Abby listened for the approach of another car, but none came. Six hours had passed since Jay had placed her in this trunk. Hunger gnawed at her insides. Abby regretted skipping breakfast that morning. She had been in a hurry and told her self she would get something at lunch. When she was headed out to lunch, her pager had gone off suddenly, and she had to rush to the hospital to take care of an emergency. Eventually the whole day had passed and Abby still had not gotten anything to eat. Abby had exhausted herself, trying to find a way out. She had banged and beaten until her knuckles were bleeding. It hadn’t taken her long to discover the spot on her arm where it had been jammed in the trunk while she was fighting Jay to keep him from closing her in. It would seal off, but reopen and start bleeding again when she moved.

When Abby didn’t report for work the next day, her staff went into a panic. Abby had never missed work.

As Abby explored her cramped surroundings, her hand met with a cold hard surface. It took her a few moments to realize it was a glass bottle. She marked it in her memory, recognizing she could use it as a weapon if Jay came back. As Abby lay in the dark trunk, she began to make a plan for if Jay came back. She had to be ready to fight him the moment he opened the trunk. She listened intently, ready to fight the moment she heard him return.  As the hours wore on, Abby fell into an exhausted sleep. She awoke a few hours later, to the sound of a keys rattling outside the car. Abby groped in the darkness for the bottle. As the trunk began opening, her hand tightened around it. A shadowy figure loomed over Abby. She fought to sit up and swing the bottle at the figure in one movement. Abby felt her him grab her wrist, as if he had been ready for the attack. She fought him to escape, but was shocked to find the grip to not be one of control, but of calm reassurance. Abby felt her self being pulled into strong arms. “It’s okay, honey, you are safe now.” Someone crooned in her ear. The smooth voice made her want to just melt into him. When Abby turned her head, she saw the squad cars and ambulance nearby. After a moment, the paramedics rushed over and ushered Abby on to a stretcher. As the ambulance pulled away from the car, Abby felt relief wash over her, she was safe, at least for now. As the paramedics did their jobs, Abby drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, Abby could feel someone watching her, and panic filled her. Reluctantly, she turned her head, to find the same cop who had pulled her out of the trunk sitting in a chair, watching her intently. When he realized she was awake, worry lines creased his forehead. Abby tried to speak but her throat was too dry. She jumped a straw touched her lips, but drank gratefully when she realized what it was. “Thank you,” Abby croaked, her throat still parched. “And I can’t thank you enough for saving my life. I’m not sure how much longer I would have lasted in that trunk.” “Well, I was just doing my job, by the way, my name is Gary.” “So, tell me Gary, did you get into this job to save damsels in distress, or for another reason?” “Actually, I wanted to be a cop so I could help people, not just damsels.” Abby rested back against the pillows and watched the man sitting across from her. For the first time in her life, Abby felt she could get used to having this man around, more than any other man she knew.