Charming Deception, Page 14.

“How touching! Such a sweet and loving couple. I’ve got to hand it to you, Blake,” says the man who seems to be in charge of the other three, who are standing there with weapons drawn.

“Get out of the van,” he orders. “Move slowly. Molly Kasjak, put your shoes on.”

I look up at this strange guy with a foreign accent, German maybe. “I’m Samantha Blake, not Molly Kasjak,” I say calmly, bravely, and confidently. “You’ve kidnapped the wrong person, Bozo.”

“Put your shoes on, whatever the hell your name is.”

I crawl around the floor of the van looking for my shoes while two men pull Jaks roughly out of the van and push him around the van toward the back of the warehouse.

“No, I’m staying with my wife. No, I’m not leaving her alone with you. Sam, run! Let me go. Don’t you even touch her,” I hear him shouting as they drag him away. I crawl out of the van and walk in front of the man in charge. He motions me to the side door. We go in and up a flight of rusty, old, rickety metal steps to a clean, well-maintained office.

“Sit, Molly.” I sit in the plush leather office chair near an executive-sized desk, I lean back, cross my legs, and get comfortable. I look around. One exit, down the rickety steps. A wall of barred windows. No way out. I take a deep breath, eyeing my captor. Light complexion, blue eyes, balding. Medium build, muscular, about middle forties.

“Sam. My name is Sam, not Molly. And what exactly do you want with me, Mr…?”

“Your cooperation, Sam. You may call me Werner.”

“And if I don’t cooperate, Werner?”

“We will kill Jakson Blake.”

“Where is he, Werner?”

“Being subdued. He tried to get away from us, to be with you, I’m guessing from his rants.”

“May I see him?”

“In due time. After you complete a project for us. We need you to decode a message. And then encode our answer. As soon as you are done, and the message is sent, received, and acknowledged, you may see Jakson Blake.

Some papers were laid out on the desk. I look them over and began to concentrate.

“What is this? Nothing makes sense to me here. I need...”

“Don’t try it! If you irritate me, Blake will pay dearly. I am not a patient man.”

“I need paper and some pencils, and a pen. I’m not stalling, Werner. Don’t hurt him.”

He opens the desk drawer and puts the supplies on the desk. I get to work. I draw out a table and put values in the chart.

“A calculator would really speed up this process.”

He hands me one from his jacket pocket. I get back to work. I work as quickly as I can without forsaking accuracy in solving the equations, but it still takes me a few hours.

“Okay. This is it. It makes absolutely no sense at all, but there are no errors.”

Werner takes the paper from me, reads it, writes an answer and hands it back to me. I quickly encode it and hand it back. He types it into his laptop and we wait. Soon it beeps a notification.

“Message received and acknowledged,” he smiles at me. “Good work, Samantha Blake.”

“Now may I please see my husband?”

Werner motions me to the hallway with his gun. We walk down the hall.

“Here,” he stops at a door. “He’s in here.” Werner opens the door. Jaks is tied in a chair, lower lip bleeding, right cheek bruised. Definitely roughed up.

14.

Charming Deception, Chapter 2, Page 13

Chapter Two

A Kidnapping

“Sam, I need to run to the drugstore to pick up my allergy prescription. Want to come along for the ride?”

“No, not really, honey.”

“Oh, come on. I’m not comfortable leaving you alone yet.”

“Jaks, I’m fine.”

“What if you don’t feel good while I’m gone? What if you get a bad headache? Or one of those blinding migraines Dr. Reynolds mentioned?”

“I feel great. You’re over-reacting to what the doctor said.”

“Come with me. You love to walk up and down the aisles of the drugstore and look at all that female do-dad stuff. And I’ll buy you whatever you want! We won’t be long. It’s a great day for a ride to the drugstore. Come on.”

“Oh, okay. I guess I must really love all that female do-dad stuff.”

We drive to a small drugstore far off the main highway. The parking lot was almost empty. Once inside, I walk around while he picks up his medication and I meet him at the cash register.

“What? No female do-dads caught your eye?”

“Nope, not a one. I must be sick.”

“There’s a concert in the park tonight,” says Jaks as we walk to the car. “Those acapella guys you like from Linton University. Feel like a little outdoors music?”

“Sure. I remember those guys! They remind me of...”

Somebody grabs me from behind, pulls something over my head, and throws me into a nearby vehicle.

“Jaks! Jaks!” I scream and kick and fight as hard as I can.

“Shut the hell up, bitch, or we’ll kill him,” a man growls in my ear. I freeze. I hear roaring in my head. Everything starts to spin. I feel pounding in my head and my throat. Breathing is difficult. I gasp. Blackness.

“Sam! Samantha? Where are you?” I hear Jaks whisper. “Sam?”

“Jaks?” I whisper back. “I’m right here. Jaks, are you hurt?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he says. “Somebody knocked me out at the car. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I think. But there’s something over my head and my hands and feet are tied.”

“Yes, me, too.”

“Where are we?”

“I don’t know.”

“Jaks, what do they want from us?”

“I have no idea, baby. What could they want with us? It can’t be ransom if they took us both. Are you all right? Does your head hurt? I heard you scream.”

“I’m okay, Jaks.”

“Can you... can you try to scoot toward me? I’ll do the same. Come on, Sam, come to me.”

I wiggle toward the sound of his voice. I bump into him, recognizing his scent.

“Okay, turn around and try to untie my hands. Good, good. You’re getting it.” His hands are free now. He removes a pillowcase from my head and unties my hands and feet.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

I grab him and hug him tightly. “I am now.” I cry like a big baby. I can’t help it.

“Sh, sh, my darling. Please don’t cry. It’ll be okay. We’ll get out of this, I promise you.”

He holds me close to him and kisses my head, calming my fears. I think maybe I hear him crying, too. 

The back doors of the van swing open.

Charming Deception, Page 12

“I remember… gardenias. I remember the beautiful fragrance from my bouquet. And I remember the unflappable Mr. Pendleton and I walking out the back door of the hotel and down the stone walkway to the beach. And he said he was so happy for us. 

I remember seeing you near the shore waiting for me, smiling, looking so handsome in your white dinner jacket. Folding chairs on either side filled with happy people. Familiar happy faces, no names. 

I remember Annette was our maid of honor. She wore yellow. She looked stunning. She carried yellow roses. And Tom was our best man. I remember Father Guido. I also remember that was the very first time I ever saw you nervous. And so excited. Just so filled with love and joy. I’d never seen a happier man in my whole life. You were absolutely bubbling over with emotion.”

“Yes, our wedding day was the happiest day of my life, up to that point. I was ecstatic. I couldn’t believe I was so lucky. I could hardly contain myself. I can’t begin to tell you. You’ve made such a huge, huge difference in my life.”

“Oh, just you wait! I’m not done with you yet!” I crawl on top of him. He holds me gently in his arms. “I feel like I’m living a dream life. Everything is so beautiful, so perfect.”

“Sam, baby, are you ready for this?”

“Yes,” I whisper. “Are you?”

“Yes,” he answers. “I’ve been ready for a long time now, but I didn’t want to rush you. I love you, you know.”

“Yes, I know. You show it, in a million different ways. I see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice, the way you reach for my hand.” I kiss him again. 

Another tender kiss and everything else seems to fade away as we found our way back to each other. All misgivings, giant paranoid streaks, and distrust issues seemed smaller, duller, farther away, and less important to me.

Days turned into weeks. I became extremely comfortable with the handsome, lovable Jakson Blake.

12.

Charming Deception, Page 11

“The day we left to come home, we had lunch at the poolside bar before catching a cab to the airport. And a newlywed couple from New Jersey sat next to us. They asked if the water was always that calm and peaceful and warm and clear. Remember?” I shake my head no. “We told them, yes, the water is always like this, just smooth and calm and wonderful, and the next day a hurricane hit.” We laugh.

Happy days turned into pleasant weeks together. I become very comfortable with the sweet, attentive, romantic Jakson Blake.

“Sam? Sweetheart? Where are you?” he calls.

“I’m out on the balcony!” I shout to him. He rushes out to the balcony and gives me a gentle kiss.

“Close your eyes. I have a little surprise for you.” He hands me a tiny box. “Here. This is for you. It’s just something little. It’s something you saw in a magazine. You thought it was pretty. Before you got sick. I ordered it for you. It just came in.”

“Jaks! I can’t remember anything.”

“I know, I know. Just guess.”

“Okay. You said ‘it’, so it’s one, not a pair, like earrings.”

“Oh, you’d rather earrings? You did find your jewelry box, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did. Beautiful pieces in there, I love every one of them, but you told me to guess, so I’m just guessing. Too small for a bracelet.”

“Maybe you should just open it and quit guessing.”

“Honey, whatever it is, if YOU bought it for me, I’ll love it.”

“Open it. You’re killing me here,” he says. I giggle and open the box, my eyes still closed.

“It’s a pendant on a chain. It’s… its a little heart! Can I open my eyes now?”

“Yes. And look, Love, it’s engraved with our names and our wedding date, so you won’t… forget again. It may look like silver, but it’s platinum, so it won’t tarnish or discolor.”

“Aw, how sweet! I love it! Put it on me. I’ll wear it always.”

I reach up and kiss him.

“Oh! I’ve really missed those kisses of yours.”

“Really?” I kiss him again. “How much?”

“Terribly. Achingly. They’re wonderful kisses, you know,” he whispers. “And highly addictive.”

“Mmm.”

“We could… continue this inside… if you want.”

“What, you don’t want to make love to me right here on the balcony, Mr. Blake?”

“Mrs. Blake, I am British, and rather reserved. But if you insist!” He closes in on me.

“No, we’ll go inside. I wouldn’t want to give dear sweet old Mrs.Watchter a heart attack.”

“So, you remember the old woman in the condo across the way from us, but you don’t

remember me? Am I so damn forgettable?” He holds his head in his hands, pretending to be devastated. “I am crushed. So crushed. I need… more kisses. Lots of kisses. Tons of kisses.”

“Oh yeah?” I giggle. “And just where would you like those kisses?”

“In the bedroom.”  

We make our way to the bed and get comfortable. Jaks pulls me close to him and kisses my forehead as I cuddle under his right arm.

“Jaks, we got married on the beach, right? I think I’m starting to remember.”

“That’s wonderful! Yes, we got married at the Sheraton Sand Key right up the beach from here. Tell me what you remember, Sweetheart.” He holds me close.

11.

Charming Deception, Page 10

“Sam, do you feel lost or alone or frightened?”

“No, Jaks, it was just an observation.” He accepts that and we clear up the plates and finish our wine on the sofa. He puts his head down in my lap.

“Love, since you’ve been ill, I’m the one who’s felt lost and alone. And, I’ll admit it, frightened. Having you with me has been the greatest joy of my life. You understand me, you think I’m funny, and handsome. And, um, very charming,” he smiled that faint, sweet smile shyly. “I’ve never felt so loved, so happy in all my life. And when you woke up and had no idea who I was, I was heartbroken and thought I would certainly go mad, I thought I lost my mind. You kept telling me to go away and leave you alone. And if I came anywhere near you,

you’d back away like you were afraid of me, and scream at me. The love of my life had been torn away from me. And this identical twin they left in her place? Well, she didn’t know me at all, and she certainly didn’t like me. Sam, my greatest fear is that you will never remember me again, or, worse yet, remember me, but… not love me anymore.”

“Jaks, I know we’re connected, I feel it.” I hug him and play with his cute ear. “I know that you love me. You show it. Just be patient a little longer, okay, honey? I remembered the lighthouses today. Maybe tomorrow, something else will ring a bell,” I say as I stroke his head, calming him down. “Dr. Reynolds said one hundred percent recovery.”

He nods.“We’re in this together, Sam. I’ll do whatever, baby, whatever it takes to help you remember, and to keep you safe. You can count on me. You’re not alone.”

“I know. I know you’re strong and brave. I feel safe when I’m with you.”

“Good. And I want you to know I won’t rush you into… anything. I’ll wait for you to, uh, come to me when you’re ready to, uh, be with me, I, uh…”

“I get it, Jaks,” I giggle. “Thank you, that’s very considerate of you.”

He smiles that wonderful smile of his and kisses my fingers, closing his eyes. He settles back and takes a little nap in my lap. I just stare at him. Something about him is so deeply familiar, the dimple, the splash of freckle across his nose and cheeks, those gorgeous quicksand brown eyes. That sweet, tiny grin, like he and I have a very private secret. And that heart-stopping smile. I know him. Know him well. Maybe this sweet, romantic, handsome hunk is my husband. Maybe I have been with him for a year and a half now. Maybe all this is true.

Part of me really wants it to be true. But part of me remembers smatterings of a completely different life. Working for a trucking company. Being alone. Living alone in a tiny, frugal second floor apartment near the center of a dusty, drab, little town. Within walking distance to work, the drugstore, the grocery store, and the coffee shop on the corner. The bar around the corner, noise and beer. A dull, lonely, isolated, meager existence.

The next few days are filled with relaxing on the beach together, cooking together, sleeping late, and strolls on the beach. And laughter, tons of laughter.

“Sam, do you want to look at this? It’s the photo album from our honeymoon in Bermuda. St. George’s Beach. I don’t want to push you, but I though it might help you to remember something.”

“Great idea.” I take the album from his hand and sit on the sofa. “Come sit beside me, so you can explain it to me. So you like the water in Bermuda?”

“Ah, yes, it’s pure and very clear.” I turn the pages slowly.

“This place is incredible. And this is such a beautiful photo album. So artistically done.”

“You made it.”

“Me? I made this? I don’t remember being artistic. I’m more… mathematical.”

“You… made it for us, so we wouldn’t forget one wonderful moment of our beautiful, romantic honeymoon. We used the delay button on the camera and took most of the photos of us ourselves, but there was a bartender there named Jamaica, who took quite a few of them. Here he is, the black guy with the big smile.” He doesn’t look familiar. We sit and look at the album together, laughing and joking. I nuzzle up next to Jaks as he narrates with sweet and funny stories of our two wonderful weeks in Bermuda.

10.