Inhaling a deep breath, I tried to relax my body.
“I’m fine,” I whispered. “I’m fine.” Although farthest from the truth, the statement helped ease my nervous system.
In situations like this, I needed to stay calm and level-headed.
Panicking would muddle my thoughts and erase any chance of survival. And I had no choice but to survive.
Above my head, I heard the driver’s door open and slam shut. I shifted my neck back to catch a glimpse of the front seat of the van.
Slivers of light pierced through the window shield, outlining the shadow of my captor’s head and hands as he pushed the key into the ignition and twisted.
The floor beneath me vibrated as the engine came to life, and the cab rocked from the slow roll of the tires. But, I didn’t let the unsettling sounds distract me.
My breaths steadied with a few more deep breaths. I grabbed hold of the fear creeping up my body and shoved it back down in the hole it’d come from. I covered it with the heaviest objects I could imagine to trap it there.
Once my body was regulated and my mind was clear, I opened my eyes, determined to find a way out of here.
I shimmied to the side, mindful to stay out of sight of the rear view mirror, and didn’t stop until I felt the cold wall. Turning onto my side, I pressed my palms flat against the cool surface. Cautiously, I rubbed up and down the walls, searching for a corner with a sharp edge.
After a few seconds of aimless searching, my fingers finally grazed a jagged piece a few centimeters from the corner of the loading bay.
I wiggled my bound wrists on top of it, angling them so the sharp piece could hitch into the rope, and started tugging back and forth.
The coarse rope scratched me as I worked, but I ignored the pain.
It was minuscule compared to whatever laid in store if we reached our destination.
Eventually, the metal sawed its way through the thick cords and they came loose enough for me to wiggle out of.
I untied my ankles next.
Finally free of my bounds, I took another glance around the darkness encompassing me. The back door. I needed to find the back door.
Blindly, I patted my way back towards the other end of the loading bay using my feet. It was only a few moments before the cold metal of the doors kissed my bare soles. I sat up on my knees and fumbled my hands around for the handle.
All I was met with were nubs and protruding pieces of metal.
Did the bastard take the damn handle off?
I let out an exasperated sigh as I leaned back atop my calves. How the fuck was I going to get out of here without a door?
Again, I looked around the darkness in search of an answered prayer. My gaze lingered on where I’d just crawled from. Where the rope still lay.
The plan that crossed my mind was far from safe and could leave me worse off than I was now. But, I didn’t care. I at least needed to try.
I crawled back to the long line of rope that was once around my ankle. I wrapped each end around both of my knuckles, tight enough so my grip wouldn’t falter.
Staying low to the ground, I slithered up behind the driver’s seat.
This is a bad idea, my brain screamed as I prepared myself. My heartbeat thumped in my ears from the adrenaline and anxiety rising in my body.
I took in another deep breath to shoo the doubtful thoughts away. A bad idea was better than no ideas at all. A sliver of a chance at survival was better than none.
As I exhaled, the racking of my nerves settled. Stay calm and focus, I reminded myself. I can survive this. I will survive this.
Gathering the rest of my courage, I hopped up and seized my opportunity. I lifted my hands over his head, yanked them down to his shoulders and wrapped the rope tight around his neck.
“Shit!” He yelled as his head snapped back against the headrest, surprised at my sudden attack. One hand flew to the rope pressing against his neck while the other stayed on the wheel.
He struggled to keep the van rolling steady as he tugged at the rope. His grunts became guttural with the harsh material crushing his windpipe.
I leaned myself back, shifting all my weight backwards.
He groaned at the additional pressure. His fingers helplessly clawed at the rope. The hand on the wheel started to lose its balance, following the other in a panicked frenzy.
I held on tighter as the van started to veer left and right. I wasn’t letting go. Not until he was knocked out or dead. I didn’t care which one came first.
The van veered off toward the edge of the road, sliding inches too close towards the woods lining it. Without the driver’s control, skated off of the pavement and onto the forest terrain. The tires bounced on the uneven terrain, skirting in all different directions.
Sneaking a peek over his shoulder, I saw a massive tree a few feet ahead - directly in our path.
Closing my eyes, I held on tighter for dear life and braced myself for the collision.
The shattering of the windshield. The loud crash of the metal against the thick bark. My own body jutting forward and smashing into the back of the seat. All of it clashed together in a single moment.
The chaos of sensations, from my head smacking against the cushion to the glass cutting my knuckles to the burn of the rope in my hands, sent my head into a brief whirl.
I finally released the rope and sank down behind the seat as the world around me spun in a dark oblivion. Only relief didn’t wash over me. The eerie tingle intertwined with my spin was still there.
Get out! My brain still screamed at me. Run! Now!
Reluctantly, I picked myself up, heeding my body’s warning but also curious about why the alarm was still going off. As I climbed over the dash, I glanced at my captor. My breath got stuck in my throat as my eyes unexpectedly met his smug smile.
Blood coated the side of his head and mouth from the crash. His head probably hit the steering wheel in the collision. Hard, but not enough to kill him. What the fuck was this man made out? Indestructible steel?
He chuckled at the shock on my face. “Next time you wanna choke me,” he started, reaching for the rope still laying around his throat. Nonchalantly, he pulled it off and twisted his wrist to wrap it around his knuckle with one hand. “Give me a safe word first.”
“Shit,” I muttered.
I threw myself backwards as his free hand lunged out to grab me.
Blindly, I grabbed the door handle behind me, pulled it, and pushed back again to open the door.
Gravity tugged at me, and without the door against my back, I fell flat onto the twigs and rocks on the ground.
Ignoring the gush of pain the collision bought, I scrambled up to my feet and ran off into the forest.
Adrenaline rushed through my bones as I ran, taking away the uncomfortable sensation of the terrain scratching and pinching the soles of my feet.
My captor’s dark chuckle echoed through the wind. “Run all you want, Agent,” he yelled as his own footsteps followed. “I’m going to catch you.”