Love's Arithmetic

II: Abducted

"Nice doggie!" Caer cried in a strained high pitched voice. She had been afraid of dogs for as long as she could remember. They were big mean creatures that liked to jump up on you and bite you. A small scar at her hairline provided the beginning of the fear of large dogs. Small ones, were no problem. But if their mouths were bigger than her fists, then she had a problem. However, as a favor to a woman in her building, she had accepted the responsibility of feeding the dog. After all, she had set up the thirty something stock broker with a man she had met while buying doughnuts. one of her favorite Friday night treats.

Now, a month later, the two were spending the weekend together and this was the last day she would have to feed the devil's guardian. It was all in the name of love, and she was willing to suffer for the two people that she knew were supposed to be together. Even if it did mean facing the lifelong fear of dogs.

Caer took a deep breath. All she had to do is get the dog some food, and prevent him from jumping up on her. Even if he was a two hundred pound bull mastiff that enjoyed jumping around in circles, barking loudly and trying to place his paws on her chest. "Perverted dog!" She muttered as she tried to keep herself from being cornered by the large animal. Every bark brought on images of the dog tearing her face off, deforming her for the rest of her life. She felt light headed and frightened when the images came to mind.

She was just about to make a break for it when the dog suddenly stopped barking, turned and fled toward the door, leaving Caer alone, wondering what had caused such a miraculous event.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Garrett Knox slipped the lock on the apartment. It was not at all hard. After years of breaking into places he wasn't supposed to be, it came as second nature to him. It had been a long time since a lock had caused him any trouble or difficulty. He wanted a challenge, maybe a lock that he couldn't break, or at least one that would take a long time to break.

He stood back waiting for the others to go into the apartment as he pulled his other tools together. Once they were firmly put away in his bag he joined the others. Walking into the extravagant 72nd street luxury apartment he found it ridiculous that some people just got things like this handed to them. However, that was the purpose behind the break in today. They were hoping to grab the stock broker that lived here, hold her until her lawyer boyfriend agreed to their terms. The only negative would be their forced tolerance of a stuffy woman who sold stocks all day. At least they would get a lot of money out of her.

However, the problem they were faced with first, was a large, ugly dog. Toby Card was trying to muscle it into the bathroom in the front hall without alerting the woman that was inside. Glancing at the side table, Garrett saw a large oversized purse probably containing the secrets to women and their lives. He grabbed it and motioned for Brian Smith and David Mabey to search the rest of the house. They followed his directions without asking any questions.

While they went in search of the woman, he helped Toby wrestle the dog into the room. A small cry was heard from the back of the apartment, alerting them that the woman had been found. Five minutes later they had the dog locked in the bathroom, moaning and scratching at the door. Garrett could hear it trying to move in the almost non-existent room, but didn't care. Someone would eventually come and let it out. Right now, however, it was in his way.

Straightening his shirt he moved with Toby into the living room, his lips curling into a sneer at the modern furnishings and the real hardwood floors. The woman probably hadn't even had to work for a place like this, like many she had just been born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

The woman held in Brian's arms did look like she belonged in a place like this. She was younger than he expected, somewhere in her mid twenties. Her long hair cascaded around her shoulders and around Brian's hand covering her mouth. Green eyes flashed dangerously as she sized him up. Her struggles were insistent, yet vain.  At most she weighed a hundred and thirty, the man effectively controlling her had a good seventy pounds on her.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Caer fought. She didn't care if it was all but useless, she wasn't going to give up. These men were dangerous, that much was obvious by the manner in which they had attacked her. She hand turned around just as one of them had reached for her. The man had slammed her against the cream colored walls and turned her so her back was to him. Stunned, she had been unable to process the fact that she should be fighting. Until it was too late. When he had her hands cuffed behind her back she had attempted to scream, having regained some knowledge and instinct of self preservation. Dear heavens! She had cried when the lower half of her face had been smothered by her ever messy hair and a large male hand. Please don't let them hurt me!

When two more men emerged from the hall her struggles intensified. Flinging her legs out, hoping to catch one of the men, realizing even as she did it was hopeless. Two of the men watched in amusement as she grappled with the man holding her. However, the tallest one, the one that exuded leadership and power, the one with the chilling silver-blue eyes as cold as a bus bench in Antarctica, just stood there and examined her with cool precision. She felt like a slab of meat held up for inspection. His expression never changed, never wavered, and he didn't move until he opened his bag to reveal an item that made her blood chill, and her struggles cease.