Chapter Three

"What the f*ck are you standing around for? Get the b*tch!" Mr. Alexander barked.

For a brief moment, I looked over both shoulders, hoping and praying to find a person named b*tch.

Or a female dog.

Anything would suffice at this point. But the smart voice in my head quickly informed me that: I... I was the bitch!

It was as if my life flashed before my eyes. I jumped off the pool chair and slowly retreated from the window.

My thoughts, words, feelings- whoosh - were long gone with the wind.

My mind - empty...

My body - numb...

For seconds I just stood there motionless... Before...

Bang!

...a startling sound which I quickly processed as a loudly shut door snapped me out of my dazed state and prompted me to take swifter action.

Finally tearing my eyes off of the window, I turned around to run but instead, slipped and splashed head first in the cold pool water.

Like a broken car engine kick started into motion, my heart thumped against my rib cage while a hot batch of tears clouded my vision. When my wondering eyes landed on the two men running toward me, I gasped in fright then swiftly swam towards the pool stairs, climbed out and ran for my life... literally.

The whole thing was terrifying. However, I couldn't help but feel a little underestimated. Mr. Alexander had sent merely two men after me. I mean seriously, there were what? Fourteen or fifteen bulkier men in there? Did he really think I would be easily caught and slaughtered so his boniest men were enough to do the job?

How offensive.

With newfound motivation to use his ignorance of my escaping abilities against him, I sprinted faster. No way was I going to let them catch me. NO WAY!

"Stop!" I heard one of them yell but needless to say, I didn't. I mean honestly, who would?

I continued to run blindly towards any direction other than the one they came from. Getting caught and served to the fishes as breakfast, lunch or dinner wasn't an option. I had to escape even if it meant climbing the fifty feet wall that surrounded the mansion.

Even though you're forty five feet shorter?

I was literally at the peak of my career. My first day hadn't even ended yet. Besides, the voice in my head was wrong! I was forty four feet and three inches shorter not forty five!

I heard footsteps thumping in the distance, getting closer and closer with each ragged breath I took. The cold night air coursed through my lungs and dried my already parched throat. My heart was beating so fast, I was scared it would lead them right to me. That, or it would burst out of my chest. Both options sounded rather unappealing.

I let my hands rest upon my knees as I took two deep breaths.

In through my nose, out through my mouth.

In through my nose and out through my mouth.

After wiping away the beads of sweat on my forehead, I took in my surroundings. Unfortunately, my sight was blurry because of the waterfall of tears still cascading down my cheeks. After gathering myself, I launched at full speed with my arms stretched out in front of me. If this path led to a dead end I wanted a bit of warning before colliding with a brick wall.

Running alone took too much energy. So the fact that I was now bawling- very, very loudly -added to my fatigue and probably drew more attention to my location rather than deviate it. But I couldn't help it, it was just coming out. I continued to run and run, then stopped for a few seconds to catch my breathe before I ran again.

Ten minutes later, I maintained the same routine but at an annoyingly slower pace. As a result of my growing exhaustion, I decided to take cover behind a huge garden to re-energize myself all the while cursing my unhealthy life style.

"Oh god..." I weeped. "I brought this to myself..."

"Indeed!" the smart-ass voice in my head agreed joyfully. "Shanina had been ecstatic when you finally agreed to joined the gym with her and even paid for a whole six months. And what did you the whole time? You "accidentally" got lost on your way there only to end up at the juice bar- fifteen feet away from the spinning class -downing an extra-large smoothie and chatting away with Earl, the juice man."

In my defense! I always found the spinning class later and put in a good five minute cool down period. Maybe it just wasn't good enough.

Finally feeling rebooted, I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and peeked behind the wall, hoping and praying that I lost my chasers. When there was thankfully no sign of them and a clear view of the main entrance, my heart leaped with hope even though the gate was still very far away.

I tiptoed towards it, pressing my back on the wall in case anyone was looking out the windows above me. After a few minutes, I knew I was almost near the front of the mansion. I just had to take a few more feather-like steps then run towards...

"What took you so long?"

"Ah!" I screamed as my feet- which had a very clever mind of it's own -stretched forward and kicked the questioner right on the cookie jar.

Why?

Because his cookies deserved it!

"Fuck... you crazy bitch!" he shrieked and grabbed his crotch while the other one burst into heaps of laughter. I continued to run until I made it to my car. But then remembered that my keys- which where in my bag -fell in the pool along with it.

Exasperated, I ditched it and ran down the driveway. As I headed toward the gate, it seemed to be further and further away from me.

Suddenly I felt a pair of lanky arms circle around my waist. The next thing I knew, I was hanging upside down on a bony shoulder before I could even react.

I never felt such extreme disappointment or fear my entire life. What did I do to deserve this or death anyway?

Nothing, that's what!

My temper suddenly flared up at the thought. Anger mixed with both fear and desperation, made me realize there was nothing left for me to lose. I tightened my fists into balls and used all of my strength to assault my carriers behind.

"LET." *Hit*

"ME" *Hit*

"GO!" *Hit*

*Hit* *Hit* *Hit*

I continued with my drumming but it was as if he couldn't feel the hell I was unleashing on his back. Instead, my hands started to sore up. "Let me go!" I kicked and screamed louder and louder but the two men just ignored me.

Maybe, I underestimated them. Though, very, very bony, they were stronger than I thought. Or maybe It was I who wasn't strong enough. Deciding that it was the best thing to do, I stopped my assault and tried another approach.

"I'm sorry for hitting you," I apologized, softly massaging my carriers back. "I'm really not a violent person. I'm just scared. Please just let me go. I will give you anything you want."

After a few minutes of our one-way negotiation, I started to whimper and weep, knowing that begging was probably useless. Closing my eyes tight, I hoped I would wake up screaming and all this would be a nightmare.

After what seemed like a very short walk to my demise, I heard a door open and close behind me before I was placed on a hard chair and tied to it. I winced and whimpered as the thick wool dug through my sensitive skin, but still couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. Maybe. Just maybe if it was closed long enough all this would go away.

"Hey, open your eyes." Well that didn't take long.

"No thank you. I prefer to be murdered with my eyes closed so I-I don't have to watch," I declined his offer in between sobs. The mere thought of my impending death was scary enough. But watching as it actually happened? Well that was a whole different ball game.

"I was not asking. Open your eyes," he repeated through gritted teeth. But I just couldn't bring myself to do so.

"The least you could do is allow me die on my own terms sir. I did nothing but see your face to deserve it. P-please this is what I want. T-thank you."

"I don't f*cking care what you want." Of course he didn't. "Gad dammit open your eyes!"

Why was he insisting? It was thoroughly sadistic to make one witness their own death when they chose not to. But then again, nothing should be put pass these monsters. Maybe I should just keep my eyes closed and act blind?

But no. No, blind people had the ability to open their eyelids, didn't they? Shit!

Biting my bottom lip nervously, I slowly blinked back as my pupils adjusted to the harsh light in the room. When they finally did, I found myself looking straight in the dark blue eyes of the blonde masked man. "You," he snarled. "You're a fucking screamer aren't you? Running around the mansion like a fucking headless chicken and deafening everyone with your squeaky vocal cords."

"Sorry," I apologized, whimpering in fear.

I bit my quivering lips again and looked around the room to avoid his deadly eyes. But then immediately wished I hadn't. The three dead men were still seated on the chairs to my right; each with a small bullet hole between their eyes. The sight was horrifying. I didn't realize that I had screamed until the blonde cursed and retreated away from me. The other men also held their hands up, covering their ears.

Turning to my right, another scream escaped my lips when I saw a pregnant maid laying on a table at the corner of the room. It looked as if her throat was sliced. What kind of messed up human being would do such a horrible thing? Oh... poor woman.

"Let me go please!"

"Shut the fuck up... Jesus Christ."

Almost ten minutes later, I continued to plead for my life between hiccups and tears; spitting out anything and everything I thought might set me free. But even though there were currently twelve of them scattered around, none of them even glanced my way.

I was positive I saw three masked men- excluding Mr. Alexander -from our staring contest at the window. I had captured all of their faces in the back of my mind. However right now, there were only two in the room: the blonde one and the one with the chestnut colored hair. Mr. Alexander and the green-eyed biracial masked-man, were no where in sight.

"Maybe... Just maybe, that's who they're waiting for to come kill you."

"Oh god," I whimpered at the thought. "Plea-please I didn't see anything. Please let-let me go please. I will do anything, anything please."

Thankfully, that seemed to capture the attention of the blonde.

He smirked at me and I gave him a wobbly smile in return. Maybe I could get out of this alive after all.

As he walked towards me, my heart flipped with hope.

But then... He placed his gun between the loose button of my wet shirt and smugly asked, "Anything?."

Oh god no!

"Julian! Stop that," the other one called out. I squirmed on my seat feeling defenseless.

"I'm just having a little fun Cameron, loosen up," he chuckled then turned back to me. "Does anything involve this?" Julian's face was so close to mine, I could smell the scotch on his breath. His gun slowly moved between the buttons of my shirt, unhooking them one by one while he looked me straight in the eye. "Huh little banshee? Open those plump lips of yours and answer me. Does anything involve me f*cking you senseless till you bawl out for another reason? Or just gagging you with my d*ck so you won't bawl at all?" I stiffened and stared at him. The horrendous fear that suddenly attacked my body was no longer that of being killed. It was worst. Unimaginable.

"Gideon... Gideon..." my memories chanted. Taunting me... teasing me. It was like Deja'Vu of the very worst kind. I bit my violently shaking lips trying hard not to cry. They were coming. The memories. They were coming back.

"Julian stop it!" Cameron commanded again but Julian still didn't move. Instead, he raised an eyebrow waiting for an answer to his disgusting proposal. However, my mouth was too dry to gather up spit to satisfactory blast on his face as an answer. Plus, the gun caressing my breasts and assaulting my buttons successfully scratched that option off the list.

I looked down, my eyes following every movement of his gun. Half of my buttons were already undone.

Gideon... Gideon... No! I refuse to think about him. But this is how he used to tease and taunt you before he...

"Please stop. Please," I pleaded. Weather it was with the voice in my head or Julian, I had no clue. I just wanted both of them to stop. But neither of them did. The thick metal continued it's assault on my buttons, slowly exposing my red bra.

Gideon... Gideon...

Almost immediately, I felt the eyes of some of the men look at me with lust. My skin instantly pricked with disgust.

Gideon... Gideon...

"Please," I begged again, my voice a small whisper. Even I barely heard it.

I turned my face to the side and closed my eyes.

Gideon. His name was all I could hear.

It will be over... It will be over soon. At least this time I won't have to live with it again.

"F*ck Julian," Cameron cursed. "Quit it!" By the sudden screech of a chair, it was safe to assume he got up. As his footsteps sounded closer and closer relief washed over me. But suddenly, the sound of his shoes against the squeaky floor was scarce to my desperate ears.

I opened my dry mouth to plead with him, but then...

"Julian! What the fuck are you doing?"

...all of Julian's movements came to an halt at the sound of the booming voice. But it wasn't Cameron's. It was deeper and colder. It yielded power and commanded respect. That voice could only belong to one person...

A/N
So my cookies and cupcakes, by now you've probably realized that I have an unhealthy addiction to cliffhangers.

*Docks down to avoid angry mob.*

I promise I won't keep you waiting too long for the next chapter. Alright?
Alright!
Speaking of updates, when do you guys think are the best days to post? I want to hold up a schedule so it'll be easier for all of us. Let me know in the comment section below please.

Anyways how do you guys feel about this chapter? Julian seemed to have triggered something deeply buried inside Eliyanna. I think we all have theories about what this Gideon guy did to her but still, who is he?
Just to give you a clue, he is....

Hmmm, you know what? I'll let you ponder that. *Wink*
Please don't forget to vote if you like this chapter. It would really mean the world.