I jolted up all of a sudden from the deep slumber that I was in. Looking around; I felt my head burn and my body squeak in protest. I didn't get time to register anything since the harsh lights automated upon my movements blinked few beeps into the alarm system; I believe that was an alarm since ice cold water sprayed onto me as soon as the beeps stopped, numbing me even further.

I gasped from the sudden shock, unable to breathe and think at all. By reflux, I pulled my hands to rub water off from my face but they were tied tight onto the chair I am in. My legs were tied too.

Feeling trapped, I looked around to find myself in some kind of dark basement with no windows and no other lights apart from the one straight at my face. The harsh light was dimming the possible view of what the room might contain.

I didn't have to wait for long since the door somewhere near to me was burst open and few hurried footsteps were heard. I tried to squint and look but the light didn't let me see visibly.

A very fat man with a cigar in his lips walked to me leisurely.

"Pardon me for doing this to you, pumpkin," the way he said that last word, irritated my stomach. "I hope you are in good condition." He paused dramatically to drag in a long smoke and then looked up as he exhaled it in circles. "Oh, the light might be killing you. How do you like it? It's my invention. Sometimes, I don't get people to answer my questions, you see, and all those times, ice cold water have helped me. Did I bother you?" he smoked another one and blew it on my face.

I didn't turn away and I didn't answer back. He smiled knowingly. "Ah, Tom always said too highly about you. I always did warn him but he was too promising, too full of words when it came to you." he circled around me. His fat squelching under the loose pajamas he wore.

"You see, it's a good thing he accompanied me into his partnership but he thinks I am right in command to him and yes, I have stayed like that. I have benefits because of that. But, I have my own share of power too. It's not like he is the boss of me. However, I shouldn't take the entire spotlight; that wouldn't do well. No, I shouldn't do that. After all, loyalty written in blood is powerful than words. Unfortunately, I have signed an oath to him in blood and our own spit. A common handshake in our line of business," he paused in front of me and looked at me harshly.

He changed the lights by clapping his hands. The harsh light was gone and the room flooded with glaring lights. I looked around and indeed it was a basement but more like a torture chamber with the different set of tools and things hanging around. There was a steel cot in the father end and a skeleton hanging in the far-off wall. Was that thing real?

I looked straight into his eyes. He tsk'd. "Don't look so furious and sharp; I can snap you like a twig you stupid cu*t. I can harm you in ways you might not have dreamt. Don't test my patience."

Yes, this is what I wanted. I wanted to know if he was as patient and as mindful as Tom or not. To break one from that sort of power is really difficult. You see, the mind has a weird way of giving us powers when our body demands it. Survival instincts kick in a dire condition not because we are brave and strong. Everyone has that because our fragile body is made up of survival atoms that help us survive in any dire condition if physical harm is not there. However, if fear overcomes the adrenaline surge, we tend to succumb to the predicament, losing our self into the tragic situation.

Thus, right now, I was analyzing him. I understood him as the panther, Louise; and if I am right, he is the same Louise related to the death of Seb's parents.

Because the lights were evened out, I looked around and indeed this fat piece of waste had walked in with an army of seven, fully armed; as if a bonded helpless girl could walk free without bullets through this basement full of armed guards; what a joke.

"Now listen to me straight, I want to know what you know about the map and the manuscripts. Your damned mother of a bi*tch stole it from us in the first place and acted all saint when she vanished saying she was doing it for a greater cause. The bi*tch wanted to have it all and be it all. Now that your stupid boyfriend or headless uncle is out of the scene, tell me, so be free if you are faithful."

When I remained quiet, he got angered beyond limits. I saw him turning an alarming shade of red under the lights. He raised his hands and pulled a chord, spraying me with ice water that instantly buzzed my brain. It pricked my skin like needles and I could feel getting myself numb.

I gasped and demanded my brain that I was in the hot desert, so the cold water was actually a blessing. But, no, no amount of persuasion helped me calm my brain. I started to shiver badly with my teeth clattering making a sickening sound.

Louise released the chord and looked at me with a cocked head. I looked at him and shivered badly making my mouth form incoherent words.

"Alright, I believe you are trying to say something, I will help."

He pulled another chord and warm water enough to scald me sprayed on me. Even though I tried to keep it in, my body couldn't resist it and I hissed angrily. The cold left my body and it pleaded me to stop torturing it.

"Now, do you wish to tell me?"

I glared at him and was about to say something nasty when his patience ran thin. He screamed frustrated and plucked out a knife from his pants pockets and stabbed on the handle of the chair, barely missing my finger. I gulped and looked at him. The terror-stricken face actually pleased him and that tore me to pieces.

"I mean it, honey, I am not joking."

"I don't know. I have not gathered the latest clue. There is nothing much helpful in the last three clues I got. It was only her story and..."

"Don't lie to me."

"I am not. You can find it."

"We didn't, there was nothing in the box. Seb had left then. We didn't find him too. Tell me what you both have planned?" he was practically yelling at me.

If Seb had escaped, that means he must have known that I ran away. He must have taken the clues with him. He... I couldn't complete my train of thoughts, because a hard slap resonated through the room spinning my head and I fell to my sides, hitting my head on the rocky ground.

Pain flashed through my brain. Seconds later numbing me, but when I regained consciousness and the whiteness dizzied away, I gaped my mouth open trying to shut and open my eyes terribly. Suddenly, I was yanked from the ground and was kept straight with him bending down to my eye level with both of his hands pressed hard on mine.

"You will not escape easily. You will tell me where the manuscript is."

"I fuc*ing don't know."I managed to yell but it came out as a hoarse whisper.

He slapped me again. I was about to fall down, keeping my head away from the impact. But I never fell, I was held in place by his strong hands. He sprayed cold water and hot water sporadically making me scream. It hurt my pride. I have never screamed in my life, in front of anybody.

After a long time, when my throat hurt from too much screaming, he stopped and asked me again. Because I was exhausted, I couldn't say anything. He yanked my hair and pulled me up. My eyes drooped, and I could feel my saliva dripping from my mouth making me really cringe inside. But I didn't care, I was too damn beat. Since when am I sitting here?

He asked his goons to bring in needles for God knows what when someone entered the room. The footsteps ran close to my tormentor and he barked at the person without looking at him in the face, "who sent you here?" He was playing with whatever with the things in his hands.

"It's Tom."

My heart soared listening to the voice. His voice made my insides warm and cool alike. Tears sprung out relentlessly and I didn't let it stop.

When my dizziness went away and I could properly see, I looked at his face and I actually saw his eyes filled.

"Alright," Louise spilled through gritted teeth and commanded his team to walk out with him after listening for a while.

As soon as Louise and his army walked out, Shaun fell down on his knees and hugged my body tightly. He kissed my forehead and then on my lips eagerly. I could feel our tears mingling as we both sobbed.

"Why did you do it you stupid? Why did you run away from Seb? I told you..."

I kissed him not letting him complete his sentence. I know I did a mistake and I am good at doing that. I couldn't reply him. My mind was slapping me furiously for doing the brainless thing.

"I will help you. No one knows Louise has taken you and he has threatened with my life if I am to tell anybody. But I will, I will tell Tom you are here. However, I am sure he will know you are here. Anyway, wait till midnight, I will bring you food and..."

"Midnight...? Since when I am captured," I asked confused, suddenly drained of all my energy.

"They injected heavy sedatives given to wild animals to you. It is a miracle you survived. You have been sleeping for two days now. I was scared I might..." he chocked and looked away.

There is something in him that really takes my breath away. There is something in Shaun that I haven't found in Seb. Though I am attracted to Seb, it remains there but with Shaun, I want to take a risk and jump. I want to explore. I want to know.

He looked into my eyes and kissed again. "I will rescue you."

Shaun parted with another lingering kiss and when he walked out, and I was still for a few minutes, the lights went out. I stayed still, not wanting to jerk the water sprayer.

I have no idea how much time has lapsed.

I was waiting, sleeping, trying to move but when the thought of water above me sprang to my mind, I stilled and hated how my body ached because I was sitting in one same position. My butt had gone numb, and then I felt thousands of pinpricks after a while, then itching once the pricks resided, which after a while turned back to numbness.

After so long, the door got opened and Shaun walked in with a tray of food. There were thick sandwiches, fruit salad, and a glass of milky drink, mashed potatoes and bacon. He served me with his hands and I ate without speaking much.

When the food was gone, split between us; he gave me bottled water and I drank them with greediness.

"I am glad Tom called at the right time," Shaun said breaking the silence.

"Hmm, I guess so, he was talking about needles."

"You don't want to know what it is used for."

"Tell me," I urged him.

"You are better off without knowing."

"Tell me please..." I pleaded again.

He sighed and said, "The needles are thin like acupuncture needles but slightly thicker than them. It is used to pierce in between the part where nail and flesh meet. That is a tender spot with too many nerve endings. Piercing the needles makes it too damn painful. It is rarely used to break tough nuts."

"It sounds painful," I said, cringing at the thought that he was about to do that to me.

"It is painful." Shaun agreed.

"Have you...?" I asked since his face frowned deeply as if he walked down a memory lane.

"Once, when I was too stubborn to kill a man; I was forced to kill a spy. When I didn't, Louise, my own father, inserted it on my thumb. I couldn't use my left hand for so many days."

"Did you... did you kill him?"

"No. I was too stubborn for him to break. After that, he didn't force me into anything. He kept me away but at a safe distance."

"Have you ever..."

"Killed before...? Let's see, too many!"

I was silent, suddenly overwhelmed and scared.

"Ah, don't ruin the fun; I have killed so many girls with my charm, sugar bear."

I don't know what the feeling was but my heart swelled with joy.

He continued, "But I have never fallen for anyone. Not once in my life. I mean I have had many one night stands but that have never moved further into relationships and my father was scared that I was gay. Like he cared; anyway, I am not into relationships until I saw a fierce girl in a short black and white dress, dressed but not mentally dressed 'for a party.'"

My heart doubled making it too damn difficult to hold in that goofy smile.

"You saw me, I mean, you were interested in me?"

"Hmm, but I was scared because you are related to my father's business partner. That was a strict no-no."

"AH, I see!" I didn't but in reality, I didn't see because I didn't know what was to be said in order to remove that awkward happiness in my heart.

I saw Shaun was about to say something when suddenly the door burst open, flooding the room in lights. Tom walked in with a very scared Louise behind. For a man who was talking much, he was really a scary cat in front of Tom.

Tom looked at me with his bloodshot fierce eyes and then at Shaun. He turned around to face Louise who was saying something to him hastily in some other language.

Tom didn't say much, he picked his gun and shot him three times.

I screamed.

It happened all of a sudden; neither I nor Louise had time to process.

It was the first time I am seeing someone killing someone. I gasped and then screamed again, which turned into hysterical sobs. The lifeless man lay there, with blood rivulets flowing out from his thick body.

Tom barked orders and I was freed within minutes but I was not freed from the mental capture. Something had clicked in my mind. Something, that I am sure will not be rectified. I was changed. I stayed still, looking at the body when Tom ordered Shaun to take me away. He did.

Shaun held me close to him and his body heat wrapped me in happiness. I was free but I was not. For so long I cried. Shaun held me close as I cried.

I didn't hear what Tom ordered because the next thing I remember was being carried bridal style into a black tinted car and being driven away with me in Shaun's hands.

__________________ 

Whoop, Whoop, where is he taking Lillian?

Can Tom be trusted?

Is there a soft spot in his mind for Lily?

Most important of all, Is Lily safe?