I glanced nervously over my shoulder at the jeep and then went into
the building. It was pitch black. There was that distinct, thick, damp,
musty smell of old buildings. The air itself seemed to be saturated with
the smell.
"Jake?" I called again.
"You think you could shout a little louder, Abby?" Jake asked, appearing from around a dark corner. "I think there's a cop in Manhattan who didn't hear you."
I walked cautiously towards him, holding the briefcase in front of me at arms length. "Here," I said. "I got the money."
He took it and set in on a rickety table. "Where's Annie?" I asked.
Jake shook his head. "Gotta count it first. Make sure it's all here."
I glanced at the door. I didn't want Carter to freak and send in the police while Annie and I were still inside. Jake had opened the case and was carefully counting the bundles of bills. I crossed my arms. "When'd you get out of jail?" I asked casually.
"Two weeks ago," he said, still counting. "I was gonna drop in on you, see how you were, and I saw you with Carter and the little girl."
"You were gonna drop in on me?" I asked, horrified. "Why would you think you were welcome?"
Jake looked up. "I'm not?"
I rolled my eyes. "You beat me up, broke my arm, kidnapped Annie . . .but yeah, sure, stop by for a cup of coffee."
Jake frowned. "I thought she was mine," he said. "I was excited. I got all worked up thinking about what it'd be like to have a little girl to spoil rotten."
"Yeah, and beat the shit out of," I muttered. "Oh, shit," I said. "Jake, you didn't . . .touch her, did you?"
Jake grinned at me, a slightly psychotic and completely sadistic grin. "Oh ye of little faith."
I wasn't sure if that was a yes or no but it creeped me out anyway. After what felt like hours Jake was satisfied that we hadn't tried to screw him over. He was wrong. I mean, there was exactly five million dollars in the case but the police were waiting outside so we were technically screwing him over.
"Where's Annie?" I asked.
Jake bent down and lifted a trap door. There was a staircase leading into what was once a basement and was probably now a rat infested hole. "Come on, kid," he said harshly.
Annie bolted up the stairs and flung herself at me. Her hair was matted and her face was covered in dirt and blood. "Mim," she said. "Mim, Mim," over and over again.
I scooped her up and ran out the door to the jeep. Carter picked up the walkie-talkie as I opened the door. "We've got her," he said.
I climbed in and we watched about ten policemen storm into the warehouse. I handed Annie over to Carter and he enveloped her in his arms. No one said anything until one of the policemen approached the car. Carter rolled down his window.
"We have him in custody," the cop said. Then he held up the suitcase. "And we retrieved your money."
Carter shook his head. "Keep it," he said.
"What?"
"Does the Chicago police force except donations?" Carter asked.
The police officer nodded, dumbfounded. "But that's five million dollars," he said.
Carter shrugged, staring intently at his daughter. "She's worth a thousand times that," he said, gently running his hand over her head. Then he looked at the officer. "Think of it as a thank you for all your help."
The officer nodded. "Just doing our job," he said and then practically skipped off to tell the others of Carter's generous gift.
Annie looked up at Carter. "I was scared, Daddy," she said, burrowing herself in Carter's jacket.
"We should take her to the hospital, John," I said.
"Why? Is anything broken?" He started to examine Annie.
"I don't think so," I said. "But we should go get her . . .checked out. I think Jake might have . . .you know."
Carter stared at me as though I were the anti-Christ. "Not possible," he said.
I touched his arm. "John . . ."
He sighed and passed Annie back over to me so he could drive. "Fine," he said. "But you better be wrong."
Response to reviews -
Vkh214 - Yeah, I had to bring him back. He's evil.
Hyperpiper91 - Really good? Thanks!
ER-Carby-Luva - He was gone. But now he's back.
AbbyLockhart2 - Has anyone ever told you that you're weird? But in a good way . . .
Jackie - Annie is OK. Well, she's physically OK.
Aaron - * gasp * A boy? Really!?! Oh, I'm so happy. Unless you're a girl and I've just insulted you. Oops. Anyway, yeah, Jake sucks.
Caitlin - I'm glad you like it so much.
"Jake?" I called again.
"You think you could shout a little louder, Abby?" Jake asked, appearing from around a dark corner. "I think there's a cop in Manhattan who didn't hear you."
I walked cautiously towards him, holding the briefcase in front of me at arms length. "Here," I said. "I got the money."
He took it and set in on a rickety table. "Where's Annie?" I asked.
Jake shook his head. "Gotta count it first. Make sure it's all here."
I glanced at the door. I didn't want Carter to freak and send in the police while Annie and I were still inside. Jake had opened the case and was carefully counting the bundles of bills. I crossed my arms. "When'd you get out of jail?" I asked casually.
"Two weeks ago," he said, still counting. "I was gonna drop in on you, see how you were, and I saw you with Carter and the little girl."
"You were gonna drop in on me?" I asked, horrified. "Why would you think you were welcome?"
Jake looked up. "I'm not?"
I rolled my eyes. "You beat me up, broke my arm, kidnapped Annie . . .but yeah, sure, stop by for a cup of coffee."
Jake frowned. "I thought she was mine," he said. "I was excited. I got all worked up thinking about what it'd be like to have a little girl to spoil rotten."
"Yeah, and beat the shit out of," I muttered. "Oh, shit," I said. "Jake, you didn't . . .touch her, did you?"
Jake grinned at me, a slightly psychotic and completely sadistic grin. "Oh ye of little faith."
I wasn't sure if that was a yes or no but it creeped me out anyway. After what felt like hours Jake was satisfied that we hadn't tried to screw him over. He was wrong. I mean, there was exactly five million dollars in the case but the police were waiting outside so we were technically screwing him over.
"Where's Annie?" I asked.
Jake bent down and lifted a trap door. There was a staircase leading into what was once a basement and was probably now a rat infested hole. "Come on, kid," he said harshly.
Annie bolted up the stairs and flung herself at me. Her hair was matted and her face was covered in dirt and blood. "Mim," she said. "Mim, Mim," over and over again.
I scooped her up and ran out the door to the jeep. Carter picked up the walkie-talkie as I opened the door. "We've got her," he said.
I climbed in and we watched about ten policemen storm into the warehouse. I handed Annie over to Carter and he enveloped her in his arms. No one said anything until one of the policemen approached the car. Carter rolled down his window.
"We have him in custody," the cop said. Then he held up the suitcase. "And we retrieved your money."
Carter shook his head. "Keep it," he said.
"What?"
"Does the Chicago police force except donations?" Carter asked.
The police officer nodded, dumbfounded. "But that's five million dollars," he said.
Carter shrugged, staring intently at his daughter. "She's worth a thousand times that," he said, gently running his hand over her head. Then he looked at the officer. "Think of it as a thank you for all your help."
The officer nodded. "Just doing our job," he said and then practically skipped off to tell the others of Carter's generous gift.
Annie looked up at Carter. "I was scared, Daddy," she said, burrowing herself in Carter's jacket.
"We should take her to the hospital, John," I said.
"Why? Is anything broken?" He started to examine Annie.
"I don't think so," I said. "But we should go get her . . .checked out. I think Jake might have . . .you know."
Carter stared at me as though I were the anti-Christ. "Not possible," he said.
I touched his arm. "John . . ."
He sighed and passed Annie back over to me so he could drive. "Fine," he said. "But you better be wrong."
Response to reviews -
Vkh214 - Yeah, I had to bring him back. He's evil.
Hyperpiper91 - Really good? Thanks!
ER-Carby-Luva - He was gone. But now he's back.
AbbyLockhart2 - Has anyone ever told you that you're weird? But in a good way . . .
Jackie - Annie is OK. Well, she's physically OK.
Aaron - * gasp * A boy? Really!?! Oh, I'm so happy. Unless you're a girl and I've just insulted you. Oops. Anyway, yeah, Jake sucks.
Caitlin - I'm glad you like it so much.
