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Classical music1played through the speakers, though the sound was muffled with the blindfold being over her ears, too. Occasionally she could hear low voices speaking.
How long had she been in here? It didn’t seem very long. She was only beginning to lose feeling in her hands and feet, but she couldn’t remember how long that took. How quickly her mind forgot how many minutes it took for her extremities to go numb.
The Mahler symphonythat had been playing through the speakers ended and another piece began. Emily stiffened and swallowed hard as the familiar strains reached her ears, however muffled they were.
She whimpered and tears soaked into the blindfold as the Tchaikovsky concerto2Mark would play at the concert filled the car.
Had the sound been turned up or was it coming from inside her mind, too?
She hunched over as the music seemed to grow even louder. She forced her mind to imagine Mark playing it instead of how Geoffrey had tortured her with it for so many years. Her racing heart slowed as Mark’s face filled her mind. His smile allowed her to relax and she let her mind drift back to the past week.
As the first movement came to its thrilling conclusion, the car, which had been going quite fast in one direction, now began to slow. It veered to the right and stopped momentarily before turning left.
They made another turn and the car drove over gravel for several minutes before stopping. The engine shut off, along with the music, and a car door opened.
It was silent for a moment before she was pulled out of the car. Her feet crunched on the gravel and her ankle bindings were cut before being pushed forward several feet.
“I think we should show her where she is,” came a muffled, accented voice from somewhere nearby.
The blindfold was removed and she blinked in the moonlight. A massive wooden structure loomed in front of her. “No, please no!”
The men around her laughed. Her knees started to give way and someone caught her and yanked her back onto her feet.
“What’s wrong,querida? You don’t want to visit my cabin again?” Rafael flashed a wicked grin and grabbed her elbow. “After all I did for you?” He pulled her down the path and she yanked away, but with her hands fastened behind her back, there was nothing she could do to keep Rafael from grabbing hold of her again.
Geoffrey’s voice came from behind her. “I’ve heard so much about this place, Rafael. I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
Emily closed her eyes. Rafael and Geoffrey together? Here? What would happen to her?
Up the flight of stairs that led to the front porch, the door opened and a towering figure stood silhouetted in the doorway. She whimpered as her knees gave out again.
* * *
Mark was trying veryhard to concentrate on the difficult passage of Beethoven’s 7th symphony3, but his stomach kept turning over, wondering where Emily was. And Rafael. And Joe. It didn’t bode well that all three of them were gone.
David hadn’t returned to his seat either.
At long last, the last notes of the symphony died away and Mark waited impatiently as the audience applauded and bows were taken. When he was finally able to escape, he hurried to the back and pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket. There were several texts from David: he’d searched everywhere but couldn’t find her. The two of them had parted ways once inside to go to their respective seats.
Mark knew Emily had been looking forward to the concert and she wouldn’t have missed it for any reason.
Something was wrong.
He closed his eyes and pressed the scroll of his violin to his forehead. Where was Emily? He texted David, asking him to meet him outside near the stage door, and hurried through the backstage area.
David appeared, eyes full of concern. “I asked around and no one has seen her.”
Mark ran his hand through his hair. “Maestro Holden said Rafael was sick.”
David shook his head. “This isn’t good.” He paced a few times. “I wish she had a company phone. Then I could trace it.”
“Could you call Geoffrey? I’m almost certain he traces her phone.”
David raised his eyebrows. “You think?”
Mark nodded. “He always seemed to call when she was at my place. She hinted as much one time.”
David scrolled through his phone and tapped the screen. After a few seconds, though, he shook his head. “He’s not answering.” He glanced at his watch. “He’s probably busy with the dinner rush though.”
