Old Lady (6 page)

If she wasn’t so shocked, Gabby might have made more of an effort to escape the consequences of her decision but before she could comprehend the situation, turn, or run, he caught her around the middle. A loud scream burst out of her mouth, but in an instant, he put a white cloth over her face, and the strong scent of chloroform hit her nostrils.

The bags dropped out of her hands and she slipped on the pavement. Sagging against him, she still tried to fight but she was too woozy to make much of an effort. Her eyes opened and closed. Vaguely, she was aware that Tasha ran towards her. She was screaming, but before she could reach them, he flung Gabby inside the vehicle and jumped in after her. Tasha screamed again and Gabby lost consciousness. Her last coherent thought before she finally caved in to the medicine that swam in her system was that she never got to present the gift to Nick.

Now, she may never get the chance to do so.

CHAPTER SIX

Nick blamed himself for the catastrophe. It was his job to keep her safe. He should’ve been more careful. He should’ve made sure that she was never alone. If he’d taken extra precautions, she would be safe now. He’d made promises that he couldn’t keep. Not too long ago, he told her that nothing would happen to her, but now she was far away, in the grasp of a man who probably was doing vile things to her even as Nick paced the room in the clubhouse.

Without realizing it, he threw the glass he held against the wall and it smashed into a million, tiny pieces. “Shit! Sorry, guys,” he managed to mutter an apology for his rude behavior, but the rage and misery that measured in his heart in equal quantities made him nearly dizzy. He didn’t know what to do, how to help Gabby, and how to get his tumultuous thoughts back in some kind of a cohesive whole.

Ronald’s hand settled on his shoulder. “We’ll get her back.”

Nick didn’t know if that was possible. He had no idea where the pimp took her. Did they go back to the town from which she’d escaped, or was he in another place altogether? Was Gabby even alive or did he…?

Nick couldn’t finish the thought. If something happened to Gabby, he would never be able to forgive himself.

He turned to face Tasha. Her eyes were puffy and red. She’d been crying for the past two hours ever since Nick found her standing on the pavement after the man kidnapped Gabby. Five minutes; that was all it took for him to lose Gabby. If he had arrived a few minutes early, he might have been able to save her.

“Did you get a look at the face of the man who caught her?” he asked the same question which he’d already uttered a number of times, but every time he hoped that her answer would be different. Perhaps she might recall some detail or some clue that would give him an idea as to where Joseph took her.

Of course, it was Joseph that kidnapped her. He didn’t have a doubt about it, but he needed some more information to figure out where he hurtled her off to.   

“I couldn’t,” she sobbed. “By the time I came over to the other side of the van, he was already inside with her. There were two of them, the one who drove had a black beard, dark hair, and he wore sunglasses.”

It wasn’t much of a description. There was a real possibility that the beard wasn’t real. Nick had seen a picture of Joseph in the police files after Gabby officially complained against him. “How the hell will we find her?”

His question was rhetoric. They went over this many times in the past hour. He’d already been to the police station and filed charges of kidnapping. Given that Tasha saw the whole thing made the police take quick action, but of course, they weren’t sure if the police search would yield result. As far as Tasha could recall, the van didn’t have any identifying marks, and it was quite possible that the number plates weren’t original. This whole thing was organized. It wasn’t an impulsive plan, so naturally the kidnapper must have made sure that everything was strategized in advance.

“What did the police say?” said Ronald.

“They have put in a bulletin. All roads are being watched, but it wouldn’t be possible to do anything until they found the van. Do you know how many black vans would be on the road this very instant?” he said.

Ronald ran a hand through his hair. Even though he knew that he wasn’t alone, that all these people were as concerned about Gabby as he was, it didn’t make Nick feel any better. All he wanted was for her to come back safe and sound. It was all he desired, but the possibility of getting what he wanted didn’t seem that great.

Nick wanted to bang his hands on the wall until they were bloody and black. He couldn’t bear the anguish, the pain, and the desolation that enveloped his mind and heart. Without Gabby, he was nothing. Without Gabby, he was no one. He wanted her back with an intensity that scared him. Nick couldn’t bear the thought of going back to his empty house. Without her, it was just a building. It wasn’t a home.

If she didn’t return soon, he didn’t know what he would do.

“I should’ve stayed with her,” Tasha echoed the same thought that rolled over and over in his mind.

“You couldn’t have done anything else,” said Nick. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Much to his horror, she broke into fresh sobs. “Not my fault? If I hadn’t agreed to her idea of walking down to get my awful boots, if I went with her to that shop, if only I…”

Walking over, he enveloped her in a hug. When she cried against his chest, Nick ran a hand over her hair. “It’s not your fault,” he repeated. “If there is someone to blame, it’s the man who kidnapped her. He is the real criminal. We need to get him and punish him.”

Once Tasha felt a little better, he handed her over to Ronald. “We’ll find her,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. “Somehow, through some means, we will find out where she is and get her back. This is where she belongs, and I want her here.”

“Why don’t we ask the police to track her phone?” said Matt.

“They are doing that,” he said. If the kidnapper made a little mistake, the police would catch him. That was Nick’s hope.

“Let’s spread the word to everyone we know. If there is any lead, any sighting, they will tell us,” said Matt. “They can’t keep driving with her. Somewhere, they will stop and rest, and then we will get them.”

“What if they take her back to the town from which she came?” said Ronald. “We can ask other bikers’ clubs over there to keep a lookout for her.”

Those were all good ideas, and Nick appreciated the effort they were making. It sounded like a plan, and doing all this made them feel that they were doing something. He also wanted to do something, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what to do. “Let’s do that,” he agreed.

What if Joseph, if it was indeed her pimp who kidnapped her, killed her and dumped her body somewhere in the wilderness?

The thought sent him reeling against the nearest wall. He didn’t want to harbor the possibility but the truth was that it was probable. Joseph had been sending her threatening calls for a while. What if he kidnapped her with the sole intent of killing her?

Shit!

He couldn’t bear such a horrific thought.

“Let’s do all we can to get Gabby back.” Matt broke into his thoughts. “We’re going to put all our resources and all our people to take her out of the clutches of this man. She might not be an official member of our club, but she is a part of our lives and we can’t let anything happen to her.”

Astounded as he was by Matt’s passionate statement, Nick was also grateful. There was a time, not too far in the past, when he and Matt didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. Matt accused Gabby of snitching on the club with the police, and he wasn’t too enthusiastic about Nick’s plans for the club, but he did look determined to recover Gabby. Nick put a hand on Matt’s shoulder and squeezed. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to worry, man! If the police call you with a lead, let us know. We will do everything possible. If there is need, we will go there ourselves to find her,” said Matt in a voice that indicated that he was sincere and honest.

Nick leaned against the wall, feeling weak. “Thanks, man.”

“You don’t need to worry, Nick, we are all with you and with Gabby also. She is going to come out of it unscathed,” said Ronald.

Nick certainly hoped so but right now this discussion was making him depressed. The more they tried to find avenues to seek her, the more he was convinced that it was going to be a far more daunting task that it seemed. It wasn’t going to be easy to figure out where she was. If only they knew the location of where that man took her, they would be able to do so much to help her. Right now, he was helpless.

Nick hated the feeling of helplessness more than anything else.

“I’m going home. If there is any development, I will call you,” he told them as he marched out of the door. Getting on his bike, he rode off. Although his intention had been to go home, Nick suddenly realized that if he did so, he would become distressed beyond his ability to handle it. Rather than go to his home, he instead rode to the harbor. It was one of Gabby’s most favorite places. She used to love coming here, not only to meet people but also to stare at the crashing waves and ships that swayed on the sea.

He missed her already.

Over the past few months, he got so used to her presence in his life that Nick couldn’t imagine a life without her. It was difficult for him to even spend this much time without her. What would happen if he didn’t find her in the coming days and weeks? A lifetime without Gabby was a terrible prospect.

He loved her. Nick had always known that, but now he realized thus survival depended on her reappearance. He only had one purpose in life and that was to find her and bring her back into this life that they carved out for themselves. He needed her. Her friends needed her. This was her home, and she deserved to come back.  

As he looked out and tried to figure out a way to find her, a hand squeezed his shoulder. He turned around to see Miles. “I heard what happened.” Nick didn’t quite know what to say. Miles wasn’t from the club, but thanks to Gabby’s winning personality, they had all become friends. “Is there anything I can do?”

Nick turned back towards the ocean. “I’m just waiting from a word from the police. Perhaps, they might have stopped the van somewhere or sighted them on a road. If only we knew where he took her, we can go and rescue her.”

“We’ll find her,” said Miles with a confidence that Nick didn’t quite feel. “We will.”

Nick sighed and stared at the distant horizon. He felt as if Gabby was calling him for help, and he wasn’t around to hear her call. What must be happening to her right now? What was she going through? Did the man feed her? Did he tie her? Was he hitting her? Anger coiled in his body, but all he could do was flex his muscles in chagrin at the thought. She’d told him some tales of her pimp’s vicious behavior when she lived with him. Joseph was a man who was prone to bursts of anger, and Gabby did something that riled him up really good. He hated the idea of losing control over one of his girls. She defied him, challenged his authority, and made him look like a fool.

It was the extent of his obsession that he found her despite all the odds stacked against him. Once he discovered her location, he must have followed her for weeks to figure out her routine. The only thing that probably kept her safe all these months was the fact that Nick stuck to her during all hours of night and day. One mistake cost him dearly. Once more, he cursed himself for not being there.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

“If you find out where she is, tell me also. I would like to come with you,” said Miles.

Nick was touched by his concern for Gabby. She had a knack for making friends wherever she went. Nick barely knew Miles before she arrived, and now the man was determined to go to any lengths to find her. This was true loyalty. This was the epitome of friendship.

“Thank you, Miles. As soon as I get some news, I will let you know.”

After bidding a farewell to the man, Nick came home. He didn’t want to stay here until Gabby was brought back, but there were no other options. All her memories were here. As he sat in the living room, Nick felt the prickle of tears behind his eyes. He forced them away. He wouldn’t allow himself the weakness because it would make him feel as if he was giving in to the fear that ate him alive.  For Gabby’s sake, he needed to be strong. If he wasn’t brave, he might miss the opportunity to save her.

As he tried to gather his courage and think of positive things, his cell phone rang. “Yes?”

“It’s Officer Liam, sir. You’d come in with a kidnapping charge not too long ago. We’ve got some news.”

He sat upright. Hope surged in his veins. “What?”

“We’ve found Ms. Gabby’s phone.”

She couldn’t be far from it. Surely, she was somewhere near where they found the phone. “Where?”

The man gave her a location. “It was smashed into pieces.”

Nick’s heart stopped. If Joseph took the time to stop the car and demolish the phone, what did he do to Gabby? “Did you find the van?”