The Only Witness

5

"Can I have a diamond?" A voice of what appears to be a old man is heard on the cellphone's speaker.
Connor chuckles, "only one?"
"Okay, two and a half of pound of Mary Jane,"
"Okay, I call my connections to see what I can do for you," Connor hangs up.
Connor goes to the room where Jasmin is laying on the bed.
"What the hell am I going to do with this kid?" He thinks.
He sits and pulls Jasmin on her back. She mumbles something and suddenly screams. She awakens and is breathing heavily.
As if it was an instinct reaction from her, she hugs the nearest warmth she could. Connor gets surprised and doesn't hold her.
Immediately, Jasmin realized what she has done and pulls away.
"Having a nightmare?" He asks.
Jasmin frowns, "no, not in my dreams at least."
"You feel better?"
Jasmin recalls how he beat her. She touches her cheek but her touch hurts her.
"That's what you get kid from misusing my trust, I almost got blind!" Connor pokes Jasmin's arm rough.
"Ouch," Jasmin slaps his arm.
Connor takes out a gun from his back pocket. He puts it on Jasmin's forehead. "Don't touch me kid."
"Oh god, he has a gun now," she thinks in fear.
Connor smiles, "now we getting somewhere Jasmin. See, if you really truly value your life, you do as I say and behave. Do we have a deal?"
Jasmin slightly nods. She has never seen a gun before. Her father never allowed her near his garage room where he kept his guns. Now one is pointing on her head.
"Good, I'm going to my work. Let me just secure you," Connor puts his gun back and takes her hand and twists it.
"Ouch! Stop!" Jasmin exclaims. He let's go and pushes her to the bed. She lands on her stomach with her arms to the sides.
Connor gets the tape inside the drawer next to the bed and ties her hands and legs.
"Be good." Then three pieces of different lengths of tape are placed on her mouth.
He turns her over and he leaves.
....
Hours Later
....

Jasmin's legs and arms hurt. She can't move. They are becoming stiff.
"I need to get out of here. I need to go home," she thinks.
Suddenly, there are footsteps coming to the room. The door opens and it is Connor. He removes the tape from her mouth and legs.
"Let's go," he says.
He carries her to the attic. It is the same as before.
"Be good okay?" He asks. Connor sets her down in a corner.
"Why? Why am I back here?"
"Because I need the other room, this will be yours," he answers.
"What are you going to do with me?"
"Keep you as a pet."
Jasmin eyes widen and her lower lip is frowning. "No!"
"Ah," Connor reaches for his gun, "didn't we agree?"
Jasmin looks down, "why?"
"Because I need help around the house," he says.
"What's your name?" Jasmin asks.
"Connor," he says.
Jasmin looks at him. "Nice name."
He chuckles, "trying to be tough huh? Well, you are a military brat. I'll bet your dad tought you many things."
"Yeah."
"So, heard Erick will spend some months in jail, unfortunately they know someone else kidnapped you," Connor says.
"Good,"
"Being funny?"
"No,"
"Good," Connor puts tape on her mouth again. "I'm going to prepare something to eat."
My father will try to negotiate with him, Jasmin thinks. She is determine to get out. She will think about what can she give him in exchange for her freedom.
****
Mr. Mayer is looking in his daughter's bedroom. It has been a week since someone took her from the home.
"My baby girl," he whispers to himself. He might be a soldier. He has been train to be stable mentally and emotionally under stress, but this is becoming too much for him.
Tears roll down his cheeks. His lower lip trembles as he is holding in his cries. "Why? Why couldn't I protect you?"
Mrs. Mayer sees her husband. She hugs him from behind. He jumps as her warm touch circles him.
"Cry baby," she whispers. "I won't judge you. No one will."
"Why didn't Erick tell me about his problem? He knew I could help him," Mr. Mayer says.
"He was foolish. But he says he never wanted to harm us, he didn't know that man will find him here," Mrs. Mayer says.
Mr. Mayer closes the bedroom door. He then turns to his wife. "Jasmin is a smart kid right? I thought her how to be safe. She will be fine right?"
Mrs. Mayer nods, "yes." Though in her head she has doubts. Jasmin is after all a kid with no experience in violence matters. She barely had the sex talk with her. She barely began to notice boys. She barely began to know the hard truths.
"We will find her," Mr. Mayer says. "I will make the man pay."
"We will,"
Mr. Mayer hugs her. "It's going to be okay."
***
Eight days in captivity

Jasmin hair feels oily. Her skin itches. She smells like dust and sweat. She is wearing the same pajamas she wore when she got kidnapped.
She hasn't showered. She doesn't want to get anything from Connor that isn't necessary. Though, she is now trying to gain his trust. She has thought about giving him her trust fund money. The last time she checked, she had $10,000.
"Jasmin," Connor snaps his fingers as he enters the room. Jasmin looks at him. "What?"
"Shower time," he says.
She shakes her head no. "I don't want to."
"Please, you smell worse than a dog," Connor gets her arm and stands her. He carries her to the bathroom.
He takes off the remaining tape. "Okay, shower."
"No. Leave."
"No, I won't risk it," he says.
Jasmin notices he has a black office suit. He looks weird in her mind. The suit is a size too big. It makes him look bigger as well. He is tall like her dad but might weight more than him.
"Where was he? Does he work at a office?" Jasmin questions herself.
Connor crosses his arms. "Look, I'm going to have guest. I don't want the house to have a stench."
"Guest?"
He smirks, "sorry. You won't be able to speak nor move. They won't never hear you."
"They will," she thinks.
"Get in the fucking tub," he says in a serious tone.
Jasmin turns to see the tub filled with bubbles. There isn't a curtain though. She doesn't want to be seen by him.
"Jasmin, you have three seconds to get in,"
She doesn't respond.
"One,"
She frowns. "I don't want to," she thinks.
"Two,"
Jasmin turns to him but it is too late. "Three!' He slaps her. Her head hits the edge of the bath tub.
"Get in," Connor says as he takes off her bottoms. Jasmin regains some conscious and pushes him. "No!"
"Don't yell." Connor puts his hand on her mouth. She is against him, on the floor, and the bathtub. Her eyes widen and she is panicking.
"Im not interesting in little girls okay. I'm not a pedophile. Now, I will turn around, you take off your clothes, and get in," Connor whispers.
Jasmin quickly nods. Connor stands and let's her get in the tub. He hears the water spill a bit as she gets in. "You done?"
"Yes."
He turns to see her in the bubbles. "I'm going to wash your hair, give me your hands."
"But,"
"You didn't listen. This will be your punishment," Connor takes out the same cloth he has been using to shut Jasmin. He gets her arms and ties them on the wrists in front of her.
"Darn, darn, I'm so stupid. I was doing good," Jasmin thinks. She sees Connor reach up to get the shower head. He turns the water on and washes her hair.
The water feels good against her hair and skin. She missed showering.
She then feels his hands on her hair putting shampoo on. He is roughly putting his fingers through her hair. She whines but he slaps her. "Shut up."
"You don't have to slap me," Jasmin exclaims.
He slaps her again. "I can fucking slap you whenever I want. Shut up and let me finish."
She cries quietly and let's him finish.
Soon, she is in a towel in the attic. Connor comes in with clothes.
"I think I got the size right," he whispers to himself. "Here, get dressed."
"Okay," Jasmin says.
She gets the folded clothes and places them on top of a box. She hides behind the other boxes to dress. Connor sees her head and shoulders only.
Jasmin puts on a set of white underclothes, jeans and a black sweater. No shoes at all only socks.
"Done." She steps foward.
Connor laughs. Jasmin frowns, "What?"
"You look weird," he smiles.
"Please you look weirder that suit doesn't fit you well," Jasmin rolls her eyes.
Connor smile fades. "Bitch."
"Look who is talking," she responds.
"Get sassy with me, but you will regret it," Connor pulls her towards him. "You want to continue?"
She says no. "Good girl, now get on your knees with your hands behind your back."
He ties her again.