Love's Arithmetic

IX: Blindness

Caer's first thought upon opening her eyes was, Crap! This was not due to the rough night she had endured, instead it was the result of a much larger, and much more lasting problem. Her contacts had fallen out during the night. Frantically she thought of any possible solution and came up blank. What am I going to do? She thought frantically, trying to find a way to magically make her vision come into focus. The room around her seemed like a pixelated picture. The small amount of light filtering in from the miniscule window was more like a glob of white in a dark background.


She had always hated the fact that her eyes were bad, had been too afraid to get Lasik eye surgery, and had always had her glasses or contacts on hand. Up until now, she had never had a time when she had been without either. She was frightened because of this, especially in a strange place, with strange people, and a time were she needed to escape if the opportunity presented itself. Now, Caer realized that even if an opportunity to escape were to open up, she wouldn't be able to carry it out, let alone seat!


Letting out an exasperated sigh she spoke aloud, "Why do my eyes have to be bad? Couldn't you have kidnapped someone else with good eyes?" She shook her fist at the ceiling, imagining Garrett watching with the surveillance cameras, if there really were any. "BASTARD!" She yelled still shaking her fist. Not that her words would ever really matter, they were probably planning some murder or kidnapping of some foreign administrator. It made her wonder what criminals really did with their free time...


* * * * * * * * * * * *


It was intense. Bullets and bodies flying, no one paying attention to anyone but themselves. The point was to stay alive and kill your opponents. There was nothing more exciting, or more deadly. Brian groaned when his head was shot off and he was pushed out of the game. It was the final death round, and whomever won would get the grand prize. The wouldn't have to make dinner for a week. Something none of them wished to-do. Brian was out of the running.


It had been five hours since any of them had taken a break longer than three minutes, and Garrett was starting to feel the effects. This game needed to be over, or else they were going to die playing a stupid video game. Granted it was fun, and it made the monotonous hours of waiting. They were waiting for the lawyer boyfriend to get nervous as he realized his girlfriend wasn't answering her door for a reason. They wanted the anxiety because it made people, more specifically relatives of the captured loved ones, much more amiable to their plans. They would send the second note, the first the one they left in her apartment, in the next day or so. It would, hopefully, be the perfect amount of time. Then they would get their money, and have enough funding for the next project that, if it worked out, would make them millions.


The sound from the video game wasn't enough to drown out the distinct voice of their captive who yelled, "BASTARD!" Hearing it, Garrett's eyebrows winged up and he paused the game, ignoring the groans from the other two. Looking at that bank of monitors, he saw her shaking her fist at him an angry look on her face. "I'm going down to see what's wrong with out lovely prisoner." He called to the three men. "Brian, take over my place in the game. I'll just back out."


With those instructions, Garrett left, going down to the kitchen to find something for Sylvia to eat. It was breakfast and he wanted to keep her healthy. By no means could he imagine hurting her, starving her, or damaging her in any way, permanent or otherwise. The thought of hurting a woman made him sick, and he would never, not even if his life depended upon it, hurt a woman.


* * * * * * * * * * * *


"Finally!" Caer cried as Garrett walked into the room. He was only a blurry outline, a different color from the wall behind him.


Garrett glared at her as he carried in a tray. She didn't see it or the glare. She hated not being able to see! "Good morning to you too duchess." He said cheerfully.


"Good morning? Do you know what kind of morning I have had? "She yelled at what she thought was his face. "Did you even think to inquire about the needs of those you kidnap? Say looking for things like glasses or contacts, because I CAN'T SEE!"