731

Captured and Confused

  The carpet on the floor felt itchy or was that her skin? Stella was groggy and her head hurt immensely. Her wrists felt as if she had been tied up, but the bonds had been taken away. Moaning she pulled herself to an upright position and realized that she was in a room she did not recognize with a damp, moldy smell permeating the air. The room had little light shining into it and making out details was difficult. She was unable to see a door for an exit.

"Ms. James? Are you awake enough to answer questions?". Coughing she responded, "No."

"I don't appreciate the impertinent attitude". Looking to see where the voice originated from and not readily finding the answer, Stella sighed. "Well, I don't appreciate the kidnapping. I also am on uneven footing as you know who I am and I don't know who you are. Would you be kind enough to tell me your name?"

"I'm not kind, but you are permitted to call me Greg." Stella sighed, "So is that your actual name or one you gave yourself? Honestly if presented the opportunity to choose your name and you pick Greg that's boring. So either you are too dull to come up with something that sounds imposing or your mother was lazy in naming you."

"Do you believe impish insults will change anything that is going to happen to you?", Greg had raised his voice in frustration, but had brought it back to its former octave. "You were found with the ashes of a Russian soldier from World War 2. Would you explain why they are in your possession?"

"What?!?!" Confused Stella decided to stick with the truth, "The ashes are to be donated. They are only in my keeping until next week. What do they have to do with anything?"

"You give your secrets up quickly," there was a metallic tapping noise and the room felt colder, "let me see if this is the truth."

"Why should it not be? Many in the community knew of our plans to investigate the museum and the donation of the remains by the family of the soldier." Stella could see her breath in front of her. It was feeling colder by the second and she wasn't sure why. So asking was her best option. "Why is it getting colder?"

"Being in an uncomfortable state can prompt the truth from many a person. You should feel fortunate that this is the route I chose to begin with. I am an expert in uncovering lies people spew forth". Stella felt enraged, but knew she did now possess the upper hand in the situation so she took a few deep breaths before continuing.

"I have no reason to lie to you. The information is common knowledge within the community. While we do not reside in a small town we aren't a giant city. Most people know everyone else's business". Thinking of her recent break up with John and how it was still messy within their group made her statement weigh down on her.

"Carrying around ashes of this soldier is disrespectful. Why is he not interred?". Greg was getting an angry tone in his voice. He did not appear to appreciate or understand the family's sacrifice of donating the remains of their great great uncle. 

Stella began rubbing her arms with her hands in an effort to stay warm and responded, "I don't get why you are so obsessed about the soldier. I am in this room that looks little better than a holding cell, you are controlling the temperature of the room, and have confiscated my belongings which include my shoes! Tell me why I am here so I can better understand how to answer your questions and leave". She could hear deep masculine chuckling at her demand. It must have been a speaker that played into the room and he was watching through a camera system. 

"Ms. James, you are in control of your own situation. Provide me with the answers I seek and I will leave you. Until you can explain why the soldier reacts to you I will continue to dig for the truth," Greg told her while sounding as he was enjoying her discomfort. Stella's arm began to hurt as if someone was reaching for her. She kept sliding her arm down the length of her arm and back up, but relief did not come. She began to wonder if he had injected her with something that was going to effect her reasoning skills.

Then she heard her Alex, her brother's voice, but he was not in the small space with her. She would have been able to feel someone else's presence. Then a fog rolled in front of her eyes and she could make out faint bodies and screams. The people screaming appeared Asian and some even Russian in appearance and looked emaciated. Almost as they barely had any energy remaining to scream. A guttural cry from the gut from lack of hope, exhaustion, and torture. Then there was a face that stared straight at her as if she was there with him. His entire arm was being packed in ice and the rest of him was unclothed. He did not appear as his nudity fazed him. He was tied down to a table with three men in lab coats were packing the ice around his arm. Stella could not understand why he looked familiar. Her brain was foggy.

Then her brother's voice came to her quietly, "Stella... where are you? Did you go to the other side and trying to get my attention. If so you must be mad at me because my arm is killing me. Please calm down the energy and don't bring me with you." Greg's voice pulled her from whatever weird daydream she was having. "So... the soldier attached to you and your brother it would seem. I should have taken both of you, but the risk would have really been too great".

Angered at the potential threat to her brother and not knowing what Greg was talking about or why her brother was hurt she treaded carefully, "Please allow me to go to him. Maybe I can help him. There must be something that can help you find what you are looking for".

"Oh Ms. James," Greg replied slowly, "You are what I have been looking for".