Little White Lies

Chapter 17

"Put this on," the driver handed her a black tie and gestured for her to tie it over her eyes. So far, as far as abduction goes, Candice had been remarkably well treated. But that probably had to do with her being cooperative. She dutifully put the black-tie around her eyes, leaving just enough room for her to see to the bottom of her feet. It was a trick that had earned her many hide and seek in the sorority.

Candice heard the car door open and jolted as someone grabbed her by her left arm and yanked her out. So much for being well treated. She almost stumbled but whoever it was - a man in black loafers - swung her just enough that she didn't fall. A quick flash of light and she heard the crunching of gravel as the car backed away.

The sound of static alerted Candice; a walkie talkie. Too bad Candice didn't take Spanish in school so she had no idea what was said. The man muttered under his breath as he dragged Candice forward. She did her best not to try over; it wasn't like she expected to be dragged across a gravel path when she wore her strappy heels to dinner.

Gauging that the man wasn't facing her, Candice tilted her head forward and caught a glimpse of the large brick building they were heading to. A quick glance around revealed nothing more than bushes and starry sky. She had stealthily pressed the panic button on her phone, an app that was supposed to get her deets to the police who'd come and save her. She was hoping that it won't take that not.

She was shoved through the door and into a room with concrete floor. This reminded Candice of all the movies with kidnapping and the sense of doom deepened. The man finally let go of her arm but only to shove her instead of drag. Her heels echoed loudly across the room and she told herself to focus on her breathing. Nothing really bad had happened yet and she mustn't jinx herself.

Her foot hit something that she almost stumbled over, which turned out to be a metal folded chair. The man shoved her into it and she had to use all the muscles she didn't know she had to keep herself from toppling over. Finally, the black cloth was taken off her and she found herself in some kind of bare storage room.

Candice straightened her spine as a man, flanked by two others a few steps behind him, walked towards her from the other end of the room. It was a dimly lit space and she squinted to make out the details. He looked to be in his fifties with curly brown hair and decked out in a red leather jacket and dark jeans. He had a malicious air that set Candice on edge and she wondered if this was who her parents dealt with or just a lackey.

"Little Miss White," he started, waving at his minions and one produced an identical metal fold chair for him to sit on. "You had given us quite a run for our money."

Candice forced a smile on her face and hoped that it looked natural and confident. "And who might you be?"

He threw his head back and laughed, the volume making Candice winced. He stopped abruptly, leaning forward and placed his forearm over his thigh as he studied Candice. She resisted the urge to squirm, meeting his gaze squarely. A few seconds passed and Candice began to lose some of the nervousness she had. If they wanted to hurt her, they should have by now.

"It's not time for you to find out who I am," he answered, tapping his fingers on the side of the chair. "It's funny how we were looking for you in America and now you've brought yourself here in Mexico. Life really does work in circles, doesn't it?"