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Davenport flinches, and the men around us shift. Even Barbara gasps. Davenport adjusts his tie again. “I’ll excuse your ignorance for now.” He flicks his wrist and the man next to me pulls out his gun and pushes it against my temple.
Luke growls as he fights against the invisible barrier preventing him from reaching me. My dad struggles against his bonds. “Leave her out of this!” Mark shouts.
“Your father was a cunning man, and he knew how important you’d be to us. He locked the list in your mind. We can’t pull it out without killing you, and knowing your father, if that happens, we’ll never get what we want. So, you’ll have to give it to us willingly.”
He motions towards me. “Tell us what we need to know, or Ms. Sutton dies.”
Barbara speaks up. “Dennis, you promised!”
Davenport frowns and turns to her, cocking his head to the side. “Don’t speak out of turn again.”
“Yes, Sir.” She nods and bows her head. Satisfied, he turns back to Luke and my mom meets my eyes, regret and sadness filling them. She’s going to let this man kill me. Her own daughter. Why didn’t I trust my intuition?
“Luke…” my dad calls out in a desperate plea. I can’t see Luke’s face from here, but my dad nods, satisfied with whatever he finds. My dad forces a weak smile. “It’s going to be ok, honey.”
Does he know something? Mark’s nod is reassuring.
“What do I need to do?” Luke says, facing Davenport.
Davenport grins. “You’ll feel Miguel push, and then like a door, you’ll open your memories to him.”
“What’s so important about this list?” Luke asks.
“Don’t worry about the details. Just focus on saving your girlfriend’s life.”
Luke faces me. “I love you,” he says, and tears fall down my cheeks as my heart lurches. He’s going to give them what they want, but something inside me screams that he can’t. I shake my head no, but he turns back to Davenport and nods.
Miguel approaches and Luke is in the air again. His eyes roll back, and he convulses, spittle flying out of his mouth. Miguel remains stoic, his gaze locked on Luke. Several minutes pass and I test my bindings, but it’s no use. The man still has the gun pressed to my temple.
Movement catches my eye. I glance near the door we came through and blink a few times to make sure I’m not hallucinating. A glowing purple succulent made of light sits on the wall. Is this a dream?
I watch Luke as his convulsions stop and he relaxes. If they can hang Luke in the air and delve into his mind, is it so hard to believe that my dreams were real? Charlie… he’s real. And he’s close.
I close my eyes and try to reach for him. It’s like looking for a blue marble in a sea of green. But it jumps up, a familiar sensation. “We’re coming, Liv. Hold tight,” Charlie says. I open my eyes and confirm he’s nowhere in sight.
Miguel turns and tries to say something, but then he screams and drops to the floor, writhing in pain as blood pours from his nose and mouth. He stills and goes limp. Another man leans down and checks his pulse. He shakes his head at Davenport, who frowns at Luke.
He looks at the remaining man with a metal band and Luke drops to the ground. Davenport and Luke stare at each other. “He was one of my best.”
Luke straightens and smirks. “Guess you better train them better.”
Davenport continues to stare at Luke while he flicks his wrist. The men standing next to Mark and my dad pull their guns out and press them against their heads. Mark’s face hardens as my dad stares at me. Desperation sits heavy in his gaze.
“You could have prevented what’s about to happen. Their blood will be on your hands. And the sad part is, we’re going to get the information anyway.” Davenport sighs and shakes his head before turning on his heel and leaving with brisk steps. His entourage corrals around him.
Barbara hesitates and meets my gaze. “I’m sorry,” she whispers and scampers after her master like the coward she is. The men who came with her follow.
The man who took our hoods off earlier stands in front of Luke, not speaking for several minutes. Luke glares at him, his stance primed for action, even as he’s being held back.
“You have twenty seconds and they pull the triggers. You might get lucky and save one of them. It’s your choice.”
Luke tenses. It’s a trap and we all know it. Tears fall down my cheeks. We never stood a chance. The second we left the bar, we were dead.
The man starts counting and Luke sprints towards me. He touches my hand, but he’s yanked into the air. He screams in rage. My dad yanks on his bonds, his wrists oozing blood as he roars along with him.
I meet Mark’s eyes and they’re filled with a sadness I’ve never seen before. Even he knows how hopeless this is. I bring my gaze to my dad as tears stream down his face to match my own. “I’m so sorry, honey,” he says, his voice raspy.
“Liv.” Luke’s deep voice brings my attention to him. “I love you forever,” he says, his voice cracking. Fear taints his loving gaze, and I’ll be damned if that’s the last thing I see before I die. I made a promise. I’m never giving up.
