“I’m going to ask you some questions now. Scream, and you will regret it. Do you understand?”
Catherine’s answer was a fervent nod, a terrified whimper escaping past the confines of the large ball gag filling her mouth, and the first tears fell from her grey eyes to stain the black silk blindfold leaving her trapped in darkness. Strong hands spent a few moments attending to the buckle behind her head, until finally the awful rubber sphere came free, strands of saliva peeling away to smear the front of her close-fitting red silk dress. “Oh, God, please, don’t hurt me,” she whispered desperately once she caught her breath and the ache in her jaw began to subside. “There’s money in my purse and credit cards too, just take them and leave alone, please! I--”
“I’m not interested in money. Now, where’s the tape?”
For a moment, Catherine was certain she’d misheard her captor, confusion momentarily robbing her of speech. “The—the tape?” she finally stammered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“There’s no sense in lying to me,” came the smooth, cultured, masculine voice, and Catherine shuddered at the touch of his hands upon her bare shoulders, breath warm against her left ear. “I know your contact gave it to you while you were attending the ball downstairs, and you brought it back here to your hotel room. Now where is it?”
“I… please, I honestly don’t know anything about any tape. I’m just a tourist!” Catherine protested, the first stirrings of panic making themselves known. For the past three days, she’d been vacationing her in sunny, beautiful San Cristobel, shaking off the doldrums of a long and difficult winter with some lazy days on the beach, fine dining at the sea town’s many fine restaurants, and enjoying all the creature comforts provided by her hotel. The last included a formal gala event that evening down in its massive ballroom, and for the past several hours, the dark-haired beauty been the belle of the ball, all her troubles forgotten as she danced with a succession of handsome, courteous partners, only returning to her room once the event formally concluded with a final waltz.
It had been a magical, wonderful evening… though her good mood had only lasted until she saw the utter devastation her room was left in, every drawer and cupboard turned out and ransacked, the feel of a pistol’s muzzle at her back stifling her scream in its crib. Now, she sat tied up and blindfolded on a chair in the living room, wrists and ankles bound with duct tape, with neither giving way despite some surreptitious efforts to free herself. “Please, you have the wrong person,” she pleaded, slender figure trembling in fear. “I haven’t met with any contact, and I certainly haven’t been given any tape. Please, just let me go, and I promise I won’t tell the police.”
Her captor gave a sigh of resignation. “If only I could believe you. Open your mouth.”
“No, wait, please, I—mmmpggghhh!” Catherine wailed in dismay at the ball gag was forced back into her mouth, and her heart sank as the awful sound of ripping duct tape filled the air, a new length wrapping around her thighs. “MMMPPPGGGHHH!”
“What’s on that tape can alter the fate of nations, and I will not let it fall into the wrong hands,” the man proclaimed in a defiant tone that sent further shivers along Catherine’s spine. “I’m going to keep searching your room, but should I ask you again, I expect you to be more cooperative. Understand?”
“Mmmpggghh, mmmppppggghhh!” the brunette screamed, heart pounding with terror at her breast as his heavy footsteps began to move away. That such a lovely night could end this way was more than she could stand, and desperately, she strained against her bondage, inwardly cursing it all the while. For she’d had quite enough of tape to last her for a lifetime…