Chapter 112: This Is Kidnapping

It wasn’t long before a man passed by her. He was a burly man, and he was wearing a black suit. When he realized that he had lost Crystal, he stopped and looked around.

Crystal peeked around the tree to try to identify the man stalking her and immediately recognized him as one of Nathan’s bodyguards. She didn’t like it when Nathan treated her like a child, and she decided to get rid of this stalker.

The stalker slipped into the bakery to see if Crystal had gone in there, and the minute he was out of sight, she made a mad dash to the bookstore.

The bookstore had a total of three floors, and each floor stored books for different ages. For example, economics and professional books were on the first floor. Crystal checked some information on the internet by herself and selected several popular books based on their ratings and reviews.

There were not very many people near the bookstore, and as Crystal was leaving, someone grabbed her from behind and used a chloroform-soaked handkerchief to cover her face. She immediately began to struggle, but it was of no use. The man was too strong, and she was getting weaker by the second.

***

In a meeting room at The Brilliant Group’s HQ-The air conditioning had reached its maximum, but the men around the table were still sweating their balls off. That is how hot it was in the building, and the acrid smell of sweat that filled the small enclosure seemed to be nearly as anxious as Zyklon B.

The heat was oppressive, but one by one, the managers still managed to present their proposals. It was a depressing yet efficient affair, as everyone wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

The meeting was nearly over, but as the last presentation was being given, Nathan’s face began to turn red, and he cut the presenter off mid-sentence. “Is this what you call a proposal?” he shouted. “Did your brain come up with this? I doubt it! This proposal is nothing more than a rehash of things that have been used for years. There is no creativity in it at all. You should be ashamed of yourself. A child could do better with nothing but Google as an aid, so what do I pay you for?!?!”

Although the managers were accustomed to Nathan’s strict outbursts, they never failed to make them jump. They knew that their job was in jeopardy, and as long as they worked for Nathan, it would remain that way. This was his managerial style. It was a fear tactic that was intended to keep them on their toes. If not for the high pay, many would have long since sought employment elsewhere.

Nobody dared to speak. All of the managers hung their heads in shame. The meeting had lasted two hours, and nobody had managed to please their boss.

Suddenly, Nathan’s phone buzzed. He checked his message, and when he dismissed the manager early, they let out a collective sigh of relief.

***

When Crystal woke up, she was very confused. Her hands and feet were tied up, her mouth was taped shut, and she didn’t know where she was. Her head ached, and the smell of chloroform remained in her nostrils. She opened her eyes, but she couldn’t make out much in the dark room. She was in a warehouse. She could see that much, and the only source of light came from beneath the iron door across from her.

There was an old fan nearby, and it was blowing stale air into her face as its ancient blades squealed. Nearer to her, there was a rusty army cot. Where am I? - Crystal wondered- Who did this to me? And what can I do to save myself?

Suddenly, the door opened. It creaked, and a ray of light blinded her, forcing her to close her eyes, making it impossible for her to see who had entered. Finally, she was able to open them, and it was Richard that she saw. Oh, fuck!- thought Crystal.

Richard chuckled when he saw the fear in her eyes, and he said, “I told you that we would see each other again. And here we are!”

Even if Crystal could have spoken, she would

have been speechless.

Two men with dogs entered after Richard. They closed and locked the door behind them, and everything was dark again. The dogs were Tibetan mastiffs, and they looked vicious. Crystal began to tremble. She wondered if they were there to eat her face.

Richard squatted down in front of her, stretched out his hand, and yanked the tape off her mouth. “Of course, you probably didn’t think that this is how we’d run into each other,” he continued. He chuckled wickedly and said, “I have prepared for today for a long time. What do you think of my game so far?”

Crystal’s mouth was bleeding where the tape had been, and she couldn’t move. “What are you going to do?” she cried. “This is kidnapping! And it’s illegal!”

Richard allowed the dogs to get right up into Crystal’s face, and they began to growl viciously. The large Tibetan mastiffs seemed to be starving, and she feared what they could do to her much more than she feared anything that he could do.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Richard said. Then he stretched out his hand and pinched her chin. “It is illegal, but so what? Do you think I give a shit about the Laws of Man? I make my own rules, answering to no one as I bend people like you to my will!”

Crystal bowed her head and tried to bite him. Unfortunately, her chin was locked in place by his fingers, and the more she struggled, the more he hurt her.

Richard remembered how Crystal had kicked him in his manh**d and how she had nearly slit his throat with a broken bottle. After that, his friends began calling him Scaredy Cat and Scared Stone. It was infuriating. Now that he had her in the palm of his hand, he intended to make her pay. Her pain would be his balm, and his revenge on her would earn him back the respect of his peers.

There was a knock on the iron door, and Richard smiled wickedly. “Come in,” he shouted. “You have a key.” Crystal heard the sound of a key click into place and turn. Then the door was pulled open, and several tall men appeared. They had objects in their hands, and although they handled them in a manner most threatening, she could not make out what they were.

Richard laughed and said, “Set the scene.” One of the men pulled the steel bed away from the wall while another began to set up lights. Reflectors were placed near the lights, boom mics were set up over the bed, and three cameras were placed at various places around the room. All of them were aimed at the bed. This is all stage Equipment - thought Crystal, and she began to tremble - What the Hell has Richard got planned for me?