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Anna places her hands in front of her, and I do the same. Every instinct in me says that we should fight our way out of this mess, but I promised I would follow Anna’s lead. Right now, she’s perfectly calm and in control. If she’s not panicking, then I figure I shouldn’t either. The man binds our hands and then our feet with zip ties.
He takes the gun Anna has in her belly band holster and looks at it. “What kind of gun is this? It looks like a toy, and are these paint-tipped bullets?”
She looks away, pretending to be embarrassed. “We’re not allowed to carry real guns. That’s for intimidation purposes only.” Anna told me the truth that the tips are laced with a sedative that will incapacitate an assailant for over an hour or more. It’s non-lethal but highly effective.
The man laughs, setting the gun down on the floor of the van. “I’m real intimidated. I'm shaking in my boots.”
“Aren’t you going to place a bag over our heads so we can’t see where we’re going?” Anna asks.
“Why bother? It’s not like you’re going to live long enough to tell anyone the location. And if you do, we’ll be like ghosts in the wind. Our boss has eyes everywhere in this city. There won’t be any place you can hide from us.”
“Who’s your boss?” I ask.
The man rolls his eyes at me. “You already know the answer to that question, but if not, you’ll find out soon enough.”
As we drive along, I nudge Anna with my shoulder. “What’s going on in your head?” I ask softly.
Her eyes are hard as stone. “I’m wondering why my mother sold me out. Mr. McFadden said as much.”
I didn’t anticipate her response, assuming she was thinking of a way to get us out of this. I had no idea her mind was still back in the courtroom. “No, he didn’t. He said that she openly admitted what she had done. He never said to whom, Anna. If you recall, Gretchen unburdened her sins long ago, and when Patricia was married to me, she was part of the women’s group that your mother confided in. Your mom didn’t sell you out, Anna. Patricia did.”
“I hope you’re right, Aiden. Forgiving my mother the first time around was hard enough. I don’t know if I have the strength to do it again.”
I lean my head against hers. “You’re one of the strongest people I know. It’s one of the reasons I love you.”
The man still holding the gun chortles. “Aw. Isn’t that sweet? You’re professing your undying love for one another before you meet your Maker.”
Anna glares at him. “Do you mind? We’re trying to have a moment! You’re ruining it with your commentary!”
The van pulls to a stop before he can retort with a snappy comeback. “Times up. After you,” he says, gesturing with the gun for us to exit the vehicle.
“We can’t really go anywhere with our feet bound. Would you mind helping us out?” Anna quips.
The man scowls at Anna before pulling out a pocket knife and cutting the zip ties around our ankles.
Sean O’Sullivan is waiting for us as soon as we emerge, surrounded by several armed men. “Check them for any wires,” he demands.
I know I’m not wearing any recording devices, so there isn’t any concern there. I only get nervous when they scan Anna. I know her necklace is recording everything. When the scanner passes over it, and there’s no beep, I try to hide my surprise.
Sean walks up to Anna and touches the necklace, flipping it over and inspecting it. He’s already been appraised of the video evidence we submitted for the trial, and based on the angle of the image in the recording, there is only one place from which it could have come. He’s not wrong to be leery.
“I thought for sure that this was some high-tech gadget capable of storing footage. Everything that transmits has a signal, but yet this doesn’t. Explain to me how you captured us on tape.” Sean demands.
“Likely in the same way you snagged a photo of you and your brother talking to me. You assume I was alone in the store when you approached me. How do you know that there weren’t others watching? How do you know you aren’t being watched now?” she retorts.
Sean darts his eyes around the area quickly but doesn’t notice anyone else. Not willing to call Anna’s bluff, he shouts, “Get them inside!”
The barrel of a gun is shoved in my back, forcing me to move forward, yet I go slow enough that I can keep Anna in my peripheral vision as she walks beside me. She frequently looks down at her bound hands in front of her, and I follow her line of sight. She fiddles with the ring and turns the stone clockwise. I do the same to mine, preparing it to deliver an electric charge when the opportunity presents itself. Now is not the time with so many guns pointed in our direction.
“I bet you would like to visit your friend and see how hospitable we can be,” Sean says gleefully.
He leads us down the hallway into a room where Swank is being held. Pulling up Swank’s head by the hair so we can get a good look at his face. One eye is purple, and blood drips from his nose and mouth.
Swank opens his eyes, one more than the other, and chokes out a laugh. “It’s about time you came, Aiden. Oh, look! You brought the nanny!”
Anna assesses the situation and sniffs, scrunching her nose reflexively. She then stares at the ropes binding my friend and the pool of blood underneath, not liking what she sees.
Sean opens the door, “You’ve seen your friend and what we’re capable of. Now, it’s time to begin negotiations. My men will escort you to another room where we can talk without any distractions, but I still have some business to attend to first. I’m sure you’ll be content to wait for me.” He laughs menacingly as we are herded to a room down the hall.
