The Cat Burgler (closed)

Alexander strode through the marble tiled halls of his home, hands clasped firmly behind his back as he made his way from his large office to the spacious den in which he was to spend the rest of the evening. Busts sat atop columnar displays spaced about the hall and here and there a painting hung from an almost invisible wire. The hallway had always felt too large and grand for his taste, and he was always more comfortable in the smaller, cozier den with its bookshelf lined walls and stone fireplace. As he pushed open the heavy oak door that led into it, the smell of old paper and leather immediately filled him, with a hint of the brandy that had been decanted upon the small fireside table as an afterthought. He made his way toward the large leather wingback chair beside it and poured himself a glass, swirling it thoughtfully before bringing it to his nose for inspection. It was a decent vintage, although not his favorite, but that wasn’t for everyday, only for special occasions. He was truly wealthy, of course, but that didn’t mean he was one to live a life of excess all the time. At least not in those ways…

His tall six foot tall frame sank slowly into the chair, one large hand clasping the end of the armrest while the other wrapped around the stem of the snifter. Dark green eyes set high in a strong, almost blockish face stared into the fire as he attempted to relax. It had been a long day, and taken a lot out of him. Managing his late father’s investments and company holdings took a lot of effort, despite the amount that he left for the accountants and others devoted to keeping him fabulously wealthy. He shifted slightly and the antique chair creaked under his large, taut body. Perhaps a workout might do him some good? Relieve the tiredness in his muscles and wash away some of the stress that constantly furrowed his brow these days. Better still, he might take a trip down to his favorite escape, the little “club” he patronized, and spend some time with one of the ladies who fell so eagerly to their knees before him. He liked them because their subservience had nothing to do with his material wealth, rather they were true submissives, and he felt the Dominant urge flare up in the back of his mind like the embers of a fire being stoked by the night breeze. He sighed heavily, his chest rising under the white button down shirt he wore even so late in the day, and crossed his black slack covered legs. He wore no shoes at that point, as his father had never allowed them in the den; and had, out of force of habit, left them just outside the door.

Next to the decanter upon the table rested a small sheaf of papers, piled neatly, which all explained the days activities, stock holdings and the like. On top though was a detailed description of the latest piece of artwork he’d acquired, a piece of stone sculpture from eastern Europe said to be worth a tidy sum. He couldn’t quite remember the cost at that moment, but he knew it was most likely higher than it was worth. No matter, money hadn’t been an object, he’d like the look of the thing and had bought it straight away. It now rested comfortable upstairs on the fifth floor of the residence, inside the tightly secured, alarm protected gallery. He set the papers aside and returned his gaze to the crackling fire which cast flickering shadows across the floor and danced along the walls, taking a sip of brandy and smacking his lips appreciatively. The room was quiet, aside from the hiss and pop of the fire, as he was the only one in the house at the moment; that was the way he liked it in the evening, when he wasn’t “entertaining” a guest… Realizing he wouldn’t be able to truly relax, he got up again, bringing his drink with him, and exited the den, striding through the halls and up the grand staircase on a meandering path without direction, simply wandering the halls of his home as fugitive thoughts came and went.

Kendal Armstrong was a professional. A professional cat burgler that is. She considered herself one of the very best because there weren't many women out there that had survived as long as she had in the business. Kendal always knew she was different from everyone else. In high school, she was part of the gymnastics team, having won several tournaments. Yes, to say she was limber was just one of her many traits. Kendal never finsihed college, hell, she barely was able to get through her first semester as a freshman. So after a few low end jobs, Kendal knew she didn't want to work for a living. She wanted to have a lot of things but she was too impatient to get them the honest way. So she stole. She stole food. She stole money. She stole clothes. Her survival depended on what she stole.

As time went on, she became quiet good at it. Kendal wasn't sure what it was, whether it was the thrill of acquiring something with out buying it or just the thrill of how she might be caught. She loved it. After while, when shoplifting became too mundane, Kendal set her sights on homes. Stealing from the actual homes of those that were either out of town or in a deep slumber, her main interest was jewelry and soon, she started to research on arts and other collectables. Things that would be able to acquire her more money rather than just help her survive for the next few nights.

Now Kendal was at her biggest job she had planned ever. She made it a point to go through the plan over and over until she was literally dreaming about it at night. She had done some research on Alexander and his home, more importantly, the things he had in his home. He had a lot and whether he knew it or not, he was usually the talk of art parties, which is how Kendal had heard of him and even caught a glimpse of him. She was working for a catering company that was helping out at a local art gallery. As she passed out glasses of wine, she heard things. And when something is buzzing that much then of course it's going to catch someone's interest, especially Kendals'. From what she heard, there was enough collectables in Alexander's house that could have her living very comfortably for the next 20 years if she played her cards right.

She knew Alexander lived alone. And that made her job a whole lot easier. She knew she'd have to be quiet but she also had to be very quick. It had been at least half an hour and she found herself wondering his home, making sure she was extra careful.

Alexander walked along the stone covered hall that stretched from the opening foyer of his house towards the grand staircase to the second and third floors, moving past it towards the kitchen. The large, open room was covered in slate tiles and oak cabinetry, which were topped with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. He had spared no expense in creating the nicest kitchen he possibly could, though he rarely spent any time in there and even less time cooking or preparing food. Passing by the overlarge refrigerator, he drew open the door and searched about inside listlessly for something to appease his boredom, rather than the nonexistent hunger which might have brought him there under different circumstances. He shut the door, finding nothing to keep his interest, and moved on throughout the house, searching in vain for something that might entertain him for the evening.

Perhaps it was time to hold another one of his “parties?” He normally enjoyed the silence and comfort that came with solitude, and rarely did he succumb to loneliness or a need for social interaction, but every once in a while… Actually, every once in a while he got the need to hold a party, bring in a select group of friends, and spend a few nights (and subsequent days) enjoying the diversions they provided. His parties were never public, and the guest list didn’t include more than a few rare members of high society, and certainly no one from any of his late father’s companies; they were populated rather with the people he had come to know after visiting and frequenting certain clubs in the area. Their tastes differed from the norm in some ways, and due to the rather open nature of the parties, he kept them private and very guarded, lest paparazzi or prying eyes come spying. Still, he had always enjoyed them, ever since the first, and he wondered then if it might be time for another.

He wandered slowly through a large ground floor dining room, past large plate glass windows and french-doors which opened out upon a pool, smiling to himself as he thought back to the last time that room and the outdoor area there had been filled with warm bodies. Laughter, shouts of joy and cries of pleasure and pain all mingled in the air that night, and the memory of them all brought a wicked smile to his face. He even chuckled a little as he passed into the next room, a small tidy affair which was basically another closet, thanks to the elevator he’d had installed a few years back. Pressing the call button, the cherry-wood paneled elevator doors opened, barely creaking upon their greased tracks as he stepped through and hit the button for the fifth floor, the top floor. The ride was quick and silent, and he gave silent thanks that he hadn’t gone in for some odd muzak system in the elevator, shaking his head softly and taking a sip of his drink as a soft bell chimed and the doors opened.

He stepped out into the large open floorplan of the fifth floor, which was basically a repository for his art collection, and a gallery within which he could view it. Wandering through the large, high ceilinged rooms, gazing about at the paintings and drawings that hung from the wall, soft lights catching glass and metal plaques here and there and reflecting off of a strange, twisted work of chrome and copper which sat upon a low pedestal a few feet away. Stopping to admire a large stone bust of a beautiful woman rocking in the throes of ecstasy, he cocked his head to the side and humphed to himself as he finished the last of his brandy. Shaking his head and sighing softly, he turned and headed back towards the elevator, checking the electronic panel on the wall and making sure all the alarms were still set and properly armed. Satisfied, he turned his thoughts back to the planning of another party, going over potential guest lists and all the minute details as he rode the elevator down to the fourth floor and strode towards his bedroom. A large oak door barred his way, but opened easily at the turn of the long, ornately filigreed handle, and he kicked off his shoes as he walked into the room. Sighing softly, he closed the door behind him and began getting ready for bed.

Kendal had been in the house for a good 2 hours so far. She knew that the owner usually went to sleep between one and two AM on saturdays and like clockwork, he did so tonight. She has spent a good portion of the last two weeks going over the details of the plans of the house, which she had gotten from city hall records. She knew she could walk through the house blindfolded and know where every turn was at.

The only thing she needed to do was not get caught. Kendal knew the secruity system was the top of the line and she expected nothing else from this man. And even that required time to go over and make sure nothing was disturbed to set anything off.

If Kendal worked quietly enough, she had estimated that she could take a good portion of the paintings and vases with in the 3 hour allotted time period. And if she was ahead of schedule, she could even make off with some of his jewelry, granted it was mostly some very expensive cufflinks and watches. But she needed all she could get.

All she had to do was work quietly and quickly. Then she'd be home free.

As he drew off his slacks, folding them and placing them over the back of a chair, Alexander stared out the window at the pinpricks of light that made up the town below. Lights flickered here and there, almost as if in response to the stars which had begun to break out into the dark vermillion of the night sky. The house was eerily quiet that night, and he could feel the floor creak beneath his feet as he walked from the desk towards the bed. It was too quiet, or so it seemed from the lonely confines of the expansive bedroom. He looked out upon the city that lay sprawled out at the base of the hill, sighing softly to himself before turning to the bed again.

His evening ritual almost complete, he walked back to the desk, hung his shirt upon a hangar and placed it over the pants before sitting down in the chair and flicking on the closed circuit tv monitor that sat upon the desk. The screen flickered to life, shifting from image to image of the layout of the house as the monitor cycled through the shots from the various cameras. Here a shot of the front lawn, there the pool, the front hallway, finally a shot of the fifth floor gallery... Suddenly, he sat bolt upright in his chair, staring intently at the monitor as he fidgeted with the controls, causing the flickering of images to stop and return to the shot of the gallery. He watched the shadows intently, sure that he had seen movement just moments ago.

Seconds passed, which turned into minutes, before he dared blink or even breath more than the shallowest he could manage, certain that if he did the movement wouldn't come again. After a few minutes his eyes began to water and he was forced to shut them and turn away. He sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes and slumping back in the chair. "This whole lonely night thing is getting to me... I'm starting to see things when I know there's no one there... Probably just a trick of the light or something." He got up from the chair and turned off the monitor before trudging slowly to the bed.

As he pulled back the covers, he stretched his arms out above his head and arching his back before shaking out his arms and legs then straightening out the striped black satin boxers and white muscle shirt he wore. Alexander pulled back the covers, sliding slowly onto the soft, cool sheets and relaxing down into the bed. He mumbled softly to himself, "Couldn't have been anything... The alarm's would've sounded if someone had snuck in..." His eyes began to flutter and drift shut as sleep overtook him.

Looking at the time, Kendal had about another hour to go and she still hadn't gotten most of what she wanted.

Perhaps she was getting a little cocky or she over estimated but she found herself taking her time as she looked around. The items in this house were more valueable than she thought. It certainly held a lot more than she had considered.

So, pulling her phone out her pocket, Kendal did some quick research through the phone's mobile web. She needed to get a clear idea of what was what exactly and that dramatically changed her list of things to take.

Kendal didn't realize there was one camera that she didn't take into account and although it only caught the light of the phone's browser, it also set off a silent alarm. Little did she know that her getting sloppy might just cost her her freedom.

Alexander was dreaming of the last party he'd held upon the grounds of his home, specifically the latter half after the guests had split into two distinct groups: the indoor crowd and the outdoor crowd. The indoor crowd had spread themselves out over the five floors, some pairing off into couples before seeking private (or not so private) places to "entertain" themselves, while others formed small groups and cliques, leaving few if any stragglers to wander the halls idly. Even the gallery up on the fifth floor had gotten its fair share of action that night, as it had been converted for that express purpose that day. Alexander had set up a large raised stage in the center of the space, and filled the rest of the room with instruments of pleasure and pain, torture and release, for the benefit of his guests, who had put them all to great use.

The outside scene was slightly different, although no less entertaining. He himself had spent several hours poolside, engaging two different women in sessions that evening. That was where the dream rolled and held him as he tossed and turned slightly in his bed, arms twitching as one hand gripped the sheets, the other hand splayed wide open. He was dreaming of the experience poolside where he had held one of the women captive, tied to one of the large stone columns around the pool, teasing her with a long black leather crop while he teased his fingers through the auburn mane of the other.

Suddenly, though, his reverie was broken and he was called back from the land of nod to the land of the waking by a loud, insistent buzzer ringing at his bedside. A light flashed upon the small metal console on his bedside table, a bright red beacon in the otherwise pitch black darkness of the room, drawing his attention to it just as it was designed to. He quickly threw back the soft, cool sheets, drawing himself to his feet at the edge of the bed as he brushed sleep from his eyes, a groggy moan emanating from his lips, "What the bloody hell...?" The alarm meant that somewhere, something had breached his defenses and was attempting to break in (or out, he told himself) of his home. Without even checking he knew it was coming from the fifth floor gallery, his mind rushing back to the glimpsed movement on the monitor he had seen earlier and had rationalized off as nothing.

He threw himself from the bed with a growl, equally angry about both the possible theft and being roused from his enticing dream. "Figures, I finally manage to get some sleep and someone breaks in..." His cell phone began ringing and he immediately flicked it open, holding it between ear and shoulder as he strode across the bedroom, pulling back on the clothes he had been wearing earlier that evening. Whatever was happening, whoever had intruded, he didn't want to face them in nothing but his underwear... The voice on the phone was that of his personal security force's chief, a man he counted on to keep these things from happening and patrol the edges of the grounds. They were converging on the house, all three men on duty that night, and he needn't worry, they would handle it and blah blah blah...

He growled into the phone, "Whatever it is, it's in the gallery. Yes I know you'll be there shortly, that's what I pay you for! I'm going just the same, just meet me there... No, I will not stand idly by while someone steals from me! If they make it out with anything, even the tiniest wall screw or a mote of dust, it's going to be your job and your ass!" He clicked the phone shut and shoved it into a pocket as he stomped through the hall, throwing doors wide as he made his way to the stairway which led to the fifth floor and his intruder. Naturally, the moment the silent alarm had been tripped, every exit had quickly and silent sealed, trapping whoever was inside, but he wanted to be there when the doors reopened.

When the chief security officer finally made it to the large door to the gallery, Alexander barked for him to open the door, which he promptly did before rushing in, arm raised straight in front of him and tazer swinging around wildly as his other arm groped about for the light switch. Alexander strode in right behind him, arms crossed, a furious expression on his face, and snarled "Whoever you are, you can come out now! The doors and windows are all locked and this is the only way out! Give yourself up now and maybe I'll give you to the cops instead of dealing with you myself..." He peered about, waiting to see who, or what, would show.

Kendal was totally oblivious to the silent alarms as she came across what seemed to be a very rare, but expensive, faberge egg. This seeemed to be an item that was out of place among the collections spread through out the house. It just seemed so very out of place, it didn't make sense. Nonetheless, Kenal opened the small suitcase she had brought in with her and set the egg on the side carefully. There was no way she was going to let this slide. From her calculations, she knew that it would bring her quite enough money through the blackmarket online.

As she placed her phone inside her vest, she jerked her head up as she heard footsteps stomping down the hall and toward the room!!

It was still very dark in the room and Kendal's eyes had time to adjust but that didn't mean she could see THAT well. Her head turned as her eyes darted around while looking for a place to hide. It wasn't easy as there was none. She had come down from the roof and the rope hanging from the air duct was proof enough. Silently she cursed herself for tripping off security and for getting sloppy. She didn't want to caught nor did she ever contemplate what would happen if she did.

Just then, the doors to the room were thrown open and Kendal did the first thing she could think of and that was jump behind a marble column. Her heart was beating fast and she was sure that they could hear it. She closed her eyes and listened as she counted the sounds of the steps. There had to be at least three, if she was correct, then perhaps all this wouldn't be a lost after all. Before she could think about it anymore, the lights came on and heard what she guessed was the owner yell out.

What was she to do? There was only one way to get out of this room and the men were blocking it. She was still thinking about it when she heard someone come close. Kendal shook her head and cursed in a loud whisper. There was no way to get out of this. If she was lucky, perhaps she'd just get away with breakng and entering along with an extremely pissed off owner.

"All right!!" She yelled and carefully came out from behind the column. Immediately the two men raised their weapons at her as they waited for their boss' command on what to do next. She could see the shock on their faces when they realized she was a woman, let alone, Kendal was part asian so her features were small as was her body and standing only at around 5'2" and weighing at least 110 pounds.

She saw the man in the middle as he came forth, he of course didn't look happy but then again, who would when their property was being stolen right from under them?

Alexander looked at the woman standing before him, eyeing her curiously as she stepped out from behind the column and into full view. He didn't know quite what to expect, but this surely wasn't it. He had been expecting a pack of vandals, intent on destroying his home. Or a burly ruffian who'd bashed his way through the wall, still clutching the offending instrument of destruction. The worst case scenerio he'd imagined had been a thief or two, clad in equipment and the like to beffudle his alarms and sensors. His worst case scenario clearly had nothing on reality...

The girl standing before him- No, she was a young woman, he could tell after studying her for a moment. It was just her height and trim build that threw him off. He unconsciously pulled himself up to his full height, looming just over six feet tall in the doorway, casting a long shadow across the floor from where he stood all the way to the column she had stepped from behind. The hallway lights were bright flourescents, and they cast a harsh white light behind him while the gallery's lights were softer yellow lights which he'd had installed so as not to fade or damage the works contained within, and so his looming form cast a faint shadow across the floor which bent and moved with him as he took a few hesitant steps towards the young woman.

He turned and glanced at the two men standing behind him, still imagining his worst case scenario and fearful that she wasn't alone. "Search the rest of the gallery, I'll manage this one." The men nodded and fanned out into the room, arms and weapons raised as they darted carefully about the room. He turned to her and stepped within a few feet of her, cocking his head to one side as he looked down into her bright eyes, a sneer pulling at his lips as he did so. "Well, what have we here?" He arched an eyebrow questioningly as his eyes roved across her body, taking in her gentle curves and soft skin, feeling a tingle of desire residual hunger from his dream stir within him. He chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head, "So, mind telling me what you're doing here?" He asked, glancing to the suitcase sitting beside the column.

At that moment the two men returned, huffing back down the gallery from opposite sides, their inspection complete. They looked at each other, and then to Alexander, before the chief nodded and spoke, "Looks like she's the only one. I'll be damned if I know how she got in, though. After we drop her off with the police we'll go over this place with a fine tooth comb and see what we missed." His tone was apologetic, and his breathing was heavy, clearly he was a little out of shape and not used to huffing up all the way from his post outside. Alexander sighed to himself, shaking his head. He would have to see about replacing that man, shoddy security just wouldn't do.

Suddenly though, an idea sprang to mind. He held up a hand to the men, stopping their advance upon the striking young woman who still stood silent and firm before him. "No. No police. I have a much better idea. You two," he shot a glance at both men in turn, "check the perimeter, conduct your checks. I will question the girl, personally..." His lips spread into a wide feral smile as he turned to look at her again. He addressed the security team, still keeping his eyes upon her the entire time, "Leave us. She doesn't look to be carrying any weapons of any kind. Even if she is, it's not like she can get anywhere with them now, if she harms me she'll be in much much worse trouble... hehehehehe..."

The two men walked silently past them, shutting the gallery doors behind them. Their footsteps echoed down the hallway and faded to silence before Alexander made the slightest move. When they were finally truly gone, he turned and walked to the door, flipped the lock closed and turned to the woman once more, striding back to stand a mere foot from her, beaming down at her as he stared into her eyes. "SO. Alone at last... You're going to give me a few answers before we proceed any further. First of all," he held up one finger, "who are you? Second," he held up another, "what did you come for? Third," he held up yet another, "what am I to do with you?" He cocked his head to one side and let his eyes drink her in once more.

"On second thought, strike that last. I believe I know what we might do with you. Unless, of course, you'd rather spend the rest of your days in prison..."

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you my name?" Kendal said with such arrogance that she was a little surprised with herself. Never before had she contemplated about what she would do if she were ever caught. The reason she refused to answer was that she was going to jail anyway and figured he was just a homeowner who was trying to 'be tough' because he caught her taking his stuff.

"As for being here, well, why do you think? You're Alexander the Great." She said with a smile upon her lips. She saw that he knew what she was talking about. There were rumors about his infamous parties and since Kendal worked one of his parties, she was well aware of what went on. But she was more interested in his artwork which she would prosper more from. "And Thee Alexander just happens to have some things I am very interested in."

"I'm not going to tell you anything more, so go ahead, call the cops. I'm only sorry for getting caught and there's nothing you can do to me since you're going to turn me in anyway."

Alexander laughed softly to himself at her response to his first question, shaking his head slowly from side to side. Never once did he take his eyes from her, though. There was something captivating about her, indeed many things about her that made it hard to look away now that he'd locked his gaze upon her. Perhaps it was because she'd made it into his home at all, or maybe it was the strutting arrogance and confidence that tinged her voice, but more likely than not it was the fact that she was simply a striking, stunning young woman. Certainly all three together blended together into a heady brew that made it impossible to allow his focus to slide from her even momentarily.

When she spoke again, though, using his lesser known scene name, it sent a shiver down his spine and caused the slightest twitch in his eyes which he passed off as a long blink. The only way she could possibly have known that name was if she'd been present at one of the last parties, as he had certainly never met her privately before. He would have remembered one such as her, surely. Perhaps he would ask her about that later, though... As she offered up an answer to his final question though, he was unable to stem the tide of laughter that bubbled up from within his chest. It started as a soft giggle but quickly rose to a wild laugh that echoed through the large gallery, resounding off the walls and floor and gaining force and volume in the process.

Tears began running from his eyes, and he wiped them away as the laughter returned to a chuckle and finally died away, leaving him panting slightly for breath as she looked at him questioningly. "I'm sorry, my dear, forgive me for laughing at you. It's certainly nothing you've done wrong, it's just... Whatever in the world makes you think I would hand you over to the authorities?" He flashed a wide, toothy grin, a faint chuckle returning as he watched a look of shock and surprise spread across her face. "No, no, no, they won't be involved in this at all. Why do you think I have my own private security force? The police leave me alone, and in return my father's foundation makes a sizable donation each year to the force. Although, since my father was laid to rest, I've been keeping it up in his stead."

He cast a glance over his shoulder at the still tighly shut doors, their only means of exit, frowning slightly at them as wheels began turning within his head and he lost himself in thought momentarily. Suddenly an idea came to him and he snapped his fingers, his entire face lighting up as he turned to look at her again. "Very well, you don't wish to give me your name tonight, that's fine with me. You will, however, come with me, unless you wish to risk my displeasure. If that happens, I assure you you'll be wishing I'd given you to the police instead..." He walked slowly towards her, reaching out a hand and gently clasping her arm as he stood over her, beaming down at her with a wide smile and a twinkle in his eye. He knew exactly where he would bring her...

"Come now, let's get you some place more comfortable than this cold, silent gallery. If you come along peacefully you won't have anything to worry about, at least not yet. On the way to the den you can tell me just where you heard that name. I don't remember inviting you to my last party, so...?" He let the question trail off and fade to silence, his voice turned up at the end questioningly as he strode back towards the door, fingers clenched tightly around her arm as he practically dragged her towards the only entrance or exit of the gallery.

As Alexander led Kendal out of the gallery and through the halls, she tried to jerk her arm away but it was no use. He had a more than firm grip and her efforts were for not. She sighed to herself and knew exactly where they were heading when he mentioned the den. She could probably get there blind folded since memorizing the plans for this house. She could even bet her life on it that there were some hidden passages in this place that were not mentioned on the blue prints.....

"So, speaking of security--your team really sucks." She told him flatly. "You have how many? A total of maybe 10 guards running around this place yet I managed to sneak in right past them?" It was Kendal's turn to laugh, "Yeah, real secure."

When he didn't answer and only smiled at what she said, Kendal kept on talking, "As for where I heard your name--hmm, well, I actually did attend one of your parties. Not as a guest, that's for sure." She left it up to him to figure it out and with as smart as she knew him to be, Kendal was sure he'd come up with the answer soon enough--if he hadn't done so already.

Kendal knew that she was talking out of her ass and she wanted to get away from him. Before she could dwell on it, they arrived at the den and Alexander locked the door behind him, of course the code he used to lock it up was not revealed to Kendal as he pushed her into the middle of the den. "So, what are you going to do to me? Trying to scare me more? Why don't you just save yourself the time and effort by just turning me over the cops. I know you're pissed about having me break in to your home but you know what? It's not entirely my fault that your so called security isn't up to date."

To be honest, it was scaring her when he didn't acknowledge her questions and comments. The look in his eyes told Kendal deep down that he had something planned for her and she wasn't going to get out of this one until she played his game.

As Alexander propelled her into the middle of the den he simply stood smiling at her, a wicked jackal smile like the kind a cat might display towards a mouse as it bats it about, teasing and toying with it before moving in for the kill... He heard the large oak door swing shut behind him and close with a satisfying click, the lock immediately moving back into place and preventing her from exiting without his permission. His chest heaved, straining against his shirt as muscles flexed and drew in a deep breath of the cool night air. He could smell the old paper and leather in the air, mixed with the faint scent of smoke and ash from the fire place and finally the almost cloying sweetness of the brandy which still sat in its decantur upon the table.

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, thinking better of it. Instead he gestured for her to take a seat in one of the large chairs by the fireplace. When she reluctantly took a seat he strode towards the desk, rummaging about in the drawers. As he searched, he finally found voice enough to speak, "I'm not as stupid as you may think. If you didn't come to one of my parties as a guest, you must have been part of the hired help. While I could go through the rosters of the few people contracted to work them, and find your name that way, it would be so much easier for you simply to tell me yourself, and save me the time and aggrevation. After all, you wouldn't like me when I'm annoyed, and you really won't like me when I'm angry..." He trailed off, stopping in his search to glance over at her, his expression momentarily set firm, cold and stony before he turned back to the drawers once more. Finally finding what he'd been searching for, he let out a triumphant "Aha!" and strode back over to her chair, looming over her with the same animalistic smile upon his face.

"Now then, I'll tell you what I've got planned for you; the first part anyway. You complained about my security before, but let's see if you can get out of here, in one piece anyway..." He unfurled a pair of handcuffs from one hand, a sturdy metal kind with a long length of chain between them. Deftly locking them around her wrists, he chuckled softly before sitting down in the chair next to hers. "And I told you before that I have no intention in involving the police here, not in the slightest." He stopped to study her face before continuing, "Don't worry, I'll give you a nice room for the night, and maybe in the morning you'll feel a bit more cooperative..."

He gave the chain hanging between her wrists a good yank, pulling her out of the chair before standing himself once more and walking her over towards a tall book case set behind the desk. He gave the shelf itself a good hard yank and it swung out from the wall as if on casters, sliding out into the room on a hinge and revealing a sparse hallway of stone and steel, barely illuminated by a bare lightbulb overhead. They tramped down the cold hallway until they came to a large steel panel and a dead end. Alexander keyed a code into a small pad and the panel gave a harsh click before he pushed it open.

The room they stepped into was very similar to the den they had just left; bookshelf lined walls, plush carpeting, even a slightly smaller fireplace. One thing was lacking though, an exit. There were no windows or doors other than the tightly locking one they had entered through. Alexander pushed her into the center of the room before gesturing to the wall beside the fireplace, "That bookshelf pulls down into a bed. Make yourself at home, and get comfortable. You'll be spending a lot of time in this room, at least until you decide to cooperate. I'll check on you in the morning. Until then," He nodded slightly, chuckling softly to himself, "pleasent dreams, and sleep well. You've got a big day ahead, hehehe..." With that he turned on his heel and walked back into the cold hallway, letting the door to the young woman's temporary prison shut behind him with a solid, satisfying thud.

Kendal looked around the room, taking in each and every detail. She noticed there was no other way out--only the way she and Alexander had come. As she had her back turned to Alexander, she heard him explain where the bed was. She looked at the bookshelf and sighed when she caught what he said, "pleasent dreams, and sleep well. You've got a big day ahead, hehehe..."

She turned too late as she saw the door they had entered through seal tightly behind him when he left. Kendal screamed, "NO!!!" as she left forward and tried to stop the door. Of course it was no use as it closed and when it did, i looked like there was no break or seam in the wall. She pounded on the part that was the door and after a few minutes, she gave up, it was no use.

Huffing in digust, Kendal decided to take that time to see if there might be another way out....the fireplace!!

Kendal charged to the fireplace and looked inside. Of course it was dark and with her small stature, Kendal could easily fit inside the hearth. She reached up both cuffed hands and when she felt nothing, she scooted in more and slowly stood--It was a tight fit, even for her but just as she thought she was making headway, she reached up and felt a metal guard securing the chimney of the fireplace.

"Shit!!!" Kendal punched up and hit the gate and she didn't care that she bruised her knuckles in the process. She then crawled out of the fireplace and leaned against the mantel as she stared down at the cuffs on her wrists. What the hell was she trying to do. If Alexander was correct about keeping her here until she talked, then he was in for a long wait. She wasn't going to crack under what ever threats he had, that she was sure of.

A few minutes passed for Kendal as she continued to think. Without thinking, she took one hand and grabbed at the cuffs. She pulled her other wrist against it as she gritted her teeth. She needed the cuffs off because if Alexander was true to his word, she didn't want to be binded in any way if she was going to try to defend herself.

Alexander ambled back down the cold dimly lit hallway, humming a soft tuneless melody to himself as he went, reaching the other end of the passageway and stepping back out into the den. Pushing the hidden door back into place, he chuckled softly to himself, walked over to the chair she had so recently vacated and poured himself another glass of brandy. He sank back into the tall leather chair with a comfortable sigh of relief, bringing the large glass snifter to his lips and taking a long, slow sip.

What in the world would he do with her? He had a few vague ideas, at least, but it all depended on how she behaved from there on out. A thought sprang to mind then, as he relaxed in front of the fireplace, gazing into it even though the fire had long been extinguished for the night. She was certainly a firecracker, as his father would have said, a real spit-fire and she hadn't given an inch before him without his having dragged it out of her first. He idly spun the glass in his hand, letting out another long sigh before standing up and stretching his arms out above his head, cracking his back as he felt the deep stretch of each of his muscles.

He slowly made his way back to his bedroom, ambling through the quiet corridors and empty rooms along the way, ocassionally sipping at his drink. When he reached his room, the first thing he did was go over to his desk and flick on the monitors of the closed circuit television system, flipping through channels until he reached the one which broadcast from the camera within the tiny room off the den in which he'd deposited her for the night. He watched as she raged about the room, twisting her wrists about in an effort to escape the handcuffs he'd left chained about her earlier.

He chuckled softly to himself, "Oh, little girl, good luck with that. Even if you manage to get out of them it's not going to help you. You're going to be stuck there until I come for you in the morning..." He watched her for a few more minutes, idly sipping at the brandy before snapping his fingers, wheels turning furiously within his head once more. He flicked over from the cameras to a computer desktop and began searching through his private records, looking for the rosters of the people who'd been hired to work the last few parties he'd thrown. Striking a few keys, the lists began printing from down the desk and he quickly picked up the pages, setting the almost empty glass of brandy aside and striding off to bed to study the lists of names.

At least several minutes passed as Kendal tried to free her hands. Of course she was unsuccessful of getting the cuffs off but she was successful with bruising her wrists up. Sighing, she took another look around the room, drinking in as much detail as she could.

Finally she came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to get out of this one easy. Her techniques were to study and then plan for an exit plan. In some cases she could pull one out of her ass-just not tonight.

"HEY!" She yelled. If she analyzed her captor correctly, he had to be watching her. "You think you can keep prisoner in here? You think you're trying to teach me a lesson?!"

Of course there was no verbal answer to her shouts. She didn't expect one. Kendal didn't want to accept the the fact that she couldn't do anything about her situation so silently, she resigned to the fact that she was beaten. At least for now. She'd get out tomorrow. That she was sure of. He was just trying to scare her, right?

Kendal wanted to think more of it but just then, the lights went out and she was engulfed in darkness.

Alexander studied the lists of names from the comfort of his bed, slashing through the names of people he either knew from personal experience or those who wouldn't possibly be the young woman held captive in the locked room off the den. Names like "Jose Perez" were immediately crossed out, while "Joe Lock" were circled. After all, Joe could be a girl's name, too... After twenty minutes he had a much shorter list of names left to work with, five in all and only two of them were repeats. He carefully wrote them down on another piece of paper and crumpled the original lists before tossing them into a bin by the nightstand.

The other piece of paper, the one containing the five possibilities was set aside before he turned out the lights, rolled over into the middle of the over-large, cold bed and attempted to get back to sleep. Though the interruption earlier had pumped him full of adrenaline, and the subsequent capture of the young would-be thief had given him an endorphin high as well, he felt the familiar funk returning to settle over him once more in the darkness, engulfing him like a grey cloud and refusing to let him go. There was just something about the unfeeling silence of the house at night that got to him those days. It used to be different, he used to relish the silence and solitude. Perhaps the girl would be able to alleviate the problem though... A wicked smile crept to his face at the thought, and the uneasiness in his muscles finally gave way to relaxation, his mind bowing to exhaustion and fatigue and drifting off to sleep once more.

A few hours later, the sun rose and began shining in here and there despite the heavy curtains that covered the floor to ceiling windows in his bedroom. It was just enough to pull him back from the land of silent sleep and dreamlessness that he had spent the rest of the night in. Rising from bed, he stretched his tired muscles and went to the desk, flicking on the monitor once more and turning to the channel showing the tiny room off the den. He watched the young woman as she lay upon the bed for a few moments before getting up again, satisfied that she was actually sleeping. After dressing in his customary black slacks and crisply ironed button down shirt, he elected to go without tie or jacket for the morning and strode down to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. He ate standing at the stove, and put together a few extra pieces of bacon and toast and eggs on a plate before heading off with them to the den, slowly proceeding down the perpetually cold hallway and keying in the code which opened the door to the small room in which the young woman was still his captive.

"Ahem... Breakfast, is served." He growled, his deep voice practically booming through the tiny room as it echoed and rang slightly in his ears. He grinned widely as the door clicked shut behind him and chuckled softly, taking a few hesitant steps towards the pull-down bed and the young woman whose name he still hadn't completely discovered.

The click of the door only woke up Kendal to a conscious state but the food she could smell was making her stomach growl with hunger. Sitting up, her eyes were still a little blurry with sleep as she saw that it wasn't a dream she had been caught in. It was real.

And there stood Alexander, look just as smug as he did when he caught her in the gallery. She pushed her hair from her face, the cuffs clinking, as she stood up and off the bed, "What? No security?" She asked, her voice with it's usual sarcasm that never seemed to dimish since meeting him.

She eyed the food for a second before looking back at him and holding up her cuffed wrists, "Care to get these off now?" When he only smiled and walked over the bed and set the food down, Kendal made sure to keep her distance.

"Look, Alexander, you're not going to get anything out of me so just give it up. I didn't get any of your precious collections or art work so why not just let me go and we can call this whole mess forgotten. What do you say?"

Alexander laughed at her, not just a gentle chuckle or a soft sighing laugh but a deep genuine mirthful laughter, as if she'd just told him the punchline of an especially hilarious joke. As it trailed off and silence again fell about the small room he came back to himself, looking her square in the eye as a wide predatory smile crept across his face.

"Forget it? Forget what? How you broke into my home, in the middle of the night, intending to rob me blind and take my most precious posessions? Or how you completely refused to answer the simple question of your name? Or the way you insulted both myself and my men, and continue to do so now?" He shook his head sadly, eyes turning to the ground at his feet. "No, I don't think so. 'Forgive and forget' may be all well and good for you, but not for me."

He took a few more steps into the room, heading for one of the large leather chairs which mirrored those in the other den, and sat down, gesturing towards the plate of food which sat untouched on the bed beside her. "Eat, I'm sure you're hungry. There's nothing wrong with it, I promise you. Just a good old fashioned traditional breakfast, at least where I come from. I'm not sure what you're used to..." He sat back in the chair which let out a long creak as he shifted his weight, never taking his eyes from hers. Bringing a hand up to his chin, he rested it upon his knuckles as he gazed thoughtfully at her.

"I have a proposition for you. One you may accept or reject, the choice is yours. Before I put this to you, though, I will mention that until you decide to accept it this cozy little room will be your home." A soft chuckle echoed from his lips about the tiny bookshelf lined room despite the plush carpeting upon the floor. "No doubt you've already exhausted possible escape routes, otherwise you wouldn't have slept, you'd still be searching for some way out. I'll tell you now, the only way out is through that door," he nodded, gesturing with his towards the tightly shut door he'd entered through, "and I'm the only one with the combination. I'm also the only one with the key to those cuffs."

He reached into the pocket of his slacks, producing a small silver key which glinted in the bright overhead lighting. He began slowly twirling it in his fingers, passing it over one and under another in a deft bit of movement designed to build dexterity and possibly to impress small children. He watched her eyes follow the key as it wove between his fingers, a bright smile upon his lips as he saw the wheels turning in her mind. "Now, my proposition!" Her eyes snapped back to his, a thoughtful look upon her face which told him she was listening. "First of all, you tell me your name. That's not part of the deal, really, just a formality. In fact, I have a list of possibilities here and I'm fairly confident one of them is yours..." He produced the scrap of paper with the five potential names from another pocket, waving it gently through the air between them. "My proposition though is that I will allow you a much larger space, a private room in the house complete with a bathroom and a comfortable bed, as well as almost anything else your little heart may desire, in return for your assurances that you will not try to leave and will in turn stay with me..." He trailed off, letting his words dissipate in the air, allowing time for them to sink in.

"I realize I'm being a bit long winded here, so take your time. Think it over. And by all means, eat!" He gestured with the paper towards the plate before getting up and striding over to her, a wide smile still upon his lips and his eyes never leaving hers. "As a gesture of good will, let me take those cuffs off of you." He slid the tiny silver key into the lock of one, turning it and letting it fall open with a gentle click before opening the other as well and letting the cuffs fall to the floor with a soft thud.

"Well, to be honest, as for the guards, I did expect something of a challenge but fine, I gave you my offer, it's your choice to either forgive and forget. It was just a suggestion." She told him smugly.

Kendal didn't think there would be anything wrong with the food. She sat in the chair opposite of him and took the toast from the plate. It was a bit ackward eating it with her wrists shackled but at this point, she didn't really care. She was hungry and as she ate, he kept talking.

After she was done with just the toast, Kendal sat back on the chair and her eyes never left his. She pretended to think about what he had said and well, "So by allowing me a larger space would be safe to assume that you don't plan to let me go? And yet you still expect me to cooperate?" Kendal laughed as she played with the chain on the cuffs, the bruising around her wrists were visible where she tried to pull them off.

"And just what do you plan to do with me, Alexander?" She could tell that with him not knowing her name was probably killing him since he was still insistant on wanting to know it. "Kill me?"

Deep down Kendal was scared about the prospect of not being freed. She hated the fact that she was caged up like an animal, let alone cuffed like one. In all honesty, she hated the enclosed area with no windows but she would never admit to that. She still mentally chastised herself for getting caught because of her foolishness.

"No, you wouldn't do that. That's not your style. Besides, from all the rumors, you don't like messy things so that's not going to happen. Come on Alexander, let me go."

Alexander chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head and casting his eyes about the tiny enclosed room, as if searching for some sign of the outside world despite the utter lack of windows or doorways. Even a skylight would have given him something to focus on besides the tall shelves with their dusty leather bound tomes and old world artifacts.

"You're quite right there. I believe in keeping things nice and tidy, and I certainly see no need for waste either. However, that is certainly where I see this conversation is going; to waste. I had hoped that you would jump at the opportunity to leave this enclosed little cell..." He emphasized the last word, implying but not actually stating that she was being held prisoner there. "But, it seems that you've still too much fire in you to readily take my offer seriously. Perhaps a few more hours in here will do you good then, give you time to think over my offer and see the merits that remaining here with me might provide."

He rose from his seat and strode towards the cold fireplace, placing a hand upon the mantle before turning to look down at her where she still sat upon the bed. His eyes roved up and down her body, taking in the gentle curves of her body and the distinct and uniqueness of her features. She was truly one of a kind... And the pleasures they might enjoy together! But, shaking his head to clear it of the errant thoughts, he realized that she was still defiant and determined to escape. Little did she know that even if she managed to escape from that tiny room somehow she would still have to escape from the rest of the home, and there were far more barriers between herself and the outside than she could comprehend.

With a deep sigh he returned his eyes to hers, watching the fires of defiance and independance burn brightly inside of them, and a wicked, feral smile crept to his lips. He couldn't keep from imagining all the wondrous activities they could share, and a low growling chuckle rumbled from his chest. Soon enough, he thought, soon enough...

"Well, I shall leave you here to think upon my offer a little while longer. I'll return in a few hours with a mid-day meal, and perhaps we'll speak a bit more at that time. As for my future plans, you'll just have to wait and see. There are certainly many things I could do with you, even if you decide to remain obstinant." He strode towards the door, keyed in the code and opened it a fraction before turning to glance over his shoulder at her again, "Although things will go so much easier for you if you merely cooperate." With that he slipped through the door and let it close with a soft click behind him, returning to the house proper.

As the door closed again, sealing Kendal in the room once more, she felt a great anger swell inside of her that she needed to break something! Instead she screamed. She screamed long and loud, getting her frustration out! How could he do this to her?!

Why the hell did she have to get caught! If the rumors were true, then waht he had promised, he would kept up. He was hard headed and not the fool she thought him to be and that bugged her to no end!

"Why the hell didn't you just get what you could and leave Kendal?! Why?!!" Kendal looked around and saw the table between the two chairs...it was then she got a thought on how to get out her tension. She grabbed the table by the top and flung it toward the door where Alexander went out of. It hit the wall with hard thud but it didn't break. Why should it? She couldn't throw it hard enough. Kendal screamed again and then threw herself onto the bed where she stayed.

For over the next few hours, Kendal didn't move from the bed. Why should she? It wasn't long before Alexander would return and it was really starting to bug her that she only had artificial light. She thought about everything he had proposed and where was the harm in accepted what he offered? It surely was a hell of a lot better than jail right?

Just as she was going to think about it more, the door clicked and then opened and Kendal finally looked up from the bed and at Alexander, who was holding a tray of food which she guessed was her lunch.

As he looked at the mess she made, she just gave him a shrug, "Guess you could say I thought about it and I will accept what you offer me." Kendal sat up on the bed and placed her cuffed hands on her lap, "My name is Kendal."

Alexander looked about the room once more, a concerned expression on his face. He wondered what in the world she had been doing during his absence. It looked as if she were determined to 'break out' and quite literally... When his eyes returned to her she looked entirely nonchalant about it, as if it had been caused by a slight breeze. However, when she spoke his eyes lit up and a wicked smile crossed his face.

"Ahhhhh, perfect! I knew you would come around sooner or later..." He set down the tray of food on the bed, not having anywhere else to put it anymore. Pulling the list of names from his pocket he opened it quickly, scanned down until the very last and sure enough, there was a 'Kendal' listed... He took a lighter to the list and threw it in the fire place; he didn't want it around if it was no longer needed. Lists like that ended up in newspapers and stirring up trouble and drama and questions...

"Well, Kendal," he worked the name around on his lips, trying to get a feel for it, "bring your food and we'll bring you some place a little more... comfortable." He flashed her a wide grin and a wink before turning on his heel and returning to the door, pushing some of the cluttered rubble aside. After keying in the code he held the door wide, and gestured for her to follow, and the two quickly strode back through the tiny dimly lit passage once more. As they passed through the den, Alexander wondered where she might do best for the night, and decided on his own bedroom until he could come up with something better.

"We'll get you a 'room for the night' so to speak, but in the morning it may change..." He trailed off as they began climbing the steps which led up to the next floor and his bedroom. It was the safest, most secure room in the house, after all... If there were anywhere besides the tiny room off the den she wouldn't be able to escape from, that had to be it. Reaching the door, he swung it wide open and gestured for her to enter first. "It's not much, but it'll be comfortable for the night at least." He laughed softly to himself at the little joke, watching her as she took it all in.

As Kendal followed Alexander with no protest whatsoever, she began to nibbled a little of the food off her tray. Right now she was very hungry and had a big appetite to show for it.

When they reached his room, she was in complete awe of the furnishing and the size! She set her tray down on the nearest table and walked over to the floor to ceiling windows. They were opened and the view from his room was amazing. "Wow, I wouldn't mind having this room on a permanent basis!" she said, not realizing what she was implying.

Kendal was very busy looking over everything, inspecting it all and she ended up in huge master bathroom. The tub itself looked so inviting that she quickly imagined herself in there, soaking in the warm water.

It didn't pass her senses of the art that adorned the room. There were pieces in there that seemed more valuable than anything she'd ever own. After a few minutes, she had just remembered Alexander was there so she picked up her tray and sat on the huge bed with it, "I guess it's OK, not that I have much choice right?" She asked as she picked at her food.

Alexander followed Kendal inside, taking long strides with hands clasped behind his back as though he were in the middle of giving a tour to a prospective home buyer or at least some long forgotten family member. Having seen, and slept in that room every night since becoming master of the house, a few short weeks after his father had finally passed, Alexander really had no need to dash about the room as she did, eyeing everything and exploring. Although... He couldn't help but feel at least a little rush of excitement as she dashed about, hers was contagious.

He simply laughed as she finally seemed to remember him and the circumstances which brought her there, picking at her food and questioning him sullenly from the edge of the bed. Until then he hadn't moved from his spot in the center of the room, but then he strode towards her, taking the nearly empty tray after she had picked away the last of the food, and turned to deposit it on the desk which held the bank of monitors. When he turned back to face her his face held a wide, wicked animalistic smile, and hunger flashed in his eyes. "No, my dear girl, you really don't have much say in the matter. However, if you'd rather I return to you the windowless room behind the den..." He raised an eyebrow questioningly and her face immdiately took on a look of bitter surprise. Before she could even shake her head 'NO!' Alexander laughed and began again,

"Very well. Call it an act of good faith. You remain here the rest of the day, and with me tonight, and in the morning... Well, perhaps it's best not to give away too much too soon, eh?" He chuckled softly to himself as he walked towards the edge of the bed where Kendal sat, stopping a bare few inches from her, his body practically pressed into hers already. As she looked up at him in defiance he leaned down, bringing his cool icy stare to meet hers and his wicked smile towards her flat, emotionless one. "I have a few matters that require my attention, but I shall return shortly. Feel free to make use of the bathtub, I saw the way you were eyeing it earlier... Hehehee." With that he pursed his lips and planted a small, deft kiss upon her cheek, then winked and strode quickly from the room, locking it behind him.