Mari was conscious, she had been for a while – enough to know that she had been placed in the trunk of her car – but her body was frozen. Her head felt like a fog had consumed it. Images flashed before her eyes like a time reel as she struggled to make sense of them. What did it all mean?
Forcing open her tired eyes, Mari stared into the darkness. She wasn't sure she even had them open until she was able to move her body, reaching up to touch her eyelids.
At least she was alive. But for how long, she wasn't sure. The car was still in motion, so wherever Jackson was taking her, he had yet to reach.
Taking an uneasy breath, Mari rested her hand on the floor beside her, running her fingers across the course liner as she searched for something to help her. She was horrified but common sense reminded her not to panic; to look for a way to escape.
The tag to open the trunk had been removed, and so far, Mari could not find anything lying around that might aid her in her escape.
It seemed like Jackson was one step ahead of her.
Mari groaned in frustration and eased onto her side, pressing her back against the rear seats. There was a lug wrench beneath the mat; perhaps she could use it to break out one of the taillights.
To her surprise, Jackson had overlooked it.
She was ecstatic. A surge of adrenaline coursed through her body and with a little effort she was able to yank the tire lug wrench out from beneath the mat.
But how was she to do this? Surely Jackson would hear her.
Fuck him! Mari didn't care.
She held the socket wrench end in one hand and pulled back the carpet, then began slamming the prying tip against the space where the taillight closest to her was as hard as she could. It was a struggle, but the light eventually came out, allowing in a wave of fresh air.
Mari took in a deep breath, then stuck her hand through the hole. Cold rain stung her skin as she waved her arm around hoping to attract the attention of another car. Someone had to notice her.
The car began to slow, and to her horror, Jackson pulled over. Did he notice the light was out? Mari pulled her arm back in and gripped the lug wrench against her chest. Her heart pounded erratically in her chest as she heard the door open. Footsteps steadily approached the trunk and Mari made a risky decision. As soon as Jackson opened the trunk, she was going to strike him with the lug wrench.
She played the scenario over several times in her mind. It seemed easy. There was no way she could mess it up.
As soon as the keys touched the lock and the trunk opened, Mari swung.
Unfortunately, the glare of a light pole blinded her, and she missed. Mari was lucky enough to catch Jackson off guard, however, making him jerk back to avoid the strike as it whipped through the air.
She bounded out of the trunk nearly falling as her feet touched the ground, then looked around. Where was she?
It was dark out and raining.
Jackson had pulled the car over near an old gas station with pumps that looked outdated. The station itself looked like it hadn't been used in decades. There weren't even any houses around, just miles of road on either side.
Mari clutched the lug wrench in frustration and turned around pointing it at Jackson.
"Where the fuck are we?!"
Jackson attempted to take a step forward, but Mari swung the lug wrench again.
"Stay back!" She shouted.
He brought up his hands.
"Put the wrench down, Marianna. I'd rather you not make things difficult for me."
"Fuck you!" Mari shouted.
He kidnapped her; he already made things difficult for himself.
"What do you want with me?" She asked.
"What do you want to know, Mari? Where you are? Or what my plans are with you?" Jackson asked with a bite.
Was he being serious? The said woman narrowed her eyes. The rain had already soaked down into her shirt making it cling uncomfortably to her.
"I want you to answer both questions," Mari answered.
"Then get into the car," Jackson ordered.
Did he think she was an idiot?
"No. You're going to answer my questions or I'm going to start swinging," Mari snapped.
"That's not how this works," he stated. "I'm going to show you something, then you're going to get in the damn car."
He reached into his pants pocket and took out her phone. Mari raised a brow as he tapped on the screen and turned it around, showing her a video. At first, it was nothing; an out-of-focus bush, then when it panned out to a window that looked into a familiar kitchen. Where had she seen it before?
A minute later Zachary walked into the frame, searching through his fridge. Then the video ended.
Mari was horrified.
"What did you do to him?"
"Nothing yet," Jackson answered. He put the phone away. "He's safe as long as you cooperate. But if I don't call my partner at every checkpoint, then he's free to do whatever he wants to Zachary."
Why would he do something so horrible? Mari thought that he may be telling her a lie to get her to do as he asked. But what if he wasn't?
She lowered the lug wrench.
"How do I know your partner won't hurt him anyway?"
"Because I asked him to send me a video every time I checked in," Jackson answered.
So, he wasn't lying.
She didn't have much of a choice. Mari decided to play along. She needed questions answered and time to come up with a plan.
Jackson reached out for the lug wrench and despite not wanting to, Mari walked forward and handed it to him. He tossed the tool into the trunk and slammed the hood, then shoved the broken taillight back into its socket.
"Get in. We have to make a pit stop before dawn," Jackson ordered.
Mari hesitantly walked over to the passenger side door and got into the car. Jackson joined her soon after.
"Are we going to make the next checkpoint on time?" Mari asked as she tested the door.
As she thought, the child lock was on.
"If we find a store that sells repair tape before we get pulled over," Jackson answered.
Mari hoped they did.
Once the car was started, Jackson pulled away from the station and continued down the road. Mari sat silently watching the road as the headlights chased away the darkness. She was trying so hard to make sense of her unfortunate situation, but her head was a mess.
Not to mention the rain was starting to make her feel cold.
Mari linked her arms in front of her chest in hopes that she'd warm up. She was too damn scared to reach forward and turn the heat on.
But to her surprise, Jackson turned the switch and averted his eyes to her as she placed her hands in front of the vent.
Regardless, she said nothing until a sign caught her attention. Mari widened her eyes.
"We're in Pennsylvania?!"
Jackson hummed in agreement.
"For another 76 miles until we pass into Ohio."
Where was he taking her?
"I don't understand what's going on," Mari uttered.
"You don't need to, he mentioned. Just know that we have a long way to go."
She leaned back in her seat and rubbed her sore eyelids.
"You are still under the effects of the Ketamine. I gave you a small dose, but it can last for up to 24 hours," Jackson explained.
"You drugged your drink," Mari mentioned. "Then knocked over mine."
He was impressed that she knew that.
"I'll buy you a drink at the store," Jackson offered.
Mari narrowed her eyes at him.
"And drug me again? No thank you."
Jackson snorted. He had no reason to knock her out if she behaved. And other than her attempt to escape a short while ago, she was doing better than expected.
Silence fell over them again as the hum of the engine and swish of the windshield wipers lulled Mari into a conscious state of rest. She shut her eyes and didn't open them again until the car came to a stop.
Jackson had parked them in the lot of a 24-hour Wal-Mart. He turned off the engine and turned to Mari.
"Remember what is at stake here. If you so much as come off as suspicious, then your friend is dead."
Mari narrowed her eyes. She knew the deal.
"I got it," she bit, sharp as a whip.
Jackson got out of the car and walked over to the passenger door, letting Mari out. His hand rested on her lower back as he ushered her inside. It was a bit awkward having him so close to her after how intimate they were before she was kidnapped, but she reckoned he was only doing it to keep her close in case she tried something.
Leading her into the car department, Mari noted that there weren't many people in the store; there wasn't even a greeter at the door.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"After 4 in the morning last, I checked," Jackson answered.
No wonder.
Once he had the repair tape, Jackson took Mari upfront. There were no lanes open, so he used the self-checkout machine to pay. A woman wearing too much makeup stood near the help desk, eyeing them. The name on her shirt read Amy.
"It's raining pretty hard out there," she stated.
Jackson forced a smile.
"It sure is."
Amy raised a brow.
"Where are you two from?"
"Washington," Mari answered quickly.
Jackson rested his hand on her lower back, almost like a warning.
"We're on vacation," he mentioned.
"Oh yeah, where to?" Amy asked.
Mari averted her eyes to Jackson. She too was curious.
"Aspen," he answered. "It's our anniversary."
She nearly snorted. Was he serious?
After a few minutes of awkward chattering, Mari slid her arm around Jackson's waist and force a smile.
"We're on a deadline, hon. We need to be going."
Jackson politely excused them and waved to Amy as the woman watched them leave.
In the parking lot, Mari cracked a grin.
"Aspen? Did you pull that out of your ass?"
"It's where we're going," Jackson merely answered.
As if she had been hit with a ton of bricks, Mari suddenly remembered something.
"My mom is vacationing in Aspen."
"No one said that being the daughter of the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Defense was easy," Jackson mentioned. "Enemies are made."
Did he kidnap her because of her mother? All because of her occupation. Her heart pounded erratically in her chest.
Mari felt sick to her stomach.
The pieces were starting to come together.