I lay on the sofa waiting with my feet bound and my hands tied behind my back. I was grateful that my restraints were not hurting me and had been quite loosely knotted.
Just before my captives slipped a blindfold over my eyes they gave me a choice "Don't try and escape or we will tighten the ropes. You can't see us, so you don't know if we are watching."
They had turned my TV on and a local news channel was giving an update on the weather and the traffic report.
"I see her car, yes she is parking it. She's getting out and approaching the building." One of my kidnappers said. "Get ready."
"Roger that." Crackled a walkie talkie.
I heard the creak of my apartment door opening and then the sounds of a scuffle before the door slammed shut.
A woman's muffled voice was protesting and I guessed that they had successfully seized my neighbor and brought her into my apartment.
The sofa bounced, she must have been deposited next to me.
"Sit next to her Carla, don't scream, don't fight. Just sit still, do as we say and you will not get hurt."
"What do you want?" I heard her ask. "Please do not hurt me."
That whiny voice of hers really grated on my nerves. Since I moved in three months ago she had been snobbish and unfriendly. I don't know where she came from but she spoke with a South American accent.
"Very simply, we want the combination of your safe in your office."
"Why do you want that?"
"Because we want to open it."
I had to smile to myself.
"What do you want from my safe? I have no money in there."
"We want the package labeled 'Roberts Industries,' the one your business partner took before Roberts mysteriously disappeared. It represents three years of hard work and we do not want to see it sold to the competition. Give us the combination of the safe."
"No, I will not give you it; I do not care what you do to me."
"Do you know what we will do to you? Give her a taster Andy."
My feet were unbound and I was dragged to my feet. The guy who was called Andy stood close behind me, I could feel his body touching mine.
"Please don't hurt me," I begged.
"That all depends on Carla, your neighbor, my dear."
"Carla, give them what they want." I leaned forward trying to guess where she was. The silence from her indicated she wasn't going to give in that easily.
"Remove her blindfold; I want her to look into Carla's eyes. I want Carla to see what her stubbornness will get her after we get through with Jill here."
I blinked at the sudden light. Carla was sat on my sofa, her hands and feet bound. A total of three men were in my apartment, one watching through the window, one standing behind Carla, leaning on the back of the sofa, and the guy called Andy behind me.
"Carla! They are going to get that combination in the end. Give it to them now."
"Never." She spat back.
"Proceed Andy."
Andy reached around me, grasped my white shirt, and ripped it open. Buttons clattered onto the wood floor as he ripped the thin material, exposing my yellow lacy bra.
"Noooo. Don't do this to me." I cried.
I saw a flash of a knife as Andy cut away the remains of my shirt he was unable to rip off my shoulders.
