Beau and the Beastess

Chapter Two - Beau

Beau wasn't sure what happened, or how become the target of the man who'd snatched him off the sidewalk in front of his apartment building. One second he'd been on his way to grab coffee, and the next he'd heard tires screech in front of him and felt a hand clasp over his forearm and tug.

His walking stick had clamored to the ground as his head was pushed down and he was shoved into the back of a car. Before he'd even had the chance to react, yell, kick, anything, the door had been slammed and the car had driven away.

He'd tried talking to his captor, find out what was going on, and explain that there must be some mistake, but the mysterious stranger had remained silent.

"Excuse me," Beau'd said when he was finally able to right himself in the seat. He felt along the panels of the door, and was frustrated to find there were no door handles on the inside. Just holes where they used to be. "Um, I think you have the wrong person. I work at the regional library for the blind. I have no money to speak of..."

When there was no response, Beau sat back and focused on the drive.

He could tell they were on the freeway and had been for some time, he made mental note of the sounds surrounding them and tried to keep a calculation of how long they were on each stretch of road before they turned.

After about twenty minutes, they left the highway for side streets and eventually turned onto a gravel road.

Beau braced as the car slowed. A few seconds later, they stopped and the back door opened. The same hand grabbed his forearm and yanked him from the car.

He heard the roar of what sounded like a ferocious beast, before a woman spoke, her voice ripe with anger. Finally, The Driver spoke, and from what he gathered from their brief conversation, The Driver had kidnapped him for this woman.

"My stick?" Beau called out when his toes smacked against the concrete step, not caring who answered.

"Sorry, bloke, the stick got left behind," the voice to his left answered. The Driver.

Then The Driver addressed someone else. "He'll need assistance."

Beau's arm was passed from The Driver's to another strong, masculine hand from above, presumably up on the steps. The new captor's touch was surprisingly gentle and he joined Beau on the ground, placed Beau's hand in on the crook of his arm, and guided him up the steps.

By the time he reached the top, Beau was more confused than ever.

What was he doing here?

Who was the woman?

Why had he been chosen?

Beau didn't have much time to ponder before the angry woman's voice berated his guide.

"Quit coddling the man. Take him downstairs and lock him up, then see to dinner. I'll be down in a little while, after I've dealt with The Driver."

He felt his guide stiffen then the gentleness was gone. Fueled by his boss' chastising, his guide grabbed Beau roughly by the arm and dragged him over the threshold and down a long hallway.

Beau could smell lilacs in the air, and felt the hard stone beneath his feet. A door opened, and rather than try to maneuver Beau down the stairs, the guide added insult to injury when he lifted Beau and threw him over his shoulder.

At five foot eleven and two hundred pounds, Beau wasn't large, but he also wasn't feather light. His guide, however, must have been a giant, because he was able to throw Beau around like a sack of potatoes.

He was barely on his feet before Beau felt a hand on his back and a hard shove. He stumbled, trying to keep his feet beneath him, and he heard the sharp sound of a door being slammed and locked behind him. Except it didn't sound like a wooden door or solid door at all. To confirm his fears, Beau reached out his hands and walked gingerly forward, not stopping until his hands found their purchase.

He was in a cell.

A cage of some sort.

Like an animal, or worse.

Beau held on to the bars, his hands tight enough to feel the metal making an imprint on his palms.

He'd been kidnapped and thrown into a dungeon.

What the hell was going on?