 |
|||
|
|
Executive Flesh
By Ember Wolfdreams
Act I
Evening fell cool and crisp. Although Christmas had already come and gone, there was only a light dusting of snow on the ground and there was no hint of the bitter chill that should be in the air this time of year. A full moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the street with unnaturally bright silver light.
As Steven leaves his office it seems like any other Friday night. He locks his door, heads to the elevator, pulls his coat and gloves on as he walks. He waves at the reception desk and flirts with the new lady security guard on his way out the door. As he turns the corner towards the parking lot he's thinking about what he's going to have for dinner, which club he'll go to tonight, which friends he'll go with, what sort of girl he'll hook up with while he's there, how phenomenal the sex will be later on. He has no idea that life as he knows it is about to end.
~~~~~~~~~
The van creeps slowly around the side of the building, coming from the opposite direction to avoid being seen by anyone still leaving the office. It's a big greyish thing, battered and old. There are no windows beyond the cab except for those required to see behind the vehicle while driving. Inside, there is the blue-gray haze and acrid smell of cigarette smoke. The men inside tell jokes and snicker at their mark. Even if they hadn't done all of the research that the Lady asked, they'd still know he wasn't local. He was from down south somewhere. Texas. Arkansas. Louisiana. Wherever. It didn't matter. Everything south of Colorado was inbreeder land to them. It was pathetic the way he danced from foot to foot at the street crossing, puffing and rubbing his hands together.
"You'd think it was fuckin' forty below!" one of them laughed as he lit another cigarette.
The boys had done their homework, though. They had been working on this project for months. The Lady was very specific in her tastes and would not be happy if they screwed this up for her. They knew that he only spent a couple of weeks in town every few months for business, so the grab had to be tonight. They knew that he had announced a much-needed vacation only days before. They also knew that he was single and that he had no other close family, him being an only child and his parents tragically passing away only months apart several years ago. They knew that nobody would be looking for him if he disappeared because he had left instructions not to contact him while he was away. And, most importantly, they knew that he was exactly what the Lady wanted, the wet dream she had described in complete detail when she had called on them.
All chatter in the van stops now as the men turn into the far end of the parking lot. Cigarettes are hastily extinguished and the radio is silenced. There is the soft sound of seatbelts being unfastened, doors being unlocked, and equipment being readied. The van is slowly closing the gap between them and the mark. They're waiting for just the right moment to act, that precious few seconds when the mark becomes vulnerable. And then, there it is, like magic. That fatal moment of juggling briefcase, car keys and ringing cel phone. An instant of fumbling and it is all done.
~~~~~~~
There is the loud screeching of tires on concrete as Steven tries to answer his phone. He looks up and sees the headlights of the van racing towards him, bearing down like some medieval monster. An instant later it's sliding to a halt beside him and the door is slamming open. Men are jumping out, racing towards him. There is the impression of black clothing, ski masks, and weapons in hand. He drops the keys, the phone, his papers. He tries to run, but they're already grabbing hold of his coat and dragging him back towards the van. He tries to fight, feels his fist connect solidly with flesh, and then all goes black.
~~~~~~~
The loud slam of the van door being pulled shut heralds the return of consciousness. There is a loud ringing in Steven's ears and the side of his head is throbbing with pain. He carefully tries to move, to find out how badly he's hurt, and realizes that his arms have been pulled up over his head and somehow bound there.
As he looks up he sees the shadowy form of one of the kidnappers standing in front of him gesturing at his face. He realizes after a moment that there is a ball of rags in the man's hand. The kidnapper is saying something then and holding the rags out towards Steven's face, but Steven still can't hear over the ringing in his own head. He opens his mouth to speak, to tell them that he doesn't understand, but the kidnapper quickly shoves the rags into his mouth before he can make a sound. The kidnapper then steps away for a moment only to return with a roll of duct tape. Steven's eyes widen in fear as the kidnapper pulls the tape over his mouth and wraps it tightly around his face and the back of his head.
As the kidnapper steps away again Steven sighs with relief, somehow hoping that the worst is over. The dry fabric packing his mouth and the tape pulling at his skin and hair is uncomfortable, but bearable. He'll make it through this, he's sure of it. He has to believe that.
A shadow falls over Steven's face and he looks up to see another of the kidnappers (or perhaps the same one... he's unsure in the dark interior of the van) standing over him. This time the kidnapper is holding a long strip of black cloth. This is quickly placed over his eyes and tied tightly, leaving him in total blackness, followed by something else. A softness pressing against each of his ears.
As music begins to flood into his thoughts, Steven finds himself thinking that maybe he won't be alright after all...
|
|
|