The van rumbled along the uneven road, the only sound inside coming from the rattling of its windows and the occasional creak of the worn suspension.
One of the kidnappers, the taller of the two, glanced back at Nina with a sheepish expression.
"I'm sorry. It's just temporary. We'll untie you as soon as we get there. We only need to fool the ones watching us."
He said, voice low and filled with guilt as he bound her hands loosely with cloth.
Nina raised an eyebrow at him but didn't flinch.
"You don't need to apologize. Your hold on me isn't exactly threatening."
That caught the kidnapper off guard, and he looked more concerned than before, as if her calm demeanor was somehow worse than if she had fought back.
His companion shifted awkwardly in the driver's seat, and the silence between the three of them grew heavier.
"I mean it. I'm not offended. I know you're not doing this out of malice. So stop looking like someone just kicked your puppy."
Nina added.
