There was a pause, in which Elise could hear the sound of her heart beating heavily, her blood rushing in her ears.
“Fine,” Manhandler said with a sigh. “But keep it short and don’t make a scene.”
“What, you think I’m gonna dance in the street or something?”
“You’ve been a real dick lately. I don’t know what you’re going to do or say from minute to minute.”
“Fuck off, man.” Driver clomped past, throwing open the door a moment later. “You want anything, or am I buying for myself?”
“Just pick up enough to last a couple days. And beer.”
“Already on the list.”
“You need anything? Lady, you need anything?”
Elise jolted, realized Manhandler was speaking to her. “Uh…no?” Although a chocolate bar would be nice. She tended to get a bit like those Betty White commercials when she was stressed, and this was about as high-stress as a person could get in one day.
“Here, grab some chocolate too.”
“I don’t need your money,” Drive said dismissively. The next thing Elise knew, the door was closed and she was alone with Manhandler.
“How long will he be gone?” Elise ventured to ask. To be honest, she was relieved that he was gone. The tension between the men was concerning. Plus, it would give her time to try to figure out if Manhandler had the nice side she suspected he might have.
“S’long as the weather holds…not long.”
Elise nodded, scrambling for more words to keep the fragile conversation going. Keep him talking. Humanize yourself, she told herself. “I’ve never been outside of the city before.”
Again, there was a prolonged silence in which she could almost feel his eyes on her. “Why are you telling me this?”
His suspicion wasn’t unexpected. “You told your partner to pick up food to last a couple days. I figure we’re going to be here awhile, right? I just thought a little friendly chitchat might make the time go by a little faster.”
“Well, it won’t. So sit back and be quiet.”
“Will that get me out of here alive?”
“That’s entirely up to you.”
Right. Of course it was. That didn’t mean she was about to give up just yet though. “So, how long have you been in the kidnapping business?”
One heartbeat. Two. Then a faint chuckle. “Going on four hours.” Elise’s eyebrows rose behind her blindfold. “Did that surprise you?”
“You seemed to know what you were doing…so yeah.”
He grunted. “You were an unexpected…development.”
“You weren’t out trolling for women to abduct then?”
“No.” It was one word, but the way he said it, abrupt and sharp, said it all. He wasn’t happy about it.
“I take it this wasn’t your idea then.”
“I see what you’re trying to do here, and it won’t work. You’re not going to turn me and my partner against each other,” he growled.
Immediately, Elise shrank back into the cushion, unsure of how far his irritation would extend. Would he be like his partner and hit her? Judging by his behavior earlier, she didn’t think so, but one could never be too careful. “I’m just trying not to die of boredom. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Sure.” After that, it got deathly quiet. Only the sound of nature and their combined breathing filling the silence. It was only when Elise began counting the steady pulse in her temple that she realized she might truly die from boredom.
“Is there a television here?”