Wavering Mollisher

Kidnapped

“Della!” Caroline crawls to the red-headed girl. Della looks toward the voice.  Her eyes widen at the sight of Caroline. The young woman has blood gushing out of her head and down her face. She is cradling her arm and is somehow crawling toward Della. The woman is tough, Della admits.

“Caroline? Where’s Henry and mother?” Della searches the street, searching the bodies for those of her family.

Caroline shakes her head. “I don’t know, and that hardly matters. You’re hurt.” Caroline rips a piece of her dress off. “You’re bleeding all over your head.” Caroline makes a makeshift bandage around Della's head.

“Come, Della! Can you stand? We must get to safety.” Caroline pushes herself on her feet and holds out her hand. Nodding, Della grabs Caroline’s hand and hops to her feet. Caroline wraps her arm around her waist. “Use me as support.” She instructs. Della hisses as she takes her first steps. She will likely be covered in bruises later, but she is grateful that nothing broke.

All around her, people sat in the street moaning in pain. Della scans the crowd for Henry, Father, or Mother, but she hardly recognizes anyone since all of them are caked in blood and dirt.

“Caroline, my family.” Della’s voice breaks.

“We’ll find them! We need to get to safety first.” Caroline trudges ahead to the safety of the sidewalk. A couple of men step out in front of Caroline, blocking her path. “Excuse us; we are just passing through.” Caroline steps around the men. One of the men whips around, blocking her path.

“’fraid can’t allow that miss.” The man spits.

“Please, gentlemen. My sister and I are just trying to get home.” Caroline pleads.

“That ain’t yer sister. That is Della Delacroix. Our boss wants her.” The large man in the middle toothily smiles.

“I assure you, gentlemen, your business is not with my sister. Come, Sarah.” Caroline tightens her grip on Della’s waist, trying to push through.

“Well then. That changes things.” The man responds. “We need some pretty gurls about the place. Ya two will do nicely.” Before Caroline or Della could utter another word, they are hoisted up and separated.

“Caroline…” Della squeals.  A cloth covers her mouth, and darkness envelops her before she gets a reply.

The smell of oil and mold wake Della. She bolts up, studying her surroundings. She is in a large, dank warehouse. Around her are metal crates stacked on top of the other. Della hears the clank of a train on steel tracks. As her eyes adjust, she realizes she is tied with some rope.  She brings her wrists up to her mouth to begin biting through the rope when she spots an unconscious person: Caroline.

She scoots quickly to the unconscious girl. “Caroline,” She loudly whispers. 

Caroline holds her head and begins to groan. “Della?”

“Yes, where are we?” Della looks around at the decrepit place.

“I don’t know. They placed some cloth over my mouth, and then I woke here. Are you alright?” Caroline eyes Della injuries.

“I just feel woozy.” Della’s head is pounding from the earlier injury.

“Listen to me, Della. If they come back for us, you’re my sister- Sarah. Did you notice they mentioned your name? You’re a high priority for them.” Caroline explains.

“My father’s invention.” Della surmises. 

“Exactly. They must think you’re family has money. You’re the hostage.” Caroline fights against her restraints.

“How do you know all this?” Della demands.

“I’m an undercover authority agent for the local police. I have been trying to track this group for years. There were rumors that they kidnapped the wealthy and held them for ransom. I can assume from our surroundings we are on the outskirts of Merryville. It is one of the poorer areas. I never had just cause to explore this area until now.” Caroline explains.

“No way! A woman authority?” Della’s voice carries.

“ That’s what you took from that? I’m sure we could discuss that at another point.” Caroline says impatiently.

“Does Henry know?” Della demands.

“He knows.” Caroline rubs her legs against a sharp edge. “Now, help me get untied. We must get you out of here before they send your father a ransom note.”

Della moves forward and uses her fingers to dig at the ropes on Caroline’s legs. “Your father’s invention is going to change many lives, Della; you should be proud. Let’s just hope that you’re not a casualty of it.” Caroline loosens the ropes on her leg.

“Well, um, I won’t be an unnecessary casualty, so to speak,” Della whispers. Caroline tilts her head in confusion. “I was the architect that designed the machine.”

Caroline’s eyes widen as she hears noises coming from outside the door. She rewraps her legs with the rope and falls back against a crate. Blinding light pours into the room, and Della can barely make out three figures. Her eyes begin to adjust as one man moves forward. 

“Hello curves, we meet again.” Della holds back a scream. Standing in front of her was the handsome stranger she tripped over earlier. He grimaces and leans his face down in front of hers.

“Gods above, you smell.” Della gags.

“Take it all in, princess. It will soon be a memory of the past.” The blue-eyed man chuckles.

“I don’t know who you think I am, but my name is Sarah. That is my sister Caroline.” Della motions to Caroline.

“Yea, and I am a unicorn.” The men all laugh. “Della, make yourself comfortable.”

“What proof do you have that she is Della?” Caroline’s voice interrupts the men’s laughter.

“Ahh, the friend.” The handsome stranger turns to Caroline. “Well, my dear, I saw Della with her father earlier-the inventor. Give me some credit.”

“What the hell do you want with me?” Della barks.

“What any kidnapper wants, my dear- money.” Handsome replies. “Your father is certain to come into quite a windfall.”

“My family has no money.” Della sarcastically laughs. “Nice try, though.”

Handsome chuckles and roughly grabs Della’s arm, pulling her to her feet. He pulls her taunt against his body, roughly grabbing her chin and yanking it up. “Dear girl, you are too naïve. Perhaps you should warm my bed until the ransom is paid.” Blue eyes lean down until his lips are but a whisper from Della’s. “I haven’t had a beautiful woman in a while. Boys, take her to my room.” Despite her dislike for the stranger, Della couldn’t stop the fluttering in her belly at the mention of being in his bed.

The two men behind him move to Della, hoisting her up. “Caroline!” Della screams.

“Leave her be!” Caroline screams.

“We’re not done with you.” Handsome growls at the blond woman before turning around. “Don’t worry about your friend. She is in good hands.”

“DELLA! BE STRONG!” Caroline yells as the large metal door closes on her.