Authors: C.M. Seabrook
Theo
“There’s a call on line one for you,” Evan says, popping his head around the office door when I walk by.
“Take a message,” I grumble, tossing my towel in the bin beside the door.
I can hear Evan arguing with whoever is on the other line. He covers the receiver with his palm and looks at me, gray brows furrowed.
“It’s your security company. They’re saying your smoke alarms are going off, want to know if you want them to call the fire department.”
I don’t answer, just grab my keys from the desk, and race out the door, nearly knocking Moody over when he steps in front of me.
He’s behind me when I rush around the building. “What the hell’s going on?”
My fingers feel like huge slabs of meat when I try to punch in the alarm code, finally getting it on the second attempt.
As soon as I open the door, I hear the high-pitched beeping.
Something is burning. I take the stairs two at a time. My apartment door is half-open, and smoke drifts like a mist along the ceiling, curling under the frame.
Logan’s cries are like a beacon. She’s in her room, tears streaming down her cheeks, eyes bright red. I scoop her up, holding her tight against my chest, and try to calm her. But my own nerves are shot.
“Sshhhh. It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Where is Mac?
I cover Logan’s ears against the continuous wail of the alarm.
“Mackenzie?” I call out, running to my bedroom. I check both bathrooms, knowing I’m not going to find her.
The alarm suddenly stops, and I hear Moody cursing from the kitchen.
He’s pulling out a pan with what look like charred cookies, and tosses it into the sink.
“She’s gone,” I say, voice cracking. Not wanting to believe that she’d actually take off again. But who am I kidding? Running is Mac’s specialty. Still, something just doesn’t feel right.
“Mama,” Logan cries, giving a small hiccup, then sticking her thumb in her mouth and placing her head against my chest.
“I know. We’ll find her,” I say, glancing around wildly. There’s no sign of a struggle, no sign of forced entrance.
She’s just gone.
She took off. Again.
It’s the only explanation. But to leave Logan unattended…I shake my head, breathing hard. It doesn’t fit.
She was baking fucking cookies for Christ’s sake.
The need to curse, scream, break something rages through me. The only thing that keeps me sane is the small person in my arms.
“We need to call the police,” Moody says, grabbing the phone from its charger.
“And tell them what?” I say a little too forcefully, making Logan whimper. I lower my voice, keeping it steady, when I continue, “We don’t know if she ran or if…”
“Her shoes,” Moody says, walking past me toward the front hall.
“What?”
“Her shoes are still here,” he says, pointing at the worn-out runners set against the wall.
“If she didn’t take off, then where the hell is she?” I grit out, between clenched teeth.
The thought that Stefano somehow got to her made every shred of common sense leave my head. I’ll kill the fucker with my bare hands.
A dark look crosses Moody’s face, my own dread mirrored there. I don’t need him to speak to know what he’s thinking.
“He wants money,” I say, remembering the text. I storm through the apartment, grabbing Logan’s overnight bag, and tossing items into it, while she clings to me. I pull out my phone, both fearing and hoping for something, anything. “If he has her, he’ll call or text.”
“We need to go to the police,” Moody repeats.
I know he’s right, but until we have proof, or at least know Stefano’s terms and conditions, I’m worried about making any quick decisions. I’m not taking chances. Not with Mac’s life.
“The guy is a certified nut job. If he thinks we’ve called the police, there’s no telling what he’ll do to her.”
“What do we do then?”
“We wait.” I cover Logan’s ears and sneer, “Then I kill the bastard.”
Mackenzie
My head throbs like a jackhammer when I start to regain consciousness. Sticky faux leather clings to my cheek and something hard pushes into my ribs. I’m bent over, my hands tied behind my back, and when I try to scream I realize there’s duct tape covering my mouth.
Bile burns in my throat, and I have to swallow it.
I’m in a car. Alone. Stale cigarette smoke mixed with the lingering scent of body odor makes me gag. The windows are rolled down a couple inches and I can hear Stefano’s angry voice a few feet away.
“I wanted that damn kid, but you had to fuck things up like you always do.”
Logan.
She’s by herself, in the apartment. Who knows when Theo will be home.
The cookies.
Shit.
They’re still in the oven. Oh, God. What if it starts a fire?
Terror rips through me, and despite the pain that sears my wrists, I start to struggle against the restraints.
I’m able to loosen the tape slightly, when the door suddenly opens and I pitch forward onto the gravel. Pain explodes in my shoulder.
“Get up,” Stefano growls, grabbing me by the hair.
“You don’t have to hurt her,” my mom says, concern edging her voice.
I almost laugh. Now she cares whether or not the asshole hurts me?
“Stay there,” he says, shoving me to the ground. “And you–” He points at my mom. “Keep your mouth shut.”
One glance around and I know where we are. He’s brought me to Hangman’s Cliff. Kids used to come here to park and make out on the weekends. Not that I ever came myself, but I know the spot from Theo’s stories.
At night, you can see the entire city below. The road up isn’t used anymore. The city barricaded it after a bunch of drunk teens came up a few years back and accidentally drove their car over the hundred-foot edge.
It’s remote. Only one way up and one way down. Whatever he has planned, I doubt he intends to let me leave here alive.
He kneels beside me, eyes glittering with insanity. “Let’s call that bigshot boyfriend of yours. See how much he wants you to live.”
I curse him through the tape and he laughs, stroking my cheek.
“Such a wild little thing. I could have had some fun with you.” His fingers trail down my neck, cupping my breast, then squeezing hard. “Maybe I still can.”
I hear my mom’s sharp intake of breath behind him, and her indignant response, “I’m tired and thirsty. Just make the call, so we can get our money and go home.”
Was she that stupid? I glare at her over Stefano’s shoulder and she looks away. I’ve never hated the woman as much as I do now.
He drops his hand, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. “I told you to shut the hell up.”
She leans against the hood of the car and wipes the sweat off her upper lip, then pulls out a small plastic bag of pills from her pockets, popping one in her mouth.
“Now.” Stef punches in a number on his cell and brings it to his ear. The smirk that curls his lips makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “Time to have some fun.”
Theo
Fifteen thousand dollars.
That’s all the cash I’m able to get. The fucking lunatic has given me two hours to bring him a million dollars. Two fucking hours. If he gave me two days, maybe. I’d have to liquidate half my assets. But even then, what bank is going to hand over that kind of money?
“This isn’t going to work,” Moody says, helping me stuff the duffle bag with old newspapers. “We need to call the cops.”
“You heard his threat. If I don’t bring the money, he’s going to kill her.”
“You
don’t
have the money.”
“But I have this.” I pull out a M1911 that was tucked in the back of my jeans. I fucking hate guns. But I’ll use it if I have to.
“Shit.” Moody takes a step back. “Do you even know how to use that thing?”
“I took a class when I bought it.”
Moody curses under his breath. “Give it to me.” When I hesitate, he barks out, “Give me the fucking gun, Theo.”
I still don’t hand it over. “I’m not going to let him hurt her.”
“Neither am I, but you’ll end up hurting yourself with that thing. Let me hang on to it.” His hard gaze is locked on mine.
“Fine.” I exhale through my nostrils, handing him the gun. “But if you need to use it–”
“I will.”
I give a sharp nod and turn back to the bag, laying the real cash over the newspaper.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.” Moody grabs the bag off the table and slings it over his shoulder.
I read the text again as I get into the car.
6:30 pm.
Bottom of Byron Drive.
Be Alone. Or she dies!
It’s risky bringing Moody with me. But even riskier not to. He’s already threatened to call the police if I don’t let him come. If it were anyone else, I would have beaten the shit out of them for getting in my way. But it’s Moody, and I know his only intention is to help.
“Get in the back seat and stay low,” I order.
The gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach grows more insistent the closer we get to our destination.
Deep breaths, Theo.
This is the final round. Winner take all. I can’t…won’t lose this fight.
Dust and pebbles kick up when I turn down the old dirt road. There’s nothing but fields and trees for miles around.
“I don’t see anyone,” I mumble, pulling the car to a stop.
“Keep your eyes open.” Moody shifts slightly, his large frame barely fitting in the narrow backseat.
My phone buzzes, and a new text appears.
Get out of the car.
Place the bag on the hood,
And open it so I can see the money.
“Fuck.” Where the hell is he? Where’s Mac?
“What?”
“He’s got eyes on us. But I don’t see him.”
“There.” Moody’s voice is gruff. “Hangman’s Cliff.”
“The road is blocked off.”
“Exactly.”
The front headlight of my car suddenly explodes.
“Get down,” Moody screams.
I duck when a second shot takes out the driver’s side mirror.
“Fucking bastard.”
My phone buzzes.
Do we have a problem?
Get out of the car.
Now!!!
I text back,
How do I know she’s alive?
Need proof.
What seems like an eternity passes before I finally get another text.
Look up.
My heart is beating erratically when I scour the hillside.
“Shit,” Moody says, pointing up.
That’s when I see them. Two figures stand on the edge of the cliff, close to the edge of what has to be at least a hundred foot drop. They’re too far away for me to see clearly, but even from this distance I can see the smaller one struggling.
Mac.
I reach for the door handle, and Moody grabs my arm.
“You can’t go out there.”
“If I don’t she dies.”
I step out of the car, bracing myself for anything. When no shot is fired, I move to the trunk and pull out the bag, then place it on the hood of the car, opening it so that only the real bills are exposed.
This isn’t how I expected things to go down. How the hell am I supposed to fight an enemy I can’t even see?
A new text lights up my screen.
Tisk, tisk.
Do you really think I’m that stupid?
Dump the bag on the hood.
He knows. Fuck. I run my hand through my hair, pulling at it. My chest aches and I can barely take a breath. Once I dump the contents of the bag, he’ll know I don’t have all the money.
“What’s going on?” Moody’s voice hisses through the open window.
“He wants me to dump the bag.”
“Shit. Get in the car.”
I shake my head, fingers trembling on the zipper, opening the bag wider, anything to buy time, figure out what I’m going to do. I should have listened to Moody. Called the police.
I’m going to lose her. I’ve never known the type of fear that rages within me now.
What happens next drops me. He might as well have put a bullet in my brain, because that’s what it feels like when I watch as the smaller figure is pushed closer to the edge of the cliff. Stefano’s intent is clear.
He’s going to kill her.
And there’s nothing I can do about it.