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“I know it’s not hugely helpful.”
“No, it’s better than we’ve got right now. Prep the jet. George and I will land in that airport as close to the drop point as possible. We’ll have a few other guys with us.”
“Seating capacity is eight, Stas. The pilot won’t—”
“Yeah, well we might be overloading it. We’ll fucking stand in the cockpit if we have to.”
There’s a slight pause, as if she might argue the point, but Sarah knows better. “Consider it done.” She hangs up on the last word, knowing I don’t need any more small talk.
Turning to George, I find him staring back, waiting for what’s next.
“What is it?” He prods.
“I need you to assemble an army. All the people you know who have no interest in who’s right or wrong, they just owe you a favor. If you have any contacts in Virginia, East Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, send Calfus’s and Ginger’s picture to them and get them gathering intel. Any clue, any information. Call them all, tell them to be ready, we’ll take your guys with us on the jet. And George, when we do find him, it’s going to be wet. He’s not walking out breathing. You got that?” I swallow on a grunt.
George nods, pulling out his phone. “I’ve got a long list of guys who will help us and have no problem getting dirty. Just need a plan. Who, what, when and where. I’ve got your back, brother.”
“And one more thing,” I say, meeting his eyes. “If anything happens to her, they have to kill me too.”
10
Ginger
Whoever this cabin belongs to, it’s clear that they aren’t big on maintenance. The whole place reeks of mold and animal urine. There are holes in the walls big enough for a child to crawl through, so who knows what kinds of animals have made this their outhouse.
The worn-out olive-green sofa my grandmother ordered me to sit on is right beneath one of the holes in the roof, and the sun beating down the side of my face along with the smell in here is making me feel sick. From where the sun is in the sky, I’m guessing it’s still fairly early morning.
Silly as it is, I think about my salon appointment. I should be happy I’m still alive but I’m actually disappointed I’m going to miss it. I really, really wanted that unicorn color done on my hair. And maybe straight bangs for the first time in who knows how long.
I have no idea where we are, and I have to wonder if Daddy is already looking for me. And if so, where? I’m just a very small needle in a very large haystack.
My kidnapper’s sickening scent of spicy cologne turns my stomach. Every few minutes he walks around the interior of the cabin, checking the view from the windows. Pressing a hand on the window frame and tapping that stupid red stoned pinky ring on the wood. Grandmother is sitting at the dining table, watching me with suspicion, crossing and uncrossing her legs.
The guy steps away from the window, passing Grandmother, and she grabs his arm, giving me a side glance as she leans in to whisper in his ear.
The man nods and looks at his watch before pulling out a chair at the dining table and tapping on the screen of his phone.
“So, what do we do for fun around here?” I chime in.
I’ve discerned that at least for the moment they are not going to hurt me. Therefore, pushing the limits and trying to tip them off balance and figure out what is going on doesn’t feel overly dangerous at this point.
What feels dangerous is my grandmother’s reference to Daddy’s safety as well as Romper and Geisha. Her comments made my heart clench in my chest but I know better than to let them know they are getting to me.
I’m hoping my overt cheekiness will eventually push them off balance enough to slip up and let out some kernel of information that could help end whatever this is.
Because making sure Daddy and my babies, not the vegetable plants this time, are safe is my most important mission right now. Clearly, this man is dangerous in a different way than my family is.
“Are you not even going to ask about your parents?” Grandmother snarls. “You know you’ve broken their hearts? Leaving like you did. We were sure you were dead. The police couldn’t find a trace of you. We searched. You put us all in a precarious position. Your selfishness. We gave you a wonderful life. Your grandfather provided for us all. All you had to do was continue—”
“A wonderful life?” I spit back. “Forced to live a life that had no interest in my own wants and needs? Forced to starve to fit into whatever size you decided was the right one? Forced to have surgery when my stomach wasn’t flat enough or what you thought the judges wanted to see?” I push my glasses back up on my nose with my free hand.
