Journey into the darkness (closed)

[Drobabes]

She wasn't sure if she liked the fact that he had closed his book, offering her his full attention now, and she felt even more of that nervous energy when he looked her up and down. She liked that even less, but not for the reason she thought she would.

"Those guards," she says with just the slightest indication of haughtiness, as they had quickly become her friends.

"Were protecting me."

Reaching up to tuck a stray bit of hair behind her ear, she lets her eyes roam him back, although not lingering nearly as long.

"And what would you know of the finer things in life?"

Suki knew she was supposed to be playing the role of the little princess, and pretend to be full of herself, or at the very least, she should be convincing him to let her go. It could probably even be as simple as telling him that she was not the real daughter, that they had simply paid her to act the role. However, after what had happened with that old bastard and finding out that she would likely be spending the rest of her life as a step below maid, she couldn't help but be a bit curious about the life that this man chose to live.

Did anyone ever boss him around? Did he ever have to sleep in drafty, cold rooms, and eat whatever the days leftovers were?

 

[JadeKnight]

He chuckled for a moment as she spoke about the guards.

"Well, that is the job that guards are paid to do, protect things and people. Sadly, even guards are fallible."

He also knew that there were plenty of guards that had been good at their job, very good enough to give him a challenge at times. However, there was always something that made them drop their guard to the point of getting by them. At her question about him understanding the finer things in life, he reached forward and patted the dashboard for a moment.

"You should already know this little beauty isn't cheap. It would be a very pretty penny if it was sold on the open market. Your family might just be barely able to afford it."

What he didn't say was the car was actually a prototype that had been worked on at the secret lab he had refurbed into his home after awaking. He had other surprises in store, so he wasn't going to tell her everything.

 

[Drobabes]

Her cheeks turn rather rosy in response to his reply, as she suddenly feels just a tad stupid for having made such a comment. Of course that's what guards did. She couldn't have thought of any better comeback than that? Well, in either case.

Those emerald green eyes move to watch his hand as he patted his vehicle, and then they take a slow look around the rest of the car. Indeed, the Gabetty family, even with all their wealth, likely still couldn't afford such a fine piece of technology. And she had to admit, it did make her curious of what else he might have up his sleeve.

Her shoulders relax a bit, and, finally, she sits back in her chair properly. Her hands come to her lap where she folds them over in what she had been told was a 'proper' manner, and then she lets her eyes move downward for a moment before speaking again.

"Well. What happens now? How long do you intend to keep me? And what do you expect of me while I am your prisoner?"

And she did feel like a prisoner. But, she was coming to realize, she didn't really know what freedom was.

 

[JadeKnight]

He relaxed himself as he saw her relax, putting his book in his lap. Her questions were vaild, as he wasn't quite sure how to explain his intentions for her. It was his first time doing something like this, so he did have a little bit of a plan for her. He didn't have all the details yet, but he didn't think it would be good to tell her that.

"To be blunt, you are the first living treasure I had stolen like this. I haven't decided on exactly how long you will be in my care, but I will make sure you are kept safe. I don't have any reason to harm you."

He glanced towards the map for a moment, seeing they were nearing their first stop in the trip back across the country. He reached down and popped open the center console for a moment, bringing out a small square patch. He pulled the adhesive backing from it before placing it on the back of her left hand.

"This is a little tracker so that I can find you in case you get lost. The countryside outside of the five families' control are still a little wild. Slavery is making a comeback as well, and not all those young men and women are well treated."

She could have taken it off anytime she wanted. However, tiny needles in the center of the bandages pricked her skin and released nanites into her. It was by these he would be able to track her, not the bandage.

 

[Drobabes]

Her emerald eyes meet his much darker jade as he speaks to her once more, informing her that she was his first living treasure. For some reason, something about it seems quite funny to her and she can't help but smile a little. The idea of him calling a living, breathing person a 'treasure' seemed just a little silly.

When he puts the sticker on her hand, she looks down at it with curiosity. That is, until she feels a nasty little prick to her skin that causes her to flinch and pull her hand up a bit, saying "ow!" as she does so. Her expression quickly goes from one of humor to one of anger as she scowls at him.

"You could have warned me, you know" she grumbles, rubbing her fingers over the patch in an attempt to sooth it.

"May I have your name? You already know mine, but I don't know what to address you by."

 

[JadeKnight]

He chuckled for a moment at her reaction before smiling.

"Jacob. You can call me Jacob. It used to be a common name in the past."

He took a moment to look out the window and smiled, pointing towards the horizon.

"That is a rather nice sight to watch."

The horizon was slowly brightening as the sun was beginning to rise up, ending the night they had been in. The yellow reflection slowly gathered itself together as the new day was born.

"I always enjoyed watching the sun rise in the morning."

 

[Drobabes]

Despite the situation she now found herself in, the mysterious man set her at ease. He had shown her no reason to fear him thus far, and while Suki had never exactly been treated harshly, she had come to learn fear through the way that her mother would sometimes react around certain people, often when they would look at Suki herself in a strange way. A certain weariness had come to grow within her over the years; a certain need to approach people carefully until she truly knew them. It had only deepened as she grew and her beautiful looks really began to take over her body, turning heads wherever she walked until she started covering her features more and more.

"It is very beautiful" she says softly.

"I never really had a chance to enjoy it before. I was always much to busy doing ch-"

She coughs suddenly, looking away as one of her jeweled hands reaches up to her throat.

"Duties. Royal duties. I'm sorry, my throat is very parched, perhaps from whatever put me to sleep..."

Her cheeks begin to darken once more, a beautiful shade of red on her pale skin. That had been close-a bit too close. She would have to remember to stop doing things like that.

 

[JadeKnight]

He didn't catch her little slip, but her admission of being parched did. It wasn't surprising to him since that was quite a natural side effect of her sleeping for as long as she had. He figured she was also in need of the bathroom as well.

"Don't worry, we'll be landing at a rest area shortly. You can get something there and use the bathroom too."

A beep came from the computer as if to answer her wishes as well. They began to descend towards a large brick rectangular building a little ways back from a major highway. It seemed to be mostly deserted at this time of the morning, only a large semi truck and a semi-beat up Lamborghini in the parking lot. His car uncloaked as they neared the parking spot closest to the center of the building.

"You can use the bathroom and grab something to drink and eat from a vending machine. And be careful with the door, it opens upwards."

He pulled out a few coins from the console, handing them her as they landed. There was a soft click as the doors unlocked.

 

[Drobabes]

Her body hadn't even felt the inkling of needing to go until he said something, and then rather suddenly, it was all she could focus on. As soon as he hands her the coins and the car stops, she all but hops out of the vehicle, momentarily forgetting her 'princess' ways and making a bee-line for the bathroom on shaky feet, trying not to break her ankle as she goes. Once her business is done, and because he had mentioned the slave market becoming more active, she doesn't try to run or find some way to escape, but instead comes out of the bathroom and looks for him. Not only would it be silly to run if he now had a way of tracking her, but she also believed it to be safer to stay near him. For now, at least.

For a moment, after her eyes find him, she simply stares down at the coins in her hand. It was funny, really, but she had never seen so much money in her life. The few times she had been allowed to leave the mansion, she had only ever been given just enough to buy what was needed, and no more. It almost made her want to tear up, the amount in her palm seemingly only being chump change to the rest of society. She swallows her emotions down, however, and then starts looking around. She actually didn't even know what a vending machine was, nor had she ever used one.

 

[JadeKnight]

He had stepped out of the car when she had, stretching a bit. It was going to be a long ride back to the base, but that didn't bother him. He had laughed watching her run to the bathroom so quickly. He waited till she was out before deciding to go himself.

The vending machines were in a small building separate from the main building. When she had came out, he figured that would probably be her next stop. He simply smiled and pointed out the building for her to go to. Once he did that, he went to the bathroom himself. He didn't see the two young men hanging out inside the smaller building, unlit cigarettes in their mouths as they chilled.

 

[Drobabes]

She was just as blind to the young men as he was, as it wasn't something she was looking for, nor even thought to look for. She had absolutely no street smarts, so with complete ignorance, she makes her way to the vending machines.

She looks through the glass curiously, then at all the bright buttons. Suki was glad that Jacob wasn't nearby to see her, as for a moment, she just stared at all the bright and pretty colors with absolute wonder, feeling much like a child again. When at at last she figures out how to use it, she picks a bright blue bottle of Gatorade, and then feeds the machine way more money than was needed.

After retrieving the cool drink and taking a long and satisfying sip, she bends down and starts to scoop the change out. So engrossed in her task is she, that she isn't even paying attention to what, or who, is around her...

 

[JadeKnight]

The two men stopped talk as Suki entered the little building, watching her. They nudged each other and chuckled watching her. They weren't bad guys really, just a couple of young men looking for a little fun before heading on.

"Aren't you a looker? How about staying awhile?"

The blonde grinned as he moved closer to her, putting his cigarette away. He reached down, one hand rubbing on her head. The second guy moved closer from the other side, reaching down and giving her ass a playful smack.

 

[Drobabes]

Suki heard them just a moment too late. However, fear wasn't what was going through her mind as she felt their hands upon her, but anger.

She stood up quickly, dropping her drink as her hands flew to cover her ass and a deep blush painted her cheeks. To the first man she gave a brief scowl, but to the other, the one who had smacked her, she turned full on little hellion.

"How dare you!" she says, venom lacing her tone as she reaches down and takes one of her shoes off. She then comes after the man, swinging the end of her shoe in a wild tantrum of rage as she tries to smack him like a mother with seven too many kids.

"You!"

Smack!

"Do not touch!"

Smack!

"A lady!"

Smack!

"Without their permission!"

Smack!

 

[JadeKnight]

The man she started to smack with her shoe yelled and raised his hands in an effort to fend off the blows. The second man laughed as he watched his buddy get beat up by the young woman, the cigarette falling from his mouth. He smacked his leg for a moment before deciding to try and break things up. He reached out and grabbed Suki by her arms before pinning them against her side and held her against him.

"Easy there beautiful. There's no need to go all ballistic on us. We can all have a good time."

The second guy gathered himself together, rubbing on his sore arms where he had been hit while blocking her shoe.

"Just chill babe. We can work something out."

 

[Drobabes]

Her angry attack stopped rather suddenly as she was grabbed, as the sudden physical contact from the man knocked a bit of healthy fear into her system. Jacob's earlier mention of the slave market suddenly came to the forefront of her mind, and while she still looked over her shoulder at the man who was holding her with an angry scowl, she stopped her struggling for fear of provoking them into hurting her.

"I don't want to have a 'good time' with you" she growls.

Suddenly she takes in a deep breath and let's loose with a loud scream.

"JACOB!!"

 

[JadeKnight]

The man who wasn't holding her laughed for a moment.

"Jacob? Is that your boyfriend? Maybe he'll wanna join in."

He had moved closer towards Suki now, his hands reaching to grab her breasts. He was almost touching when Jacob cleared his throat, stepping into the doorway of the building. He tapped the muzzle of his gun against the doorway for a moment. It was actually a modified tranq gun in the model of a 9mm for show. He tried to not kill many people if he could help it.

"Whoa, whoa! We don't want any trouble. Come on man."

The one holding Suki let her go quickly, waving his hands in the air. Jacob chuckled as the two guys looked at each other before running out the opposite doorway. He smirked for a moment before looking at Suki.

"Are you alright? Looks like you need a few pointers in self defense."

He walked over to the snack vending machine, hmming for a moment. However, in stead of reaching some some change, he shattered the front glass watching it fall to the ground in tiny shards. He grabbed a few candy bars, stuffing them into his pockets before looking at her.

"Grab some and we'll head. Sooner we get going, the better."

 

[Drobabes]

For a moment she was scared that they might have done something to her abductor. The time between her scream and those rough her hands that were reaching out for her, intent on feeling her body, seemed to stretch on into eternity.

"Do-don't touch me!" she had started to stammer out, fear gripping her and making her voice weak. She was soon saved, however, although the sight of the gun scared her almost as much as the men who had been holding her. He wasn't actually going to kill anyone, was he? As soon as they let her go, she started rubbing her arms up in down, trying to comfort herself as her body started trembling.

"Are you alright?"

She hadn't been able to answer, only looking at him with a shocked and wide eyed expression. Suki had really thought that those men were going to rape her, right then and there, and she couldn't believe that someone would just do that. How could they? Didn't they see how terrified she had been? Why had they ignored her obvious body language, telling them to stop?

A few tears spill down her face as Jacob turns away, and as he breaks the glass, she jumps, still a bit on edge. When he told her to grab some food, she shook her head in agreement and grabbed whatever the closest thing was, along with another drink. She definitely did not want to stick around here.

As soon as they were back in the car, Suki looks over at him, and then away for a moment. She had always had a bit of healthy fear, but never in her life had she thought that someone would have been so direct in their actions, simply grabbing her and getting ready to do with her as she pleased. And they would have been able to as well, for she was not at all strong or practiced in combat.

"Jacob..." she says quietly, finally looking back at him.

"That really scared me. That's never happened to me before."

She wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were wet, seemingly on the verge of spilling over.

 

[JadeKnight]

When they got in the car, he took a moment to throw his gathered snacks in the backseat. He locked the doors as he looked out towards the Lamborghini, watching the lights flick on. There was a squeal of the tires as it backup quickly and high-tailed it out of the rest area.

"I know. And it's ok to be scared. It'll help make you stronger."

He smiled a little as he reached over and laid a hand lightly on her head. He patted softly for a moment before pulling his hand away. As he turned on the car, the radio came on as well.

"The number of injured or missing is still unknown after the terrorist attack on the Gebetty Family estate. The last report to come in was that five workers were hurt in the attack. Rebecca Gebetty's whereabouts are also currently unknown, last seen before the attack. We will--"

Jacob shook his head for a moment, finding it both sad and amusing about the way his actions had been presented. He didn't know that the information about Suki's disappearances was still staged, the news program showing just how much of a grasp the family had on things. He really doubted anyone had really been hurt with the way he set things up, but some things did happen beyond his control.

"I've got three more stops planned, but we should reach our destination by tomorrow morning. There are a couple of books in the glove compartment if you want something to do."

He hit a few more buttons before the autopilot kicked in, sending them underway and cloaked.

 

[Drobabes]

That soft pat on her head made her feel surprisingly good. It comforted her in a way that she didn't think it would, though she kind of wondered if there might be something wrong with her, getting such comfort from someone who had kidnapped her. Although, he was treating her with more respect and kindness than she had been shown in years. Not since her mother...

"The last report to come in was that five workers were hurt in the attack."

Her brows furrow a bit as she looks at the radio and makes herself comfortable once more.

"Attack?" she asks, not quite being able to hide the concern in her tone. His mention of the books in the glove compartment didn't go unnoticed, but she was much more concerned with the fact that he might have actually hurt someone. Were either of those guards that had been protecting her hurt? She hoped not.

 

[JadeKnight]

He laughed for a moment and made a dismissive gesture with his hand for a moment.

"There was no attack. It was just their way of trying to cover what really happened. I only setup four small explosive charges that blew out a man-size hole in each of the estate walls. Your family couldn't exactly just come out and say that you were kidnapped, without losing face, could they?"

He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out 'Tom Sawyer', leaning back in his seat.

"The only way someone could have gotten hurt was if they were standing next to the bombs when they went off. And believe me, I timed them when no one was going to be near them. Pretty much the same time I grabbed you."

He gave a little smirk for a moment before opening the book to his last place.

 

[Drobabes]

Right, it made sense. If the news had done a report on how Rebecca had gone missing following the attack, then most people would make the jump to the fact that it was the mysterious thief who might have taken her. A bigger heist than he had seemingly ever pulled off before. The people might start looking at him as some kind of hero, even, or at the very least, a great source of entertainment. That stuck up old man would probably pop a couple veins in his face from the sheer embarrassment alone.

"Oh...right."

She leans back in her chair then and looks out the window, letting her eyes watch the landscape go by. She could try to take out a book and read, but the truth was, she had never been taught how, and trying to fake it would certainly get her caught. Now, more than ever, she found that she didn't want to go back.

 

[JadeKnight]

He chuckled for a moment as he glanced over at her.

"It wouldn't be hard to prove the news wrong, but I really have no reason at this point. Let your father play his little game. He'll get his due soon."

He noticed she chose to just observe the passing countryside, smiling for a moment before reading. Their path took them along the outskirts of civilization. They flew over the wilderness and through a few smaller towns, along with farmland.

 

[Drobabes]

For most of the rest of the trip she was simply quiet, staring out the window and taking in as much detail as she could. The landscape was absolutely beautiful to her inexperienced eyes, but the animals is what really seemed to catch her attention. She had seen a cow or two, sometimes a chicken, in the marketplace from time to time, but never had she seen so many animals in once place. They happy free, despite being behind fences.

A few hours later she began to grow a bit restless, and having drank more liquids gave her the urge to relieve herself again. These were minor things, though, as she was mostly growing bored. She had never had to sit for so long with nothing much besides some nice sights to occupy her mind.

"Can I find a change of clothing next time we stop?" she says, her soft voice break through the relative silence of the car.

"I hate these clothes. They're comfortable, but I feel like I can barely move in them, and they seem to...draw a lot of unnecessary attention..."

She turns her face away from him, feeling it began to heat up a bit as she remembered the way he had looked at her after she had woken up. And then again, the way those men had looked at her as they grabbed her. If people were going to be staring at her in such a way, she wanted it to be on her own terms, but preferably not at all.

 

[JadeKnight]

"Hmm?"

He was on the last page of the book when she spoke up about wanting to change clothes. He took a moment to finish the book before looking over as she looked away from him. Taking a little detour wouldn't cost them much time, but he wanted to avoid any of the larger cities.

"Well, I suppose it is close to time for a break. Taking a little detour won't hurt the timetable too much, so I think something can be arranged."

He turned to the touchscreen, moving around the map a bit. It wasn't long before he picked a very small town for them to visit, switching to that one. The small town he had chosen was barely larger than a two mile long city street. He landed them outside a small boutique store, shutting off the engine.

"The townsfolk in this type of city are usually pretty friendly and helpful. And this should cover your expenses."

He reached into his wallet and pulled out a single $100 bill, handing it to her.

"I'll wait outside, but I doubt there will be any trouble."

 

[Drobabes]

Suki took the money hesitantly, offering a quiet, but grateful, "thank you", and then looked over her shoulder at the boutique store. She had to admit, she was nervous. However, she didn't want to stand there and whine like a little kid, asking him to come in with her, so squares her shoulders and walks in.

For a moment she just stands there a bit awkwardly, looking all around. She wasn't really sure what to get herself, but she knew she wanted something a bit more comfortable.

"Um, hello?" she calls out, taking a few steps further in. Maybe there was a shop owner who could point her in the right direction.