Chapter 1
Today, I am going to work. I act like that is something that doesn’t happen often, but I go to work everyday at my local cafe. I’m a student, so balancing work and school was always quite a chore. However, when I woke up this morning, I felt like something was going to happen. It’s just this super weird “I wonder if I’m going to die today” kinda feeling. Anyways, it’s 8 in the morning, so it’s time for me to leave for the bus. I really wish I had a car, but I’m a broke college student, and bus fares are way cheaper.
As I walk down the corridor away from my apartment, I just feel weird, just like someone’s watching me. I’m pretty sure it’s nothing, but I definitely don’t live in the best part of Chicago, so I get my pepper spray ready, you kno, just in case. I get in the elevator and go to the lobby. Everything seems normal. Everything is normal. I’m just paranoid, right?
I step onto the sidewalk and walk the 2 blocks to the bus station. It doesn’t take long, maybe 10 minutes, and I see the usual street vendors. Marie is my favorite. She’s your typical 60 year old woman because she loves cats. The weird thing is that Marie is a total badass. I once was walking by her cart and she yelled,
“You! Madeleine! Get over here! Are you okay? Your walking around with your shirt all untucked and your hair’s a mess!”. That’s Marie for you, she’s on top of everyone, but she only does that because she really cares.
I hate the bus stop. Honestly, I’m socially awkward, so interacting with people is pretty hard for me. I don’t enjoy going there just because I have to sit and talk to people. I wish it was simple, like you sit down and plug headphones in and wait for the bus. But as I walk up to the bus stop, I realize that not everything is normal. On the opposite end of the bench is a large man, probably in his mid thirties. Once i see that in his left hand is a rag drenched in some sort of knockout drug, I turn around and try to run for it. I don’t make it 10 feet before this man has me on the ground and trying to knock me out.
When I wake up, I feel like this is all a dream, a very bad dream. But I realize I am super wrong, super fast. As I sit up, I notice that I can’t. My right wrist is cuffed to the bed. I start doing the one thing I know how to.
“HELP! SOMEBODY!”, I scream over and over.
After about 5 minutes of yelling, someone finally comes in.
“Jesus, you have the lung capacity of a giraffe”, this man with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes says very matter-of-factly to me.
“What am I doing here, and who the hell are you?”, I ask. It feels like I have a hangover from whatever knockout drug they used and I was just kidnapped, so I’m honestly not in the mood for anybody’s crap.
“Relax, darling. Your safe. Now what’s your name?”, blondie asks.
I think for a moment whether I should answer him, then I realize that I’m pretty much his prisoner and have no other choice, but I’m hard headed and I didn’t like the situation I’m in.
“Tell me your name and I’ll answer your questions.” He thinks this over for a moment, I’m pretty sure he was thinking about he probably shouldn’t make deals with his hostages.
“Alright, I’m Sam Lynch, but everyone just calls me Lynch. So, I’ll also ask how old you are too, you know, since you know who I am.”
I guess I wasn’t really in the position to argue, so I just answered.
“I’m Madeleine, Madeleine Porpinton, and I’m 19.”
I’m going to be honest, I was scared. But he seemed nice. “Okay Madeleine Porpington, you want to know why our here?” He asked a rhetorical question and he knew it.
“Well yeah, I sure didn’t sign up for this”, I added with a ton of sass.
“Well, we accidentally grabbed the wrong girl.” He said, and he acted like this was just normal.
“Unfortunately, I can’t let you go. Boss’s gotta clear that, but I can make you comfortable while you’re here.” He said really sympathetic.
I know he’s a good guy, I just don’t know how he got mixed up in all of this nonsense.
“Thanks. Who exactly is your boss?” I honestly just want this to be over with.
I know I’ll probably be fine as long as it’s not Lochlan Andrews. “Oh, uh, he’s, um, he’s Lochlan Andrews. You ever heard of him?”
Again, he knew I had heard of him and once he told me I would just lose it. He was right.
“I’m going to die. Today is my last day of living because some idiot grabbed the wrong girl. I have to spend my last day of living in a shitty bedroom cuffed to a bed and I’ll never graduate college or see my friends again. Nobody’s going to cry when I’m gone, I’m all alone in this world. I’m leaving all alone.”
I was scared. I knew I was done for.
“Look, he gets a bad rap, your going to live. Trust me. Now, let’s get you out of that cuff and we can go eat something and get some water. You look pretty dehydrated, come on, I’ll introduce you to the guys. And don’t worry, the one who accidentally kidnapped you is swimming with the fishes right now.”
I don’t know if that was supposed to make me feel better, but it only made me feel worse. He was right, though, I was pretty dehydrated, and I was starving.
“Okay, the cuff’s off. Before you get up, let me get you some Advil, the knockout drug tends to give people a pretty nasty hangover.” Lynch said.
I do have to give it to him, he was a pretty nice guy, but I couldn’t stick around. As soon as he walked out the door, I got up and walked to the door quietly, I watched as he turned the corner and ran. I as weak, but I still got somewhere. When I rounded a corner, I ran into something hard. I fell to the ground and I was too weak to get up. I figure Lynch would find me in a few minutes.
“Hey! What the hell do you think your doing? Who are you? Why did you just run into me?,”
Oh. God. I just ran into Lochlan Andrews. Everyone in town knew his voice. When I scrambled trying to get up, I just got pinned to a wall.
“Who are you? Answer truthfully.” He said.
He acted like he was going to rip my throat out, and I was terrified.
“Mad-Madeleine Porping-t-ton”.
I just got a blank look.
He just stared at me for a moment when I heard Lynch yell“Andrews! She’s a lady! Lay off her!”
Once he was distracted, I took my opportunity to try to slide out, but it didn’t work, he just caged me in with his body.
“Lynch, she was just trying to run. I think I acted appropriately by stopping her.” He said like he was some sort if hero
“Just let her go, man.” Lynch pleaded, but Lochlan didn’t give in.
“Lynch, I’m the boss and what I say goes. Now, you will escort Ms. Porpington down to the living room where you, David, and Alex can entertain her. I expect you will keep her under control.” He added the last part like I was some sort of rabid animal.
And just like that, he was gone, and I was on my way to the living room. Honestly, I was kind of scared that was code for something.
