Castle Investigations Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  Inches from the man's face, Lucas held him by his collar, the man's face growing white as blood pooled from his nose. "Where did they take these girls?" he asked, showing him the picture again.

  "Luftar." The man's voice was hoarse, and Lucas realized he was cutting off the guy's air supply. He loosened his hold.

  "Where?"

  "He rents a place. A villa owned by one of the resorts."

  Lucas dragged the guy over to a desk and shoved him in the chair. Taking a knife from his belt, he reached for the guy, only to have him flinch in response. Grabbing the man's hands from behind his back, Lucas cut the zip ties and motioned to the pencil and paper on the desk.

  "Address. Now," he said.

  The doctor wrote down an address, and Lucas motioned for one of the SEALs to tie him back up.

  Lucas picked up the address and took it to Sully.

  "They took them here," he said, handing the paper to him.

  "The General wants us to stand down."

  "We can't leave them there, Sully."

  "I know. I told him that wasn't an option, but we're on our own if we go after them. The SEAL team will wrap up here, but we'll have to find our own way home."

  Lucas was filled with anger. He couldn't leave Scarlett and Emery here, but he didn't want to risk the guys on his team, either.

  "I'll go alone. Get Zach to get me on a private flight—"

  "We aren't leaving you alone, Lucas. Don't be stupid. We're in this together." Sully clapped him on the back, and Gabriel and Ethan agreed, adding their own shoulder bumps and back-slapping to the equation.

  A brief phone call to Zach, and the guys had directions to the villa, as well as information about the layout. Sometimes it was nice having a hacker on the team.

  They climbed into the all-terrain vehicle, pointing it towards the resort area of the town. Night was falling, giving them the cover of darkness. Time was running out. If Lucas didn't get to Scarlett tonight, he was afraid she'd be lost to him forever.

  * * * *

  Scarlett was tired of waking up with a massive hangover when she hadn't at least gotten the pleasure of partying with friends the night before.

  Remembering that Em had been given the same drug that she had, she sat up gingerly, the nausea in her stomach a constant companion. Scarlett looked around, but it seemed that she was no longer in the hospital. Instead, she was in a beautiful bedroom. She sat on a queen size bed, the dark wood headboard stretching from floor to ceiling. She saw another queen bed across from her and recognized her sister lying on it.

  She scrambled to get to her feet, to make sure Em was ok, and stopped cold. She was covered from head to toe in a gauzy white nightgown. There was so much fabric, frilly and lacy, with long, flowy sleeves. It had a high neckline, and not an inch of her skin was revealed, except that the gown was completely see-through. It gave the appearance of being virginal in its cut, yet enticing with its transparency.

  Scarlett shivered. When they got out of this, she planned to wear sweatshirts and turtlenecks for the foreseeable future. She was tired of feeling naked.

  Scarlett sat down beside Em, running her fingers through her sister’s hair. Emery was wearing the same absurd getup, making Scarlett want to cover her immediately. She pulled at the comforter on the bed, loosening it enough to shield Em's body.

  Em stirred, opening her eyes and then immediately groaning.

  "Yeah, it's not fun waking up from that stuff," Scarlett said in a quiet voice, her hands continuing to thread through Em's silky locks.

  "No kidding." Em opened her eyes again and looked around.

  "Where are we?" she asked.

  "I don't know." Scarlett walked over to the large picture window, peering out into the dark night. A pool sat below them, the ambient lights twinkling at her. The ocean ebbed and flowed right past that, the moon reflecting off its waves. "A house, a hotel room—it's hard to say." She could tell they were about one story up, but wasn't sure how many stories there were above them.

  "It's beautiful," Em said, joining Scarlett by the window. "Too bad we're not here under other circumstances."

  Scarlett quirked a brow, noticing that Em had very little makeup on. After the makeover earlier that day, Scarlett would have expected more of the same—heavy eyeliner and red lips. Instead, Em had no eye makeup on at all, and only a touch of blush on her cheeks.

  Scarlett ran to the mirror on the wall. Her face was very similar to Em's. No makeup except blush and a little touch of lip gloss. Her hair had been left down, and she could tell that someone had combed through it.

  It creeped her out that someone had undressed and dressed them, washed their faces, and brushed their hair, all while they were unconscious. What kind of whack-job was keeping them prisoner?

  The door to the room opened, and a man dressed in a black suit walked in. He didn't have a rifle slung across his body like she was now accustomed to seeing, but instead, she caught the glimpse of a gun resting just above his hip, inside his jacket. He looked no less lethal than the guys who were armed to the teeth.

  "Luftar has called for you. Follow me." His words left no room for argument, and Scarlett reached for Emery's hand as they walked out together.

  They walked through a small sitting room, with windows stretched across the entire expanse of the outer wall. The view of the ocean would have been almost peaceful, if they hadn't been being led to be raped and possibly tortured. Scarlett pushed the thought out of her mind. She had to find a way out of this.

  They entered another bedroom, this one with a single king bed in the middle. It was a four-poster bed with thick wooden spindles. The headboard was a checkerboard of mahogany wood, and white curtains hung at each corner. The bed was almost out of place in the otherwise contemporary room, but it stood out as a work of art.

  "You will wait for Luftar here," the man said, and turned to close the door.

  As he turned to leave, Scarlett went to work, looking for a way out. She pressed herself against the large window that took up the entire expanse of the outside wall. To her right, she saw a small cement partition, and past that, stairs that led above. If she could get them out of there, maybe there were steps that went down as well.

  She pulled on the glass door next to the window, and, to her relief and surprise, it opened. She turned back to tell Emery to follow her and stopped cold.

  A man stood, holding Emery to his front and a knife to her throat. Em's eyes were clouded with fear, tears running in rivulets down her face. The man, whom Scarlett would have described as handsome if he hadn't been holding a knife to her sister's throat, wore a sincere smile, almost as if he were welcoming her.

  "Leaving so soon, sweet Scarlett?" he asked in a singsong voice.

  Scarlett shut the door and shook her head.

  "Good girl," he said, and released Emery, tucking the knife away somewhere in the folds of the long, black silk robe he wore. Scarlett didn't know where he could have hidden it. The robe left little to the imagination.

  He had tan skin, with few wrinkles for a man of his age. Scarlett was certain he had to be nearing fifty. His dark hair was skillfully tousled, and his eyes were piercing. The eyes of someone who could buy girls for his sexual pleasure.

  "Let me introduce myself," he began, in polished but accented English. "I am Luftar. I'm so happy you will be my guests." He turned, then, towards a sideboard in the room, pouring himself two fingers of a honey-colored liquid. "Would you like some? Maybe help take the edge off?"

  She just shook her head. He turned to Emery, holding out the glass in offering, and Emery also gave a brief shake of her head.

  "Well, then, I suggest we get to know each other a little better. I hear you've been quite the handful, Scarlett."

  "I'm sorry if fighting for my life has inconvenienced you," Scarlett spat.

  Luftar threw back his head with laughter. "I have heard what they say about redheads. I see that it is true."

  Scarlett didn’t think that statement warr
anted a response, so she kept quiet. She was appalled that this man could simply talk to her as if he weren't about to use her and her sister for his sick and twisted fantasies. She wasn't about to make it easy for him. Nerves shook her body, but she held on tightly to the little control she had. The drugs still in her system were causing her mind to be a little bit fuzzy, but she had to be able to find a way out of here before he hurt them.

  Luftar walked towards her, drink in hand, and Scarlett's body went still. One hand curled around the back of her neck, his thumb lightly pressing at the base of her throat. "So fragile," he murmured.

  Scarlett swallowed hard, and the man's face lit up with pleasure. "You're a little older than what I usually like; however, it was a pleasant surprise to hear that you'd saved yourself just for me."

  "I wasn't saving myself for you, you sick freak." Scarlett's head snapped back at the sudden explosion of his hand against her face. She never saw it coming.

  "You will watch the way you speak to me," he said, his face so close that Scarlett could smell the alcohol on his breath.

  Scarlett didn't move, afraid of what he'd do. And then his face changed, turning back to that of the well-mannered host. He casually walked to the table in the corner and sat down. Placing the drink on the table, he circled the edge of the glass with his finger. He didn't look at Scarlett or Emery when he spoke; instead, his eyes were transfixed on the motion of his finger.

  "I've always wanted sisters. To have two virginal sisters with such beauty is rare indeed. I plan to keep you around for a little while for my personal enjoyment. If you behave, I'll keep you together for now. If you don't, I'll separate you." His finger paused on the glass, and he leveled a gaze at Scarlett. "When I'm done, I'll sell you separately."

  Fear, white-hot in its intensity, threatened to debilitate Scarlett. She had known these things were possible, had known it was the fate awaiting them, but to hear it said so coldly by this man made it all too real. Anger replaced the fear, and Scarlett decided that she wasn't sticking around to be some psycho's plaything. She'd rather die, and have Emery die, than to stay and be tortured in this way.

  "Is it too hard to get a date? You have to resort to kidnapping women and forcing them to have sex with you?" Scarlett asked. His hand tightened on the glass. In one swift motion, he picked up the glass and threw it across the room against the wall. It shattered, the golden liquid running down the side of the wall. Scarlett jumped, and Emery let out a quiet yelp.

  Luftar stood, stalking towards Scarlett. His fists were clenched by his sides. Scarlett backed up against the glass window, and Luftar's hands went to her throat. He lifted her by her neck, squeezing tightly and cutting off her air supply. Scarlett clawed at his hands, trying desperately to free herself and suck in some air.

  He leaned in close, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. In her ear, he whispered, "You'll pay for that." With one quick motion, he shoved Scarlett to the side, sending her flying into the table. He advanced on her as she crawled backwards, scrambling to get to her feet. Her throat was sore, and black spots were swirling in her vision as she tried to get oxygen into her lungs. She hit the sideboard then, and couldn't go any farther. Luftar grabbed her arms and backhanded her across the face, once, then twice. She tasted the coppery tang of blood in her mouth, and struggled to stay upright.

  Scarlett's knees buckled, and Luftar let her go. She was dazed, still trying to breathe, and her face and head were throbbing. Luftar left her, walking towards Emery, who had collapsed to the floor while watching the scene. With a look over his shoulder, he lifted Emery up in his arms and took her to the bed, throwing her onto it.

  Emery screamed, kicking and flailing to get away, but he hit her. "They always fight at first," his calm voice called out to Scarlett. "But I always get my way. Soon, it will become commonplace to you. But I will have you first."

  Scarlett rose to her feet, desperate to try and rescue Emery. He was lifting her gown now, her arms pinned down by her sides. He was on top of her, and Scarlett had to act fast.

  "I'll let you watch this time, Scarlett. Next time, you get to participate."

  Without second-guessing herself, Scarlett felt behind her, grabbing the bottle of liquor off the sideboard.

  Luftar's face was buried against Emery's neck as if he were inhaling her scent. He breathed in deeply. "So young. So innocent. I will make you mine."

  Emery's wide, scared eyes met Scarlett's over his shoulder, and Scarlett put her finger to her lips. She lifted the bottle and hit Luftar in the head, the glass withstanding the blow. Luftar's body collapsed on top of Emery's as she scrambled to get out from under his weight.

  Scarlett helped Em from the bed, pulling her to her feet and rushing towards the glass door to the balcony. She shut it tightly, wishing she could lock it from the outside. She searched the balcony, looking for the steps she'd seen earlier. Her head was thumping, her blood pounding in her ears. The drugs, the head injuries, the lack of oxygen—it was all too much, and Scarlett felt herself growing tired and lethargic. She had to keep going. Had to get Emery safe. Then she could close her eyes.

  She pulled Emery towards the concrete partition, and they crawled over it easily. She stopped peering around the edge of the building to glance into the windows of the adjoining sitting room. Two guards, dressed in black suits, were sitting on a couch. The girls got down on their hands and knees, crawling quickly to the other cement wall. Quickly, they hurled themselves over it, and were now in front of the room they'd originally been kept in.

  Scarlett heard a commotion coming from inside. She glanced around the edge of the wall to see what was going on. The guards had found Luftar and were helping him inside the sitting room. Luftar looked out of it, but he was alive. The anger on his face sent chills down Scarlett's spine.

  Ducking down low, they passed the window to the bedroom, not seeing anyone inside. Finally, they found the stairs on the side of the building. Just as they stood, shouts rang out from the other side of the balcony. The men started towards them, and Scarlett helped Emery get to her feet. They had reached the stairs when someone grabbed her foot from behind. She lost her balance, falling face first on the stairs. Emery grabbed at her hands, trying to help her to her feet.

  Scarlett kicked back, only then looking to see who had her. Luftar. She kicked again, this time making contact with his face. He flailed backwards, and Scarlett took Emery's hands as they ran up the stairs. Suddenly, the lights went out. There was only the light from the moon, casting shadows across the rooftop. Scarlett realized then, that this wasn't a hotel, but some sort of villa. And it didn't look like there was any way down.

  Panic clawed its way up her throat, seeking release. Scarlett shoved it back down, unwilling to give in. The girls ran to the edge of the rooftop, looking over the edge. There was no way down.

  "You stupid bitch," Luftar spat, blood oozing from a cut on his lip. Just then, Scarlett saw a ladder that went over the side of the building. She wasn't sure where it led, but knew it was Emery's only chance of escape.

  Under her breath, as quietly as she could without Luftar hearing them, she said, "When he gets close, run to that ladder over there." She nodded slightly in the direction of the ladder. "Run. Get help." Emery shook her head, but Scarlett didn't have time for a discussion. "Do what I say. I'll distract him." Em squeezed her hand, and Scarlett stepped forward to meet Luftar's advance.

  He lunged for her, knocking her down against the rough surface of the roof. Pinning her legs down, he shoved his knee between them, opening her legs as he forced himself on her. Scarlett struggled, trying to delay the inevitable. He punched the side of her head, and the blow almost knocked her out. She stilled for a moment, and Luftar took advantage.

  "No," she moaned. She couldn't believe this was happening to her.

  Luftar was blinded by his rage, groping her and clawing at her gown. The fabric ripped away, and Scarlett's hands instinctually tried to cover her body. He grabbed her hands away, pulling the
m to the side as he lay back on top of her. He pushed her knees apart, and Scarlett knew this was it.

  Jerking a hand free, she pushed against his side, feeling the outline of a hard object inside his robe. She slipped her hand inside the robe, dropping her attempts at struggling. Luftar's lust was all-consuming, the rage and power overtaking him. He didn't notice when Scarlett pulled out the knife he had used on Emery earlier. Gripping it by the handle, she drove it into his back, right under his ribs.

  Luftar's face found hers, his eyes open in confusion. He slumped over her, and Scarlett clambered back out of his reach. Hands grabbed her arms, and she fought, kicking and punching. The arms tightened around her, drawing her up against a firm chest.

  "Shh, baby. It's me. It's Lucas. I got you."

  She stopped struggling, scared to hope. He turned her in his arms, and Scarlett jumped as she met with a dark, painted face.

  "It's me, Scarlett," Lucas said again.

  "Lucas?" Scarlett asked.

  "I thought I was too late. When I saw him on top of you, I thought—" he said, breaking off.

  Scarlett's head was spinning. It was too much. Her body decided at that moment that it was done being strong, and Scarlett collapsed in Lucas's arms.

  * * * *

  Lucas caught Scarlett as she fainted. He scooped her up, grateful that he'd gotten here in time. The sheer fabric of her gown was torn, and he hurried quickly to the rooms downstairs.

  The team had arrived to find only a few guards watching the place. It was easy work taking out the ones guarding the grounds. The two guys inside put up a small fight, but they were no match for the Castle guys.

  Fear hit Lucas right between the eyes when he walked into the bedroom and saw evidence of the struggle that had taken place. The covers on the bed were rumpled, and he had thought that they were too late.