Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Samantha Downs ~

Barely three months ago, I graduated from college having studied Clothing and Textile Economics. Since I'll be gone for a probably long while, today is going to be the last day I’ll be spending with my mom and dad before, for a very long time, I’ll return.

Who says you can’t have more than one dream in life? Not me.

I have two, at least two main ones. The first, to be a successful fashion designer and the other, to be a body model for various high-class companies in the world. Two dreams that can offer me the spotlight.

If I’m as beautiful as my fiancee, Francis says I am, and I agree with him, then the second shouldn’t be much of a stress on the part where I get it.

Right now, I have little or no capital to get me the first on a golden platter. No ‘silver-spoon’ parents and no ‘super rich’ relative to look up on. It’s just me so I’ll have to go with the second as it’ll cost almost at nothing when a company recognizes me.

I’ve done some pretty good research and it turns out that body models get very attractive sums plus the whole ‘spotlight’ thing for shoot outs. Last week, I applied to be the exclusive model of a cosmetic firm.

They took up my request and gave me the job. They must’ve appreciated the resume I sent accompanied with a lot of photos of me even though I would say most of them were all defective. What matters is that they loved it and approve me. I signed their intriguing contract days later.

Right now, the only downside to the job is that the firm doesn’t operate their marketing and branding branch here in New York City but in Miami.

What can I do about that? Nothing! I’m just a young lady pursuing her dreams like everyone else just that unlike some people, I don’t own two legs to do it. One’s mine and the other is owned by fate.

“Sammy are you all done, setting up?” I heard my mom ask pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Almost done mom.” “Just a few seconds and it’ll all be perfect.”

I saw my mom walk to the dining section of the house where I was preparing the table for dinner.

“We don’t need perfect. We already have you.” she said coming to meet me. “I’m proud of the lady that you have grown to become Sam. I truly am and I know your father is too.” she added placing her hand on my left shoulder.

“That’s because I have such good parents.” I replied taking her hand off my shoulder and putting it in my left hand placing my right above it.

“Isn’t dinner ready yet? Or do I have to wait for another day or two before we sit down to eat?” my dad came in as sarcastic as usual about my sense of perfection.

“Then shall we? Merely looking at the table tells me the wait was worth it. You must’ve really put in a lot for this farewell dinner, didn’t you?” he asked using his eyes to scan through the dinner table.

 “I did. This is going to be my last dinner with you both for a while so I have to make it a special one. Only God knows when we’ll get to do this again.” I said as I pulled out a chair for my dad to sit with his food before him.

“You have no idea how lucky I am to have you for a daughter.” I heard him say giving a fixed look at me and then at the table.

I just smiled at his words and tried not to be too jolly because of them.

“I’m the lucky one.” I said before I left him to take my seat.

My mom had already taken hers when I left her to meet dad. I looked at them both and smiled. The meal before us is my dad’s favorite – chicken casserole.

“We thank you lord for this food, for our family and all others you have blessed us with. Amen.”

“Amen.” My mom and dad said simultaneously.

I was about to begin eating when a knock came on the door. The sound of the ringing doorbell followed. I got up from my seat and headed to the door to find out who it was and what the person wanted. I don’t remember inviting anyone for dinner.

“How can I help you?” I asked opening the door and meeting an unfamiliar face.

The dude is dressed in a plain black shirt over an also black pair of jean trousers. That is the only thing ringing in my head while I look at him. What he wants because I’m pretty sure we haven’t met before.

“Are you Samantha Downs?” the stranger asked with his hands behind his back.

He knows my name?

How?

“Yes. How can I help you?” I asked again trying to decode his suspicious intentions.

He smiled. A suspicious one.

“It’s not about how you can help me. It’s more of how you can help them.” he said pointing to the interior of the house.

The way he did make me feel something is wrong. I left the stranger there at the door and rushed in to make sure my mom and dad were okay. What the hell did he mean by ‘helping them’? I wondered.

I got to the dining table and just as I feared, I couldn’t find either of them. It seems like they just vanished into thin air.

“Mom!!!” I shouted on the top of my voice but there was no answer. “Dad!!!”

There was no reply. They wouldn’t just leave the table. They were gone.

Before Sam could understand what was going on, the stranger used a gun to hit her head forcefully from behind making her go unconscious.

“Don’t worry yourself. Just do as he says and they’ll be fine.” The stranger whispered into her ear having caught her in his arms.

He placed the gun back into his pocket and carried Sam towards the door and out into a concealed sub-utility vehicle. Sam was sandwiched between two guys and they placed a bag over her head.

“I hope you covered your tracks? Boss wouldn’t want any slip-ups, this time.” the get-away driver said to the man who brought Sam into the car.

“Yeah, but to be on the safest side,” he brought out a white hanky and went back to the door using it and a sanitizing agent to wipe against every spot he touched before he got back into the S.U.V. “All set.”

The driver put the S.U.V in motion and it sped along the street and out into the open road moving fast at the same time, in stealth. After some minutes of motion, the S.U.V finally made a stop at a gate guarding a gigantic mansion.

The gates flung open and the S.U.V drove in.

It made the final stop at the front porch and the two men came down from the passenger seats using their solid hands to hold Sam firmly between them. She had regained consciousness few minutes before they arrived and as they expected, she kept resisting the men but she’s clearly no match for their strength.

They took the bag off her head and led her into the mansion. Sam was too confused as to what was going on that she didn’t take notice of the lavish wealth that beguiled the house.

“Where am I? Where the fuck are you guys taking me to?” I said as I struggled trying to free myself from their rough grips even though I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

Couldn't they drag me a lot more gently? My arms are insanely hurting.

“He has been expecting you for hours.” I heard a voice say and when I took a closer look at the speaker, I found the face familiar.

“You’re him! The strange dude at the door!” I said as my memory of him came in.

“Good to know that your memory is in good shape. You’ll need it working perfectly for the mission the boss has for you.” the stranger said adding more confusion to Sam’s thoughts.

Mission? Boss?

“You… You abducted me!! Let me go! I command you let me go!” I shot out with all boldness still struggling to break free.

Immediately I finished talking, the two men came to a halt in their steps right before a man that I saw walking few paces away from where we stood towards us.

“They won’t! I’m not sorry to say this but they don’t take orders from anyone else around here,”

“Except from me!” the man said with an aura that gave out authority.