I can't remember how long we drove for that day because all I could focus on was Mike's face as we drove away. I was scared that I'd never see him again or anyone else I knew. I was scared at who could possibly want to hurt me enough to kidnap me. I was thankful that they'd taken me and left Mike alone.
I trusted that he'd find me. Hopefully alive but I knew one way or another, he'd find me or my body so at least my parents got that closure.
"Are you hungry or need to use the bathroom?" One of the attackers asked me harshly. I blinked in his direction but didn't answer. Food was the farthest thing from my mind and I didn't need to use the bathroom. They'd probably just stop on the side of the road somewhere and make me pee while they watched. I couldn't see them taking my privacy into consideration.
I looked away from him after a moment and he just scoffed at the other guy. "Just let her starve and pee her pants. I don't really care." I needed to try and find a way to get away from these two so maybe taking a bathroom break would be my chance?
"I could use the bathroom," I finally said quietly. The attacker in the drivers seat adjusted the rear view mirror to look at me.
"Can you wait fifteen minutes?" I was shocked at his calm and caring tone. I blinked a few times and nodded my head yes.
"We could just stop now and let her pee in a bush. It would be hilarious-" There was no way that was happening. I jumped in quickly with a lie.
"I'm on my period. I need an actual bathroom, please." Both men stopped talking and the one in the passenger seat turned to look at me.
"Bathroom it is." I was glad that they were reasonable and I had fifteen minutes to think of a way to escape. Would running as soon as they opened the door work best? Screaming for help possibly? Either way I wasn't going to be held captive for much longer.
True to the drivers words, we pulled off of the highway and stopped at a gas station. It was old and dirty. If I was driving at any other time in my life, this gas station is the last place I'd stop to use the bathroom at.
"Get out with her and make sure she doesn't take off." The driver said to the other attacker but he didn't look at him or even move. They slowly moved to face each other after a few minutes, having a conversation with their eyes.
I didn't have time for this.
"Guys, I really have to go," I whined and they both looked over their shoulders at me.
"I'll take her this time and you can take her the next," The driver said as he quickly opened his car door. He paused a second, turning around in his seat to look at me. "There is no taking off, trying to talk to someone, talking to anyone at all, screaming or crying of any kind. Understand?"
I wasn't going to ruin my chance, possibly my only chance to run from them so I nodded my head. He searched my face for a few seconds and I became very uneasy under his gaze. His eyes moved over my face and then down my body to my chest. I held back the urge to cross my arms over my breasts but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of letting him know he was making me uncomfortable.
"Get out," He snapped suddenly and I jumped from the car. I moved back and forth slightly, faking the "potty dance" I'd done as a child. He looked over at me and his eyes grew larger as if understanding that I might actually pee my pants right there.
"I need to go... Bad," I wince.
"Come on." He grabs my arm and pulls me towards the dirty gas station. We stop suddenly right before we enter and he looks down at me. "You remember what I said, right? No trying to get away and everything will be fine."
"I understand. I just need to pee." The attacker took a deep breath and searched my face. It was clear that he didn't believe me but I couldn't stop the lie now. I raised my eyebrows at him and looked towards the back of the store.
"Go," He snapped and I took off towards the back of the store. The clerk watched me as I moved and he called out to me when he realized where I was headed.
"Hey you," He said in a loud voice. I stopped but didn't look at him. "You, girl," He said louder. I heard his voice get louder and his shoes squeak on the linoleum floor. "You need a key for the bathroom. Come up here."
I looked over my shoulder towards the front door to see if the attacker was watching me. He was. I wasn't sure what to do because he told me not to talk to anyone. I decided I wasn't going to just stand here and take this. I looked into his eyes and smiled.
"Thank you," I said to the clerk and moved towards the front counter. He was holding a large hubcap in his hand. It had a long chain on it and attached to the end was a key. I reached out to grab it and was yanked back.
"I thought you had to go to the bathroom, baby." Strong hands dug into my upper arms and pulled me towards the bathroom. Dammit! I was so close to speaking to him.
"I do. Thank you." I reached out to grab the hubcap from his hand when he pulled it back and pressed his lips to mine. I instantly felt sick and it took everything inside me not to scream or kick him in the nuts and run.
His lips were hard against mine while his other arm snaked around my waist to lock me against him. I felt sick, so sick that I knew I was going to get physically sick at any moment.
Hopefully down the front of the attacker.
I moved back quickly, trying to get out of his arms and away from his lips but he only tightened his grip on me. I did the next best thing. I clamped my teeth down on his bottom lip until I tasted the blood.
"You stupid bitch," he yelled. I pushed against his chest and he fell back against a candy display. I threw the bathroom key towards the man behind the counter and ran as fast as I could towards the exit in the back of the store. I knew that I only had a few seconds before the attacker stood up and let the other man outside know I'd gotten away.
I pushed open the back door and ran for my life. There were a few cars around me but no place that I could really hide, so I ran to the farthest car in the lot and ducked down behind it.
I covered my mouth lightly and tried to slow my heart rate. I needed to slow down and think of a plan. If the man inside was smart he'd have called the police. If he wasn't smart he was just going to allow all of this to happen and be grateful that we'd left his store.
'Pop, pop, pop,' I heard from inside the store. I jumped and clamped the hand tighter over my mouth. That was gunshots. They had killed the store clerk, I was sure of it.
"Daviny, you dumb bitch, where are you?" I heard one set of foot print move across the gravel. I was thankful that the steps sounded like they were moving in the other direction and not towards me. I needed to get out of here and I needed to move now.
I noticed there were a few broken down cars to the left of me. They were the only place around that I could hide. The trunk was my new hide out.
I held my breath and closed my eyes, trying to listen for the attacker. He had moved farther away from me and was still yelling my name. I looked in the other direction to make sure I wouldn't be spotted and ran towards the broken down cars. I pulled open the first cars trunk. It squeaked loud and I stopped moving it.
I looked around to see if anyone had heard the loud squeak and was relieved when no one had heard. I pushed it open and crawled inside. It was rusty and smelled so bad but it was a hundred times better than the alternative.
Dying!
"Daviny! You can't hide from me. Just come out so we can leave. Don't make this worse by hiding. Don't end up like the store clerk in there. Shot and dead." There was nothing in his voice as he threatened me and to me that was worse than the threat itself.
I didn't speak and there was no way in hell I was going to let him know where I was. Did he really think I'd just pop up, wave at him and tell him where I was?
The foot steps were getting closer to me and I held my breath to make sure I didn't give anything away. The steps stopped in front of the trunk where I was. My heart was beating so hard that I could hear it in my ears.
The trunk was pushed open and I gasped. "Hello babe."
