Chasing Astrid Malone

34. STEPHAN

Astrid

"Get her up and throw her in the van" Molly's venomous voice was shouting at my human headrest. I felt more than heard the zip ties be cut. He slid his arm behind me and the other under my legs as I continued to feign sleep. It's apparent that I was being left somewhere and freed soon, I didn't want to provoke Molly further.

"Hey, dip-shit your job was to make sure she didn't escape and scare her, not to snuggle with her." I heard a door open and I tried to sneak a peek at where we were. The more I know, the more I can tell the cops later. It was so dark but I could see other warehouses, old and abandoned looking. I heard someone open another door and within seconds a black van came into view.

My captor climbed in the back and sat down with me in his lap. "Here put this on her." The other man handed him something and closed the back of the van. I opened my eyes and looked up at the creepy yet somehow comforting mask. He held a finger to his mouth telling me to be quiet. The heat was on in the van and the warmth was comforting. No one spoke for a while and there were no windows for me to see through.

My masked captor pulled out his notepad and pen, resting it on my stomach like a table, and started writing.

You're gonna be ok
Dropping you off now
Calm down
You're shaking

I tried to will my nerves into relaxing but it was no use. Being this close to Molly, after all of this, was keeping me on edge. They turned the music on upfront and didn't pay much attention to us in the back. Cradled on this guy's lap, I was close enough to easily reach his mask. The temptation was partly so I could pick him out of a line-up, and the other half of me wanting to know what his face looks like.

I could tell by the way he moved and carried himself with confidence that he's cocky, the kind of cocky that comes along with being good looking. What's wrong with me, as if I don't have enough boy trouble already. I shouldn't be having these thoughts about a kidnapper. I pushed them out of my head and stiffened in his arms, not wanting to be this close to him.

I have no concept of time anymore, but I know this drive feels like hours. "Shit he's not alone, wait is that Tristan? What the fuck is he doing here?" My heart rate quickened listening to the guy driving the van. He knows Tristan. "I can't do the talking if Tristan is here and you don't want Cam to hear your voice, Stephan will have to do it then. He doesn't know either of them." Stephan is his name... I watched as Stephan covered his mask with his hand, aware that I now know his name.

The van came to a stop. "Dude you have to do the talking now, bring sleeping beauty out and make the exchange. I'll come with you so they don't try anything." Stephan slipped the blindfold over my head and zip-tied my wrists together. The sound of the van door opening made me jump. Stephan lifted me up and carried me out of the van.

"Throw the bag over and my friend will check it." Stephan's deep voice was threatening above me, far from the sweet whisper in my ear earlier. I heard a thud then a zipper opening. I wanted to get down and run but I was frozen. "Now get in your car and I will release her." I heard a car door open and close. "You too, tough guy." I wondered which of them he was talking to.

"Fuck you, hand her over and run away with your cash." Tristan! I squirmed in Stephan's arms trying to get free. He gripped me tighter and grabbed my butt, squeezing it. "You must be the boyfriend." What is this? They got what they wanted, let me go. The van horn honked behind us. "Your friends are ready to run, put Astrid down and run like the coward you are." Stephan's sigh came out in a growl, but he put me on my feet and whispered in my ear, "I'll miss you, princess."

As soon as he let me go I ran blindly in the direction I'd heard Tristan minutes ago. Strong hands gripped me and pulled me in. "Tell Molly to spend her share fast, before the cops find her." How does Tristan know? I heard the van door close and they sped off.

"Tristan?" He pulled off my blindfold and searched his pockets. "I have a knife in the car, come on lets get those hands free." He walked me to his SUV and lifted me up into the passenger seat. Cameron put his hand on my shoulder from the back seat. Once my hands were free Tristan handed me my phone. "Call your mom and tell her you're ok, I'm calling the cops."

Police Officers were everywhere, taping the area off. An ambulance came and insisted on taking me to the hospital to be checked out. "Your Mom is still there, she will find you as soon as you get there." Tristan was reluctant to let me go, but him and Cameron had to be questioned by the police.

It was a short ride to the hospital. EMTs wrapped me in warm blankets and took my vitals. They spoke reassuring praises to me for being brave, but the relief I felt in Tristan's arms has quickly turned into extreme exhaustion. I feel drained and emotionally empty. I should be jumping for joy but I just want a quiet place to be safe and alone. The last thing I remember was getting into the ER and them setting up an IV drip.

A/N: I'm sorry for the short chapter. I didn't want to cram it in with everything that happens in the next one. Hope you liked it anyway. Comment your thoughts and vote. Goodnight.