by Crain535
Becca sat watching the balcony across the street. A flash of movement and he appeared, quickly she shot a number of frames on the camera, then sat back. Glancing at her watch she saw that there was another five hours before her shift ended. Becca sat back in her chair and sipped her coffee, cursing Control for assigning her to surveillance, then the coffee for being cold.
She stood and walked to the table and poured herself a fresh cup. Becca was angry, 'why the hell did she have to do this dam assignment?' She thought; she should be out with the task force hunting him down. Control, however had ordered her to take a vacation out of town until he was recaptured. Becca had steadfastly refused. Then Control had told her that she should go into protective custody. Again she had refused pointing out that she was after all an Agent of Section Two and did not take to being mollycoddled or patronised. Control was taken aback with her anger and stubbornness. Then, he'd ordered her onto surveillance refusing her request to join the task force.
"You forget, Becca," said Control, "He openly threatened to avenge himself with you, and I'm not taking any chances with the life of one of my best agents is that clear?"
Becca was about to argue further, but realised the futility of it. Control had allowed her to push the envelope well past insubordination, because he both respected her and recognised the seriousness of the situation. Becca knew deep down that he wasn't intending to patronise her, he had said as much pointing out that if any agent male or female faced the same situation he would take the same action.
"While he's out there Becca, it's best you are made as small a target as possible." Control had stated.
Now she was doing low profile surveillance work, which had all the excitement of watching paint dry. Becca returned to her seat pulled her cell phone from her jacket pocket and did a routine check call.
"Hey Becca!" Came support agent Domars cheery voice. "How goes it?"
She could only wince at his enthusiasm. "It's quiet as a grave here." She replied then shut the phone off before he could reply. Less than five hours to go and then back to the motel room Control had arranged for her. It was too dangerous to use her apartment, at the moment. There, Becca would slip into a hot tub, and sip a cool glass of wine. She smiled at the thought.
Lost in her imagination she hadn't noticed a small tube being fed under the apartment door. The tube moved about twisting like a snake as if viewing the inside of the apartment then, it slid back under the door. Becca suddenly sat up startled by a sound of movement from outside her door. She pulled her gun from her holster worked the slide, chambering a round into the breach. Then flattened herself against the wall switching off the lights. Quickly she pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial. Domars voice came on line.
"What's up? He asked.
"I've got movement outside my door. Could be trouble. Send back up." Becca stated as calmly as she could. Something was wrong. This was a condemned building besides herself there should be no one else around.
"You got it. Hang in there." Domar replied. "Back up is on the way"
Becca remained crouched against the wall, waiting, listening hard for any sign of movement. Cool air ran over her from the air conditioning vent, she shivered, whether from nerves or the cold she couldn't be sure.
Cold air brushed her face. The only noise she was making was tightly controlled breathing, breathing she had first learned in front of a candle flame. No one could hear breathing that didn't make a flame flicker at two inches. But, how much noise was her heart making, pounding its way to the outside of her chest as it was doing right now?
She resisted the temptation to move, to look into the hallway, to change hiding places, whatever. Movement would be suicide. She listened, willing her eardrums to convey some sound to her brain, some noise that didn't belong, anything. Nothing came for the longest time, but then a subliminal ringing began to echo throughout her head. First it was barely at the inner ear; then it danced to the front of her eyes; then it filled her head, ringing, echoing, echoing, ringing. She caught her eyes closing and willed herself awake. The gun in hands began to feel heavy, she had to fight to hold it up. Her legs began to feel like jelly, unsteady, almost unable to hold her up. The room began to grow dim; Becca had difficulty in focusing. As soon as she phrased the thought, she knew the answer.
She was being gassed!
As she crouched in the corner of the darkened room, weapon in hand feeling heavier and heavier, all her body senses on alert. He had known she was in the apartment, and had put something in the ventilation. He was overcoming her without even touching her. Her legs were becoming weaker and almost useless. Slowly, she started to settle towards the floor, her eyes fluttering and her mind refusing to accept the situation, still sending out orders to unresponsive body parts until at last she was seated in the corner of the floor. Her pistol and cell phone loose in her hands at her sides, her entire body tingling with the gas.
The door to the apartment opened and a dark figure entered the room. He walked slowly towards her. In her drugged twilight state, he seemed to almost float. He reached down and as he effortlessly lifted her. Becca looked into his face, but there was nothing to see but the snout and nozzle and tinted lenses of a gas mask.
Never the less Becca knew who it was. "You!" she managed to whisper.
"Me!," he acknowledged. "I told you I'd come back for you Black Cardinal and here I am! Now, sleep!". He ordered and placed a soft cloth over her nose and mouth and holding it there, the sweet and sickly odour of chloroform assaulted her senses. Becca tried to pull the arm away but she was too weak, his mocking laughter at her pitiful efforts rang in her ears as she passed into complete unconsciousness.
Becca awoke to bright lights and a loud whirring sound. She was lying on a dental recliner, still feeling quite groggy from the echoing effects of the gas and chloroform. She kept her eyes closed, listening.
She heard the echo of footsteps as her captor moved around the chair. She heard the rasping intake of air as he continued to breathe through his mask.
"Time to wake up Black Cardinal. Wake up and smell the coffee."
Becca opened her eyes slightly, trying to focus.
"That's right, wake up. We have lots of work to do."
Becca could not respond as a thick piece of rag was biting deeply into the corners of her mouth. Lifting her head slightly she confirmed what she already suspected. She was strapped tightly to the recliner.
He stood at the foot of the recliner gloating over her helplessness.
"Four three years I have waited for this moment and now it has come". He declared rubbing his hands in anticipation.
With that he bent down and loosened the gag. "Now we will talk". He stated.
"What do you intend to do?" Becca demanded.
"What do I intend to do?" He mocked, clearly amused at her question. "Why I intend to deal with you Black Cardinal".
"Why?" Becca asked.
"Why? Because you ruined all my plans". He spat. You destroyed me, and you had me placed in that... That, mental hospital like I was some sick insane individual".
"You are Sick and insane." Becca answered.
He ignored her comment and wheeled out a small trolley. "And now I will have my revenge." He smiled. "I have planned something very special for you".
Becca tried to wriggle in her straps, trying to get some slack and work herself loose.
"Feel free to struggle, it will do you no good". He laughed at her futile attempts to get free.
"Oh yes Black Cardinal I have big plans for you. But first I must move you. I can see you will not be coming without a fight. It is of no consequence I will move you with or without your co-operation."
He reached down placing a gas face mask over Becca's mouth and nose then securing it in place with a velcro strap. Still weak from the combined effects of gas and chloroform Becca couldn't fight. He switched on the gas, slowly increasing the flow. "We can't begin just yet my lovely. Not until you're properly sedated".
Becca felt the slow buzzing of the gas, he was drugging her slowly, that was his favourite thing to watch his victims slowly but surely succumb to being drugged. Becca's eyes began to feel heavy, her body relaxing.
"That's it Black Cardinal, go to sleep".
Becca tried to breathe as shallow as possible. Doing whatever she could to fight him.
He laughed. "You don't really think that will work, do you. At best it'll slow down the effects for a short while but I wouldn't try holding your breath. Unless you can breathe through your skin, I would suggest giving in," He stated, laughing.
Becca began the slow decent into darkness. He turned up flow of gas.
"Nighty Night!" He giggled. "Go to sleep Black Cardinal, go to ssslllleeeeeeeppppppppp".
Becca slid slowly into the warm blackness of drugged sleep.
The light was dazzlingly bright. She had to screw up her eyes before slowly opening them. Her whole body was awash with conflicting sensations. Firstly, she felt a warm glow that was beginning to subside, being replaced by a dull ache, in her head and all over. Becca tried to move, but realised in a second that she was tightly bound. Her arms were tied behind her back. Her ankles were tied and she was gagged. As she tried to sit up Becca noticed she was lying on a sofa. She was in an apartment of some sort, not a very well furnished one, rather spartan in fact. As the effects of the gas lessened Becca started to take in the detail of her surroundings. On a small table only yards from where she was her pistol and cell phone. Becca looked around, her captor was nowhere in sight. Quickly she forced herself to sit up, then tried to hop over to the table. This was difficult, he had tied her well, not only at the ankles but also above her knees around her thighs. This made it almost impossible to keep her balance.
At last Becca was by the table, she knelt down and rubbed the side of the gag against the side of the table. With a an effort she managed to dislodge the gag. Then hit the speed dial on the phone.
It rang three times then a voice answered. "Domar here".
"Domar, it's Becca".
"Becca! Where are you?"
"I don't know, I was in the apartment waiting for the back up, somehow he managed slip something in the ventilation system, he hmmmppphhhh".
A hand suddenly clamped over Becca's mouth. "That will be quite enough of that thank you very much".
"Becca? Becca you there?"
"I'm afraid she's rather indisposed right now".
"Who is this? What have you done to Becca?"
Becca struggled in his grip but her bonds were to too tight, all she could manage was a pathetic wriggle. She felt him force the gag back in her mouth.
"Who I am my friend is of no consequence, that I have your colleague as my hostage is, catch me if you can". He laughed then switched off the phone before Domar could respond.
"You really are quite formidable adversary Black Cardinal, not to mention resourceful I salute you".
Becca could only murmur behind her gag as he dragged her back to the sofa and lay her back down. She watched as he produced a small plastic zip lock bag which contained what looked like a dust mask; the sort used on dusty construction sites.
"I've been planning this for a long time, I know that your training with Section Two has helped you build a resistance to drugs. Your rapid recovery of the gas is testament to that".
Becca just glared at her captor. "Mmmmm". She mumbled behind the thick gag.
"Defiant to the end. Very good. I have devised a very special device for you Black Cardinal. Something that is guaranteed to keep you quiet, while I transport you to our final destination". With that he placed the dust mask over her mouth and nose and secured it.
"Go ahead struggle away!" He taunted.
Becca grew angry at his taunting and kicked out. Her feet impacted right in his stomach sending him flying across the room. He stood up holding his stomach, breathless and grinning.
"Good move, I should know better than to underestimate you by now". He said cringing a little. "Now it's my turn".
He staggered back and reached down to the mask and twisted a small dial. There was an audible click. Becca caught the faint smell inside the mask, it was 'Chloroform!' There was another click and the smell grew stronger. Her eyes widened 'No! not again'.
He laughed at her as he turned the dial.
"That's setting two Miss Cardinal, no doubt you are feeling somewhat woozey now".
Becca tried to sit up to shake the mask from her face, but the strap held it fast.
"I call this my Pacifier, because it keeps even the most spirited captive under control. I am now going to place it on setting three which will incapacitate you leaving you aware of what is going on around you but unable to move or react".
Becca groaned as there was another click, the odor of chloroform was now almost overpowering, her body was floating on warm cloud, her vision was blurring. His voice sounded soft and distant.
"We are going on a long journey now so you must rest while I prepare".
Becca couldn't move, she wanted to fight, to struggle, to defy this mad man, but she couldn't he had her totally helpless floating in the twilight world of semi consciousness.
He inspected her, checking her eyes and reactions. She was totally incapacitated, the mask had worked far beyond his hopes. He quickly turned the dial down to setting two, that would be sufficient to keep her under.
"Relax Black Cardinal, while I prepare for the final leg of our journey".
Becca floated on warm cloud, warm and comforting, all her concerns and worries just evaporated. The mere fact that she had been kidnapped, drugged and spirited off by a mad man did not concern her. The drug saw to that, he had seen to that. As she drifted in out of consciousness, like a see saw Becca could recall fragments of lucidity. Being carried from the apartment to an elevator then being placed in a large van with darkened windows. Becca lay on a old musty mattress and recalled feeling the van pull away. The steady rocking movement had sent her back to sleep as the noxious fumes of the dust mask dubbed the 'Pacifier' rendered her unconscious.
Later she recalled awakening to find she was untied and laying on the mattress, she had tried to remove the mask. He had seen her and quickly pulled over.
"No you don't!" He had said giggling as he held her arms and turned up the dial on the mask to setting three. Becca was too weak to fight and soon slipped back into the black abyss.
Then there had been the feeling of being carried again, bright lights and a cool draught, which struck Becca as strange. Again she kept slipping in and out of consciousness, the 'Pacifier' was doing its job.
There was a sensation of falling as Becca felt herself placed on a soft surface then blackness.
How long she had slept Becca did not know, but she awoke groggy and disorientated. The dust mask 'Pacifier' had been removed, the sweet pungent odour of chloroform persisted. Sitting up she rubbed her temples realising in an instant that she was no longer bound. The room she saw was akin to a prison cell. Dimly lit, with bare rock walls behind her and to either side. To her front a large metal door, the only way or out of her cell. Slowly Becca stood steadying herself against the metal framed bed. The room began to spin and she sat back down, the drug had weakened her severely it would be a while before her strength fully returned.
As her mind began to clear Becca reached into her right boot and pulled out a thin strip which activated a small red diode on one end. She twisted the strip so it made a faint beep, but the diode remained red. Becca tried again and again the diode stayed red, it did not change to a flashing blue. The distress beacon should work! Becca thought, either its malfunctioned, which these models just do not do! OR! Or something was blocking the signal. The cell's rock walls! The thick rock walls were preventing her beacon from operating and alerting Section Two to her whereabouts. Becca realised that she was on her own.
Becca had examined her dimly lit prison cell. Aside from the metal door there was no other way in or out. There was a small grill in the middle of the metal door. Becca moved to inspect it.
"Good morning Black Cardinal".
Becca stopped. The voice came from the grill.
"I hope you slept well". The voice laughed.
"Where am I?" Becca demanded.
"Where are you? Where are you?" He mocked "You are where I wish you to be, you are in my Lair".
Becca began to walk around the cell.
"Alright so you've gone to a great deal of effort to kidnap me and bring here. So what's next?"
"Ah, that Black Cardinal is for me to know and you to find out". He laughed again then there was an audible click and the speaker went silent.
"I don't think I like the sound of that". Becca mumbled to herself.
She sat on her bed looking around the cell, her captor had planned her kidnapping well and obviously figured she was securely confined, well he was about to discover that he had severely underestimated her.
Reaching into her left boot she pulled out a small metal strip approximately 20 centimetres long and gently licked it, before placing it upon the lock of the metal door. Becca stood back, mentally counting to five. There was a crack, the lock exploded and the door flung open.
Carefully, Becca stepped out of the cell into a dimly lit tunnel. She stopped and looked both ways, it stretched on for what seemed like miles in either direction. The tunnel was dripping with water and bare light bulbs hung from the ceiling, creating a very sinister atmosphere. 'Which way?' Becca thought. Then began to jog along the tunnel to her right.
It went on and on there seemed to be no end. After what seemed like an age she came to a junction of two other tunnels each one branching off in differing directions. Becca made a quick decision and took the right hand tunnel, having no idea where it would lead.
She continued to jog along the tunnel, hoping that eventually she would find a way out.
The tunnel stretched into eternity or so it appeared until she came upon another tunnel junction, this time with three tunnels branching off. The place was a maze, a huge maze carved out of solid rock, one that went on for miles. Becca, recalled the Greek myth of the maze of the Minotaur; this had to be the 21st century equivalent. She sat down for a moment, feeling a little disorientated. Her captor had brought her to the perfect prison, or rather a prison within a prison. Getting out of her cell had been a breeze, compared to what it would take in getting out of this maze; this was going to be very challenging.
'Which one?' She thought, then opted for the right tunnel, she jogged again for some time before coming to a small junction this time with another tunnel and a metal door. Gently Becca opened it to find herself facing the interior of an elevator.
Carefully Becca entered and examined the controls. They were quite basic, much like those found in office elevators. The surprise however was upon seeing the LED display for floor level, which indicated she was on level 24! Way down below in the bowels of the earth! No wonder her beacon wouldn't function.
Becca closed the door and pressed the button for level 1, there was a shudder and the elevator began to ascend. The readout began to count off the levels, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16... slowly but surely heading towards the surface. Becca felt a surge of hope flow over her, she was going to escape. 11, 10, 9, 8, 7. Almost there she thought almost, 5, 4...
There was a sudden clanging noise and the elevator stopped dead. Becca hit the buttons, but they did nothing.
"Very good Black Cardinal, Very Good indeed! You have earned my intense admiration, I know you are a resourceful woman but this attempted escape of yours so early has surprised and impressed me greatly, I congratulate you". His voice sounded from a grill in the roof of the elevator.
"You'll find I'll be earning a lot more of your admiration in due course". Becca snapped.
"Of that I have no doubt, but I'm afraid I cannot permit you to continue upwards any further".
With that the elevator began to descend.
Becca tried all the buttons but it was futile, he had total control.
"Enjoying the ride Black Cardinal?" His voice inquired in a condescending tone.
"Not particularly".
"Not to worry almost there, oh and before I forget, sleep well".
Before Becca could react a cloud of white mist descended from the grill above her".
'Gas!'
Becca began to cough, the interior of the elevator began to spin around her at a sickening speed. Her legs began to feel like rubber and would not support her weight, slowly she began to slide down the wall and landed in a heap on the floor, then blackness engulfed her.
The light was blinding as she opened her eyes. The sensation of movement, smooth movement. She opened her eyes again, she was staring at the ceiling of the tunnel it was moving above her. No! She was moving, Becca lifted her head, she was lying on some sort of vehicle, it reminded her of one of those electric golfing carts. It came to an abrupt stop and he, appeared staring down at her, still wearing the gas mask.
His image was blurred, out of focus. He nodded with satisfaction gloating over his recapture of her. Becca felt herself being lifted and carried back into her cell, then being placed down on the bed. As hard as she tried to talk no words came out, she couldn't seem to form them.
"Wh, wha, what…"
"Don't try to speak, the gas you inhaled is also muscle relaxant, you won't be able to talk or move for a few hours yet, so just relax".
Becca just glared at him, once again she had been outwitted by this maniac.
"There we go, back home again". He giggled. "I can see you are going to be a real source of irritation, with constant attempts at escape. Well, we'll see about that".
Becca felt her arms pulled over her head and then tied together and secured to the head bar of the bed. Then her ankles were tied together and bound to the bottom bar of the bed. He stood admiring his handiwork.
"That should hold you Black Cardinal, at least until I can replace the lock on your cell door."
Then as if an after thought he pulled a scarf from his pocket and forced it into her mouth tying it tightly.
"You don't really need a gag this far down, but I must confess to having a fondness for bound and gagged women".
He began to laugh amused at her helplessness.
"What a beautiful sight you are Miss Cardinal, a beautiful bound and gagged damsel, a wonderful sight indeed".
The repairs to the cell door had not taken long, he had worked quickly and efficiently then before leaving he checked her bonds to satisfy himself she could not get free.
Becca found herself alone, left bound to the bed, unable to move. The effects of the gas were receding but at a painfully slow rate. Already she could wriggle her fingers and toes, but her arms and legs were still like lead weights. She once again totally helpless, what had he in store for her? Becca wondered. Whatever it was she knew it was not going to be pleasant, if past experience was any indication.
Becca lay tied to the bed. The ropes bit into her skin, the circulation in her wrists was being cut off and pins and needles were beginning to form in her feet and ankles. He had her; he had her tightly packaged and helpless. Just as he had done when she had first crossed swords with him. In all her years with Section Two, she had never come up against an adversary as clever, evil, devious and so totally unpredictable as he.
It had begun three years ago, she had been assigned to track down the individuals responsible for a spate of kidnappings across the US. The victims wives and girlfriends of prominent industrialists and politicians. No ransoms were forth coming, the victims had seemingly vanished without a trace. Surprisingly, no one had claimed responsibility, no terrorists or organised crime cartels! The trail was stone cold.
The F.B.I were totally stumped and had reluctantly requested the assistance of Section Two. This was a case that Section Two had been formed to deal with. When conventional law enforcement techniques failed then the expertise and unconventional approaches of Section Two came into their own. Duly assigned to the case, it had taken a fair bit of effort to assimilate and cross reference the huge amount of data concerning the missing women. Out of this mountain of facts Becca had developed one lead, all the women at one time or another had been either patient or had at some time made the acquaintance of Doctor Charles Booth, a highly respected neurosurgeon. Why had the F.B.I not picked up on this? Becca wondered. After completing a thorough background check, Becca decided to place Dr Booth under surveillance.
For five days she watched him, followed his movements and activities, which were initially quite routine. Yet something deep within told her he was her man. Two nights later Becca had followed him out of the city. He had driven for ages down empty long country roads, eventually reaching what appeared to be an old run down and deserted farmhouse. Old and run down it certainly was, clearly having been out of use for some considerable time.
She watched as he left his car and walked towards the large house, after waiting for a while Becca had followed him. In the dim moonlight she could see movement through one of the windows. He was carrying what look like a large mail sack. In the poor light the sack appeared to move, at first Becca thought it to be a trick of the moon light. The sack moved again. 'There's someone in that sack!' Becca realised. He placed the sack down on the floor and walked off out of her view, a moment later he was back and picked up the sack again before vanishing inside the large house. Quickly she moved around to the rear door and pulled out her automatic from its shoulder holster, the realisation of him being the kidnapper tempted her to go rushing in and make an arrest. Yet prudence and training dictated that she call back up and keep him under observation until they arrived.
For reasons that she could not recall she had opted not to follow those dictates. Carefully she had made her entrance through the back door. Staying in the shadows she has moved panther like towards the room where she had seen the sack. Coming to a door way she spied around. The sack was not there. There were footsteps going up the stairs and Becca caught sight of his back as he vanished at the top of the stairs. As quietly as she could Becca began to ascend the stairs staying to the side to avoid making any sound.
On the stair landing were three doors, of which one was hanging off its hinges. From within one room Becca could make out sounds, muffled whimpers and scratching. They emanated from behind the furthest of the three doors. The door had creaked as she opened it. Slowly she entered. The room was bare except for an old mattress on the floor, upon which lay a large mail sack. The sounds were coming from within, sounds of someone in distress. Becca moved quickly to the sack, placed her gun on the floor, pulled out a small Swiss army knife and begun to cut the sack. As it opened she caught a glimpse of some hair.
"Take it easy," Becca whispered. "I'm here to help."
As the sack came apart, Becca found herself unprepared for what she found. There was no one inside the sack; the form was nothing more than a mannequin, a dummy, and the sounds came from a small cassette recorder. The significance of this hit her like a mach truck, he knew she had been watching him! This was a TRAP!
Her recollection of what followed was blurred and hazy, someone grabbed her from behind, a sweet smelling rag had been forced over her face. Instinctively she had kicked back sending herself flying rearwards and landing in heap on her attacker, knocking the wind out of him. She had then rolled free of his grip and scooped up her pistol bringing it to bare. He had moved like lightning and rushed her sending her crashing into the wall. There was a brief struggle as she brought her knee up into his stomach. The attacker had let out a cry then there had been a stinging sensation in her shoulder and the world around her just dissolved.
To Be Cont...