Read Part One Here.

Read Part Two Here.

Read Part Three Here.

Read Part Four Here.

Back at Ford’s house, Ford was making a pot of tea as Eva attempted to call her brother, to no avail. She’d left multiple voicemails and even a text yet received no response.

“He’s got him, and he’s torturing him right now!” Eva said, feeling frustrated.

“Everything will be fine, just relax. We can’t even confirm that he knows who your brother is,” Ford replied then pulled out a mug from the cabinet and poured the hot water over a raspberry tea bag for her.

“Oh, trust me, he knows who he is. He knows where my brother works and is probably skinning him or something right now.” She sat down on the couch, giving up on trying to contact her brother, Henry.

“Well, all we can do is wait. I know it sucks, but it’s all we’ve got right now. He’s probably at work; it’s still working hours for most people.” Ford attempted to calm her nerves and handed her the mug, plopping down next to her.

“Thank you for being reassuring and making me feel better,” Eva said, taking a sip of the tea.

“No problem, dear,” Ford replied.

They sat on the couch for a while in silence before Ford grabbed the television remote and played the history channel. Eva loved that Ford was into studying the past and learning constantly. In his words, he liked to learn something new every day. Even if it was something minor, he liked to be challenged, and this kept his mind young. Though Eva wasn’t a big history buff, she found herself staring into the screen and enjoying the calm voice talking about weapons form world war II. Suddenly her phone rang; without looking, she picked it up and answered.

“Henry?!” She said, a little too loud.

“Geez sis, calm down. I was at work—sorry I missed your two hundred calls. What’s up?”

“Oh, thank God you are okay! I was worried! Listen, Henry; you’re in danger. Dave, the guy who kidnapped me, is back. I don’t know where he is, but he put a direct threat to you in a letter he left at my apartment.” Eva explained, speaking quickly.

“…I thought he was locked up? You said they caught him,” Henry asked.

Eva sighed, “I said that, so mom wouldn’t worry too much. They never found him, Henry. They found clues and stuff to prove that I wasn’t batshit crazy, but they never found him. He’s been hiding for like…four years. Who knows where he is now.”

“Dammit!” Eva could hear Henry hit something hard.

“You have to leave Henry. Come stay with Ford and me for a few days. It will make me feel better.”

“I guess I could do that. Just—don’t lie to me anymore. Our lives are in danger, and you failed to inform me that the man who kidnapped and tortured you was never caught. That’s bullshit, Eva. I’ll be over, but I’m pissed at you,” Henry said.

It took Henry about an hour before he arrived at Ford’s house. Ford, of course, never complained. Eva felt even more admiration for the man standing before her. How hidden his stress was, for the sake of her sanity. Eva gave Henry a huge hug when she saw him, and they sat and talked for a while before Henry went to shower and relax for the night.

Eva wasn’t too far behind him and decided to lay in bed and gather her thoughts; Ford joined her soon after. They changed into their pajamas and laid back in bed. Eva quickly drifted to sleep while Ford lay awake reading a book.

Ford waited until Eva was asleep, hearing her snore before he got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and got undressed before facing the mirror and took off his glasses. Then, he pulled his mask off gently, ensuring that he got all the pieces of latex off of his neck before he entered the shower. Dave found it rather peaceful that Henry and Eva were in the same house together. He’d found a way to keep her by hiding in broad daylight. She never suspected a thing. He’d practiced different accents and changed his voice for years before he’d ever kidnapped anyone. But this was different; he had to ensure he never slipped and that he would never be revealed so that he could stay with Eva forever. He was planning to ask her to marry him one of these days but hadn’t quite built up the nerve to do it. He wondered as he cleaned his body if she’d say yes. He’d tried to play all his cards right while in character, and tried to fix all the things Eva had disclosed she hated when she was kidnapped. Dave was proud of who he was while in character as Ford; he’d liked the persona he’d chosen. But he loved that Eva had no idea, and he was able to touch her skin and smell her every day. He fantasized about torturing her, and when she wasn’t around, he’d masturbate to the pictures he took of her bleeding on the dirty ground, naked in her own piss. He enjoyed watching her suffer, just like Hannah did when he’d killed her. Though he was disappointed, he let his one and only true love die.

After he showered, he quietly rolled the mask back over his face and pulled the latex and makeup out of a small bag that was under a loose tile in the bathroom. Applying everything ever so precisely, he was Ford again. He left the bathroom after placing everything back where it belonged and laid in bed next to Eva. He curled up close to her and wrapped his arm around her. Amid her sleep, she pulled his hand into hers, confirming her love for Ford even in her sleep.