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Her family was at risk because of her.
Chapter Nine
Serena woke gradually. Each step that took her closer to consciousness was another step toward her worst nightmare. She became aware of several things simultaneously. Her head felt as though it weighed a hundred pounds, her mouth was so dry that her tongue felt as if it were on fire, and she couldn’t move a muscle.
Blinking sticky, heavy eyes open, she felt only mild relief to know that her inability to move had nothing to do with paralysis. She was bound to a wheelchair, her arms, legs, torso, and forehead secured, giving her absolutely no range of movement. She peered around at her surroundings, noting she was in a medium sized sterile looking room. There was a desk, a chair, and a man. She recognized him from the phone. He was the one who had threatened her parents.
“Hello, Serena. What a pleasure it is to finally meet you in person. I’ve been an admirer of yours for years.”
“Who are you?” she rasped.
His smile bright enough for a toothpaste ad, he said, “My name is Colton Kingsley.”
“All right, Mr. Kingsley, why am I here?”
“Since we’re going to be working closely together, please feel free to call me Colton. I know your head is probably causing you severe pain, and since you’ve been unconscious for hours, your mouth is likely dry. Also, not to be too indelicate, I imagine you need to urinate. So I want to give you some much-needed information as quickly as possible.”
She had been unconscious for hours? Though unable to move her head, she managed to glance down to see that she was still dressed. At least she had that going for her.
“And who would I be working with?”
“I believe you know us as the Wren Project. But I’m sure you’ve already figured that part out.”
She had, but hearing the verification definitely helped.
“Something else you need to know. I am a man of my word. If I tell you I will do something, then rest assured it will be done. I don’t make rash promises, and I always follow through.”
Since he paused, she assumed he was waiting for a reply. “All right.”
“I noticed you looked down at your clothing, and I want to reassure you, once again, that I intend you no physical harm. That includes any kind of sexual assault. Rape and other forms of sexual assault are disgusting and wrong, and I’ll not stand for it.”
“Wow, a criminal with standards. How refreshing.”
Her tone was noticeably sarcastic, but the smile he gave her told her he didn’t mind. “Thank you. And knowing what a kind person you are, I want to assure you that Jessica and her baby boy returned home safely last night.”
He moved to her left, allowing Serena to see a large screen on the wall. A grainy, indistinct image appeared, and it took her a few seconds to determine what she was watching. When she heard a baby crying, she blinked and squinted, finally able to make out the images.
The woman Serena had stopped to help ran into the foyer of a house. She was holding a child in her arms and was screaming, “Samuel!” A man appeared, holding an infant in his arms. She ran to him. The little boy in her arms was crying and stretching his arms out to the man, who was obviously the child’s father. They all collapsed into each other’s arms, sobbing and holding each other tight.
“As you can see, Jessica and her family have been reunited, no one the worse for wear.”
“Except that you terrorized and traumatized an innocent family for your own evil deeds.”
Instead of being insulted, he grinned widely. “Oh my, we are going to have some fun.”
Furious on the family’s behalf, she returned her gaze to the screen. A man appeared behind the family and spoke to them in a loud, mean voice. “I’m leaving now. You know not to talk about this. If you want to stay alive, I recommend that you follow this suggestion.”
Even though the children were crying, and the entire family was noticeably trembling, Serena saw the knowledge on Jessica’s and Samuel’s faces. They wouldn’t be telling anyone what had happened or how they had played a part in another woman’s abduction. The screen went blank.
She shifted her focus to Kingsley. “And you’ll keep your promise?”
“Absolutely. That’s why I’m telling you this. It’s of utmost importance that you believe what I say. And to that end…” He stopped and turned. The two men who’d abducted her entered the room. Their hands were tied behind their backs, and fear was written all over their faces.
“These men were told to bring you in without any injury. They were warned there would be dire consequences if you sustained any harm. A doctor examined you earlier and found several bruises on your arms and one on your torso. You were Tasered and drugged. None of those things were done with my approval.” Without another word or hesitation, he pulled a gun from beneath his jacket and shot each man in the head. They fell at her feet.
She was no stranger to violence. She’d taken part in multiple gun battles herself. So seeing the two men murdered in front of her didn’t impact her the way it might have a civilian. The man who’d shot them, though, disturbed her greatly. There wasn’t an ounce of emotion on his face. It was as if he’d scratched an itch or pulled at a hangnail. As if murder was a mundane, ordinary act that meant nothing.
“Abducting someone without causing bruises is virtually impossible. You knew that. You also knew that I would resist and fight them,” she said quietly. “You set them up to fail.”
