Kiss Me Slowly

Chapter 39: The Maternal Figure

Pic above is Carter

Chapter 39: The Maternal Figure

I woke up with a headache. I tried to reach my hand up to my head, but quickly found they were tied. I opened my eyes groggily and groaned at the bright light, blinked a couple times, and took in my surroundings. I was tied to a chair in a room similar to Alfonso's office with sunlight shining through the window.

Shit! I wriggled my wrists to try to get them out—to no avail. My mouth was taped shut and my feet were tied as well.

No, no, no; this can't be happening! Was it just me, or did the walls seem to close in?

I focused on my breathing and tried to calm down. A panic attack was not what I needed. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out.

After a minute or two, my heart rate lowered, and my breathing returned to normal. I just needed to not think about it. Not the tight rope, or the constricting tape, or the room that I had no idea where it was. I could be halfway across the state for all I know!

No. Don't think about it. Just breathe and focus on getting out of here. I pulled on the restraints.

I almost had one of my wrists out when I heard voices outside the door.

"We're almost ready." One voice said. It sounded feminine.

"Except..." A new male voice spoke hesitantly.

"Except what?" That was Alfonso.

"Except Cory hasn't come." The first voice said. Cory?

"What?!" Alfonso yelled. The footsteps stopped.

"S-she was coming!" The second tried. Why would she come?

"But then she called it off." The first finished. "She obviously knew it was a trap!" Trap?

"We tracked her about halfway—" What sort of trap?

"Then she turned around."

"The signal got lost again."

It was quiet for a second. Then Alfonso spoke almost inaudibly; "Are you saying I possibly don't have leverage over her anymore?"

"Um..." The second hesitated.

"That would be it, I suppose." The first confirmed. There was a sigh.

"Well we can't have this." Alfonso said, then his footsteps along with two more started walking away. "Tell Oscar and Brian to figure out where she went. I want all the cameras checked and her car tracked. I want a report within the hour. Where's Olivia? Get her team..."

His voice faded away. Cory's coming? Er—I guess, was. But why? And what was the trap they were talking about?

I'd have to worry about it later. Right now, I needed to get out—Wait. Footsteps. Coming this way. I paused and listened.

"Cory's not coming." Alfonso said.

"She's not?" Carter asked. "Why? Don't you think she cares—"

"Well obviously not enough." Their voices stopped right outside the door. "She must've known it was a trap because she turned around and we lost her signal."

"I don't understand." Carter said confused. "She has the money, plus more, according to Olivia, and she's been worried about us for a while. She knew we'd try to kidnap her son. She was prepared to do whatever it took to make sure he didn't get involved with us again. So why..."

"I don't know." Alfonso admitted. "Her mind works in ways I'll never understand. You remember 2006?"

"Yeah."