AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, the very same,” I grumble angrily. Why is she involved with this? I still believe the Brotherhood is behind this, but how does Kristen factor into it? We have more questions than answers, at this point.
“The other cameras caught two men posted at the end of the hall that opened into the bar,” Kelvin relates as he clicks the mouse to his computer. “Another couple of men were watching the back door, which was to the right of the bathrooms. They are well organized. How did we not see them? Several of themappear Middle Eastern. I don’t remember seeing anyone matching them that night. Do you?”
“No, I would have gotten the girls out of there in a New York minute if I’d seen them,” I tell him. “I would have known the Brotherhood had come for her.” Kelvin nods.
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, too.” Kelvin sighs. “How is Kristen involved with the Brotherhood? How did we not know she was tied to them? I did a very thorough background check on her, a deep dive before we hired her.”
I frown as I contemplate this. “I don’t know. Pull up her file, see what you have on her. One of the men looks like he could be a relative of hers.” Kelvin nods as he begins to type feverishly on his laptop. While he’s working on my request, he changes subjects.
“There’s no telling where they have them. I’m sorry, Luke. I was distracted that night. I should have been more alert.” I glance at him to see the guilt written all over his face.
“Kelvin, this isn’t your fault,” I assure him. He nods, but I can tell he doesn’t believe me. He’s feeling as guilty as Bo and I are, but we all know the truth. This is all on me. I should have waited for them to come out of the bathroom and escort them back. They wouldn’t have been taken. So many what ifs.
“Bo is frantic. I hope Enos can calm him down while they’re out,” Kelvin comments, changing topics, once again. “I’ve never seen Bo in such a state. He is as bad as you are.” Kelvin stares at me with an unspoken question in his eyes.
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “Bo and Shelby had a bit of a confrontation just before all this happened. I suppose he’s feeling like it wouldn’t have happened if he and Shelby and hadn’t argued, but it isn’t his fault. It’s mine. We shouldn’t have been there in the first place. We should have just had a party here on the patio or something. I’m so fucking stupid!” I slam my hand down on the large table.
“Don’t,” Kelvin reprimands. “We can sit here all day and goover the would’ve, should’ve, could’ves, but that isn’t going to help us find them. We have to keep our heads on straight and focus on finding them.” I nod, knowing he’s right, but my heart is still heavy and hurting worse than I could’ve believe was possible and not physically kill me.
MARLEY
Idon’t think I’ve ever been so broken in my life. A few months ago, when I was abducted, beaten, and threatened with death, I thought I’d reached the bottom of the pit my life had become, but oh how wrong I’d been. I had only been in the first circle of Hell then. I’ve reached lower circles, but I’m not dumb enough to think this is the seventh level of Hell. No, these sadistic men have taught me to never underestimate just how low they will stoop to break someone.
Shelby and I were initially held in the same dark, dank room. The men took turns using me as a punching bag. When they decided to turn their anger on Shelby, I made the mistake of begging them to spare her from being beaten. Now they are using that against me. If I don’t do what they want, Shelby pays the price while I’m forced to watch. I hate these men, more so than I ever hated the men Daisy was forced to kill in order to free us.
The scuffing of shoes on concrete draws my attention. They’re coming again. How much more can I endure? I don’t have the answers they want. No matter how many times they beat me, beat Shelby, I can’t answer their questions. The metallicsound of the key in the lock of my cell alerts me the pain is about to begin. I’ve lost track how long I’ve been here. I know it’s longer than the last time I was held, but whether it’s been days or weeks, I’m not sure.
“Are you going to cooperate today?” the man I’ve decided to call Boss, as he seems to be in charge, asks as he enters the room. He is accompanied by Jerk and Asshole. The names I’ve assigned the other two men who dole out the pain. All of these men are of Middle Eastern descent. Boss doesn’t have an accent, which leads me to believe he is American born and raised, but the other two have very thick accents. I’m assuming they belong to the group called the Brotherhood who’d been the ones to abduct me before. “You’re not speaking today?” he asks. I still choose not to respond. It doesn’t matter if I speak, if I don’t speak; the outcome is always the same. “Very well.” Boss grabs me by my hair, pulling me along behind him. I struggle to gain my footing before he pulls all my hair out by the roots.
We wind our way through several long hallways before reaching our destination. This is the first time I’ve been out of my cell. Normally they interrogate me, beat me, and beat Shelby in my cell before dragging her back to where ever it is they’re keeping her. I try to keep up with the turns, making mental notes of any identifying marks along the bare dark walls, but my mind is frazzled. The lack of food, sleep, and the mistreatment are catching up to me. We stop just outside a non-descript door. Boss pulls out a set of keys, sliding one of them into the lock before opening the door. He shoves me inside, and I stumble yet manage not to face plant onto the hard floor.
I look around taking in the large bank of monitors along the wall opposite the door. Several tables are sporting computers around the room. There are several men stationed at the computers, working at what I assume are nefarious activities. No one acknowledges our arrival to the room. They all continue working as if they are robots.
An image catches my eye on one of the screens. Luke is wheeling himself toward his SUV in the parking lot of Invictus. He looks tired, strained. Is this real time or something they’ve recorded for me to watch? Boss looks over at me with a sickening grin on his face. “Ah, I see you noticed your boyfriend. Good I assume this will make you more compliant, today. I do so tire of your insistence on being uncooperative.” I bite my tongue to keep from responding. It won’t matter anyway.
“Shall we get started?” Boss asks as if we are about to have a pleasant conversation. The rat bastard. I wish I was like Daisy and had a knife hidden in my boot so I could slit his throat. I’ve never been a violent person. The aftermath of our previous abduction haunts me, but this man has changed me. He has made sure to remove whatever morals I had, regarding the value of human life, at least where his is concerned. I wouldn’t hesitate if the opportunity arose. I would kill him and be happy about it.
“Tell me everything you know about the FBI’s investigation into my organization,” Boss demands. I remain silent. I don’t know much about it anyway, and there’s no way I’ll tell him they have an informant on the inside. That may be my only salvation. I have to hold out hope the informant will discover where Shelby and I are and help us escape, or at least, tell the FBI where we are so they can free us. “Don’t make me hurt your man,Ms. Morrison.” He says my name like it tastes bad on his tongue.
“What do you mean?” I demand, breaking my silence. Boss chuckles darkly.
“She speaks,” he replies, amusement in his voice. “I have men posted on him, at all times. I have surveillance cameras on him. I know his habits, where he is, and where he goes. I can have him taken out, at any moment in time. All I have to do is give the word.” I glance at the monitors again, watching as Luke closes the driver’s door on his vehicle. Is it true? Could this man cause Luke to be hurt because of me?
“I don’t know anything!” I exclaim. Boss narrows his eyes,letting me know he doesn’t believe me.
“We know the FBI Agent Morris has been in contact with Invictus,” Boss says. “Agent Morris is a friend of Luke Robertson. They’ve worked on many cases together. Now tell me how much the FBI knows about my organization!” He slams his fist down on a nearby table, causing me to jump in fear. I shake my head ready to protest again, that I know nothing, when he grabs me by the upper arm dragging me down the hall to another room. He shoves me inside so hard that I fall smacking my head on the floor.
Shelby is cowering in a corner of the room. Her face is bruised and swollen. One eye completely swollen shut. My heart breaks for her. I crawl toward her. She flinches when I touch her. I’m not sure she can even see well enough to know that it’s me who’s touching her.
“Oh Shelby,” I whisper. “I’m so sorry. My God! How bad are you hurt?” The tension in her body eases slightly at hearing my voice. She lets me take her hand, but she doesn’t answer any of my questions. I look over my shoulder to see that Jerk and Asshole have joined Boss. Another sure sign that we are about to be tortured again. Boss doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, but Jerk and Asshole seem to love it, all too well.
Jerk quickly strolls over to us, pulling our hands apart. I cry out in anger, but Shelby just shrinks in on herself. Jerk backhands me, causing me to tumble backward to the floor. He pulls back as if he would hit me again, but Shelby grabs his arm, earning herself a punch to the face followed up with a couple of kicks to her abdomen. I lunge at him, jumping onto his back in an effort to make him stop hitting Shelby. Jerk easily flings me off him. I land with a resounding thud. Pain shoots through my hip, into my back, so intense my vision dims briefly, and I lose what little liquid is in my stomach.
“Enough!” Boss shouts. His voice so commanding that we all obey. “Get them ready. She’s never going to tell us anything, sowe are just going to have to hope they don’t know the location of our targets so we can still carry out our plans. I’m tired of waiting. It’s time to avenge our brothers.”
Nausea hits me as I realize he’s planning to use Shelby and me to do his dirty work. We are going to be used to kill a lot of people. Agent Morris had warned us this is what the Brotherhood had in mind. Oh God! I’ve dragged Shelby into this. Luke and his brothers are in danger, too. Please God if you’re there, help keep the man I love and his family safe. Keep Shelby safe. I don’t want to die, but if it keeps Luke alive and unharmed, I’m willing to make that sacrifice.
They drag us back to one of the cells we’ve been held in before. Our captors throw us inside and leave us alone. “Shelby,” I whisper when I feel confident our abusers have left. She doesn’t seem to have heard me, so I repeat her name a little louder, trying not to alert our captors if they are still lurking around. She squeezes my hand tightly, letting me know she’s heard me, but not willing to respond. “I’m so sorry that you’ve been dragged into this mess. I’ll try my best to get them to spare you.” She squeezes my hand again. My heart breaks, knowing I’ve ruined our friendship, and if we were to manage to escape, my friend will never forgive me for what she’s endured.
