Miss Taken

Chapter 5-Best Kidnapping Friends

Chapter 5

I woke up from my nap I hadn't even intended for laying only halfway on my bed. I ended up rolling off, hitting the concrete floor with a thud.

This wouldn't have been nearly as embarrassing as it was when I realized Karter was standing at the door with a shorter man in a suit. Karter was trying very hard to keep a straight face while the man did it seemingly effortlessly. I stood up, dusting myself off.

"Good unspecified time of day, sir," I greeted.

He sniffed at my greeting and did not return it. "You, child, have caused me quite an amount of stress as of late."

"Ditto," I said pleasantly. Karter gave me a warning look.

The man narrowed his eyes at me. "Do you know who I am?"

I shook my head, reclining back into my immensely uncomfortable chair as though it were a plush fluffy couch. "I'm afraid I'm rather behind on my knowledge of creepy balding men who associate themselves with kidnappers."

The man frowned. Karter widened his eyes at me in a clear sign of "you better shut up right now or you're going to get karate chopped."

Or something like that.

"I," the man said, sounding quite prepared for me to be impressed, "am the one behind this whole operation. You can call me the Boss."

I opened my mouth to make a sassy response, but Karter obviously knew what was going to happen and spoke up.

"Sir, apologies for interrupting, but is this entirely necessary? I mean, I think it's quite obvious that she isn't Riley Temples," Karter said.

The man scowled at him. "I am quite capable of dealing with my own prisoners, Karter. Now leave us or I might have to take care of some other prisoners of mine."

Karter paled-something I never expected to see. He nodded and backed away, leaving the room, but not without a concerned glance at me before he closed the door.

Aw, he cares about me, I thought. We really are BKFs! (Best Kidnapping Friends, for clarification)

"If you're quite finished," the Boss said irritably.

I swallowed nervously. "How much of that did I say out loud?" I asked.

"Quite enough," he responded.

I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. See, that was the problem with me. Most of the time I just blurted everything I thought out, so I occasionally forgot to think things silently and just said them right out loud.

"I am not interested in your friendship with my employee," the Boss said. "What interests me is whether or not you are Riley Temples."

"I've answered everyone's questions," I said. "My name is Lauryn Everett and that is the truth. Let me know when you decide to believe it."

There was a moment's pause and then suddenly the Boss did something entirely unexpected. He smiled. It was not a very pleasant smile. I got the impression that he didn't have much practice smiling at all.

"I know exactly how you can prove it to me," he said.

"And how would that be?" I asked.

"Show me the real Riley Temples."

---

"This is insane," I said, staring at the screen in front of me.

"Insanity is just misunderstand brilliance, my dear," the Boss said.