“Mr. Chang, I sympathize with you, I really do, but you’ve got to understand that I can’t just let you off with a warning. I’m running a business here, and I can’t turn a profit if I let my conscience dictate my decisions.”

“If you just give me a little longer, I swear I’ll pay you back with extra interest!”

“Yes, yes. I’ve heard it all before.” Kris muttered, growing tired of the conversation which was getting nowhere.

Kris’s eyes scanned over the vicinity, his evaluation stopping on a pair of smiling eyes that called out to him from behind a pictured frame.  

“Is that your daughter?” He asked with the slightest smile.

The man seemed mortified at the mention of his daughter. His reaction was probably warranted. The girl was pretty, not necessarily in the sense that people would stop on the street to gawk at her, but she was definitely the traditional kind of beauty. Long hair, big eyes, high nose bridge, and delicate, plump lips.

“Please. I beg you, don’t hurt her. She has nothing to do with this!” The man began to plead, immediately falling to the floor on his knees. “She’s all we have left.”

Kris tapped his fingers lightly against the arm rest of his chair, as if in contemplation. “How old is she?”

Tears began to well in the man’s eyes as he watched Kris’s expression, answering very carefully. “She only twenty-one.” He continued with haste, “She’s trying to become a doctor! She has promise! Please, if you have any semblance of a heart, don’t harm her.”

Kris broke out into a full grin at the mention of her profession. A doctor huh? He’s always had a thing for the intelligent type. And twenty-one years old. She was the ideal age.

“I think I may have just found a way for you to absolve all your debt.” Kris said, clicking his tongue sharply as he finished the sentence. 

“How do I turn the Bunsen burner off?” My lab partner asked as I finished wiping off the slides we had made.

I move to turn off the gas nozzle. We were already six weeks into the class. There should be no reason for her not to know how to work a simple Bunsen burner.

“Hey, before you leave, could I see what you put as the result for the blood agar plate? I just want to make sure we got the same thing.” 

One quick glance at her paper, told me that she had left the entire table of results empty. Typical. Before I could even say anything, she had already grabbed at my worksheet, quickly working to fill in the blank spaces. I sat at my seat, waiting impatiently for her to finish so I could leave.

“Thanks. You’re awesome! I’ll see you next week.” She said before slipping out the door.

“Too bad I purposely wrote the wrong answers.” I muttered under my breath as I began changing my answers.

After slipping my lab coat back into my backpack, I left the lab, making a bee-line for my car. The sidewalks was emptier than usual, but then again, the science buildings were never really known for being the most active part of campus. I looked to my watch to check the time. 6:22. Out twenty minutes early. That’s rare. 

As I walked up the steps of the parking garage, my phone went off. I checked the caller ID, surprised to see it was my father.

What could he want from me at this hour?

“Chloe.” An unfamiliar voice called out to me.

My head immediately snapped to two suited men behind me, my attention diverting away from the phone ringing in my hands.

“Chloe Chang. That’s you name, correct?”

“Who wants to know?” I asked as I studied the appearance of the two men.

Both looked out of place in this setting with their well pressed shirts and slacks.

“We’re friends of your parents.” 

“My parents don’t have friends.” I said, taking a step back.

“Are you going to pick that up?” the shorter of the two men asked as my phone continued to ring.

My fingers tightly clutched the phone behind me as I sensed a bad air.

“It seems like your father has something important to tell you.”

How’d he know it was my father?

I slowly lifted the phone to my ear, never taking my eyes off the two men during the process.

“Hello?” I answered, my voice shaking slightly as one of the men whispered to the other in hushed tones.

“Chloe! Thank god you’re alright.” My father immediately responded, his voice sounding distant over the phone.

“Who are these guys following me?” I asked, taking notice of their eyes which busily scoured over the area.

“Sweetie, I’m going to need you to cooperate with them.” 

“Who are they?” I reiterated with more force while my legs took a few more steps backwards. “What did you get yourself into this time?”

“Please. Just do as I ask. Be a good girl and listen to your daddy.” 

“Are you gambling again?” I asked with more anger.

“I’m so sorry.” He said, his voice breaking as he erupted into tears.

I hung up on him, no longer able to bear hearing his excuses anymore. The men waited expectantly as I let my hands fall back to my sides. So what did that mean? Were these guys loan sharks? Gangsters? Cops?

ing . I let out a loud grunt of anger before I suddenly booked it in the opposite direction towards my car.

“I told you she would run.” I heard one of the men mutter before they began pursuing me.

“Stay away from me! I have nothing to do with my father!” I yelled as I ran in the direction of my car.

“Stop making this harder than it needs to be.”

As my car came into view, I began fumbling with my backpack trying to get my set of keys from the front pocket. I let out a scream as one of the men caught my arm, pulling a cloth over my head.

“Get off!” I yelled as I swung my keys at him.

“She ing stabbed me!” The man called out as he easily suppressed me. “!”

“Don’t even think about retaliating. He will murder you if you damage his goods.” His companion quickly reminded him.

I let out another cry as the bag tightened around my head.

“Get the ing car.” The injured man muttered as he threw me over his shoulder.

“Help!” I yelled through the fabric, kicking my legs in attempts to escape. “Help me!”

But it was no use. My body was thrown against a hard surface, and soon enough, I felt the familiar sensation of riding in a car.

Half an hour later, I was hoisted back over someone’s shoulder and taken to who knows where. I had lost the will to fight back, letting my limbs slump limply against the man’s body.

There was a light knock, followed by some words. “Your package has arrived sir.”

“Set her down.”

I was pushed down onto a cushioned chair, the ropes around my feet and hands quickly undone.

When they took off my blind fold, I noticed two men seated in front of me. One sat at an embellished desk, set in the center of the room. He was of a lean build, his face sharp and masculine, fit with a buzz cut. I could have easily mistaken him as a model. He definitely had that whole smoldering look going for him. He had leaned forward slightly in his seat, curious to see my face. The second sat towards the left wall of the room. He had a smaller stature and his face seemed much more approachable and youthful, though handsome none the less. He seemed slightly less curious about my face and more attentive with the conditions of my body.

“Is she hurt anywhere?” The second man asked.

“Just slightly bruised.” I responded with slight venom in my tone, choosing to personally voice my dissatisfaction. “The car ride could have been a little smoother.”

The second man narrowed his eyes as he focused in on my arm. “There’s blood on her arm.”