The kidnapper

Chapter - 1

Chapter - 1

Melissa’s father woke up in a partially constructed, dark cement room. His head was throbbing and his hand hurt like hell, but somehow he still had the cognitive ability to keenly observe his surroundings. He was on the second floor of an abandoned building that had been under construction at the time of abandonment. He realized he’d been lying in a pool of fresh blood, blood that had seeped from his hand to pool around him while he’s been passed out. He struggled to stand, feeling weak and dizzy, but the chilly breeze drifting through the large glassless windows helped clear his head.

He checked his pockets for his wallet, and, finding that, proceeded to search for his cell phone. The last message on it served as a painful reminder to why he’d woken up where he was. Or rather, what he was looking for. He honestly had no idea why he’d woken up injured in this abandoned building, but he knew it had something to do with his daughter’s kidnapping. 

                She was 21 and in her third year of college. Melissa was also John’s only family, because her mother had died from a car accident when she was 19. She looked like his late wife in every way, brown hair, tall, athletic, and spunky. She was also very intelligent. 

                John left the building after wrapping his injury in some cloth he’d found, compressing the wound an stanching the flow of blood. He walked through the outskirts of a city, and finding a small dilapidated and shady looking restaurant, he bought himself brunch, learning that he was just outside Starling City.

Starling City was just like any other- well developed, filled with large offices, skyscrapers, casinos, reputed hotels, gangs, and, of course, a high crime rate. Drug dealing, snatching, stealing, mugging, murdering, kidnapping, it all happened in the dark parts of the city. Kidnapping especially though, was done in large groups that were effective at covering their tracks. They wouldn’t risk themselves when they were alone to kidnap someone as the risk and danger was very high and it resulted in a shoddy job that, more often than not, failed. 

The crime rate had more than doubled in the past four years and random people had started going missing. In fact, a major target had been the female population. And Melissa had been staying in this place alone with only her dog to defend and protect her. 

Even though they talked each week for hours, and she told her beloved father everything that went on, there’d been nothing he could do to prevent her from being kidnapped. And so she was.

As John entered the city in a taxi, he reflected on all the happy memories he had with his daughter. He resolved that he would get her back, no matter what. No matter if he had to give his life to do so.

The taxi arrived at his daughter’s apartment, and he paid the driver and left the taxi. He now stood before a red brick building, the building he knew his daughter lived in, as he used to visit her here every year on her birthday.