by Theresa Papa
“Wow, Elizabeth, I can feel the heat of all that fucked-up anger and hatred all the way over here.” David raises his head, opens his eyes, and locks them with mine. My eyebrows wrinkle together, and I lower my head to look at the floor. There’s no fight left in me; there is no motivation left in me to fight my inevitable destiny.
Sumo appears, and once again, they switch my restraints to behind my back. I’m led off the plane and down the steps to the tarmac. The pilot and his crew stand next to two black Cadillac SUV’s. David pushes me from behind toward the cars.
“The next plane is fueled and ready, sir,” Sumo informs David.
“Good. What about Harrington, did you inform him of our ETA?”
“Yes, sir.”
Darkness envelops the light as the day from hell ends, it continues into my night in hell. We all take a short ride to another part of the airport to change planes. I have no idea where in the world I am. But why should I care, the result will be the same no matter where these bastards take me on the way. The jet fuel assaults my senses as I’m escorted up another flight of stairs onto the next plane. David asks if I need to use the restroom. I nod my head, and he instructs Sumo to take me as the crew shuts the door of the aircraft. He unties the gag and uncuffs my hands for the first time, but there’s no hope of escape from him or the plane. I sigh and enter the toilet to do my business with Sumo outside the door. I use the time to rinse out my mouth and wash my face and hands. The girl who looks back at me in the mirror is now foreign to me. She lacks the fight and vigor of the revenge-seeking woman I was at Club Beta, and she is not the loved and cherished woman who left the pool house early this morning. It is best to become void of all empathy and compassion, as well as not to allow myself to feel anything in hopes of lighting a spark in my empty soul. My inanimate response to everything will hide any genuine emotions so it cannot be used against me. Once again, my childhood coping mechanism takes over to turn me into a chameleon, adapting to survive.
A pound on the door scares me, and Sumo demands I come out. I exit the bathroom, and he immediately pushes me into a seat to cuff me and buckle me in. I just keep my eyes down and hope he forgoes the gag. He does.
The plane ride takes forever, it seems, when a crewmember whispers in my ear. “Hey Liz, can I get you something to drink and eat so you’re ready to run when I rescue you?”
I look up in shock and gasp at the vision in front of me. My eyes go wide, and my mouth hangs open in surprise.
“We’ll land in twenty minutes. As soon as they open the doors, put this gas mask on because I will release a sleeping gas that will incapacitate everyone on the plane immediately. Once they all pass out, we make a run for it,” he murmurs.
He leans over me and puts the mask under my bottom in the seat to hide it with David’s big baggy shirt I have on. He still smells wonderful, and heat fills my cheeks when I remember what we did before I left him. Then he opens a bottle of water and a protein bar, and he puts them to my lips to consume. When I finish, he opens my right handcuff with a key. Then places it in the shirt pocket.
“We don’t want to take the chance of getting caught, so keep it on your wrist like you’re still restrained until we land and then free yourself quickly to put on the mask. Okay?” I nod before he winks and walks away. I never imagined I would see him again when I up and left him in his house on Lake Geneva. Confusion racks my brain as I wonder if I should trust Jake to rescue me. Tony told me Jake was one of the players in the game. When I weigh the alternatives, though, I would rather be with Jake any day than David and Sumo. Jake treated me well, and what other choice do I have? I prefer the lesser of two evils.
My foot taps wildly along with the beat of my anxious heart when David walks by on his way to the restroom. I stay still and keep my head down to make him think I’m asleep. I can’t let him find out I’m unbuckled from the right cuff. On his return, he stops next to my seat for a few seconds, almost giving me a coronary. The captain announces the arrival and asks everyone to take his or her seats. Thank goodness, he goes back to his seat.
This landing is much softer as I wiggle my fingers in preparation to free myself and put the mask on. The door to the plane is opened, and I release both handcuffs. There’s some yelling first, then there’s a fog in the air, I quickly put the mask on and unbuckle my seat belt. My breathing is loud in the mask, and it feels like my heart will beat out of my chest. The plane fills up with smoke so dense I can’t see who’s headed toward me, and I nervously brace myself, pushing back in the seat. Jake looks like an alien invader who wants to take me to his planet when he grabs my hand and leads me to the exit. Through the smoke, I can see Sumo first, passed out in his seat, and then David is on the floor of the plane. He probably tried to get out in time…stupid bastard. We step over him quickly and run down the stairs. Clean air now surrounds us as we rip off our masks. There’s another black SUV waiting here for us, and I hesitate for a moment thinking they are David’s men. Jake pulls me forward.
“This is our ride!”
We both plop onto luxurious seats exhaling heavily. The car speeds out of the airport far away from David Dunstan. His chances at collecting millions from Richard are now null and void.
As we drive, the locale seems more and more remote. Once at our destination, my heart finally beats normally, and I’m calmer. Paulo our driver maneuvers through a tall bamboo gate attached to a ten-foot cinder block wall surrounding the property. Jake never releases my hand until we are safely in the house. The accommodations are delightful with lush plant life bordered walkways and whitewashed outside walls under a red-tiled roof. He opens the door to wave me in with a bow, sheer drapes flow in the breeze from open doors out back. The ocean scent fills my lungs, and I can see reflective lights that shine against water that must lead to the pool. Jake comes over to stand beside me and gazes out toward the ocean.
“We are secluded and safe from Richard here. I didn’t even use my name to rent the beach house. I withdrew cash from my savings account. He has power here in Rio, but I know I caught them all by surprise when I grabbed you right from under David’s nose.”
“I will need to go home soon to … to check on things.” I almost mentioned Tony and his family but stopped myself in time. Most important is for me to keep Jake on my side. It wouldn’t be good to make him jealous. I realize that, at the moment, my life is in his hands.
“It’s important that we lay low for a few days here. I’ve had the kitchen stocked and even some clothes brought here for you. Are you hungry?”
“Starved!”
“All right, make yourself at home while I whip us up something to eat,” he says on his way to the kitchen.
“Do you mind if I change into some of those clothes you got for me? I’m tired of wearing David’s clothes.”
“Not at all. It’s down the hall. The first room on the right.”
When I follow his direction, the room I enter is simply decorated with white walls and a queen-size bed. It has an en suite bath and doors that lead out to a small balcony overlooking the ocean. The waves can lull me to sleep tonight. The closets are white cabinets against the wall in which I find a simple gauze skirt and top.
It turns out that the villa has a rooftop terrace to observe the beach and the ocean where Jake and I end up eating. There are a bar and refrigerator and even a bathroom up there.
After I set some of the food down on the table, I walk over to the whitewashed half wall and lean down on my elbows to stare out to sea. The wind blows my hair back, and my gauze outfit undulates around me. An exhausted feeling washes over me as I stand there for a few minutes to wrangle my thoughts. If Jake intends to turn me over and collect the money, he has made no indication. I really have no choice but to trust him out here in the middle of nowhere. When I think back to the day we spent together at the Shedd Aquarium, he was always sweet and kind to me.
Jake clears his throat behind me, and I turn to see him set down a frittata,
some French bread, and butter. “I brought the fresh fruit up with me.” He strides over to the bar, opens a bottle of wine, and brings it over with two stemmed glasses. We sit together speechlessly for a while, marveling at the beauty of the stars that shine like diamonds in the expansive dark sky.
“Jake, you’re so quiet compared to how I remember you that day at the aquarium. I … I wanted …” I begin when he interrupts me. His silver irises catch the light of the full moon; he seems serious and even sad.
“Liz, why did you leave me?”
I am about to thank him for rescuing me from David. But his question hangs there. I don’t want to risk his jealousy if I say anything about Tony, but I won’t lie to him.
“Um … the day I left your house, it was … well, it … it was because I had reason to believe you are playing in Richard Harrington’s game.”
I wait for him to feign ignorance and denial about the game and his participation. But he clears his throat and stands to pace before he tells me what I hope is the truth.
“Elizabeth, I have to come clean here. When we met at the aquarium, I was playing Richard’s game. I was desperate at the time, in need of money to save my home from foreclosure. The money from Richard was a way to pay off the debts and repair the home I grew up in and inherited two years ago when my parents died.”
Then he sits back down on the Adirondack chair next to me, leans in, and takes my hand into both of his before he continues.
“I never expected to be so captivated by the girl I was supposed to kidnap. When we spent the day together laughing and talking, it was the best day of my life. I’m sure you could tell that I never wanted it to end.” He grins and lasers into my eyes with his own. “Then when you were attacked in the parking lot by that other player, something came over me. All I wanted to do was to protect you. I didn’t care about the game anymore. I didn’t care about the house anymore. All I cared about was you,” he murmurs as he slides his knuckles up and down my cheek. “Then when you disappeared; at first, I figured I went too far sexually in the den on the sofa.” I smirk at him as I remember the way he brought me to climax. He continues, “When you never even returned for your clothes, I knew another player had taken you. But your location never showed up on the app after that day. The phone you left in your bag at my house was the tracker connected to the app. I needed another way to find you. It wasn’t until I investigated all the players and pinpointed their locations that I found you were at David’s.”
Chapter 31
Jake Balcom
She is so exquisite. Having her back with me again is a dream come true. I try to explain what has transpired to her gently so as not to scare her off. After all, I don’t want to be like Richard Harrington. When she first left me, I was heartbroken and despondent. It felt like another death. Loneliness consumed me once again in the big empty house on the lake. No more family, no more Elizabeth. I walked from one empty room to another aimlessly with the bottle of scotch dangling from my hand. Even the slow intoxication and the burn from the amber liquid wouldn’t ease my pain. It was only when I walked into the guest room once again to touch her things, to savor her fragrance, I finally realized she was taken by a player. I only spent a couple days with her, but she had captivated me. Even though I had to spend all the money I had and use credit cards to borrow additional funds, there was no other choice than to find her and save her from the game.
Our eyes are fixed on one another when I finish clarifying the events that led up to my planned rescue on the plane. I want more than anything to kiss her. To show her how much I want her. She turns away and looks down at her feet to break the trance we are both in.
“Jake, I want to thank you for rescuing me from David. It was brave, and above and beyond anything I would expect of you.”
I turn away this time, disappointed that she doesn’t think of me as someone she can count on.
“We really only have known each other for two days. So you can see why I’m so grateful and surprised,” she explains, squashing my disappointment. I realize that she means she will come to count on me the longer we are together.
“Even in just two days, I have come to feel very close to you,” I acknowledge.
“Hey, if you ever need to talk about your parents … I mean, um … I’m here for you. I know what it’s like being all alone in the world without the support of parents,” she offers with a sad grin.
I flinch when she suggests I open up to her about my parents. The script I have memorized in my mind is not what I want to say to her. There’s something to be said for being honest, especially from the beginning of our relationship. Although I don’t want the usual cliché judgments to confuse her feelings. I don’t want her pity. I decide not to tell her the details of the horrendous car accident my parents died in. Or that my father drove drunk. His blatant disregard for my mother’s life and other drivers’ lives has haunted me since the day the doctors told me what he had done. She might make assumptions about me based on my father’s alcoholism. I need to get her to fall for me, not be repulsed by me.
“The subject of my parents is not really foremost in my mind right now,” I confess.
A pleasing smile adorns her face when she changes the subject.
“This place is lovely! Can we swim in the ocean tomorrow?”
“Absolutely! I got you a skimpy black bikini just for that purpose,” I tease her with a wink. She gets up to collect our plates as she heads toward the stairs.
“I’m bushed! It’s bedtime. I desperately need to end this day. Also, it will be nice to sleep without restraints.” She realizes the double meaning to what she said and puts her hand up to her mouth and giggles.
“Somehow, I don’t think you like David in that way. But with the right partner, restraints can be sexy,” I tease.
“You got that right!” She laughs through her nose.
We descend the stairs to the lower level where the bedrooms are located. I had all of her things placed in the master bedroom. My own, I put in the room next door. She rinses the dishes and hands me them to place in the dishwasher. I’m grateful for every minute I get to spend with her, so I’m happy she helps me with the cleanup. When the last dish is finished, I trap her against the counter with a hand on either side of her. She looks up at me with those sparkling emeralds called eyes and says, “Jake, I’m really so very tired. I just want to go to bed. Okay?”
I can understand she’s been through so much, so I release her. Before closing the door, she turns and says, “Good night, Jake, and thank you.”
I nod, smile, and give her a salute in response.
Chapter 32
Liz Pope
Tinkle, tinkle. I’m awakened by the sound that floats through the beach house. I’m groggy and stuffed up from crying myself to sleep the night before as thoughts of Tony spun through my mind. An inundation of grief overwhelmed me. Buckets of tears that embodied the liquid splinters of my broken heart. Once the floodgates were allowed to open, there was no end. I desperately wish I could borrow a phone and call Nico to inquire about Tony’s family, but I can’t take the chance of the game’s discovery of me.
Outside the sliding doors, wind chimes hang over the balcony. Wind chimes have always been the bane of my existence since I moved in with Anna in our apartment in Evanston. A neighbor in the adjacent apartment had several chimes that drove me absolutely insane. Living in the Windy City, there was never any time where I could just enjoy silence. A quiet moment to clear my head, a chance to meditate or write was what I yearned for. People don’t realize how much noise from a neighbor can affect a person’s life.
I jump out of bed and onto the balcony to see where the chimes are. Forgetful that I slept in my panties and a tank top, I climb up on the railing and slap the hangar to knock them down.
“I guess you hate wind chimes,” Jake deduces out loud from the balcony next door. He sits in a chair relaxing with his long legs crossed at the ankles dressed in only
his shorts. My eyes take in his washboard stomach and move up slowly till I lock eyes with him. His lustful expression tells me he was checking me out, too. After all, I gave him a show in my underwear. I’m not easily embarrassed since I’d become so used to men who gawk at Club Beta. So, I jump down as gracefully as I can and try to make a joke of it.
“Sorry, I want to murder all wind chimes anywhere near me. They drive me crazy!”
“I’ll make a note of it. Sorry they woke you,” Jake says with a sexy smirk on his face.
The way he reclines there, so masculine and delectable, brings an excitement inside my belly. My mind goes back to a time when I would have sex just to feel close to another human being and feed off the high for a little while. My obsession with sex has never cooled. I can tell he’s aroused and doesn’t care that I know. There’s no doubt about his desire for me, but I’m too confused about my feelings. I can’t betray my Tony, even if the act wouldn’t mean anything to me emotionally.
Chapter 33
Jake Balcom
It’s early morning, and the crystal waves of the ocean roll into the shore with a refreshing breeze in accompaniment. The sun is a fireball in the sky that hovers lazily overhead. The sight of that and the wind chimes tinkling above encourage my trancelike stare. This place makes me the most relaxed I’ve been in two years. Too bad the rent is so expensive, and I had to max out a credit card and drain my savings. It’s so remote and secluded it feels as if we are the last two people in the world. If I were ever the last on earth, I would want to be with Elizabeth.
The object of my fantasies bounces out onto the balcony next door. Elizabeth is so stunningly beautiful she takes my breath away. Her hair is all mussed up from sleep left loose to blow like a dark chocolate waterfall all around her shoulders. The faceted emeralds she sees the world through look up intently as she concentrates on her task. Her body is tight and athletic as I peruse from her small painted toenails up to her defined thigh muscles that flex while she climbs the railing. Her perfectly curved ass and dusky rose nipples are on display to leave nothing to my imagination.