For dontthinkabout
She came to consciousness slowly, and it took her several minutes to remember what had happened. Wiggling a little, Ariadne tested the bonds that held her to - what felt like - a hard, metal foldig chair. She was tied, wrists behind her back, ankles apart and bound to the legs of the chair, and her knees as well.
She remembered - Arthur went to Cairo, and Ariadne, needing something to do to take her mind off her worries, had gone out car shopping. She realized belatedly that she should've stayed home, behind that top-of-the-line security system Arthur had installed. Instead, she'd gone car shopping.
It was the third lot she visited, when she realized she was being followed. She'd tried to run for it, grabbing for her phone to press the speed dial 1 - for Arthur's number. They took it away from her and bundled her into a dark SUV, so she didn't know if the call had gone through or not before they disconnected it. Ariadne was much better at defending herself now than she had been when she'd first met Arthur, but she was no match against three burly men who took away her little gun as fast as they'd taken her phone.
Back in the present, Ariadne took a deep breath, glancing around herself. The room was bare, one naked light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It looked like a cellar, and once she'd oriented herself a bit, it was obvious that she was underground, though it was impossible to tell where.
"Hello?" she called out, her voice scratchy from disuse. "There's no point hiding. I have a pretty good idea what you want, and even who you work for."
The man came out of the shadows of one corner. He wasn't one of the burly men who had taken her - his suit was way too expensive. This guy was the Mark. The one who'd found out about Arthur.
"Your precious boyfriend got you into this, you know," he said with a smug little smile. "I don't suppose he's told you about his real job, huh? The people he steals from? The minds he breaks into?"
Ariadne snorted derisively. "You're the one who doesn't know. You made a big mistake, taking me. When Arthur finds out, nothing will be able to save you. Anything you do to me, he'll give back to you tenfold. You'll be begging him to kill you by the time he's done with you. He'll find you, and you'll wish you'd never been born."
The man's face became a mask of anger, and he hit her - a few times. By the time he was done, Ariadne could feel her face swollen and her lip split, she could taste the coppery tang of blood.
Then he gagged her and left.
She remembered - Arthur went to Cairo, and Ariadne, needing something to do to take her mind off her worries, had gone out car shopping. She realized belatedly that she should've stayed home, behind that top-of-the-line security system Arthur had installed. Instead, she'd gone car shopping.
It was the third lot she visited, when she realized she was being followed. She'd tried to run for it, grabbing for her phone to press the speed dial 1 - for Arthur's number. They took it away from her and bundled her into a dark SUV, so she didn't know if the call had gone through or not before they disconnected it. Ariadne was much better at defending herself now than she had been when she'd first met Arthur, but she was no match against three burly men who took away her little gun as fast as they'd taken her phone.
Back in the present, Ariadne took a deep breath, glancing around herself. The room was bare, one naked light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It looked like a cellar, and once she'd oriented herself a bit, it was obvious that she was underground, though it was impossible to tell where.
"Hello?" she called out, her voice scratchy from disuse. "There's no point hiding. I have a pretty good idea what you want, and even who you work for."
The man came out of the shadows of one corner. He wasn't one of the burly men who had taken her - his suit was way too expensive. This guy was the Mark. The one who'd found out about Arthur.
"Your precious boyfriend got you into this, you know," he said with a smug little smile. "I don't suppose he's told you about his real job, huh? The people he steals from? The minds he breaks into?"
Ariadne snorted derisively. "You're the one who doesn't know. You made a big mistake, taking me. When Arthur finds out, nothing will be able to save you. Anything you do to me, he'll give back to you tenfold. You'll be begging him to kill you by the time he's done with you. He'll find you, and you'll wish you'd never been born."
The man's face became a mask of anger, and he hit her - a few times. By the time he was done, Ariadne could feel her face swollen and her lip split, she could taste the coppery tang of blood.
Then he gagged her and left.