Ransom Drysdale: Manipulation

Kidnapping

They drove for twenty minutes before stopping at an abandoned building. It was very horror movie like. Hermione's phone was ringing off the hook. She knew it was Ransom. Without even looking at her phone.

Jace took her phone and had it in his lap as he was driving. Laughing psychotically as Ransom repeatedly called and text Hermione. She tried to stay calm throughout the car ride.

When they got to the abandoned building, Jace took her out, she put up a fight but he pepper sprayed her, making her submit. That was when she nearly lost it. She cried while her eyes burned.

She could barely see. Once the pain subsided and she was tied in a chair and she could finally see, she willed herself to stop sobbing. Tears still flowed down her cheeks, but it was mostly the aftermath of the pepper spray.

"Do you know why you're here Hermione?" Jace walked towards her, sliding a blade across the side of her cheek without cutting her. She shook her head no. He ripped the duck tape off her mouth making her yelp.

"Speak when you're spoken to doll." He smiled and she felt her heart drop. She didn't know how this would end, but she knew it would be bad. "No," She tried to be brave. "Why am I here?" She spat.

"No need to be nasty doll. You're here because of what I told you before. You're going to be with me whether you like it or not. And you'll realize how much you want to be with me once your blonde hair blue eyes murderer is out of the way."

Hermione was falling apart now. On the inside. On the outside, she kept her cool, only a few tears slipping out of her eyes. She knew he wasn't messing around. He would kill Ransom to be with her.

She still couldn't wrap her mind around why though. Why was he so interested in her. She didn't think she was anything special enough for someone to be killed or fought over.

Her phone rang again, and again. And Jace got tired of hearing it, so he answered, turning it on speaker. "What the hell do you want!?" He shouts furiously into the phone. "Where the fuck is Hermione?" Ransom even more enraged.

"Be nice Ransom." Jace's voice was now cool, the complete opposite of what it had been before. "Where is she?" Ransom's teeth were grit and Hermione could hear the fear and hatred in his voice.

"With me obviously. If you want the location you'll have to agree to a few things first." Ransom was desperate. He would do anything. He didn't know the extent of what Jace was capable of but he'd been around enough men in prison just like him to know it was pure evil.

"What?" Jace smirked at Ransom's compliance. "No cops. Obviously. The rest we can actually talk about when you get here." Hermione was listening closely, trying to hold back from saying anything.

"Ransom?" She slips, again, tears run down her face and her voice breaks. "Hey baby, I'm here, you're gonna be alright. I'll be there soon. Just hang in there." As Hermione was about to respond a warm hand violently came crashing down on her cheek.

Ransom could hear the slap from the other end of the phone, followed by a sob from Hermione. "I didn't tell you to talk." Ransom was already in his car. "Jace. Tell me where you are."

"Check your texts Prince Charming." Ransom checks his texts and sees the address. He speeds away to his destination. "We're done here. See you when you get here."  Jace hangs up the phone, Ransom tries to call back several times before he finally gets to the building, failing miserably. No answer each time.

*

When Hermione went to the bathroom and wasn't back in five minutes, Ransom knew something was wrong. He tried calling her but there was no answer, so he text her, no answer. So he called again.

No answer, again.

He had a female manager check the bathroom, there was no one in there. So he checked outside, the rest of the cafe, even the mens room. He checked the alley out back. Nothing.

He called, and called, he didn't know what else to do. And he finally got an answer. And it was exactly as he feared. It was Jace.

*

When Ransom pulled up to the building he rushed inside, not missing a beat. He ran in and saw Jace standing behind Hermione with a switch blade to her throat.

"Please don't hurt her." Jace smiles and Ransom walked closer slowly with his hand out in front of him. "I won't, unless you try something stupid. Then I'll kill you both. Now sit in that chair."

He gestured to the chair that was next to Hermione's. Ransom sat in it him and Hermione never broke eye contact. She knew Ransom was going to get them out of this somehow.

Jace untied Hermione, handing her the rope and gesturing for her to tie Ransom up. She hesitantly took the rope from him and stood in front of Ransom with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispers.

"It's okay." He whispers back. She ties him up, making contact between her hands and his skin as much as possible, chasing comfort from him. She needed it now more than ever.

Jace checked the knots were tight enough before holding the knife to Ransom. "Ransom, break up with Hermione." Ransom nearly choked on air. If there wasn't a knife so close to him he would have whipped his head around to see if he was serious.

"What?" Jace held the blade closer, pressing it against him slightly. "Dump her. Once you've broken up with her she can be with me." Ransom looked at Hermione, she nodded. Play along. Play his game, it was the only way they thought they could get out safe.

"Hermione," his voice shook and tears gathered in his eyes, this was the last thing he wanted to do, he didn't even know how too. "I-I think we should end things. You-you should be with Jace."

It's like pulling teeth as he tries to spit it out. They both knew it wasn't real. But the thought of it was terrifying. "Okay." She cried softly. Jace walked over to her and gave her a hug. She stood there and let it happen, she cried as he touched her, his hands running up and down her back.

Ransom felt a tear slide down his cheek and Hermione felt weak in her knees when she saw it. She just wanted Ransom. She wanted to go home with him and she didn't want to have to worry about Jace anymore.

As Jace pulled back from the hug Hermione put her hands on his cheeks. She acted like she was going in for a kiss. Jace was delusional and believed it. Just as she was about to go in all the way she pulled back abruptly and slammed her head into his. They both fell to the ground.

Hermione broke Jace's nose and her forehead was bleeding. "You bitch." Jace spat as he wiped the blood from his nose. "You're really going to fucking regret that." He got off the floor and Hermione struggles to. Her head was pounding and she felt dizzy.

Jace walked over to Ransom and pulled out his switch blade. Hermione knew what he was about to do and dragged herself off the ground, she pulled Jace's foot out from under him and he fell.

He fell onto his stomach with he blade under him and blood spilled onto the floor under and around him.