Misguided Trust

MISGUIDED TRUST/Ott, Page 1
MISGUIDED TRUST
By Jamie Ott
MISGUIDED TRUST
Chapter 1
This week was the week she would reignite
the passion in their marriage. She had spent hours as
well as hundreds of dollars at the Hot Body
Lingerie Boutique. Joe loved to see Maddie in white
gauze nighties, of which she bought several. He was
a true romantic that loved candlelight dinners and
impulsive, lusty, lovemaking. This weekend,
Maddie was going to help him indulge by looking
as sexy as she possibly could.
Madeleine “Maddie” Engelard was a branch
executive of a famous furniture manufacturing
company. Over the years, Maddie had become
increasingly responsible for more aspects of her
company, such as overseeing advertising, sales,
marketing, and every aspect of publication. Maddie
was proud of her success as an executive, but there
was no denying that it had taken a toll on her
marriage.
Maddie’s husband worked in the building
next to hers as the Chief Financial Officer for an
insurance agency. Joe was a tall, handsome man,
and he knew it; yet, he wasn’t arrogant. Being a true
romantic at heart, he tried hard to be a gentleman
wherever he went. His specialty was charming
women and making them fall in love with him.
Never had he imagined that he would truly love one
back, or think that he did.
Their meeting was a classic incident of
romance; Maddie had bumped into Joe and spilled
her tomato soup all over the concrete. Joe was kind
enough to help her hose it off into the bushes.
Afterward, her lunch gone, he insisted on sharing

his sandwich with her. Maddie accepted and as they
sat together, he teased her about being responsible
for a murder that stained the courtyard concrete
blood red. One may call it a cliché but from then on,
she knew that Joe was the one.
Joe Williamson was the well bred son of a
recently deceased Joe Williamson III. His father
was a famous Los Angeles Banker known for
possessing killer instincts as well as owning half of
downtown. Similar to his father, he had a brilliant
mind for business and a gift for persuasion. His
voice was lovely to hear, with a range that was
slightly deep and tremulous; yet, soft and smooth as
though caught between tenor and bass. When Joe
spoke, she believed he was able to hypnotize her
with his voice.
Joe and Maddie dated for three months
before finally making love. Instead, he took her to
the best restaurants in town and whisked her away
for many romantic weekends in Mexico and the
desert. He never tried to bed her and every night
would end the same, which was with them making
out like wild animals. In spite of how much Maddie
wanted Joe, he somehow managed always to close
the door to their adjoining rooms.
The night they finally made love, Maddie
was happiest because she had started to wonder if
Joe was really attracted to her. She had never been
with a man who wanted to wait on intimacy and
didn’t know exactly how to interpret his lack of
desire. Joe told her plainly he wanted to wait so
that, when they did make love, it would mean

something. Maddie was touched by his sentiment;
yet, she was confused because intimate reverence
was something she’d never experienced with a man
before.
After about eight weeks of dating, Maddie’s
brain went into overdrive and plagued her
continually with the idea that Joe was seeing
someone else. After failing numerous times to
seduce him, her best girlfriend told her to call it
quits. The problem with that was Maddie never quit
anything; if there was a way, she would find it.
Instead, Maddie tried harder to be as sexy and
alluring as she possibly could. That night, her little
red spaghetti strapped dress and plain tan leather
thong sandals were her lure, simple but sexy.
Although tall and a bit thin, she was a curvy
hourglass with full breasts, lovely muscular legs,
and the feet of a Goddess. When she walked, the
dress would offer glimpses of her balanced body.
Her legs would send a ripple through the A-line
dress that would envelop her figure and relax again
with each step.
Maddie thought that it must’ve been the
dress that made her irresistible to him, for he
couldn’t keep his eyes or his hands off her. At the
bar, while waiting for a dinner table, Joe continually
rubbed her bottom while kissing and biting her
neck. Maddie tried to push him away because
people were staring at them, but he held her face
and kissed her more lustfully. People around them
gasped and made loud noises of disapproval; but
Joe continued to entwine his tongue as deeply with

Maddie’s as he could. Just when she thought he was
regaining control of himself, he asked her back to
his room where he’d forgotten something.
In the elevator, on their way back up to his
room, Joe continued to grope her. He felt her bum
through the dress, then put his hand under her dress
and between her legs. His warm fingers massaged
her as though preparing her for what was to come,
which was working. Unable to care anymore about
whether someone would see them getting sexual,
she moaned and leaned her shoulder into him as
though begging for more. Joe responded
accordingly and placed his warm hand inside the
top of her dress and felt her full perky breasts while
she arched her bottom back so as to get more
localized massage from his fingers. She weaved
back and forth between both of his hands as the
elevator ascended and when the door finally
opened, they walked fast to his room.
Joe opened the door, put his arm around her
waist, picked her up, and swung her inside. She
watched him close the door and turn to her as he
peeled off his gray suit jacket. Maddie laid her
purse on the desk as he stepped closer to her. She
could still remember how he first kissed her that
night, by grabbing her bottom lip with his own and
pulling back gently; it reminded her of a person
savoring the first bite of something delicious.
Next, he pressed his lips hard onto hers as he
pulled the spaghetti straps of her dress down both
shoulders. Joe rubbed her back with both hands and
played with the edges of her dress as though

threatening to make it tumble to the ground, but
never quite letting it go. It was just like in a
romantic movie when he picked her up and carried
her to the bed. She watched him get undressed as
she lay there looking up at him.
Joe had a fantastic body; he was a true
Adonis, except with a little more definition in the
buttocks and legs. He had hardly any fat on his
body and when he leaned over, Maddie could see
the six pack just under the surface of his belly. The
hair on his chest was darker than the hair on his
head while Joe’s skin looked particularly tan under
the light of the lamps.
When he lay down next to her, looked into
her eyes and told her how beautiful she was,
Maddie truly felt like beauty was gleaming out from
every one of her pores. She smiled up at him and
looked him in the eyes. Joe smiled back and moved
down to the edge of the bed where he pulled her
sandals off, then kissed her all the way up from her
feet to the inner of her thighs.
Joe pulled up the bottom of her dress and
buried his face in her softness. The warmth of his
lips made her mound pulse with thunder and her
nipples ache. She felt his tongue enter her and then
lick clean back up to her mound where he sucked
her gently. Maddie had never been so turned on and
it only took seconds before her hips jerked in that
tight upward motion.
Joe pulled Maddie up onto her calves, pulled
the dress over her head and off onto the floor.
Maddie reached behind her to unlatch her bra, but

Joe stopped her by pulling her arms away from her
back and forcing them down to her side. After
looking at her for a moment, he French kissed her
mouth, down her neck, and over the top of her
breasts. Next, he pulled the straps down so that her
breasts fell out displayed as though upon a shelf.
Upon which, he grabbed them with both hands,
sucked, and licked the nipples; tonguing and kissing
the flesh around them.
Maddie reached down to feel his erection
and it seemed to pulsate in her hand. When he
pulled back from her chest and pushed her onto her
back, she looked down to see that he was long and
girthed. She tried to guide him in but he resisted by
going down on her breasts once more while
repeatedly poking the head of his erection softly at
the spot for entry.
Maddie was crazy, writhing on the bed,
moaning out, and grinding her clitoris onto his
belly. He responded by moving up from her breasts,
and then kissing her even more deeply on the
mouth. Joe pressed his belly on her chest and
continued to tease her spot for entry. Each time Joe
touched the spot, she tried to force him in. When
she said she would scream, if she didn’t have him,
he slid into her slowly and smoothly.
Maddie had never produced so much natural
lubrication in her life; the cup runneth over she
thought. The expression on Joe’s face fell when he
felt her smooth warm internal walls; his girth filled
out even more. The skin of his erection filled her,
spreading her vaginal walls further than usual. It

reached all the way up to the funny rough little spot,
which didn’t need much work because he seemed to
fit her like glove. Before she had time to work
herself up for it, she was off and this time she
couldn’t hold back her scream. It was so powerful
that Joe felt it too; the blood seemed to drain from
his face, he groaned loud as her vaginal walls
clamped down on him tightly. He pulled out just as
the rain of lust came all over her and the bed.
The one thing she loved about Joe was that
he never left her hanging after making love; rather
he would lay with her, stroke her, and hold. They
cuddled so close that night and after they made love
for the third time, he told her he loved her. Maddie
thought he must’ve been lying because they hardly
knew each other; getting a man’s love usually took
a lot of work. Joe must’ve really been infatuated
with her because getting his love was easy and she
liked that.
Only a few more months went by before he
proposed they get married. She was only too happy
to accept his proposal, but his parents certainly
thought they were moving a bit too fast. They were
just as old fashioned as he was in that they wanted
him to marry someone who would be a proper
housewife and have his children.
Instead, they got Maddie, a top working
class business executive whose plans for children
were uncertain. She understood what Joe’s family
wanted of him because she, too, came from a lazy
upper class family where the women didn’t do
much. As a form of rebellion, she promised herself

that, unlike them, she would work to accomplish
things in her life. After six years in college to get
her MBA, and seven years with the furniture
company, Maddie was not ready to let her hard
work amount to nothing because she finally got
married. This was not to say that she didn’t want
children but at 30 and working 60 hours a week, it
was starting look more like she wouldn’t have time
for them.
None of it matter because Joe loved Maddie
and six months later, they were married at the Saint
Mary’s Chapel in front of 300 people. The wedding
was a huge success and photos made it into the
newspaper as well as several bridal magazines. Joe
Williamson III had many friends whom he helped
get to places of success or wealth and they gave
generously to his son and Maddie. To Maddie, the
wedding seemed more like a zoo, she would rather
have had a smaller more intimate gathering, but her
family was impressed.
Their marriage was very agreeable without
many squabbles. There were issues that would arise
every now and then, but for the most part their
relationship was smooth sailing. They were both
hardworking, successful, and they loved each other
very much. Sometimes weeks would go by and they
would hardly see each other, but they would always
make up for it with a sexy, romantic weekend
whenever they’d get a chance. Unfortunately, it had
been quite some time since their last romantic
getaway, as Joe seemed to be more increasingly

busy over the last year or so.
That morning, she woke up feeling blissful
at the idea of spending time with her man. She
rolled over, put her hand on his shoulder, and tried
to urge him over onto his back. When he refused,
Maddie tried harder by kissing him on the back of
his ear, and then worked her way down his neck.
“Good morning, Shmook.”
Shmookie, or Shmook, was the pet name she
made up for him and he hated it but seeing as it
usually was a sign that Maddie was in the mood to
make love, he allowed her to call him it.
He rolled over onto his back and for a split-
second, she thought he looked irritated. Lately, Joe
was often in a very bad mood, which was
perpetuated by his exhausting work schedule.
Although this seemed like a perfectly good
explanation for his behavior, she suspected there
was something else going on with him.
Unfortunately, no matter what she said, he would
not open up to her. Maddie, who never gave up on
anything, was determined to make Joe forget his
troubles.
“Good Morning, Shmook,” she said again in
a higher pitch because he loved a girly voice.
Maddie’s lips parted so her tongue could protrude,
parting his lips and slowly flicking his tongue with
hers; Joe loved it when she’d kiss him this way.
When they were just married, her kisses would
always get him in the mood, but that morning they
were unsuccessful.
Joe closed his eyes and rolled back over

onto his side, “Good morning to you to. I just need
like fifteen minutes and then we can go, ok?” he
said with his mouth muffled into the pillow.
She ran her hand under his arm, down his
slim belly and lightly over his soft manliness; the
little hairs tickled her hands. Maddie gave him a
light groping as she reached her head over to kiss
the corner of his mouth. She rubbed her breasts into
his back while grinding her pelvis into his thigh.
Once more, she tried to coax him over onto his
back, but he was obviously not in the mood. His
body shot straight up in a violent, angry, motion;
then he leapt out of bed and without a word, walked
into the bathroom where he started the shower.
Maddie felt hurt and rejected as she watched his
back go into the bathroom where he slammed the
door.
One and a half hour later, the bags were
packed and they were both eating breakfast while
standing in opposite corners of the kitchen. This
was a long time habit of theirs because of a hectic
schedule, but that morning she had hoped that they
would eat breakfast together. She tried to be kind to
Joe by making him a cappuccino just the way he
liked it. She handed it to him and went to make their
bagels and eggs, but Joe couldn’t even bring
himself to say thank you. When the breakfast was
ready to eat, he took his plate over to his usual spot
without a word.
Maddie hated when he got like this because
there was no getting through to him; if she tried, he
would become angrier. Although he was the love of

her life, he was also the most stubborn man she had
ever met. There would just be a chilly,
uncomfortable silence all day long she thought as
she ate her breakfast while staring at his back.
Twenty minutes later, they were in the car
and ready to go. Joe was still not talking to her, so
Maddie said, “Honey, can’t you just try to be
happy? We’re on our way to have a wonderful, sexy
weekend?”
He said nothing, started the BMW, and they
left the garage. Maddie looked out of the window,
beginning to feel frustrated herself and
contemplated jumping out of the car rather than
spend a weekend with him.
Chapter 2
They drove inland and down the coast

toward the desert for about an hour. Maddie
couldn’t stand the silence after 15 minutes on the
freeway; she leaned over and turned on the radio.
As he drove, Maddie looked over at Joe and noticed
that he was perspiring. She noted how strange it
was, considering it was about 60 degrees outside
with a chilly ocean breeze, the inside of the car was
chilly too. Then his cell phone rang, which he tried
to ignore and it just continued to vibrate, finally
Maddie said,
“Why don’t you just answer the phone?”
Joe said nothing but pulled out the phone
and turned it off. As he did this, Maddie noticed that
it was a phone she had never seen before. Normally
he had a blackberry but this was an odd little
prepaid phone that one buys in a grocery store. It
was a prepaid phone that he pulled out of the center
console, rather then the Blackberry that was in his
shirt pocket. Maddie stared at Joe curiously and
wondered if he were hiding something, like an
affair. Joe kept driving, pretending that he didn’t
notice her looking at him. Finally, she said,
“Why are you being so mean? Would it kill
you to say two words to me? If this is how the trip
is going to be, then just turn around and let’s go
home. I don’t want to spend a weekend with you
when you’re like this; I’ll even spend the weekend
in the desert myself.”
“Mad,” as Joe sometimes called her, “I don’t
feel like arguing right now but I don’t feel like
talking either. Can you just let me have a few
minutes of peace and quiet? Why must you always

run your mouth? Can’t you shut up?”
“That’s it, turn around. This trip is over,”
but Joe drove off the freeway and pulled into a gas
station. Maddie presumed that he was turning
around to get on the freeway going back, but then
he turned off the car and turned around.
“The trip is NOT over. We are GOING to
the desert. If you don’t want to go then get out of
the FUCKING car NOOOW,” he screamed at her,
his face was beet red.
Joe had never acted this way with her
before, she was stunned and hurt at the way he
looked and spoke to her. Maddie turned her head
just in time to miss the globules of spit and sweat
that propelled from his shaking, screaming head.
She didn’t know why he was being such a jerk but
she wasn’t going to put up with it. After grabbing
her purse, she opened the door meaning to get out
quickly but Joe was too quick. He grabbed her by
the arm and yanked her back in the seat,
“SIT DOWN,” he yelled, “you are NOT
going anywhere.”
Not wanting to make a scene, she said
nothing but continued to struggle to get out of the
car for about 30 seconds, but he jerked her back
each time. Finally, she gave up, closed the door, and
stared out of the window. Sensing that she was
subdued, Joe stepped out of the car and walked
inside the gas station. Maddie tried to stop them
from coming but she couldn’t, the tears ran down
her face and she reached into the glove

compartment looking for a tissue.
Maddie knew that Joe could have a bad
temper, but it still hurt her from time to time. Yes,
she knew that what he was doing was a form of
abuse, which was wrong. Usually, he had never
been as angry as he was that day and he certainly
never screamed at her like that before. A few times,
her friends did tell her they felt Joe was not right for
her and at that moment, she was starting to wonder
if perhaps they were right. But she couldn’t leave
him because she loved him with all her heart. So
Yes! He was a bit of a jerk; still, she knew that if it
ever came down to life and death, in any regard, he
would be there for her.
Joe was walking toward the car and he had a
bag in his arm. As he opened the door and sat down,
he reached inside and pulled out a travel bag of
tissues and a couple bottles of water.
“Here,” he said. “I’m sorry that I yelled at you. I am
just under a lot of stress right now but I promise I’ll
be better. Ok?” he said.
“Ok,” she said and he leaned over and
kissed her on the cheek but his kiss was cold, just
like his words.
Two hours later, they pulled into the desert
resort and handed over the keys to the valet. The
hotel was a grand white stucco looking castle that
glared in one’s eyes from afar but as they got close,
they could see that it was a well structured Spanish
like grand hotel with palm trees, pools, and various
structures all over the property.
A man came up and helped them with

getting their bags into the resort. They walked
through a brightly lit, breezy-cool, lobby up to the
desk clerk. There were miniature water fall
fountains and fresh white leather couches with little
plants and fish tanks everywhere. The hotel was
very busy, with a long line at the front desk as well
as another long line waiting to get into the hotel’s
restaurant.
After they were checked in, Maddie told Joe
that she was going to the spa for a few hours.
Originally, she hoped they would spend the day at
the farmers market together but after what happened
in the car, she didn’t want to be near him. Maddie
grabbed her bag and as she walked out, caught a
glimpse of Joe simply sitting on the bed and staring
at the wall. What is wrong with him? This was a
strange thing for him to do but she was too mad
about the argument to care.
A few hours later, Maddie returned from the
spa feeling refreshed. She walked in on Joe, who
appeared to have been pacing the room. The look on
Joe’s face was of intense surprise as he looked up
and saw she had returned.
“Uh yeah, I gotta go, I’ll call you back,”
Maddie noticed that Joe had not changed and his
bag still sat packed in the same spot. Obviously, he
had not left the room since they arrived. Just as
Maddie was about to debate whether or not she
should press Joe for answers about why, Joe hung
up the phone and asked,
“Uh, would you like to go to dinner in town

in fifteen minutes?”
“Sure, let me get dressed,” she said because,
although she didn’t want to spend time with her
grouchy husband, she also didn’t want to spend the
evening alone. So instead of pressing matters, she
simply got ready for dinner.
The restaurant was a five star eatery in the
city part of the resort community. It was a large,
white building similar in construction to their resort
except the front entrance was made entirely of
glass. Through the glass one could see all the
elegant people waiting for tables at the bar or dining
pleasurably while conversing with friends and
family.
As they handed over the car keys to the
valet, Maddie first noticed the two thuggish looking
men in black suits standing by the glass doors. They
definitely did not look like they were from
California and one of them had terrible manners.
The shorter one of the two was dark haired with an
unshaven face. He was disgusting as he fidgeted
while snorting and hacking in between puffs on a
disgusting cigarette. The taller one looked overly
serene with dark circles under hollow black eyes
and a bald head. She was disgusted by there
appearance and when they noticed her looking at
them, she turned her head quickly. To Maddie’s
surprise, her husband flicked his hand in their
direction and they immediately began to walk over.
“You know them?” asked Maddie
incredulously.
“Hey there! How are ya? Let’s go in and eat,

shall we?” and they walked in to get a table.
On the way in, Maddie was affronted that
Joe did not introduce her to them. This was
something that he often did to her, as if he didn’t
feel that she was important as a person. Time and
time again, she had asked him to show her common
courtesy and he had become somewhat better until
that night.
“Why didn’t you tell me we were going to
meet people for dinner?” she whispered to him.
“Why didn’t you properly introduce me?”
“How many?” asked the waitress.
“Four,” said Joe.
“It will be about 20 minutes, but you can
wait at the bar.”
“Thanks.”
Maddie was furious that Joe still had not
introduced her and he knew it. Yet, they all talked
amongst themselves as though she weren’t even
there. She could see the shorter man with dark hair
looking at her out of the corner of his eye, though
he tried to do so inconspicuously. The taller man
continued to talk with Joe and when the bartender
asked if they wanted anything, they ordered without
asking Maddie if she wanted a drink. It was at this
point that Maddie’s anger turned to rage and she
literally wanted to explode.
Tired of being treated as nonexistent; she
turned around and walked down to the other end of
the bar. She ordered a double vodka martini and
took a huge drink in the hope of calming her nerves.
She barely took a second sip when she heard Joe

calling her from the other end of the bar. Maddie
decided to pretend like she couldn’t hear him,
which always really pissed him off.
“Hey!” he angrily spit in her ear, “Our table
is ready, you mind not acting like a princess
tonight? I’ve got business to discuss and you’re
embarrassing me!” which only made Maddie
angrier than she already was.
“You’re embarrassed? What about me? You
haven’t even introduced me and they are both
staring at me because they obviously sense your
animosity towards me. What is your problem? You
know what? Go eat your dinner and discuss
business, I’m leaving.”
Maddie rose and walked toward the door as
her husband and the strange men watched her leave.
Maddie and Joe had been down this road before;
him thinking that he could treat her that way. It was
certainly inexcusable in private but she would not
let him humiliate her in front of people.
Maddie walked down the street with the
martini glass in her hand, she was amazed that they
let her walk out with it. Yes, she knew it was illegal
to drink in public but she didn’t care, she needed the
alcohol to calm her nerves. Still, she didn’t want to
get arrested, so she swallowed the rest of the liquid
and threw the glass in a trash can. She felt like an
idiot as she meandered aimlessly alone down the
street, cars flashed their bright lights in her eyes
while hoodlums inside hollered rudely at her.
“Hmmm,” she said to herself, “there was a

restaurant somewhere around here.”
She tried hard to remember where a quaint
little East Indian café in which she had once dined
was located. When her memory returned, she found
herself walking up to the little door of the dimly lit
restaurant. It was dark with a finely furnished
dining room and the smell of various spices hung
omnipotent in the air. The restaurant looked like an
average fine dining experience with little tables,
candles, and white table clothes; yet, the food was
infamously exquisite.
Once she was seated, she continued with an
encore of martinis’ accompanied by a nice little
curried potato and chicken dinner. When she had
finished, she decided to take a cab back to the
resort. She figured she could hang out in the free
ballroom for guests for the evening, dance a little,
and drink a lot more. By the time she’d get up to her
room, Joe would be asleep and she wouldn’t have to
acknowledge him.
As she walked outside to wait for the cab,
she noticed the short smoker man from the
restaurant in which she was earlier with Joe. He
walked up to her in a strangely rigid way and she
couldn’t help but notice that his outfit was not usual
for desert climate at such a time of year. The man
simply seemed out of place in his full length black
suit with black shirt and red tie. The man appeared
sinister but when he said hello to her, he sounded
rather nice.
“Fine,” she said, when he asked how she

was.
“I noticed you at the restaurant earlier;
you’re a very pretty lady,” Maddie continued to
look out to traffic for her cab.
“Thanks but I am not in the mood for
conversation right now. Would you mind? Thanks.”
The man just looked at her for a moment,
“What are you looking for?”
“A cab to take me back to the resort,” said
Maddie not looking at the man.
“Well, if you like, I could give you a ride. I
am headed out that way anyway.”
“No, thanks.”
“Ohhh… come on. You’re husband is still at
the restaurant, he is talking to some girl.
So I am sure he won’t mind if I give you a
ride. You know, if I was your husband, I’d be crazy
to let you walk out the way you did tonight. He was
a real bastard, don’t you think?”
Maddie looked at the man stunned by his
boldness and not quite knowing how to respond.
She had the feeling that he was purposely
manipulating her, as though her husband’s flirting
would anger her enough to go and sleep with this
man. Still, it did sound like something Joe would
do. After all, he was a huge flirt and would
oftentimes behave badly in an effort to make
Maddie jealous. Perhaps, she would try to make him
jealous tonight instead and with that thought, she
turned to the stranger and said,
“Yeah ok, it’s going to be another 20

minutes or so and I don’t want to wait. What did
you say your name was?”
“I didn’t,” said the man, “My name is John.”
Maddie and John walked back down the
street toward the restaurant where his car was
valeted. John wasn’t much for conversation and he
continued to avert Maddie’s chit chat so that they
wound up walking the few blocks in silence. In the
short distance, Maddie found she didn’t like the
short smoking man. She did hope he would aide her
in making Joe jealous but that plan wouldn’t work
because he didn’t want to tell her why he was there,
where he was from, or why he was meeting with her
husband for dinner that night; after initially getting
her to open up to him, he didn’t want to say
anything.
When they got to the restaurant, the valet
brought the car and they got in. When Maddie
realized that John rudely did not tip the guy, she
stepped out to give the man a couple dollars. As she
opened the door, the man seemed to sort of freak
out,
“Where are you going?” he said in an urgent
panic like voice.
“I’m giving the man a tip!”
Maddie hated to stiff people, especially in
areas in which she was frequent. She had made that
mistake once about ten years ago and it was one that
she would never make again. When she got her car
back from the restaurant, the leather seats in the
back were keyed and cut up. Later, when she
discovered the damage, she couldn’t prove that the

vandalism had taken place at the particular
restaurant.
After she gave the man a five dollar bill, she
got back into the car and they drove off. Having
failed severely at having chit chat with the man,
Maddie resolved to just keep quiet and anticipate a
night alone. When the man missed the turn off that
led back to the resort, Maddie realized that she had
made the mistake of a lifetime. Instead of getting
off the freeway when Maddie told him to, John
simply ignored her and kept driving.
“Umm… Hello! You missed my exit!” he
said nothing. “Hello? Are you listening to me?”
He just kept driving and Maddie began to
freak out immediately.
“STOP THE CAR! LET ME OOOOUT!!!
NOW!!” She attempted to unlock the door and
when she couldn’t, she started to bang on the
window and scream. Next she started hitting the
driver, who then pulled over onto the dry grass.
Maddie tried to reach over John and unlock the
door, but he fought her off. John obviously lost
patience at that time because he punched her in the
face as hard as he could.
Stunned, she wobbled in her seat as she felt
blood all over her face as well as the beginning of a
flood of it from either her mouth or nose; she
couldn’t tell by the numbness.
“Pleeease…” she cried, “Pleeeease, let me
goooo,” but John pulled out a bottle and a
handkerchief, and then put her to sleep.
Chapter 3
Maddie remained still without saying a word
as she heard the man walk in. She was bruised and
hurt from being slapped, kicked, and slammed
about by the thugs who abducted her. Upon waking
sometime that night in an unfamiliar bedroom,
several levels up, Maddie immediately tried to
escape through the window. She figured she
must’ve been discovered by a security camera and
unfortunately; and yet fortunately, just in time too.
Maddie was brave but she was not a climber, she
nearly killed herself when she lost her balance and
found herself hanging by her fingers on the ledge.
A mysterious man poked his head out of the
window and gasped. Yet, he walked out along the
ledge, helped Maddie pull herself up, and guided
her into another room by way of a window at gun
point. As she crawled in, the two men from the
restaurant ran in and grabbed her, at which point she
fought with all her strength. Having had a few
martial arts classes under her belt, she managed to
deliver affectively several naga kicks before being
taken down.
After that, she was beaten, blindfolded, and
brought down several flights of stairs to what she
assumed was a basement. They bound her to a small
wooden chair from which she immediately tried to
work her way out of. Several hours later, when they
discovered what she was doing, they tied her arms
and legs even more painfully than before.
Since then, she’d been down in a room,
blindfolded, and gagged, where she currently
smelled cooking chicken that steamed its way down

through the walls, inspiring a ripple of hunger
inside her. She tried to ignore the rippling from her
stomach by reflecting on what she learned through
her experience the night prior. Maddie learned that
she was being held by multiple conspirators in a
large house in the middle of nowhere. She figured
they must’ve been really far from any main roads
because all she could hear throughout that first day
in captivity were wind through trees, birds, frogs,
and an occasional vehicle every few hours.
The smell of the food was really getting to
her and when she literally thought she was going to
die from hunger, someone opened the door to the
room. Maddie jumped in her chair which made her
yank on the ropes, causing her much pain in her
wrists and ankles. She cried through the gag in her
mouth and tried to straighten up. As the person
drew closer, she felt the air move around her.
The man was obviously not in the mood to
struggle with her. Apparently, he called himself
Michael and when he first removed the cloth from
her mouth, he told her,
“Scream and you’ll not eat.”
She could see through the irregularities of
the sleep mask that the man wore black loafers and
jeans. He had a horrible deep voice that sounded
like pure evil to her. She nodded her head to show
that she would comply and he said,
“I brought you chicken,” she heard him set
the plate down in front of her then he removed her
mask and gag.
In her weakness, she barely felt the man

push a piece of chicken in her mouth. Her lips were
dried stiff and they hurt tremendously when the
meat rubbed her lower bruised lip where John hit
her the night before. The food was too hot and
Maddie almost choked but she kept chewing and
tried to ignore the heat. The man stuffed a piece of
bread into her mouth, gave her a sip of the water
that was on the table, and then more chicken.
After a few minutes of chewing without
discourse, Maddie looked at the man more
observantly. There was something familiar about
his tan skin, light sandy brown hair, and light blue
eyes. Michael wore all black and she couldn’t help
but notice how expression-full his eyes and mouth
were. Almost as though by looking at him, Maddie
could tell that he was a highly impassioned man. He
had a bowed mouth, but it was a little too bowed,
which made his lower lip appear extremely full.
Suddenly, she jerked her head and looked up
at the door of the room. Maddie thought she’d heard
the sound of a child laughing near by. The man put
down the plate and got up to close the door, then
continued to feed her. Whoever was responsible for
keeping her must have a child that they didn’t want
exposed to her.
“Why are you feeding me?” she asked but
the man didn’t look at her, rather he continued to
feed her until the food was gone and then left.
The next morning, Maddie woke when she
felt something hit her head. Michael hadn’t replaced
her gag and mask; she sat upright and saw that the
person who slapped her was a woman with leathery

red skin. The woman wore a dirty brown dress that
looked as though it had been rolled in the mud. She
began to untie Maddie’s bondage and when she was
done, instead of allowing her time to adjust, she
said,
“Get up,” in a harsh English accent, “you are
going to help us today.”
Maddie tried to stand up but her body would
not obey because she was numb from the waste
down. She tried to outstretch her hands slowly but
her arms, which were also numb, ignored her
brain’s impulse. After a few moments, the woman
helped Maddie stand up and get the blood flowing
more efficiently through her body.
When Maddie showed that she could stand
and walk around the room on her own, the woman
placed a black cord around her neck. It was a
regular electrical cord that had been tied into a
semi-slip knot, and expanded into the shape of a
short noose.
“You walk straight ahead and don’t even
think about runnin’ cuz one of me men will run ye
down and give ye a thrashin’ the likes of which you
won’ forget.”
Maddie was blind folded again and the
woman pointed her up the stairs from behind. The
woman instructed her carefully about making her
way through the house. As they walked further, she
saw out of the corner of her blind fold, a forest
begin to appear through a window in the stairwell
along with the peaks of lamps that were atop gray
bricks of a wall. Assuming that this wall encircled

the house, Maddie realized that it would be harder
to escape than she thought. Not only would making
it outside be a challenge, but getting over that wall
would be even more challenging.
After a moment, the woman instructed her
that she was about to walk up another flight of stairs
but this time, they would turn in spiral. At the top of
the stairs, the leather faced woman pulled on the
cord as an indication that she needed to stop. Next,
she informed her that the man who’d brought her
there wouldn’t care about taking her down into the
basement for corporal punishment, if she didn’t
behave. Maddie didn’t know what to say but after
her last attempt at escape, she agreed with the
woman in that trying anything would be too risky.
The red faced woman led her down an
enormous hallway. Maddie could tell that it was
enormous because she felt air billowing amply
around her. She was guided toward a door where
upon she stopped at feeling the tug on the cord. The
woman opened the door; Maddie walked inside and
stopped a few feet in. The leather faced woman
closed the door and then removed the blindfold.
Before Maddie’s eyes was an enormous
laundry room. It was hot, loud, stuffy, and there
were piles of clothes everywhere. Along the many
shelves, there were numerous cleaning products and
various toiletries. Although it was still stifling hot,
there was a large fan blowing in the corner and the
thermostat seemed to be going at full blast. In the
corner, there was a woman who was steaming
clothes with a wand; while in another corner

someone was loading a cart with fresh sheets.
Across the room, there was an enormous
window and Maddie could see clothing lines and
chickens running about below. She then saw
clearly, the tall gray wall that appeared to be about
10 feet high and encircle the property. Out beyond
the wall she saw true natural beauty, there were tree
covered mountains that extended out for miles, with
one enormous mountain peak that seemed to touch
the sky.
The dark faced woman sat her down next to
a pile of laundry and told Maddie to get to work
steam cleaning them. Maddie looked down at the
humungous pile of clothes in shock. She couldn’t
believe what she was hearing! This woman wanted
her to do laundry? Naturally, Maddie wanted to tell
her to go to hell but if she could use her opportunity
to figure out more about where she was, it would be
better. Without a word, she sat and steamed as the
lady told her to do.
Maddie had never done this kind of work
before and when she burned her arm with flying
steam from the wand, the woman screamed at her,
“What are ya doin’ ya good for nothin’ girl?
You’re just sit’in there and there’s work to be
done!” and with that, she grabbed the shirt that was
in her hand and threw it to the side.
“Ya be’er star’ workin’ hard and fast
because I ain’t got all day. Never had to work a day
in your life but consider yourself lucky, this is easy.
Don’t think about tryin’ nothin’, or else you’ll be

sorry.”
As the day wore on, Maddie started to feel
pain in her hands. The woman was right in that she
had never worked physically hard in her life, except
for at the gym. She tired of the laundry quickly;
from holding up the steamer, little water burns like
pock marks sprinkled all over her arms. Maddie
hated the work, and hated the woman, but she
preferred it to being tied up in the basement. In
considering all the other things they could’ve had
her do, Maddie was compliant without a word.
After the never ending pile of laundry
contradicted itself by being finished, the woman
made her scrub the floor of the pantry one floor up.
All the while, the cord was tied around her neck
while she worked on all fours like a dog. It was
while she was cleaning the floor that Maddie finally
was made privy to her name; another English
woman blurted it out when she came in to give her
something that Maddie didn’t see.
After she finished scrubbing the floor,
Abilene removed the cord from Maddie’s neck so
that she could eat a sandwich while Maddie rinsed
the floor. Abilene was truly a filthy, foul, woman,
she thought as she caught a glimpse of her eating
her sandwich as though she hadn’t any lips on her
jaw. Her mouth never quite closing as she smacked
so loud and the food tossed around inside; the visual
reminded Maddie of the sheets that tossed around in
the dryer. Maddie turned her eyes back to her work
immediately so as not to have to watch the
disgusting woman eat. The woman didn’t seem to

notice or care about the way food and crumbs
tumbled down her filthy soiled clothes.
The end of the day was truly beautiful to see
from their location. Maddie stared at the orange-
gold thin line of horizon that etched across the sky,
and then layered out to engulf the mansion. Abilene
had fallen asleep in the chair with the sandwich in
her hand. The floor was finished and Maddie, not
wanting to wake the foul woman, sat on a chair
from where she stared out at the scenery. Finally,
Abilene woke up, decided Maddie didn’t need to
work anymore, and led her to the main kitchen to
eat.
She noticed, as they walked down another
hall, that doors to numerous rooms were open.
Abilene, who had not re blind folded Maddie, didn’t
care that she turned her head to catch glimpses of
the insides along the way. The rooms seemed to be
uninhabited, but the keepers of the house were
going out of their way to maintain them. She made
this conclusion by noticing that, from out of the
rooms, wafted the smell of cleaners and air that
blew in from the windows.
They walked into the kitchen which was bustling
with simmering, steam, and smells. The cook in a
long white dirty apron ran about grabbing things,
while a woman stood cutting up carrots.
“What do ya want?” asked the woman, also
in an English accent.
“It’s time for her to eat,” said Abilene.
The woman grabbed a bag of bread, a small

block of cheese, filled a bowl with the simmering
beef soup, and filled a carafe with red wine. She
placed the items on the table for Maddie to eat and
asked,
“You want anything?” to Abilene.
“Anything chicken, if you got it,” she said.
The cook set another serving of food on the
table and Abilene went at it like a horse. Although
disgusted by her uncouth, vagrant, nature, Maddie
couldn’t believe how she herself ate. Never having
worked hard in her life, and somewhat starved by
her captors, she tore through the soup, bread,
cheese, and wine.
Funnily enough, the woman named Abilene
went on about what a pig Maddie was and if she
didn’t learn to eat more normal, she would stop
feeding her. Maddie didn’t know what to say, of
course, she had never eaten quite so much like that
in her life. It terribly annoyed her that Abilene
would make fun of her eating, when she herself was
a dirty woman.
After she was done eating, Abilene took her
back downstairs to the basement and locked her in,
“Sleep,” she said and left. Maddie readily obeyed
her orders because she was exhausted.
A week went by in the same fashion;
Maddie would wake, eat, work, eat, and then sleep.
She did nothing but what the woman told her
without question because she wanted her to trust
that Maddie was subdued. In fact, Abilene was easy
to trick into complacency because she, herself, was
a bit simple. Erroneously, she assumed that Maddie

was “thick as a brickie,” which Maddie supposed
was a British way of saying she was an idiot.
After the seventh straight day of working
around the mansion, she lay in bed in the basement
one evening thinking about all she had learned. In
addition to the fact that they were many miles from
even a township, Maddie considered her chances of
escape. If she overpowered one of the women, and
forced them to take her outside the wall, she could
run but would she die of starvation, thirst, or be
eaten by a wild animal? Well, she would have to
make one of the women pack her a bag of food
before she left, which would be sometime in the
early evening. Maddie also recalled how the women
seemed to be always talking on a cell phone, so she
would have to make sure to get one of those as well.
Lastly, her problem would be getting away from
there without getting lost in the forest or mountains.
She figured that she could pull it off rather
easily; especially seeing how complacent the
housekeepers had become. They were obviously not
in the business of kidnapping, but who was? Why
her? These questions kept her awake for quite
awhile until, finally, she decided that before she
left, she would get answers. Even if it got her
another beating, she would take the chance because
she needed to know why.
That following day, Abilene did not come
and get her until dinner time. Abilene opened the
door with the noose in her hand and walked up to
put it around Maddie’s neck. Maddie whipped her
hand up to the noose and yanked it out of her grip

easily. Abilene simply stood there with a look of
surprise then she turned and bolted for the door,
“Stop! Abilene!” Maddie shouted.
The woman made it through the door and
tried to shut it, but it was too late because Maddie
had already placed her hands on the inside of the
door and swung it back open. The knob slipped out
of Abilene’s hands, she turned around and ran up
the stairs with Maddie in tow.
Maddie followed her up two levels, they ran
through a ball room, an entrance room, and then up
a wide flight of stairs. At the top, Maddie tackled
her to the ground, turned her over on to her back,
pinned her down by the wrists, and demanded,
“Take me to your employer or I’ll beat you
to death!” at which Abilene screamed as loud as she
could. Abilene thrust Maddie off her with her hips
and arose; she tried to run but couldn’t because
Maddie still had a strong grip on one of her wrists.
When Abilene raised her other arm to strike her,
Maddie blocked her with her free hand, and grabbed
a big wad of her hair.
Abilene screamed even louder and at that
point, she heard a door open and someone down the
hall yelled out. Frightened, she changed her mind
and decided that she would escape right then. She
gave Abilene a good punch in the face and threw
her down on the floor. Then she turned and ran
down the stairs, toward the entrance hall. Behind
her, she heard loud footfalls coming toward her; but
she was too scared to turn around and look. Instead,
she tried to step faster, which made her legs trip on

her feet and send her rolling down the stairs and out
into the entrance hall.
Immediately, the tears sprang to her face
because the door was right there. Unfortunately, she
couldn’t get up because her whole body was
stunned from her fall. She heard shouting behind
her,
“You stupid woman. Even if you got out of
the house, how would you get past the wall?” said a
man and then someone kicked her hard in the back.
She screamed in pain, as another man
shouted,
“Leave her alone!” and then there was a
loud crunching noise, which was the crushing of the
man’s nose by a fist, although Maddie didn’t know
it.
The man, who called himself Michael, lifted
her off the ground and carried her up the flight of
stairs. Maddie wanted to fight but she couldn’t
because the pain shot up to her shoulders and neck
as well as down through her thighs. Michael
continued halfway down the hallway, where he
opened a door to a room, in which he walked with
Maddie and laid her on the bed. She looked up at
him and noticed that he wore an emerald green robe
and smelled like fresh lavender musk. Michael had
obviously been bathing when Maddie had made her
attempt to escape.
After a moment of looking at one another,
he turned and left her there. She lay there on the bed
and listened to him screaming at Abilene in the
hallway. Abilene was screaming, crying, and

apologizing for letting Maddie out of her room.
From the sounds of it, Michael was not the one who
ordered that Maddie should do housework. He was
very angry with Abilene who begged him not to
send her home, to the United Kingdom Maddie
surmised.
When the screaming died down, someone
had come to the door of the room where Maddie
lay. She heard the scraping noise of a key inside the
metal bit of the door and knew that she was being
locked in. The tears crept back into her eyes as she
realized that the chances of her escaping had been
diminished by her rash actions. Why she didn’t just
leave, she silently asked herself. Although, she
realized that the man, whoever he was, had a good
point. If she did make it out of the house, how
would she get over the ten foot wall?
She lay there on the bed and dreamed of Joe
and her father, the two most important men in her
life. Maddie regretted having fought with Joe on the
last night they were together. At that moment, she
felt that a lot of their problems were her fault.
Maddie promised herself that if she got out of her
situation alive, she would do anything to make Joe
happy. She wished that she could tell him how
much she loved him and then be held by him. As
she lay there, she wondered what her father was
doing, and whether he had hired men to find her.
She just had to have faith; she told herself that they
would do anything to find her.
Chapter 4
Except for meals being delivered once per
day, Maddie was locked up in the room for a few
weeks without disturbance. She was not given a
change of clothes but fortunately the room she was
shut in had a bathroom this time. There was nothing
for her to do except stare at the ceiling or outside
her window. At times, she thought she would die
from the boredom but she was grateful to have a
place to wash up at the very least. It beat having to
hold her “call of nature” all night or having to be
watched while taking care of her personal hygiene.
The room she occupied was very attractive
in an early 20th century sort of way, yet mixed with
contemporary additions. Cold dark gray stone
separated the room from outside and modern walls
bordered the rooms on the inside. The décor was
quite lovely with a large, old fashioned canopied
bed with dark green hangings. More contemporary
were the walls with gold and green leafy wall paper.
The floor was a lovely dark cherry stained wood
with a thick old fashioned bur bur rug that felt like
heaven between her toes. From the ceiling, hung a
miniature crystal chandelier and an even smaller
more elegant one hung in the bathroom.
The bathroom had a strangely exotic decor
with light mossy green garden stone for floors. It
was almost as big as the bedroom with strange leafy
green rugs and plants in every corner. There was a
large fish tank that was about 60 inches running
with the lights on but completely empty of fish. The
combination of the decor with the walls, which

were green and of the same leafy paper as in the
bedroom, gave Maddie instantly the feeling of
bathing in a garden or swamp; it was the strangest
thing she had ever seen.
The spa bathtub was big enough to hold nine
or ten people and took 30 minutes to fill. On the
opposite side of the tub and against the furthest wall
there was a miniature steam bath that was
comprised of wooden slats that closed like a shower
stall. It was the only item in the bathroom Maddie
looked longingly upon. If she ever got out of there,
she would have one of those baths installed in her
bathroom too, she thought to herself.
Every day a woman brought her food that
consisted of very little bits of bread and a few
vegetables. The woman, who would not divulge her
name, would bring a single tray sometime between
morning and noon. The tray was supposed to feed
Maddie for an entire day, but she usually finished it
within five minutes or so. Then, for the rest of the
day, she would lie about trying to ignore the pain in
her stomach and the ribs of her cage that continued
to progressively poke through flesh more visually.
Maddie didn’t understand why they didn’t
want to feed her normal amounts of food. If the
intention was to keep her weak, well there was no
need because she was in the middle of nowhere and
completely surrounded by people who would
contain her. She tried to point this out to the woman
but she said that her food quantities weren’t a
matter that she could influence.
Finally, after a few weeks had gone by, the

woman was convinced to bring her full meals
despite her orders. Maddie tried to convince her on
a day to day basis but the woman didn’t budge until
one day when she came in and found Maddie lying
on her bed half naked. When she saw that Maddie
appeared to be emaciating, she finally took pity on
her. She was right too because Maddie had begun to
shake constantly and uncontrollably whenever she
needed strength. In addition, her breath had begun
to turn extremely foul, as happens when one is
starving.
In hopes of gaining even more pity from the
woman, Maddie tried to express how grateful she
was for taking care of her. Truthfully, she really
didn’t feel that grateful because she was too angry
about being held against her will. In spite of her true
feelings, her mind reflected that perhaps, if she got
this woman on her side, she would eventually help
her escape. This thought was the main motivation
behind her persistence in reaching out to the
woman.
Reaching out to the woman turned out to be
easier said than done because she didn’t like to say
much. Most likely, she didn’t want Maddie to
remember her if she escaped. The problem was
Maddie couldn’t help but notice her because it was
the only distraction she had throughout everyday;
there was no way that she could forget her. She was
a slightly older woman who had the same sort of
reddish skin as Abilene. In fact, she looked a lot like
Abilene Maddie thought.
Everyday she wore dirty jeans and baggy tee

shirts to clean in. She would come in and drop off
the daily tray of food then go about her work while
hardly glancing at Maddie. The woman wouldn’t
say hi or goodbye, but she would clean the room as
quickly as she could and then leave. If Maddie was
lucky, she would see her again in the evening to
clear out her dishes.
After she managed to convince the woman
to bring her proper meals, Maddie’s strength slowly
returned. Along with the return of strength, returned
her restlessness. Throughout every day she would
pace about the room, exercise, and talk to herself.
Sometimes, she would sit for hours and stare out of
the window. Other days, she would lie in bed for
hours without washing up or going to the bathroom.
With no one to talk to, her restlessness
making her frantic, Maddie then began to badger
the cleaning woman for her name. When she
repeatedly failed to make rapport, she next tried to
get information about where they were.
Unfortunately, she was a tough nut to crack and
would not respond to Maddie’s attempts to lure
information from her. The woman wouldn’t even
acknowledge her, but continued each day to work in
silence. What hurt Maddie the most was how she
left every single day, sometimes closing the
bedroom door on her in mid sentence.
Maddie eventually gave up on getting
information from the woman, but she never stopped
jabbering at her. Despite the woman’s complete
indifference to Maddie, her loneliness kept her
persistent. When she saw the woman, it was like a

light went on in her brain and she couldn’t help but
talk nonstop. Maddie would talk to her about her
work at the furniture company, her life with her
husband, or how she never had kids but wanted
them. On other days, she would talk aloud about her
father and wonder what he was doing. Sometimes
she would talk about how she wished she could be
getting her nails done or how much she missed Joe.
Then she would speak of how she wished she could
go home or outside for a walk.
All the while, the lady would continuously
clean without a word and then she’d leave. Maddie
figured that the woman simply did not want to be
involved with her for her own protection. Still, she
couldn’t help but try to befriend her because she felt
like she was dying in that room. Being locked up
like a caged animal was something she had never
experienced before. A couple of nights, she woke
up scared and crying, feeling that she was losing her
life. Everyone was moving on while she was stuck
there and worse was when she’d notice the moon in
the dark sky. In the middle of the night, it would
remind her that another day had passed and the
loneliness was most palpable in those moments.
After many days like those, Maddie did
begin to sink. Sink into a depression that is. One
morning, she found that she couldn’t get out of bed
no matter how hard she tried. Her captivity had
claimed her strength and motivation. Without either
of those things, she could only lie in the pile of
sheets of the four post bed from morning until

morning, only getting up to use the bathroom.
The woman would come in with food and
find that there was still food from the day before.
Everyday that she came, there was more and more
of the food that remained untouched. In addition,
she couldn’t get Maddie to leave the bed so she
could change the sheets. This motivated her, for the
first time in weeks, to talk to Maddie; but only to
urge her to move so that she could do her work.
Maddie receded so far back into her mind
that she often didn’t know morning from afternoon,
or evening from night. After what must have been
many more days of lying about in that condition, the
woman came to take her on a walk. For almost
fifteen minutes, Maddie didn’t realize that the
woman was speaking to her. She just stared out of
the window into the mountains with the usual blank
look on her face.
The woman walked over to the bed, put her
hands on Maddie’s shoulders and shook her lightly.
Maddie began to wake up from her mind the same
way one wakes up from a dream. It took a great deal
of effort for her to recognize that the woman was
really speaking to her. She forced her brain to bring
her back to a place of awareness.
She was shocked to find that not only was
the woman speaking to her but that she wanted to
take her for a walk. Unable to think of a response
and not sure that she even wanted to leave the room
anymore; she continued to lay there and stare at the
wall without a word. Although, it wasn’t so much
that she didn’t want to leave but that she felt terrible
and depressed. Simply going for a walk didn’t
appease her desire, which was to go home.
The woman set the tray on the cart and
rolled it over to the bed. She sat on the edge and
rolled Maddie onto her butt while placing pillows
behind her back to settle into. She then placed her
forearms under Maddie’s shoulders and lifted her
up several inches. Then, the woman began to feed
her a warm liquid cereal that was made of oats that
Maddie accepted without protest.
After the woman fed Maddie a bit of
breakfast, she helped her get into the shower and
then dress. In trying to rise from the bed, Maddie
realized that her limbs had gone numb just as they
had when she was tied up. It took almost fifteen
minutes for her to slowly rise and allow the blood to
flow back to her limbs without killing her with pain.
Even after she managed to stand, she needed to rest
on the cleaning woman who walked her into the
bathroom and helped her take off her garments.
Upon removing Maddie’s garments, the
woman held her breath fast. This sent Maddie into
peels of laughter and she said, “I guess I must be
pretty ripe.” It was the first good laugh she had had
since even before that day in the desert with Joe
when she was kidnapped. The look on the cleaning
lady’s face was the trigger that brought Maddie
back into the world of the living. From that point
on, she vowed that she would not let herself go
again.
After the shower and change, the woman led

her down into the entrance hall and out onto the
front of the grounds. Before she opened the door to
exit the room, she reminded Maddie that it
would’ve been foolish for her to try anything. She
told her that if she could take a walk and come back
without trouble that she would eventually be
allowed to wander the grounds regularly.
Maddie nodded in compliance because she
wanted to do anything that would help pass the
time. From what she remembered on her first night
and couple of days out of confinement, the manor
was enormous as was the grounds. It was really
enough to keep her occupied, not to mention that
she should learn more about her surroundings. If the
time ever came, she could easily hide in a place like
the manor.
After only a moment of being outside in the
bright sunshine and air, Maddie became dizzy, tired,
and short of breath. It was another incident that
reminded Maddie of how she couldn’t let herself
go. Sitting in her room without movement for days
on end had taken a toll on her strength. The toll was
even greater of an impact than not eating. Almost
instantly, she felt tired and wanted to sit but the
woman insisted that she only had an hour to walk
about, so Maddie pushed herself to continue their
walk.
Walking around the front of the property,
Maddie took in a pleasurable full glimpse of the
property. It was a magnificent gray stone manor that
resembled an old castle. It was encircled by the
large matching gray stone wall she had seen through

the windows. The stone itself was lovely and
inspired her imagination by making her think of all
the old historical romantic stories she read as a
child, some of which would describe large gray
castles.
The front of the property was about 600 feet
of lean, healthy, fresh, green grass. There were two
sections, one to the left and one to the right. Both
sections of grass were separated by a wide thick
gravel road that was in the shape of a circle, with a
line in the middle that led from the steps up to the
front door and out through the wall’s gate.
There were various statues in several corners
of each section of the grass area. Several stone
benches were situated randomly for observance. On
the left section, there was a large water fountain that
depicted a Grecian man lying on a mat while behind
him a waterfall shot streams of water seven feet in
the air. Beyond the gate, Maddie could see miles of
trees and hills that made up the skyline from her
view.
They followed the wall around the mansion
which gave Maddie a greater view of the house. The
house was the same color gray as the cement wall
which gave it an even more medieval appearance.
The same style lanterns as the ones perched on
every few bricks of wall also surrounded the house,
with several lining the gravel road. From the sides,
Maddie could see that the house was comprised of
around seven levels with a possible attic at the top,
not to mention the levels underground which totaled

approximately nine.
The right side of the property had vine
covered gray posts with mid sized trees planted in
terra cotta pots that lined a cement walkway into a
greenroom full of flowers and plants. The
greenroom was enormous with over 50 varieties of
plants and an older man sat in a section caring for a
particular flower she had never seen before. The
woman, who had not yet divulged her name, walked
with Maddie along the rows and she was truly
delighted. She smiled as she observed the older man
pruning the little flowers in a pot.
At the other end of the greenroom, there was
a door that led into a small labyrinth of large
honeysuckle vines and more exotic plants. This
section was lined in needled trees and when one
followed the little walkway, they were led to the
center which had a small courtyard with a table and
chairs in the center. The greenroom, maze, and
courtyard were beautifully organized with more
stone benches.
The woman and Maddie walked past the
courtyard and continued on the little walkway
which had more vines and needle trees with
benches. After a moment, they found themselves in
a lovely garden of herbs and aromatics; here there
was an even stronger scent of honeysuckle coming
from the treelike vine with humungous bells that
hung upside down, these were unlike any she had
ever seen before. The scent coming from them
made her feel heady and as they walked along, they

passed many little water fountains and coit ponds.
Both sides of the house were lovely places
to sit and observe plants and water fountains as well
as various sculptures. For the first time in weeks,
Maddie felt happy because the effect of being
surrounded in the beauty of the gardens made her
feel peace. She wished she could be a part of the
gardens and never leave them. Maddie recalled at
that moment how she always wanted to turn her
own property’s yard from a stone lawn and concrete
pool and hot tub, into a garden of her own.
Unfortunately, her work never allowed her much
time except to take care of chores and perhaps rest a
bit before working more.
The back of the property was home to
chickens that grazed openly along with four horses.
There were clothing lines that divided the large
grassy area. No one seemed to mind how the horses
would walk among the sheets that were blowing in
the wind. In addition, five purebred looking
Mastiffs played wildly and chased one another
about the yard. Occasionally, one would go after a
chicken and get close to catching one, but would
instead relent and then go after another chicken or
one of its brother dogs. Maddie was fascinated by
how they allowed all the animals to wander as they
pleased without separation or containment.
To the right of the door that led into the back
of the house, there was a large empty garage. It
looked as though it could’ve housed about 10
vehicles but instead contained hundreds of
weapons. When Maddie asked why, the woman told

her she didn’t know the answer. Most of the guns
looked like they were vintage and were dusted,
rusted, and falling apart. Two guns caught her
attention immediately, as one was a baker rifle from
the 19th century and the other was a musket. Not
that she was into guns but her father had taught her
a thing or two about French rifles.
Behind the garage, there was a chain link
fenced off area that contained a drained 15 foot
deep concrete swimming pool. There were several
diving boards, the highest sitting at approximately
eight feet high, and the lowest was a little diving
board at four feet. Next to the 15 foot, there was a
normal three-to-eight foot pool that was also
drained. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the
little bit of green water and leaves that rested at the
bottom near the drain hole.
On the far end of the pool area there was a
wall with silver shower heads poking out. Right
next to the shower heads, there was a wet bar and a
few feet over, there was also a hot tub. All these
items were enclosed within the chain link fence but
at the furthest corner to the right, there was a chain
gate that led into a courtyard.
They walked through the little gate and in
the courtyard; there were basket ball hoops and a
wall for racquet ball. Right next to the courtyard,
there was a green tennis court and next to that, there
was a small baseball diamond. Next to the baseball
diamond, there was a small playground with a
swing set, sandbox, and monkey bars. Each court,
including the playground, had benches and tables

for sitting and viewing.
After looking at all the immediate property,
the woman led her along the cement wall to an old
guest house that was falling apart. It was a small
two stories high white house with its own little
garden and a very small swimming pool. The house
was surrounded by little shrubs and the windows
were all shattered. Inside, the house was covered in
dirt and leaves. The fireplace still had the blackened
remnants of the last fire it held, which must’ve been
years ago, thought Maddie.
There was a small rotting couch in the living
room but despite the mess of the little house, it was
very lovely. The floors were hardwood and
completely in tact and the walls were a fresh white.
The sun blazed brightly through the window of the
dining area and kitchen which, in turn, brightened
up the entire house. Upstairs there were four rooms
and two bathrooms. In one of the rooms, they found
a family of little blue birds nested in an old rocking
chair. They scattered when Maddie walked in with
the older lady.
After they circled the property, they stopped
and fed the chickens some seed. Then they rinsed
three bags of apples for the horses and carried them
out in bowls, then dumped them into their troughs.
After refilling all the water bowls for all the
animals, they walked back in the house through the
back door. They washed their hands in the sink and
then the woman led her up several flights of stairs to
another room of the house.
The room looked like a cross between a

drawing room, a party room, and a library. It was
enormous with smooth walls and ceilings painted
white with brown edging. On the side furthest from
the entrance where Maddie stood, there were brown
leather couches with hugely taut upholstery.
Scattered through out the couches were tables,
lamps, and chairs that all sat on one enormous rug.
The wall had a most impressive fireplace that stood
five and a half feet tall and about five feet wide.
Next to the setting, there were twelve foot
high curtained windowed doors from where the
sun’s rays penetrated through white curtains. The
only way she knew they were doors was due to the
handle that poked out from the long curtain. Upon
noticing the height of the doors, Maddie looked up
to see the ceiling was about twenty feet high with an
enormous medieval looking metal chandelier
hanging down.
On the right of where Maddie and the
woman stood, there were eight tall book cases that
reached half way up the wall; they were filled with
old and newer literature. On the left of where they
stood, there was a bookcase that was enclosed in
locked glass. Maddie noticed how some of the
books behind the glass were not only old, but were
from another era altogether. They were bound with
leather binding and real etched in letters on the
sides. No doubt the insides were uncut, painted in
intricate gold, with old thick paper from the time
before books became standardized by press
machines.
In front of the glass book cases were two

long tables that stretched the length from the
entrance to the curtained window.
“What do you want?” asked Michael, his
blue eyes twinkled with surprise but his face
remained still.
“I brought Madeleine to see the library and
perhaps pick a book to read.”
“Make it quick, Adele, I don’t wish to be
disturbed,” he said shortly.
So that was the woman’s name, Maddie
thought as she watched the man run his hands
through his sandy blonde hair. He turned back to his
papers and without looking at Maddie, said in an
indifferent monotone voice,
“You will be moved to the room next to this
one because I have need of the one you’re in
currently. You will be much more comfortable
because there is a treadmill, television, and films.
You will stay there as long as you behave, but cause
any problems and I will send you back downstairs,”
he said all this without looking up.
“What could you possibly have need of a
room like that for? Especially with me in the
house?” asked Maddie.
“How is that any of your business?” he
continued without looking at her.
“It’s not but I find it fascinating that you
could have guests while I’m being held here. How
many people know that I am here?” but the man just
stared at her. “Look, if its money you want, I can
get it. Just release me” and the man signaled to the
woman as he stood up and walked toward Maddie.
“I’ll think about it but do behave yourself
and your stay here will be pleasant. I don’t see any
need for it to be otherwise. You are a lady and I, a
gentlemen, let us act as such,” he used her elbow to
guide her around and back through the door,
indicating that he was not going to answer her
questions.
“You are no gentlemen, now tell me WHY I
AM HERE!” she screamed as she realized that he
was escorting her to her new room.
Michael simply opened the door, grabbed
Maddie by the arms, picked her up as though she
were a doll and placed her inside the room.
As he held her, she beat him on the face and
chest with her fists while kicking her feet. She
hardly realized it when she kicked him in the groin
but felt him groan and partially release her from his
grip. At which point, she wrenched her body from
him as he slumped midway to the ground. She made
to run off but he grabbed her by the ankle and she
fell to the ground. Michael rose on his fours,
crawled over Maddie, and pinned her down by her
wrists. Ridiculously, she tried to struggle free while
he sat on her waist and watched her.
“Why am I here?” she demanded of him.
“You’re here because someone hired me to
bring you here! Why do you think?” he yelled back.
“Who hired you?”
“Your husband hired me.”
“What? My husband?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a liar! My husband has nothing to
do with this. Now, tell me who put you up to this
and why haven’t you killed me yet?”
“Because Joe has reneged on his part of the
deal and as long as he doesn’t pay me what he owes
me, you stay alive.”
“I told you, if it’s money you want, I’ll pay
you!” she screamed.
“Yes, but I don’t doubt that you’d go
running to the police and find a way to track me
down. I know who you are and I know who your
family is. Releasing you would be the dumbest
thing that I could do,” he laughed as he watched her
continue to struggle.
“I won’t, I swear,” but he wasn’t buying it.
Michael got off her quickly and then lent
over to grab Maddie by the arm and lift her up. As
his hand enveloped her forearm, Maddie sent a
hook straight at the side of his face. Now, Maddie
was a small framed woman but she knew how to
throw a punch, and he didn’t see it coming. Michael
groaned loudly and grabbed the side of his face as
Maddie just stared at him.
Maddie became frightened when Michael
started to regain his composure and didn’t know
what he would do next. Feeling desperate to defend
herself, she ran to the bathroom and grabbed the
only item that was available for attack, the plunger.
She turned around, held it out at him and screamed,
“Stay back!”
Michael walked in the bathroom and continued

toward her as she pulled back the plunger and
swung it at his head. She missed the side of his head
as he ducked but caught him in the back of his head
when he straightened up again. When he raised his
hand in a knee jerk reaction to the hit, she shrieked
and swung again, this time catching him on the
upside. She figured she must have hit him good
because he swayed for a second.
Having had enough, Michael grabbed the
plunger out of her hand, threw it at the wall, lunged
forward and grabbed Maddie by the back of her
neck. He dragged her out of the bathroom and then
threw her on the floor; as she tried to get up, he
slapped her hard on the face, which sent her flying
back toward the rug. Then he said,
“Make no mistake. I am in charge here.”
Maddie, feeling extremely defeated, laid
with her face on the ground clutching her cheek and
crying. For a moment, Michael felt really bad about
hitting her because even though he was hired to
kidnap her, he did not want to hurt her. He was only
in this to help out his longtime friend who in turn
promised to help him with his property. Michael
promised himself that he’d just stay away from her
from then on. As he watched the woman hopeless
on the floor, he felt a desire to hold and console her;
but he needed to remain authoritative if he was
going to get out of the scandal without being hurt or
caught. Michael turned and left the room feeling
terrible about what had just taken place between
them, the truth is Michael was not a violent man.
Maddie remained on the floor for awhile

before she pulled herself up. She looked around the
new room she was in and saw that it was just as
strangely decorated. It had the same smooth stone
wall that reminded her of a castle; yet, it had the
same smooth walls as the other rooms on the inside.
Colorful sheets of material purple silks hung from
the walls, instead of paintings. Thick white candles
in golden candelabra were screwed into the walls in
several places. It was almost like the room was
supposed to imitate the room of an imperial roman
or royalty of the middle age.
The bed clashed with the purple silk; it was
an enormous poster with red hangings this time and
the most luxurious looking red and gold bed
dressings. More shocking then the clash of colors
was the size of the bed, which appeared to be twice
the size of the average king bed. It was the biggest
mattress she had ever seen and she immediately
took down the dressings to verify what she was
seeing. As she pulled them down, she found that it
was a single mattress and when she sat on it, she
was surprised to find that it was made of some sort
of soft material that held firm.
Next to the window, there was a little
chocolate brown wooden table with two matching
seats. Next to the table there was a desk that
appeared to be made from the same wood. It had a
vanity mirror and a cushioned leather nubuck seat.
On the other side of the humungous bed, Maddie
suddenly noticed the enormous red leather nubuck
couch that sat facing an enormous entertainment

center and a treadmill.
Although her curiosity was peaked by the
entertainment center, her mind quickly sent its focus
to the large window that looked out toward the
mountains. She now had a gorgeous view and as she
looked out toward the sky, she saw birds in a v
shape fly out toward the mountains. For the first
time, she could clearly map out the line of each
mountain peak and saw a little river flowing east
toward a little road.
As she stared out of the window, she heard
the door open once more but she didn’t turn around
to see who had come in. There was the
unmistakable sound of the cart’s wheels and a scent
of food; immediately, she knew that it was Adele.
Maddie heard her roll the cart into the middle of the
room and then leave without a word.
She walked over to the table and picked one
of the apples that sat in a bowl in the middle of the
cart. They hadn’t allowed her to eat any fruit or
anything sweet since she had been there. When she
took a bite out of the apple and felt the grainy sweet
cover her tongue, the tears flowed uncontrollably
because it reminded her of the freedom she once
had.
Walking over to the window, she sat at the
little table and chewed. The sun shone brightly in
the background of the mountains and trees, it was
truly beautiful. She couldn’t stop staring at the little
river that ran east and made her wonder where it
went. As she sat there, she thought about the things
she missed. Mostly, she missed her husband and

regretted allowing them to grow apart from one
another. She thought that if she ever got out of
there, she would do everything she could to bring
them back to the place they were when they were
first married.
She completely discarded what Michael told
her about her husband. There was no way that Joe
would ever hire thugs to kidnap her because he
loved her too much. Maddie finished eating her
apple and then she walked back to the little table to
pour herself a cup of tea. Under one of the trays, she
found bread and jam. These are definitely Brits she
thought to herself while she noted how delicious
and fresh the raspberry jam was. For some reason,
the sweetness of the jam seemed to lift her spirit
slightly. She had not felt any comfort in what
seemed like forever and the sweet jam acted like a
happy stimulant.
Two weeks went by in which Maddie was
confined to the room. Adele told her Michael
wanted her confined for her outburst but that she
would be allowed out soon. Unfortunately, her
confinement combined with her determination to
not let herself go as she had before, encouraged her
restlessness to invoke her even worse than before.
Luckily, one day, Adele came to tell her that
she convinced Michael to allow Maddie to wonder
through the library and pick out some books. The
idea of reading books just made her feel even
drowsy but if it meant getting out of her room for a
few moments, than so be it. Without a word, she put
on her dressing gown and followed Adele into the

library.
The library was an amazing work of art, if
one could consider a library as such. Whoever had
stocked it seriously had a “thing” as they say for the
classics. She walked through the isles and was
amazed to find extremely old copies of books.
Although they were not originals, like those encased
behind locked glass, it was interesting to read how
classics like Don Quixote, Anna Karenina, and The
Hunchback of Notre Dame was interpreted 100
years ago. For Maddie, reading it the way it was
written a century ago was like being physically
transported to another time. To her delight and
surprise, someone had stocked the library with an
entire collection of Chekhov and Chaucer, two of
her favorite authors ever, along with a complete set
of Charles Dickens novels printed circa 1850-1950.
Evidence of her restlessness could be seen
on the bed which was always littered with books
that Michael allowed her to have to pass the time.
Adele brought her clothes to change into daily but
Maddie lost motivation and spent her days in bed,
rarely did she get dressed anymore. What was the
point, she asked of Adele who hinted that she
should make herself presentable.
On a few of the days when Maddie was tired
of reading, sleeping, or watching television, she sat
and stared at the walls. Really, she was dreaming
about her freedom and Adele, afraid she might slip
back into her prior state, had finally begun to feel
sorry for her. It was about this time when she

started to open up to Maddie.
As it turned out, Adele was the older sister
of Abilene and they both came to the United States
only a year earlier. She was the mother of four,
three of which were grown and living in Worcester
and the last who was there in the mansion with her.
According to Adele, there were several other work
women and men from the United Kingdom, whom
she hadn’t met yet. Michael had brought them over
because of a promise he made to his father before
he died. The other work people were there tending
the animals, property, and laundering. All of whom,
knew about Maddie, which was quite striking to
her. The idea that many people would know of her
predicament and not do a thing to help her was
maddening.
When Maddie learned of their connection to
the United Kingdom, Maddie immediately
wondered if there was a connection. Perhaps her
being there had something to do with her father who
was also from the Worcester region. She tried to get
information from Adele but she swore that she
didn’t know anything about it, or why she was
abducted. Adele also made it clear that what little
she did know, she couldn’t tell her for fear that she
might lose her life, freedom, or even her job.
In spite of her anger with Adele for not
helping her, they did somewhat bond a bit. On some
days, they would talk for hours about lost love,
family problems, and marriage. At one point,
Maddie had confided in her about her dilemma
between leaving work to have a family and her

desire to continue her pursuit of a successful career.
This led to Adele bringing her little girl, Annie, to
play in Maddie’s room a few times.
Annie was a sweet little hyper active seven
year old girl with a wild imagination who would
sometimes get into trouble. She always wore
dresses and liked to pretend she was a fairy
princess, but she played hard and got dirty quick
like a boy. Adele would bring her to Maddie
because it would keep both of them occupied while
allowing Adele to complete work around the manor.
During their many conversations, Maddie
was able to get Adele to open up a bit about the
manor. According to Adele, the manor had been
through a partial restoration but there were still over
a dozen rooms that needed work. The intentions
were to turn it into a sort medieval get away for
wealthy families to visit; it was the only way
Michael could figure a way to afford the costs to
maintain the house because he himself was not a
wealthy man.
Although it seemed like the manor was
mostly empty, she learned there were always guests
coming and going out of the back way. Some of the
guests were friends of Michael’s or acquaintances
of his other friends. Other visitors were tourists who
were lured to the house through various marketing
stunts meant to make people aware of the place.
They would stay in the house for a couple of days
for free; meanwhile Michael would hire temporary
staff to adhere to their needs.
This information made Maddie remember

the road she saw when they had taken their walk
together so many days ago. It was not visible from
her location but they must be the only way to the
road that leads to a freeway and possibly back to a
town. From what she could tell, the road leading out
of the front entrance of the property went further up
into the hills. One could always tell a true country
house because its front was always facing the
country, rather than an exit or entrance to another
road.
She wanted so much to hate them all for
contributing to the secret of her being there. In her
mind, she thought that if she ever escaped that it
would be a pleasure to see all of their lives ruined
because of what they had done. Hypocritically,
Maddie wanted to hate the house, the captor, and
Adele who brought her books and food; but she was
so bored and lonely that she couldn’t help but try to
get whomever she came into contact with to warm
up to her for company.
In addition, Adele had become her favorite
because she was wise and intelligent, but she knew
her place and kept to it. Still, she sensed there was
more to this woman than simply a cleaning lady.
Adele was real secretive about her early family
roots but no doubt she didn’t want to be found out
for Maddie’s condition. When and if she escaped,
the entire staff at Le Marcon Manor, as Adele called
it would be in serious trouble.
Maddie learned that after her incident where
she tried to escape, Abilene was fired and sent back
to the United Kingdom. Although Adele had not

heard from Abilene after that, she supposedly left
and returned safely to her home with her parents.
Maddie wondered if she was thinking along the
same lines as she, which was that if Michael was
responsible for holding her hostage than he couldn’t
possibly fire her and let her go free. She knew that
Adele must be a strong resigned woman to stand by
and tolerate those who may have harmed her sister;
either that or she was concerned for her own safety.
It wasn’t long after this period confinement
that Maddie found she was becoming more and
more comfortable in her surroundings. From time to
time, she could hear whom she assumed to be
Michael in the room next to her; he was loud and
loved to shout. Lately, he seemed angrier and
although she thought he had a seething hatred for
her, he agreed to allow her to have more clothes and
to let her walk about the property.
“However,” he warned her, “if you do try to
escape, know that there isn’t a town for over 300
miles. You will likely die of starvation or thirst; that
is if you’re not eaten by a mountain lion or a bear
first.”
Chapter 5
Maddie took full advantage of her new
freedom by spending much time in the gardens with
Julian. Julian was an older Spaniard, by way of the
United Kingdom, who had come to the United
States to work for Michael’s father. A blithe elder
gentleman who was very proud of his gardens, he
loved his plants and treated them with extreme care.
Maddie loved looking at Julian because he
looked like a gardener with tan skin from being
under the sun all day. When one got near him, they
could smell the soil or plant matter on his skin. He
always wore old light colored cotton shirts that were
heavily stained under garden aprons. Julian was the
only man Maddie had ever seen who dared to sport
a pair of clogs, which she found amusing even
though it wasn’t. The man was impressive with
body strength as he would carry 50lb bags of soil
around the property rather than use the dolly or
wheel barrel.
Julian also loved to talk and was constantly
humming or speaking aloud to his self while
running through the gardens.
For Maddie on her first day alone out on the
grounds, she knew immediately that she wanted to
be in the gardens. She walked into the greenroom
and scared the wit out of Julian. His back was
turned as he was fixing up an orchid, which was
when Maddie asked if she could help. Julian was a
little sour at first, seeing as she scared and
embarrassed him, but he didn’t begrudge her when
she said she always wished she had more time to
learn about plants and gardening. The comment was

a ploy on Maddie’s part, that was meant to play up
to the stereotype that American’s work too much
and, on Julian, it worked.
At first, they had small chit chat about
where they were from and what there life was like.
Apparently, Julian was married to the cook, Marie,
several decades ago. Prior to that, he was a shop
boy in his father’s auto repair. During one of these
conversations, Julian let it slip that they were in the
Big Bear Mountains. This much, Maddie was not
supposed to know but she promised that she
wouldn’t mention that she heard it from him.
In exchange, he allowed her to help him in
the gardens of the property. For the longest time,
Maddie wanted to turn her house’s back property
from a plain cement pool and hot tub to a stone,
water, and herb garden. The problem was she never
had the time do research and, instinctively, she
didn’t know how to begin. She found she could
learn a lot from Julian, plus being surrounded by the
gardens made her happy. They inspired the fantasy
she always had, which was of having her own place
of serenity. The place would be of natural beauty
and spa baths.
Julian had come to enjoy Maddie’s company
as well and together they would nurture the gardens.
Maddie would listen for hours as Julian would talk
nonstop about every single thing he would attempt
to do. After awhile, Maddie would tune him out
and, from time to time, become annoyed. Yet, she
never said anything because she was relieved to

have something to occupy her mind.
Through Julian, Maddie had also become
extremely friendly with the cook, Marie. She was
the Spaniard’s wife who had spent many years in
culinary schools. After running several successful
restaurants with Julian in Worcester, she sold out
for an early retirement. Then when her mother died,
leaving Marie responsible for a large debt of unpaid
property taxes, she found herself starting over.
Faced with having to go back to work and rebuild
her retirement fund, Michael’s father offered her a
place in his home.
For Marie and Julian, there was no better
offer that could be seen. Marie’s father was good
friends with Michael’s father, as they went to La
Sorbonne together. So he was very generous to
them and gave them their own section of the manor
to retire comfortably in. In exchange, and at their
leisure, they did what they loved best which was
cooking and gardening. One could see by looking at
them that they were very happy together and in Le
Marcon Manor.
Marie was very much like her husband in
that she loved to work with her hands. She would
take excellent care of the fresh herbs and vegetables
in the garden. Marie tried to make as many cooking
ingredients herself as she possibly could. Like an
exact science, Marie exercised extreme precision in
the kitchen. Even when she was simply cutting up
vegetables, Maddie would notice how she did so
with total devotion to her craft.
After numerous lunches and early dinners

with Julian and Marie, Maddie began to offer her
services to Marie. Often times, she would only
entrust Maddie to help her by preparing vegetables
all the while Marie would speak of the restaurants
she once owned or the details of making certain
dishes. Maddie was amused by the two because
they were both busy bodies who talked nonstop and
she wondered how they ever managed to make time
to listen to one another. Although these thoughts
passed through her mind, they weren’t negative
judgments on the couple because they were
obviously very happy and very much in love.
During these weeks, Maddie was extremely
happy because she was spending time doing the
things work had kept her from. For as long as she
remembered, she had always fantasized about
having the perfect home with a husband and kids to
enjoy. Later in life, as work became more of a
burden, she not only dreamt of a family but of
having a home that nurtured her spirit. A place
where she could seek Zen, meditate and realize
more important values in life, rather than her
companies sales quarters.
Maddie realized that her feelings for Julian,
Marie, and the gardens were ridiculous because she
was being held as a victim. She knew she was
getting to comfortable and when considered that she
may turn into Stockholm Syndrome-like victim, she
cringed. When she thought about these things, she
wanted to rebel and attempt to escape but she knew
that it wouldn’t help her. Julian had told her of their
location but there was no telling how far to even a

township would be. One wrong trek up a path and
she could be lost in the forests until she died.
One afternoon, after Maddie had spent the
entire morning helping Julian trim in the gardens
and greenroom, she walked into the kitchen to wash
up and have lunch. It had been several weeks since
she had seen Michael, the first person she formally
met upon her arrival. She didn’t know how to act
when she saw that Michael had come down from
his section of the manor and was pounding some
sort of meat on the counter. Little bits of blood and
liquid flew about him as he swung the mallet back
and then pounded.
Maddie stood frozen in the doorway for a
moment, but then decided to proceed as if he wasn’t
even there. Michael noticed her out of the corner of
his eye and figured he’d do the same as her. She
grabbed all the items she needed to make herself a
turkey sandwich as well as a can of soup from the
adjoining pantry. Right as she was about to sit down
to eat, Marie walked in,
“Hey, Maddie,” she said, “would you help
me cut up the carrots?”
Maddie noticed that she had a fairly good size
basket of carrots in her arm; they looked like they
were just pulled from the gardens. In reality, she
wanted to go upstairs and have a nap, but she was
too nervous to talk with Michael standing there, so
she simply said “yes.”
Maddie walked over to the sink with the
basket after she was done eating her lunch and
began rinsing the carrots in the sink. Michael was

stirring up some kind of sauce for what Maddie
assumed would be dinner for guests. She considered
that perhaps this was his effort in promoting his
business venture among friends because she
couldn’t imagine why he would be in the kitchen.
At that moment, it made her angry to know that he
was about to entertain guests, meanwhile she was
stuck wandering the grounds like a controlled
animal. She knew she shouldn’t have pressed her
luck but when Maddie was angry, there was no
holding her back.
“So, let me guess. You are having guests for
dinner and I am going to be stuck in my room all
night. Is that correct?” she asked him with a nasty
tone.
“That’d be correct. You would actually
think that I would invite you for dinner?” said
Michael who sounded a little on guard. Trying to
lighten up the situation, he furthered with,
“I hope that you are enjoying your time here. I have
noticed that you are getting on well with everyone
in the house. We definitely do not need to do this
unpleasantly and I’m glad that I can trust you about
the place. I can trust you, right?”
Maddie found this question odd because
why should he ever trust her? Even if she did show
him some loyalty, eventually she would betray him
because as soon as she got a chance to escape, she
was gonna turn his ass in! But instead of saying
these thoughts, she mumbled,
“Yeah, sure,” and continued washing the

vegetables.
After a few minutes of silence, Maddie’s
rage rekindled itself and she started with,
“Have you thought about how long I’m
gonna be here?”
Michael was stirring in chopped ingredients into the
sauce pan and said nothing. Maddie felt anger sear
under her skin,
“You know, I have a family that I miss very
much. It’s AWFUL of you to keep me here and it’s
pathetic that you can’t even answer a simple
question,” but Michael continued stirring his
concoction as though Maddie hadn’t said a word.
When suddenly, Maddie turned around,
“Speak to me you asshole!” and she turned
around and started to bang him on the back with her
fists. Michael fell over onto the stove, knocking into
the pan, which sent a wave of the brownish
substance onto his fresh white cotton shirt.
Maddie stood back and covered her mouth
in shock as he yelled out because of the heat of the
sauce. Afraid he would retaliate, she rushed to the
sink, wet a kitchen towel and went back to Michael
who was tearing his shirt off. Maddie used the cloth
to begin wiping the sauce from his abdomen, which
had soaked through the shirt.
“Just hold that a minute, ok?” she said and
he took the kitchen towel from her as she ran to the
cooler to get ice. She pulled a fresh cloth from the
pantry and bundle the ice it, then she walked over to
Michael who had turned off his sauce. Maddie
removed the wet rag from his hand and replaced it

with the iced bundled one.
“I’m sorry,” she said as held the ice to his
abdomen, “I just want to go home. I miss my
husband and my father,” she looked him in the eyes
and he looked back into hers.
Maddie was surprised to see that he actually looked
like he cared. From afar, his features were uncaring
and rough but up close his eyes gave away his
spirit. He put his hand over hers and gently removed
them from the cloth of ice she held on him. One of
his hands went to her lower back and rubbed her
slowly in a circular motion. He gently turned her
towards the kitchen exit and guided her,
“Go to your room. We’ll clean up,” and he
gently touched her chin, “don’t worry, you’ll be
allowed out tomorrow.”
For a moment, Maddie was touched by the sound in
his voice. The sound was caring and, perhaps, she
was starved for caring because she felt her hatred
for the man soften.
Not wanting to anger him anymore, she
turned and went to her room. Maddie replayed the
incident in the kitchen repeatedly. She was
fascinated because Michael seemed to be really
comfortable in the kitchen. Whatever he was
making smelled intoxicatingly delicious and she
spent a few hours wishing that she could be down
dining with them.
In a way, she did get her wish because
Michael sent Adele up with a cart of food. Along
with her, she brought little Annie and together they
supped by the light of the moon, shining through the

window. Throughout dinner, she couldn’t help but
wonder about Michael. He just didn’t seem like the
violent, kidnapping type. For the first time, she
realized that there must be more to this man. Why
else would so many people keep the secret of her
hostage situation? Why do the people who work in
the manor, seem to be devoted Michael and the
memory of his father?
In spite of everything, Michael seemed like
a sincere man to Maddie and she figured that maybe
if she had his sympathy, maybe she would survive
her abduction. She sat at her little table by the
window long after Adele and Annie left for bed and
stared up at the stars as she thought about her
husband and what he was doing at the moment.
A couple days passed after the incident in
the kitchen with Maddie and Michael. During those
few days, she hadn’t heard or seen him at all but she
thought about him. As she continued to spend time
in the gardens and around the property, she would
try to stop thinking about what he was doing at each
moment. Maddie didn’t want to admit it to herself
but, deep down, she actually hoped that she would
see him soon.
On one particular day, Maddie was out for a
stroll and although it wasn’t a typical sunny day, it
was still beautiful. It was one of those misty and
dreary days that Maddie loved. The way the fog
would hug the ground would mystify her and
inspire her imagination. By imagination, it is meant
that it would remind her of childhood stories;
mostly the classical books she read that always

seemed to inhabit a mystical garden or home amidst
a fantastic weathered scene.
That day, the fog was particularly thick and
massive around the property and the gardens.
Between the mountains, it was trapped as though in
a bowl and one could see the peaks of trees and the
few peaks of mountains poke out just above the
thick white blanket. Then just above the peaks, the
clouds had gathered in what looked like one white
comforter that closed in the land below. From her
view, the optical illusion was the mountains did
touch the sky; she regretted not being able to
photograph the moment.
Maddie carried with her a warm sealed mug
of tea that she drank as she walked around and
breathed in the moist air. Concerned about the
weather and the affects it would have on tea bushes
she and Julian had planted, she wandered into the
flower garden to check on them. It was there she got
her wish because Michael was standing right in the
front part of the labyrinth, examining some
drooping flowers. She wanted to approach him but
her heart pounded heavily and instead, she watched
him walk observantly further along the path.
Maddie prepared to turn and walk away
quickly but upon seeing his direction, he
disappeared into the next section of plants. Her
heart slowed and her cold sweat retreated back into
her skin. Maddie walked in and sat on the stone
bench and drank her tea. After a few moments, she
pulled out her book and started rereading the

infamous tale of Leopold Bloom in Ulysses.
Meanwhile, Michael, instead of finishing his
walk through the garden, which led back into the
house, came back out to see Maddie sitting there on
the stone bench. She looked up to see him stroll
nonchalantly toward her and sit,
“How are you?” she asked, “Not too burned,
I hope.”
“It is fine,” he said while looking at some
tulips.
She turned back down and continued to read
her book but he shortly interrupted her.
“I would let you go, if I could, but,” he
stopped at “but” as though thinking of how much he
should say.
Maddie looked up at him,
“but?”
“Well, I made a promise and I need to stick
with it for now. I-I,” he stuttered, “only want to tell
you that it was never my intention to harm you in
any way. Never was it ever my order that you
should be treated roughly.”
She stared at him and after a moment,
replied,
“It’s a relief to know that you aren’t going to
kill me,” she said with emphasis, “but, since my
arrival, I have been harmed and I still want to go
home.”
“That was not my doing, it was those guys
and I can not control them. I can’t tell you anymore
but you will be home soon enough. I promise you,”

he said without looking at her.
Maddie became angry with him because his
neglectful way of speaking out into the air made her
feel dismissed. She didn’t like being treated
dismissively, so she continued with,
“Tell me what’s going on.”
“I can’t, not yet.”
Maddie stared straight ahead but she was
shaking with anger on the inside.
“I see you and Julian have really made a
difference to the gardens. My father started these
gardens; he really loved to work in beauty.
Although he was a law man and a business man, he
really valued the satisfaction he felt when he
produced something visual that one could hold or
see; especially when that which he produced was
appealing to the eye.” Michael told her.
When she didn’t respond, he looked around
to see that Maddie was red faced and silently
crying. Michael put his arm around her shoulders
which confused Maddie. She didn’t understand how
a man could tell her that he was going to keep her
hostage and yet hug her and comfort her the way
that he did. The confusion made her hate him once
more and his affection made her hate think of
spitting in his face, but she didn’t.
“I had you abducted because I had to.
Unfortunately, it’s now safer for you to stay here.
Believe me; your life now depends on it.”
“What are you talking about?” Maddie
snapped.
“I can’t tell you, but you’ll know soon

enough I suspect,” he looked down at her.
“I appreciate your trying to calm me but you
aren’t, you’re only making things worse. How could
my life be in danger? I have never done a single
wrong thing in my entire life,” but Michael just sat
there looking at the lavender and running his hand
through his hair.
“You mentioned Joe the other day. What
does my husband have to do with this?”
Michael turned around once more to see that
Maddie wasn’t breathing and her face had grown
two more shades of red,
“Maddie, please. You’ll make yourself
hysterical,” and he pulled a handkerchief out of his
pocket and wiped her tears.
After he wiped her face, he held her for a
moment and rocked her gently. Maddie wanted to
resist but she was too upset to do so. After a few
moments, Michael left her in the garden and went
back to the house. She sat there and stared around
her for a few moments and then made her way back
to the house herself.
Later that week, Maddie and Julian
scavenged all of the lavender plants. Julian figured
they may as well use it because there was due to be
several continuous weeks of it cool, moist weather.
Lavender was fully capable of surviving, he said,
but he’d rather repot them for the winter. So,
Maddie scraped large amounts of the purple flowers
into barrels while Julian sealed as much of it as he
could into airtight bags for later use.
After hours of tiring work, Maddie went to

the kitchen to retrieve a couple of bowls. Over the
weeks she spent with Julian, she had become fond
of the smell of lavender. She loved the way it
calmed her nerves without making her sleepy, like
some of the other garden scents. Julian, who wanted
to take advantage of Maddie’s spare time, coaxed
her into the idea of using the lavender to make soap.
Unknowingly, Maddie was intrigued and excited at
the idea learning such a craft; especially when she
would have all the contents of the garden to work
with. Upon which, Julian promised her that he
would buy supplies so they could make soap
together. Funnily enough, Marie seemed to be fond
of the idea as well and began rummaging through
her cupboards for ingredients to contribute to their
up and coming project.
Marie mentioned that Michael was very
fond of lavender and after retrieving the bowls from
the kitchen, she filled them both with the aromatic
flowers. She hadn’t seen Michael in a couple of
days and as a nice gesture, she wanted to bring him
something to remind him of her. Maddie never
realized that Lavender, in its natural scent, was a
very masculine aroma. So she brought him a fresh
bowl to fragrance his workspace.
She walked to his office which was two
doors down from her room with the bowl of
lavender and knocked. The door was half opened
and Michael sat there looking down at a small
computer screen and typing. He looked over and
said “Come on in.” As she walked in, she noticed
the office was cluttered with various law books and

encyclopedias.
“So, you’re a lawyer like your father?” he
looked surprised at her.
“Sometimes; I don’t really practice but I am
qualified. I became a lawyer because it was what
my father wanted; these were my father’s books,”
she looked at him and nodded.
She handed him the bowl, which he took
and deeply inhaled. Maddie noticed the office was
extremely small in comparison to most of the other
rooms in the house. In fact, the room was about as
big as the closet in her room, except with a tiny
cramped walnut table and a small window. Taking
in the room, Maddie noticed a group of monitors in
the far corner; one of the images looked familiar to
Maddie. Michael said,
“Thank you, I love lavender. It reminds me
often of my mother.”
“What is that?” she asked.
“What?”
“That!” said Maddie, “Are you watching my
room?”
“Well, you are technically kidnapped and I
have to make sure you don’t harm yourself or leave;
especially after that first night and the incidents that
have followed,” as he noticed the anger on her face
he said, “Look, it’s not like I get my kicks this
way.”
“You Jerk! I actually was beginning to trust
you!”
Michael said nothing as usual but only

stared at her to see what she would do next. She
wanted to hit and kick him in the groin but instead,
she left without another word. Michael ran out from
behind the desk and grabbed her by the elbows,
“Stop! I am sorry. I won’t watch you
anymore. I promise,” he searched his mind to say
the right words, “it was just that I didn’t trust you.
I’m sorry.”
“I wanna go home!” she yelled and
wrenched her arms from him.
He followed her out of the office, watched
her walk inside her room, and slammed the door.
In her room, she lay on her bed, beat her
pillow, and cried. Once again, she thought about
how much she missed her father and Joe. She
thought about the weekend they were supposed to
have together and how it began so badly. Now, he’ll
never how much she really did love him. In between
thoughts of Joe, visions of Michael continued to
pop into her head. She hated Michael so much but
she was well aware of the fact that she was also
mildly attracted to him. Michael appealed to her the
moment she saw him, which made her hate him
even more.
The next morning, she woke to sound of
Adele coming in early with a cart of food for her.
Normally, she never came in at that time which is
why Maddie just about jumped out of bed.
“Good morning, Maddie,” she said cheerily.
“Why are you so happy this morning?”
“I’m going on vacation, back to me home,”

Maddie often forgot that she was British.
She was also saddened by the news because she
didn’t want to be left without someone to talk to in
the between hours.
“When will you be back?”
“Two weeks. In fact, I shouldn’t even be
here now but I just wanted to come and warn you
that I will be gone. I do have good news for you
though. Michael told me to unlock the door and that
you are allowed to come and go as you please. He
still warns you to stay on the grounds and not to try
to run off,” she said as she walked toward a corner
of the room.
Maddie wanted to say how very happy she
was to hear that she would be able to do as she
pleased but Adele distracted her with strange
motions. She walked to the corner of the room and
pulled down the small potted ivy and started trying
to unscrew the bottom. It was very curious to see
because the pot was bigger than her hand. After a
confused moment, she finally managed to pop the
bottom of the pot open and, from within, she pulled
out a little hidden camera.
Holding it up to the light, she said, “Peculiar
place for a plant, it must be water proof,” and she
walked out.
Chapter 6
That first day of total freedom felt
wonderful but she still contemplated repeatedly
throughout the day about trying to make a run for it.
At first she thought about trying to make off with a
car, but then she realized she didn’t know where
any cars or car keys were. Next she thought about
trying to make a phone call, but she realized that
there weren’t any phones in the manor. The only
phones they used were cell phones and the intercom
system. She never saw any computers, so she
couldn’t send any emails or call from a messenger
service. Maddie was truly at a loss as to where
everything was; it was something she hadn’t
considered before.
She made her way down to the kitchen to
drop off her cart and walked out to the gardens.
Julian was gone that day because, according to
Marie, he went to town to buy supplies. This made
her think about just how remote their location was
because Marie explained to her that Julian wouldn’t
be back for a day or two. Maddie finally concluded
that maybe it wasn’t a good idea for her to simply
take off and that what she needed was a serious
plan.
She opened the door to the green room and
walked through to see what she could do without
Julian. After walking around for a moment, she sat
down and sighed at the work bench that Julian
would usually occupy. She didn’t feel right there all
alone and the loneliness that she felt in her room
appealed to her in his absence; and along with the

idea of not seeing Adele.
In that moment, Maddie felt really desperate
and totally messed up because she knew she needed
to get out of there. Whatever was happening to her
was not good because it felt like dependency. She
felt as though she couldn’t live without Adele and
Julian; they had been the sole support for her during
the many weeks of confinement that she’d had. The
feelings she had for them were completely wrong,
she told herself. Maddie should not be feeling
dependent on those who have helped Michael hold
her there.
Thinking of the feelings that she had and
then inwardly punishing herself for them gave her
somewhat of a panic attack. She was holding her
breath and didn’t even realize it until her mind took
over her controls and forced her to inhale. Yet,
when she breathed in it felt like she was pushing up
against a 1,000 pound weight on her chest.
When her breathing returned to normal
several minutes later, she stood up and walked
outside to find fresh soil for the pomegranate seeds
she and Julian wanted to plant. Had she of known
that Michael would be out in the courtyard, where
the supplies were stocked in a large cabinet, with
the way she was feeling, she would’ve ran back to
her room.
Unfortunately it was too late because he had
turned around to see her and the twinkle in his eye
made it known that he was there specifically for
her; there was no way to run now. She stood there
and stared motionless as he turned and observed

her. When it became obvious to Michael that she
was not going to go to him, he stood up and walked
over to her.
“I guess I’m still on not your good side,”
Maddie wondered if he was stupid when he said
this. Yet, she felt obligated to remind him,
“You’re holding me as a prisoner,
remember?”
“Right, well, I took the camera out and
you’re free to do what you will. Isn’t that better?”
Maddie couldn’t believe it; the man was like
a puppy looking for approval. What was his deal?
She tried hard to remain angry with him but,
just like with everything else, she was tired of being
angry all the time. It made her want to die when she
felt like crying everyday so like the times before;
she succumbed and embraced a happy manner.
“Yes,” she smiled, “it’s better.”
“Good because I don’t want you to hate me.
I was being completely honest with you the other
day, even though you probably don’t believe me,”
but at the moment Maddie wanted to believe him.
“Alright,” she said.
“I came down to see how you are doing. I
wanted to inform you that Julian had gone to town.”
“Yes, I know,” said Maddie looking away.
“Well, alright. I guess I will get back to my
day. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Ok,” and she tried hard not to watch
Michael walk away.
All of a sudden, she turned around and

shouted,
“I could use help getting some supplies.
That is, if you’re not afraid to do a little heavy
lifting.”
He walked back toward Maddie,
“What do you need?”
Together Michael and Maddie spent the day
managing the gardens. Michael was quite adept and
Maddie couldn’t help but notice how he loved the
work he was doing. Apparently, he and his father
had worked together in the very place they stood; it
was the only time they truly bonded. As they
worked their way through the morning, he told her
stories of his upbringing and how he and his cousin
would run through the miniature maze and play hide
and seek.
Michael was funny in the way he was quick
to defend himself after telling her these stories. He
declared that he was also an international football
player who had one several titles as though trying to
emphasize that he wasn’t emasculated because his
father taught him about caring for plants. Maddie
didn’t think less of him, in fact she loved it. In her
mind, for a moment, she pictured herself working
alongside him, trying to bring together a garden of
there own.
When noon came about, they decided to take
a break. Marie had come down with lunch for the
both of them. Michael offered Marie to sit with
them but she had to return to the kitchens because
she was only half done with plucking chickens. As
she turned to exit the garden, Maddie looked at

Michael and said,
“I hope she washed her hands before making
this lunch because that’s just gross.”
Michael laughed a little under his breath, stood up,
and positioned himself with his arm outward. This
was his motion for Maddie to arise and she did, they
walked back into the green room to wash up.
Michael held the door open for Maddie and
then followed her to the sink. She felt a heightened
sense of awareness by being in the room alone with
him. Maddie stopped midway along a section of
small potted tea roses,
“What is this?”
“They’re a hybrid,”
“They’re orange!”
Maddie laughed at his reaction and when he
looked at her, she felt it again. What she felt was the
speed of her heart increase and a brief outbreak of
sweat all over her body, a little panging in her lower
abdomen.
Michael saw it in her eyes and without
further hesitation, slowly moved closer to her and
brought his face to feel her lips. She wanted to pull
away but couldn’t because the panging down below
grew stronger and spread throughout her body.
Maddie knew that this was all wrong but there was
no stopping her at that moment. Even if she
regretted it later, she was going to get him in her
system.
It didn’t take long before she was pulling his
shirt over his head and he complied eagerly. She
was happy to see that he wanted her as much as she

wanted him. Maddie kept her lips stuck to his and
entwined their tongues as deeply as she could. She
rubbed her hands over his chest and arms, which
were smooth and warm with a slight scent of the
sweat he had worked up in the garden.
Although Maddie wished they would slow
down, she felt that she couldn’t get undressed quick
enough. Michael was pulling her shirt over her
head, which was making her wobble on her feet
because he was using too much strength. When the
shirt was finally gone, she continued to kiss him as
she unbuckled his pants. As she messed with his
buckle, he groped her breasts and then yanked her
waist closer to feel her skin on his chest.
The belt unbuckled and his pants fell to the
floor and he then tried to unbutton hers but his
hands were too fast and clumsy. Maddie unbuttoned
her jeans and stepped out of them, at that sight
Michael was enraged with hormones. He picked her
up and held her on one side of his hip as he pushed
pots of plants out of the way. They both turned their
heads when they heard a pot fall with a crash but
ignored it.
The table was a perfect height, which
eliminated any uncomfortable need to struggle.
Michael set her on it and she lay back with her hips
inched at the edge, where upon he gave them what
they had wanted for weeks. He thrust into her and
she moaned as she tried to inch her way more into
him. She felt her nipples go erect and Michael
became even more extended as he looked down on

her.
Maddie put her hands on his hips and felt his
firm backside; then she held on tight and helped
drive him into her. She looked down as he pounded
her hard on the table and the sight of him going in
and out of her sent more endorphins to her brain.
When Maddie began to orgasm, she couldn’t help
her screams that filled the greenroom. When she
was done, she immediately hoped that no one could
hear her but as Michael came just as loudly, she
knew that anyone on the lower level of the manor
may know.
It was over and done with rather quickly and
although Maddie was happy, she wasn’t exactly
satisfied. Yet, there was nothing she could say and,
after a moment, they stood and put their clothes
back on. As they dressed, Maddie intentionally
watched Michael because she didn’t get a chance to
really look at his body which, as she saw, was
excellent. Tall, lean, and tan with just enough
muscle definition, she found him to be a beautiful
male with an incredible body.
Michael turned to see that Maddie was
watching him and walked over to put his arms
around her. Maddie thought it was kind of strange,
he was hugging her and it felt shallow in
comparison to what they had just done. Then he
kissed her softly and they stood there holding each
other for a few minutes.
When Michael finally spoke, he said,
“I don’t regret what we just did. The truth is

I have been worshipping your beauty for quite some
time now.”
Maddie could think of nothing to say, so she
smiled a little.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
“Yeah, I am fine. This whole thing is just a
little strange.”
“I know,” and he held her even tighter.
After a few moments, he stood back and
said,
“Well, I don’t want you to feel strange; even
though I know the situation is weird. We’re
attracted to one another and there’s nothing wrong
with that. Sure, under the present circumstance, you
must be feeling conflicted but it will work itself out
shortly. I promise.” Then with a sigh, he continued,
“I need to attend to some business, so I must leave
you. Feel free to come by and say hi to me a little
later. I should be done with my work around five
p.m. or so. I would love to spend some more time
with you,” and he leaned forward and kissed her
sweetly on the lips.
Maddie watched him as he exited the green
room. She remained exactly where she was, stone
solid for almost half an hour and replayed the last
moments of her time with Michael in her mind.
Despite the fact she immensely enjoyed what had
happened, Maddie battled feelings of shame inside
her. What about Joe, she asked herself but she also
asked of herself, what are the other possibilities? In
only a morning, she could tell that Michael was a

better and more of a kindly match for her.
Silently she compared Michael to Joe who
was short tempered and arrogant most of the time.
With Joe, it took much persuasion to convince him
of anything but Michael a reasonable, patient, and
logical man with compassion. But WAIT!!! she
inwardly screamed at herself! He’s her captor; she
started to pull her hair as she stalked up and down
the row of pots. How is it she can even consider him
as someone she could be with? Besides, what does
he think of her? Obviously, not much with the way
he left her.
Beginning to feel her face flush with her
frustration, she decided it was best to forget about
what had happened between them and go back to
her room. She checked herself in the greenroom
bathroom mirror to make sure she looked normal
and then walked back to the manor.
Not in the mood for conversation, she purposely let
herself in through the side entrance that led into the
enormous drawing room that was half a library.
She opened the door to her room and slam
dropped her body onto the bed and fell into a deep
sleep. No one disturbed her and she remained in her
dream state until Marie had knocked on her door at
about six p.m. and asked if she would like to have
dinner with her and Michael. Maddie tried to
decline by saying that she wasn’t hungry but Marie
wouldn’t hear of it. She used her authoritative vocal
tones, no doubt the way she used to talk to her
kitchen and wait staff, to urge her into some clothes

with a quick wash up and down for dinner.
When Maddie made it downstairs, her
stomach immediately agreed with the sight of
pheasants and rice pilaf stretched across a table of
salad, bread, and wine. The little kitchen table was
elegantly set up with a white silky table cloth that
looked far too delicate to eat on, along with full and
proper place settings.
Immediately, Maddie felt embarrassed and a
little ashamed at being under dressed. As she
noticed Michael standing at the kitchen console in
an elegant cotton shirt with loose linen pants and
light brown leather shoes. Marie had also put on a
flowery, ankle length, sleeveless, red dress that
made her look pretty. Maddie looked down at her
oversized jeans and blank black tee shirt and wanted
to run back upstairs.
Upon seeing her enter the kitchen, Marie shouted,
“Ahhh!! Darling! You look great, don’t
worry about it! This is just for fun! Here!” and she
put a glass of red wine in her hand.
Maddie wasn’t sure what to say or how to
proceed, so she merely walked to the center console
where Michael stood smoking a cigarette.
“You know, these things will kill you,” she
said as she pulled the cigarette from his mouth and
took a drag.
Michael looked down at her then looked
behind him to see Marie was finishing up some last
preparations with her back to them. He put his
hands around her waist, lent forward and kissed her

then continued to gaze down at her.
Marie turned around and said,
“Ok, it’s done. Help yourselves,” and they
walked around the console, filling their plates.
For Maddie, it felt like it had been such a
long time since she had sat down to eat at a table. In
her mind, it almost felt like she was human again.
Still, she didn’t know quite how to behave because
these people weren’t her friends. She had to keep
reminding herself because she, so badly, wanted to
forget.
She sliced off a piece of the light pink meat
and exclaimed,
“It is delicious Marie!” and it was.
The fowl was lightly cooked in olive oil and
she could taste the freshest basil she had ever had.
“Thank you, Maddie. I pulled it from your
garden earlier today,” at the mention of garden,
Maddie’s face turned a little red.
The table grew uncomfortable with silence
and Marie asked,
“Julian mentioned that you have always
wanted to have a few gardens of your own. Is that
true?”
“Yes,” said Maddie, “it’s just work takes up
so much of my time. I think that if I ever get to see
home again, I will start my own garden of
aromatics.”
As Maddie rose her head up to chew, she
noticed that at the mention of her seeing her home
again, they both in turn, turned red themselves.
The dinner was a bit awkward for Maddie

but she could tell that Marie and Michael were both
uncomfortable too. It was not everyday that a
woman tried befriending a victim while her boss
tried to woo her. Neither was it everyday that a
hostage should fall for her captor. Around the table,
like musical chairs, one of them would speak and
another blush would ensue. The dinner was over
within an hour, thankfully, Maddie thought.
Maddie and Michael insisted on helping
Marie clean but she got that Spanish temper of hers
and threw them both out of the kitchen. They both
walked silently back up to their rooms. Michael’s
room must’ve been close to Maddie’s because he
followed her up the stairs and down the hall silently.
Maddie tried to play it cool and when she got to her
door, she turned around and quickly said goodnight
to Michael.
Once inside her room, she felt safe but she
locked the door anyway. She hoped Marie wouldn’t
be inviting her to dinner again anytime soon. It was
the worst hour Maddie had in the manor and,
although that wasn’t totally true, she would’ve
rather relived being bound in the basement than sit
with the two of them again.
She went into the bathroom, ran the tub and
soaked for an hour while listening to Dostoevsky
strings. The water soaked her skin and the steam
seemed to soften her mind. Every muscle in her
body relaxed with the bubbling of the jets and the
scent of the bath oil.
Maddie tried to tune out every thought that caused

her anxiety that day.
After an hour, she left the bath, dried off and
sat in the steamer for a bit. By the time she was
done, she was nice and relaxed, ready for a night of
peaceful sleep. Maddie couldn’t deny that she loved
the bathroom and vowed that she would have one
like it. Her skin had never been so moisturized and
her sinuses had never been so clear.
She changed into a pair of boy shorts and a
tank top, what she was used to sleeping in, and then
crawled into bed. It wasn’t long before she drifted
off to sleep without any thought of Michael. With
her knack for obsession, it was amazing that she
could sleep effortlessly that night, or so she thought.
After being down for awhile, she was
awoken by what sounded like a scratching noise. In
fright, she jolted upright and held her breath.
Maddie then realized that someone was at her door
and she climbed out of bed and went toward it.
About halfway to the door, it crept open and
Maddie jumped while emitting a high pitched
squeal. Her heart pounded through her chest and
continued to do so even after she realized that it was
Michael.
Without a word he walked up to her and put
his arms around her waist. She was immediately
aroused by the feel of his hands on the exposed
flesh of her back and belly. He kissed her mouth
and then all way down her neck and onto her breasts
through the tight tank she wore. This time, he
obviously wanted to take time and enjoy her

because he kissed her body moderately slow.
He put his hand under her bottom, lifted her,
and walked over to the bed. They crawled in and
pushed back the covers, and the sheets. Michael
slowly and gently lifted her shirt off of her body and
kissed almost every bit of her flesh from neck to
belly button. He leaned his heavy body on top of
her and united his tongue with hers while she
grinded her hips into his belly.
Michael slowly pulled her shorts off and
worked his way back down to taste her. She was
lubricated all over. The feel of her in that condition
made Michael impatient but Maddie pushed him off
of her and climbed on top of him. She kissed his
strong muscled breasts and down his happily trailed
lean chest and stomach. Maddie pulled off his
shorts and found the perfect fountain of youth
waiting to eject. She tried to swallow him but
Michael had to pull her off for fear of not being able
to control his perfect specimen.
Maddie obeyed because she wanted the
moment to last, so she climbed on top of him and he
watched her slow descent onto his erection. He
slowly parted the lubricated flesh that hugged his
firmness with exact coverage. “Oooohhhh…”
Michael moaned when Maddie left him exposed
and he gently pushed her hips down and held her
still for a moment. She looked down at Michael and
saw him looking up at her; he gently pushed her
back which made her tumble forward into his chest.
Michael hugged her back and Maddie slipped her

arms under his and squeezed him back.
Michael edged her face up towards his and
kissed her deeply again. Maddie began to work her
hips slightly up and down. Michael tried to stop her
but she kept going and kissed him harder all the
while. She started to breathe hard, as did Michael,
and when she was close he picked up his pace.
Together they rocked each other hard and clung to
each other desperately to make the moment last.
Maddie sighed deeply and Michael kissed
her lips as they lay together silently. Maddie wanted
to say something, but she was at a loss. She loved
being with him both times and was happy that he
was there in bed with her. The truth was she didn’t
want him to leave and that part of her that went
against what she deemed as right, told her that she
would rather be with Michael than return to her old
life. There was something that was familiar about
him but she didn’t know what. It was completely
illogical, she told herself she barely knew him; but
her subconscious told her that, in fact, she did.
With these thoughts provoking her
emotions, she unknowingly tightened her grasp on
Michael’s shoulders. Michael misinterpreted this
action and thought that she was being affectionate.
Maddie had no clue that Michael, for many reasons,
felt the same way for her. He held her even closer
and they fell asleep without even a word between
one another.
The next morning, at the exact moment the
sun came up, Michael woke her with a kiss and told
her that he needed to get his day started. She

mumbled ok and he kissed her again, and then left
the room. Maddie rolled over and tried to sleep
more but couldn’t. Instead, she lay there and
thought about the mess her life seemed to be of late.
The only way for her to regain order was to leave
the manor as soon as possible, but Michael would
not let her.
After a few hours, Maddie decided to start
her day too. She rose and had a quick wash and
went down to the main kitchen for breakfast. After a
quick hello to Marie and half a bagel, she made her
way to the gardens once more. She looked across
the grounds and saw some of the other workers,
who she didn’t know cleaning out the fountain. It
was at this moment she remembered there were
usually more people working in the house. The
problem was it was so large that she rarely saw
them because she was supposed to be kept a secret.
Now that she was allowed out whenever, Maddie
could possibly make contact with someone she
thought. What scared her was knowing that she
really didn’t want to make contact.
Why didn’t she want to go home? Maddie
badgered herself with the thought that she really
needed to see a psychiatrist. I’m sick. She tried to
ignore her brain that wanted to tell her that she was
a psychologically twisted woman but couldn’t. So,
she buried herself in hard work around the grounds.
This time, instead of fettering with the cute pots,
she took the hoes and rakes and committed to hard
labor for several hours until water-like sweat juiced

through her pores.
Sometime in the afternoon, she sank down
onto her knees on a patch of grass she was digging
up. Maddie removed the visor and wiped her sweaty
forehead. Fatigue penetrated every muscle in her
body but she felt good and refreshed. She pulled
herself up and made her way back up to the house.
Once inside, she washed her hands and downed a
two liter bottle of water.
Marie nearly had a cow when she walked in
to find mud colored Maddie sitting at the table.
When Maddie explained that she was making new
beds, Marie chased her from the kitchen. Maddie
went upstairs to shower and then fell asleep; she
didn’t wake until the moon shined an annoying ray
of light through her room.
She woke up feeling groggy and terrible
because her muscles were not only fatigued, but
were sore all over. Maddie slowly rolled out of bed
then stood up on her wobbly legs. Eventually, she
made it outside of her room and down the several
flights of stairs. Mentally, she noted that she would
need a whole lot of aspirin because she didn’t know
how she was gonna make it back up the stairs and to
her room.
In the kitchen, she found Marie and Julian
eating a late supper together.
“Hola,” said Julian, “nice work in the
garden, I see you’re hurting now though,” and he
laughed heartily with Marie.
“Ha ha,” said Maddie who smiled and

helped herself to some leftovers in the refrigerator.
Just as Michael came down into the kitchen,
Marie then went on to describe the mess Maddie
had been when she walked into the kitchen earlier.
They all laughed and Michael caught her eye
momentarily. Just as Maddie looked away, it was to
see that Marie and Julian were watching them. Oh
great, she thought. Now they did know for certain
what was going on between us. Never had she felt
so ashamed of herself in her entire life.
Later that night, as she lay in bed, she
wondered if Michael would visit her again. She
finally drifted off to sleep around ten because she
figured that he wasn’t going to make it like she
hoped. Then, at about midnight, there was the same
scraping noise of the key inside her door. Instead of
jumping out of bed this time, she lay and watched
him walk through the room and crawl into bed next
to her. He put his arm around her waist and they lay
there cozy together for many minutes before
succumbing to their lustful needs.
Chapter 7
Maddie was sitting at a table in her wedding
gown while in the hall was her husband, family, and
friends who celebrated their union. In the dream,
she was an observer and she could see behind her
the look on her father’s face, which was a sort of
stern grimace. She had noticed that look on his face
for years, but never really thought about until that
dream. Behind her husband, she saw a group of men
dressed like gangsters with guns; she also could see
a man and a woman running toward them. Maddie
got the scariest and most dangerous feeling from
them.
In the next scene, she was in bed with Joe
about to make love and then Michael appeared,
grabbed her by the wrist and motioned to her. She
wouldn’t leave because she promised to stay with
him. There were loud popping noises in the
background and the sky was dark blue but lined in
red along the disc of where a horizon would be.
Upon seeing the sky, she got really scared
and looked at Joe to tell him they needed to leave.
Joe only looked back at her and smiled, she noticed
he looked particularly handsome but there was
something off about him. Maddie, in her dream, got
up to get her robe when suddenly the door burst
open and she screamed.
“AAh!” she screamed in a guttural tone for
real, her heart pounded in her chest. She sat straight
up fast and hard, which made her head dizzy. There
in the doorway stood Michael,
“Hurry, get up and get dressed, we’re being

attacked!” he shouted.
“What?” said Maddie. Suddenly, she heard
the shouting and screaming from below and she
jumped out of bed, went to draw back the curtain
but she couldn’t see anything.
“Hurry! They’ve come for both you and
me!” and he ran toward her and grabbed her by the
arm to lead her away. Confused, but too scared to
ask questions, she put on her shoes, jacket, and then
they left.
In the background, Maddie could hear gun
shots, and then someone screamed. This frightened
her more because she had become fond of several of
the people who lived and worked on the property,
she hoped that they were alright.
“Come on!” said Michael sharply and he
grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down the
hall. They took a left turn and started heading
toward the front of the mansion.
“No! This way” said Adele who appeared
running toward them, and went right down the hall.
They both turned to follow her all the way
down the opposite direction. When they made it to
the end, she opened a door behind a fake canvas
that led into a secret hallway with a staircase that
wound down to the kitchen and into a broom closet.
As they crossed the kitchen, she noticed that it had
been ransacked as there was glass and debris
everywhere. Someone had scattered flour about the
room making it cloudy and hard to see.
“Come on,” said Michael.
They opened the back door and heard more

shouting and gunfire up above. Maddie wondered if
she should try to make a run for it, what if these
men were here to save her? As she started to react
to her thoughts, Michael pulled her back,
“I know you don’t trust me but I swear to
you, these men are not here to rescue you, but they
are here to kill you. Stay with us and I will let you
go but for now you must trust me!”
Maddie conceded and they stepped through
the backdoor, Adele sifted through a ring of keys.
They stood under the short stone archway that
extended out from the kitchen door way. On their
right was the red wood door that was always locked.
When Adele found the key she was looking for, she
opened the door that Maddie had always assumed
was only cupboard.
Once they were on the other side of the red
door, Maddie noticed that there was a hall-like
extension that seemed to extend for quite a few
yards. It was thin, dark, and a little scary,
“What is this? Are we going to hide here?”
she whispered.
“We are inside the manor wall which, as you
can see, will lead us to the gate,” and Adele began
to lead the way with Michael and Maddie
following.
Not that Maddie was claustrophobic, but it
was disgusting running through the tight wall
because it was smelly and dank. The wall was pitch
black, except for tiny splashes of light that leaked
through cracks in the wall. Occasionally, the ground
was uneven and she needed to grope the wall for

support, at which point she felt her hand crushing
spiders, webs, and who knows what else all along
the wall. Several times, she brushed what she
assumed were spiders off of her arms and hands;
she even felt a few things crawl down her shirt.
After a few quick moments, they ran into a
door where they stopped and Adele sifted through
keys again. Finally, she found the right one and let
them into what turned out to be the horse stalls.
Maddie realized that they must be halfway through
the wall and, as they crossed the stalls to the other
door, they found that Adele wasn’t sure that she had
the other key.
They started to panic and Michael became
very angry, but then shots fired through the window
and they all hit the ground. Right as they hit the
floor, the door to the stalls opened and in walked a
masked man in jeans and a plain white tee shirt. At
first, the man could not see them all on the floor at
first, which allowed them to take advantage of the
split second they had.
Adele continued to look for the right key
while Maddie grabbed a few horse shoes and threw
them at the man. They must have hurt him because
they heard the man shriek twice. Upon hearing the
man was cry out, Michael didn’t delay in wrestling
the gun out of his hand. Maddie saw several men
running toward them through the broken window
and shouted that they needed to hurry. Michael
managed to knock out the gunman he had fought
with. He looked like one of his wild mastiffs, the

way his hair flailed around his face when he fought.
They entered the manor wall and ran toward
the gate entrance in which a small sedan was
parked. They all three climbed in and Michael
pressed a button on a chain he pulled from the
armrest and the outside door that was disguised as
stone opened. Michael put the car in reverse and
spun out; they drove into the night.
“OK!” Maddie screamed at them, “WHAT
is going on? Please don’t tell me that you’ll tell me
later!”
“Those men are here to kill us.”
“Yeah!” she said sarcastically, “I kind of
figured that out!”
Then she suddenly remember,
“Oh my god! What are you doing here?
You’re supposed to be on your trip! Plus, what are
they gonna do with Annie, Julian, and Marie?”
Michael and Adele said nothing.
“You two are truly evil, you know that?” she
spewed.
“Julian and Marie will be fine; they have
their own secret escape. Annie is with her Auntie
and, to answer your question, I don’t entirely know
what’s really going on but, believe me or don’t,
your husband is responsible. He was supposed to
come and get you, pay me, but he never did.”
“I told you, Joe would never have a hand in
something like this. I don’t believe you. Why do
you keep bringing him into this? How do you know
my husband?”
“Perhaps you should ask yourself this,”

Michael said “how well do you know your
husband?”
“That’s it! Pull the car over! I want out!
NOW!” she yelled.
“Don’t be ridiculous Maddie,” said Adele,
“we’re in the middle of nowhere. You’ll die out
here.”
Maddie said nothing but she turned her head
and raged in silence.
After an hour or so, they began to slow
down and they turned into a bald spot in the forest.
There was music, talking, and laughter echoing
through the trees.
“Where are we?” but still neither of them
said anything.
“I thought you were going to let me go? If
so, I don’t see any harm in telling me where we
are.”
Michael continued to drive along the road
and a moment later a large house came into view. It
was shadowed, dark, and would have been scary if
it weren’t for the fact that a party seemed to be
happening. Michael parked and they all climbed out
of the car and walked up to the gate.
“Where are we?”
“We’re east of Coachella Valley, off the 111
somewhere,” and he pushed the gate button.
“Salmay here” said a man in a deep throaty
voice.
“Hi, this is Lucian. I- I’ve got her,” he said
looking idly over at Maddie.
It took a second for her to understand what

that look meant and she turned to back away.
They both grabbed her,
“No, just trust us,” but Maddie continued to
struggle and they had to drag her in the gate. They
merely lost her when a gunned body guard came to
the gate to help drag her in.
Inside the house was a brightly lit party
where it looked like almost a hundred people were
mingling. There were waiters going around with
food and drinks while people stood around and
talked idly. They followed the man up two grand set
of stairs and into an elegant red carpeted room.
“Lucian!” exclaimed the man that was
sitting on the edge of the table, “Comment allez
vous?” he said.
“Tre bonne,” said Michael.
“You’re name’s Lucian and you’re French?”
said Maddie in disgust.
“Oui, Maddie,” the man walked over to
observe her.
“She is beautiful, no?” asked the man with a
French accent.
“Yes, very,” said Michael as Maddie gave
him an angry glare.
The man was dressed in a full tuxedo as he
walked around Maddie and finally he spoke.
“Well, I know that you are in trouble and
wish that I could help. In consideration of the
friendship your father’s meant to me, and I have
always thought of you like a nephew. After all, we
grew up together, went to La Sorbonne and built our
fortunes together from nothing, me, your father, and

Baldric,” he said thoughtfully. Then the man
reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of
cash, “…but I can’t help you. I am clean now and
wish to stay that way.”
“Is that why you have men with guns
guarding your home? Is it because you’re clean?”
asked Michael angrily.
“Look, I understand. Take the money I offer
you and if you need more, I will send you some.
You got yourself into this mess, now you must get
yourself out. I’m sorry.”
They stood there and watched the man walk
out of the room and then the man who called
himself Salmay said,
“Ok, let’s go,” and they all lead the way out
with the gun man guiding them behind.
After they were outside the gates, Maddie
said,
“So what good was that supposed to do?
What did we come here for?”
“Are you telling me you totally missed
everything he just said? That man was a friend of
my father, his name is Sean Basteau and he went to
Sorbonne with him and Baldric, Baldric Engelard.”
“What? My father?” she made a loud tuh
noise, “That’s ridiculous. He doesn’t know my
father because he never went to Sorbonne.”
At that point, Michael’s face turned red and
his eyes bulged with anger. Yet, he said calmly, “I
told you what you wanted to know and you don’t
believe me. So, I guess that’s all I have for you.
You can go now, best of luck,” and he and Adele

turned to go to the car.
“So, wait. You’re just going to leave me
here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Well, what do you want me to DO? I have
tried to prove to you that you are in danger and that
it has something to do with your family and you just
won’t believe me. I now need to look after myself
and Adele and I don’t have time for your
stubbornness.”
“Alright, alright, but you can’t just leave her
here,” said Adele, “Let’s at least take her
somewhere she can make a phone call.”
“FIIIIINE!” he threw his arms down, “Get in
the CAR AND LETS GO!!” both she and Adele
jumped as he shouted and then walked over to the
driver’s side. After they were seated in the car,
Maddie said,
“So what do I call you? Michael? Lucian?
Or Asshole?” Michael punched the break and they
sped off as Maddie slammed into the back seat
because as she didn’t buckle her seat belt.
They drove down the dark road, back out to
where they came in from and as they came closer to
the road, a car followed them silently. The car had
its lights turned low and crept behind them at a
distance. They followed and waited for the perfect
opportunity to take care of them. When the car
made it two miles down the road, where no one
would hear them, they sped up. Once it got within
twenty feet of Michael’s vehicle, the men inside
then turned on the lights and sprang a fire of bullets

on the vehicle.
Maddie screamed as a bullet sped through
the back window and then escaped through the
front. Just as Michael had swerved the car out of
shock, another bullet rang through the car. Maddie
laid down on the backseat and screamed some
more,
“SHUT UP!! I can’t concentrate with you
bloody screaming!”
Maddie tried to get her screams under
control but she was scared and just then, she was
sprayed with something wet. It was all over her face
and hand; it tasted salty and she had stopped
screaming out of shock. Then she looked up and
saw the dark substance all over the window and
realized that poor Adele had been hit by one of the
bullets. Maddie was stunned into silence and
suddenly Michael slammed on his breaks and
Maddie rolled forward onto the floor.
Upon Michael’s slamming of the breaks, the
car behind them smashed into their rear and then he
pushed the gas pedal to the floor and they sped off
once more. The damage Michael caused must’ve
been great because they were no longer being
followed. Michael continued to drive for several
miles while constantly looking out of his rear mirror
nervously.
Michael quickly pulled over, unlocked the door and
pushed Adele’s lifeless body out. Maddie was
angered at the sight of Michael’s ill regard for her
body,
“What are you doing? You can’t just discard

of her like that? We have to go and get her and then
go to the police.”
Michael slammed his feet on the breaks and
pulled to the side of the road,
“The bullet hit her in the head, but if you
want to go and get her, fine. I am gone though.
Those guys are still back there and they want us
dead!”
“Why? Why do they want us dead? I still
don’t understand what all this is about.”
“Neither do I, not really.”
They continued on the road for another few
hours before they finally happened upon a town.
Spotting the all night pharmacy, Michael pulled
over and purchased cleaning supplies. Maddie was
trying to help Michael with the car but she instead
made it worse by vomiting all over the seat.
Michael said with disgust,
“Do you mind? I have to drive in this
disgusting mess. I don’t want to be smelling vomit.
You stay there and I will clean.”
After Michael finished cleaning the car, he
said to Maddie,
“Well, I guess this is it. We should part
ways here I think,” and he looked at his cell phone.
“It’s four a.m.,” he continued, “so if you just
hang out here for a couple of hours, you should be
able to get in touch with someone to come and get
you.”
Maddie’s temper flared like never before,
“So you’re just gonna LEAVE ME

HERE???”
“Keep your voice down!”
“I’m tired and I have no clothes, no money!
You’re responsible for my situation, if you hadn’t
kidnapped me in the first place I wouldn’t be here.
Now I am to go and freeze on the streets? It’s moist
and cold, like 40 degrees out here!” she screamed at
him.
Michael actually looked as though he felt
bad for a moment. He looked around to see a heavy
cold fog had blanketed the town and not even the
stars could be seen. It was a pretty cold, dark night
he thought and perhaps they could bunk up together
for the evening at least.
“Ok, I’ll put you up for the night but in the
morning, you’re on your own,” Maddie said nothing
but followed him back into the car. She climbed in
the back to avoid sitting in the moist seat. As they
drove for another ten miles before finding a place to
rest, Maddie seethed about how little Michael
seemed to care about her well being.
The place was an old tavern like motel that
had an open lobby. It was one of those tacky
looking places that were meant to imitate old
western décor. The sleepy desk clerk led them into a
room that was decked out western style with badly
brown stained walls and furnishings. The carpet was
a dirty reddish color, with a layer of air that could
be felt beneath it with each step. The room was old
and smelly, Maddie didn’t dare remove her shoes or
socks.
“I can’t believe you! You think I am gonna

stay in this room with you?”
“Umm… if that’s the case, why are you still
here?” he asked as Maddie looked at him with rage.
“It’s here or it’s out there, you choose,” and he sat
on the bed and took off his shoes.
Maddie sat on the bed too.
“Look, maybe this place isn’t up to your
standards but I need to rest.”
Maddie could neither speak nor think
anymore because her body was tired from being
scared all night. Her muscles ached with chill and
fright and although the bed was lumpy, it still made
her sleepy.
She didn’t hear another word he said but she
lay out on the bed and Michael, or Lucian, or
whatever his name was went to take a shower.
Maddie lay and was just about to pass into sleep
when she had a sudden burst of energy. She walked
into the bathroom where Michael was showering
and demanded that he tell her why the man, Basteau
called him Lucian.
“Hey!” and Michael jumped.
“Jesus!” said Michael and he bent down to
pick up the soap. Maddie’s eyes followed him down
to the floor and noticed how round his butt was
when tensed from a standing over position.
“Why did that guy call you Lucian?”
“Do we have to go through this now?”
“Just answer the question. Who are you?”
“I am Lucian Marcon; born and raised in
Paris until I was twelve. Upon which, my father
moved us to the United States but I couldn’t very

well go around with a name like Lucian. My peers
made fun of me and no one understood it, so I go by
Michael.”
“Who is your father? You said that he went
to Sorbonne with that man?”
”Anton Marcon is my father, he was a
banker. He studied with Baldric and Sean at
Sorbonne.”
“Will you stop saying that? My father didn’t
study in Paris. He studied at Cambridge, where he
was born and practically raised.”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, can I have
some privacy now?”
Maddie stood there for another moment and
then she left. She lay on the bed and dozed off for a
few with the lights turned off. She didn’t even feel
Michael climb into the bed next to her because she
was so tired.
Through the night she had bad dreams about
her father and her husband. In the dreams, they
were both conspiring to have her killed. Maddie
was scared for her life and she kept seeing her
fathers face and it had that same look she had
always known but this time she saw something
sinister in it. It was like she had always known that
there was something off about him, but she never
questioned her feeling, or her father’s peculiarity.
Then she dreamed about the night that she
and Joe made love that first night in the desert. The
first night they realized that they loved each other.
Although she was dreaming, she could feel his
kisses on her neck and the heat of his chest as it

closed in on her naked breasts. Maddie moaned
aloud and turned over on her side. The dream
continued and Maddie tossed and turned in her
sleep.
Michael vibrated on the bed as Maddie
tossed and turned for a few moments, then he woke
her. He was a light sleeper and couldn’t relax with
the bed motioning. Michael turned her over and
shook her arms slightly and she moaned. Upon
shaking her a second time, Maddie opened her eyes
and looked straight into his. Michael looked at her
saying nothing and then Maddie put her hand
around the back of his neck and pushed his face
close to hers. Michael was hoping this would
happen and that maybe she would forgive him for
the mess they were in. He was happy when she
kissed him and he knew she wanted him despite
everything.
They kissed momentarily and although
Maddie, in her mind, was thinking about her
husband, Michael really felt like every cell in his
body had come to life at that moment with her.
Maddie’s thoughts bounced between Joe and
Michael even more rigorously when he snuck his
hand under her shirt and groped her breasts. Maddie
began to tug at her shirt in an effort to get it over
her head while continuing to kiss Michael. Michael
released her breast and she pulled her top off and he
put his lips around one of her large brown areolas
and licked at the tips of their erectness. Then taking
his mouth and opening it wider, he put as much of
her breast in his mouth as he could and gently

pulled his head back. He used is teeth to graze her
skin gently and then stuck out his tongue to flick her
tips. He kneaded her other breast with his mouth
and stuck his middle finger down below on her
mound and massaged her. Maddie, who felt
betrayed by Michael, focused her thoughts on Joe as
she tried to push his head into her so that he could
continue arousing her. She put her slim hands on
him and felt that he was more than ready to go;
Michael almost exploded on her with only her
touch.
Maddie grabbed onto his round bum and
pulled his hips on to hers. They grinded there bodies
together until finally Michael leaned back and
looked at her laying there. His eyes enlarged as he
took in her breasts and nice hips, he pushed her legs
to both sides and was amazed to see that she had
completely shaved on the lips but not up front,
where a neatly trimmed bush grew. Maddie kissed
and bit his chest, arms and neck as he ran his
forefinger from her hole to her mound and back
down, then gently pushed his finger in to feel her
moistness. She lay back with her breasts to the sky
and arched her back so as to push her hips further
down on his finger. Michael pulled his finger out
and tasted her; then went down where he licked and
swallowed all the moisture she had to give.
When he cleaned her nice and good, he
began to arouse her again so as to produce more
moisture by rubbing his warm hard cock on her clit.
Maddie used her fingers to spread her lips and
pushed her hips forward so he could rub harder

while at the same time he put his mouth on her
nipples again. This time, not only did more moisture
come, but so did she. Maddie’s cries echoed off the
walls as her body tensed up.
When finally her body relaxed, he rubbed
the tip of his penis on her pinkness up and down
with the head. He entered her slowly and he filled
her up sliding skin on skin, his cock against her wet
vaginal walls. As he pumped in and out slowly, she
breathed even harder as every thrust he made
rubbed her funny spot. Without much effort she
made a crescendo and he could hold it back no
longer and the evidence of his true feelings for her
covered her breasts and belly.
He got up and retrieved a towel from the
bathroom for her to wipe down with.
“Thank you,” she said and he crawled into
bed next to her. She could hardly deny to herself
that she enjoyed her moment with Michael but she
wished he was Joe. The truth is she found him sexy
but she her anger had returned and it made her hate
him. Yes, Michael satisfied her as she hadn’t been
satisfied since she had first been married. Maddie
felt extremely guilty about what had happened
between them and she wished she could take it all
back.
Michael then caressed and kissed her neck
and body. For some reason, she always saw him as
a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” type. When she told
him this, he mumbled sleepily,
“You’re not just an ordinary woman, but are

truly exceptional. I have loved you for a long time
now.”
Maddie heard what he said but at the
moment, she didn’t have feelings except for anger,
and she said,
“I miss Joe,” and she rolled over, cried, and
went to sleep.
Michael tried to sleep after she rolled over
but he couldn’t ignore what he had heard. Severe
disappointment kept him awake. He felt ashamed
for what he’d done to Maddie, but he also inwardly
punished himself for being stupid enough to think
that Maddie would ever care for him.
Chapter 8
Like a light, she was out cold and when the
sun was completely up, she slept through the
roosters that crowed up and down the street.
Exhaustion commandeered her body and she barely
woke in time to catch Michael getting ready to
leave. He sat on the bed, took off his shoes and
socks, followed by the blood sprayed tee shirt and
jeans from earlier that morning.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m changing.”
Maddie said nothing as he took off his
trousers; she couldn’t help but admire his smooth
skin and the overall visual of his long lean body.
Maddie’s eyes hadn’t adjusted to being
awake and she closed them to block out the bright
sun light that broke through the shades and around
his body. She rubbed her eyes and reopened them to
watch him put on a cheap pair of blue jeans with
cheap but overpriced loafers which he pulled from
the bag with the tavern’s logo. It was obvious to
Maddie that this man was used to dressing well as
she looked at his expensive leather soled shoes that
lay shredded on the carpet. He slipped a light
colored button down linen looking shirt onto his
smooth chest. Then he brushed the hair off the side
of his face and caught Maddie admiring him.
For a moment their eyes met and a small
part of her hoped that he would return to the bed
with affection. Unfortunately, whatever bond they
had shared only hours before was already gone in
his mind. He broke eye contact with her almost as
immediately as they made it and went to comb his

hair. Michael grabbed his dirty clothes and put them
in the bag from the lobby shop and turned to head
toward the door.
“Where are you going?” asked Maddie. But
Michael didn’t say a word, nor did he look back at
her. Maddie laid there for a moment and watched
the door close without much thought; then it
dawned on her that he was leaving without her.
Quick as lightening, Maddie jumped out of
bed, threw on her dirty clothes, and ran toward the
door. She didn’t see him on either side of the hall as
she ran toward the elevator. When she made it to
the lobby, she didn’t see any sign of him there
either.
“Excuse me, did you see a man in a light
shirt walk by?” she asked the desk clerk who
nodded his head, pointed toward the back entrance
and told her he went left.
Maddie ran out of the back of the hotel and didn’t
see anyone, but the car they drove was still in the
lot. She wondered if he had tricked her as she
walked back inside the hotel and up to the front
desk.
“Can I borrow your phone please?” the desk
clerk shook his head and pointed toward a lobby
phone that was hooked to desk and to a wall. She
walked over to the desk and sat down. Trying to
remember her father’s number, she beat her head
and cursed herself for not memorizing numbers, as
she had promised herself she’d do. Like a child of
the digital age, she allowed technology to do just

about everything for her.
She gave up trying to remember her father’s
number and went over to the lobby computer and
logged into her account. After sending some money
to the front desk money gram service, she surfed the
Internet to find a rental car. Realizing that the town
she was in was too small for the Internet, she
walked up to the guy behind the counter who was
even less helpful when he explained to her that she
would have to catch a tourist bus to Palm Desert if
she wanted to rent a car.
Thirty minutes later, after the money gram
came through, she walked down the street in search
of food. The town was small and dusty looking with
only a few buildings right under the bright blaze of
the sun. Huge mountains surrounded the town,
preventing the travel of the sun’s rays, which made
the temperature rise. She swatted her shirt against
her chest as she squinted her eyes and noticed a
little diner across the street.
Inside the diner, there were many people
sitting down to breakfast. The waitress led her to a
seat and just as she was about to sit, she saw him. In
that light and at that time, there was something
about him that looked completely sleazy and
cowardly. Maybe it was just her anger that made
him appear that way. Maddie felt a ball of rage
grow in the pit of her stomach at the sight of him.
In an instant, Maddie decided that she would
confront the coward.
“I’ll sit over there, I know him.”
“Can I get you a drink?” asked the waitress.

“Coffee and water, thanks.” Maddie looked
back at Michael who stared back at her.
“I half expected you to go running out of
here when you saw me,” he just stared at her with
those blue eyes that she certainly hated.
“Are you gonna tell me?”
“Tell you what?” he asked stupidly as he
looked away.
“You KNOW what!” and she continued, “I
want to know why you ran out on me; especially
after last night.”
He said nothing, but continued to stare out
of the window. Maddie continued to stare at him
brazenly but after a moment, he spoke, “I am sorry
if I hurt you. You are a truly beautiful woman but
last night was a mistake. Neither one of us is in the
position to get involved right now. I just think its
best if we separate now before we get each other
into trouble.”
“I’m already in trouble, thanks to you. Now,
you’re just going to abandon me when I have no
clue as to what’s going on?”
“I told you all I know but, for some reason,
you don’t want to listen!” he said as he got up. She
also rose and followed him outside where he tried to
outwalk her, but she only walked faster too.
“So that’s it? Huh? You’re just gonna leave
me here? Tell me something, how is it that we could
get each other in trouble? Is that a legitimate cover
up for your being a coward? You know if you want
to run out on me, than fine...”
At that point, out of nowhere a black car

drove down the street. Maddie didn’t notice it
because she was still berating Michael. Michael
turned his head slightly, looked behind him with his
peripheral vision and saw out of the corner of his
eye, the car slow down and make a 360 u turn. He
slightly turned his head back and began to walk
faster. Maddie, still shouting, followed Michael
without noticing and as he began to once again pick
up his pace, so did Maddie.
The black car caught up to them, then
slowed a few paces behind, stalking them like a
hunter. Michael tried to keep his cool and walked
even faster followed by Maddie who continued to
walk and talk faster. He veered off to the right into a
parking lot full of cars just as the door to the black
car opened, from where came a man who walked in
their direction.
Maddie still shouted and didn’t notice how
Michael looked back and saw the man, then ran
toward the end of the parking lot where there was a
wall he could climb over. Maddie remained
completely oblivious as she screamed even harder
and louder,
“FINE! GO THEN!” and she stopped right
there on the tar.
Michael, having another stroke of
conscience, turned around, ran back and grabbed
Maddie by shoulders and shouted,
“LET’S GO!”
“WHAT? So you want me to come with you
now? Why are you running?” she asked as she
followed him. Michael jumped on a car and put his

hands on the cement wall, then swung one of his
legs over the side.
“What are you doing?” Maddie asked as she
turned around and finally saw the man running
toward them. She turned back around to see
Michael motion to her as his second leg reached
over the wall.
Maddie made it up onto the car, but it was
too late because the man yanked Maddie by the
arm, which caused her to tumble onto the bumper,
and then she rolled off onto the ground. He grabbed
her around the waist and attempted to drag her off
but Michael, who had jumped back over the wall to
help Maddie, grabbed him around the neck and
jerked him back.
Maddie tumbled forward out of the man’s
grip, turned around and kicked him in the crotch.
He keeled over and the man in the driver’s seat of
the car that followed them ran over to help his fallen
accomplice. The man was a puny skinny guy and
when Michael punched him square in the jaw, he
fell unconscious to the ground. Michael ran over
toward the driver’s seat, turned and beckoned
Maddie who ran around to the passenger’s side.
“Were those the same guys from last night?”
asked Maddie.
“I don’t know,” and they left the parking lot.
Instead of trying to stop for breakfast again,
Michael drove them straight back to Los Angeles.
Maddie was so excited to be going home and all she
could think about was what Joe would say when he
saw her. After two hours, Maddie awoke and found

that they were stuck in traffic somewhere. She
wasn’t sure if they were in Los Angeles or Orange.
“Where are we?”
“Brea,” said Michael, which was a few
hours away with the traffic involved.
“Great,” she mumbled to herself.
More than anything Maddie wanted to be home so
she could shower and look good for Joe when he
came home.
They pulled up to Maddie’s house in
Westwood four hours later. Hardly able to control
her excitement, she left the car quickly and only
mumbled goodbye as she slammed the door. At this
point, Maddie made another naïve mistake by
trusting her captor to know her address. She didn’t
even ask him what his plans were and was about to
walk away when it occurred to her that she should
ask. Michael rolled down the passenger side
window,
“So, I guess this is it? Do you think those
guys will come after us again?”
“No, I doubt it,” he looked at her and said “I
think you’ll be fine.”
“Well, what about us?”
“What about us? You’re married and
someone tried to kill me. I am surprised at you; all
you could think of was getting back to Joe. You
don’t care about me.”
Maddie didn’t know how to respond to Joe’s
attitude of indifference. She looked at her house and
said,
“Well, I hope things work out for you,” and

she walked up the pathway to the garage of her
home.
Michael sat in the car and watched Maddie
walk for a moment. As soon as she closed the door,
he turned the car on and drove a quarter of a mile
down the road, made a u turn and parked. Michael
had no intention of leaving Maddie because she was
the key to getting his life back. He would sit there
and wait until the moment came and then he would
take charge.
Chapter 9
Lucian Marcon had always been a good boy
with very good looks. Many were instantly charmed
by his sweet, smooth face, and more so by his large
unusually almond shaped blue eyes. As a child, his
head was an angelic foam of white-blonde hair that
strikingly contrasted his tan skin. When he was a
toddler, his parents never had a hard time finding
someone to babysit the handsome boy.
The little boy had long legs and long arms
that greatly contributed to his ability to play
football. Lucian was agile and his parents loved to
send him to practice because it helped him to burn
his insurmountable energy. His father couldn’t be
more proud of his athleticism and although he
placed a great value on his education, he also had
hopes that maybe he would play football
professionally.
Lucian was also the kind of person who
enjoyed doing things hands on rather than
theorizing, remembering, or citing events. His
favorite things to do were to help either his mother
or father with chores around the house. Both of his
parents loved the fact that the boy wanted to help
clean the fireplace or pick up shopping supplies for
them. Lucian loved to get approval and affection
from both parents which would motivate him to be
as helpful as he could, except for when he really
wanted to play.
His mind wasn’t all bad either; he did fairly
well in all academic areas, even math. He was a
well based all around friendly kid whom many
people favored and showered with affection and

attention. The teachers who worked with him loved
him so much that even when he did poorly in class,
they would favor him with extra attention or give
him a few extra points where they could.
Aside from being a loveable child, Lucian
was a high spirited, highly impassioned boy who
either loved or hated people. At school, he was very
popular amongst many; rarely was he challenged by
an opponent because people’s love of him would
bring them automatically to his defense. Plus, it was
rare for him to meet a person who did not have a
quality that the boy would admire.
To those whom he didn’t like, it was usually
for good reason. Perhaps they were mean, shallow,
or bullied other children and to their rescue, he
would come. Toward those who weren’t as popular,
Lucian would lend them his support and be their
friends. Often times, he would introduce them to
others who he felt they would get along with.
He loved his mother and his father very
much but he never knew too much about his other
family. Once he met his grandfather from his
father’s side but he died several years later. Most of
his parent’s family and friends lived in, or around,
Paris. Yet, Lucian was so popular that he never
suffered from loneliness; he had plenty of friends
and plenty of dates in addition to his mother’s
constant affection.
His father was a very busy man who worked
as a law clerk in an extension of his grandfather’s
business in Bruges, Brussels. He rarely saw the
man, for he was always the first one up and the last
one down. They never had a nanny, so he had
plenty of time to spend with his mother who loved
taking care of him. The child was a leader and a
caregiver by nature, all the way up until his father
ran off with him to Paris.
For the longest time, Lucian was under the
impression that his father, Anton Marcon, fled with
Lucian to live in Paris so he could study law at the
University. Anton came from a working class
family of civil lawyers, but they were by no means
poor. Unlike the children he went to boarding
schools with, he wasn’t brought up in a life of
decadent abundance. Still, he was well taken care of
and usually got what he wanted.
When Anton was eighteen, rather than go to
college as his family wished, he married his
girlfriend from school, Gabrielle. She was from an
entrepreneurial French family who had sent her
away to school for most of her life. Making
women’s hats, brassieres, and shoes was the family
business and Gabrielle hated it and hated her
mother, but she was always fashionably dressed and
many boys always admired her.
What Gabrielle didn’t understand was that it
was the beginning of a new age for women. Women
all over were giving up the traditional family and
stepping into the workplace with the goals and
determination to prove themselves. Gabrielle’s
mother, Heidi, was a strong activist who wanted to
be an example and when her father learned that he
was dying of cancer, Heidi begged him to leave her
the companies. After many weeks, he finally

conceded that his only child, Heidi should inherit
the companies rather than her cousin. In turn, he
made her promise him that she would rather work
her spirit dry, than allow their family to lose the
companies their family had taken generations to
make a success.
Unfortunately, Heidi’s schedule was very
demanding which left her with very little time to
spend with Gabrielle or her husband. Although for a
time she tried, eventually Heidi had to give in to
pressure and ran the companies on an extremely
demanding schedule. This led to the premature
ending of her marriage.
With her husband gone, Heidi had no choice
but to hire a staff to help raise her daughter but in
rebellion, her daughter gave everyone an awful lot
of heartache. Subsequently, Heidi could not find a
nanny to successfully manage Gabrielle, which led
to many who quit or were fired. Gabrielle’s father,
who was always working in his family’s investment
firm wouldn’t give Gabrielle the time of day, so
Heidi started sending her off to school at the age of
nine.
Gabrielle as a young woman didn’t
understand what her mother, or Parisian women,
were going through at that time. She resented her
mother for most of her life and looked down on the
working woman. Gabrielle vowed that she would
raise a proper family, like she never had. She
wanted to start a family to give and receive the love
she felt she was denied.
Heidi always spoke of Gabrielle taking over

the companies when she was old enough. It was her
dream that her daughter should be as successful and
strong as she was. Upon hearing that Gabrielle had
the notion that she would be a house wife, Heidi
tried to interfere by ending her term with the
academy early. Unfortunately, Heidi was too late
and she would regret it for the rest of her life.
When Gabrielle met Anton, it was heavenly
for her because he showered her with the affection
she felt she never had. To use a modern expression,
she ate it up without a single question. Gabrielle
gave him all her trust and in return, he blanketed on
her love and affection.
Although they never lay together until they
were married, she knew she only wanted to be with
him. They would spend their days making out in her
dorm, where he would sneak in by climbing up the
side of the building and in through her window.
They only saw each other for several months before
he asked her to marry him. When she agreed, it was
with the condition that they elope before her mother
could interfere, and then she promised to give him a
wonderful life and family.
A few years later, they both were to be
found renting a Belgium house close to where
Anton’s family had secured work for him as law
clerk. Gabrielle was pregnant with Anton’s first
child and they were very happy. Unfortunately that
happiness didn’t spread out to appreciate Bruges,
for at that time it was fashionable to be modern and
follow entrepreneurial spirit. Bruges, in contrast,
was an ancient city struggling to bridge itself from

an old world to a new modern one. In addition,
Gabrielle extremely missed her friends and was
very lonely there. Anton never saw how much she
struggled because he became consumed with
working around the clock.
The Marcons lived in Bruges for almost five
years and as Anton’s work schedule became more
and more hectic, Gabrielle became more and more
desperate. The first time she spent almost two
weeks in their house alone with no one to talk to,
she nearly went mad. Anton only came home in the
evenings well after she was in bed while only
spending as much as an hour in the mornings with
her, just long enough to breakfast and leave.
Gabrielle told Anton that it just wouldn’t do
because she needed him there to help with the baby.
Anton only insisted that he had no control over his
work schedule and that he needed to work to keep
up with their bills. When she asked him to hire help
for her, he laughed at her, told Gabrielle she was
ridiculous, and dismissed her entirely.
Gabrielle was never quite fooled by Anton’s
swear of abiding by a stringent work schedule. Still,
she tried to ignore her gut for the sake of the baby
as well as their good name. After many more
months of loneliness, she couldn’t take it anymore
and set out to find the truth. When she confirmed
her suspicions by following him after work one day,
she decided that she would no longer be the foolish
wife at home. If Anton was going to go out and
have a life without her, than she also would have a

life.
It all began when she hired Estelle, an old
retired nurse who needed a bit of income. Against
Anton’s wishes, Gabrielle moved Estelle into one of
the guest bedrooms. She was a nice elderly woman
whose husband had died and children had moved on
to bigger cities for work. Estelle helped her with
cooking and the baby for next to nothing and
Gabrielle blissfully pursued a life of her own.
Gabrielle went out looking for trouble and it
didn’t take long for her to find it. On her very first
day out, without her boy or the worry of chores, she
spent the afternoon perusing books in the city’s best
bookstore. It was there she met the man she would
idolize for a few months. Francois was a store clerk
who had recently graduated from the University and
had several girlfriends, of which Gabrielle hadn’t a
clue. He first lured her with his kind intellectual
savvy, which Gabrielle found irresistible.
After several meetings, a few of which were
over coffee and a meal, Gabrielle allowed herself to
be further lured to Francois’ apartment. For a time,
Gabrielle was happy and couldn’t care about what
the consequences of her actions would be. All she
knew was that she had a thrill of life again and it
made her happier than she had been in years.
Anton, being no fool either, noticed the
change in his wife. When he asked Estelle, she said
she didn’t know but, of course, mentioned that she
spent most afternoons away. Now, Estelle told him
exactly what Gabrielle told her, which was that she
had been studying in the free bookshop across town.

Anton didn’t believe Estelle’s story of Gabrielle,
not even for a moment and one day, he followed
her.
He kissed his wife that morning and told her
he loved her, Gabrielle didn’t reply. He then went to
work for a few hours but then returned to the
neighborhood. He sat out of sight, down the street,
up on a stoop of which he knew the residents would
be gone, and where most people wouldn’t be able to
see him. When Gabrielle exited the door, he
followed her down the street to the shop on the
corner.
Anton hung back and watched her enter the
shop. Then he, himself, entered just in time to catch
Gabrielle at a corner table as she leaned over and
kissed a gentleman on the cheek. It appeared
innocent enough; except it was not lady-like in
those days to meet with strange men, so Anton
decided to sit and observe. They conversed with
affection and Anton was extremely jealous.
When they left, he continued his pursuit of
them to the man’s lair, and it was when they
approached the building that he knew for certain
what was going on. He hung back once more and
when they disappeared inside, he asked the door
man which room they went into. Anton walked up
two flights of stairs and down to the number the
man occupied.
Anton gently tried to twist the knob but
found that it was locked. He knocked gently on the
door and when it opened, he forced himself inside.
The man was quick and immediately tried to shut

the door on him, but Anton stuck his foot in and
then leaned his shoulder into the door. He pressed
inward with all his strength and the man tumbled
backward and fell.
He walked in, shut the door and violently
attacked Francois. When Gabrielle heard Francois
yell, she came out and tried to stop Anton. She
placed her hands on his back and tried to pull him
away, but he turned around and knocked her
unconscious to the floor. The man was in a corner
holding his eye as Anton walked toward him and
continued to beat him nearly to death. When he lay
on the floor unconscious, Anton kicked in his crotch
so that he was from then on impotent.
Gabrielle had awoken and tried to leave, but
he grabbed her by the neck and swung her away
from the door. She screamed in terror as he came at
her with his belt and slowly she backed away until
the open window was behind her. She looked at
Anton, looked at the bloody heap of Francois, then
she looked out of the window, and then she jumped.
Anton returned to his home after Gabrielle
jumped out of the window. Estelle was preparing
dinner and Lucian was down the street with a play
pal. He said hello to Estelle as though nothing was
wrong and ascended to his room to pack a bag.
Next, he packed a bag for Lucian and then dug out
his wall safe, taking every last dollar he had hidden.
Downstairs Estelle told him where Lucian was and
he left.
Two hours later, they were on the train to

Paris and not one individual stopped them.
Gabrielle and her lover were taken to the hospital
unconscious. Since they had no identification on
them, the police were forced to neglect tracking
down Anton until they figured out who they were.
Apparently, both Gabrielle and her lover
nearly died from the experience. They both woke up
the next day in the hospital surrounded by their
families. In spite of the shame they felt Gabrielle
had brought them all, they agreed Anton needed to
be brought up on charges. The police agreed that his
actions were monstrous but they were too late, as
Anton had already packed and left for Paris, taking
Lucian with him.
When they got to Gare Du Nord, Anton
hailed a cab at the entrance. They stopped at a hotel
for dinner, Anton told Lucian to sit tight and he
would be back. He walked out to the closest pay
phone and called his best friend from school. The
man he called was a nasty, cynical, man who
nevertheless had always “been there” for Anton.
Baldric Engelard was rumored to be a young
contemporary version of an impoverished aristocrat.
Straight out of an historical novel, he was snobby,
judgmental, and scathingly sinister. Although
technically impoverished, his family was still
relatively wealthy; they just were unlikely to be
passing any money onto him once they died. For
this, Baldric was often angry and resentful that his
family should live the good life while he had to go
out and be a base commoner.
As it turned out, most people’s summation

of the Engelard’s lot was indeed correct. One day
Baldric was away at school and his father, Earl
Baldric III, died of heart failure. In his younger
days, he was pretty fit but before he died, his
doctors warned him that he had blocked arteries.
Instead of taking care like the doctors ordered, he
continued to drink and eat as though he had nothing
to lose.
After the ordeal of losing his father, Baldric
merely received 100,000 francs and his title, while
his mother inherited a single million; which she
depleted well before her own death then had to go
live with her sister and husband. All of their assets
were eventually sold off at auction, including their
thirty room mansion which sold to the Vatican at a
fraction of the cost. The Vatican then, later turned it
into a monastery for Italian priests as an extension
to the throne of Rome. As for the 100,000 francs,
for a man like Baldric, it might as well have been
only 100.
When Anton made it to Paris, it was to find
that Baldric had indeed digressed, and not just
financially. The first night or two, they had great
fun catching up together about school but
afterwards, it became clear that Baldric had evolved
into a debase scheming man. Now, although Anton
was not by any means a saint, he was not nearly as
sinister as Baldric. Or at least, not at first and Anton
was not easily drawn into his schemes; that is, once
again, not at first.
Baldric was seeing a woman who was there

as a summer exchange student. She was a young
dark haired woman whose American Indian heritage
was beautifully displayed in her cheeks and hazel
eyes. In Paris, she was coveted as an exotic beauty
for being the tall, dark daughter of a wealthy
investor and Baldric saw her as the key to his
future.
In an effort to lure her, he would bring her
around to his mother’s house and bedazzle her into
thinking that he was a great man of wealth. In truth,
the woman knew he was poor and had only just
inherited the title of Earl from his father. She was
well aware that he did not have a foothold in any
upper circle of society and in that day, titles had
become less important than they once were. This, in
essence, left Baldric as a man with no prospects
aside from a University degree.
Sarah was the American woman’s name
who was very much taken with Baldric at first, but
after getting a taste of his nasty side, later fell for
another handsome bachelor at the university. Armel
was a good hearted, hardworking, Parisian from an
up and coming entrepreneurial family. Seeing as
entrepreneurialism was becoming more revered
than titles, Sarah was naturally drawn to the man
who was destined to change the world of
engineering with designs his professors claimed to
be ingenious.
Armel was a complete opposite from
Baldric’s scathingly sinister aura which Sarah found
refreshing. It only took a few dates to convince her
that he was a better man and although she had

promised her heart to the Engelard, she had planned
to leave him for Armel. Unfortunately, she left to
the United States before she could tell Baldric that it
was over. Instead, he learned she was seeing Armel
from a mutual friend.
Several weeks after Anton arrived with
Lucian, Baldric went to the university pub for a
couple of drinks. Armel walked in with one of his
buddies; never did he notice that Baldric sat in the
corner looking at him as he did. Baldric seethed in
the corner with hatred but eventually Armel’s friend
left the pub. Armel remained for another drink and
when he left, Baldric followed him out, down the
street, and up several blocks to the men’s dorm.
Baldric followed him without seeing
anything around him except the back of Armel. At
that moment, nothing around him was noticed,
except for the back of Armel; not the city lights, not
the traffic, not the people who passed them on the
streets. Not that he actually was enraged because he
loved Sarah, but he hated Armel for his good looks
and good fortune. Then, he had the nerve to walk in
on his territory and ruin his future and then, just
outside of his dorm, he pulled out a pistol and shot
him in the back.
The shot brought Baldric back to reality and
he looked around to find there were several people
that sat along the hedged brick wall that extended
on both sides of the glass entry to the men’s dorm.
Slowly Baldric turned his head left and right to see
a dozen eyes burning him with their stares. Next he
saw their eyes begin to shift toward Armel’s body

that was oozing blood on the concrete. At first they
were all stunned by the loud sound and they spent
half a minute adjusting their heads from the
direction between Armel and Baldric. Some were
sitting while others were standing but once they
realized what they were looking at, they all started
to rise or walk toward them. Immediately, he got
scared, turned, and ran back to the loft where he
found Anton making dinner for Lucian.
Baldric, who could never hold onto a single
dime, begged Anton for money. Anton felt as
though he owed Baldric for taking him in, so he
gave him all that he had. Baldric then boarded a
plane to the United States that night and went to
find Sarah. Once there, he convinced his mother to
help him out and he bought a house. Having
delivered a great story about Armel being shot, and
consequently dead, Sarah agreed to marry Baldric
and Maddie was soon conceived.
Through Sarah’s father, Baldric was able to
get a good job as an executive at the investment
firm which was started by her great grandfather.
Baldric couldn’t have been happier because he was
making a steady income and didn’t have to work to
hard. They lived a rich, elegant life and were well
respected in their community. Baldric was very
proud until the day when Armel did the unthinkable
and came looking for them.
Sarah was feeding newly born Maddie when
she got the call. It was such a shock that she almost
fainted. Armel told her that he was in the country,
staying at the airport hotel, and wanted to see her

and Maddie. Sarah knew that this was a bad idea
because she had seen Baldric lose his temper before
and she was concerned for Armel’s safety; however,
Armel shook off her warning and insisted that they
all have a talk.
Armel claimed that he had been in a coma
and that was why he hadn’t come for her as they
agreed. During their conversation, Sarah became
extremely emotional and nostalgic; she confessed
her real love for him and that she would allow him
to see the baby. What she didn’t know was that
Baldric had been listening in on their conversation,
but he didn’t care if Sarah loved him or not. He only
cared that she was beautiful, rich, and helped afford
him his lifestyle, which is why he didn’t care about
the phone call.
A couple days later, Baldric walked in after
having a long stressful day at work to find Sarah
and Armel sitting in the living room. Baldric was
already in a foul mood because of the rain and cold
outside. When he walked in, it was clear that he
surprised both of them, which made Baldric
suspicious and fouler. At that time, it was not
proper for a woman to invite a suitable man into
ones house and to see the looks on their faces only
made it obvious that something was going on.
“You mind telling me what is going on
here?” asked Baldric. Sarah sat frozen on the couch,
staring down at her shoes while Armel looked
intently at Baldric.
“I have come to see Sarah and Madeleine.

This is gonna be hard for you to hear but Madeleine
is not your daughter, she is mine. You see Sarah and
I were going to marry before I was hospitalized. I
do not wish to drive a wedge between you two, but I
want to see Madeleine?”
The look on Baldric’s face was of fierce outrage
and Armel hurried to explain himself.
“Look, I understand that you love Sarah but
we were supposed to be married before my
accident. You see, she was pregnant and we were
going to start a life together. Although I still feel
that we are meant to be, she feels an obligation to
you, which I will respect. Now, I just want to see
my daughter.”
Baldric looked at Armel and contemplated
the chance that he really did not know that it was he
who had put him in the coma. He really didn’t care
that Armel wanted to see Maddie; in fact, he never
wanted children and hoped to be rid of her but what
if he made the connection one day and came for
him. The only way to prevent that would be to give
him Maddie and force his wife to never see him
again.
“You may show him to Maddie’s room but I
want to speak with you privately,” he said to his
wife.
Baldric and Sarah fought explosively after
Armel went upstairs to see Maddie. Baldric left,
slamming the door and peeling out of the garage.
He tried to persuade Sarah to let Armel have
Madeleine, but instead Sarah was defiant. When she
realized he was trying to dump her daughter, she

insisted they both leave. Sarah couldn’t let Baldric
separate her from her only child. It was always
obvious to her how little he cared for her and her
baby girl, so she took the opportunity to declare that
she was meant to be with Armel.
Now, Baldric sat in his car, a little ways
down the street in the rain and waited. He had
determined that he would take care of Armel once
and for all. It didn’t matter if he got caught because
now that he knew he wasn’t wanted for murder, he
could go back to Paris. He could go back to the
apartment where Anton and Lucian were.
One hour later, Sarah carried little Maddie
out of the house while Armel packed the car full of
bags. Baldric followed the rental car to the airport
motel; Baldric sat in his car and watched them go
into their room. A few hours later, when all the
lights were out, he took the gun he kept in the glove
compartment and walked up to the door. He walked
quietly up the steps and looked out and around to
see that all was dark, except for the city lights.
Baldric gently tapped on the door several
times before Armel got up to open the door. As he
opened the door to a crack, Baldric didn’t waste any
time and kicked it in which hit Armel square in the
face. Armel stumbled backward into the room and
Sarah jolted upright in bed. Baldric walked in
without wasting a moment of time and shot him in
the head, then turned and shot Sarah, who only had
a second to register in the dark that it was her
husband who was about to kill her.
He stood with the gun pointed at little

Maddie who screamed and cried in fright.
Amazingly enough, Baldric found that he did have a
bit of heart because when he tried to shoot the gun a
third time, his grip wouldn’t let him. He was about
to leave the room when he stopped with the idea of
keeping the baby girl as a foothold into the family.
With that thought, he turned around and picked up
little Maddie, he searched quickly for Sarah’s and
Armel’s wallet and purse then he left.
Baldric decided when he returned to the
house that his situation couldn’t be more fortunate
then the way it was. With Sarah out of the picture, it
would be easier to keep an influence over the
family, which would secure his place within the
firm and subsequently his financial future. If he
couldn’t have Sarah, that was fine, but he could
raise Maddie as his own with the help of a nanny.
Besides, no one knew that she was not, in fact, his
and life was much easier without a woman in the
picture, he thought. Then in later years, perhaps he
could send her off to school like his parents did for
him. In this way, he could be a father but free of any
responsibility.
At home, Baldric cleaned his gun then
burned the wallet and purse in the fireplace. He
never called the police to file a report and when
Sarah’s parents came looking for her several days
later, he simply told them they had a fight when her
lover from Paris came to claim her. When he told
them she left him, they were enraged. They
screamed and yelled at Baldric, called him a liar
then they stormed out. Sarah’s parents had always

known her to be a responsible caring woman and
they refused to believe that she would leave her
baby, and the town, without telling them.
Sarah’s parents insisted that Baldric file a
missing person’s report, which he refused to do. It
was easy to refuse them with the logic that she had
left on her own and was not actually missing. Her
parents could do nothing but agree with him; but
after a few weeks went by, the parents took the
initiative and filed a missing persons report for
Baldric.
When the police came to ask Baldric
questions about the night Sarah left, he kept his
story short and simple. He told them Sarah said she
never loved him and then left with her lover from
college. During the entire interview, he fed and
rocked Maddie in his arms because he knew it
would bring him sympathy from the police; and it
worked.
The police never figured out that it was he
who killed Sarah and Armel. Although a few of
them did have suspicious feelings about Baldric,
they were based more on his strange uncaring
attitude toward the situation. When asked if he
cared about the fact that his wife went missing, he
logically supplied the answer that he didn’t have
time to worry about it as a single father.
Unfortunately, there were no witnesses and it was
another time with limited technology and common
sense; Baldric was ruled out as a suspect and the
case went unsolved.
About six months after that, Baldric brought

Anton and Lucian from Paris because times were
hard and the city was facing a long recession. Anton
had finished his coursework and could now practice
law but work competition was stiff. He needed a
well paying job and Baldric felt he owed him for
helping him get out of the country the night he shot
Armel. Plus, he was kind of lonely without friends
or family, the only person who would give him any
time of day was a lover whom he had no interest in.
She was getting too clingy in thinking that they
“had something special” and he realized he needed
to get away from depending on lovers for company.
So he flew Anton and his son out with his own
money and hired him to work as a lawyer at the
investment firm.
Having them both from Paris was a lot of
fun for Baldric. Anton got on well with Maddie and
her family, who had finally forgiven Baldric for, as
the mother said, “letting their daughter go.”
Everyone, even Baldric, especially loved young
Lucian who was adorably sharp as always. Baldric
found that he rather enjoyed having a young man
about the house that he could mentor and spend
innocent time with. Often they would play football
and go to the movies together while Anton would
be working.
They lived together for a few years while
Anton saved up enough money to buy a home.
Together, they were like a family in the home that
Baldric purchased with the help of his mother when
he first moved to the United States. Baldric turned
into a real slacker at work but because of Maddie,

the money continued to come in. It turned out to be
a good thing for Anton, who was under a hectic
work schedule, because Baldric loved to spend time
with Lucian over school work and dinner.
When Anton announced that he had finally
found a home for him and his son, Baldric could
hardly suppress his sadness. He had come to depend
on the two of them for company but it wasn’t long
after they moved out that he brought Sean Basteau,
his cousin from his mother’s side, to live with them
too.
Sean was only a few years younger than
Baldric and they had much in common. They liked
the same clothes, cars, and had the same taste in
women. The only difference being that Sean had an
insatiable appetite for alcohol and attention.
Otherwise, much like his cousin, he was scheming,
snobby, once was wealthy, and sinister.
Sean walked and talked like a conman, and
he was. Sean and Baldric were always scheming
about how to make more money together. When
Baldric brought him into the game of securities, it
was like bringing alcoholics to a bar. Anton
watched as together, they both schemed away at
people’s money and made a huge fortune for
themselves; and Anton was fabulous at covering up
their tracks for large cuts of their profits.
It wasn’t long before they all went their
separate ways. Anton had purchased an old manor
from an elderly man who, in turn, inherited it from a
family member; the old man could no longer afford
the upkeep. Sean only worked at the firm long

enough to make money that he could retire early on
which, through their schemes, didn’t take too many
years. However, Baldric stayed on for years with
the family business out of boredom, but also to get
out of the house and away from Maddie. Not that
she was a bad daughter but he would’ve gotten rid
of her if it wasn’t for her grandparents who insisted
that he keep her. He wanted to send her away to a
girl’s school and when they found out, they
threatened his position with the company. Although
they were no longer upset with him over their
daughter, they still didn’t like him.
Even after they moved away, Baldric,
Anton, and Sean all stayed in contact for a time and
would often vacation together. They loved to throw
extravagant parties and invite Hollywood elites and
beautiful women. They would try to bed as many
women as they could and be as outrageous as they
could. It was a time of pure enjoyment that they all
felt was deserved. Life challenged them and they
took the attitude that they won.
Anton died in 2005 of old age heart
problems, leaving Lucian the house and a half
million dollars. In spite of his beginnings, he was a
good father and Lucian loved him very much. They
never saw his mother again because Anton told
Lucian she was killed by her lover. Lucian missed
her very much but he never went back to Paris to
verify what his father told him; he never questioned
his father because he always had complete faith in
him.
Sean was now retired but still a crook at

heart, living in his old mansion like a Hugh Hefner
knock off. No one really knew what he was up to,
but it was speculated that he was involved in
numerous illegal activities. He still had crazy parties
with half the guests in attendance being beautiful
women on his payroll. Sean had no shame and he
certainly didn’t care about anything except feeling
fabulous and getting around the law.
Baldric eventually retired well too; he
remained as a father figure to Madeleine who never
suspected otherwise. He never returned to Paris, not
once, not even when his mother died. Madeleine’s
family eventually accepted Baldric as one of their
own and made him a partner as reward for the
profits he turned; at which point he fully, mentally
shed his old life.
Chapter 10
He was so happy to hear from Maddie, not
too mention surprised. Earl Baldric thought Maddie
was dead, or so he said. Earl tried everything he
could in order to rescue her and failed. Maddie
sobbed when she heard tell of the ordeal that he and
Joe went through. Joe had been fighting on a regular
basis with the police and even hired a private
detective to find her. They both missed her and
were going to get whoever was behind her
abduction.
Maddie told him everything that happened
to her during her time away. She told him where she
was, who was there, and gave all the information
she had overheard or learned. When Maddie told
him about Michael, he was outraged! It was just like
she thought; he never went to La Sorbonne and had
no idea who the Marcons or Basteaus were. He was
a proud Englishman at heart and like his father, was
raised in the greatest country in the world.
When she further elaborated what Michael
said about him and her husband being involved in
her kidnapping, he really lost his head. Earl Baldric
was going to kill that Michael Marcon and swore by
God that he was going to find him. How could
people make such horrible accusations against him?
He wouldn’t put up with it and Maddie would stand
by his side to get back at the man who made the
claims against him!
In any case, he was very happy to hear from
her and insisted that she meet with him immediately
at his favorite hotel in downtown Los Angeles. She
tried to convince him that they could meet the next

day because she wanted to surprise Joe. Her father
said it was important that they meet sooner because
he had some information for her regarding Joe.
After a few more words, she agreed to meet him.
Maddie took a quick shower and changed then she
got in her car and drove off as quickly as possible.
Michael was sitting in the car down the
street, eating a sandwich when she finally left the
house. He put the sandwich down and took off after
her, hoping that she would lead him where he
needed to go. Lucian was done playing games, ever
since he joined up with his longtime friend; he had
been dodging bullets left and right. This was
supposed to be a simple favor in exchange for a
little help to save his father’s property. Now, he
was an official kidnapper who was being hunted,
Joe was missing, and he hadn’t even been paid; his
life was now a mess.
Traffic through the cities was great as
everyone was busy trying to get where they were
going. Naturally at that time of day, it took almost
two hours to get to downtown. Michael struggled to
stay unnoticed behind her, which was very difficult
in the gridlock of traffic. When she finally pulled
off the freeway, he had to gun it on the side ramp
just to catch up with her.
He followed her through the towers of
downtown and when he saw the hotel she pulled
into, he drove ahead. Down a few blocks, Michael
made a turn at a light and parked on the street. After
which, he proceeded to walk back in the direction of
the hotel. The spot he parked in was a tow away at

that time in the evening and he parked there because
he knew that if he wasn’t leaving that hotel with
Maddie or Baldric, he’d be leaving by escort to jail.
As Maddie pulled into the business part of
downtown, she noted how it was a typical ghostly
town of an early Friday night. There were still a few
cars and straggler individuals who were going off to
dinner or home. As usual, she pulled up to her
father’s favorite hotel and had her car valeted.
Maddie got her ticket and made her way to
the hotel’s bar and restaurant. She went in and sat
down to a large Grey Goose martini. When her
father came in, he neither looked happy nor relieved
to see her in good health. Rather, he greeted her and
continued on a ramble about business while hardly
looking at her. Maddie felt like something was
wrong because, normally, he would make a show of
greeting her with hugs, kisses, and grand gestures.
“Stop,” said Maddie, “What’s going on?”
Baldric stopped talking and stared at her for a
moment; he was surprised by her directness.
Normally Maddie was a refined and patient person
but one could say that her patience had been worn
through; thanks to the ordeal she had experienced.
When Maddie looked into his eyes, she could see
that he was lying when he said,
“Well I don’t know what you’re talking
about. Can you elaborate? I am merely speaking of
work. Now, what is your question?”
“What I mean is, I have been through a
terrible ordeal; missing for almost two months and
all you ask of me is “’How are you?”’, don’t even

wait for an answer, and then go on about work.”
“Well, I figured rather then focus on the
bad; you may just want to forget the ordeal.”
“No, you’re a bad liar. Tell me something,
were you worried at all about the fact that I was
missing?”
Maddie and her father locked eyes for a
moment then someone plopped down next to her,
distracting her focus. She flicked her head to the
right and couldn’t believe it.
“Michael?” she asked.
“Hello, EARL!” he said loud and
obnoxiously.
“Michael what are you doing here? You
need to leave us, now!” said Maddie.
“Oh I am not here for you, sweetheart!” and
he looked at her father most intently, “I was going
to run off and accept that you screwed me and Joe,
for whatever reason, but you had to keep sending
your boys after me. Well, ya haven’t gotten RID of
me yet and here I am.”
“What are you talking about? Father? What
is he talking about, do you know him?” she looked
incredulously between them both then she noticed
that he was sitting rather rigidly. She looked down
and saw that he was holding something silver in his
lap. When Maddie realized what she was looking at,
she shrieked. The people at the next table looked
annoyed and then looked away. She looked up at
her father signaling Michael with her eyes, but he
stared undeterred at Michael while saying nothing.
“Well, I’ll be getting my money now. You

can get up real slowly and if you try anything, the
first person who will get a bullet in this room is
you.”
“Michael, stop this right now, this is my
father,” she said in a low voice.
“OH REALLY?” he said sarcastically,
“Would you like to know how much your father
loves you?”
Maddie tried to whisper hush to him as the
people were starting to stare.
“Well, I suppose now is as good of a time as
any to discuss the truth of the reason your husband
hired me to kidnap you. You didn’t believe that it
was really your father who was responsible the
entire time but you will in a moment. Your husband
was acting on his orders; I was helping him out in
exchange for help myself. Only instead of paying
me, Joe went missing and your father tried to kill
me. When he failed, he sent men to my house to
finish the job, but I escaped with you. ”
Maddie exhaled a loud angry sigh that the
whole restaurant heard. The maitre d’ went ot their
table and said, “I’m gonna have to ask you to be
quiet, or I’m going to ask you to leave.” As the
maitre d’s eyes lowered, he took in Michael’s
appearance which was a face distorted in anger with
big beads of sweat that covered his forehead and
body. It was hard to miss the look of disgust on his
face as his eyes traveled down to the silver butt of
the gun in his hand.
The host began to back away in shock and at

that point, it was time to go. In downtown Los
Angeles, police were often but a moment away in
either direction. Abruptly, Michael stood up, “All
right you two, get up. It’s time to go!” he said with
a cheerfulness that was inappropriate to the
situation. He continued to keep the gun pointed at
Maddie and her father. They rose as instructed and
Michael pointed them out and the whole restaurant
watched in amazement.
They walked out of the side of the
restaurant; Michael tucked the gun into the back of
his pants and held his hand on the butt while pulling
the shirt over to cover it.
“Ok,” he said, “let’s go out to the valet and
you can call your car.”
Two minutes later, Baldric’s car pulled up and they
stepped in without a word.
“Where to?” asked the driver.
“Tell him to take us to your bank, where you
can get the money that you owe me.”
“But you didn’t even finish the job!”
“You didn’t pay me when you said you
would and you tried to kill me!”
“WHAT? Are you two talking about?”
“Should I tell her, or should you?”
“Empire Commerce Bank, driver,” he said
without taking his eyes off of the gun Michael
pulled back out of his pants.
When they finally arrived, Michael carefully
replaced the gun back in his pants and they all
walked inside the bank. They walked through the
large marbled space and up to the teller who looked

at them as though they were strange. Baldric asked
to withdraw the money that was supposed to pay
Michael.
“Whaaat?” Maddie squealed when she heard
how much money.
“You want to take out $250,000 dollars in
cash?” asked the teller amazed.
“Yes,” said her father.
“So it’s true! You hired him to kidnap me!”
she tried to whisper.
“Not NOW! Maddie!” he said sternly and
aloud.
When they finally walked out of the bank,
“You’re coming still?” asked Maddie.
“Well, yeah. My job hasn’t been completed
yet. Besides, my appearance is too bizarre to be let
off around here.”
“Just what else is your job? You have your
money and the job, from what I can tell, is done
whether you like it or not. Now go!”
They stepped inside the car, “Sorry, the day
is not done yet,” he said in a psychotically chipper
tone. Michael walked around to the front of the car
and talked to the driver. He handed him $500 and
told him to catch a cab or a bus home and then he
sat in the driver’s seat and locked the doors.
“What the hell?” asked the father as Michael
rolled up the partition window.
They screamed and banged and yelled but
he ignored them and kept driving. Occasionally,
their banging and screaming would draw the look of
a driver next to them but, seeing as the windows

were tinted black and bullet proof, there was no way
for them to make outside contact. Baldric and
Maddie were stuck inside the car and they had no
idea where they were going. Even though they
pulled out their cell phones, Michael wasn’t worried
because he knew it would be difficult to track them;
especially when they didn’t know where he was
taking them.
As they drove away from the city and into
an area in which reception was weak, they could no
longer make phone calls. All they knew was that
they were about an hour inland and the area was
dry, dusty, grasslands. For the first time, Maddie
was truly frightened of Michael and worried about
what he was up to; she gripped Baldric by the hand
and held him tight.
Michael drove the car several miles up an
uneven deserted road then he grabbed his gun and
unlocked the doors. Rolling down the partition, he
said “Kindly get out of the car.”
They both sat scared and looked at each
other for a moment. Finally, Michael walked to the
back doors and opened them, pointing his gun at
them he said “Get out! Now!”
Maddie started crying, scared that this was
going to be their last moment but the father just
started to gab away in nervousness. Michael pointed
them in a direction over a small dusty hill and into a
green plain where the ground was soft. There was
nothing around them for miles, not even cars which
made their situation more frightening.
“You know, you’ll never get away with this,

people will be looking for you,” said Baldric.
“Yes but as long as your dead, which is all I
care about” Michael smiled sincerely. “Unless you
want to live?” he continued. “Answer me,” he said
when they didn’t reply “Am I to assume that you
want to live then?”
Feeling stupid, they looked at one another,
then at Michael, and then they nodded.
“Well then this is your chance to live,” he
continued, “You will tell me everything I want to
know.”
“Well, I didn’t do anything, Joe acted on his
own,” Baldric whined.
“So it’s true, you did know he was
responsible? Do you know how scared I’ve been?”
“Yes, I know that it must’ve been terrible
for you, but I made sure that you were treated
right.”
“Ha! Treated right? You tried to kill us! Is
that good treatment?” Maddie screeched out her last
word in anger.
“That wasn’t me! That was Joe! You’ve got
to believe me!”
“What would Joe want me dead for?” asked
Maddie.
“Well think about it Maddie, how have
things been at home? Have you noticed anything
strange?”
Silence ensued while Maddie reflected on
what she knew to be true. Joe had been acting
strange for months now. Maddie supposed that it
must’ve been another woman but her heart wasn’t

ready to stand up and accept that news.
“Let me start off by saying that I love you
Maddie and I would never want to hurt you. The
things I did, I did because I had no choice.”
“But I still don’t understand why,” she cried.
“Some years ago, before you and Joe met, I
had an affair with a woman. I met her at the hotel
lounge where I used to go for business meetings.
She was a beautiful and sweet woman; for the first
time in years, I was in love. The only problem was
her marriage and underlying devotion to her
husband.
Anna told me her reasons for participating in
an affair with me were only because her husband
was physically incapable of fulfilling her needs. We
would meet once or twice a week and then Anna
would be off and I wouldn’t hear from her again.
When I tried to see more of her, she warned me not
to get attached because it was an affair and would
never be anything else. At first, I was alright with
the conditions but like a hard headed fool, I tried to
change her mind.
Her husband was a famous investor who at
one time owned many properties. Well, anyway, I
didn’t mean to cause anyone hurt or pain but I was
in love. For your sake,” he looked at Maddie, “I
kept my affairs to a minimum. I know that adapting
to change is sometimes difficult for you, and it is
difficult for me too. It was only when I met Anna
that I lost my fear to try.
Through much persistence, and over the

years, I managed to persuade Anna to spend more
time with me. We would do the typical dating thing;
go to the movies, theatre, or dinner. A few
weekends, we even went to Las Vegas as well as
several resorts. I could tell she enjoyed herself but
she underestimated what our time together meant to
me.
When Anna admitted to falling for me, I
tried for weeks to persuade her to leave her husband
but she wouldn’t. Well, one day I showed up at the
house, ready to confront them both. Anna tried to
send me away but I wouldn’t listen and her husband
came to the door to see what was going on. I barely
said two words but it was enough because the man
figured out what was going on immediately.
I didn’t know he had a heart condition; yes,
she mentioned that he was physically incapable of
having sex. How was I to know that it was a heart
condition? He got really angry and threatened to kill
me, and then he suddenly yelled in pain and
dropped to the ground. She was so angry with me
and went inside to call 911. As she sat there and
cried, I held her because I didn’t want to leave her
alone in that state.
We sat there for a few minutes and I told her
to be strong and then Joe walked in. He was stunned
to see me and when he saw his father laying there
on the floor, he went crazy. Joe demanded to know
who I was and when she wouldn’t tell him, he
guessed. Next, he came after me and tried to assault
me. Luckily, I stepped aside just in time for him to
hit the wall then I left quickly because I knew the

scene was going to get messy; not just for Anna or
her husband, but for me as well.
I didn’t hear from Anna for a couple of days
after the incident. Out of respect for her family, I
decided to stay away for awhile. When I did hear
from her, it was to tell me that her husband died that
night in the hospital and that she was two months
pregnant. It was a horrible conversation to have but
on another level, I was excited too.
At first I didn’t believe that her pregnancy
was a result of our activities but she reminded me
that her husband’s heart was too weak for sexual
activity, which was why she was seeing me in the
first place. Joe knew that she was pregnant too and
this is when he flipped out. He loved his father very
much and couldn’t forgive his mother, even in spite
of all the hardships he knew she endured with him.
By hardships, I mean that Joe Sr. was not a
saint, not even close. In his younger years, if he
wasn’t running around with another woman, he was
off drinking and vacationing with buddies. He
traveled the world and left to her all the
responsibilities of domestication and raising their
kids. Anna was bored, tired, and she felt cheated
that her life was to be sacrificed while he lived life
to the fullest.
In any case, after I heard how upset she was,
I went over to sit and talk with her. Anna and I
decided to keep the baby. I was excited because I
always wanted another child. I was hoping it would
be a boy and it was. The baby was born last year

and he’s beautiful, she named him Jesse.”
“Dad! That’s great, I always wanted a
sibling. Why didn’t you tell me I have a baby
brother?”
“I wanted to tell you but she wanted to keep
it secret until the terms of her late husbands will had
been carried out. The only person who knew was
Joe and he swore to keep quiet about it too, for the
baby’s sake. Anna stood to inherit a healthy sum of
money to take care of her, which would in turn help
her with the child. Naturally, I told her she didn’t
need it because I have plenty of money. I think it
had more to do with her attachments to the old
family and Joe.
I stayed away as she wished, until a couple
months ago when Anna called me, said she wanted
to talk. I went to her new house and I found her
dead on the floor. There was blood everywhere;
someone had beaten her to death. I was so stunned
that I didn’t notice that he was there. I looked up
and he was holding Jesse in his arms. The baby was
screaming, crying, and covered in blood as mucus
bubbled out of his mouth and nose. I went toward
him, in order to take Jesse, but he stepped back and
pointed a gun that he had under the baby, at me. I
said ‘Joe, what are you doing with Jesse?’ and he
said that he was taking him. Joe said that I didn’t
deserve him and told me not to follow them or he’d
kill baby Jesse.
I called him every 15 minutes for almost a
day after he took my son. I wanted to call the police
but I didn’t know if I should because I didn’t want

to hurt you with all of this. Finally he answered his
phone and he said I had to choose between you and
the baby. I am sorry but I just couldn’t allow Jesse,
a new born to be shot and killed. I just couldn’t and
he agreed that he would return the baby if I trade
your life for his. So I called up some friends who
were in that sort of business and arranged for your
abduction. I didn’t hire them to kill you, but only to
hold you until I straightened Joe out. They were
gonna take you away and I was gonna play it off as
though you were dead.
Unfortunately, he was one step ahead of me
and I didn’t know it. Joe had set me up, he had
double cross me and it was planned from the
beginning. I didn’t know that he was keeping such a
close eye on me and was watching me from the very
beginning. The money that was supposed to go to
your abduction, Joe stole from me when he posed as
my contact, then he had you kidnapped and taken to
Michael’s house.
I didn’t know that he had one upped me
until I tried to contact my man. I called his work,
cell phone, and house phone but he wasn’t there.
The next thing was a call from Joe telling me that
he had you and wanted half a million dollars or he
would kill you himself. I couldn’t come up with
another half million dollars without arousing
suspicions, my only choice was to try and get it
back myself. By that time, Joe had gone missing
and I still didn’t know where either you or Jesse
were.”
“Oh Dad! Why didn’t tell me these things?

Joe never even mentioned it. I can’t believe you too
have been going back and forth like this for so long
and I never knew!”
“Well, I wanted to tell you but at first I
didn’t want to hurt you. Besides, I think Joe was
really in love with you and I knew you loved him
back. He just couldn’t deal with the fact that his
mother loved me. After that, everyone went
missing; the baby, you, and then Joe. I didn’t know
what to think because I was lost and confused. Then
the police came around asking about Anna and that
became my most immediate concern.”
“Joe must’ve done what anyone in his shoes
would have done, which is go on the run. You
haven’t seen him since he took the baby then?”
“Well, it was about a week after I arranged
for your abduction that I last heard from him. I
haven’t been able to get hold of him since because
he ignores my phone calls. I hired a Detective
Johnson to find him but I haven’t heard from him in
a week.”
Baldric turned to Michael and said, “Alright,
so there you have it. It wasn’t me who double
crossed you sir, it was her husband. I am sorry but
your precious Joe, in my opinion, is a monster. Yes,
I was wrong to see Anna and perhaps I am to blame
for the premature end of his father. In my defense, I
am a lonely old man, but he is plain crazy. In any
case, I am done being manipulated and will not pay
anyone anymore money until I get Jesse back!”
“You say you hired a detective to find him?

What was his name?” Michael inquired.
“Detective Art Johnson but I haven’t been
able to get hold of him by phone. I went round to
his office several times but he’s been gone.”
“Alright back to the car,” Michael said
abruptly. They looked at him for a moment and then
they both turned around with relief on their faces.
Michael guided Maddie to sit in the back and
commanded Earl to drive them back to Los
Angeles, to his house.
When they arrived, they pulled in through a
large iron gate then parked in the garage. When they
got out, Michael made sure to get his money. The
house appeared to be empty of the usual
housekeeper and other cleaning ladies Baldric like
to keep around. They walked inside and sat at the
kitchen console where Michael dropped the bag.
Earl offered them both a cup of coffee and a bite to
eat.
As they sat down with their coffees and
bagels around the kitchen stove, Michael said,
“I want the number of the detective. I figure
if I am going to find Joe, I had better start there.”
With that, Earl walked out of the room,
presumably to get him the information that he
needed.
“You’re still going to go after Joe? You
have enough money, you need to go and get
yourself killed? I know Joe and he has a terrible
temper, he will kill you.”
“Oh… Joe and I have an old score to settle.

Believe me when I say that I know what Joe is
capable of” he said most certainly.
“What!?! What is it that you’re not telling
me now?”
“Later.”
“This is his office and home address,
numbers are on the back. If you should get a hold of
him, please call me. He is an old friend of mine and
I’d feel terrible…, if anything happened to him.”
“I will. Well, I’d better be going. This
situation is awkward enough,” and he walked fast
toward the door.
“Wait! I am coming too,” and Maddie stood
up.
“You’re what?” asked her father.
“Uhh! I am going to find Joe and put a bullet
in his ass. I am not gonna let him mess with me and
my family and not retaliate.”
“No. I am trying to put a stop to all this and
I don’t need to make things worse with marital
problems. In case Joe really has flipped, I also don’t
need to be looking after you. You could barely take
care of yourself when we were attacked last night. I
don’t need you screwing things up!” and he walked
toward the door.
“Doesn’t matter,” she said and raised her
voice at his back and followed him, “I am coming
with you, Michael.”
He closed the door, and she ran toward the door and
opened it to shout, “Michael. Michael! Will you
wait?”
“FIIIINE! BUT HURRY UP!” Maddie was

starting to get used to his sudden outbursts.
“Dad, we need a car that is less conspicuous
and I’m gonna need the gun you’ve got in your
bedroom drawer,” she said loud enough for Michael
to hear.
Michael promptly walked back inside the
house.
“How do you know about that?”
“I snuck around when I was a teenager. I
know that’s not the only gun you have but it’s small
and I can handle it.”
“Whatever you want,” Earl went off to get
the gun and extra ammunition for Maddie. Maddie
waited while keeping an eye on Michael, who
seemed likely to run off at first chance. After a
moment, Michael came back in and sat at the
kitchen console and drank another coffee with his
eyes never leaving his bag of money. Eventually,
they all walked toward the Lexus SUV that her
father never drove. They threw Maddie’s bags in
back and then said their goodbyes.
“So, where are we going?”
“I want to inspect the Detective’s house and
office. The chances of us finding Joe are better if
we follow that trail now.”
“What if we try to call him first? What if we
lure him to the house? If he knew that I escaped and
was alive, wouldn’t it be easier.”
“I have his numbers, here,” and he pulled
out a cell phone, looked up the number and dialed
for her.
“Well, you already said that you haven’t

been able to reach him. What if he’s purposely
avoiding you? If so, he’ll avoid anything with your
number on it. Why don’t we go back to my house
and I’ll call him again from the house phone. Who
knows, there may be a chance that he’s at the house
now.”
Michael conceded that Maddie’s plan was
worth trying first. With traffic low, they pulled up
to her house an hour later. He slowly drove the car
up the street, toward the house and stopped just a
few feet before the property. From that angle, the
house looked empty from the outside. After a
moment, Maddie took a chance and walked up to
the door while Michael waited from the running car
at the curb.
Maddie leaned her head up against the door
and when she didn’t hear any noise, she unlocked
the door and walked inside. Upon inspection of the
house, she found it to be indeed empty. She then
walked into the empty car garage and opened the
door with the remote control. Maddie walked out
and motioned for Michael to park the car inside, so
as not to be seen by anyone.
Upon reentering the house with a lighter
heart, now that she knew Joe wasn’t there, Maddie
instantly got a feeling of abandonment. It was a
feeling she hadn’t had earlier, she supposed she
didn’t notice the state of the house because she was
in a hurry to leave. Now that she was paying
attention, the house felt as though no one had been
there in quite awhile. In fact, it was possible that no
one had really been there since the day she and Joe
left for the desert.
She looked around the kitchen and found
several things to be odd. First, Maddie’s favorite
plant, a peace lily, was extremely dried like it
hadn’t been watered in weeks. Now, Joe wasn’t big
on plants but he never neglected them. He never
neglected any responsibilities when it came to their
home because he was the kind who liked everything
to be neat and presentable. His compulsion toward
order especially reflected in the state of their home,
which led to the next strange thing.
The kitchen looked like it was untouched as
the air was cold and dank. Joe would always open
up the windows and curtains to keep stale air from
building up. Then she noticed the bowl of fruit that
sat on the counter side of the stove, which was
consumed beyond recognition with green growth.
Last, being so close to the beach, there house would
often quickly accumulate dust, sand, and grit, which
they had to clean regularly. At the moment, there
was a thick film of dust and sand on the floor as
well as the counter tops.
She nearly vomited at the smell as she went
up close to the bowl of fruit. Maddie had grabbed a
pair of rubber cleaning gloves from under the sink
to cover her hands. She took the bowl out to the
trash while trying not to breathe. The site of the
extremely full trash cans also threw Maddie because
Joe was always on top of the garbage routine.
Back inside the house, Michael stood at the
stove and waited for Maddie. When Maddie walked
in and offered him a drink, he said no and that he

would rather get started looking for Joe.
“Well, here’s the thing,” she said, “I don’t
think Joe’s been here. I mean, look at this place, it’s
not like him. A bowl of rotten fruit, the place is
filthy and dank,” she walked over to the
refrigerator. “These steaks were here when I was”
and she held up two old steaks that she had planned
on eating when they returned from the desert.
“What do you think?” she asked.
Michael looked around at the kitchen and
then back at Maddie, “Honestly? I’m starting to get
creeped out. I don’t like the look of things here.
From what I remember of Joe, he was very
meticulous. You must be right; he hasn’t been here
in awhile.” He ran his hand agitatedly through his
hair and said “On second thought, I will have one of
whatever it is your making.”
Maddie made a pitcher of martinis and they
walked into the living room and sat down on the
dusty couch. Michael claimed he was sensitive to
dust and got up to open the windows and curtains.
“Are you sure that it’s safe? What if
someone sees us?”
“Well, I agree with you. I, too, have a
feeling that Joe hasn’t been here, nor will he be. In
fact, I have a bad feeling about some of the things
your father told us. Something is just not right but I
don’t know what it is.”
“What do you mean?” asked Maddie who
was tired of him accusing her father of various
things.
“Well, when Joe asked me to help him out

with you, he promised me that he would be back for
you within a few weeks. He never mentioned
anything about a child or his mother having an
affair. I just think those are things that he would
have told me about.”
“Wait,” she said, “you still haven’t told me
how it is that you know my husband.”
“Well, it was a long time ago and I don’t
blame you for not remembering, but Joe and I go
way back. We were roommates at the California
Youth Academy and then again at CSU. We’ve
known each other almost our entire lives; I was
even one of his groomsmen at your wedding,
though you don’t remember it.”
Maddie reflected on the idea that he was at
the wedding but didn’t remember him at all. Yet,
she did feel like she had known him before but
couldn’t place him to a time or location. She sat in
silence and contemplated the feeling of misplaced
familiarity that overcame her when, suddenly,
Michael pulled out a gun and looked around.
Maddie spilled a good deal of her drink on
the carpet when he did this; she didn’t know that he
was carrying a gun too. She helped him look around
but they didn’t see a thing, the place appeared
empty. After inspecting the backyard, downstairs,
upstairs, and then downstairs and the backyard
again, they sat back down in the living room
together.
“What did you hear?”
“I’m not sure. I guess it was my imagination

but I thought I heard something outside in the
bushes.”
Maddie looked at him for a moment but then
she decided that it was getting late.
“I’m gonna take a shower and change. I
don’t know about you, but I could use a good rest.
There is a guest bedroom upstairs and clothes in the
Master for you to change into, i-i-if you’d like,” she
stuttered. Michael looked at her oddly, which made
her feel extremely uncomfortable. It was strange
being back in her house and, even though she new
her husband was not the man she thought, she still
felt strange having Michael in the house with her.
“After we’ve washed up a bit, perhaps we can talk
about what we are going to do next. Oh and, help
yourself to whatever is in the refrigerator,” she said
and then she turned to leave.
“Not just yet,” he walked over to the
cordless phone, took it off the handle and pointed it
in her direction, “give it a try first.”
Maddie called Joe three times but not once
did he pick up. Each time, it would ring a total of
seven times and then go to the voice mail. They
decided it was no use and then she left to shower
and get ready for bed. Since they agreed to pick
things up in the morning, there was no need for her
to stay up late. It had been a really tough day for the
both of them and although Michael wanted to keep
going, he agreed that it made no sense to continue
when they were tired.
After Maddie went upstairs, Michael stalked

in the kitchen looking for a bite to eat and then went
up himself. He took a quick shower and changed
into the jeans and a white tee shirt he found in the
closet and dresser. After he was changed, he took a
comforter, a sheet, a pillow, and went to lie on the
couch.
Maddie, who had come down to get water,
was surprised to see him there. When she asked
why he wasn’t in one of the beds upstairs, Michael
explained that he thought it would be safer if he
were downstairs because, being a light sleeper, he
would be likely to hear if anyone were to approach
the house.
A few minutes later, Maddie walked upstairs
in her little white cotton dress with a glass of water
in hand. Joe couldn’t help but notice her rear in the
dress and his eyes followed her all the way upstairs.
At that moment, he had seen her for the first time
without dirt in her fingernails or wearing filthy
clothes from the gardens. She was fresh and clean,
out of the shower with wet brown hair clinging to
her back. The smell of her fragrant fresh skin
lingered in the air and combined with the visual of
her body outlined in her little white dress secretly
aroused him.
Michael had managed to fall asleep for a
mere 20 minutes when he heard Maddie coming
back down the stairs again.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I can’t sleep because I could swear that
there is someone out there.”
Michael got off of the couch and walked

toward her, “I am a really light sleeper and I heard
nothing.” He put his hand around her waist and
turned her around toward the stairs, “go upstairs and
relax. I’ve got everything under control down here.”
Michael tried to coax Maddie up the stairs
but she, who had been conflicted emotionally since
they had been in the house, turned around and put
her arms around his waist. Maddie knew that she
wanted to forget the feelings she was having for
him. Yet, when she was scared only a moment ago,
he was the one she wanted to protect her.
Naturally, Michael was confused by her
body language. He had become the victim of the
typical womanly indecisiveness that he hated most
about women. Michael tried to be patient and
understanding but he felt that she needed to make
up her mind about whether she wanted him or not.
Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to say these though
for fear of sounding irrational, after she was still
married.
While in bed, Maddie did try to keep her
thoughts pure because she knew if she contemplated
Michael too much that she would give in to her
physical desires. Irreversibly, simply thinking that
she needed to not think of Michael made her think
of him even more. As she lay in bed, the thought of
him aroused Maddie and she tried to ignore her
impulses but when she heard the noise, it was the
perfect excuse to go to him.
Once she was down there and Michael put
his hand on her, it was over. She couldn’t resist
what she really wanted. Yes, she still loved Joe and
despite the evil things he had done, she wanted to
be good under their roof. At the same time, after
everything she had learned, she wondered why she
should feel any obligation to her soon to be ex
husband.
In truth, Maddie always had a little voice
whisper to her, asking if she were really meant to be
with him. Maybe the whisper had a good point
because letting go of Joe seemed easier than she
imagined, especially with Michael in the picture.
She laid her head on his shoulder and
Michael pulled her in close,
“It’s ok, Maddie. Everything’s going to be
okay,” and she looked up into his eyes.
“What did you mean the other night?”
“What are you referring to?” he asked.
“When you said that you’d loved me a long
time. What did you mean? Have we crossed paths
before the wedding?”
Michael suddenly became shy and tried to
look away but Maddie caught that look in his eyes.
He was uncomfortable with talking about his
feelings, but she wouldn’t let him get away at the
moment without answering the question. He tried to
walk away but she side stepped him and locked her
arms around his waist again.
She tried to be persuasive by looking up into
his eyes as she said, “its ok. I won’t judge you, but
don’t you think it’s time you came clean?”
Michael guided Maddie back to the couch
and they sat down together. He told her all about the
past that they had together. Maddie didn’t

remember any of it because she was still quite
young when it all happened. She didn’t remember
how she and her father had picked him and his
father up at the airport when he was 12 years old.
Maddie also had forgotten how they used to eat
cereal every morning together. He reminded her that
it was he, who at her sweet 16 birthday party, had
shown up drunk and thrown up in the pool.
Maddie remembered a boy and his friend
who had crashed her party. She didn’t know who
they were but she remembered one of them did
puke in the pool. She was so angry and humiliated
and throughout the rest of the party, they were all
her friends talked about. Maddie laughed to herself
at the thought that the annoying boy who ruined her
pool party was Michael.
Maddie sat back and listened completely
amazed that she had forgotten all those things from
when she was a child. She had flashes here and
there of scenarios Michael described to her and it
made sense as to why he always felt familiar to her.
Despite everything that had happened between
them, it made her happy to know that in that crazy
moment of calamity, he was with her.
When he was done, she asked him, “So you
had a crush on me all those years?”
“Well, not all those years. I guess it started
at your 12th birthday party and you were in that
cute little dress with your hair pulled back. You
looked like a little grown up woman and you were
just beginning to come into your looks. I was, of

course, a horny 16 year old boy and when I saw you
that way, it made my ideas go a little crazy.”
She laughed at his bold admission while thinking
back to yet another birthday party. That time, she
actually remembered seeing him there too. She sat,
looking far away and Michael brought her back
with touch of his hand on her cheek.
Michael coaxed her head a little in his
direction and gave her a sweet kiss. It was a kiss
that was full of meaning; Maddie felt that he was
kissing her with his soul. Michael kissed her with
the feelings of memories past, for all the times that
he wanted to kiss her but couldn’t. Maddie, who
hadn’t had a sincere kiss in a long time, kiss him
back with equal passion.
The difference between that moment and the
time they made love before was that this time
Maddie didn’t have visions of Joe. After their
conversation about their past together, she had come
to terms with the fact that Joe wasn’t who he said he
was. Now, some would say her acceptance was
rather quick but she figured, after all the abuse she
had suffered because of her husband that she was
entitled to a bit of pleasure. She wasn’t going to
waste anymore moments thinking about Joe, or at
least she wouldn’t as a wife.
What she didn’t know was that Michael was
pondering at that moment about what it would be
like to be her man and to have someone to share his
home with. He had always wanted a family; the
problem was the timing always seemed to be
wrong. For a woman like Maddie, it seemed like it

would be worth it to pursue a family with her. Now
that he was getting older, he had begun to give up
on the idea that there could be someone out there
for him. Now that he had Maddie, he wasn’t sure
that he wanted to let go of the idea that there was
someone for him.
Michael pulled her dress off forcibly while
Maddie tugged at his jeans. They made love right
there on the couch with the curtained windows
completely open. Michael looked up at her
bouncing breasts as she rode him up and down. He
put his hands around her waist and pushed up into
her, her face cried out toward the ceiling as he
pushed harder. Then she leaned forward and kissed
him hard as she lay on his chest. They continued to
push against each other and finally he felt her kiss
go slack as she cried into his mouth, she came. She
gripped his shoulder and rode him harder and he
grabbed her nipple in his mouth as they pushed into
each other.
After a moment, Michael picked up Maddie,
turned her around and leaned her back onto the arm
rest of the couch. He held her hips just off of the
cushion and entered her once more. This time,
Michael couldn’t hold back as he looked down and
saw her body sexy and stretched out the way it was.
This time when he came, he held her body close to
him because he wanted her to know his pleasure.
Michael held her head into his chest and his other
arm around her waist and they swayed together for
a moment.
Chapter 11
Joe couldn’t believe what he saw when he
got the call. Was it really her? Or was it her father
trying to lure him? He sat on the couch of the hotel
room and stared down at the number on the phone.
When he listened to the voicemail, he just about lost
control to happiness. Joe jumped up and ran his
fingers through his hair as he paced back and forth
while muttering oh my God under his breath.
Since the Earl tried to apprehend him last
month at his house, he had enclosed himself pretty
much around the clock, at the hotel in South Bay.
The Earl tried to kill him, just like he killed
Maddie’s mother and father, but he failed. Not only
did he fail but he had proof to make everyone
question his charming ways. Still, he was a
dangerous man and Joe was certain that Earl Baldric
would be looking for him everywhere. He only left
his room briefly, always in disguise, and was very
careful about being seen by anyone.
Unfortunately, he had been to the police
with the evidence his investigator gave him but they
did nothing. They said the case was too old and
there was not enough to arrest him. After Baldric
tried to kill him, Joe thought for sure the police
would help, but they merely suggested that he get a
restraining order. Now, Joe was feeling really
stressed out because Maddie was supposed to be
with Michael. Instead, she was at the house where it
wasn’t safe. Joe put on his arm guard and gun,
picked up his keys, wallet, and left.
When he got to the neighborhood, he slowed

his car and turned down his lights. He kept an eye
out for any strange vehicles that may have been in
the neighborhood. During the last few months, Joe
often had the feeling that he was being watched. It
wasn’t until Earl tried to have him killed that he
realized his feeling was accurate.
He slowly pulled into the space across the
street from the house. Getting out, he quietly shut
the door, looked left and right. From where he
stood, he couldn’t tell if anything was not as it
should be. Ignoring his worries, he then walked up
to the house. The lights inside were on and as he
walked up, the motion sensor light came on
suddenly and he jumped down behind the
neighbor’s garbage cans.
A moment later, the sound of footsteps
could be heard as Maddie and some other strange
person walked the backyard and looked around at
the front. Joe tried to peak out further to see who the
man was but it was too dark. He waited behind the
cans and watched them walk the backyard, upstairs,
and then back out into the yard again. Then the
house seemed to settle as many lights were turned
off. Joe saw Maddie and the man sit on the couch
for a moment and then Maddie went upstairs.
The strange guy and Maddie walked about
the house and Joe crept slowly around the heat
sensor which, as he remembered, he put under the
ledge of the corner roof and out of sight. This way it
would be impossible for intruders to spot it and
avoid being seen. He crept over to the wall and
lightly lifted the latch of the gate to the backyard.

Joe crept along until he got to the edge of the
windowed door to the living room and looked
inside. Although hard to make out, it looked as
though the man was going through the refrigerator
and Maddie was nowhere to be seen.
At that point, Joe didn’t know who the man
was because he was unable to see his face. Joe
decided that it would be better for him to wait and
watch for the perfect opportunity to approach
Maddie. After everything he had been through the
last few weeks, one thing he learned was not to trust
anyone. In fact, he was not sure if he should trust
Maddie because if she were innocent in all this, she
wouldn’t believe what he’d learned about her father.
He sat down on his heels, behind the lawn
chairs, and waited to see Maddie in the bedroom
getting ready for bed. When he saw the lights go out
in all the rooms of the house, he climbed up the side
lattices and onto the green shingled roof. On his
hands and knees, he crawled up to the little attic
window, which was always unlocked and climbed
in carefully. Once inside, he tiptoed to the attic
door, which he tried to open very quietly.
Unfortunately, it kept squeaking and squealing and
to avoid being found out, he had to unlatch it very
slowly.
When he finished slowly lowering the attic
door to the carpet, Joe slowly walked down the
creaking, dusty, steps. Slowly, he walked down one
level of the stairs and stood in the doorway to his
bedroom where he saw Maddie moments before
from the backyard. But when he got there, she was

no longer in bed. He crept inside, behind the door
and decided that he would wait for her. Once she
entered the room, he would show himself to her and
put his hand over her mouth to keep her from
screaming.
He stood against the wall for quite some
time, he could hear the echo of voices down below,
but then it got really quiet. Joe braced himself for
her arrival, but it didn’t come. He listened really
hard but he didn’t hear anything; he didn’t hear any
voices, no doors opening or closing, nothing.
Curiously, he left the room and slowly walked
down the steps and into the walkway to the living
room.
Joe poked his head around the wall and saw
them. Maddie was completely naked, her full
breasts hanging out as she went up and down on the
stranger. He was surprised by what he was seeing at
first. Jealousy boiled under his surface and just
when he was about to walk over to the couch and
kick the man’s face in, the stranger grabbed his wife
and leaned her over the couch and had her that way.
Joe could feel his face get even hotter upon
recognizing that it was Michael who was with her.
He watched Michael thrust into her repeatedly and
Maddie appeared to be enjoying herself and when
Joe saw Michael cum, he looked away in horror. At
first his anger was explosive but at that sight, he
was frozen, unable to feel or act for shame and hurt.
The man he was supposed to trust had just made
love to his wife and he saw it in action. Hatred was
all he could feel but couldn’t decide if he hated

Maddie or Michael more.
After a moment, he decided that it would be
best for him to leave. He would approach Maddie
the next day, hopefully she would be alone. His
entire body had broken out in a sweat and his hands
were shaking terribly; he knew if he approached her
now that he would be violent with anger. Joe quietly
rose and he crept slowly back up the stairs, up into
the attic, and back out over the roof.
Across Town
At that same time, but at Earl Baldric’s
house, a Latina nanny was putting to rest, a sweet
innocent baby boy; he had been fed, washed, and
dressed. Now, as the nanny lay him down in the
white dressings of the walnut crib, the old man
came to wish the baby a good evening. He was
proud of him and as he held him in his arms, he
swore that nothing would ever happen to him. That
he would have a good life and be the son he always
wished he had. Earl put the baby down on the fluffy
sheet and watched the baby as he gripped his finger
and fell asleep.
A few minutes later, in the study, Earl was
standing and contemplating as he looked up at the
stars. So far, his plan to get rid of Joe had not
worked. It seemed that Maddie was still ignorant of
who and what was really going on. For that reason,
he would neglect his earlier plan to have her
eliminated but Joe had to go.
He pulled the cell phone from out of his
pocket and called his man,
“This is Baldric. How’s your progress?”

“We haven’t been able to find him. Los
Angeles is a vast land and it’s gonna take sometime.
Plus, a man of his wealth can go a long while
without using a valid form of cash or
identification.”
“Well, I have a feeling that he may be home
shortly. My daughter is there with someone and
they’re supposed to be luring him. Just be careful,
the main goal is Joe but the other two are
completely oblivious. As long as they stay so, don’t
worry about it.”
“I’m sending someone over,” said the man
on the other end.
Earl hung up the phone and walked over to
the security system and made sure that everything
was intact.
Back at Maddie’s and Joe’s house, Maddie
and Michael lay on the couch in each other’s arms.
She knew it was too soon to feel as she did but if
they both survived the ordeal they were in, Maddie
thought that she would not want to be without
Michael. She felt almost as though they were meant
to be together and she wondered if he had any
serious feelings for her too.
Michael rubbed her back and played with
her hair as he infrequently gave her kisses on her
face and head.
“What are we going to do next?” she asked
him.
After a moment, he answered,
“Tomorrow we will go to the investigators

house and see what we can find. I think that’s a
good place to start. If we can track down Joe, than
we will be able to put an end to all of this. We can
return the baby to your father and you and Joe can
go back to your normal lives.”
“What about you and I?” she asked feeling
offended and let down that he didn’t even consider
their connection.
“What about us? You’re married.”
Maddie looked at Michael and he could see
the disappointment in her eyes. Feeling as though
she had made a complete fool of herself, she started
to get up but Michael grabbed her back and held her
close.
“Well, you are married, are you not?” he
said, “What about us?”
“Joe is a kidnapper who’s after my father.
What do you mean?”
Michael kissed her and stroked her face, “I
don’t see myself moving to Los Angeles, it’s just
not for me. I’ve got my father’s restoration to
complete and you’ve got your job. Are you willing
to give that up? That’s all I am saying. Obviously,
some things need to be considered if you want to be
with me.”
“Oh that is so typical of men. Why is it that
women need to give up everything just to be with a
man?”
“Hey. I am being realistic. You’re the one
who is asking about where we go from here. I am
just trying to point out the obstacles. Plus, I want
children eventually and you don’t have the time.

Not to mention the way you were quick to brush me
off earlier when I first dropped you off. To me,
you’re all over the place with indecision and I don’t
see that as supportive to an idea that we could have
a life together.”
Maddie stared through the window at the
bushes and thought about it; she decided he was
right. How could she consider giving up her job
when she had worked so hard? Yes, she wanted a
family too but was she really ready? Had she really
thought hard enough about it? Because realistically
her immediate thoughts were always about work.
Once she asked Joe what his feelings were about
having children and he said as long as she would be
responsible for everything than he would be okay
with it. Maddie appreciated his honesty but decided
that if he couldn’t see raising children as a shared
responsibility then he wasn’t a family man. There
was no way that she would take on the
responsibility of raising a family all on her own
while Joe was off living a separate life.
Maddie could see that Michael was not like
Joe at all, he would be a good father to his children
because he instinctively wanted them. Michael had
a great home where any child would be thrilled to
grow up. Unlike Joe, he had the capacity to not only
provide for children, but to care for them too.
Maddie realized that if she wanted to make the
changes in her life that she fantasized about during
her time in captivity, she should do it with Michael.
All she needed to do was find the courage to tell
Michael that she would give up everything and go

with him.
The only thing that held her back at the
moment was a feeling of pride and responsibility.
What is meant by pride and responsibility is she felt
like she wasn’t being an upright modern woman for
considering giving up everything for a man. At the
same time, she would be giving up the
respectability that she earned over the years. Yet,
she considered, this is her life and she wasn’t
getting any younger. If she were going to make life
changes, now was the time to do it.
Michael waited for her to speak but she
feigned sleep and he knew it. Rather than pressure
her, he allowed himself to follow her into sleep.
They snored lightly on the couch completely
oblivious to the fact that anyone had really been to
the house. Michael found himself a little
disappointed in Maddie, she was right that it was
unfair for her to give up her life, but what about
him? He had dreams too and they never had
anything to do with Los Angeles, a place that he
could never stand.
The next morning, he woke from the smell
of cooking meat wafting from the kitchen. He
walked in and saw she was making a huge steak on
the grill. Wearing her little white dress from the
night prior, she looked at him fully knowing what
he was thinking. She grinned as she poured him a
cup of coffee,
“There isn’t any other food in the house.

Like I said, this place looks like it’s been empty
since I left.”
Michael didn’t say anything but chewed and
drank his coffee thoughtfully as he watched her.
“So should I call him?”
“Your husband?”
“Yeah.”
“Umm, yes I think but I can’t help but feel
that it would be a waste of time. I believe if Joe
were getting your calls, he would’ve called you
back if he could. Either that or he would have come
by. We should visit the investigator your father
hired and take it from there.”
“Yes, but my father says he’s missing.”
“Yes, he’s missing. That is why we need to
go and see if there are any clues. I’m telling you,
I’ve known Joe for many years. The things your
father was telling us last night didn’t entirely make
sense. Joe is a very sincere guy, maybe a bit of jerk
at times, but he did not have you abducted to hurt
you, but rather to protect you. Then he was gonna
help me with my father’s estate and that was the
deal.”
”Oh great,” Maddie said starting to get
angry, “so you’re still on about the money are you?
Is there anything more important to you than
money? You’ve already got a quarter of a million in
that bag of yours. How much more do you need?”
Maddie really made him feel bad, his face turned
very red.
“Well say something!” she said.
“Alright, I’ll say something,” he came back

with, “I’ve let you come along with me. YOU are
inconveniencing me, so be a little grateful that I
don’t just leave you here now.”
“I’m inconveniencing you? You’ve ruined
my life!” her voice had risen.
“I ruined your life? Why, if it wasn’t for me,
you’d still be wandering around here thinking your
father and your husband are saints. If it weren’t for
me, you’d be dead!”
“It’s always a relief to be alive. Still, it’s a
bit hard to be grateful when you only care about
money; you don’t care about me.”
Michael stood up and threw the plate at the
wall. He grabbed Maddie by the back of her hair
and she screamed as he pulled her up to her feet.
Pressing her body into his, he put his hand around
her waste and pulled her into him as he relaxed his
grip on the back of her head.
“You want to know why you’re still alive?”
Maddie was about to say something spiteful but
Michael put her hand on her mouth.
“Don’t speak” and he removed his hand,
kissed her lips meaningfully as he pushed in
between her shoulder blades, pushing her breasts
hard into his chest. She pressed his back with her
hands and then worked her way down to his pants
again.
They continued to rub each other embraced;
she unzipped him and took out his cock. Michael
pulled off her white cotton dress, picked her up and
set her on the kitchen table where he entered her
once more. Michael thought she looked sexy as she

sat back naked on the table with Michael pleasuring
her.
He kissed her all over and then leaned
forward into her, almost lying on top of her. She ran
her hands through his hair and clung to his
shoulders. Her wetness spilled out over her lips and
into her hair and he could smell her as she made
crescendo. He could smell her and he bent down to
take a taste. As he licked up her belly and suckled
her breasts, her vagina began to throb so much that
it hurt. She urged him to lie atop her and pulled his
penis into her as she spread her legs wide for his
wide waist. He filled her perfectly and continued to
thrust her; she could feel him warm and solid
against her vaginal walls. His chest was soft and his
hair tickled her warm chest and her belly. He stared
down at her as she began to climax again and he
tried to hold on to cum with her, and together they
did. He cried out into her neck and jerked about
as she held him tight around the back.
He rose and helped her down off the table.
Maddie went upstairs to take a shower and change.
Later, she came down to find that Michael had
showered and changed clothes too.
She sat down next to him, he grabbed her hand and
squeezed it a bit to show that he cared. They looked
at each other and she rubbed the top of his hand
with her thumb. Maddie looked into his eyes and
saw that he seemed to adore her, for the moment
anyhow. As they sat motionless for a moment, she
wished that they didn’t have to go anywhere. She
wished they could be back at his house in the south

and spend time getting to know one another.
Michael grabbed her by the hand and led her
out to the car. They drove inland for about 50 miles
before reaching the detectives neighborhood. It was
a quiet little town and they parked 100 feet down
from the detective’s office. They sat for a moment
as Michael looked up and down the street to see if
anyone was watching them or the place. Michael
reached into his pocket and pulled out a hat and a
pair of sunglasses and promptly put them on.
Michael instructed that she keep her face pointed to
the ground as they walked up to the house quickly
and quietly.
They knocked on the door several times, but
all remained still. Maddie followed Michael around
to the back of the house. She watched as he peaked
around the windows to get glimpses inside to see if
anyone was home. Although they couldn’t see
much, the place looked normal to them.
Michael sat on the step of the deck and tried
to think of what to do next. Maddie got impatient
with watching him sit motionless and said, “So
what do we do now?”
“Well, I really don’t know. I am not a
specialist when it comes to finding people. I
suppose we could break in, but what if someone
calls the police? Anyone can see you and us from
where we are.”
“Its funny how all of the sudden you are
reluctant to break the law, but don’t you think
breaking and entering is the least of your worries
now? I realize that you aren’t really a criminal but I

need to know why he did this to me. Besides, don’t
you want your life back?” said Maddie.
Just then, there was strange sound of music
coming from somewhere. Maddie was really on
guard because she jumped at the sound of it, but
then Michael pointed at the front pocket of her jeans
and she realized that it was her spare cell phone.
She pulled out the little phone and breathed in
sharply at the sight of Joe’s cell phone number that
appeared on the screen,
“It’s Joe! Should I answer?” she was
breathless as she spoke.
At his nod, she opened it quickly, “Joe?”
“Hi Maddie. How are you?” he asked.
Maddie noticed his voice sounded weird. Not the
cocky excitable Joe she was used to hearing. His
voice was empty and hollow,
“What’s wrong? Where are you?” asked
Maddie.
“At a hotel in South Bay. Is Michael with
you?” he asked.
“Yes, he is here,” she looked at Michael.
“Ok, can I talk to him?”
“Sure,” she gave the phone to Michael.
“Yes?” said Michael, “Ok, yes I remember.
See you in a few.”
Michael handed the phone back to Maddie,
stood up and extended his hand to her.
“Are we going to see Joe?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said as he led her back around to
the front of the house.
“Where will we meet?”

“We’re going to a little area of beach in the
South of Los Angeles. We had a party there one
fourth of July, many years ago.”
“He sounded odd. Did he sound odd to
you?” Maddie ask him.
“Well, I imagine that he’s not doing too well
Maddie. I mean he’s been going back and forth with
your father now, and you’re supposed to be in my
care. Instead you’re here with me, he’s probably
feeling odd. Don’t you think?”
“Smart ass,” she said and he laughed as he
placed his hand on hers, which rested on her thigh.
Maddie was amazed to see that Michael was
a hand holder. Joe never liked to hold hands and she
found the gesture very sweet. She leaned her body
across the center console and laid her head on his
should as they made their way to meet Joe.
When they finally arrived at a tourist harbor
made almost entirely of wood, Maddie instinctively
withdrew her hand from Michaels. She didn’t want
to give Joe any reason to be angry, she told
Michael. He agreed that they should act as though
everything was normal. All they needed was to get
little baby Jesse back and for him to call off the
feud that he was having with Maddie’s father. For
that, they would use calm logic first then, if that
didn’t work, they would come up with another plan.
They paid the toll and parked the car in the
most desolate area of the lot. Afterward, they
walked down the pier to a lone standing telephone
pole that was missing a telephone and had a half
ripped up telephone book. Next to it sat Joe on a

wooden fence staring out at the parking lot with his
back to the ocean. He turned his head just in time to
see Michael and Maddie walk up to him.
Joe looked normal, except for the enormous
black sunglasses and the baseball hat. Michael
reflected immediately that Joe didn’t even like
baseball. They approached Joe with caution but they
didn’t expect for him to act out the way he did. Just
as Michael got closer to greet him, he extended his
arm to shake Joe’s hand, but Joe turned his back on
him momentarily and swung around fast. Maddie
screamed to the top of her lungs as she watched
Michael fall to the ground.
“What was that for?” he said as he partially
lay on the ground while holding his blood welling
jaw.
“You know what that’s for! Last night, I saw
you both when I came by to talk with you.”
Michael pushed himself up off the ground,
“Talk with us? No one came by last night. And
don’t go all high and mighty on me, or we’ll throw
down right here. We all know you haven’t been
faithful to Maddie,” and Joe’s face went cherry red
as Maddie glared at the both of them.
Joe charged Michael, he grabbed him by the
shirt then Michael wrangled his way out of his grip.
Michael arrested Joe around the neck with one arm
while using his other arm to tighten his grip and
forced him down to the ground.
“STOP!” yelled Maddie.
Joe continued to try to wrestle with Michael,

who said,
“I don’t want to fight you. We’re here to get
Jesse and then you need to stop coming after us.”
When Joe continued to fight, Maddie then
said, “Oh come on! I know you’ve been with other
women, my father warned me about you months
ago, even though I didn’t believe him,” but he
continued to try and overtake Michael. Maddie
continued, “Just stop fight because it’s useless. If I
want to be with Michael, I will be with Michael.”
She looked around to see that people at the other
end of the parking lot were watching. “Now you’re
starting to attract attention! Will you two stoop!”
she shrieked.
“Alright, alright! I give,” said Joe and he
became still. Michael stepped back; Joe stood up
and wiped the off white sand off the knees of his
pants.
Michael and Maddie watched him
momentarily, when he stopped dusting himself, Joe
started with insults.
Michael said, “Come on, this isn’t helping. I
understand your angry but we have more important
issues right now.”
“The most important question is where is
Jesse?” asked Maddie.
“What?” stuttered Joe, “I don’t have Jesse,
your father has him!” he gasped as he tried to hit
Michael again. Michael assumed the same position
to bring him down and Joe yelled “Let me go!” and
Michael released his grip.
“Ok, bro, but if you want to go at it again,

we will. I’ve had a very bad few days and would
love to take it out on you.”
“Alright, that’s enough!” said Maddie,
“Where’s Jesse? Stop messing around, we know
you’ve got him and everything else you’ve been up
to.”
“I don’t have him,” he insisted, “The reason
I called you was to warn you that he would come
after you.”
“Who?” Maddie asked as she stepped in
between them because Joe was starting to look
murderous again.
“You’re supposed father, of course.”
“Why would he come after me?”
“Because he doesn’t want you to know what
I’ve found out about him,” said Joe as he looked
around self consciously.
“Which is?” asked Michael.
“That he killed your real parents, Maddie.”
Although Maddie heard him, she also didn’t
hear him because it was so unbelievable. It bounced
off her mind and she thought for sure that she
simply misheard him.
“I’m sorry, what?” she said calmly.
“Earl Baldric killed your real father and
your mother. Earl is not your father.”
“You know, this is really incredible. You are
incredible. You ruined my life, you had me
kidnapped, all because you’re mother had an
affair! GROW UP! She’s an adult! You have no
right to take this out on me.”
“THIS IS NOT ABOUT AN AFFAIR! IT’S

THE TRUTH, MADDIE!” he yelled,
“HERE!” and he pulled a long rolled up manila
folder from the back pocket of his pants. “That’s the
report that Benny, my investigator friend, pulled up
on your father. By the way, Benny, you remember
him as you were just at his house inland? Well, he
has been missing for over a week now. If you look,
it says your mother and father were shot in their bed
at a hotel in the middle of the night! They only had
one real suspect, your supposed father Earl.”
“This man is not my father!” said Maddie
“He is your father, look at the report and put
two and two together. If you look at the records the
cops had no identification from the guy, except for a
plane ticket that was in the suitcase. Through that,
they were able to do a trace and figure out that he
was French by nationality. According to the Paris
police reports, he had been shot only a few months
prior and had awoken from a coma. The report
quotes his parents as saying he came to the United
States to find his pregnant girlfriend whom he was
supposed to marry.
The cops believed that Baldric was the one
who murdered your real mother and father but they
couldn’t prove it because there was no weapon, no
fingerprints, and no eye witnesses. The lack of
evidence initially delayed their investigation
because they had to figure out who your parents
were first, as whoever killed them cleaned them of
all identification. When they finally did figure out
who they were, they were able to get verifiable
statements that the neighbors heard your parents

fight that night. Several of them saw your father
sitting in the car and later followed Sarah and this
Armel man away.
After they left, no one knew anything else
except that by morning his car was back in the front
of his house. Earl, being the smooth talker that he
is, used the cover story that he’s been using for
years. That story is that your mother ran off with
her boyfriend, whom she claimed to really love, and
left him to take care of you. If you look at the
report, the detective noted that there were baby
supplies in the hotel room the night your mother
died, which means you were there too.
Your grandparents didn’t file a report for
Sarah for almost two weeks after she had been
killed because they believed Earl. The police hadn’t
contacted her because they weren’t able to get an
accurate identification because no one in Paris knew
for sure who your mother was; she was only there
for a couple of months. So basically, he’s gotten
away with murder almost his entire life. Fine, you
don’t believe it, but its all right there in the report,”
and Joe walked off without another word.
Maddie was stunned because it was too
much information for her to process. She stared at
Joe’s back for a moment as her brain shuffled
through everything he had just said. Caught
between denial and pain, she felt betrayed and
angry. Her face and skin was numbed all over; the
next thing she felt was Michael put his arm around
her and say,
“Come on, let’s go inside and sit.”

Michael guided her by the waste into the
wooden restaurant on the beach. She didn’t know
what he was talking about, she didn’t look up and
she didn’t say a word. Maddie allowed him to guide
her as though she were blind. Metaphorically, she
was blinded by the thoughts buzzing around in her
mind.
The next thing she was aware of was the
brown boarded restaurant that was decked out like a
surfer’s tavern. The waitress seated them at a high
table and brought them beers and two shots of
tequila at Michael’s request.
“Are you ok?” asked Michael.
“No, I am not okay. What do you mean, am
I okay?” she bantered, “my life has been wrecked
by my father and my husband and now I am
supposed to believe that my father isn’t my father?
But that he killed my mother and my real father?”
she downed her tequila and then she downed his.
Michael turned around and shouted to the
waitress across the restaurant,
“Two more tequilas please,” and then “on
second thought, bring the whole bottle. Thank you!”
“Are you even going to open the folder and
look at it?” he continued.
Maddie just looked at him and then looked
down at the folder. She didn’t want to open the
rolled up folder, but it was already bent and
misshapen; out of the corner, she could see part of a
picture of a bed and room. She pulled at the corner
and saw that it was a picture of a man and woman.
The woman was dead on the bed with a hole in her

head and lying in a dark pool of blood. The man
was spread eagled on the floor with a matching hole
and a dark black puddle beneath him. Her mind
reminded her that the black puddle was most likely
red blood and that the woman in the bed was who
Joe claimed to be her mother.
Maddie had to turn the picture face down on
the table because she began to gag. The photo made
her sick and it made her sad. Her face got really hot
and tears immediately welled up in her eyes. In an
effort to fight them back, she tried to focus on how
much she hated Joe for everything that had gone
wrong that last few weeks. Michael put his hand on
her thigh and gave it a squeeze and Maddie patted
the back of his with hers.
With her other hand, she took a long sip of
the beer and then opened the flap of the folder.
There on the front were standard newspaper
clippings from the 1950s declaring that two bodies
were found dead in a hotel without any
identification or suspects available. Then there was
an old police investigation report detailing the male
as a French national about 25 years of age who had
checked in with a woman and a baby, whom the
hotel clerk assumed to be his wife and child. The
clerk only took the man’s name which was common
enough in those days. There was only one clue to
the man’s identity and it was a plane ticket that was
in the pocket of his suitcase.
As Joe said, the police concluded that the
man was name Armel Siroq and he had only flown
into the country several hours prior to being shot.

The end of the report detailed that they had
contacted the man’s family and had sent the body
back for burial. The next report was for Sarah
Engelard who had turned out to be Baldric’s wife.
The end of the investigation concluded that Sarah
had in fact run off with Armel but, unlike Baldric
had claimed, Sarah did indeed take her child with
her. The motel clerk confirmed it and that is what
made Baldric a main suspect. Unfortunately, they
just didn’t have enough evidence to charge him and
the case was closed.
“How do you suppose they could’ve had the
case closed? If they really thought that my father
was likely to be their killer, why did they not charge
him?” she asked Michael.
“Well, it was another time. They didn’t have
the same kind of technology and, frankly, they
didn’t look too kindly at infidelity. They only saw a
married woman running off with a lover; they
probably thought they both deserved it.”
Maddie hated talking about her mother that
way. She ignored Michael and continued looking
through the folder.
The next paper detailed the history of the
man she always knew as her father. The document
listed the details of Baldric as a student at the
University of Paris in part French and English. It
even had a piece of newspaper clipped to a copy of
a plane ticket and when she looked closer, she
noticed the date of the article was the very day after
the date on the plane ticket. The man in the picture
next to the article was, no doubt, the man she had

known as her father. The paper went further to
declare him as an Englishman whose once rich
family moved to Paris to be closer to the very last
source of their income, which was stock in a fur
company.
“If this is true, why do you suppose my
father lied about being raised in Paris?” asked
Maddie.
“I don’t’ know,” he took another sip of his
beer, “you’d have to ask him. Perhaps he didn’t
want you digging around for his family there for
fear you’d stumble onto the truth.”
She continued to shuffle through the papers
and it seemed the rest of them were merely riff raff.
She took one last shot and Michael said,
“Well, I know that this is hard for you to
handle but Joe seems pretty adamant about the baby
being with your father, Earl, I mean. Perhaps we
should go back and have a talk with him because if
the child is in danger, then we are the only ones
who can protect him.”
Glad to have something to distract her from
the file, she jumped up and said “Yes, let’s go,” she
pounded the rest of her beer. “We should have a
long chat with my father because honestly, I still
don’t believe it. How could the man who’s loved
me and been there for me my entire life be an
impostor? Do you know what this means? He’s
already part owner in my grandfather’s company.”
“Maybe that’s why he kept you and treated
you well.”
Maddie looked at him with eyes of death

and Michael quickly apologized.
“Well, I am sorry but one thing my father
said to me, on a few different occasions, was that
Baldric was always scheming in his youth about
how to get money. Your father resented his mother
and father for not leaving him much when they
died. Even Sean said he was a master at scheming.
It’s quite possible that he saw your mother as way
into a family with a good name as well as a good
fortune.”
“Yes, I know. I am just angry and you can’t
begrudge me my feelings. Try putting yourself in
my shoes,” said Maddie defiantly, but it was
obvious she was still struggling on the inside.
“Maddie, it’s obvious that you’re struggling
now but all you have to do is think about his
position in the company and the benefits to see that
it’s not just a job.”
Maddie could argue no more, instead she
looked down and played angrily with her beer mug,
it was all she could do to keep back the tears.
“Come on,” he grabbed her by the hand,
dropped four twenties on the table, and led her out
the door.
He walked her to the driver’s side of the car,
unlocked the door, and opened it for her to get in.
Upon turning to her, he couldn’t ignore the look in
her eyes; he wrapped both arms around her tightly.
She cried in his arms as he rocked her gently and
kissed her on the side of her face. After a few
moments, she pulled back and stepped inside the
car. As Michael got in on his side of the car, he

closed the door and looked left; in the side view
mirror he saw a man sitting on the wooden fence.
He turned around and looked through the back of
the car and noticed that Joe was still there; he had
been watching them the whole time.
Chapter 12
Maddie and Michael left the beach and
made their way to her father’s house. Although
Maddie didn’t know it, Joe was behind them the
entire time. Michael kept looking out of his
rearview mirror to check and make sure that he was
there. Yet, he didn’t tell Maddie this because she
was upset enough. Whatever he was up to, Michael
would handle later. Maddie held his hand as she
looked out of the window at the cars passing by.
Traffic was light at that time of day and it
wasn’t long before they pulled up to the gate of
Earl’s house. Michael pressed the button and
Maddie spoke in a trembling voice to the
housekeeper who let them in the gate. As they
parked and walked up to the door, Maddie felt like
gravity was crushing down on her body. Michael
saw Maddie and told her to relax and to breathe.
She was really touched when he promised not to let
anything bad happen to her. As he entwined his
arm around Maddie, he instinctively looked behind
him to see Joe was across the street, sitting on his
car, he flipped Michael off who didn’t respond. The
housekeeper opened the door and Maddie walked in
the house and Michael followed quietly.
The housekeep took their coats and asked if
they wanted anything. After which, she led them
into the living room where Earl sat watching
television and having a drink.
“Ahh, you’re back. How can I help you
now?” he asked innocently.
“Well, for starters, you can tell us where

Jesse is?” said Maddie.
“I don’t know where Jesse is,” Earl insisted.
“Haven’t we been through this already?”
“Stop lying to us, Baldric,” Michael spewed,
“we know who you are and what you’re capable
of.”
“Is it true? Did you kill my mother and my
real father?”
“Maddie! How dare you come into my
house and accuse me of ridiculous things! I think I
have had enough of you two and would like you
both to leave now!” he motioned at the hall that led
to the door.
“We aren’t going anywhere until you tell us
where the baby is. What’s the problem? If the baby
is really yours, all we are here to do is make sure
that he’s alright.”
“I told you, I don’t know where he is.”
“FINE! We will find it ourselves. Joe told us
you have him and we believe him,” and Michael
turned to walk around and back through the large
house.
Baldric ran at him, but Michael knew that he
would and just as he felt he was behind him, he
turned around and punched him in the gut. The Earl
was on his knees gasping and Michael pulled out
his gun and said,
“Fine, if you want to do this the hard way,
we will” and Baldric coughed and gasped while
trying to get his breath back.
“Get up,” Michael said but Baldric just sat

there. So Michael kicked him and yelled once more,
“Get up.”
They walked throughout the eight rooms of
the house and found nothing. The entire time, Earl
Baldric cursed both Maddie and Michael under his
breath and threatened repeatedly to kill them both.
When they discovered that the baby wasn’t there,
Michael still wasn’t convinced. He tied his hands
and feet together with a bit of extension cord he’d
pulled out of the television.
“What? Maddie? You’re gonna let this man
tie me up and not even protest? I’m your father! I
took care of you!”
“Well, see that is what we are going to talk
about. I’m not convinced that you told us
everything the last time we talked. I’m not
convinced that you’re telling me everything now.
For starters, why did you lie about being English?”
“What? I didn’t lie about being English. I
am English.”
“This says you came to the United States
from Paris,” Michael held up the file Maddie had in
her hand.
“Joe’s friend, the same detective you sent us
on a goose chase after, has provided proof that you
went to college in Paris and with Michael’s father.”
“Tell her Baldric,” said Michael who was
now behind the bar making a rum and coke.
“Tell her what?” he said, “there’s nothing to
tell.”
“Ok, well. We’re gonna go and good luck

getting out of that. We’ll go ahead and dismiss your
housekeeper. Also, if you aren’t busy, we’ll go
ahead and call the cops and deliver them this file.
I‘m sure with today’s modern technology, they
could figure out something that would link you to
this event.”
“What event is that? Are you to tell me what
you’re on to? Or, are we gonna play touch and go
all night?”
“I am talking about the night your wife and
her boyfriend from college left here with Maddie.
Even if they couldn’t convict you, I’m sure that just
reopening the case may mean serious trouble for
you.”
“Ah, Michael! You’re funny! Haha.” Earl
laughed and smiled genuinely, “You really think
you have got me, don’t you? It’s alright. You know,
Joe thought he had me too. Well, then, call the cops,
just get it over with because I’d like be back in time
for an early bed; I’ve got a meeting tomorrow.”
“Come on Baldric, I was 12 years old and I
remember things that my father said about you.”
“Yes, well your father was no saint either!”
Baldric’s temper was starting to rise.
“Whatever! Where’s Jesse?” asked Maddie.
“Well hold on now,” said Baldric, “you
want the truth and I am about to give it to you.”
He fidgeted and continued “but first, can
you untie my hands and poor me a drink? It’s gonna
be a long one.”
Michael looked at him momentarily and

untied him while Maddie made him his usual
godfather on ice.
“Well,” he began, “the truth is I am English,
but only by way of my father. For the first few years
of my life, I was raised in an elegant manor in
Sussex. My childhood was typical; my mother
would be homemaking and my father would be off
at work in the family businesses. He was, as you
know, impoverished and the last in a line of a
wealthy and highly influential family.
In times past, our family made its money
through slow acquisition of many acres of land
which, at one point, was a major commodity as
valuable as gold. The Engelards of centuries past let
many acres of land to the government and the upper
class looking for short lived vacations. The
government would use the land for training of the
military or to house important persons. The upper
class would pay ridiculous amounts of money for a
custom time share with all the amenities of the time
to make a person feel pampered; a resort if you will.
This was a few hundred years ago; my
family didn’t really become influential until my
long removed Uncle Daniel found gold on his
property in the 1700s. It was then that our family
rose in society by making loans to those in good
business, which automatically gave our family a
foothold in much of England’s economy.
Our family hired goldsmiths to fashion
jewelry for a chain of stores we opened across the
United Kingdom. Daniel would even send
personalized gifts to people from whom the

Engelards wanted favor. At one point, our family
funded the British government during its recession
back in the mid 1800s and that is when we got our
titles.
Anyway, by the time it got down to my
father, the family fortune was nothing more than a
few old fashioned shops that sold jewelry it had
manufactured abroad in America. No longer did
they use gold from our property, as it had been long
depleted. Or, perhaps not entirely depleted, so much
as it was sparse. Through bad decision making,
many of the footholds our family held once were
lost. Then there was the American depression of the
‘30s in which sent many of our family’s shops
straight into bankruptcy. After which, all that was
really left was our mink factory in Paris. It was the
only business that survived lucratively and my
father decided we should move there so he could
pursue expansion.
We, at first, moved in with my mother’s
family but it wasn’t long before they, meaning her
mother, drove my father crazy. My grandmother
was French society woman whose father bought her
way into the society. She was dead against her
marrying my father and from the moment they
arrived, she strived to make her feelings about him
obvious. I remember she later lost everything when
the Germans invaded.
Fortunately, my father still had the one
factory that kept us afloat for many years; even after
the war. Once he had the upper hand in the family,
it gave him great pleasure to send his mother in law

off to live with her husband in a retirement
community. Next, he sent me off to school, where I
met Anton and was later joined by my cousin, Sean.
Things were good until many people started to rebel
against the use of furs because of the injustice of
killing animals.
Times were changing and my father was
incapable of adjusting. His failures forced him into
an early retirement while I was still enrolled at the
local academy. For a few years he was weighed
down with guilt and a silly notion that he was the
one responsible for the failure of his family’s last
great venture. It didn’t take long for him to find the
bottle and cling to it for many years, which caused
the premature end to his life.
After Baldric told his story, he went quiet
and looked down at the ground. Maddie and
Michael stared at him for a few moments without
saying anything. Maddie got up to refresh her drink
and her father held out his glass to her, and she did
the same for him. Michael soon followed and then
returned to his seat then asked,
“After my father moved out of the mansion,
you hardly spoke. Why is that?”
“Your father is an upright goody two shoes
is why. He always thought that Sean and I were up
to no good. I got sick of his always ruining the party
and our chances to make real money; that’s when I
told him to leave if he wanted. Then when you two
moved out and into that old manor that he’d been
working on forever, I brought Sean out. While Sean
and I made a great fortune for ourselves, your father

chose to just barely get by.”
“So why didn’t I ever hear you speak of
Sean or Anton? Why did I never know that they
were your friend and family?” asked Maddie.
“Well, I didn’t feel that it was important.
Who cares? What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is I’ve gone through my whole
life thinking that he was just your friend, not my
Uncle. You don’t think that’s something I should’ve
known? Why you would lie about that?”
“Well, you’re forgetting Maddie,” Michael
interrupted, “Baldric is not even your real father.”
Maddie stared at Earl Baldric and said,
“At first I didn’t believe it, I couldn’t. But,
now is the moment of truth. Are you my father?”
“Well, of course. I only raised you your entire life!”
he rose his voice at her.
“STOP IT! I want the truth!” she yelled back.
CRAASSHHH
Out of nowhere there was the loud
shattering of glass that made them all jump and
drop their glasses.
Michael jumped off the couch and pulled his
gun out of his holster. Slowly, he walked out of the
living room, toward the front of the house.
Immediately, Baldric started trying to untangle his
cords and Maddie screamed,
“STOP!” and she slapped him hard across
the face, “You are not going anywhere! You will
tell me what I want to know.”
Although he was stunned for a moment, he

said,
“I don’t have to tell you anything! After all
I’ve done for you!” and he continued to work the
cords.
Michael had walked back into the room just
in time with Joe in tow.
“What the hell?” Joe yelled and he ran over
to Baldric just as he was about to escape his chair
and punched him in the jaw. Then he grabbed the
old cord and tied his arms back together.
Earl slumped completely blacked out and
slumped in his chair. Joe got a glass of water and
splashed his face and he woke up again.
Maddie looked up and noticed Michael now
had a bloody nose.
“Alright, you maggot. I have been listening
to this nonsense for almost an hour now. I am fed
up. You had should take me very seriously;
especially after the ordeal you have put me through.
I am only giving you one chance to tell me what I
want to know. If you play ball with me, I will walk
out and you will never see me again. Don’t play
ball, and I’ll do to you what you did to my mother”
and Joe said emphasized the bat and the gun he had.
Baldric looked unconvinced that Joe had the
guts to beat and kill him; but when he turned off the
safety and put the barrel to his temple, he said “I
will shoot you” and Baldric really began to sweat
for the first time.
When Joe said this, Maddie shrieked “Joe,
No!” but he turned around and pointed the gun at
Maddie, and Michael subsequently pointed his gun

at Joe.
“If you interfere, I will shoot you too.
“What?” she couldn’t believe Joe was
threatening her.
“Joe, stop it!” she screamed at him and he
turned to the Earl and continued,
“Now, Earl, tell me,” he said calmly, “where
is Jesse?”
“You mean, where is your son?” said Earl.
A moment of silence followed where
Maddie was stunned to be hearing. Coming to once
more, she said “WHAT?”
“That’s right, Maddie,” Earl laughed “Jesse
is Joe’s son, not mine! Ah ha haaa!” he moved his
head up and down. “From what my sources tell me,
he’d been sleeping with his own stepmother for
quite sometime. Now, I am not certain but isn’t that
still incest?” and he laughed in a high pitched
whispy voice as he shook.
Maddie couldn’t say anything; the last few
days had just been too much. She just stared at both
of the men whom she had trusted with her life and
wondered where she went wrong. Joe turned to her
and said,
“I’m sorry Maddie but it’s true. It’s not as
bad as it sounds.”
“Not as bad as it sounds? You’ve had a baby
with your stepmother!”
“Well, she’s only a few years younger than
you. I have been in love with her since I was a
teenager and, when my father fell ill, it was my
chance with her. That is, until your father got in the
way.”
“You must be kidding me. You were
competing with my father for Anna? She’s young
enough to be your daughter. You were gonna leave
me for her?”
“Well, every woman has her price,”
wheezed Baldric who sounded completely crazy.
“I hate you! BOTH of you! I don’t ever want to see
either of you ever again! How could you do this to
me?” she screamed.
“Well, if you hate us now, your about to
hate us more in a moment while Baldric confesses
to the murder of your parents as well as trying to
kill me and you,” Joe said nonchalantly.
“He never tried to kill her but you did, when
you had those thugs abduct her and bring her in my
home. They were violent and crazy!” said Michael.
“Oh he didn’t?” he asked inquisitively with
sarcasm. “I confess that I am the one who arranged
for your abduction but it was only supposed to be a
short stay! That was until your father manipulated
me into letting those guys take you that day in the
desert. It wasn’t my intention that you should get
hurt! Your father made me choose between you and
my son. The plan was to have you kidnapped and
claim you as dead to get my son back. As soon as I
got him back, I would’ve brought you back too but
Earl double crossed me! Shortly after his men
grabbed you, they tried to kill me too!”
“Oh yeah, whatever! John told me you were
flirting with some girl all night!”
“Do you really think I went back to my hotel

that night and had a good time? Well, I didn’t
because John’s buddy drugged my drink and took
me into the desert where he tried to shoot me. I was
supposed to drop you off at Michael’s on the way
back from the desert and then leave you there;
instead I hitchhiked all the way back to the resort.”
“Earl!?!” Maddie half asked half exclaimed.
“What?” asked Earl who was humming and
tapping his feet, “No one’s listening to me anyway”
he said and then started to sing some old song
aloud; then Joe punched him hard across the other
side of his face to shut him up.
“Alright!” yelled Michael, “Enough! Tell
him where Jesse is so we can go. I can’t take this
scene anymore.”
“No! First, tell us, what happened to Sarah
and Armel Siroq,” she demanded, “You killed them
didn’t you?”
“Yeah, fine. Alright, let’s just get this over
with. You want a confession, fine,” said Baldric not
wanting to get beat anymore.
“Tell us from the beginning, everything that
happened,” demanded Joe.
“Fine,” continued Baldric, “I was studying
at La Sorbonne for a few years. I was seeing Sarah
Margulie when that Armel man came along and
tried to take her from me,” he spit. Baldric was truly
mad and in his rage, was starting to lose it. “There
was no way I could allow him to have her. I had
done everything for that little ungrateful! I
introduced her to all my friends and they all loved
her; I was humiliated! Then I introduced her to my

family who were taken with her; for the first time,
my mother was excited since my father died. She
always wanted me to marry an American girl and
for me to take her to the States but that ingrate
broke my mother’s heart. Plus, with a family like
hers, I could continue the Engelard name in a
respectable business manner. She made my family
proud and she was going to just ditch me for that
other man. So one night, I followed him to his dorm
and I shot the bastard. Huh huuuhh!” he laughed
psychotically.
“Unfortunately, I had acted in blind rage and
haste because I hadn’t realized that anyone was
around when I shot him. Had I been in the right
state of mind, I would’ve been more careful.
Anyway, I ran away from the scene as fast as I
could and when I got back to my ‘apartement’, I
told Anton what I had done. We were too much
alike! He had only just escaped Bruges and his slut
wife! HA HA!” Balidric’s face was completely red,
“He was in my debt because I helped him get to
Paris after he nearly killed his wife and that chap!
Yes, Indeed!”
“What are you talking about?” stammered
Michael who was not quite sure of what he was
hearing. “What? My mother? She died in the war!
That was the last time my father saw his wife”
interrupted Michael.
“NOPE,” Baldric was starting to sound like
Barney; he seemed to be getting drunk on his own
anger. Baldric continued by telling him the story of
what led his father to Paris and then to the United

States.
After he was done, Maddie cut in,
“You were quite the trio! You’re all violent,
lying lunatics. I always knew that evil existed but I
never thought that I would be so close to it. I hope
I’m not related to you because today is the saddest
day of my life. I was brought up with frauds and
then I foolishly married one,” she cried.
Baldric merely laughed and Michael sat and
stared at the ground.
“Well,” he said, “Gabrielle’s lover went into
the hospital and survived, but he was in bad shape
for awhile. According to the papers, he was
permanently scarred in the face. Gabrielle went
back to Paris with her parents once she was well
enough. Rumor had it that her hip was messed up
for life, which made her a cripple,” he grinned as
tears of enjoyment moistened his eyes.
“He’s saying your mother is still alive,” said
Maddie.
“I know and I believe him. I remember that
night when we boarded the train to Paris; it all
seemed rather fast. I could tell that my father was
upset and I was scared for him.”
“That was because he was worried about
getting arrested. If you could’ve seen the papers,
your father did a bang up job; especially on the
boyfriend who was made permanently impotent!”
Baldric laughed explosively out loud while moving
his head up and down, tears rolled down his red
face. Michael, who had had enough, rose and added
one more grade with his fists which turned his head
into a pulpy mass of red.
“That evening, I was having a romantic
dinner with Sarah. I rushed her out when I got the
phone call and when he came to my door, I took
him in without question. I figured that Gabrielle got
what was coming to her and her family, nor anyone
else would’ve disagreed with me. You see, she told
him that she was gonna leave and take Lucian with
him. She underestimated Anton because he loved
him a lot more than he ever loved that skank.”
“ALRIGHT!! ENOUGH! YOU MAY
HAVE YOUR DISCUSSIONS AFTER I LEAVE
BUT WHERE IS JESSE?” asked Joe.
“Yes, hmmmmm. Where is Jesse?” he said
through evil looking slits of eyes.
Joe started to motion as though he were
going to hurt Baldric again and she screamed,
“STOOP!”
Joe turned around and said “SHUT UP!
Nothing is going to keep me from finding my son
and if it means I gotta draw some blood, then so be
it. If you don’t like, then leave because you’re only
getting in my way!”
“Come on, Maddie,” Michael said as he put
his arm around her shoulders, “he needs to find
where his son is. This is the only way,”
Just then Joe pulled back his fist to re extend
it into his face and Baldric yelled, “Okay, Okay, I’ll
tell you where he is.” Joe hesitated and lowered his
fist, he stood back and asked,
“Where’s Jesse?”
“He’s at my condo in the city with a woman

whom I’ve hired to care for him. The chateau
Montmarte condos, lot 41. You’ll find him there,”
and at that moment, twenty men ran into the room
with guns.
The police had been alerted to the hostage
situation by the housekeeper who was still on the
property. In the midst of everything, they had
forgotten about her. They screamed as they burst in
yelling,
“HANDS UP, DROP YOUR WEAPONS,
AND GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR,” at which
everyone obeyed, except Baldric who was still tied
to the chair.
Joe dropped his gun slowly to the ground and laid
down himself.
They were all handcuffed and put in the
back of separate patrol cars while Baldric stood
innocently at the door giving a full account of how
they had burst in and took him hostage. Although
the file sat out in plain view, it didn’t hold much
value to the cops who saw that it was an unsolved
case from years prior. Upon inspection of the file,
they knew that the circumstances of Earl were
suspicious but they insisted there was nothing they
could do.
Fortunately, Joe had recorded the entire
conversation with his phone. The police listened to
the conversation and decided that everyone would
be taken to the station and questioned. Maddie was
happy, despite her own arrest, because for a
moment, it looked like Earl would once again get
away with the murder of Sarah and Armel. She had

finally accepted that Earl wasn’t the man whom she
thought. Besides, after everything that had
happened, even if he was really her father, she
would still want him to pay for his crime.
Once they were at the station, they were all
subjected to hours of questioning. Once their
testimonies were fully evaluated, after repeated
listening to the phone, and re reading of the
documents the detective provided Joe, Earl Baldric
was formally charged with the murder of Maddie’s
parents and multiple kidnapping. Unfortunately, Joe
and Michael were still arrested for holding Baldric
against his will and beating him. The only person
who went home that night was Maddie who
promised Joe that she would pick up baby Jesse on
the way.
Maddie was curious to see little Jesse, so
she sped all the way to her father’s condo. She
knocked on the door and a little woman in a
dressing gown opened the door. Maddie recognized
the woman at once as Lauriana; she was her father’s
old housekeeper for one of his vacation homes in
Newport. She let her in the condo and led her to the
bedroom where little Jesse slept.
As she led her into the room, the nanny-
housekeeper explained to Maddie that Earl had
brought her to work with the baby several months
prior. He upped her salary in exchange for fully
caring for the baby. When she asked if the baby
were his, he said yes but refused to tell her who the
mother was. Instead, he made her swear to complete
secrecy in exchange for the condo, which was

transferred to her name.
Lauriana adjusted the wall light on low and
walked quietly up to the crib and as she looked
down, what she saw amazed her. It was a little Joe
sleeping quite peacefully and still. Maddie was
taken by the beauty of the baby and wished she
could be its mother. Originally, she was going to
take the baby home that night but realized she
couldn’t because the baby needed to sleep.
Maddie motioned to Lauriana and they
walked back out into the hallway and quietly closed
the door. She asked the housekeeper to speak with
her in the living room. Maddie explained to her
about everything single thing that had happened that
night. How it happened that Baldric, who she
thought was her father, was now in jail. She
explained how dangerous he was and why she
needed to help her pack up all the baby’s things and
then leave immediately in the morning. Maddie
pulled out her checkbook and wrote her a rather
large check to cover her expenses for having to look
for another job.
After their conversation, the woman showed
Maddie to a guest bedroom where she laid down to
rest. She could’ve gone home and come back the
next day but she couldn’t conceive of being too far
from the baby. The reoccurring thought that Earl
may somehow get out of jail more quickly than Joe
or Michael made her want to stay close. The
housekeeper brought her a guest night gown, robe,
and toothbrush for the evening then Maddie fixed

up the bedroom for the evening.
As she lay there and tried to sleep, she found
that she couldn’t because her mind refused to let go
of the events of the last two days. She mind relived
the escape from Marcon Manor and the dangerous
drive back and then her mind went over the
conversations she had with Michael, her father, and
Joe. Then her restless mind took her through
memories of her life with Earl Baldric. She told
herself that her entire life with him was a lie and she
couldn’t stop thinking about how she never knew
her real parents, nor would she ever.
After hours of tossing and turning while
thinking of all these things, Maddie was finally
defeated physically and mentally. She could no
longer feel anything and her mind went blank as her
body went numb and relaxed. Maddie drifted off to
sleep and had horrible dreams the entire night but
they never bothered her psyche because she was
numb.
The next morning, Maddie was still numb
and as she packed up as much of the baby’s things
as possible, her limbs felt like they were moving by
command, as if they were the limbs of a robot.
Meanwhile the housekeeper was busy packing up
her items and preparing to stay with her cousin until
things were calm.
Maddie found Jessie to be a total sweetheart
who was exceptionally bright and aware. Jesse
hardly cried and feeding him was a cinch. Jesse was
obviously very comfortable and well loved in his
atmosphere and she hoped that life with Joe would

be just as enjoyable for the baby. Lauriana was kind
enough to make Maddie breakfast and coffee before
they left.
At home, Maddie put Jessie down in the
play pen she had unpacked and worked on
transforming one of the guest bedrooms into a baby
room. Joe had not been home yet and the house was
still dusty and quiet. After she had done with room,
she put the baby down to a nap and then proceeded
to clean the rest of the house.
It wasn’t until about four p.m. that Maddie
finally got a phone call from Joe. He had been
released from jail and was wondering if she would
pick him up, she agreed but when she asked about
Michael, he was evasive. Still numb, she was
unable to get emotional about not hearing from
Michael. It wasn’t that she had stopped caring but
she was too tired to be concerned as she packed up
Jesse and drove out to the station.
Joe was standing in front with his sunglasses
on, looking idly up and down the street. When he
got in the car, she asked him again where Michael
was. Apparently, he had been released earlier and
went home which Maddie figured was probably a
good idea. She was feeling hopeless and worthless;
it made sense that Michael wouldn’t stick around
for her.
On the way back home, they stopped at the
convenience store to pick up supplies for the child.
Maddie was silent as they walked through the aisles
picking various items because the house was
practically emptied of necessities. Joe rambled on

and on about various things as though nothing had
happened the day before. All he cared about was his
self and his baby, which was good Maddie reflected
because his baby should be the most important thing
in his life. Still, it was very telling that he did not
once bring up the affair or how Maddie was cheated
by Baldric as well. It was just like always, and what
she always ignored, which was he didn’t care about
her. Maybe at first he thought he did but things
were different now.
When they finally made it back to their
house, Joe told her that he was ready to talk. He
went and put the baby down for another nap while
Maddie waited on the couch for him.
“Are you sure Michael went home already?
Did he say anything to you about me?” Maddie
asked.
“No,” said Joe, “Listen, I’ve known Michael
practically my entire life. Believe me, he is a really
good guy but rarely has he committed to a woman
for more than a few weeks. I know you guys had
something going but he won’t be back for you. I, on
the other hand, am always here for you. Michael
said something to me that led me to believe that
maybe you have feelings for him, but even if he
does want you, the fact is I need you here. I love
you and I want us to pick up where we left off,
before everything happened. Let’s start over again,”
he said.
“We can’t just start over, or pick up from
where we left off. You’ve been lying to me for
years now. Now you have a child and that’s the

only reason you’re asking this of me isn’t it?” asked
Maddie frustrated.
“Yes, I need you and so does my baby, but
you’ve always wanted kids. Don’t you remember
asking me? Well, you can help me with Jesse. I
mean, we are still married. My father had many
affairs over the years and they’re still together. We
can make this work, I know we can. You can quit
your job and take care of Jesse and I will take care
of everything else.”
Maddie was so defeated in her feeling self
worthlessness. Both of the most important men in
her life thought as much of her as one thinks of a
pet. She wondered if there was something wrong
with her because how could she be discarded as a
human with feelings so easily. How could this man
be so selfish and not once acknowledge that he hurt
her.
Too tired and upset to argue with him,
Maddie agreed that she would stay and they could
work things out. It was only her defeated side that
allowed her to remain but on another side of her,
she severely hated Joe. She realized that hatred was
her true feeling and that they could never really start
over but she was too tired to start the new chapter of
her life at the moment. As she went out the house as
though everything were finally back to normal,
there was a voice within her that kept telling her
that she needed to get out of her marriage but she
couldn’t respond.
Joe was right, she did always want kids and

perhaps this was her opportunity to raise one. Jesse
could be hers and maybe he would finally inspire
her to make the leap and start a family of her own.
She didn’t want to return to work because a job
didn’t seem to rightly compare to a family. Now
that all her family was dead and Michael was gone
and not coming back, Joe was all she had.
After hours of cleaning, the house finally
began to feel fresh, and Maddie’s nerves finally
began to calm. When every room in the house had
been cleaned, she moved out to the backyard and
swept up all the leaves and debris; than she worked
her way around the front. She then continued her
cleaning quest by scrubbing her porch.
She was rinsing all the suds away when he
walked up to the house. Maddie, who was still so
absorbed by a constant replay of the night’s events
didn’t even hear him. When he said her name, she
jumped and screamed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.
“It’s alright,” Maddie said. “What are you
doing here? Joe said you were released and went
home.”
“Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m here for you,”
Maddie didn’t know what to say. She looked at him
and then looked down, considering what he was
saying.
In that moment, as she looked down at the
ground, a book worth of thoughts flooded her mind.
She worked very hard to get to her current place in
life. Maddie loved her job and, despite everything,
she loved her husband, but now, life was different.

Her father was not her father and Joe has had a son
with his step mother who was beaten to death by her
own father. Maddie never felt lonelier in her life as
she did the last day or so.
As she stood there and contemplated the
facts of her life and her options, she saw clearly a
picture of her grandparents in her mind. True, they
were dead gone but while they were alive, they
were very happy; or at least they seemed to be.
They were one of those annoying couples who
loved to brag about how they loved each other and
what a happy life they had.
In reflection of their marriage, Maddie new
instantly without thinking that her marriage to Joe
was no where near what her grandparents appeared
to have. If she wanted what her grandparents had,
the choice she needed to make was to be with
Michael. She threw down her broom, ran up to him
and threw her arms around him. They kissed for a
few minutes before standing back and looking at
one another than he said,
“Your father, or supposed father, has been
released on bond. My guess is he won’t be here for
long. Do you want to pack a bag and we can go see
him? Then we can go back to my place where we
can live happily ever after?”
“No, I have nothing to say to that stranger
but I will go pack that bag. In fact, how about I pack
all of my bags?” she smiled.
Maddie and Michael went inside, and a few
minutes later Joe could be heard screaming and
swearing up and down the neighborhood. Although

they initially brawled all throughout the living room
and kitchen, Maddie did manage to calm them
down. For Joe, it was the screaming of the baby that
brought him to his senses. Maddie went upstairs and
packed a few suitcases, with which Michael helped
into the car. When she was done and Joe asked her,
“So that’s it?”
She said, “Yep!” and they drove off.
Later
Two months later, Maddie was still in the
middle of a divorce because of Joe’s stubborn spite.
Nevertheless, she was extremely happy in the
manor as the new lady of the house. She was
officially semi retired and spent most of her days
doing all the things she really enjoyed. Be it in the
garden with Julian or in the kitchen with Marie, she
could be found in extremely good spirits while
working on some sort of project.
Julian and Marie, as it turned out, had
escaped that night through the castle wall that led to
the opposite entrance to the house. They returned to
the property several weeks after Maddie and
Michael had returned. Abilene had come back to
help out but, at Maddie’s insistence, she was fired
and sent back home. The house was a total wreck
but she enjoyed putting it back in order with three
of her most favorite people in the world at the
moment.
Michael took the money that he’d gotten
from her father and begun a second phase of
restoration on the manor. He spent most days either
making improved designs to his home or finding

investors who would help turn the home into a place
for tourists. Maddie, who was pretty well off on her
own, insisted on helping to redesign the clashing
rooms of the manor. Michael tried to stop her but
she insisted that although the articles were of good
quality, they were bad in design.
Not too long after they had arrived at the
manor, Earl Baldric had indeed gone missing as
Michael predicted. Maddie received several phone
calls and several people came to the manor looking
for clues as to where he might’ve gone. Apparently,
they had proof he had left the country the very next
day for Paris but they hadn’t a clue as to where he
would be staying.
Never once did Maddie, nor anyone who
was acquainted with him hear from him ever again.
His house was liquidated to pay for the bond he
took out and he apparently drained all his money
from his accounts. Maddie subsequently assumed
his position of ownership in her great grandfathers
company.
That morning, when Maddie woke up, she
knew that she needed to take the test. She was three
days late and she knew that she wanted it to be true.
The hopes that she now had for her future were a
long way off from where she began, which made it
all the more exciting; like a dream coming to life.
Originally, they decided that they would wait until
the divorce was final and they were married but fate
would not see it that way.
She got up and washed, then made her

downstairs where Marie had breakfast waiting.
After breakfast, she made her usual rounds about
the castle, feeding the animals and then working in
the garden with Julian. On her way back in for
lunch, she kissed Michael and went upstairs to
wash. Maddie couldn’t wait any longer and took the
test; two minutes later, the results were positive.
END

Misguided Trust

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Misguided Trust

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MISGUIDED TRUST/Ott, Page 1

Afterward, her lunch gone, he insisted on sharing

that, when they did make love, it would mean

Joe continued to entwine his tongue as deeply with

played with the edges of her dress as though

Maddie reached behind her to unlatch her bra, but

spreading her vaginal walls further than usual. It

much. As a form of rebellion, she promised herself

getaway, as Joe seemed to be more increasingly

Joe closed his eyes and rolled back over

would become angrier. Although he was the love of

They drove inland and down the coast

minutes of peace and quiet? Why must you always

her face and she reached into the glove

A man came up and helped them with

“Uh, would you like to go to dinner in town

“Hey there! How are ya? Let’s go in and eat,

She barely took a second sip when she heard Joe

“Hmmm,” she said to herself, “there was a

“Fine,” she said, when he asked how she

“Yeah ok, it’s going to be another 20

discovered the damage, she couldn’t prove that the

smelled cooking chicken that steamed its way down

In her weakness, she barely felt the man

person who slapped her was a woman with leathery

bricks of a wall. Assuming that this wall encircled

clothes with a wand; while in another corner

Don’t think about tryin’ nothin’, or else you’ll be

disgusting woman eat. The woman didn’t seem to

The woman grabbed a bag of bread, a small

a bit simple. Erroneously, she assumed that Maddie

hand up to the noose and yanked it out of her grip

she tried to step faster, which made her legs trip on

hallway. Abilene was screaming, crying, and

combination of the decor with the walls, which

Finally, after a few weeks had gone by, the

Everyday she wore dirty jeans and baggy tee

persistent. When she saw the woman, it was like a

sheets of the four post bed from morning until

After the shower and change, the woman led

large matching gray stone wall she had seen through

not to mention the levels underground which totaled

made her feel heady and as they walked along, they

weapons. When Maddie asked why, the woman told

including the playground, had benches and tables

The room looked like a cross between a

In front of the glass book cases were two

Michael walked in the bathroom and continued

Maddie remained on the floor for awhile

couch that sat facing an enormous entertainment

she missed. Mostly, she missed her husband and

on her dressing gown and followed Adele into the

sorry for her. It was about this time when she

between leaving work to have a family and her

This information made Maddie remember

to the United Kingdom. Although Adele had not

learn about plants and gardening. The comment was

never said anything because she was relieved to

After numerous lunches and early dinners

location but there was no telling how far to even a

began rinsing the carrots in the sink. Michael was

“Yeah, sure,” and continued washing the

removed the wet rag from his hand and replaced it