Broken Submission

Captured

Derek had never known such cold fear as when he'd returned to Amelia, only to find cushions scattered and deep scores in the earth—signs of a struggle. He'd sprinted into the woods, screaming her name. When he'd hit the deserted main road, he'd stopped, staring helplessly.

Matthew had been his first call, his friend running to his car. Despite Derek's need to chase after her, Matthew had told him to stay put. They didn't know how long it had been since she'd been taken, and they didn't know which way they'd gone.

So now Derek paced on the porch, having chased off his confused parents with a terse explanation. When Matthew pulled up, he charged the vehicle.

"Where is she?" he demanded. "Where the fuck did he take her?"

Matthew raised his hands in defense. "We don't know, Derek."

Mark stepped out of the passenger side. "I pulled some strings. We should have satellite soon."

Derek fumed. "How do you not know? We've been surveying this guy for weeks. How the fuck did he manage to slip onto the property and make off with her?"

Matthew gestured him toward the house. "We have people on that. I've sent men to his most used locations. We're using traffic cameras to try and spot which way he was headed, but this area is rural. We don't have many cams out here."

Derek fumed. "Then give me some of these locations. I'll check them out."

"Derek," Matthew said, "you're not a cop."

"Fuck that," he spat. "That is my woman. I promised I'd keep her safe, and I'll be damned if I sit here and do nothing."

Matthew opened his mouth, and at that moment, his phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he put it to his ear. "Patricia, what've you got?"

Matthew's volume was high enough for Derek to make out her words. He headed to his car.

"Wait, Derek!" Matthew said, "We don't know that she's at any of those locations. We have men on this, trained men."

Derek's eyes burned into his friend. "You know I'm just as qualified as your men. All I lack is the badge. Now you can stay here, or you can help me find her."

Matthew's jaw tightened as he fought the urge to punch his stubborn friend. Matt reminded himself that he couldn't imagine the stress that Derek was under, the sheer terror of what Amelia could be going through right now. Glancing back at his silent brother, he made a decision.

"You will stay fucking close, you hear me?" he warned. "I'm not losing my job because you got your stupid ass shot."

• • •

Amelia woke to a throbbing skull and what felt like a mouth full of cotton balls. The floor where her cheek rested was wood, splintered and dirt-encrusted. She peeled herself off the planks, blinking as she took in the small, bare room. The only light came through the slit in the door.

Her breath sped up as the reality of her situation crashed down on her. Garret had grabbed her, hand clamped over her mouth as whatever drug he'd injected into her arm dragged her into unconsciousness. Oh god. Oh god oh godohgodohgodohgod

Her stream of thought was broken by the heavy footsteps outside the door. Her heart froze as the handle squealed, hinges creaking as the door swung open. And there he stood, in his suit and tie, dark eyes glittering as he was haloed by the lamp in the room behind.

"I thought I heard that irritating heavy breathing you do." He stepped forward into the room, and she scrambled backward.

He just laughed, the sound smooth and mechanical as he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out of the closet. She whimpered at the excruciating pain of having her hair ripped out.

"Oh Amelia," he sighed, "I have missed you. But you've been such a bad girl." He deposited her in front of the couch, and she yelped when he released her hair. He crouched in front of her. "That's what you like to hear now, isn't it?"

She flinched when he trailed his long nails across her cheek. He licked his lips, a disgusted expression crossing his face. "You and your pervert boyfriend. You like him to hit you?"

She braced herself, but his slap still jarred a whimper from her lips. She didn't dare try to shield herself. His repulsed expression shamed her. The tiny scar beside his right eye almost disappeared when he scrunched his face like that.

"You want to lick his boots, is that it? You want to serve him?" He shoved her shoulders so that she sat upright before him. "Like you should have been serving me? Your husband?

"Oh Amelia," he said, "you should never have run from me. And the fact that you cost me my child." Rage tightened his jaw. "How dare you? How dare you take my child from me? How dare you defy me? The man you swore before God to obey?"

She stared into the distance. The tightness in her chest left everything fuzzy and vague. She heard the words, felt herself being maneuvered onto the couch. But when a hand forced itself between her legs, a wave of clarity washed over her. In a surge of strength, her heel found his nose as she scrambled away.

"Please—" she heard herself gasp as if she were the observer. "Please, Garret, just leave me be—just leave me be!"

"You little bitch," he growled through his broken nose.

She scrambled over the couch, the cushions moving so that she felt like she was running through water. A hopeless sob tore from her throat. She had almost made it over the arm when his nails bit into her thighs, yanking her backward. She was barely aware that her panicked screams still split through the air of the cabin, reverberating off the plank walls.

He thrust his face into hers, blood-smeared, red lining his teeth. "You fucking useless whore. You'll regret that."

He dragged his screaming ex-wife over the coffee table. When Amelia saw that the table had been fitted with makeshift restraints, she lost it. Garret contained her writhing limbs, tearing off her dress and panties before shackling her shaking form to the table.

"What is it, wife?" he sneered. "I thought you and your boyfriend liked this. Well just you wait. I was going to save this for later in the night, but since you've been so damn naughty."

When Amelia saw the black fiberglass paddle in his hand, she sobbed, a haze of utter panic covering her senses. She could do nothing as he squeezed her backside in a harsh grip before releasing her.

When the first blow fell, a piercing scream escaped the walls of the cabin, scaring the birds such that they took flight, circling each other in the evening sky.