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“What the fuck!?” Hawk exclaims. “Ace is going to fucking scorch the earth when he finds out she’s missing. Ido notwant to be the one to tell him. This is on you. You’re supposed to be keeping an eye on her,” he accuses.
I want to be pissed at his tone and insinuations, but I can’t deny them. I am supposed to be watching over my sister, and I’ve dropped the ball. Why didn’t I hear my phone? “I have been keeping an eye on her,” I defend myself half-heartedly. I put him on speaker and begin looking at my missed calls and voicemails as I continue, “but she was going crazy sitting around here waiting to hear from you, so I sent her out on some recon. Fuck!” I see that she’s left me a voicemail, and from the first little bit I can read on the translation, I’m getting a sinking feeling in my gut.
“What is it?” Hawk asks at my outburst.
“I’m not sure yet. Daisy has left me a voicemail. Let me listen to it, then I’ll call her and find out what the hell’s going on.” Ending the call, not waiting Hawk to reply, I start the voicemail.
“Luke. It’s Daisy. I think something is going on with Marley. I’m at the cabin you asked me to check out. I just saw the suspect going to the cabin, and he had Marley with him. She looks scared. I’m going to try to see if I can get her out of there. Send help as soon as you get this. I loveyou. I’m so sorry for what happened. I know you don’t blame me, and I love you even more because of it. I can’t help but feel responsible. If I don’t make it out of this, listen to Imagine Dragons Bleedin’ out. It’s how I feel when I think about what happened. I let you down, but I would give my life for you. Take care brother. I hope to see you soon, but if not know that I would do anything for you.”
I sit in my chair stunned beyond belief. Someone has Marley, and my sister is going to try to rescue her all on her own? This message was sent hours ago. My damn phone was on silent. I don’t know how that happened, but the implications are overwhelming. I may have sentenced both of my girls to death by not having my damn phone on. Nausea swirls in my belly. I have to find them. I have to bring them both home safely.
MARLEY
Meanwhile…
I’m so ready to get home. Not that work has been bad, but after my text conversation with Luke regarding our living arrangements, I want to show him just how committed I am to making this work. I love Luke, and I know he loves me too. I know that without any reservation. It doesn’t matter that we haven’t been in a relationship that long or that we don’t know each other that well. I know him well enough to know that he is the man I’m meant to be with, and the best part is he wants to be with me, too.
Nicole has shocked us all by showing up a few minutes ago. She hasn’t been at work in over a week. Jay is understandably pissed at her. I don’t blame him. We’ve all scrambled to pick up extra shifts to cover when she hasn’t been here. She looks terrible. She was thin the last time I saw her, but she’s even more so now. She has dark circles under her eyes, too. She’s definitely been strung out on something, and it shows. Her beautiful red hair is dull and lifeless, hanging in greasy strings. Her clothes are dirty, not to mention her body odor.
“What are you doing here?” Jay demands the moment shewalks in the front door. Jay had just unlocked the door and turned on the open sign. Nicole’s eyes dart around taking in everyone who’s here. Her eyes land on me and she scowls. What did I ever do to her?
“I just came by to get my last paycheck,” Nicole says as she walks over to us. Jay nods and heads toward his office. Nicole is staring a hole in me, and I don’t like it one bit. Shelia walks up beside me as if she too is getting a bad vibe from Nicole. “So, you two are working tonight?” Nicole asks after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.
“No,” Shelia answers. “We’ve been stocking. The truck came in today.” Nicole nods still eyeing me up and down. I don’t know what her problem is with me. I’ve only worked a couple of shifts with her. Jay comes back with Nicole’s check. She takes it but doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave.
“I think it’s time for you to go, Nicole,” Jay says when she just keeps standing there. Her eyes finally leave me to look at him. She nods distractedly as her eyes come back to me.
“You’re not working tonight?” she asks me again. I shake my head without thinking, but then stop. Why is she concerned about when I’m working? Maybe she is hoping Jay will give her, her job back. “Are you leaving?”
“That’s enough Nicole!” Jay steps between me and her. “Get out and don’t come back!” Nicole flinches at his harsh tone, but then straightens her spine before spinning on her heel and heading out the front door.
A few minutes later, after the last of the stock has been shelved, I say my goodbyes to Jay and Shelia as I make my way out the back door of the bar, still feeling weird about the whole Nicole situation. As soon as the door closes behind me, a hand closes over my mouth and something hard and round presses into my side.
“Keep your mouth shut bitch if you don’t want to die,” a heavily accented male voice says in my ear. I begin to shake infear not knowing what he wants. I struggle to get away knowing it might not be the wisest thing to do with a gun in my side, but I don’t know what this man wants. I wasn’t waitressing today, so I don’t have any cash on me, except for maybe a few dollars. I’m trying to think of what I can offer this mugger to keep him from killing me or worse when his next words let me know this isn’t a robbery.
“I know all about your boyfriend in the chair,” the man whispers in my ear. “I have someone watching him at all times. If you give me any trouble, he’ll be dead. Come with me quietly and I’ll let him live.” I don’t have a choice. I can’t allow Luke to be hurt on my behalf, so, I stop trying to get away and let him lead me to a dark sedan just like the one that had been sitting outside my house all those weeks ago.
He shoves me into the driver’s seat, forcing me to crawl over the console into the passenger side. He keeps the gun pointed at me, but still, I slide my hand to the door handle, hoping to catch him off guard and escape. He looks at the steering wheel as he turns the key in the ignition. Giving a yank on the handle, I throw my weight against the door, but it’s locked. He jerks his head in my direction as the hand with the gun flies toward my face. I don’t have anywhere to go. The blow shoots pain over my face as stars dance before my eyes. Holding my hands to my face, I watch in horror as he pulls out of the parking lot and heads toward the interstate.
I know I’m well and truly in trouble. No one will know what has happened to me or where I’ve gone. Tears begin to fall as I think of Luke and how upset he’ll be that I was taken. He’s been so concerned with my safety. He’s going to blame himself, but there’s no one to blame except for me. He had wanted me to have someone bring me and pick me up from work each day, but I’d argued with him. I’ve wanted to be independent, like Mom always told me to be. I didn’t want to get used to being taken care of in case he changed his mind about us, and it all went to shit.Luke, being the sweet man he is, relented and let me have my way. My stubborn pride has likely cost me my life. I should have been more careful. I should have check out the parking lot when I opened the back door or had Jay to walk me to my car.
Once we are on the interstate, the man begins to question me. “Tell me who you work for,” he demands.
“J-Jay Gordon,” I stammer. The man shoots a glare in my direction.
“What organization does he control?” the man asks. My face scrunches up in a frown. What is he talking about? Organization? The man glares at me, again. “Who do you work for? The FBI? CIA? Homeland?” Now I’m really confused. I turn toward him to ask what the hell he’s talking about when I’m hit in the face again. “Answer me bitch! It will be much easier on you if you cooperate.”
“I work for Jay Gordon at the bar,” I reply. His hand with the gun flies at my face. I duck, but he still manages to clip my head with the gun. Pain burns in my scalp. My hand goes to my head, but thankfully there isn’t any blood on it when I pull it away. “Please,” I beg, “I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m telling you the truth.” He glares over at me.
“You lie,” he accuses. “You dirty lying female. I’ll get the truth from you.” The rest of the journey continues the same. He asks. I answer. He hits me.
Suddenly he flicks on the turn signal to exit the interstate. I look around, but have no idea where we are. I’ve never been this far from Virginia Beach in this direction. He continues to drive until we are turning onto a gravel lane out in the middle of nowhere. Fear shoots down my spine as I realize I’m about to die. He’s going to kill me in this wooded, desolate place, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
He pulls up to a cabin hidden in the woods. He drags me from the car. Once we are inside, another man joins him. They zip tie me to a straight back kitchen chair. They are mumbling to oneanother in a language I don’t understand. All the while, I’m praying for some way out of this situation. Please, I plead with any deity willing to listen, let them see I’m not who they are looking for, but I fear there’s no guardian angel on my side.
“Who do you work for?” the man who brought me here demands once they have me secured to the chair.
“I’ve already told you,” I cry. “Jay Gordon at Jay’s Bar and Grill.” His fist connects with my jaw, whipping my head to the side violently. I feel my lip split, and blood trickles down my chin. Tears are streaming down my face from the intense pain I’m feeling. I’ve never been in a fight before. I’ve never had someone hit me. I can’t believe this is happening to me. Please let it all be a bad dream, but the pain lets me know this is real, very real. I’m here, in a stranger’s kitchen, getting the shit beat out of me.
