Kidnapped Love Read online

  Gabrielle de Sautelle

  [email protected]

  Kidnapped Love

  by

  Gabrielle de Sautelle

  Prologue

  Sarah Kirkpatrick is a beautiful, vivacious girl with long dark brown curls in her hair. She is the daughter of two very proud parents, Elizabeth and Michael Kirkpatrick of Highland Park, Texas.

  Sarah was valedictorian of her graduating class at Highland Park High school. She graduated magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

  She applied for and was granted admission to Stanford Law School to the delight of her parents, Dr. and Mrs Kirkpatrick.

  As a dedicated student, she did not have much time for a social life and had no steady boyfriend.

  Her friends and family agreed, Sarah was surely destined for great things in her life.

  Copyright

  Susan Leigh Carlton 2013

  Published at Amazon

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Chapter 1

  A junior associate in a law firm is essentially a wage slave, a member of a white-collar proletariat. It may seem odd to call someone a wage slave whose starting salary was $90,000 or more (though broken down per hour it would be much less impressive).

  The work of a junior associate, in reality, is being a clerk, a checker of facts. Their job is on the line to make sure the decimal points are in the right place. No one with an Ivy League education is going to perform this sort of drudgery for less than ninety grand.

  This is the story of Sarah Kirkpatrick, a junior associate in the law firm of Carson, Williams and Morton in Houston, TX. Sarah had graduated from Stanford Law School in 2009, where she had been editor of the Law Review. Upon graduation, she was offered positions from more than ten law firms of varying sizes. Sarah chose Carson, Williams and Morton due to their ranking as one of the most prestigious law firms in Houston. She took and passed the Texas Bar Exam on her first try.

  Sarah had imagined her future to be a ritual of preparing and conducting trials in front of juries. She would not see the inside of a court room her first year as a junior associate.

  Sarah locked the top drawer of the desk in her cubicle. She put all of the case files she had been researching back in their proper cabinets and made sure they were secure. The remainder of the files she slid into her briefcase.

  Sarah was exhausted. Her mentor was working on a major lawsuit against PetroTech, the oil conglomerate and she was one of the researchers looking at all angles and precedents for the elusive legal point that would give her mentor a slam dunk and force a settlement pretrial. The files she was working with were part of the discovery process and the conglomerate did not easily disclose their secrets. Instead, they flooded Carson, Williams and Morton with thousands of documents, emails and other minutiae.

  Sarah had been at her desk since 7:30 and had worked through lunch with only a pack of crackers and a Coke from the vending machines. She had worked past her dinner hour and finally decided she was at a stopping point at 8:45. Sarah was only 26, but today she felt as if she were 36. She had not taken the time to brush her hair or teeth today. Nor had she refreshed her makeup. “I must look a fright,” she said to herself. She went into the ladies room and splashed water on her face and put on a little lipstick. The gray business suit she was wearing was wrinkled and looked as if it had been slept in. She had removed the suit jacket when everyone in the office started leaving. The white blouse she was wearing underneath the suit coat was wrinkled and to her eyes didn’t seem all that white anymore. “I will be glad to get home,” she said to herself.

  She trudged her way through the office, seeing only one other light burning in any of the associates cubicles. “That must be Nick,” she thought. Nick was always the first in the office and the last to leave. He was pushing to make junior partner. “He can have it,” she thought. “Right now, I don’t have anything else to give. I’m running on empty.” This was the end of a 97 hour workweek for her. She was ready to lay back, prop her feet up and do absolutely nothing other than catch up on her sleep.

  She pushed the call button on the elevator and leaned against the wall as the elevator made its climb from the first floor to her 35th floor. A bell announced the arrival of the empty elevator. She entered and pressed the button for the garage level. The doors closed and the car descended to the second floor.

  She dragged her feet, her brief case was almost touching the floor, and her purse was slung over one shoulder as she made her way to the remote area where junior associates were required to park. Her suit coat was unbuttoned. “I am absolutely too tired to drive right now. I’d be a hazard to myself and others.” She unlocked the car and climbed into the back seat. She set her iPhone alarm for one hour. She felt the nap should refresh her enough to make her way home.

  As she lay in the back seat, her thoughts drifted to the planned weekend. Since she had come back to Houston, her schedule had not permitted her time to relax, nor did she have the time for family and friends. “Who has time for a social life?” she wondered. “I sure don’t. I wish I didn’t have to go to dinner tomorrow at Lissy’s house. I just know she has another wonderful person for me to meet.” Lissy was her older sister and was always playing matchmaker. She had what seemed to be an endless number of wonderful people lined up. Sarah was to make a selection for a life partner from this group. Thus far, she hadn’t played the game. She drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

  * * *

  The musical tones of her iPhone alarm caused Sarah to instantly become awake. She realized her car was moving. She was unable to conceal her surprise and let out an audible gasp. This caused the driver to whip his head around. Sarah found herself staring into the face of an extremely handsome man. A man clearly surprised at her being in the back seat.

  He cursed and pulled the car over and stopped on the side of the quiet road. There was no other traffic in sight. When the car stopped, Sarah jerked the door open and jumped out of the car and ran as fast as she could, her dark brown hair flowing in the wind behind her. She feared she was running for her life. This fear propelled her faster. Still, the stranger caught her easily.

  He held her in a firm grip and looked into the frightened face of his victim. She was certainly a beautiful girl, with green eyes to go with the long brown hair. He knew he could not count on her staying quiet and not running at the first opportunity. With a sad look on his face, he said, “I’m sorry, Miss,” and clipped her on the jaw with his closed fist. The short punch traveled no more than eight inches but it knocked Sarah cold.

  Effortlessly, he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the car. He deposited her through the still opened rear door and onto the back seat.

  There was still no traffic in sight as the stranger continued down the dark road. He glanced at his cellphone occasionally, at the display presented by the GPS app. He occasionally made a turn, continuing through the back roads to an unknown destination.

  Chapter 2

  Sarah slowly regained consciousness, it was morning. She couldn’t move her arms or her legs. She was trussed up like a dressed turkey with bungee cords binding her hands and feet. She was gagged with a handkerchief. Sarah recognized she was on the rear seat of her car. She began to struggle against the binding of the bungee cords she had kept in her trunk. She let out a cry, despite the gag, and continued
to struggle.

  The driver heard the cry and the struggles and calls back to her in a deep, smooth voice, “It’s okay, Miss Kirkpatrick. No harm is going to come to you. I promise I am not going to hurt you. I have a place I have to be and I have to be there by a specific time. I had no choice but to take a car. You just happened to be asleep in the back seat of the car I chose.

  When I get to where I’m going, I’ll give you the keys to your car and you can go home or to the police or wherever. I have to be at the place and if I’m not, it will be a disaster for me and for my family. If you keep struggling, I will knock you out again. I don’t want to do that but I will. I simply don’t have the time to fight with you right now.”

  “How did he know my name?” she wondered. Stretching as much as she could, she saw her wallet is open on the seat. “I wonder what he has taken. My credit cards are in there and I think I had around $75 in there also. It’s probably gone, all of it.

  She decided not to struggle so much for now. She didn’t want to be knocked unconscious again. “He’ll have to stop for gas or something. I need to pee pretty soon. He could go by the side of the road, but I can’t or won’t.” she thought.

  * * *

  After several hours of driving, Sarah sensed the car slow and stop. The handsome stranger turned in his seat to face her. He said, “I’m stopping to fill the car with gas.” He said, “After I fill up I will walk with you to the restroom inside the station so you can take care of any personal needs you have. If you struggle, yell or cry out, or try to get away, I will knock you out again.”

  After she agreed, he untied her legs, and reminded her of the promise not to try to escape. With a strong grip on her forearm and her tied hands hidden, he smoothly made his way to the restroom. “I will be standing right here, if you make any noises, then you’re out of it. With him in the restroom with her and the door locked to prevent anyone from coming in, he told her to go ahead. She asked him to turn around so at least she will have some privacy.

  With him turned around facing the door, Sarah gathered her courage, and used the only thing she had, her fists, she balled them together and hit him in the neck with every ounce of her strength.

  Expecting him to at least fall to the floor, she was disappointed when he didn’t. Instead, he spun around and with a firm grip, pulled her close to him.

  “Normally, I enjoy a good fight but not this time,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re lucky because I am a formidable fighter. Right now, someone close to me is counting on me to be in a certain place at a certain time and I don’t have time to fight with you. Do you understand?” Holding onto both shoulders, he gave her a firm shaking, and marched her back to the car.

  Binding her feet together with the bungee cords, he put her into the car. He then fastened her seat belt, got back into the driver’s seat and drove off, leaving Sarah in the back seat to ponder her fate, the handsome stranger and whatever he has planned for her.

  * * *

  Speaking for the first time, Sarah said, “Since you kidnapped me, would you mind telling me your name?”

  “I didn’t kidnap you. At least not intentionally, I stole your car. You happened to be in the back seat asleep. If I had seen you first, I would have taken another car.”

  “Oh, so it’s my fault? I was too tired to drive so I decided to take a nap and for that, I get my car stolen and kidnapped at the same time. You know my name, tell me yours.”

  “My name is Benton. That’s all you’re going to get, so leave me alone. I told you no one is going to harm you, so just let it go at that.”

  “I want to know why you kidnapped me.”

  How many times do I have to tell you, that wasn’t my intention? I had to have a car. I chose yours. I didn’t know you would be asleep in the back seat.”

  Over the next few hours, Sarah repeatedly tried to get him to tell her why he had to have her car. “Where are you taking me? Why?”

  All he would tell her was they were headed southwest and it’s extremely important to where I’m going on time.

  Three hours later, he asked if she was hungry. “So we’re going to feed the captive are we? You won’t get any ransom for me. I don’t have any place I’m supposed to be and I don’t have many friends and no one is going to miss me before Monday morning when I don’t show up for work.”

  He said, “You’ll be back in time to go to work on Monday. I keep telling you, you’re not going to get hurt. If you’ll give me your promise you won’t try to get away, I’ll stop and get some food. You’ll have to eat as we drive because I can’t spare the time to stop to eat.”

  “I get sick if I eat in a moving car.”

  “Okay, I’ll tie your hands and retie your feet and get something for myself and we’ll be on our way.”

  He pulled into the parking lot of a small convenience store. He got out and opened the rear door and reached in to begin the retying process.

  “No wait. I promise I won’t try to escape, just bring me a sandwich and something liquid to drink. I’m beginning to feel a little dehydrated.”

  “I have your word of honor you will not try to run before I come back?”

  “Yes,” she said meekly. I won’t try to get away.”

  Sarah watched as he sauntered into the small grocery store. Looking around, she could see there were no other cars in the parking lot. “So much for help,” she thought. She worked at untying herself with an increased fervor. She became so engrossed at untying her feet, she didn’t check for his coming back. Just as she starts to show signs of progress in loosening the bungee cords, suddenly she heard his voice. He was talking on his cell phone.

  “Don’t worry Mick. I have what you want and I will be there on time unless the car breaks down. You just damn sure nothing happens to my brother.”

  Sarah heard the snap of his cell phone as he closed the cover. She froze and looked up to see his angry face staring into the window.

  “So much for your word of honor,” he said angrily. He tightened the bungees that are binding her feet together. He threw a sandwich and a bottle of water into the back seat. “Now quit trying to get loose or I swear I will knock you out and keep you unconscious until we get where I have to be. I can’t waste any more time molly coddling you.” He started the car and pulled back out into the roadway, tires spinning madly on the pavement. He unwrapped the sandwich he had gotten for himself. Steering with his knees, he opened the bottle of water and took a long swig.

  Sarah decided the need for something to eat and drink trumped the need to escape and besides, they were going 65MPH. She couldn’t go anywhere even if she did manage to get free.

  An hour after stopping at the small store, the car slewed to the right as Benton fought for control. He managed to steer the car to the side of the road and stop safely. He got out, walked to the rear, and came back. He opened the door. “We have a flat tire. Tell me you have a spare.”

  “I do have a spare and a jack. The spare is a donut though, and you can’t drive very fast with that.”

  “I’ll just have to do the best I can. I have to keep going. Do you want to get out of the car while I’m changing the tire? And no, I’m not going to untie you. You’ve proven your promises are no good and can’t be trusted. Now do you want out or not?”

  “No, I’ll stay in the car.”

  “Suit yourself.” He got the jack and began to raise the car so he could swap out the flat tire. It was a side lift jack and luckily, the flat was on the passenger’s side, reducing the danger of being hit by an oncoming car. He got the tire changed in short order and they were underway again. Having the donut on the ground limited his speed by about 10MPH for safety reasons.

  He kept driving until past sundown, finally pulling into a small roadside motel that had a service station next door. He went into the service station and spoke with the attendant. He filled the car tank with gasoline. Sarah heard him ask what time the station opened in the morning and heard 7:00. She was puzzled by what was going
on and then saw the attendant rolling the flat tire into one of the service bays.

  Benton came back to the car and said, “Here’s the plan. He will get the tire fixed and mounted tonight. I left the trunk open so he can stow the spare and jack. Meantime, we’ll spend the night in the motel here.”

  “Oh, so that’s the way it’s going to be. Mister, you are in for one hell of a fight if you think you’re going to rape me.”

  “No one said anything about raping you. I told you nothing would happen to you. My promises are worth more than yours because I keep my word.”

  Chapter 3

  Benton checked the bungees and decided they were sufficiently secure. Sarah watched him from the back seat of the car. He walked with the confidence of one very sure of himself as he strode back to the door of the motel office. She could see him talking with the old man that was the desk clerk in the motel. As he talked he was gesturing toward the end of the motel and in the direction of the service station. There was an exchange of cash and the clerk pushed the registration card toward him. Benton had thus far shown no identification. He filled out the card and gave it back to the clerk in exchange for a key with the old fashioned plastic tab. No electronic keys for this establishment. They had probably never heard of them and wouldn’t have believed anyone that described such a thing.

  Benton handed the clerk more money in exchange for coins. He returned to the car, looked into the rear window and was satisfied with what he saw. He backed the car out and drove to the end unit. There were no lights on in any of the units at this end of the motel.

  He walked to the door of the motel unit, unlocked the door, turned on the lights and looked around the room. He returned to the car and opened the door. He undid the bungees and with a firm grip on her shoulder, marched her into the room. There were two queen sized beds in the room, the mattresses sagging toward the middle. Each had a print coverlet that had seen better days.