Love Story

Chapter twenty two: Fear


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Erik sat at his desk reading the ransom note again and again. Erik understood what Ivan Merik wanted. The letter told him exactly that.
“Give me your life and your wife lives. Decide who you love more, your wife or yourself.”

Erik sighed deeply and tried his best to stay calm. Christine was sleeping right next to him. How could Merik gotten in without waking Erik? It didn’t make sense, unless they drugged him. But Erik couldn’t think about how Merik had gotten in. He had to think of a way to contact Merik and get Christine back safely.


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Christine lay on the hotel bed crying into a pillow. Merik had let her out of the chair and she was free to walk around but all Christine wanted to do was cry. Christine heard a door open and then close and someone coming towards her. Christine jumped when she felt someone touching her cheek. She opened her eyes to see Ivan standing there with a black bag in his hand. “Hold still,” Ivan ordered her. He unzipped the bag and took out a stethoscope and put it around his neck and placed it over Christine’s heart. Christine didn’t understand why he was doing this.
After he was done checking her heart he checked her pulse. “How have you been feeling lately, Christine?” Ivan asked while he checked her pulse. Christine shrugged. “Have you been having dizzy spells, no appetite things like that?” Ivan asked her. Christine knew now what he was getting at. He was checking to see if she was pregnant. Christine already knew she was but she didn’t want her captor to know she was pregnant. “N-no,” Christine said trying her best to lie. But Christine knew that Ivan didn’t believe her.

“I really do hate it when people lie to me, Christine.” Ivan said reaching out and touching her wrist and suddenly he grabbed it and started to squeeze. Christine whimpered in pain and tried to pull back. “Please…” Christine said trying to pull away from him. “Now Christine, are you pregnant?” Ivan asked her. Christine’s eyes filled with tears and she hung her head and nodded her head. “Yes,” she whispered. Ivan let go of her wrist and stood up. He put the stethoscope away and placed his bag on the table. “Very well then, you won’t die. I’ll just keep you until the baby comes, even after Erik gives me what I want.” Ivan explained turning away from Christine.

Christine looked at him in horror. She found the strength to get up from the bed and run at him. But Ivan anticipated this and turned around and grabbed her wrists and pushed her back with a great force and pushed her onto the bed with her hands above her head. He pinned her legs down with his own and held her still. “I do not want to have to hit a pregnant woman, Christine, but if you try something that foolish again you leave me know choice but to beat some sense into that pretty little head of yours.” Ivan warned before he got off of her and stood at the end of the bed watching her. “Wh-what…what will you do to my baby…when it’s born?” Christine asked him, fearing the worst.

“I may be an evil man Christine but I would never harm a child. I’ll keep your child safe with me, and maybe if you are still full of life and the fiery spirit I’ll let you live as well.” Ivan said to her as he walked around the bed and moved closer to Christine once more. “Now, are you going to behave?” Ivan asked her gently. Christine nodded her head and flinched when Ivan reached out and touched her cheek turning her face towards him. “Good, now let’s get you something to eat.” Ivan said helping her to her feat.

Ivan’s calmness frightened Christine deeply. Christine prayed silently that Erik would come and find her before it was too late and something bad happened.