That was all it took. The authorities took over from there and cut down all eight men in the alley within seconds. The mob already had their man in the medical examiner’s office. His palms were greased, records falsified, and Bryce officially declared dead. The getaway drivers, whose lives had been spared, gave statements that Bryce had been the ringleader of the operation. One of them even speculated, “Hell, he was crazy. He probably fired the first shot.”
The stories led the late-night news programs across the country, and Bryce was officially dead. He was a crazed mobster no one had heard of yesterday, but today he had started a gunfight with the authorities and was now on the cold steel of the coroner’s table. It was a win for the good guys.
In reality, Bryce had walked out the front door of the bank unscathed, got into a waiting Town Car, and disappeared for a couple months while the dust settled.
He had traded his short-cropped blond hair for a longer brown mane and grown in his beard. Mr. Rosso and the few other top guys in the organization had been in on the plan, and, in fact, the whole charade made him even more valuable. Bryce was a ghost. He did not exist. He kept a low profile, didn’t associate with any of his former crew, and he waited.
Bryce had a dozen fake identities, and a dozen more if he needed them. Every one of them with no record. He had been trying to enjoy his new anonymity, but he was losing faith that Abby would ever surface. Lately, he had started to wonder if it had been all for naught.
He glanced at his phone, and it took him a moment to recognize the name on the incoming call. When he did, he immediately hoped that his dreary day was about to get a great deal better, “Greg, I haven’t heard from you in weeks. You got some news, I hope?”
Bryce beamed a self-satisfied grin as Greg told him that he would have eyes on Abby within the hour.
“You done good, Greg.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ve had plenty of time to think about the extraction, too. Getting her out of here is easy enough. I could grab her in the middle of the night and be hours away before anyone knows a thing. The problem is what to do with her after that. Do you have a plan for getting her back to the States?”
Bryce laughed. “Greg, I appreciate your eagerness, but I have a plan in place.”
“That’s excellent news, sir. Just tell me what I have to do.”
“Keep an eye on her.” Bryce said abruptly.
“Absolutely, but then what?”
“That’s the best part. You don’t have to do a thing. When she gets her memory back, she’s going to come right back to me.”
Greg was a bit dumbstruck. He obviously lacked any sort of insight into the details of the situation, but he did know that Abby had gone to extreme lengths to hide from his boss. “Um, sir, forgive me for asking what is probably a stupid question, but why would she do that?”
“The only direct flight out of the big island to the states is to Chicago, yes?”
“As far as I know, sir.”
“And that is where I happen to make my home.”
“But why would she come to you?”
“She won’t be coming to me, Greg. She thinks I’m dead, remember? Let’s just say that she left something awfully important behind. Once she gets her memory back, there is no way that she won’t return. No way. You just keep me in the loop. I have a man I’m calling in a favor to. He’s on the big island. You let me know when she’s heading there to fly home, and I’ll have him take care of things from there. You’re too valuable. I don’t want to blow your cover. You never know when your position may come in handy again.”
Bryce was filled with glee, to the point that he was nearly giggling like a schoolboy despite the pain in his leg as he limped away from the window. Abby had damn near severed his leg on the boat, and now he was looking forward to returning the favor. The wheels were in motion. Abby’s days were numbered, ticking down into the single digits. He sneered at her photo on the mantle.
This is going to be fun.
17
ROBERT WADED INTO the water as Frank cut the engine and his seaplane floated the last few yards to the beach.
“Sir!” Greg called from the beach.
Robert simply waived him off as he flung open the passenger-side door of the plane. “Abby!”
She squealed and jumped down into Robert’s arms, where she squeezed him tight.
He squeezed her tighter and stroked the back of her hair like a father comforting his daughter. When they separated, Robert was clearly overcome with emotion. His huge smile couldn’t hide the tears gathering in his eyes. “Let me look at you!” he said with a shaky voice as he held her at arm’s length. He shook his head, trying to gather himself, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked onto the beach. “Welcome home, Abby.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I’m so happy to see you!”
Captain Frank hopped down from the plane after it was secured and stood by, waiting to be spoken to. He watched Robert and Abby embrace, and saw the bond between them. That was something the cameras had never revealed on Trial Island.
He knew who Robert was. For that matter, most of the world knew who he was. He was a billionaire, albeit a wildly eccentric one, but anyone with that much money is very powerful. Frank also saw with his own eyes just how deeply Robert cared for Abby. He couldn’t help but think of his own estranged daughter. He also couldn’t help but think of what Robert might do to him for having deceived Abby and nearly delivering her to the media.
Frank had done some soul searching over the past seventy miles and already felt horribly guilty for nearly destroying Abby’s life for five thousand dollars. She was right; he was getting taken for a ride. Her story was worth a heck of a lot more than that. He was ashamed to think that his life was in such a sad state that he had been willing to do that. Seeing her now, happy beyond anything to be reunited with Robert, made his shame worse.
Robert saw him standing by and reached out for a handshake. “You must be Captain Frank!”
“Guilty as charged,” Frank smiled.
“I’ll be honest, I was skeptical of Abby hopping on a plane with someone she didn’t know, but obviously I was wrong. It’s very nice to meet you.”
Frank looked at the ground and kicked the sand. Robert would find out anyway. He may as well be a man and own up to it now. “Well, sir, we did run into a bit of a problem.”
“Oh?”
Abby looked at the pilot. “Frank, it’s OK.”
“No, Abby, I was wrong.” Frank told Robert about the investigator who told him to get in touch if Abby ever showed up. “I know it was wrong, but they were going to pay a ton of money if I delivered her for an interview. So, I was going to, until, uh, Abby persuaded me otherwise.”
Abby smiled at Robert. “I told you I can take care of myself. Besides, Frank, I can tell you’re a good guy at heart. Obviously you’re in a tough spot or you wouldn’t have done that. I told you I would take care of you if you got me here, and you held up your end of the bargain.”
Frank shook his head. “Absolutely not. I can’t. Consider this trip on the house.”
Robert considered that for a moment. “So, Frank, you know who Abby is obviously. What you might not know is that it is extremely important to me that her whereabouts remain a secret. That investigator you spoke with is one of dozens combing the islands out here. Back in the States, any news outlet would kill for the story. You seem like a decent guy. Can we count on your to keep this whole thing under wraps?”
“Yes, sir,” Frank said without hesitation.
Robert was still skeptical. It would take more than just his word. He had been planning to pay him off. If he didn’t want the money, he would have to figure out something else. “This is a huge story, Frank. Massive. There’s a lot of money out there for whoever breaks it. You’re willing to give that up? For what? Honestly, I’d feel much better if we compensated you for your cooperation.”
Frank thought about it. The money would be good. It wouldn’t change his
situation, though – sleeping in a dump and getting hammered every night in a bar. Yes, he needed the money, but he was wise enough to know he would blow through it in no time and be back in the same situation a few months down the road.
He had just been through a very sobering morning, made more so by thoughts of his daughter. He needed money, but more than that, he needed a change. He had a thought and chuckled under his breath.
Robert and Abby exchanged a glance. “What is it?” Abby asked.
“It’s just... I guess I’m having a moment here. I make my living on this plane, flying packages and vacationers around the islands for a few bucks. I live in a room where my bed is a few feet from my sink. And this,” he gestured around the beautiful grounds of Robert’s estate, the huge Victorian mansion up a bit from the beach, and a dozen or so out buildings and villas in the background, “this is beautiful, and seeing the two of you together, caring about each other so much... well, I’m thinking my life is sort of shit. Maybe that’s just the clarity of twelve hours without a drink, but man, what am I doing?”
Robert didn’t know this man at all, but he knew people, and he could see Frank’s pain. “Well Frank, it does sound like you are having a moment. A little clarity is a good thing now and then, right?”
Frank nodded his head.
“Stay for a bit. Have some lunch. You seem like a decent fellow, and I appreciate that you did right by Abby. I’d like to make things right with you, and make it worth your while not to share the story.” Robert called to Greg, who was standing further up the beach. “Greg, get her bags and put them in her room. We’ll be in the kitchen.”
Greg cleared his throat. “Yes, sir.”
Abby turned to him. “Umm, I don’t have any bags.” She stared at Greg an extra second, thinking he looked familiar.
Robert laughed. “Well, let’s go have us some lunch then.”
“Sounds great!”
Back at the house, Robert instructed Greg to take the pilot out onto the patio to eat while he caught up with Abby. Captain Frank did seem like a decent fellow, but he was an extra piece of the puzzle now, and one that could throw a serious wrench in the works. Robert didn’t want him knowing anymore than he already did.
Robert and Abby stood at the counter making sandwiches, and were so excited to catch up that they just ate their lunch standing right there without stopping the conversation for a moment. Between sips of iced tea, Abby told Robert all about their adventure to find a new home, the fate of his boat that they sank nearly a year ago, and the paradise that they found where they built a new life.
“This area’s addictive isn’t it?” Robert asked. “I don’t know if you remember, way back on Trial Island when we met, I told you that I took holiday out here and fell in love with the geography. That was absolutely true.”
Abby was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what she was trying to say.
“What is it?” Robert asked.
“You’ve been a great friend and a great guide. Truly, I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for you. So I have to ask, what do you think about me getting my memory back? Is it a good idea?”
“Absolutely. As I always say, you can do what you want, but with Bryce out of the picture, I feel like you really should.”
“What if there’s more than Bryce? I mean, I know I was running from him, but what if there was more that I wanted to forget?”
“I’ve reminded you before, and I will again, you and I know each other much better than you realize. Yes, you very well could have hidden some details about your life from me. However, from what I know of you and your life, I feel that you would be positively thrilled getting your memories back. That’s just my humble opinion, though.”
Abby was nodding her head. “I told myself that you would be the last piece of the puzzle. You haven’t steered me wrong yet, so let’s do it!” She jumped from her seat.
Robert laughed a bit uncomfortably. “It’s not quite that simple.” He gestured for her to sit and then took her hands in his, leaning forward. “Eric was quick and simple, right? We did his procedure while he was waiting for you to come to dinner. Do you remember what he told you?”
She thought about it, but she couldn’t remember anything that stuck out. “Not really. I mean, he said that his life hadn’t really changed much. I remember that.”
“Exactly. Twenty-two-year-old Eric lived in a small apartment in a questionable neighborhood with a handful of friends. He got up early every morning to work construction, and when he clocked out every night he went home, had some beers, and did it all again the next day. Thirty-two-year-old Eric was leading the same life. Same apartment, same friends, same routine.”
“OK,” Abby thought, “but why is this important for me?”
“Eric’s procedure was simple. We just had to flip a switch. There was nothing in the memory banks, so to speak, that would be a shock to his system. You, on the other hand, have a significantly more complex history. The psychologist has determined that we cannot just ‘flip a switch’ for you. It would be too much for you to process all at once.”
“So, what does that mean?”
“It’s going to take much longer. Probably the better part of twenty-four hours. We’re going to have to open the doors of your past slowly, one by one. Let your conscious mind process it a little at a time. Does that sound reasonable?”
“I suppose so. As long as we can get started right away, before I change my mind.”
* * *
Abby stared in amazement as she walked into the bedroom of her college apartment to find the shades still drawn and Rick still sleeping in his jeans and T-shirt at three in the afternoon when she got home from her latest temp gig. Has he been here all day?
As aggravated as she was that he had spent the past several months freeloading in her apartment while she bounced from temp job to temp job trying to make enough to pay the rent every month, she still tip-toed around the bedroom as she changed out of her business appropriate dress and into her favorite pair of yoga pants and a tank top. She felt shallow to admit it, but his money had certainly been an attention grabber when they first met. Unfortunately it turned out that he was mostly trying to impress her. Now that they were together, he always had one excuse or another as to why he couldn’t kick in for rent, or pick up the check at dinner.
She stood in the kitchen eating ice cream directly out of the half-gallon container and staring at the calendar, doing the mental math on the number of paydays she had left before the next rent check was due. It was nearing the holidays, almost the end of the year, and she had given up on reaching her sister. Rick had become a permanent fixture in her apartment, despite her best attempts to get rid of him over the summer.
He contributed nothing but weed, which she couldn’t even partake in given that she was drug-tested on a regular basis through the temp agency. She had spent the past several months bouncing from position to position, trying to keep a roof over her head, and wondering exactly where her life was going.
She was stressed, and when Rick finally offered to pay for something, she said yes without a second thought.
After he stumbled into bed one night, through the haze, he said, “You work so hard, baby. Let’s go to Vegas for New Year’s Eve. Whaddya say?”
“Let’s do it!”
She had to blow off some steam, and she had no work lined up yet for the following week. Companies were nearing the end of their fiscal year and money for temps was pretty much dried up until late February or March. Heck, maybe they would stay in Vegas for a few days. He had been living on her dime for long enough, and she certainly didn’t feel badly about making him shell out for a hotel room for an extra couple of nights.
Abby and Rick arrived in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve in the late afternoon. She wore a tight, black-sequin dress for the hour-long flight. Her low cut dress displayed her healthy bust and garnered the attention of every man on the flight. Rick loved it. They were all looking at his girl,
and he made sure they knew she was his girl.
With no more family, no friends, and little in the way of a support system, Abby enjoyed the attention, too.
Rick wore a black, button-down shirt and a flashy silver suit. They were going straight to meet some associates of his and weren’t expecting to wait long for the party to start. She landed with two changes of clothes in her carry-on, both as skimpy as the black dress. Abby was ready to party for a couple of days. It had been months since she had cut loose. She had been on the straight and narrow, despite Rick’s best efforts over the past few months. A weekend of partying wouldn’t hurt. I deserve it, damn it!
Abby never returned to her college apartment.
She didn’t leave Vegas for over a year.
Of course, Rick didn’t stick around that long.
At three a.m. that night, she had been awake for nearly twenty-four hours. They were at a party in a high-rise penthouse right on the Strip with a beautiful view of the city. Rick had disappeared hours earlier, just after their midnight kiss. However, she had quickly made friends with four beautiful women. They saw her looking lonely and brought her into their little group.
Abby assumed they were the wives or girlfriends of suppliers who were much more successful than Rick. They wore designer dresses, high-end perfume, and beautiful jewelry. It was clear that they had money. A woman, especially one who has been scraping pennies together to buy instant noodles for the past year, can smell money like a bloodhound tracking an escaped convict.
Their outfits and jewels combined were worth more than Abby had made since graduation. She was instantly taken with them, and truth be told, she was a little jealous. Why couldn’t I land a high roller? How did I wind up with Rick?
One of them saw her laying back on the plush leather couch, eyes half closed, and said, “Oh, no. No, no, no. We’re going all night, girlfriend!”
Escape, the Complete Trilogy Page 35