Chapter 209 - 12: Cut The Crap

Buck Wagner was a typical playboy with a nouveau riche dad. He was good for nothing, an expert in seeking fun. Eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring were his professional skills and expertise.

This evening, he was lying in a round massage tub and smoking a cigar with his eyes narrowed. He lifted his hand to touch just above the forehead. There was a scar hidden below his hair, about two inches long. He had five stitches from that injury. When he thought of that time, his face blushed with fury, and his lower body was caught by d.e.s.i.r.e at the same time. What a bitch!

Buck reached his hand for his cordless phone. "How is it going? Uh, be quick. Don't waste time. Don't get me in trouble." He said on the phone.

There was a new revolving restaurant on the top floor of the highest tower in Los Angeles. Jessie asked Tristan to come to try it. He happened to have something to talk to her about. They sat quietly in a relatively remote corner of the hall. Looking at Jessie, who was gracefully browsing the menu, he wondered how she would react when he told her.

When they were waiting for their dishes, somebody passed by them and called her name.

Jessie stood up and introduced him, "This is my old classmate Owen, Owen Jackson. He worked in the city government. He is the secretary to the mayor. And this is Tristan Fox, you know, President of Chasin Group."

Tristan looked at the man who was many years his junior. He was sleek, lean, looked like a college student just stepped out of school at first sight, but if one looked closer to the eyes behind his glasses, one could see a pair of sophisticated, shrewd, and even hostile eyes that the old campaigners of political circles always had.

"Hi, Tristan. So nice to meet you. I heard about you from Jessica. It is great to meet you in person. It is my honor." Owen's hostility retreated, and he spoke cordially. He shook hands with Tristan naturally, and they got acquainted quickly.

"Owen is really young and promising," Tristan said.

When the main course was served, Tristan's cell phone started to vibrate. He took a look at the caller and pressed off. It was from Ed. But soon, it called again. He frowned, made an excuse, and went out to make the call.

After walking away, he asked, "What is it?"

The one on the other side sounded worried. "Boss, something happened to that girl."

"Which girl?"

"The one who had a problem with her head, Kate."

"Be more specific. What happened to her?"

He seemed to hesitate a little. "She might have been kidnapped."

Tristan was startled. Who else would kidnap her? "Can you locate her?"

"Yes. She was on Townhall Street… heading west. What a troublesome girl…"

Tristan's eyes darkened, and he interrupted his complaint. "Don't lose track of her. I will be right there."

"Oh. You are coming, Boss? You don't have to."

"Cut the crap."

He hung up and got back to the table. He told Jessie, "I am really sorry. I have something urgent to attend to. I have to go now. I will have Sam come to send you back home."

Jessie said considerately, "Don't worry. I drove here today."

"Really sorry." Tristan apologized again.

"Hey. Don't worry. Just remember you owe me one and pay me back for the other day." Jessie smiled.

After Tristan left, Jessie looked at the exquisite food on the table, and the untouched cutlery and her smile faded away. A voice sounded in front of her. "What a man Tristan is! Leave the prettiest lady in the city alone here?"

Jessie raised her head to see Owen compressing his lips into a line and looking at her sarcastically.

"Didn't you have a date with someone?" She asked icily.

Owen shrugged his shoulders, "Still stuck on the road." And he sat down on Tristan's seat without being invited. "Jessica. What do you see in this guy? You are not even lovers, and he treats you like this. What would he…"

"Shut up."

"You know I…"

"I said, shut up."

Sam drove the car while Ed reported the route to him on his Bluetooth earphone.

Tristan got the phone from him and asked Ed, "Whom has she contacted lately? What did she say?"

"No one special." Ed prevaricate.

Tristan got furious. "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her? You turned a deaf ear to what I said?"

Ed knew he was wrong and argued weakly. "I did keep an eye on her earlier, but nothing happened. I thought it had been months, so…"

"You didn't take it seriously. She knew what we did. And if somebody took advantage of it, the consequences could be unimaginable."

Tristan threw back the phone to Sam and loosened his tie. He heard Sam mutter, "We should have done it more thoroughly last time."

Tristan gave him an angry stare and shouted, "How thoroughly? Do you think it is like removing an ant? One stamp of the foot and she disappears? Have you ever thought of consequences before you act? Drive faster."

Sam hushed and pressed harder on the accelerator. They passed a few cars in a second.

***

When the door was opened from the outside, Buck, who was lying on the couch, stood up excitedly. Two big men in black dragged a person with a sack on her head into the room.

He walked up close to the person, loosened the sack, and took it off. A fair and young face was revealed. The hair was messy, the mouth was taped, and a pair of big eyes widened at the sight of him and then turned furious.

Buck was very satisfied with her reaction. "Kate. Nice to see you again."

He walked around her in a circle and scanned her from head to foot. "Didn't expect to meet in this way? I have to thank you. Since last time, my old man has equipped me with two bodyguards. It is much more convenient to get what I want now!"

Kate stared at him as if she was going to shoot fire from her eyes. Looking at her tied hands, Buck clicked his tongue. "So how are you going to get away from me this time, without the help of your cop boyfriend?" He lifted his hand to touch her cheek. "You've grown prettier after these years."

Kate turned her head to dodge Buck, but he moved his face closer to her neck and sniffed greedily.

She bent her head harder to the opposite side, but with a "Bang," she was slapped on the ear. She was hit so hard that she lost balance and fell on the carpeted floor with a thud.

Buck looked down at her and said gloatingly, "This is for you hitting me last time. Will you fight back?" He laughed out loud.

After he laughed, he took up a Glass of Wine from the table. Buck squatted down, shook the glass, and said, "Wine for foreplay? We will have an impressive night."

He peeled on the tape off of Kate's mouth, and she cursed him immediately, "Sc.u.m!" But she was pinched on the cheeks, and her mouth was forced to open. The cold Wine was poured into her mouth, and she coughed violently. The Wine flew out and dripped under her collar.

Buck was pleased with this ugly situation. His d.e.s.i.r.e was lit up when he saw the red liquid flowing on her fair and silky skin. He could not wait for one more second.

He carried Kate to the inner room immediately. The two bodyguards saw this and retreated, closing the door from outside.

Buck threw Kate on a huge bed. He untied her feet, took off her shoes, and then grabbed her satchel and threw it on the floor. Then he started to rip off her clothes, asking in an evil tone, "Are you still a v.i.r.g.i.n? Or has your cop boyfriend been in you? Shit!"

Kate twisted her body and cursed, "Sc.u.m! Get away from me!"

She was full of hatred. She was off the hook two years ago, and now this guy would get what he wanted? No, absolutely no.

She made up her mind and struggled with all her energy. She was beaten a couple of times. The tape bound on her wrists became tighter with each movement.

Kate had to kick violently with her free feet. And when Buck got close, she bit him on the forearm like a wolf biting the neck of a lamb and would not release him.

Buck howled and beat her until she finally released his arm. Kate also fell down the bed during the fight. She hit the floor with a shriek of agony.

It was even more horrible than the pig-headed to the slaughterhouse. Buck raised his head to see her and was shocked by her paperwhite face. He just wanted to r.a.p.e her, but if she died before…

He asked in a panic, "What is it?"

As Buck began to approach, Kate snapped, "Don't come over!"

She sounded different than before, her tone infused with more sorrow than fury. Buck stopped and thought that he had better ask somebody else to come to see her. If something happened, he needed to get away in time.

Buck got up and went to get someone. As soon as he got out of the bedroom, he heard a sound from outside.

Kate felt like her left arm was being cut off, and she swore from the pain. It was only after a long moment that she realized she might have a dislocated joint.

She wanted to get up, but even the smallest movement brought acute pain, and darkness came over her eyes. She almost passed out. In a daze, Kate heard the noise outside and also a thud, but she didn't know what happened.

Ed rushed into the bedroom. He was taken aback when he saw Kate on the floor. It was not until he saw her open her eyes that he resumed his breathing again. He asked, "Are you OK?"

Defying his expectations, she looked at him and warned him harshly, "Don't get close!"

He wanted to laugh but could not. He said angrily, "I don't want to touch you even if you wanted me to." And after saying that, he ignored her and took out a knife to cut the tape on her wrist, and then carried her out.

Kate felt her arm hurt like hell. The hall was dead silent when he carried her out. And she heard him speaking to someone else. "You take care of this. I will take her out first."

When she was carried to the door, she looked back and saw the sc.u.m and his two men squatting on the floor. Somebody stood nearby and pointed something at them. It was a black thing, and she could not see very clearly, but she felt a chill down her spine. When the door was closed, she heard a scream of misery from inside.