A Ruthless Victim by Nadia Siddiqui (best novels to read for students .txt) 📗

Nathan’s eyes slowly roll over to him finally, waiting to figure out what he’s wanting to hear the most.

“There’s nothing on it. You couldn't have wiped it before I got to it, so who are you? Why do you carry around an empty phone?”

Nathan knows that if the phone was blank that either they tried to put in the wrong password too many times, and it wiped the phone, or the company already figured out what must have happened to him, and wiped it on that off chance that Alex possessed any technical skills. Which he doesn’t.

“I guess it doesn’t matter,” Alex clips, irritated that he’s not getting the answer that he wants. “I wasn’t due for a new play thing for another couple months so this is a really a nice little treat.”

Good for him. Nathan almost refuses to answer him on general principle at this point. He’s watching the man who thinks that he’s in control unraveling further with each passing second. What a stereotype he clearly is. Alex finishes the contents of his wine glass and leans forward to stare at Nathan. “Who do you really work for? How did you find me? What do you know?”

Nathan smirks, amused as he blinks up at Alex, playing as if he’s stupid. “Tell you what, how about you pick one of the three questions, and I’ll answer only that one question. Deal?”

Alex throws his glass at the plastic barrier, and it shatters. “You don’t get to tell me shit! I am in control here!”

Nathan rolls his eyes and nods. “Yeah, right, I get it. Whatever you’re going to do, can we just,” Nathan made a ‘move it along’ circle gesture with his index finger, and closed his eyes once more, not wanting to continue entertaining this conversation.

“How did you know about my deal with the Judge? How did you know about my payments? Who are you working with?”

Nathan wonders how long it would take for him to sit here calmly and quietly before Alex loses the last of his self-control and loses his mind. “Does it matter?”

“Yes, it fucking matters! Tell me who you are, who you really are!”

Nathan barely keeps from laughing. “Ah, now that’s the one question that I cannot answer for you. I have no idea who I really am.” It’s honest, probably the most honest thing that he’s said in a very, very long time.

“What the fuck does that mean? How can you not know who you are? That is so fucking stupid.” Alex is on his feet now, pacing. “Everybody is somebody; you didn’t discover me by accident; are you FBI? CIA? Fucking tell me, or I will keep you alive for months just to hack pieces off of you one by one.”

Nathan rolls his eyes. He shifts on that thin mattress until he’s sitting upright with his legs folded underneath him, hoping that his calmness is only pissing Alex off more. He would love it if only the prick would open that door. He would love nothing more than for the idiot to attempt to handle him in one on one combat. That would end very well for Nathan, and then he could take his time learning all of the things that he needs here.

“Bradley Kramer,” Nathan finally answers, staring Alex straight in the eye.

“What about that fucking prick.” Alex’s face instantly darkens, and he holds himself very still.

“I work for Bradley Kramer. He’s a good friend of mine. Told me where to find you, gave me everything I need.”

“That prick, he doesn’t know shit. Try again.” Though there is a slight stammer to his words. “He can try; that restraining order was a fucking joke. As if he could keep me away, I taught him a lesson though. I taught him good.”

“So you admit that you started the fire that killed his wife and daughter?”

“Killed them?” Alex laughs. It’s a dark and sinister sound. “Killed them? So he truly believes that they are dead then? I wondered...I’ve been watching the way that he has been wasting away into practically nothing. I must admit; it’s sort of a thrill knowing so much more than he does. That I won - he might have ruined my career, but I’ve more than gotten even with him. I’ve ruined his entire life.”

“Ruined the life of his wife and daughter too.”

Alex smiles, full set of pearly white teeth on display as he arrogantly stomps over to a light switch by the staircase. “Oh, I would say that’s an accurate statement,” he states as he flips on the switch, illuminating the other half of the basement that they are in. The other surgical room that Alex mentioned is right across the hall from him. It’s set up similarly to his own with the plastic barrier, only there are two mattresses on that side, and the compartment seems twice as large - and there, chained to the wall, is the woman from his vision. The woman that he was in that vision, with her daughter curled into a ball at her feet. Emma. They have been here the whole time.

Chapter Six

T he two girls hardly look alive. The mother has her arms shackled spread to either side, and her hands dangle limp from her chains. It’s hard to tell from this distance if she’s breathing or not. Their clothing is ratty and torn. It appears that he hasn’t bothered to shower or change them in the year that they have been contained in this hell prison. Nathan’s mind is reeling in an attempt to fit this new piece of information together with the rest of the details that he has already figured out.

The sudden introduction of bright light finally causes Emma to stir. What is the wife's name again? Lila, her name is Lila. Will she