Karen found herself bundled into a car and a hood placed over her head. The journey seemed to be taking ages, not helped by the fact that all the while what Dawson had told her rang in her head

"Your new life" he had said. A life of slavery, of Lord-knows-what kind of misery and suffering. The worst part of it, was there was nothing she could do and no-one to save her. The policy of going in totally secretly and undercover was now backfiring on her in a very big way.

Karen tried to make herself comfortable but, as the car turned a corner slightly too quickly, she lurched into the footwells in the back of the car and could not get up. Desperately she thrashed, but could get no purchase to right herself. The remainder of the journey was a miserable affair, unable to see or make a sound, and with the added discomfort of the cuffs cutting into her wrists and ankles.

Eventually, the car pulled up somewhere and Karen heard the doors of the car open up. She felt the suspension rise as she assumed the two men she had heard chatting in the front on the journey got out of the car. She felt a blast of cool air hit her legs as the rear door was opened and she was roughly manhandled out of the car.

"Easy with her Vince" she heard the higher pitched man say to the other, "She is valuable merchandise. You know that he does not like his girls damaged." Karen could only imagine, with a shudder, who "He" and what his plans for her may be. She felt her legs being unlocked, the relief was at least something she could hold on to. She felt an arm around her shoulder and tried to flinch away. The grip tightened and Karen went limp as fear began to take control of her senses.

"Hold it together, you have to keep focused and stay calm" she said to herself inside her head. Slowly she felt herself being lead but, still wearing the hood, she had no idea where. Now was not the time to put up a fight, she decided.

mmmmmmmmm

Karen was lead into a room by one of the men and her wrists were chained to the wall, or it could have been a pipe, she could not be sure.

"This is where we part ways", the deeper voiced man told her, "He will be coming to collect you shortly. I just want you to know that this is purely business and nothing personal. It seems he likes a challenge." Karen pulled against the chains, but could get no purchase.

"We advised him not to take you after we found out who you really are, but he said there was a great irony in you coming to seek him out. Looks like you have found what you are looking for". The words stung Karen's pride. Not because of the mocking tone, but because this Vince man, her captor, was totally correct in what he was saying. From nowhere, the higher voiced man spoke up.

"Vince, you prat. You know we cannot leave her like this" he said with a scolding tone.

"What? What's the big problem? Just like any other job we have done, sweet as a nut" Vince replied in a defensive tone

"Bloody hell, mate", replied higher pitched man "I'm sorry, you haven't done one of these jobs before, have you? He likes them left here for him in a special way" Karen started to feel panic rise in her. Suddenly, she really needed to pee as the fear started to course through her whole body. She felt like a child again, helpless and alone, just like when she had been locked in the dark cupboard when she had been naughty. This was different though, more malign. All she could do was wonder what this "special way" was.

"It goes like this", Vince was being told, "Our client is a special customer with very special needs who can afford to pay. She has to be gift wrapped, mate, trussed likea turkey and left to be collected."

"How?" replied Vince to the man who clearly seemed in charge now.

"I got stuff to do. You remember that picture I showed you? That bondage one?"

"Ah yes", replied Vince, seemingly enlightened. Karen involuntarily shuddered at the thought of someone standing in front of her and describing how she was going to rendered helpless, or worse. They were discussing her like a piece of meat. She could feel their eyes burning through her, looking her up and down and imagining to themselves what she was going to look like.

"Think you can handle that?" Vince was asked. No words were spoken. Karen assumed that some acknowledgement had taken place "Good", said the man to Vince "I'll leave you to it".

"Alone at last" Vince's voice boomed at Karen, as the bag was removed from her head. It was daylight. How long had she been out? she thought to herself. Vince came around her and unlocked the cuffs on her wrists. Karen thought about fighting it out, but Vince loomed over her like a mountain. He had a look on his face that suggested that he would love her to try and fight her way out. That alone was enough to keep her anger in check. Instead Karen removed the tape across her mouth. Maybe she could reason her way out.

"I have a job to do, Love", Vince explained. "And you are not going to give me any trouble, one way or the other. I can do this job with you awake or unconscious. Understand?" Karen nodded meekly and replied "Yes". Vince nodded his approval.

"Now, first thing I want you to do is kick off those heels. Last thing I want is a kick from those". Karen began to realize that this Vince knew what he was doing. Slowly she removed her shoes.

"Right, now strip off the jeans". Karen looked at him and was going to protest, but Vince cut her off. "Awake or asleep, your choice. Karen didn't want this man touching her, so she removed her jeans. She was left standing in front of him in just her top and panties. She saw Vince reach into a dark corner of the storeroom and bring out a ball of orange rope.

Panic started to kick in as the rope made this whole thing seem so much more real. She was going to be bound and left in that rope. She could imagine the feel of it against her skin, holding her fast, unable to move as it encircled her. She began to plead, but her please fell on deaf ears.

"I have heard it all before", Vince told her,shaking his head. "Now face up against the wall and don't even think about moving".

mmmmmm

Karen did not struggle as her arms were pushed up behind her back. Fear and panic had gripped her like a rabbit in the headlights of the oncoming car. She felt the rope coil around her left wrist and then around her right upper arm. Vince pulled the rope tightly. Karen involuntarily gasped as the rope pinched into her skin. Vince let out a snort, enjoying her obvious discomfort.

"How does it feel?" Vince asked Karen as he took her right hand and began to coil the rope around and again pull it tightly, prompting another gasp from her.

"You don't have to do this to me Vince", Karen pleaded, hoping that the mention of his name may make it more personal in his eyes. "You could just let me go and I wouldn't tell anyone about all this. You can trust me" Vince carried on binding her, but did not reply, as if he was thinking about what she had just said. For a moment, Karen felt a surge of hope, which was dashed when he began to wrap rope around her chest.

"I am not stupid or crazy, you know", Vince replied as he pulled the ropes tight, forcing her arms against her back and immobilizing them further. "You are a reporter. If I were to let you go, or you escaped, which is doubtful now, you would be telling everyone and their dog about what came down here".

"No that is not true", Karen replied. Her captor replied by feeding a rope between her legs, the conversation seemingly over. "What are you doing? Why are you….." Karen was going to continue, but he pulled the rope tightly into her crotch, digging into her painfully. Vince tied it off and stepped back, like a craftsman admiring his latest creation.

"I have had enough of your waffle" Vince announced to her. "Open wide", he commanded her as he held a ball to her lips. Meekly and with a sense of being doomed, Karen opened up and allowed him to gag her once more. After all, what choice did she have? She reasoned to herself.

Karen was forced to sit down cross legged and her legs were tied into the lotus position. Silently, she thanked her luck that she had always continued her yoga classes as she had seen many women fail at this hurdle in the classes she had attended. Even so, this was not a great comfort to her as she tested the ropes and found them unmovable. Almost, as a final insult, her captor bent her double and tied her into that position. Struggling as much as she could, all Karen could do was look up meekly as he towered over her. Vince stepped back once again.

"Job done Love. You aren't going anywhere". Karen could only agree with him as she tried to flex her hands and arms against the unmoving bonds. All that she could do was maybe wiggle her feet a bit, but nothing that would help get her out. "Job done", she thought to herself, "Job done and me done like a kipper" Vince left her alone. As she heard the car doors slam and the engine start, Karen began to struggle. She knew her only chance was to get out before "he" came, but how long would that be?

mmmmmmmmm

She knew she had left it too late to put up a fight. She was disgusted with the way she had let him do this to her. She had not really resisted. She had always thought that when this time came, she would have fought bravely and to the last breath, but she had just punked out and let him have his way.

Karen tried to move, but she found she could not. She twisted her hands around to try and find a knot, but the pain was too great. Panic began to set in again and she sobbed to herself. Her back began to hurt , bent over as she was. Her hands began to feel fuzzy as the circulation could only supply her hands a trickle of blood. She knew that it was hopeless to fight any more, as any move made the rope in her crotch saw into her painfully.

"When was he coming?" Karen thought to herself. The thought of him coming and finding her like this, exactly how he had ordered filled her with disgust, at him and herself for not thinking about what she was doing. Sure, she had always got away with it before, but had been warned so many times before by her peers and friend, friends she would see no more. "What is he going to do to me" was the only thought that raced through her head.

Karen heard the car coming. The engine's note implied speed. Karen launched one last effort to escape, but now her hands were totally devoid of feeling. Desperately she tried to compose herself, she wanted to put on a defiant front as he saw her. "Don't show your fear", she told herself over and over, but it was no good, Karen could not stop sobbing.

Karen heard him before she saw him. He was short and stocky, not what she expected. The sight of him here to take her life away was too much. Karen tried to plead through her gag and the tears, but all that came out was an unintelligible garble. He saw him dial his mobile phone and all he said softly was "Got her". Out of his pocket he pulled something green and silver and she heard it snap. It was a switchblade. On seeing this Karen began to plead more. Was this how it was going to end? He was going to kill her there and then?

Then the strangest thing happened. This man, her evil kidnapper, the man who had chosen her, bent down on one knee at her level and said "It's over. My name is not important, but you are safe. The police are on the way". Karen looked at his face for the first time. She could not believe it, but a tear was running down his cheek. Somehow, he shared her pain.

The relief washed through Karen. Tears of horror and helplessness were replaced by the sobs of relief. Slowly and deliberately, he cut through her ropes, all the time soothing her, assuring her that she was safe. As he cut her arms free she flopped into his arms, where he cradled her, gently rocking her, as he undid the buckle on her gag. He pulled off his coat and wrapped it around her gently. She then heard his mobile vibrating. He gently sat her upright and answered the call.

"Keller" he said the name, wiping the tear from his eye. The mournful look was replaced by a much harder glint as he listened to the call.

"All of them? Like that when you got there?" he barked. "We needed someone, anyone alive. Shit. OK, I'll see you back there. Yes, call them in". As he turned back to face her while shutting his phone, the glint was there, just for a second. Quickly, he regained his composure and the genuine look of concern returned to his eyes.

"You OK?" Karen could only nod in reply.

"Have you got them?" Karen asked nervously, "Will they come back for me?"

"Never again, Karen". He replied, shaking his head. "Someone has made them pay". Karen did not want to know what he meant by that. In the distance she could hear sirens approaching. "What happened, you must never report it Karen". Karen opened her mouth to argue, but he held up his hand, cutting her short. "There are others out there who weren't so lucky. I have to find them Karen. I need to find them all". With that, he got up and walked away, just as a policewoman in uniform ran in. He turned once more, gave her a small nod and a smile, and was gone.

mmmm

Epilogue

Karen sat at her computer and looked at the blank screen. A month had passed now, but the nightmares still continued. She hadn't been thrilled at first about going to see the counselor, but she had played along. Found it useful actually. Every day, she thought about her ordeal less.

The temptation to write the story had been immense. Every time she opened a page to begin the story, the man's words had rung through her head, "I have to find them Karen, I need to find them all". Who was this man? Karen thought to herself. What drove him and what was the pain that made a grown man cry?

"What was his name?" Karen murmured to herself. It was always on the tip of her tongue, just out of memory's reach. There was good story in this man, but all the police contacts were reluctant to talk the incident, and most genuinely didn't even know who he was when she described him.

A smile traced across Karen's lips. "Keller" she said to herself. "The name was Keller"