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“I’m charging in.”
“Jesse, don’t be stupid. Wait for backup to arrive.”
“Then you’d better call them before I get there.”
I ended the call and whipped around a corner, tires screeching in protest. I silently cursed the congested Chicago traffic. Every second I spent trapped behind the beat-up minivan full of kids on their way to soccer practice, the greater the chance that something could happen to Vivian.
She was the only thought that occupied my mind as I weaved in and out of traffic. What on Earth had she been thinking, venturing out all alone? Why would she drug Lance and head straight into cartel territory? Did someone contact her, give her instructions on where to meet them? If they knew she had copies of the cartel’s transactions, her life was in grave danger.
I prayed I wasn’t too late.
I ran another red light. This time, the sound of police sirens and the flash of red, white, and blue lights reflected off my rearview mirror. The police car gave chase. Their siren wailed twice, signaling for me to pull over, but I didn’t. This was perfect, actually. They were just going to have to follow me to the restaurant. They would serve as my backup. They just didn’t know it yet. With any luck, they’d call for reinforcements.
I was going to roll up to this place with my own personal army. If any cartel members were in the area, they’d hopefully have the good sense to leave before things got ugly.
Don’t worry, angel. I’m coming.
Chapter 33
Vivian
They shoved me into the walk-in freezer and slammed the door. I was surrounded by blackness. Unable to make out my surroundings, I bumped into multiple plastic storage crates and produce shelves as I felt around aimlessly in an attempt to gather my bearings. It was no use. I couldn’t see anything at all.
It wasn’t long before I started to shiver furiously. The chill bit through the thin fabric of my shirt and pants, seeping into my skin and bones. My teeth chattered. My lips chapped. The tips of my fingers and toes started to throb from the cold. I needed to find a way out of here before I froze to death.
Or before the cartel could drag me to some undisclosed location and do much worse.
The sound of someone sniffing reached my ears. I followed the sound forward until I bumped into something. Or rather,someone.
“Ow!” Molly cried. “Don’t s-step on m-me.”
I crouched down, reaching out blindly. “Oh, my God, Molly! Is that you?”
“V-Vivian?” she gasped. Her voice was faint. Exhausted. “W-what are y-you doing h-here?”
I wrapped my arms around her as best I could. It was clear she’d been locked inside the freezer for much longer than I. Hypothermia was suddenly a very real and dangerous threat to us both. Hopefully we’d be able to generate enough body heat to keep us warm.
“I came to rescue you,” I said, hugging her tight. “Are you hurt?”
“N-no. They m-manhandled me, but they n-never hurt m-me. McCloud is—”
“I know. He’s working with them.”
“N-no. He m-made sure they d-didn’t hurt me.”
“Save your strength,” I told her. “Don’t waste your energy. We’re going to find a way out of here, I promise.”
“They k-kept me in a basement s-somewhere,” Molly grumbled. “I was so s-scared, Viv.”
I held her close to my chest, alarmed by how frigid her skin was. There was no telling how long she’d been held captive in here. The cold metal floor was doing a good job of sapping what little heat we could generate. I needed to figure out a way to keep warm and fast.
I reached to my right and bumped against what felt like a cardboard box. Perfect. I ripped it apart, dumping its contents onto the floor.
“W-what are y-you doing?” Molly asked, shivering.
“H-here,” I said, placing the material beside her. “Sit on this. We need to minimize contact with m-metal to stay as warm as possible. The heat will s-sap right out of us otherwise.” I was starting to shiver badly.
“Oh, s-so smart,” she replied, sounding loopy.
