Nothing Ordinary by M J Marlow (best ereader for academics txt) 📕

glad I could help,” Clark informed her. “I am also glad you found your husband alive.” He felt the man at his shoulder and turned around. “May we help you?” Clark was on his feet and he was taller than the intruder and wider in the shoulder. The menace was quite evident but Gregory was not cowed. He ran his eyes up the man slowly and dismissed him as he turned to smile at Annie. She met his expression coldly. “Mrs. Owens,” he bowed his head slightly. “What a pleasure to run into you again so soon.” “Mr. McCarthy,” Annie said stiffly. “This is my friend, Nicholas Clark; and my brother-in-law, Lieutenant Jeffrey Owens.” She looked at her watch. “It’s time for me to get back to the Clinic.” She looked at Clark and her smile was genuine. “I’ll see you tonight, Nick?” “I wouldn’t miss it, Annie,” Clark nodded. “I’ll get the tab.” “Thank you, Nick,” Annie nodded. She hurried away with Jeffrey and Clark kept Gregory talking until long after she got in her car and drove off. She was beginning to appreciate having such a conscientious friend. She drove Jeffrey to the airport after work and they clung to each other far longer than usual. She knew Jeffrey was worried about what she was doing but she assured him she had plenty of people looking out for her. She watched him go through Security and blew him a kiss. He caught it and put it in his pocket as usual and her heart swelled with joy. She was going to miss him a great deal. She got home later and started to prepare for the meeting with Agent Taylor and his wife downstairs. Having dinner with her landlady was not something that would raise suspicion. She felt so uneasy all of the sudden. Something was happening and she knew she had to take steps to make certain the files were safe. So she took a note downstairs after she hid Baxter in an access panel at the back of her closet and slid it under Molly’s door. She was in the shower when she heard a thud and turned off the water to listen. There was no other noise, so she turned the water back on and did not hear the door opening. A moment later the shower curtain was ripped back and she was yanked out. Her attacker slammed her into the door and she went down. “You belong to us now, pretty girl,” the man hissed in her ear. “Is that clear?” He ran his gloved hand over her shivering body and Annie glared at him. “You will cancel your plans for tonight with Mr. Clark and get dressed in something nice to go to your uncle’s home for dinner.” “You can’t tell me what to do!” Annie protested. He slapped her and she put her hand to her cheek. “You bastard!” “I repeat,” the man hissed as he yanked her closer. “You belong to us. You will do as you are told or you will be punished.” Annie whimpered as his hand moved over her breast. “I would pursue this attraction further but time is short and your uncle and his guests are waiting.” He yanked Annie up onto her feet and held out her robe for her. Annie put it on quickly and found him forcing her to the phone. He made her call Clark and cancel the dinner with Molly. “I’m sorry, Nick,” she said softly. “I forgot I had other plans for tonight. I’ll apologize to Molly tomorrow.” The man hung up for her and forced her to her bedroom. He shoved her into the rocking chair and went to her closet to choose a dress for her. He watched as she dressed and she was shaking with indignation and fear as she got ready. “Annie,” Guthrie smiled as she got into his car later. “You look lovely this evening.” Annie didn’t speak to him and he frowned. “Are you feeling all right, dear? You look very pale.” “A headache,” Annie lied and pulled her aspirin bottle out. She took two and smiled at him reassuringly. “I’m still recovering from the concussion.” “Poor child,” Guthrie replied. He saw her shiver. “I’m not going to force myself on you, dear,” he assured her. “I just wanted the company of a beautiful woman tonight. It’s the anniversary of my wife’s death.” “I’m so sorry, Doctor…” “Walter,” Guthrie broke in as he laid his hand on her knee. “Please call me Walter when we are away from the office.” “Walter,” Annie nodded. Did he know she was here under duress? Had he set this up? She looked over at the man and wished she could trust him. They drove to her uncle’s home in a gated community. Bayer’s housekeeper opened the door and she did not even note the doctor’s guest. She was shivering as they went into the dining room where the table had been set with candles. “Anneke, dear,” Bayer smiled as he came around to pull a chair out for her. “I am so glad you could accept our invitation at such short notice.” He smiled as his daughter came in. “Eliza, here is your cousin come to join us.” Annie saw her cousin and was struck by how alike they were in coloring. But there was a chill to her cousin that reminded her of Bayer. Eliza inclined her head slightly and came over to kiss Anneke on the cheek. There was no warmth in that greeting and Anneke shivered. “We haven’t seen each other since the day you were born, Anneke,” Eliza smiled slightly, “but your mother sent us pictures of you as you grew up. You are very much like her.” She looked at her father. “I have plans tonight, Father, that I can not break. If you will excuse me?” “If you must,” Bayer shrugged. “I am certain Walter and I can entertain Anneke sufficiently in your absence.” They all sat down and the meal began. The food was excellent, but Anneke could not eat much of it. She knew something bad was going to happen. The way Bayer and Guthrie were looking at her was making her nervous as well. The reason for the dinner invitation was brought up after dessert had been served. “It is going to be pleasant to have you around the house, Anneke,” Bayer said as he came over and stood next to her chair. “Almost like having my sister back.” “No,” Annie shook her head and got up to go. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to him. “It’s been decided, Anneke,” Bayer told her firmly. “In the morning, a moving van will go to your apartment and pack up all your belongings and put them in storage. You will remain here with your cousin and I and accept Walter’s invitations.” He handed her the wine. “You’re overwhelmed, my dear. Finish your wine and then I will show you to your room.” “No!” Annie protested. She got up to run and he yanked her back. He made her finish the wine before he let her go. She could feel the room spinning around her slowly and knew he had drugged her. “You can’t…” “It’s decided, Anneke dear,” Guthrie said as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the guest bedroom Bayer led him to. “This is the only place you will be safe.” He left her locked in the room alone. As the sedative took over, Annie struggled to understand how any of this could be happening. She went to the phone to call Clark, but the line was dead. Annie dropped the receiver and collapsed to the floor with a cry of despair. Guthrie came into the room and put her on the bed, covering her with a blanket. He sat next to her and stroked her hair until she was out. Then he remained a while longer admiring her. He looked over his shoulder at Bayer. “She is not going to accept this, Oscar,” he said simply. “There is too much of the fighter in her.” “I am certain we can find ways to convince her this is for the best, Walter,” Bayer shrugged. “She is in a vulnerable state right now. She needs to be with her family.” He looked at Guthrie. “And you are just a good friend who is trying to help draw her out of her grief and remind her there is more to life than loss.” “Her husband will come for her,” Guthrie argued, even as he relished the chance to have this pretty girl at his side. “We should have what we need from her by then,” Bayer shrugged. “If not, then my pretty niece will just have to become a widow.” 6 Molly was getting the mail the next afternoon as a moving van arrived and her blood went cold. She watched the men pack up Annie’s things without a word to her and called her husband. Taylor arrived as the last box was loaded and the van moved away. He followed it to a storage place and the manager told him that the unit had been paid for in cash and was listed under the name Oscar Bayer. He called the man and was informed that Anneke had accepted his invitation to live with him and his daughter until she left for Germany. “Annie has gone to live with her uncle,” he told Clark as he went into the bureau office. “She canceled dinner last night and now her belongings are being taken away to be placed in storage.” “She’ll be at work,” Clark said as he picked up the receiver and dialed. He asked for Annie and was told she had quit. “What a rude woman. She says Annie has quit her job.” “I don’t think any of this was by her own choice,” Taylor frowned. “Her uncle is up to something. Find out what that is.” He saw Clark agreed with him. He saw an envelope on the table and picked it up. “Good girl, Annie Owens,” he smiled as he saw the note she had left him. He went upstairs and looked around the apartment. The teddy bear was hidden behind an access panel in the bedroom closet. He pulled it out and took it to the apartment his team had been set up in. While they all watched, he removed the sweater and saw the buttons. He unbuttoned the chest and reached inside to pull out five CDs. “Jackpot!” he smiled and handed one to the man at the computer. It booted up but the files were all encrypted and password protected. “That’s going to slow us down a bit.” “We’ll get on it, Taylor,” the man assured him. “You find a way to help Mrs. Owens.” 7 Annie was kept locked in the bedroom so she did not know about the phone calls. But Bayer did and he enjoyed the ability to play with the agents’ minds immensely as he acted the role of the concerned uncle. By the time they figured out how to help her, Annie would have accepted this decision. Bayer went to the bedroom and unlocked the door. Annie was standing at the windows looking out over the gardens. She was wearing a silk negligee and her golden hair was a sunlit curtain around her body. She turned and watched him warily as he came into the room. “Anneke, my dear,” he smiled as she remained silent; “you are looking very lovely.” He saw her tears and held his hands out to her. Anneke backed away from him, shaking her head. “You’re insane!” she whimpered as he came towards her slowly. “I want to go home to my husband!” He backed her into the corner and Anneke looked up at him in despair. “Please let me go, Uncle! This is not right!” “Your husband will