Lovers in California: Held For Ransom

• 10 •

About 20 minutes later, I heard the doorbell ring. I went to the front door and opened it.

"Hey- Jesus... What the fuck happened to you?" Andre asked as soon as he saw me.

I didn't say anything but just motioned with my head for him to come inside and follow me. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him, then followed me into the kitchen.

"Where's Isabelle, is she at work today? I thought she didn't-" he soon got cut off by the look and head shake I gave him. I then sat down at the dining table and let out a big sigh. "Shit bro... What's happened?" He asked and sat down at the table as well, placing his medical bag on it.

I let out another sigh and looked down. Should I tell him? I decided it might be the best idea. I trusted Andre and he was like a brother to me.

After a few seconds I replied, "Isabelle's been kidnapped" I said, still looking down.

"What?" He asked in shock.

I looked up at him with a kind of worried/upset face, "she's being held for ransom until I pay him 1 million dollars."

A sudden look of concern appeared on his face and he shook his head slowly in disbelief, "have you phoned the police?"

I shook my head, "I can't, he wrote me this note" I said and took the note out of my pocket and gave it to him.

Andre read the note and then looked back at me, "shit dude" was all he could say. "What are you gonna do?" He then asked.

I just shrugged, I genuinely didn't know what I was going to do yet.

"But what happened to you?"

"He came over just now. He took Isabelle's keys and let himself in, then when I came back home he was already here" I explained, he just nodded along and listened carefully. "We spoke and then he showed me a video."

"A video of what?"

I cleared my throat, "a video of Belle chained up and gagged" I said and frowned while thinking back to the video. Andre's eyes went wide but he stayed quiet to let me carry on. "We then ended up in a fight, and he sliced my arm open" I added and held my arm up slightly.

"Alright, let me have a look at your arm" he said in a soothing voice. I placed my arm on the table and carefully took the tea towel off (he had sliced the inside of my left forearm).

"Wow dude... That's pretty deep" he said.

"Is it?" I questioned. I was a little shocked because I thought it wasn't that deep.

"Yup, that's gonna need stitches" he replied and opened his medical bag. He put on some gloves and then pulled out some rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad. "I'm gonna need to clean it up first, so this might sting a little."

"Sure" I said and watched him pour some on the pad. He then lightly rubbed it on and around the wound. "Ah" I flinched but stayed still so he could do it properly.

"Sorry" he said and carried on.

After a couple of minutes, it was finally clean and he grabbed the stuff to stitch up the wound. Luckily I had called him and he knew what he was doing because god knows what would have happened if I had left it. It probably would have gotten infected or something.

He started stitching it up carefully. While he was doing this he asked, "so let me get this straight, some guy has kidnapped Isabelle and is holding her hostage until you give him 1 million dollars?" I just nodded. "Do you even know him?"

"Nope, which makes me not want to give him the money even more."

He nodded in agreement, he then stopped what he was doing and looked at me, "what if I phoned the police? Surely he wouldn't know if I phoned them."