AJ was pacing the office going through various files and checking the mail. They were catching up on the day-to-day chores of the office now that Lucky was stashed safely away with Carlos's cousin across the border for the time being. The whole case was bothering him. They were set to meet with Downtown Brown later on this afternoon to discuss where they had gotten so far. He would be content to give the whole thing over to the police and go on to a paying client. Speaking of, where was that bill…?
"Rick?"
"Hum?"
"Have you seen the bill from that girl?"
"Nooo." Rick smiled at his younger brother, thrilled that a bill had not been presented to him yet.
"Any messages on the machine?"
"No." Rick shook his head and raised his eyebrows while lighting a cigar.
AJ looked concerned. "You would think that the way she was acting, she would have gotten that to us right away."
"You'd think." Rick could care less whether the bill ever came, but his instincts did start to tingle a little with the way his brother was talking. He slowly let out a puff from his cigar. He asked a little reluctantly. "You want to stop by and see if she's got it ready yet?"
AJ thought he'd never ask.
"I'll drive." Rick said, resigned.
They looked at each other with a sense of alarm. The car hadn't moved since they had dropped her off on Tuesday. It was now Friday.
"Do you remember her apartment?" Rick asked.
"I think so." AJ replied.
They walked up in silence.
"Maybe she just went to stay with family or something."
"Maybe." AJ replied. He knocked forcefully on the door and it slid open on its own. He flashed a look at his brother. "Maybe not."
"Mmm." Rick replied. He thought about pulling his gun, but settled for releasing the catch and the safety – just in case.They walked in slowly, taking in all the details as quickly as possible. The carpet was plush, with signs of vacuum marks in the corners. She was a clean, detail type person. Everything in its place. She'd drive me nuts, Rick decided.
"AJ, look at the floor."
"I've noticed."
There were three different sized footprints imprinted on the pile of the carpet and what looked to be the imprint of a body near the door. Faint, but noticeable to a trained eye. The keys were in a bowl on a desk near the entry door. The bowl had been pushed across the desk about 18 inches leaving a streak through some light dust.
"Something's happened to her." AJ said, worry straining his voice.
"Let's find out who she is while we are here." Rick replied, in a no-nonsense, big brother mode now. She may or may not have been taken because of them, and they sure as hell were going to find out.
I awoke this time to darkness and the smell of garlic. I like spaghetti as much as anyone else, but the smell and taste was overwhelming, and I could not get the gag out of my mouth no matter how much I tried. I knew I was going to have trouble with Italian foods from now on. My hands were tied, but my feet were free. I was cold and uncomfortable.
I was in the trunk of a car. They were moving me again. However, I didn't know who "they" were. For the most part they didn't let me see them, and they kept asking me to spill the details about my partners. I guess they meant the Simons. I told them I hadn't met the before today, yesterday? (whatever), and of course they didn't believe me.
I hadn't eaten in who knows how long. Every once in awhile this one guy would be kind enough to give me some water or a glass of wine. It would go straight to my head. Maybe it was drugged. I know that last glass was. I think he took a liking to me, but he was actually a little timid. He would even let me get up and go to the bathroom when the goons weren't around to harass me. I didn't have much to tell them, but they wanted details. I toyed with the idea of making up something, but thought that might get somebody else in trouble, so in the end, I just stuck with the truth and prayed a lot.
I wasn't going to just lay here alone in the trunk doing nothing. Since I couldn't do anything about the gag yet, I started messing with the ropes the bound my hands in front of me and that's when I caught my first break. Somehow, my numbed and cold fingers were able to loosen a knot enough to slip a loop and my hands were free! I immediately fumbled for the knots behind my head, but my hands were too cold. After I had shoved them under my armpits for a while they began to ache with returning feeling and warmth. Oh Lord, what was I going to do? Finally, I could get the nasty gag off of my face and could breath something besides garlic for a change.
I thought long and hard as to what I could do. Why in God's name didn't the manufacturers of cars put latches on the inside of trunks? This was insane to trap people like this. I got my knees under me and tried to look for a way out. Hard to do with all the twists and turns we took, but I tried anyways. Every once in awhile the lights from the brakes would light up the interior and I would get an eerie view of my jail. I came to the conclusion that I would have to wait until we stopped and see what happened. I flexed all my muscles to warm up the best I could until then, and fought the overwhelming fear that threatened to take my soul. I was all alone in this, with no family to look for me if anything went wrong, which it all had when I met those brothers! When I got away those boys were going to get an earful. I let out a deep sigh and smiled to myself. Thinking this way helped me focus my energy.
When we stopped this time there was only one set of footsteps. I didn't move, didn't breath. When the keys turned in the trunks lock I curled my fingers and flattened my palms. The light was blinding but when I saw the dude's nose I sprang out with my hand and drove my palm into it. It was a trick I learned shortly after I took to the streets. Nobody expects you to slap your hand up his nose. Hurts. Somebody told me that if you do it right and hard enough, you could kill 'em. Most of the time their nose just bleeds forever and they are down long enough for you to get away.
And that's just what I did. Or I tried. While he lay on the ground gagging and bleeding all over his white button down shirt, I ended up falling out of the trunk on my numbed feet and stumbling off to the side of the road where there was a large overgrown field.
I didn't count on anyone shooting at me! I was just reaching the safety of the tall grasses when I felta stinging burn go through me. I fell into the grass, scrambled about 10 feet before regaining my feet and then ran blindly again for a thousand years until I couldn't hear a thing anymore. At that point, I fell down next to a small creek and passed out.
