AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Things are progressing smoothly.
He tosses me the key fob, and I climb into the driver's seat.
“Have Vance wake up Alize in half an hour and bring her to the address I texted you,” I say to Ezra. “By then I should have everything set up.”
Vance nods. “And if she asks where we’re taking her, what should we say?”
I pull a smile. “Tell her that you’re taking her to the truth.”
* * *
It’sa stroke of luck that I was able to find this vacation rental on such short notice. It’s even better that they took cash and didn’t ask for ID to verify the name for the reservation. Though I don’t think it would have been too hard to get a copy of Cassidy’s ID, it definitely made things easier.
The rustic house is perched on the mountainside, a few miles away from campus. It’s spread out over three floors and nearly 10,000 square feet. But what sold me wasn’t the jacuzzi, the breath-taking views of the wooded vista, or even the huge fireplace.
I rented it because of the basement.
The home has a fully-finished basement with no windows. As I lug Cassidy down there in the suitcase, I’m excited to see if it’s as ominous as it looks in the pictures. Without windows, Cassidy won’t be able to tell where she is.
That will come in handy if she makes it out of this alive.
I flick the lights on in the basement and wheel the suitcase into the center of the room. Down here is sparsely decorated. There’s nothing but a couple chairs and a small side table. Definitely as ominous as I thought it would be.
The lights are a little too bright too, which will be perfect for psyching her out.
Checking my phone for the time, I see I’ve got just twenty minutes left before the drugs pass through her system. That’s barely enough time, but I can make it work. Carefully, I lift her limp body onto one of the nearby chairs and use nearly a whole roll of duct tape to secure her to it. I bind her shoulders and ankles to the chair, securing her arms together in front of her.
It’s an awkward position, but it has to be this way.
Lastly, I grab the table and set it in front of her. I start unpacking my backpack, arranging my laptop and the rest of my tools so she has a clear view of it all. I had half a mind to set up a camera too, to film everything, but the risk was too great.
After all, when you film things, it makes it easier for you to get caught.
Cassidy would know all about that.
A lick of anger swirls in my chest, and I take a few steps back so I don’t lose control. Her head is limp, her blonde hair falling like a curtain over her face. Her lips are set in a frown, frozen in time from the moment we shot her with the tranquilizer dart.
According to Ezra, by the time she wakes up, her body will have broken it down enough that it will be undetectable on a toxicology report. Only the puncture wound on her arm will be left, but that won’t be a problem if they find her alive. No, it would only make the scene I’m about to set more believable.
Five minutes left.
Alize should already be on her way here. Unless they couldn’t get her to come, which is a very real possibility. I pull open my messaging app to text Vance.
A weak moan floats through the air while I’m typing up the message.
I look up to find that Cassidy’s eyes have opened, and she’s looking around, disoriented. Her blue eyes lazily drift around the room. She squints at the bright lights, then her gaze lands on me.
A languid smile twists her lips. “Alexander?” Her voice is garbled like her tongue is numb. “Where am I?” She looks down at her restraints and makes a futile attempt to wriggle out of them. “What’s happening?”
Just the sound of her voice has me seeing red.
I swallow the myriad of expletives behind my teeth.
Keep a level head, I remind myself.
“Retribution. Revenge. Reprisal. Reckoning.” I say, taking a step back. I need to put distance between us if I’m going to get through this interaction. “Whatever you want to call it. It’s the consequences of your actions.”
The smile falls from her lips. Little by little, she seems to come to terms with the reality of what’s happening. Again, she struggles against the restraints, her attempts growing more frantic.
