Dancing With The Devil

Chapter 10

"What do you want?" I growled. My insides felt like my anxiety was consuming me completely, but the business woman in me was relentless. I straightened my spine and folded my arms in front of me on the table, daring Agent Smith to push me back. This was a negotiation I simply couldn't lose. "You obviously think that you have all of the answers so what is the point of pulling me in here? You think I'm the woman who disappeared from California six years ago so why not ship me back to the states?"

"I don't think that you are Camila Lopez. I know that you are. Now, you were reported as a kidnapping case, so tell me, who took you and where are they now?" Agent Smith pressed.

"That's bullshit, we both know that she-" Alistair chimed in.

"Alistair." Agent Smith hissed, seeming much more furious than he had when he had shouted, "You've said enough for one day. We are not here to make assumptions." When it became clear that Alistair would hold his tongue, at least for now, Agent Smith brought his attention back to me. The switch had flipped once more and his expression was as calm and collected as ever. He didn't look like he was going to allow me to walk over him, but he didn't seem to be nearly as agitated as Alistair, "You are an American citizen, not a Canadian, we can't put you in prison. However, we need to know if there is someone dangerous in our country so it can be handled accordingly. Now, tell me who took you away from our family and friends."

Well, that had been Sophie. But she hadn't taken me with any force. She had merely opened up a door to a safer place, one without my haunting ex-fiancé and my unpleasable parents while offering a much needed reality check. If I stayed with Josh my life would only get worse, not better. But she wasn't a kidnapper. She was the only reason that I had been able to escape that life. So, I kept my mouth shut, leaning back in my chair as my mind desperately attempted to formulate a plan.

"Do you know what Stockholm Syndrome is?" Agent Smith asked his voice still as sympathetic as it had been previously.

I did know what Stockholm Syndrome was, but I said nothing.

"It's a psychological condition that occurs when victims begin to have affection or feelings of loyalty towards their captives. It's a survival mechanism and nothing to be ashamed of. However, no one who takes you against your will should be allowed to roam the streets free. What if they realize you are gone and they find someone else to replace you? Another woman ripped away from her family and friends. No matter what they told you and what they made you believe or feel they are dangerous and they need to be placed into custody as soon as possible."

"Do you think that I was kidnapped then started up a multimillion dollar business with my captors?" I demanded in disbelief. Yes, it was tossing myself under the bus, admitting that I had potentially done this all by myself, but the idea that I had an accomplice was terrifyingly accurate. I would gladly give myself up if it meant that they never caught onto Sophie's trail. She had done this for me out of the goodness of her soul and she had sacrificed so much for me. I refused to be the reason that she ended up in prison, losing everything she had worked so hard for.

"Anything is possible, Camila." agent Smith murmured. "And that's why we need you. We need you to fill in the gaps for us because we can't just let dangerous people continue to do unlawful acts. No one has the right to take away the freedom of another person. And as soon as we feel we have enough information from you we will let you go home. So if someone has taken you for your knowledge- or rather your father's knowledge- of the oilfield and used you to be the public face of a business for on their fraudulent behalf we need to know."

"I have nothing to tell you." I stated adamantly.

"What happened that night, Camila? One day you were engaged to one of the youngest men within the American Criminal Investigation sector and the next time you resurface you have changed your name and own a massive pigging company in Canada's capital. That's quite impressive- I'll admit- but your success isn't my concern. I know that this couldn't possibly happen without laws being broken so all I want to know is who did it and how. Once this is all cleared up you'll be released and you'll never have to answer to me again."