CHAPTER FOUR
Mia's anger got the better of her, and she hurled the only insult she knew in Russia at the masked man "свинья, русская свинья" (Russian pig). The words were fueled by her outrage and it tumbled out of her mouth in a rush. She venomously spat those words out with each syllable sharp and dripping with contempt.
Mia's father that was still bound by his restraints, looked at Mia with a mixture of shock and pride. He knew that Mia was a strong and feisty girl, but he had never seen her stand up to someone like that before. He's admiration for his daughter grew and so was the tension in the room. It was clear that the situation was about to escalate, and that things were going to get a whole lot worse.
"Clap...clap...clap" The masked man's gloved hands came together in a slow and delightful applause, the clapping sound echos through the room like a sinister serenade.
The clapping was rhythmic and measured, each clap perfectly timed to create an unsettling feeling. The masked man's eyes were dark with amusement as he clapped for Mia's insult.
"Ivan...Ivan...Ivan.." Mia's father desperately called out as he struggled against his restraints
"Ivan" The masked man just glared at Mia's father before he turned and began to walk slowly towards Mia, who's heartbeat spiked up in fear. Her eyes got fixed on the masked man clapping hands before moving it to his face and her wide eyes locked onto his as if she was mesmerized by a snake.
"Ivan" No response
"Click...click...click.." The masked man's footsteps were measured, each step clicked through the room like a death knell. The sound was also amplified by the silence, making each step feel like a countdown to some unknown fate. Mia could feel her breath catching in her throat and her chest getting tight with anxiety.
The masked man's clapping slowed down before his hands came together in a final, dramatic stop. He stopped in front of Mia with his cold eyes boring into her.
"Ivan...ivan..ivan."The words tumbled out of Mia's father mouth in a frantic bid to distract Ivan, to divert his attention away from Mia.
The masked man, now known as Ivan, stood over Mia with a gaze that was like a cold and dark weight, pressing down on Mia and making her feel like she was suffocating.
"Ivan, this is about me, don't drag my daughter into this," Mia father began to plead, "She's just a child, she doesn't deserve to be hurt. See me, do what you want with me, but leave My daughter alone."
"Shut it, old man," Ivan spat with venom as he side-eyed Mia's father. Ivan's tone was implying that Mia's father was nothing more than a weak and insignificant fool.
Mia's father was unbothered as he continued to plead his case. "Ivan, you knew it was a mistak..." he began, but Ivan wouldn't let him finish. "Gag him up!" he screamed, his half face getting red with rage as he turned to the lab-coated man who had been silently standing by. The man jumped into action, hastily retrieving a gag from the table at the far end and shoved it into Mia's father's mouth. The gag was tied tightly and the fabric digged deep into Mia's father's cheeks as he struggled against it.
Mia watched in horror with her eyes fixed on her father's gagged face. Ivan's anger now was so fucking high, the fury radiating off him was like a dark aura. He was fucking angry, his rage was ignited by Mia's father's audacity. How dare he suggest that what had happened twelve years ago was a mistake? Ivan's eyes blazed as he struggled to contain his fury.
The lab-coated man stepped back but not too far with his eyes darting nervously between Ivan and Mia's father. He seemed to be waiting for any further instructions, his hands were hovering anxiously over the gag as if ready to tighten it a moment's notice.
"What do you want?" Mia asked trembling slightly as she sniffled, trying to hold back tears. She was trying to be brave, but the knot that was forming in her stomach was getting tighter by the second. She still didn't understand why they were kidnapped, or what these people wanted from them. The uncertainty was terrifying, and it was making her feel lightheaded and nauseous.
Ivan's eyes snapped back to Mia and he repeated her question. "What....do....I.....want?" he said low and menacing, counting each words. He took a step closer to Mia, with his eyes boring into her soul, making her skin crawl. Mia tried to look away, but Ivan's gaze was like a magnet, drawing her back in.
"What do I want" Ivan's repetition of Mia's question was designed to make her feel even more helpless and afraid. "I want to inflict the most pain in the world, wide fucking world, in that old man" he pointed to her father. "And in fucking you," Ivan spat out in a crazed and frenzied tone.
His speech was like a runaway train, gathering speed and momentum as he spoke. His face was twisted into a grotesque, inhuman mask and his features were contorted with rage and hatred.
"To cut it all short, sweet girl," Ivan continued, with excitement and sarcasm. "I want revenge." He looked like a man who had been consumed by his own darkness, driven by a singular, all-consuming desire for revenge.
The word...well...more like a threat sent shivers down Mia's spine. Ivan's eyes seemed to bore into her very soul, he was like a man who had lost all sense of humanity.
Mia's eyes were wide with confusion as she listened to Ivan's crazed rant about revenge. She didn't understand what he was talking about, what he thought they had done to him. She and her father were innocent, they hadn't harmed anyone, and yet Ivan seemed to be consumed by a deep-seated hatred for them.
Mia's mind was trying to make sense of Ivan's words. She thought back to their lives, trying to remember if they had ever crossed paths with Ivan before. She racked her brain, searching for any memory, no matter how small, that could explain Ivan's behavior. But she couldn't think of anything, no incident, no encounter that could have sparked such a deep-seated desire for revenge.
As she looked back at Ivan, she saw a man who was completely unhinged. His eyes were wild, his face twisted with rage, and his voice was like a snake's hiss. Mia realized that she and her father were at the mercy of a madman.
"You've got the wrong people," Mia said confidently because why not. "We haven't done anything to you." There was a little bit of confusion there and she hoped that somehow, someway, Ivan would see reason and spare them.
Ivan's expression didn't change, he just kept staring at Mia, like a caged princess. Mia's plea for mercy seemed to have fell on deaf ears as Ivan face changed into a look of false shock.
"Oh...My..Gawd, daddy... dearest...keeps secrets." Ivan was a fucking bipolar patient.