392 Identity 5

Thirty minutes away from Katherine's last pinged location, there was an unfinished construction site that had been abandoned for a few years now. 

It was high noon on a Monday morning. However, it didn't seem like so inside the dingy space of the only room that was semi-finished in the area. It had four walls, a ceiling, cavities for windows and doors but no actual windows and doors. The room was located at the east side of the construction site—it was used as a storage for some scraps and materials. The cavities were covered using the scraps that were laying around the area, darkening the entire room.

It had been half an hour since Katherine was brought there and more than an hour since she had been kidnapped. She was tied up to a pole, her wrists were bound by heavy-duty duct tape behind her and her waist was tied to the pole too. Having been unconscious for a while, her head hung low and her bare feet started getting cold. 

She finally gained consciousness when she heard some noises around her. She tried to open her eyes only to find that there was light fabric covering her eyes, so she couldn't see clearly. Realizing her situation, Katherine wanted to exhale a heavy and exaggerated sigh but stopped herself. What kind of lame kidnapping was this?! 

She wanted to snort at Gus. Duct tape on her wrist and waist to a pole? Really? And a light fabric to cover her eyes? Was this some kind of a joke? It was as though he was expecting her to escape and actually be successful. 

But what did she know? It had been more than five years since she had last seen Gus. Maybe he became dumb the longer that he stayed in Shadow. Either that or he was really doing all of these on purpose.

Katherine groaned when she felt her head start to pound. Though her eyes were covered, she managed to slightly open them until she could vaguely see silhouettes through her marred vision. She couldn't see clearly, so she could only focus on her hearing and other senses.

There was a light pitter-patter of the rain from outside—wherever she was—and it made the room smell musty and moist. She wasn't in any pain except her neck from the prick of the needle. It was tolerable but she never liked needles. Her feet were like icicles and she wondered where her shoes were.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" She made her voice sound weak, not knowing who was watching or listening.

There were footsteps coming towards her and by instinct, her head turned to the direction of the sound while she tried to make up the approaching figure. She bet it was Gus.

"Good. You're awake," he said—now she was certain that it was indeed him when she recognized his voice. 'Hey, Gus,' she said in her thoughts.

But she had to lie. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" Katherine sounded scared.

To keep up with her act, she offered, "Since you kidnapped me, I'm sure you know who I am…" The man paused upon hearing her statement, his ears perking up in anticipation. Straightening his back, he looked at her, waiting for what she had to say.

"I'm from the Young family… my family has money. Just tell me how much you want and we'll give it to you. I won't tell the cops, I swear!" Katherine suddenly heard Styles's voice in her head telling her, 'You're such a drama queen'.

She heard Gus scoff at her words and then he went back to working on whatever he was working on several feet away from her. Right. What would he need money for? If he's Shadow's soldier, he only followed orders. No agent in Shadow was hungry for money. Even Katherine herself felt like rolling her eyes at what she offered. If she were to really entice Gus, she knew what he could possibly want. Something that Shadow could never give him.

Seeing as he wanted to ignore her, she just kept going. "What's your name? I'm Katherine… I don't have a lot in me but if you check my purse, you can take all the cards in there. Just please… don't hurt me," she begged.

'Right. Hurt me, Gus... and I'll break your face once I get out of these restraints,' she thought.

"Oh shut up. You talk too much." Gus shook his head. He couldn't believe that this woman that he had tied on the post was the same woman that he knew. How weak. And chatty.

Katherine lowered her head, her mouth twitched at his remark, feeling both dejected and pissed. She wanted to break free from her restraints so she could smack his head for the comment. If she really tried, she could loosen the tie on her. But all she did was try to feel and familiarize herself with how she was tied up just in case. At the moment, she could only be patient.

There was a click and she raised her head. Trying so hard, she had to focus on what's in front of her until she was sure that there was a small red blinking light a few feet away. Damn it. The asshole was recording her. 

She didn't have to ask. She could already guess that Parker could be watching her. Whether it was a live feed or a recording to be reported later.

"Please… Mister… Just let me go… I promise I won't tell anyone." She started trying to loosen the tape around her wrist. The idea of Parker seeing her all tied up like this made her sick. Her headache was unbearable, making her want to puke.

Trying so hard not to make a mistake, Katherine became extra careful. If she slips up and Parker—or Gus could see through her acting, she could end up dead.

Or worse, her cancelation could lead her to be wiped out from the face of the earth, and Damien—and her family would never know what happened to her. How she died. Or where her corpse could be. She would just disappear without a trace. And that's what she was afraid of.

It was the worst way to go. If she died, she would want to be properly buried. So there was no way in hell she would ever die in the hands of Shadow.

Katherine just needed to buy some time. She trusted that Damien would find her. He must.