He smiles. “You want some diet coke?” he asks, surprised.
I nod and give him a stifled smile. If I’m going to get out of here alive he is my only chance. I need to make friends with him.
“I don’t have any here now but when Carl takes over I will get you some and bring it back.”
I nod. “Are you staying in the house here?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No, we are doing shifts watching you.”
I nod and bite my bottom lip as I think. I gesture to the camera with my head. “Is the monitor in this house?” I whisper with my head down away from the camera.
“Yes,” he replies.
“Are there others elsewhere?” I whisper with my face away from the camera again.
His eyes meet mine and he shrugs. “Not sure,” he mumbles.
God, like me he has no idea what’s going on!
“I will be back with the diet coke,” he says as he moves toward the door.
“Can you stay with me for a while?” I whisper. “I’m scared.” My eyes search his for compassion. “Please tell me who you are working for.”
“I can’t, Natasha. I’m sorry.” He sighs.
“I have money. I can give you more money than what they are paying you. Please,” I beg.
His eyes flick nervously to the windowsill again and he shakes his head. “Stop talking to me or they will punish you,” he whispers angrily.
My heart rate picks up. “How?” I whisper. “How are they going to punish me?”
“Carl has permission to do what he wants with you if you give us a hard time.”
I step back from him in fear.
“And you know what he wants,” he replies flatly.
Tears fill my eyes. Oh god, I’m going to be raped by that animal.
“Do you understand what I’m telling you?” he asks.
I drop my head and nod and I hear him quietly leave the room. I sit at the table someplace between life and death, evil and hell. They are going to rape me and film it to torture Joshua with the footage. That’s why I’m being kept alive. My nightmare is real. What if it’s more than one man like in my dream? Nine. Oh fuck, I close my eyes in fear. I have to get out of here. Adrenaline starts to pump the fear through my blood. I walk into the bathroom and close the door behind me and start to pace back and forth. Cameras, cameras, I need to check for cameras. I start to search the ceiling and walls, what does a camera even fucking look like? I get up and stand on the vanity so I am closer to the ceiling. I can’t see anything. I run my hand around the inside edge of the mirror and I walk into the shower and check out all the tapware, nothing. I have to check out the one he told me about in the other room so I know what I’m looking for. I walk back into the other room and glance at my dinner sitting on the table. I need to act normal so they don’t get suspicious. I sit down slowly at the table and start to eat my lunch while my brain is running at a million miles per hour. What do these idiots want? They want to torture Joshua… so they are going to torture me and make him watch.
Well I’ve got news for them. Like hell they are.
My knee bounces nervously as I think. I need a plan. My eyes widen as a new idea comes to my brain. What if they lure Joshua here with the pretence of rescuing me and then kill him? Am I the bait?
Fuck. Think, Natasha. Think.
Two of the televisions that were not on before start to roll and I pick up my lunch and move to the bed to see what is coming on. These assholes are trying to fuck with my head.
Fury ignites deep inside me. If anyone is going to be fucking with anyone’s head around here it’s going to be me.
I watch as the two screens light up and I frown at them. What is this? I can’t make out where they are. I watch the one on the left and then I see Birgetta walk past carrying a basket of washing. My eyes widen in horror. This camera is from inside Joshua’s house and that’s his lounge room. My eyes instantly flick to the other screen. Oh my god. My stomach drops. That’s our bedroom. These people have been in our house. My heart starts to pump heavily and just when I think it can’t possibly get any worse I see myself walk into the room. I watch myself slowly get undressed. Oh my god, how long has this camera been in our room? Joshua walks in and starts to talk to me and I laugh out loud. I run to the remote control box and start to scramble through, looking for the right remote. I point them all frantically at the screen as I try to turn up the volume, and I finally find it.
Joshua comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my chest. “Tell me how you want to be fucked tonight, my precious girl?” he whispers darkly as he pulls my hair to one side of my neck to give his mouth greater access. He cracks his neck hard.
I hold my hand over my mouth in horror, oh god no.