Lottery 1
The phone rang on the bed next to Aston. He glanced over at the phone, a picture of the Steven came up with the word Steven next to it. A single word, no last name. He looked at the blonde slumped over across from him. He left her picture on the floor where she would see it once she opened her eyes.
Shaniqua heard the phone ring in the other room and became very still and quiet. No one had answered it. She wondered where her own phone was and if it was anywhere she could get near it. Then suddenly the door opened.
Shaniqua’s eyes filled with fear as she saw the man enter the room holding her phone, and a chair.
Aston sat down across from her and held up her phone. He took the battery out and placed it in his jacket’s inner pocket. “Miss Paston, with this phone I can film the aftermath of your gruesome death and send it directly to the studio you work for.” he showed no emotion as he watched her.
Shaniqua felt nothing but fear. This was the ending of many reporters, she knew this going in. She tried to calm herself by repeating it over and over in her head. She knew this could happen, she needed to be brave. Her body betrayed her, her heart beat so loud it was almost all she could hear.
Aston stood up and reached behind her to remove the gag.
Shaniqua tensed up every muscle in her body as he neared her.
“Don’t worry.” he sat down across from her. “I am not attracted to you in any way. You are in no danger of that from me.” He held up the phone, “This, this creates a problem. Now I am going to ask you nice, as a professional courtesy. If you don’t answer me with facts, or you try to lie to me, then the next I ask you will not be as pleasant.”
He set the phone on the floor. “In fact, if you have any hope of getting out of here alive at all you will cooperate. Because the only way I’m letting you out of here, is if we become friends.” He looked her up and down, “And there’s only one kind of friendship I’m interested in. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Shaniqua replied as calmly as she could.
“Were you following Lucy for the exclusive story?” Aston asked.
“Yes.”
“Does she know?”
Shaniqua’s voice grew shakier, “No.”
Aston looked at the reporter with reproach. “Is she even aware you are a reporter?”
Shaniqua avoided eye contact this time. “No.” she said in a low tone.
“I see.” Aston picked the phone up off the floor. “Does anyone at the station know where you are, or what you are doing?”
“No.” Shaniqua shook her head still looking at the floor.
“Of course not, you couldn’t take the chance of someone stealing your scoop.” Aston put the battery back in the phone. “So you do understand how this is going to work?” he looked at the reporter. “I’m going to let you go. You’re going to get on a plane and fly back home, and go back to work like nothing ever happened. You’ll never report the story, because there is no story. As long as you agree to that, we have a deal.”