Chasing a Fox

Abduction

Irene felt her eyes brimming with tears. What the hell was he planning? She was so scared and angry all at the same time. James looked like he had completely lost his mind. His eyes were darting around the room and he was mumbling to himself. Once he noticed she was awake the mumbling stopped 

“Oh good you’re awake Rene. We have a lot to discuss.” He said with an odd smile on his face.

“I told you that you belong with me. Not some rich guy. I showed you who he really was and you still choose to stay with him!” He yelled the last sentence at her. James face was flushed with anger. He took a breath and continued “I’m the one that knows you, knows how hard you work.” James began pacing in front of her and mumbling under his breath again.

Irene was mumbling against the tape trying to get him to take it off her mouth. He seemed to come out of his trance for a moment as her whimpering caught his attention. He pulled out a switchblade and said “I’m going to take the tape off of your mouth, no funny business Rene.” Irene had broke out in chills when she saw James pull out the blade in a threatening manner. At his request she nodded her head frantically while her eyes flowed with terrified tears.

James yanked the tape roughly off of her mouth. “James what are you doing? You need to let me go right now.”

“Why would I let you go Rene? You belong with me and I’m going to take you away, then you’ll see that your new rich boyfriend doesn’t care. He’ll replace you with another girl within a week.”

“James, you don’t know what you’re talking about “ Irene pleaded. “ Seth loves me and we want to build a life together. You need help James, you need to let me go.” Irene was crying. She was worried for her unborn child, scared of James, desperately wishing that Seth would come back through the door at any minute. James shook his head at her. “You don’t get it Rene but you will.”

He taped her mouth back shut and hit her over her head again. Irene tried to stay awake but she just couldn’t, the darkness took her again.

After he knocked her out James trashed her apartment and drug her into a black van that he had rented. He was going to take her to his old hunting cabin out in the woods. He was going to make her see that only he could love her. During his abduction of Irene he hadn’t been very quiet and unbeknownst to him a neighbor had alerted the police.  As he was pealing out of Irene’s parking lot there was a distant sound of sirens. He didn’t even pay attention.

When Seth showed back up to pick Irene up he saw two cop cars in the parking lot and felt his stomach sink. He threw open his car and rushed up the stairs to her door. There were officers inside and it looked like someone had trashed her place. The officer on the scene had questioned him for an hour. How long had he known Irene?

Did he know anyone that would want to hurt her? Seth told the officer about how Irene had found cameras in her apartment and how they believed she was being stalked by her ex-fiancé. He also expressed his worry about Irene being pregnant and begged the officer to find her. After the officers left he got busy straightening up Irene’s place. He was so worried about her, what could he do? He felt helpless.

He decided to research a private detective in an attempt to feel in control of the whole bizarre situation. Since money was no object he hired a first rate private detective to delve into James past and get an idea about what he might have done with Irene. Within a couple of hours he got a call that James had rented a van from not far away. He grabbed some clothes that Irene had started packing, his keys and headed out the door to the rental place.

He met up with the detective at the rental place where they learned he had rented a black van with tinted windows. Seth called the police with the license plate number so they could put out a search for the vehicle. Money definitely talked because in another couple of hours they had three addresses for properties that James owned and the detective he hired brought along some trained bloodhounds.

The first property was an abandoned farmhouse. They loaded up the dogs and headed out. Once they got there they let the hounds sniff a shirt of Irene’s and off they went. Hours went by and the dogs never picked up her scent. Feeling defeated they decided to call it a night and hit the trail again first thing in the morning the next day.

Seth didn’t sleep much that night. He tossed and turned thinking about Irene. Worrying if she and they’re baby was okay. Kicking himself for not staying with her while she grabbed her things. Not that either of them would have guessed what was going to happen. There had been no reason to worry lately. Irene had even mentioned that she felt like James must have left since she had stopped receiving strange notes at her door.

Meanwhile deep in some secluded woods James had just arrived at his cabin. He dragged an unconscious Irene in through the door. He handcuffed her to the bed and left to go get them some food. When Irene awoke she found herself alone and cuffed to some type of rail next to the bed. The chain from the rail to the cuff on her arm was long enough that she could move her arm okay. Realizing that she appeared to be alone and the tape was off of her mouth she began screaming for help. After about twenty minutes of screaming her voice was feeling hoarse so she decided to give herself a rest.