Only the Strongest Survive Read Free

to the bathroom.
You’ve got exactly ten minutes to do whatever you need to. Have I
made myself clear?”
    She nodded humbly.
    John undid
the restraints , took her by the hand, and
led her down a long corridor to a small windowless room.
    When he
closed the door, she removed the
blindfold and had a long drink of water. Her neck was hurting and
she quickly massaged it. Then she used the toilet and splashed her
face with cold water in order to help her think more
clearly. I must find a
solution , she thought. There’s always a
solution . She sat on the toilet cover and
put her head in her hands. Ronald Langdon is a very principled but revengeful guy. His
brother John seems different. He’s the one who felt me up
yesterday. I may be able to persuade him .
She lifted her head slightly and looked around. The purple-rimmed
tiles were dirty and the shower cubicle also in bad
shape.
    Th rough the small keyhole she
could see a pulsating light. Intrigued, she leaned forward and
looked into the keyhole. Oh
no, it can’t be. He’s watching me use the toilet.
    She heard
knocking on the door, a sign that her ten minutes were over. She covered her eyes again.
     
    *
     
    When she was
fastened to the bed again, she said,
“John, I’d like to talk to you.”
    “ Yes,” he
said dri ly.
    “ You seem
like a very smart guy, unlike your
brother.” She stopped for a moment and forced a little smile. “In
fact, I think you should have been in charge of your company
instead of him. As far as I know, you were his assistant. I have a
feeling you’re much more capable than he is.”
    “ You don’t
have to flatter me,” he told her. “If I
had it my way, we’d have broken your neck long ago.”
    His vicious response almost ended her hopes, but
nonetheless she went on. “I only wanted to say that you seemed like
a very reasonable man. Not as stubborn as your brother. I
understand that you’re filled with a desire for revenge. If I’d
known that your company meant so much to you, I would never
have—”
    “ Shut up and
stop blabbering. You should have thought of it then, you greedy
bitch.” His voice sounded more and more
tense.
    “ I just
want to mention that I have two million
dollars in my personal account in Switzerland. No one knows about
it. If you give me the number of your bank account, I can transfer
the money with a single phone call. No risk involved.”
    John hit her so hard that her head jerked sideways. A
strong pain shot through her jaw, but in spite of it Emely
straightened her head.
    “ I’m serious,
John. What use is my life to you if you
continue to be broke? You’ll have the satisfaction,
but—”
    “ Damn it! You
talk too much.” He got up and banged the
door shut. As he was walking downstairs, he lit a cigarette and
thought about what she had said. The bitch is right. I am more capable than Ronald. If I was
managing that company, it wouldn’t have got into
trouble.
     
    *
     
    In the
evening Emely heard footsteps approaching
the room. Her heart started racing and she fearfully waited to know
who would open the door. She got the feeling it was
John.
    He swayed over to the bed and by his irregular
movements she concluded that he was drunk.
    “ I
ca me to ask if you wanted to use the
can,” he said. He leaned close to her so that she was able to smell
his breath, which reeked of alcohol.
    She recoiled from him as much as she
could.
    John removed the blindfold and took a step back to
have a good look at her. “Hmm, not bad,” he mumbled. “My big
brother has gone somewhere and there’s no need for you to have your
eyes covered. It was his idea, but I’m not sure what for. You can’t
go anywhere anyway.”
    “ Yes, I’d
very much like to use the bathroom,” Emely said in order to change the topic of conversation, which
she didn’t like.
    She examined
him from head to toe. He was about ten inches taller than she and
had an unshaven, symmetrical, elongated face framed by short, blond
hair. Emely was