Broken Binding

Taken

Alex looks at her considering a way forward.

“Maybe you could drive the car at any robberies, no Ben won't allow that.” Axel shakes his head as he thinks, turning to face her, she looks at him and smiles, unsure why. Something about him though, while she knows he is bad, dangerous even. He isn't like Ben, and that just draws her into him. She looks at Axel, maybe he is someone who can tell her about Mack? Perhaps this is her way to find out why he is never home.

“My husband, can you tell me please, everything” Camari looks at him, she needs to know who this man is.

“Look, the clubs he owns. For years we have been using him and his clubs as a way to get drugs in. Well, your husband just went and took a full shipment without paying.” She nods, the clubs are open twenty-four seven, he works 6 am till 6 pm and has night cover, yet the last year he hasn't.

“We have been planning this month, we saw him and another woman. A few times we considered taking her, but then we realised he always came home, I assumed he came home because he loved you and she was just fun. Now I wonder how wrong I was.” Camari shakes her head.

“He wouldn't cheat” Her words weak as she realises deep down he would, there is no other reason for why he is distant, never wanting to touch her, and why her pictures don’t even bring him home these days.

“Can you, hand on heart say he wouldn't? Nothing at all has happened that would make you think he has?” She thinks back to the last year. He would leave at 6 a.m., and not come home till two days later. He claimed so many times there were issues and he couldn't get away. The gift she found in his bag, was a perfect locket engraved with 'forever in my heart, I love you' which nearly a year later he hadn't given her, and she hadn't seen it again.

Her mind keeps telling her things, like the holiday they booked, a week away. Only when it came to them leaving, she found herself sitting on the plane alone; Mack didn't even call, just didn’t show up. He agreed that morning he would meet her on the flight after work.

“Look, all I know is he doesn't care. We sent him pictures of you in the van, in here everything. His reply was, good you will save me a job.” Her eyes widened, she should have known, yet for nearly a year she just hoped she was paranoid. Would he really leave her here to be killed? Then again, he already has.

“Give me some time, I will come up with some ideas. I will go through everything I have on Mack, everything. I will find something, a way to stop this ending badly. I’m sorry Camari, you were meant to be used to get him to listen; clearly, I f****d up there.” Axel smiles at her and walks out the room, walking through he sits down, Ben looking at him waiting.

“Come on, plan? She can’t go home, Axel.” He nods, he knows she can’t.

“I know she can’t. No way can she go home, Mack will finish what we started and pin it on us. Even if we hadn’t taken her, it sounds like soon she would have turned up dead anyway.” She doesn’t deserve to die just because Mack doesn’t have the balls to walk away.

“I don’t care if he kills her Axel, it’s a fact she will confirm it is us. I mean it, if you don’t find a way to use her, to stop this blowing up on us, she is dead, or I leave the country and leave you at risk.” Ben looks at him, he doesn’t want anyone confirming to Mack it was them, there is no way they will survive.

“Remember Mack? Mud Love?” Ben glances at him confused, his shoulders shrugging.

“Yeah, Mack always made a point of saying Camari was Mud love in her past, what has that got to do with anything?” Axel laughs, of course, Ben doesn’t understand that term.

“Mud love is a word given to someone who is in the b**m lifestyle, it’s a derogatory term, it’s like being racist towards them.” Ben nods still not understanding how this helps them.

“Because she was a slave, Ben. To a Master, a full slave. Twenty-four-seven, where she followed his orders, who she spoke to, where she went when she was allowed out.” Ben laughs looking at Axel. “Give me some time.” Axel walks off, going back to Camari’s room, he opens the door and goes in. Locking it behind him, he sits down. Now to see if she will agree.

“I have a plan if you trust me. I know that sounds crazy, but let's get the revenge on your husband we all deserve, one job, then we don't have to worry about money again. You will have money to leave him Camari, to start your own life again.” Axel looks at her if she hates her husband and will go back and act like she has no idea he was involved, maybe she can find the stuff.

“I...I don't know. I'm not sure.” The tears start spilling out her eyes as she realises she has lost her husband, her house, everything. Her body starts shaking, Axel's arm wrapping around her.

“You will be fine; I will make sure. I may be a crook, but one thing I had beaten into me, is respect women, especially your own. He should have.” She cuddles into him as she cries, trying to remember the last time Mack even cuddled her, he hasn't. Even when he comes home, he faces away from her, he avoids her.

“Sorry.” Her words quiet, as she clings to him, the past few years have been far from easy.

“My dad died six months ago; he was gone the whole time. He didn't even come back for the funeral, I am a fool, then I lost the baby, and he didn't even come to the hospital, what has he done to me?” She sits sobbing into Axel's arm, his hand stroking her.

She wonders how she went from being happy in an illusion, to being kidnapped, to being comforted by the kidnapper, although she doesn't care, she has no one. Not one bit of support through everything, and right now, she will take anything she can get.

Axel gets up and walks out; he smiles at her as he closes and locks the door. He has a plan, he will tell Ben first, turning Ben is standing there, waiting for him.

“What the f**k was that?” Axel shakes his head, not wanting to argue, she needs to feel safe with him for his plan to work.

“Remember that night at the club? When Mack was talking about Camari's past, how he was disgusted by her?”. Ben nods, clearly still not getting where Axel is going with this. His head suddenly shakes as he realises.

“Wait, you're still trying to get that? Axel, we don't have time for games, you want a play toy go find one.” Axel shakes his head; he has found his play toy; she just needs to agree to it. Ben stares at him, shocked. “You're serious, aren't you? So what you put shackles on her and tell her to drive the getaway car?” Ben laughs pacing backwards and forwards, to him, it is an easy decision, she dies, and it's finished with. They then create a new plan to get what is owed.

“No, actually. I was thinking of dumping her back with him; she gets us the information we need and passes it on to us.” Ben looks at him and laughs.

“Slight problem there Axel, he hates her. He said so himself; we would save him a job if he killed her so, she would end up dead anyway.” Axel shakes his head at Ben; he is so against this.

“See, it isn’t that simple. Can we talk, before you throw out my idea before I even give you all the details?” Ben looks around; he can listen to the plan; it doesn't mean he needs to agree.

“Fine, but this f***s up Axel, I will tell Mack exactly where you are.” Axel nods, he won’t.

“Right come on then.” Axel opens the door, Ben looking confused, he wants to tell her the plan now?