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She’s out there alive, fighting to survive. I start combing through the surveillance, tracking the car to see where it goes. I try to zoom in to see who’s driving, but I just see a hand. The guy sitting so far that he’s basically in the backseat. The footage mainly stops and starts when he is still on the Thruway. I return to the files and click on the date that Daphne was taken. Maybe I’ll catch him pulling in somewhere. I think I watched for hours; Nisa came back with Chinese food for me. She’s been feeding me lately. I couldn’t care to eat, but saying no to food in front of Nisa would probably get me hit with a shoe or something. I take a short break to eat. Knowing
my eyes along with my stomach will thank me. Nisa sits down and eats with me.
“Archer, do you need to speak to someone?”
“Are you asking if I need a therapist?”
“Is it so bad if I am? I think it would benefit you. If you at least talked to someone.”
“Nisa, I don’t need a shrink. I need Daphne back in my arms.”
“I understand that Archer; I want her back as much as you do. We were friends for way longer than you two were together. Don’t you dare think I don’t want her home as soon as possible?”
“I’m sorry, I’m just tired and angry at myself. You know she was bringing me a Starbucks, too. She had it with her. It was in the garbage can with her phone. I didn’t even remember that she was getting me something. I feel like it’s all my fault.”
“Archer, you cannot predict the future. You cannot expect this to all fall on your shoulders. This is Grey’s sick way of getting revenge on both of you. Really, on all of us here at the FBI. She is one of the best we’ve got.”
“I’m just so scared for her. What if he’s really hurting her? What if he’s touched her?”
“Listen, we will get her back, and she’ll need you to help grow from this. I know that Daphne is tough on the inside with all
her training from her uncle, but she is still just human. She will need you more than ever when we find her. Speaking of her uncle, I have no idea how this news hasn’t reached him yet.”
“I think Daphne said he was on vacation.” My stomach turns sour. What would her uncle do if he was still here? His resources would be excellent. But Cordelia still gets bodyguards, so why hasn’t anyone tried to find Daphne. Unless they are looking and they can’t even find her.
“Too bad. We could’ve really used him.” Nisa goes back to eating, and I do the same. She leaves a little bit later, and I’m left in silence, utterly alone in this world.
I turn back to the laptop; there are only three more videos for the day that Daphne was taken. Some of the videos aren’t correct, and they depict the wrong license plate if it’s shadowed or has a leaf on it. I click the first one and begin watching. Nothing. The second one is the same as the first. My hope is dwindling. Until I click on the third one, and I watch as the car gets off on an exit that he’s never gotten off on. I call Nisa back into the room. I got you,
motherfucker.
Chapter Nineteen
Daphne
I have no sense of what time it is. All I know is it's been a while. I miss Archer, and I'm afraid I'll never be able to see him again. I'm in a room with no windows, just a bed and a bathroom. It looks like whoever did this room patched over the windows that were once there.
I haven't seen anyone in, I don't know how long. They are really stretching it out to meet me. Very climatic of them, as if I want to wait to find out who took me. As if I care. All I want is my sister. They haven't talked about her since I spoke to that person on the phone. In fact, I haven't seen anyone since the person drugged me outside of the car. I could be in here for weeks by now. They feed me randomly, I think. I try to count, but I think counting would drive me mentally insane. This isn't fair.
All I ever wanted in my life was to help people. Now look at me, a victim. A victim that may never be enabled herself. I shiver. At least whoever did this room made it the coziest it could be. It's almost like I'm a prize in here. There are two blankets on the bed; I also have a book that I've read a million times by now. Fifty Shades
of Grey is a weird one to have in here, but maybe it's their fantasy.
They are watching me with the camera that they think I haven't found reading erotica. As long as they stay behind that door.
Nobody has talked to me or touched me since the car. I'm surprised. I have no idea what anyone would want with me. I figured the worst. But maybe they are waiting for my mind to flip. For me to lose myself from within. I admit it's come close, but then I think of Archer. How disappointed he would be if I gave up now. Mainly because these guys haven't done the horrors that I hear about. Not yet, at least. I shiver and curl up in the blankets. I've been basically living in the bed. Curled up, watching the door until I couldn't stay awake any longer.
I use the bathroom, but I feel the camera watching me in there, and that's why I've hesitated to take a shower. I don't want them to see something they like and become ruthless over my body. I need to protect myself, but I admit my stench is getting the best of me. I wonder if I can at least wash with my shirt on and then just use the blanket as a dress. That might work. I'll try it tonight. After dinner is delivered. Always just pushed through the little locked hole in the door. I've already tried to get it opened. I think it's locked in
two different spots. I don't know why. It's not like I can really get myself out of there. Not unless I cut off my arm to reach the handle. Still, it would probably be locked and need a key.
I should be doing something. I should be gaining my strength back up. I do pushups or sit-ups to at least stay in shape and be able to fight when I need to. It's just challenging when you're utterly alone in this world. I haven't heard my own voice in what I assume is days. It will probably take me a few minutes to talk correctly. But Archer will help me. He will find my words for me.
I sit up to grab the book from the edge of my bed. Mind as well do something in this hellhole. I open the first page, and I start reading this over. Until I fall asleep.
***
When I wake up, I notice there's food here at the little hole like always. I get up to go get it. I'm probably being poisoned little by little in it, but I could care less. I know that I need to conserve my energy, and I need food to do that.
