Quiet day in the book store. One browser that Ann could see, and she returned to her surreptitious reading behind the counter, keeping an eye on the browser - a woman with long, brown-blonde hair. She was a semi-regular in the store, and Ann knew she'd be over with her purchase before too long.
Silence.
Until the bell hung over the door rang, a silvery tinkle. Ann looked up as the new customer entered the store. Tall man, wearing an overcoat. He wandered through the stacks, heading always in the direction of the woman browsing the shelves.
Ann smiled a little; obviously not here for the books. Midday assignation, perhaps? Both were in what might be called business attire, although the woman's skirt was a little shorter and tighter than she'd ever have considered wearing to work. As she watched covertly, the man made his way over to the woman, one hand in his pocket, speaking to her quietly then putting his free hand on her arm. A few more quiet words, and she put the book back on the shelf, walked with him out of the store.
Lucky, lucky, lucky
, Ann thought, then returned to her book.
---
The gun hadn't come all the way out of his pocket; it hadn't needed to. Ellie had blinked at the glimpse she'd gotten of it.
"Just act normally," he said. "Behave, and no harm will come to you. Now put the book back on the shelf and walk out of the store. Don't run, don't try to signal anyone for help. Understand."
Light-headed, she nodded, put the book back and did as ordered.
The street wasn't too busy - the book store was in an out-of-the-way location, with not much through-traffic. Very few passers-by too, and none of the few even glanced sideways at the apparent couple walking down the street.
"Just keep walking," he said. "We're aiming for that dark green car up there, see?"
Ellie nodded, not trusting her voice.
Closer to the car, he pulled out a set of keys and pressed a button; lights flashed, and she heard the 'clunk' of locks unlocking.
"Get in the passenger seat," he said.
She did, sitting frozen as he walked around to the driver's side. Keys in the ignition and all the doors locked again with another solid 'thunk', but he didn't turn the engine on. "Open the glove box," he said. "Give me what you find in there."
Ellie swallowed, did so, and sat staring at the pair of handcuffs - matte black metal, cold, purposeful. He took them from her, directed her to sit forward in her seat and face away from him, with her hands behind her back. She shivered at the touch of cold metal on her wrists and the ratcheting sound as he fastened them.
"What - what are you doing, what do you want?" She'd found her voice, a tiny squeak.
"Shut up," he said. "You don't speak unless you're responding to a direct question. Now, sit back; I'm going to put your seatbelt on; I'll be leaning across you, and you might think that would be a good opportunity to attack me. That would be a bad idea - all you'd do is annoy me and you couldn't get out of the car with your hands cuffed like that anyway." He smiled a little. "Plus, I still have that gun...."
So she sat still, trembling, as he seatbelted her in, started the engine and drove off.
Traffic was a blur to her, twenty minutes of confusion as he drove, not allowing her to speak, until he pulled into a garage, the door closing automatically behind them. Her wrists and arms had begun to ache from being cuffed behind her so, in one way, she was grateful the ride was over. Now that it was, though...what now?
He got out of the car, and Ellie watched him apprehensively as he circled the car, coming around to her side and opening the door.
"I'm going to lean across you and undo your seatbelt," he said. "Same caution as before; don't even think about trying to knee me in the head or anything."
