Page 46 of Special Agent Isabella

Seeing as how the man ignored her; she snuck a good look at her kidnapper and puzzling surprise ripped through her that she felt no fear. Sure, she was anxious being here and not at home with Abbie, but it came to her that this overweight male wasn’t a vicious person. At least, not someone to be terrified of.

Hadn’t he bolstered her against the wall with a pillow behind her head and even a blanket over her knees? And though he’d tied her wrists to keep her from using her hands, he’d made sure not to leave marks. That didn’t seem to be the hallmarks of a ruthless kidnapper.

In fact, everything about this captivity came as something of a shock. If he’d wanted to hurt her or abuse her, wouldn’t he have done so while she was still too groggy to fight back?

Or was she just playing “silly buggers” with her head to protect herself from acknowledging the lurking terror? Her automatic reference to one of Hank’s favorite sayings brought an ache deep in her chest.

She closed her eyes, thinking about her situation. Unsure of what to say, she kept quiet and found herself dozing off and waking up in spurts. Probably whatever drug he’d used on her back at the office still had some effect.

Eventually, she fought to stay awake and again took in her surroundings. The only other person in the room sat at the table with a deck of cards spread in front of him.

He’d finally removed the female costume, and she saw a heavy-set man with a buzz cut and wearing camouflage.

Seeing as how she was being obviously ignored, she wasn’t sure if she should say anything or not. Unfortunately, nature called, and she needed to relieve herself.

“Excuse me. Can I use the bathroom?” Surprised at how timid her voice sounded, she cleared her throat. It wasn’t in her makeup to appear weak, at least not since she’d been a frightened teen, fighting to overcome the failing.

“Of course.” The gravelly rumble of a smoker filled the space. “How do you feel?” His words had a strange way of calming her budding fear. He stood, awkwardly balancing himself before taking a step.

“Like I’ve been in one spot for too long. My legs are stiff, and I have a headache.” Since he asked, Stacy decided to tell the truth. “What’s your name? I don’t know what to call you.”

He seemed nonplussed for a minute and then answered with a shrug. “Vinny. You can call me Vinny.” After seconds of standing, he seemed to feel his leg would work properly, and he came toward her. “Can you lift your hands so I can untie you?”

Understanding that he had difficulty crouching to her height, she gracefully stood and held out her bound wrists. Within moments, he’d cut the ties, leaving just the cloths taped to both the wrists still in place.

“Thank you for putting these on.” She held out her arms for him to understand she was referencing the bandages.

“Yeah. Come. You go to the toilet and then you eat. I have soup ready.” He steered her toward the only other door in the place and not surprisingly, it had no handle. Opening it, he helped her to walk inside. “You look after yourself, yes?”

“Yes.” Glad she didn’t have to share the moments with this stranger, she quickly took advantage of the toilet and then the sink. Washing her face and hands, she used the clean towel left on the side of the basin and took a quick glance around the interior of the small room. No windows, just four walls, a sink and toilet and nothing else.

“Thank you.” Stacy slowly approached Vinny who’d waited by the door. “I am hungry.”

“Good. We eat, and then I’ll make the bed so you can sleep better.”

Sleep… here?

Realizing how unreal their conversation was, Stacy resisted her impulse to demand answers. Right now, the man seemed calm and controlled. She had no idea how he’d react if she started pushing his buttons. Yet, she needed to know. Why had he taken her? And most important, what did he plan to do?

She went to the table where he motioned her and sat in the chair across from his. When she thought he wasn’t looking, she stared around the tiny house, at both the barred windows, and then the door.

“You can’t leave here Governor. The door is locked, and I have the only key.” He scanned the small area, his face breaking into a proud grin. “I built this cabin myself. Every weekend, I came here and worked until I finished.”

Not sure if he’d wanted to start a conversation or was just making a comment, she decided to humor him. “It’s small but well-constructed. How long did it take you?” She sipped at the surprisingly good beet soup. The succulent pieces of beef at the bottom of her bowl were yummy, and she devoured everything, as well as the delicious warm bread he served with it. Knowing that night had fallen, and she’d been with him many hours, she wasn’t surprised at how hunger had crept in.

“Oh, a long time. I wasn’t home much. The army deployed me a lot back when I had two good legs. And, since I had no family to speak of, I went where I was told.”

Stacy nodded, understanding flooding over her. “The army was your family. My husband was in the army too.”

“I know. That’s why you’re here. He was my commanding officer in my last placement, that’s before the Afghans captured him… a good soldier.”

Captured Hank? No, they’d killed him… only the army had kept it quiet.

“Thank you. We miss him a lot.” Her voice cracked, a habit she still hadn’t gotten control of though the man had been gone for over two years. Excited to be in the company of someone who’d known Hank weakened her. Instinct warned that Vinny had more to say so she stayed quiet, watching his homely face as he talked.

“You must be wondering why you’re here. I spent a lot of time online after they discharged me.” Biting off a piece of the bread, he continued with his mouth full. “Listening to a lot of the chatter on the web, I began to find it disturbing how hate turns normal folks into naïve idiots.”

His eyes connected with hers, and she nodded her agreement with his comments… but stayed quiet, willing him to go on.

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