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CHAPTER 02

CHAPTER 02

Veronica watched the place where she was taken. She did not know exactly how long she had been there, but it had been many hours from the moment she was approached, she assumed that by the darkness that seemed to exist around her. She had no idea what was going on, she only knew that it was not something ordinary by the way they approached her in the parking lot of her father's company.

She left as usual from her work at 5pm and headed to the parking lot quietly and when she opened the door of her car, a van parked next door and two hooded guys came down and took her in their arms, they put her in the car and sped off.

“Be a nice lady and cooperate with us. If you do everything we tell you, nothing bad will happen to you.”

One of the men gave her some sunglasses and Veronica took them, forcing herself to keep calm because she didn't want to show she was trembling. She saw nothing in front of her while she was sitting between them. The sunglasses were too dark for her to see something. She could hear only the snoring of the vehicle and the altered breathing of the criminal to her left. In silence they continued. Nothing else was said or asked.

It hadn't occurred to her that it was some joke of the foundation staff, since the approach and the way they maintained it throughout the course did not seem like amateur stuff. And so little of friends and co-workers.

One of them seemed to have a g*n. Several times when the car passed in some asphalt undulation she could feel the volume leaning against her ribs, but at no point did she try to glance under the fake glasses in order to see if it was indeed a weapon. She remained static until the end.

Sometime later when they slowed down and the whispering inside the van began, she could tell they were getting somewhere, and it was populated. There were residents there. Veronica smelled food. A while later when they were about to arrive everything became silent and she could hear only the singing of some night animals. As soon as the car stopped, she was hastily removed. One of the men had placed his hand on the back of her neck, keeping her head down so that she could see nothing but her feet. The tiled floor was also one of the few things that was in her vision. Then they took her inside the property. Inside the place, Veronica noticed that the air was cleaner and smelled better, there were probably women around. Held up by one of the criminals, she was led down a steep staircase that seemed to lead to a basement. Veronica could only see her feet and sometimes the feet of one of the men who had kidn*pped her in the parking lot. He was wearing a beautiful new social shoe, probably leather, and expensive.

As soon as they stopped walking so that he would open a door, the man spoke out:

"We have no intention of hurting you, girl. Collaborate with us and everything will end well."

The warning had been given when he let go of her arm and left her static in the middle of nowhere, not even a wall for her to lean on. When he was leaving, he turned to her.

"Make yourself comfortable, we will soon bring you something to eat. Let's do the right things and everyone will win, especially you."

The man turned on the light at the end of the stairs and left.

As soon as Veronica heard the sound of the key that locked the door, she removed her glasses and looked around more calmly. The place was organized, a bed in a corner, and a table with a chair in the other. There was also a closet for clothes and a bookcase. She curiously approached the closet and found out that there were clothes and two pairs of shoes inside. In one of the drawers, there were underwear of her size and personal products, which no longer surprised her. Everything there seemed to have been prepared exactly for her. In the next drawer Veronica found a simple device that could be used to listen to music. They certainly left it to her use as well.

In the bathroom the basic hygiene products were exposed. Which calmed her down for a few seconds. At least she would have some sort of dignity there. An anxiety began to take hold of her for not knowing what would come next. The only certainty she had was that she would not return home that night.

After checking the bathroom, Veronica returned to the room and stayed there for a long time trying to remain peaceful. In the silence of that unfamiliar place she remembered her father. A strong and hard-working man, but she knew her health had been weakened for a long time. He must be devastated at that moment. Since his mother left, abandoned them, Paul had never been the same. He had devoted himself fully to the company and his little daughter, and created a unique bond between them. Veronica hoped that he was being assisted by someone at that bad moment. This assurance would be a great comfort. She could worry about the rest later.

The memory of her mother came to her mind. Veronica rarely allowed herself to remember the woman who had traded her for freedom, leaving everything that was part of her past behind. Not even Valquíria’s family had informed her of her location over the past 15 years, and on the occasions when Veronica and her father talked to her uncle, the only relative who visited often and seemed to like her, they did not get much valid information, so they gradually put aside their questions and eventually accepted the absence of their mother and wife.

She didn't know why she was recalling the past at that moment. Possibly because she was experiencing the same sense of fear and emptiness that she had when her mother was gone. Putting her face between her legs she let herself fall on the bed and there she stood looking at the ceiling with nothing to do or think about.

Later, Veronica heard a female voice, confirming her predictions that there was a woman there. Then, silence took over the place again until the same woman came to bring her something to eat.

After a knock, and before entering, she asked:

"If you’re not wearing the blindfold put it on."

Veronica looked around and saw a black cloth that was attached to the headboard of the bed, she picked it up and covered her vision before informing her that everything was ready.

"I'm wearing it'

The woman came in and approached while she was organizing something on a plate. Then Veronica heard that a liquid was poured into a glass. “Probably juice.” she thought when she smelled a faint strawberry smell. “Amazing how the other senses become more acute when one is prevented from acting." - she noted quietly.

"I will leave your food here" - the woman said next.

Veronica waited until she was alone in the room, then she removed the blindfold from her eyes. Probably the woman did not want to be seen by her.

The meal was a glass of strawberry juice and a generous slice of pepperoni pizza. She didn’t have the slightest urge to eat or drink anything, but she knew that it would be better to eat and keep herself well physically. Nor did she wish to create tense situations that could upset those people. She didn't know who they were or what they would be capable of if they were tested. She was right about one thing, she needed to stay calm.

After the meal she went to the bathroom and took a quick shower in an attempt to relieve some of the tension she felt on her body. After everything was set and her teeth was brushed, she went to the other room where a tidy bed was waiting for her. After sitting down, she observed the things around her. Discomfort overwhelmed her. The situation was too stressful and it made her emotions run high. In order to fall asleep soon she put the earphones on low volume and lay down tiredly, trying to chase away the ghosts of anxiety and fear that were haunting her.