Chapter 20

25th December 2019

Victor's POV:

Panic took over me as I saw the man in his late twenties, who stood rooted to the ground in front of us. He stared at me from top to bottom before his gaze moved to Lisa and her tied wrists. We were standing there facing him for a whole minute as the guy stood dumbstruck.

"Uh.. he.. hello!", he stuttered, "I am Nicole, a wildlife photographer. I am from Mumbai and I get into every woods and forest I stumble upon to click pictures of a variety of living species. I came to this area of the woods by this morning and I think I am lost now. Just thought of asking if you could help?", he nodded victoriously as he had managed to completely say what he had in his mind in a go.

I was confused about whether to take Lisa home or take this guy home. Taking both of them home together seemed almost impossible since this guy very evidently has already become suspicious. Leaving any one of the both behind will definitely turn out to be a problem.

My mind worked quickly on what to do next. I know that something like this would happen, that's why I never brought her outside. One steamy night had to ruin my logical thinking and put me in trouble now.

I looked up at him and took small steps forward, "Don't you have your phone with you?", this is the only option I have now. I discreetly pulled out the pocket knife that I always had in my pocket which neither of them noticed.

He started moving backward slowly as I advanced forward, "My sim isn't working. Airtel doesn't seem to have a proper network here", he said glancing at Lisa once in a while. I clicked the knife open as the blade swiveled out and upright, ready to plunge into his throat. "And my colleagues' phones are dead"

I stopped in my tracks. Colleagues? So he was not alone? I followed his gaze as I spotted the blue truck that he had come in. Beside it was standing two people busy talking among themselves. They laughed over something as the lady's eyes accidentally fell on us who looked like she was in her late forties. She nudged the guy standing beside her who looked as the same age as Nicole.

Right now four pairs of eyes were staring at me, and I was standing in the center like a stupid not knowing what to do.

Nicole's colleagues started walking towards us making me feel dizzy. How was I going to handle this? Dammit! I shouldn't have brought her out at all! Why did I say yes to her? I peered over my shoulder to see her staring at the three in front of us.

"These are my colleagues. Mishelle and Imran", he said as we exchanged our greetings and handshakes.

"Why are you dressed up like this?", Mishelle asked scanning me from top to bottom. "Are you partying with your wife?", she asked motioning towards Lisa. Now, this was the only best thing they did, calling her my wife. I closed the knife and slid it back into my pocket.

"Umm yeah! A small party", I chuckled when suddenly Lisa shouted from behind me, "Nooo! He is lying. I am not his wife!"

What the hell? Didn't she start loving me? That was too quick. She didn't even wait for a second after I spoke. I snapped my head towards her.

"What are you doing Lisa? Keep quiet", I said to her in disbelief as quick tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"I am kidnapped. He kidnapped me. Its been a week. Please help me get out of here", she wept, shocking me to the core. You can't do this to me! Now I have no other go than slitting everyone's throat here.

I turned on my heels to look at the other three as already Nicole was pointing a gun to my forehead. They were wildlife photographers after all. They will definitely have something with them for their safety! Great!

"Hands up! Raise your hands and fold them behind your head!", Nicole spat as I stood grinning at them though they won't be able to see it beyond my mask.

"I won't hesitate at all. I will shoot you right away by means of self-defense. The police won't charge against me. You are not a baby, you are a bloody kidnapper", he roared. I raised my hands slowly above my head as Lisa sprinted towards the lady from behind me.

Bitch! You are going to pay for this betrayal. I glanced at the bag that I had brought along. I had so many types of equipment that I can use against them in the bag but this guy has a gun, trying to get to the bag was not advisable.

"Don't worry! We will get you out of here", the lady said as she started untying her wrists. Lisa refused to look my way as she kept her eyes down all the while.

"Do you have a phone with you?", Imran asked Lisa as Mishelle rolled her eyes. "She is kidnapped Imy, do you expect her to have a phone?"

"Do you have a phone?", Nicole asked me as I shook my head. "Nope", I said.

Mishelle had untied Lisa's wrists by now as Nicole's eyes were still glued on me. "But I am sure you have electric sockets in your home"

"No! We will just leave. No need to go inside the house again", Lisa said to him still not turning my way.

"But we were roaming inside the woods itself for an hour unable to find the way out. Either for google map or for calling the police, we need an active phone", Nicole said gripping his gun tightly.

"Don't you have charger ports in your truck?", Lisa asked. Rage invaded my body as she tried giving them ideas for leaving this place, leaving me! How stupid I had been to trust this whore.

"We are running out of fuel already, we can't use the charger port now", Imran said. "Don't be scared. Nicole has him on his gunpoint, he won't be able to do anything. Just show us where he is keeping you"

"I don't know, only he knows", Lisa said as the other three turned towards me. Nicole raised his gun higher. "Take us to your house", he ordered.

I stood staring at him in fury as he repeated and threatened to shoot me if I didn't. I trudged towards the thick woods as the four followed me behind. I glanced back once in a while to see where there were coming.

They were maintaining a safe distance between me and them. I have got to do something. I climbed up the stairs to the house and stepped in pushing the unlocked front door. I walked to the couch in the living room and plopped on it.

Nicole walked to the front of me still pointing the gun at my head as Imran pulled two mobile phones and chargers out of his cross bag, connecting it to the socket that was at the corner of the living room. Mishelle and Lisa walked in as Lisa whispered something into Mishelle's ears. 

"Which way is the room where you kept her?", Mishelle asked. There were four hallways that extended from the living room and all the four hallways led to each other in multiple places. It was designed like a maze. Though I had locked the last two hallways since I wanted only one way in the whole maze to lead to Lisa's room.

"Answer them!", Nicole roared.

"The second one, just keep taking alternate rights and lefts. The first one should be left", I said as both disappeared into the second hallway.

I sat fidgeting with my fingers getting my brain to think of something to do before they get their phones charged.

"Do you have any food?", Imran asked removing his cross bag and tossing it to the couch beside me as Nicole glared at him.

"You are not eating food from him Imy! Wait till we get back to our houses", Nicole said hardly averting his gaze from me.

"Oh come on! He wouldn't have poisoned every food he has", Imran said walking into my kitchen. I turned back to see what he was doing. He flung open the fridge door and examined the shelves within. I had stacked the food that I had ordered for Lisa's lunch and dinner there. He pulled out one of the packages and started opening it.

He then glanced at the microwave before he shook his head and decided to eat the cold food itself. He walked into the living room and stuck out the food towards Nicole like asking him whether he wanted. Nicole again glared at him making him shrug.

Nicole was still holding the gun at me at the same height with no trembling or lowering. Didn't that damn arms pain? Few minutes passed as he was still sitting like a damn statue in front of me in the same posture with the same grim expression.

"Why are you wearing that mask?", Imran distracted me who laid sprawled on the couch next to mine. The empty package was lying on the carpet beneath us slightly staining its fabric. It was my mom's favorite carpet. I controlled my raising temper and answered him.

"To conceal my identity", I said quietly.

"Well, why did you kidnap her? Are you abusing her every day?", he asked sitting up.

Anger boiled in my blood, "I love her! Why would I abuse her?"

"But she doesn't seem to love you back!", he said triggering my rage. "Let me see your face. I am very curious", he said standing up from the couch and walking to me. 

"No, No! Get away from him Imy!", Nicole who was sitting in front of me shouted. 

"Chill Cole! He doesn't have anything to hurt me", he said. But buddy I have one. I slowly pulled out the pocket knife I had as Imran ripped off my mask.

"Woah!", he said inspecting the mask in his hands. He then looked at my red wig and frowned.

"Do you mind if I try that one?", he asked as he ripped it off my head and pulled over his own head. He was doing fancy poses and asking Nicole whether he looked sexy. I made use of the opportunity and leaped over him wrapping one arm around his body as the other hand lingered over his throat with the blade. 

"Shit! Damn you! I asked you to get away from him!", Nicole screamed jumping up to his feet as Imran dropped the mask to the floor in surprise. 

"Give me the gun or I will have to slit his throat", I said as Nicole's hands started trembling. "Give me the gun"

"What if you shoot me if I give you the gun?", he asked as sweat broke out on his forehead. "If you are going to shoot me there is no way I am going to give you my gun even if you slit his throat", he said gingerly.

"What the fuck Cole?!!", Imran screamed in disbelief.

I chuckled, "Unload the gun and give me"

He stared at me for a couple more minutes before he nodded and started unloading the gun. He stuffed the bullets into his pocket and threw the gun over to the couch on which I was earlier sitting.

"Good! Now let me tell you a fun fact about myself. I never keep up my word", I said gliding the blade over Imran's throat in a swift move.

HAPPY READING!