The Abduction

"I'm not really hungry and with this heat I think I'll just have some fruit and salad," Lyssa said.

"Me also, the less food in the stomach the easier it will be to get used to this heat. I think we should retire right after we've eaten so we can be rested for tomorrow's sightseeing."

When they had first arrived Ruth had made sure that all of her guests were taken care of and set in their rooms. Once that was done her guests were on their own. She and Lyssa would not be going on all the tours she had set up for them.

Lyssa couldn't take her eyes off all the hustle and bustle going on around them in the streets. Children running all around, women carrying huge baskets upon their heads, tourists snapping pictures all around them, she noticed that some women wore the veils that covered their faces while others did not, it must be just a matter of choice she assumed.

She was watching some men getting up on their camels when she noticed four men sitting at a table to their far left. They were staring at them and it gave Lyssa the shivers. Two of them had their faces covered with part of their turbans, she would have to see if that is what they are called when they retired and she got a chance to read the two books she had brought with her about the people and customs of Egypt. One of the men looked as if he might be scowling, his eyes partially closed and the furrow in his brow gave you that impression.

"Ruth are my clothes alright, should I not be looking around so much, is that considered rude to do so," Lyssa asked.

"No dear you're fine, why do you ask?"

"See those men over there, they keep staring at us. I thought I might have done something wrong."

Ruth smiled at her friend. Lyssa was so sure she had done something wrong to garner the stares from the Egyptian men.

"Are you afraid they might harm us like one of the damsels in your romance novels? It's your hair dear, Egyptian men are always curious about women with light hair."

Lyssa didn't glance in the direction of the men again during their meal, she would be embarrassed if they were still staring at them. They finished their meal and walked back across the busy street to their hotel. They had just arrived at their suite when Ruth asked Lyssa if she would go to the little pharmacy that was right beside the hotel and get her some Tylenol. She was starting to get a headache from the heat and didn't have any with her.

Lyssa found the aspirin straight away, she noticed some lemon drops by the cashier and decided to get some. The lemony flavor would taste wonderful while she was reading her books.

She had only taken about four steps when a old van came to a screeching stop at the curb on her right, two men jumped out and grabbed her before she could scream, covering her mouth with a tight hand they tossed her in the van then sped off. Surely someone has seen what happened and reported the abduction to the Egyptian police she was praying.

Strong hands held her down while someone tied a scarf tightly across her mouth then covered her entire head with some kind of bag or sack. Lyssa put up a good fight, kicking and twisting making it hard for the men to keep her still. The van came to a sudden halt then she felt another pair of hands on her holding her down while her hands were tied in front of her. As soon as they had her hands tied they lifted them above her head and hooked the rope on some sort of hook hanging from the roof of the van.

"Keep quiet and be still and you won't be hurt," a gruff voice snarled at her.

Lyssa was terrified, she didn't know why these men would kidnap her. Oh my god she thought to herself, they must have her mistaken for somebody else. The van started moving again and it wasn't long before Lyssa had lost track of how much time they had been driving.

The van had stopped and she heard the side door open. Someone was lifting her tied hands from the above hook and pulled her to the open door.

"Step down," that gruff voice ordered.

She could hear some animals, sounded like horses and camels both.

"Stand still."

Someone was lifting her right leg and placing it on some hard object.

"Step up please, two steps please, she was turned around and told to sit down.

Lyssa realized she was on a camel when the animal begin to stand upright and the thing she was sitting in began to sway back and forth. After they had been moving for a while one of the men removed the covering and gag from her. Fresh air she thought as she gulped in a huge breath. She surveyed the surroundings around her, desert, nothing but desert for as far as the eye could see!

Where were they taking her? She looked more closely at the men who had abducted her from in front of the hotel and realized they were the same men she had seen in the café earlier that evening.

"Where are you taking me," she asked her abductors?

"Be quiet woman! You will find out in due time," she was told.

The man sitting across from her rose and placed a blanket across her shoulders, wrapping it tightly around her. He must have seen her shiver from the cool night air. So they weren't completely uncaring of her circumstances it seemed.

It seemed like hours had passed since she was taken. Lyssa was exhausted from the long ride and the whole ordeal and found her eyes closing. She didn't know how long she had been asleep when she heard one of the men yelling to another that they had arrived.

She came instantly awake, looking around to see where they were. In front of her she could see tents all around, there must have been a dozen or more of them. People were walking about doing various things all of them watching her as they passed by. They stopped in front of a huge tent, the camel was getting down so that they could embark from it's back.

Some steps were placed beside the camel so that Lyssa could step down onto solid ground. She was pulled to the tent opening and led inside.

Sitting in the center of the tent was a man who she instantly recognized as the one who had been frowning at her at the café. There were dozens and dozens of huge pillows scattered around the tent. Two women were busy sitting food on a small floor table next to the man. Lyssa was scared and uncomfortable he hadn't taken his eyes from her since she had come inside his tent.

"Untie her," a deep masculine voice ordered.

As soon as she was untied the man waved his hand in a dismissing manner and everyone left the tent, closing the flap on the tent as the last one disappeared outside.

"Come here," she was ordered.

Lyssa didn't move, she was frightened and shaking.

"I said come here, I will not ask again," he told her pointing to a spot across the table from him telling her to sit down.

Lyssa moved slowly to the spot he had pointed to and sat down slowly.

"Eat. I'm sure your hungry by now, it's been over twelve hours since you've eaten. I'm sorry I can't offer you anything cold to drink but the juice will help to quench your thirst," he said offering her the glass he had just poured.

"Why have you kidnaped me," she asked?

"Kidnap? Who said anything about kidnaping? No ransom is being asked for you so what makes you think you have been kidnaped?"

When he spoke it gave her chills, his voice was deep and sensuous, his eyes piercing. Hell, this whole thing was right out of the romance novels she was always reading. This just can't be happening she was thinking to herself, it has to be some kind of a joke.

"What do you call taking me by force and against my will," she asked him bluntly?

He stared at her a long time before answering her question. She was even more attractive up close, he had enjoyed watching the sun make her hair dance with fire and lights when she was eating in the café earlier that evening. Again he was feeling that old familiar stirring in his loins. It had been a very long time since he had wanted the company of a woman.

When his wife had died of cancer three years ago it broke his heart. He missed her gentleness, and the way she would play with their grandchildren. Last month would have been their thirty sixth wedding anniversary.

He hadn't loved his wife when they were first married, but he had grown to care and love her in later years. Their marriage had been arranged between their parents when they were but small children.

He loved his country but even with all the modern convenience's and technology in today's world much of his beloved Egypt still held on to old beliefs and customs. He had made sure his children knew the history of their country but he did not make them practice the customs of the upper bank where they came from.

He had sent all three of his children to the states to attend school, both of his sons were Harvard graduates and his only daughter was a doctor practicing in the states. She is the only one of his children who was born in the states and has lived there all of her life. He had sent his wife to live there when she was pregnant with her because there was just to much going on in around Egypt at that time and he wanted his family to be safe from harm.

"To answer your question, I took you because I wanted you," he said slowly. "Now I'm sure you would like to freshen up from your long travel, you will be taken to where you may freshen up and clean clothes will be provided for you."

Lyssa could only stare at him in disbelief. He clapped his hands, one of the men who had taken her from the sidewalk appeared.

"Take her to bathe, and make sure she is safe," he waved his hand in that dismissing manner again and the man came to her side pulling her up from the cushions pulling her towards the tent opening.

Lyssa still hadn't found her voice, she was still in shock over what he had said. She found herself standing in front of a small pond, two women were standing there waiting for her.

"We have everything you will need miss, may we help you undress," one of the women asked her?

"Uh, no thank you, I can do it myself," Lyssa said her voice shaking.

"Very well miss, here are all the things you will need, just call out when your finished and we will help you dress."

"I can dress myself, just leave the clothes here please."

Lyssa glanced around the small pond, four men were stationed around the small pond with their backs facing her to make sure she was left alone and safe from others viewing her while she was bathing.

The cool water felt wonderful on her heated skin, it was nice to finally get all the grit from the sand and heat off her body. She made sure no one was looking in her direction when she stepped out of the pool of water. A huge soft towel was left on a small table along with the clothes she was to wear.

She slipped the cool cotton dress over her head. The dress was white cotton with gold trimmings. It was long hanging down to her ankles, the sleeves were also long and loose fitting stopping at just a little above her wrists.

She walked over to where the two women were sitting after she had dressed.

"What is this called," she asked the women pointing to the dress she was wearing.?

"It is the Hijaab miss, all muslin women wear them miss according to Allah," she was told.

"Here you go miss, I think these will fit you nicely."

Lyssa was handed a pair of what looked like a pair of slippers to wear. They were made of leather and just a little bit larger then her foot size. As soon as she had the slippers on her feet the man who had led her to the pool was standing at her side to take her back to the tent.

"Come, he is waiting."

Lyssa felt little shivers of fear run down her spine. His statement of "because I want you" kept running through her head.

He was still sitting where she had left him when she went to bathe only now his face was uncovered and she was able to get a better view of her captor.

The first thing she noticed was how good looking he was. His face was almost free of hair except the mustache covering his upper lip with two lines of beard along the sides of his lips meeting into the beard covering his chin. She believed they called his style of beard a goatee. Didn't matter, whatever it was called it made him look sinister and she had to admit dam sexy looking as well.

"I hope your bath has left you feeling refreshed?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Good. Now I would suggest that you get some sleep, we will be leaving very early in the morning so that we may escape most of the suns heat. Your pajamas are over there on the bed," he said pointing to a large bed at the far end of the tent.

Lyssa just stood there staring at the huge bed. Did he expect her to sleep in his tent? Why did he have everything available that she would need such as the dress she was wearing and the pajamas? There must another reason why he had taken her other then his just because he wanted her reason.

"Please, why did you take me captive, please tell me the truth," she begged him.

"I already told you why. Now do as your told and get ready for bed," he ordered.

"Where do I change, she asked him with tears in her eyes and a shaky voice?

The tears slowly sliding down her cheeks made her look even more beautiful. He felt a overwhelming need to gather her into his arms to comfort her and try to make her understand she was safe with him.

"This isn't a hotel, you will change over by the bed. You may put your clothes on the chest next to the bed after you have changed into your nightwear."

"Are you going to leave while I change?"

"No."

"Will you please turn your back then?"

"No."

Lyssa looked at the pajamas laying on the foot of the bed. They looked like a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, dark cranberry in color. Well piss on him if he thought he was going to make her feel any more uncomfortable then she already was. She would show him that she didn't scare to easily nor could be to intimidated.

Lyssa picked up the shorts, she lifted the hem of the dress up to her knees then stepped into the shorts. She pulled them up above her knees then let the dress fall back down to her ankles while she tugged at the shorts under the dress until she got them all the way up.

Next she pulled her arms out of the sleeves of the dress, leaving the dress hanging down to her waist. She picked up the top and slipped her arms into the arm openings. She let the dress fall down to her knees again and maneuvered the dress over her head so she could pull the top on without getting out of the dress.

Lyssa heard his laughter as she pulled the dress off now that she had the pajamas on underneath.

"Very good my dear, but let me make something clear to you. In the future that little trick will not work again. The next time I tell you to disrobe you will do so or I will do it for you. Do I make myself clear on that point," he said in a threatening voice.

Lyssa said nothing. She would not acknowledge his threat.

"Answer me, do you understand," he said, while standing and advancing towards her?

He was standing directly in front of her, he towered over her making her feel small and insecure. She could tell that he was a powerfully built man even under all his lose clothing and could probably break her neck with hardly any effort at all. She was visibly shaking, she actually felt the blood drain from her before she fainted.

He had managed to grab her before she collapsed at his feet. He had scared her into fainting. He gently lifted her, laying her slowly down onto the mattress of the bed. He couldn't help himself as he gently touched her cheek, wiping away the remains of her tears. She began to stir and he stood up.

Lyssa opened her eyes to find him standing above her. She was laying in the center of the bed, he must have put her there after she had fainted. She could only stare up at him wondering what was to happen to her next.

For long moments he didn't move, only looking down on her. Then he began to remove his outer coverings. When he removed his covering on his head she saw his thick full head of black hair. She noted he had very little grey in his hair yet he must be close to her age. Must be good living she thought to herself. His voice brought her back to the reality of her situation.

"Do not fear me, at least not tonight. You will sleep undisturbed this evening, but you will sleep at my side and in my arms. His chest was the only thing that was bare, he had left his pants on when he lay down beside her pulling her into his arms.

She lay stiffly in his arms until she could no longer keep her eyes open. Her body began to relax before she slipped off into slumber.

He had gotten very little sleep. His body reacted to the warm body laying in his arms. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep his body under control. Every time she stirred in his arms his body would react to her. It was the wee hours of the night before he had finally managed to sleep.

Lyssa was warm, she naturally sought out the heat that surrounded her, moving closer to it's comfort. As she became more awake she came to her senses remembering where she was and who was holding her.

"Let me up, let me go please," she begged pushing against his smooth chest.

"Not so fast, I find that I am very hungry this morning and will need to taste your lips before we begin our journey," he said as his mouth descended on hers.

The blood in his loins was hot, it flowed through his veins as quickly as the wind blew the desert sands during a sand storm. At first she fought him, but he was able to subdue her quickly forcing his mouth into a deeper kiss until she gave up as he made love to her mouth with his. He broke off the kiss before things got totally out of control. Here was not the place or time to take her. There would be time enough when they reached his summer home.

"Get dressed, we leave within the hour." he told her as he stood up and began dressing.

Getting the dress on over the pajamas was a lot easier then putting on the pajamas underneath it.

"I need to use the restroom,"she informed him shyly. She knew she was not going to get the luxury of a real bathroom and was afraid that she would have to squat behind some tree where she might be seen, but nature was calling and she would just have to deal with it.

"Zoe come here," he called out. Please show our guest to the restroom he ordered her when she appeared.

Zoe led Lyssa outside and behind the tent. About fifty yards from the tent she saw the port-a-potty and laughed out loud. Even out in the desert they had a little measure of privacy and modern conveniences to make life a little easier. Seeing the portable facilities out here in the desert had instantly made her laugh, without conscious thought.

Within thirty minutes their were on their way. In a short time Lyssa noticed other people set along their route. This must be an awfully large oasis she was thinking to herself as she had yet seen any more desert. It seemed like it was getting populous as they moved on.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To my home."

"What is the name of this place," she asked?

"This is the oasis of Bahariya. The people here are the Wahati people who are direct descendants of the many people who originally came here. It has become a large tourist area as well. Visitors come here to see the antiquities that have been unearthed as well as to see the beautiful white and black deserts surrounding it. This road we are on connects to Cairo and was built in the seventies."

If she could make her escape she would at least know that this road would lead her straight back to Cairo. She hoped that wherever it was that he lived would be close enough to be able to find her way back here.

"Is your home near here," she asked.

"No, I live in Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea."

Lyssa became quiet, he looked as if he were deep in thought. His brows were furrowed again as if concentrating on something of importance. He had made her wear a head covering, telling her that her hair would attract to much attention. He told her they had to be careful because if someone else took a liking to her they might not be as considerate of her as he was.