Chapter One
“Come on Caitlin, you can do this. Do it for your mom. Come on, you can do this,” Caitlin said softly to herself as she tried to open her money drawer at the bank. She promised her mother that she would try to stay at the bank working part time until she found another full time position. Besides, she did need the money. It had been almost a month since the robbery. She should’ve been over it by now, at least, she thought so.
Her hands were sweaty and trembling so much that she could hardly grip the drawer handle. Her breath started coming in gasps. She felt trapped, like she had to get out of there.
“Caitlin? Are you all right?” A gentle hand touched her shoulder. Caitlin jumped almost three inches off the ground. It was only the new security guard, Andrew Cunningham. He was young, intelligent, and extremely handsome. But seeing him made Caitlin think of good old Willie, the guard who was shot to death by the robbers that had taken her hostage.
“No! No, I’m not okay! I don’t know why I keep coming back here!”
“Caitlin there’s nothing to be afraid of. Those men are behind bars.”
“You don’t understand…they killed…just get out of my way! Leave me alone! All of you just leave me alone!” Caitlin ran back for the ladies’ lounge before the tears came. These weren’t silent tears though; they were tears of hysteria and fright.
“Why won’t it stop? I’m crazy!” she screamed, “I’m am so fucking crazy! This isn’t fair!” She curled up in a ball in a corner of the lounge and buried her head in between her knees. Slowly, she began rocking back and forth like a small child.
“She just ran from me,” Caitlin heard Andrew saying to her supervisor, Monica Bailey. Monica had been on vacation at the time of the robbery, but she knew what Caitlin had gone through during the robbery. She couldn’t imagine the terror and the fear that was slowly eating away at the young woman’s spirit.
“Caitlin? Can I come in?” Monica opened the door to the ladies’ lounge.
“Please Monica, leave me alone. I just want to be alone right now!” Monica knelt and touched Caitlin on the arm. Angrily, she snatched away.
“Caitlin, what’s going on? What happened this morning? Do you want to rest in here for awhile?”
“I can’t do it anymore,” she sobbed. “I just can’t…someone please help me…” Caitlin rocked back and forth. Her eyes began to take on a glassy, far away look. “Please don’t hurt me! Oh please, don’t do this! I’m sick! I’m a diabetic…no…help!”
“Caitlin! It’s not happening now! It’s all over.” Monica gripped Caitlin by the shoulders to try and calm her down.
“Let go of me! Help!” Caitlin jerked loose and shoved Monica so hard that she nearly fell into the lockers. Then she started crying even louder. Monica knew that it was inevitable now. The robbery had obviously put more stress on Caitlin’s psyche than anyone wanted to admit. She whispered something to Andrew through the door. He came back a few minutes later.
“We’ve called your brother, Caitlin. He’s coming to take you home.” Caitlin didn’t answer. Still rocking back and forth and crying, she was clearly in another world where no one could reach her.
Richard Ryan threw on some clothes right after speaking to the security guard at the bank and headed for the Loop. He had just gotten up and showered. He had a photo shoot that afternoon and naturally wanted to look his best. When he found out that Caitlin was having a severe episode, he dropped everything to help her. In the month since the robbery, his sister had gone from an outgoing, spunky young woman to someone who was quiet, withdrawn, and often sullen. The only time she seemed happy was when she was with her new boyfriend, Joshua Martinez.
Rick liked Joshua right away. He felt that his twin sister was finally going to have a man worth something. He’d been endlessly devoted to Caitlin and helping her heal from the experience. Rick thought he was personable, highly intelligent, and down to earth. However, Joshua was out on a case and couldn’t be reached as quickly. So it was up to Rick to bring Caitlin home, for what he hoped was the last time.
When Rick got to the bank, Andrew and Monica briefed him on what happened. Rick found Caitlin in the same position, rocking back and forth and now babbling some nonsensical words. The doctor said that this might happen. Caitlin was suffering from severe Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. In so many words, she kept reliving the details of the robbery. Rick had comforted Caitlin through some bad nightmares, but he’d never seen her get like this before. He was almost afraid that she’d regressed back to the mental age of a toddler. He had one simple method to try. If that didn’t work, he was taking her right to the hospital. Rick went over to his sister, knelt down and said,
“Caiti? I love you, Caiti.” Caitlin raised her head. She looked at her brother with swollen eyes.
“I love you too, Ricky.”
“Do you want to go home, little sister?” Caitlin nodded.
“Come on, let’s get you home where you’ll be safe.” Rick scooped his sister into his arms and headed for the door. He turned to Monica.
“Thanks for calling me. I’ll be back in a couple of days to pick up her things, but I don’t think she’ll be reporting to work anymore.”
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Ryan. I thought she would be all right just working part-time.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Mrs. Bailey. We all thought Caitlin was going to work this out, but you see she can’t. It’s too much for her. Thanks for being so patient and understanding.” Rick carried Caitlin outside to his car.
“Are you taking me home?”
“Yes Caiti. I’m taking you home. I’ll make you some of that tea you like so much. And I’ll stay with you as long as you want me to.” Rick strapped his sister into the seat and got in on the driver’s side. He hoped that she’d come back around soon.
Once they reached Caitlin’s apartment, Rick carried her up the stairs and put her to bed. He brewed some mint tea with honey and brought it to her. She was starting to look a little better. The tears had dried up, and she smiled when Rick brought her the tea.
“Let me know if it’s too sweet.” She blew on the tea and took a sip.
“No, it’s wonderful.” Rick found the anti-anxiety medicine that her doctor prescribed. He shook out one little white pill in his hand.
“Here honey, take this.”
“I hate the medicine, Ricky! I’ll sleep all day! I’m supposed to go and see Joshua tonight!”
“You’ll be up in enough time for that, I promise. Come on now, don’t make me sit on you and force you to take it.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“Try me. We may be grown up now, but I’m still your big brother.”
“Only by three minutes, Richard Michael,” she laughed. She swallowed the pill. It wasn’t long before she got very drowsy.
“That’s what you need Caiti, is rest. Lie down.” Rick gently eased her into the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.
“Oh Ricky, I hate you having to baby sit for me.”
“Hey, what is family for anyway? I don’t mind doing it. I just want you to get better. I want my sister back.”
“I haven’t gone anywhere…” Caitlin yawned and closed her eyes. This time, when she slept, she didn’t dream.
Caitlin suddenly awoke in a panic and looked at her beside clock. It was almost four. She was afraid that she’d slept longer, but she was just on time. Before she drove up to Lincoln Park to see Joshua, she had to get her insulin from the pharmacy. Rick was sitting in a nearby armchair.
“Well, hello there, Sleeping Beauty.”
“Rick, how long have I slept? Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“Because you needed the rest, little sister. You’ve still got plenty of time to get ready to go and see lover boy.”
“Well, I have to take a shower, so get out.”
“Now is that any way to talk to your twin brother?”
“I’m sorry Ricky.” Caitlin hugged him and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “Now get out,” she said, smiling.
“Okay, I’ll let you have some privacy. Are you sure you don’t want me to wait for you? I could drive you to Joshua’s place.”
“No it’s okay. I have to stop by the pharmacy first and pick up some more insulin. But you go on home, Rick. Thanks for spending the day with me. I’m sorry I made you miss your photoshoot.”
“If you keep apologizing to me, I’ll give you something to be sorry for. You take care of yourself, Caiti. Call me in the morning.”
“I will.” They shared one last hug before Rick let himself out of the apartment. Caitlin took a long shower to calm her nerves. She dressed quickly, choosing a charcoal gray turtleneck that came just above her waist and black hip hugging jeans. She pulled her long hair into a French braid. She finished her outfit with silver jewelry and black high heeled ankle boots.
“Perfect!” She admired her reflection in the mirror. The phone rang just as she was going into the kitchen to fix a snack before leaving for Joshua’s place.
“Hello?” She heard silence on the other end. Must be a damn telemarketer! Caitlin was about to hang up when she heard a voice saying,
“You’ll pay for what you did.”
“What? Who in the hell is this?”
“You’ll pay for what you did.”
“Who are you?” The person on the other end hung up the phone. Caitlin dialed Joshua’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hi Joshua, it’s me.”
“Hi, princess. Are you still coming up tonight?”
“Yes, as soon as I stop at the pharmacy. I have to get my insulin. Joshua, something just happened. Someone called me and told me that I would pay for what I did.”
“What? Was it a man or a woman?”
“A man, I think.”
“Did he say anything else? Did he threaten you?”
“Not exactly.”
“Babe, I think I should come and get you.”
“Joshua, it’s okay. Ricky already had to come and get me from work because I had a terrible episode. I’m tired of everyone babying me.”
“Okay, but call me when you’re leaving the pharmacy.”
“No problem. I’ll do that.”
“Be careful, princess.”
“I will.”
“Okay. I love you, babe.”
“I love you too, Joshua.” Caitlin hung up and got her fleece sweater from the closet. She left one light in the living room and locked up the apartment tightly. She drove to the pharmacy without incident, looking over her shoulder every second. When she got there, it was almost time for the store to close. The parking lot was emptying quickly, but she made it just in time to get her supply of insulin.
“You just made it honey,” the girl behind the counter said, handing her the bag of insulin and syringes.”
“Thanks for waiting for me,” she joked. The girl laughed and rang up the sale. Caitlin handed her the money. She suddenly noticed a young, very well dressed man wearing a navy pea coat over a suit and impeccably shined shoes coming up behind her. He smiled at Caitlin. She blushed, knowing that he probably was admiring her.
“Thanks again,” Caitlin said to the clerk. She took the medicine and was about to hurry out of the store when she bumped into the young man. The bag fell from her hands.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” He knelt to pick up the medicine.
“No, it was my fault. I should’ve been watching where I was going.” He handed her the bag.
“Thank you. Excuse me, I gotta run.” Caitlin hurried out of the pharmacy and towards her car. The young man came out shortly after her, as the lights were turned off and the last person came out, got into her car, and drove away.
“Excuse me Miss, but do you know what time it is?” Caitlin pulled her fleece sweater out of the way on her left wrist.
“It’s about…hey!” She felt the man grab her around her neck and start to squeeze her throat.
“Don’t scream! If you do, I’ll kill you, do you understand me?”
“Yes…what do you want?” Caitlin felt him hold a knife up to her throat.
“We’re going to take a little ride. Now walk forward.” He pushed Caitlin towards a very non-descript, black van without back windows. He opened the back door and pushed her inside. Caitlin landed on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her body. Her captor slammed the doors and pounced on her.
“I still have the knife. You be a good little girl and put your hands behind your back.” Shaking, Caitlin obeyed. She had seen how large the knife was and shuddered thinking of what kind of damage it would inflict upon her body. Her captor quickly tied her hands with thick rope.
“What do you want from me? Who are you?” The man started tying her ankles.
“You don’t know me, Miss Ryan, but I know you.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of Cherren White, a very good friend. And because of you, my friend is going to be sentenced to death!”
“No! It wasn’t my fault! Cherren was nice to me. It wasn’t my fault! Please, you have to let me go!”
“I can’t do that, can I, Miss Ryan? You’ve already seen my face. Now I’ll have to eliminate you.”
“No! You can’t do this to me! Help! Help! Help!” She started screaming loudly, even though the parking lot was deserted.
“Did anyone ever tell you that little girls should be seen and not heard?” The man jammed a thick rag into her mouth.
“Hmmmmmmph! Hmmmmmph!” He yanked a long cloth between her teeth and knotted it behind her head.
“I don’t think that cleave gag by itself will keep you quiet enough. I’d better add a little reinforcement.” Caitlin saw him coming towards her with a roll of duct tape.
“Mmmmmmmph! Mmmmmmmph!” She was so frightened by what he was about to do that she fainted. She came to a short while later. He had blindfolded her and had layered duct tape across her already irritating cleave gag. The van was moving.
Where is he taking me? What is he going to do to me? Oh God, please don’t let this man kill me! Please, help! Help! Help me, please!
“Are you comfortable back there, honey?”
“This gag hurts! Please take this gag out of my mouth! I won’t go to the police, I promise!”
“You want me to remove your gag?”
“Yes! Please, take it out!” The man laughed.
“Fat chance. The minute I take it out, you’ll scream and cry for help. Besides, I think you like having a thick gag in your mouth. I’ll let you enjoy it a little while longer, while you still have time to live.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
“Heh, heh, heh, something you won’t like, Miss Ryan. Something that will teach you what happens to little girls who can’t keep their big mouths shut.” Caitlin fought hard against her bondage. The man had taken the liberty while she was unconscious to tie her arms to her sides, bind her thighs, and elbows together. The worst part was the blindfold. She had no idea where he was taking her. She tried desperately to keep track of the number of turns the van made. She began to feel dizzy and disoriented.
Finally, after what seemed like hours but was actually closer to forty-five minutes, the van stopped. The doors opened. Caitlin’s captor lifted her up and threw her over her shoulder. She protested angrily.
“You are such a feisty little bitch! It’s too bad I can’t have some fun with you. Or maybe I will.”
“Oh please! Don’t do that! Please!” He threw Caitlin down on a bed of dead leaves. She squirmed frantically. He touched her face with the knife.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to rape you, although it would be fun, it won’t serve my purposes.” He yanked away the blindfold. Caitlin saw that she had been taken to a forest. The barren trees reminded her of horror movies she loved as a teenager. However, there would be no rescue for this heroine. The April night air was cool and crisp. He brought out the knife once more.
“You will never say another word again, Miss Caitlin Ryan. If you survive tonight, which I seriously doubt, you’ll remember me each time you look in the mirror.”
“Mmmmmmmmmph! Mmmmmmmmmph! Mmmmmmmmmmph!”
“Sweet dreams, Miss Ryan.”