Chapter Thirty-six

Sidney hesitated momentarily. He nearly forgot everything he and Tony discussed before the phone call. He just couldn’t believe it.  This man, his friend, was responsible for putting him through hell the past few months. He had abducted Payton. Now he was answering the phone as if it was business as usual. Doubt crept into Sidney’s mind. 

“Hi Pat,” Sidney said slowly. “I… uh… I was wondering if you’d seen Payton. I’m looking for her.”

Sidney was playing as if he didn’t have suspicions, just like Tony had advised.  He was trying to sound calm and unconcerned.  If Pat didn’t know they were on to him, they would have the advantage.

“Oh, sure, I’m looking at her right now,” he said.

Sidney had a hard time keeping his mouth from dropping.

“Can I speak to her?”

“She’s a little tied up right now, Sidney. Can she call you back?”

“Ah, well, it’s kind of important. Can I just speak to her for a minute, please?”

“Well, it might be a little hard to understand her through the duct tape,” he hissed.

Sidney almost dropped the phone.  Icy cold stole up his spine as fear tightened its grip.  Sweat broke out across his brow. In his struggle to keep the fear at bay, he felt the rage well up inside him.

“If you hurt her, you son of a bitch, I will rip you limb from limb with my bare hands,” he yelled into the phone.  Tony stepped closer and attempted to take the phone from him, surprised at the fury coming from his employer.  Sidney shook him off.

“WHERE IS SHE?” he cried.

“Now, now, now, that’s no way for a good Canadian boy to behave. What would your mother say?”  Pat taunted.

“You mother-fucker, what have you done to her?”

“Now Sid, I will not talk to you if you speak to me in that tone,” he said and disconnected the call.

Pat was giggling like a schoolboy when he glanced over at Payton.  He grinned at her and his eyes got wide.

“You’re boyfriend’s a little mad -- such language.”

She watched him laugh and walk over to the filthy window.  He picked up the binoculars and fixed his attention at something down the street. The phone rang again.

Pat looked over at Payton. “Wonder who that is?” he said with a sneer and answered the call.

“Where is she, Pat?” said Sidney, doing his best to keep the anger out of his voice.

“Well, I told you, Sidney. She is here,” he laughed, crossing the room to sit down next to her on the bed again.

“I want her back.”

“Well, of course, you do. But that’s not part of the plan.”

After a moment, Sid responded, “What is the plan, Pat?”

Pat looked Payton up and down and licked his lips. Then his eyes rested on hers, “The plan is: you are going to die.” 

Pat watched Payton’s eyes get wide and begin to fill with tears again.  He slid his hand across her skin and cupped her breast, grazing his thumb across her nipple. 

“And then your sweet little morsel and I are going to have some fun.”

Payton could hear Sidney yelling as Pat snapped the phone closed again, disconnecting him.  Pat kneaded her breast a few seconds longer and then sighed.

“We’ll have to continue this later, my dear,” he said getting up and walking to the kitchen.  She whimpered behind her gag unable to control the tears.  You are going to die, he’d said.  She couldn’t get those words out of her head. He was going to kill Sidney.

He rattled around in the kitchen for a few minutes and returned to the living room.  He was carrying a large rifle with him.   He sat back down on the edge of the bed and looked into her eyes, rubbing the barrel of the gun.

“Don’t worry, dear. I won’t be gone long.”