by Sophia Gray
“That is not for you to decide,” the man said icily. He began to pull off his gloves and examine his hands. “We are working for someone, and he wanted you brought here.”
“Can you tell me what happened to my dog, please?” I looked into the man’s blue eyes, hoping for a trace of sympathy. They remained stony and cold. “Her name is Pepper, she was in the car with us, I am worried that she’s hurt.”
The man clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers. There was another growl, then a bark, and I gasped—three German shepherds ran into the warehouse. Their coats were thick and shiny, and big pink tongues hung from their mouths. They ran up to the two men and then stopped, sitting on their haunches and staring at me.
The man reached down and petted one of them, then looked at me with a cruel grin on his slender face. “This is your dog?” He raised his eyebrows. “You lose this dog?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head for emphasis. “I’ve never seen those dogs before. I don’t know who they belong to, they’re not mine.”
The man threw his head back and laughed. When his companion joined in, I shuddered.
“You have visit with our boss soon,” the man replied. “He come and visit you—make sure that you are alright.”
“I don’t know who your boss is,” I said, my voice growing to a high pitch. “I told you, I have no idea what the hell I’m doing here! I was in a car with my boss, Enzo, and my dog, and then there was some kind of crash.”
The man smiled at me. He put his gloves back on and patted one German shepherd’s head. The other two dogs had their eyes trained on me. I closed my eyes and tried to take a deep breath. I was so scared that my lungs were aching and I thought that I was going to pass out.
“It does not matter,” the man said. He tapped the dog on its haunches, and it rose to all fours. “I leave you with these dogs,” he added with a grin. “For company.”
I sighed. “Okay. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t even know where I am.”
“And I leave Maika,” the man said, nodding at the slightly short blond man. “He will watch you until boss arrives.”
“Are you just going to leave me here?” I gestured around the warehouse. “It’s freezing in here, and I’m hungry. Can’t I have something to eat?”
The man’s gloved hand hit my face faster than I could duck, and for a moment, I didn’t feel anything. Then a hot, painful sting spread through my cheek and jaw, and I winced as tears came to my eyes.
“You ask too many questions,” the man snapped. “We return later.” He nodded at Maika, then turned on his heel and stomped out of the warehouse.
When he was gone, I saw Maika relax just a bit. Maybe the tall guy was the leader, I thought. Maybe this guy is just as freaked out as I am. I watched him carefully, looking for any sign that he could be counted on for sympathy.
“Who do you work for?” I looked at the man warily, half-expecting another slap. He shook his head.
“Do you speak English?”
He shook his head again. He said something that sounded like “Rooskie” before slumping against the wall and sitting on the floor. The German shepherds curled up around him, looking almost angelic.
A trace of my fear disappeared, and I sighed. What the hell was Enzo involved with, and who were these Russian thugs? What the hell was I doing here?
I had no way of telling time. My phone had been taken, and I was resolved to sitting against the wall and watching the rays of the sun move along the decrepit wooden floor. When my limbs grew stiff and began to fall asleep, I changed positions. There was absolutely no way of being comfortable, and if I sat in place for too long, I started to feel cold.
The air was still chilly, but the sun had finally started to warm up the day a little—the tip of my nose was no longer numb. This isn’t so bad, I told myself. You’ve been through worse. Everything’s going to be okay, just hang in there and keep breathing. These guys don’t want to hurt you; he only slapped you because you kept asking questions. Just keep your head down, and everything’s going to be fine. Enzo’s fine, Pepper’s fine, and you’re going to get back to work with a funny story to tell. Don’t worry. Stay calm. I repeated those words in my head over and over. No matter how many times I told myself that everything would be okay, I still couldn’t shake the sense of dread and foreboding that came over me.
One set of doors to the warehouse slowly creaked open. I gasped as the heavy metal chains fell to the floor. They dropped so heavily that I felt the floorboards give, then bounce and finally spring back into place. As the door swung open, I prayed that Enzo and the police would be on the other side.
Instead, it was someone I thought looked vaguely familiar. He was of average height with a spare tire of middle-aged fat around his waist, shiny pink skin, and thinning light hair. He was wearing a suit underneath some kind of woolen overcoat, and despite the winter chill, he looked completely warm and cozy. There were slim leather gloves on his hands, and he was wearing shiny, new shoes.
“Hello, Audrey,” the man said as he stepped closer. “You’re looking a little cold.” He snapped his fingers, and the pale, muscular man from before darted inside after him. He was carrying a blanket.
The man in the overcoat pointed towards me. “Give her the blanket,” he said to the pale man. “She looks cold. I told you, don’t let her get cold.”
I couldn’t help but frown as the man walked over to me and dropped a thick, woolen blanket in my lap. It looked like the kind of thing you’d find at a military surplus store, but my legs already felt warmer. Gratefully, I pulled the blanket around me and crawled to my feet.
When I was standing, I realized the man in the suit was actually pretty short. Especially compared to Enzo. He was only a few inches taller than me, and I could tell that he was probably in his early sixties. His face was pink, plump, and obviously well-fed.
“Excuse me,” I said softly, straightening up as much as I could. My back ached from being on the hard wood for hours, and my feet were swollen and cold in my loafers. “I don’t know why I’m here. I was in a car accident, and then I must have passed out, and I woke up here.”
The man smiled, and for a moment, I felt a touch of relief. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.” He kept his smile trained on me for a long time, and suddenly, a chill of fear trickled down the back of my neck. “You’re in good hands, Audrey.”
“When can I leave?”
The man chuckled. “I hate to do this to you, but I’m actually waiting for someone. So as soon as I get what I need, you’re free to go.” He smiled at me, and I shivered. “That sound alright to you?”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand. What does this have to do with me?” I frowned at him. “I’m not some high-ranking individual, you know. I’m just a secretary.”
“Just a secretary,” the man repeated. He glanced at the tall, pale man and Maika. “She thinks she’s just a secretary. Isn’t that funny?”
As if on cue, all three men laughed. I glanced around nervously. What the fuck was going on?
“I think there may have been some kind of misunderstanding,” I said, wrapping the blanket more tightly around me and cocooning myself inside. Even though it was only wool and felt trim, I still imagined that it was somehow keeping me safer. At least this way I didn’t feel so damn exposed. “I don’t think there’s anything I can help you with,” I added. “I don’t know anything.”
The man stepped forward. His grin grew, and I watched his pink, shiny face twitch with the effort of it all. His eyes, an odd shade of gray, almost like Enzo’s, were glowing with a gleam that made me shudder. He suddenly reminded me of all the caricatures I’d seen of the Devil when I was going to church food banks with my parents.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” the man said. His voice was like wet velvet or silk, suited to reading books on tape. “You can help me get exactly what I want.”
I shook my head. “I think you’re overestimating how important I really am a
t work,” I insisted. “You know I don’t do anything except grab coffee and make appointments. Sometimes I clean my boss’s office, that’s all.”
The man leered at me and my gut twisted with fright. “You clean for Enzo? How sweet,” the man cooed. “And what does he make you wear when you do that?” He gestured towards my baggy leggings and loafers. “Surely not those horrid clothes.”
I stared at him. “There’s something you’re not telling me,” I said slowly. “What do you want with Enzo?”
“Oh, I don’t want anything with Enzo.” He reached up and rubbed his chin with one of his soft-looking leather gloves. “I want his company. Not Enzo. I don’t give a fuck what happens to Enzo. You know, I actually wish Enzo were dead.”
I felt like I’d been punched in the gut, but I was still confused as to what the hell I was doing there. “And how can I help you get that?” I demanded. “It’s not like I know anything about the company. I don’t even have stock in the company,” I added. “Why wouldn’t you talk to someone who was more powerful?”
The man stepped closer. I could smell his cologne—it was sickly sweet, like something you’d find in a funeral home. “Because you’re exactly who I need,” he murmured. “You, Audrey. You, the object of Enzo’s obsession, are the exact pawn I need to push him into place.”
I swallowed hard. There was a sick feeling rising in my throat, and I tried to ignore it. “You’re blackmailing Enzo because of me? You kidnapped me?” The pitch of my voice rose to a squeaky high, and I winced, feeling oddly unable to control my own body.
The man reached out and stroked my chin. I shuddered; the touch of his glove was soft and cold, but I didn’t want him anywhere near me. “You’re a little smarter than I gave you credit for,” he replied. “You figured it out pretty quickly.” He smiled, showing a mouth full of teeth so perfect they looked like dentures. “Enzo doesn’t normally care about women, but I know he’s obsessed with you. So, I have to use you. It’s nothing personal, I assure you,” the man added. “But I’m Richard Hodges, and I get what I want.”
I stared at him. “You’re Richard Hodges?”
The man nodded. For a moment, he looked almost prideful. “I am. In the flesh.”
“Please let me go,” I begged. “I won’t tell anyone what happened, I promise!” Desperation and fear were starting well up in me, and for another moment, I was afraid I was going to be sick. I gurgled and coughed as hot, sour bile rose in my throat.
Richard shook his head. “And I don’t really like you having all this room to move around either. Maika, Sergei! Tie her up!”
At once, the Russians advanced towards me. I took a tentative step backward, and the rotting wooden floorboards creaked beneath my weight. “No!” I screamed as Maika reached for me “No! Help! Someone! Help! Help me!” My voice went shrill and high. Sergei, the taller of the two, grabbed me.
Another strong wave of nausea tore through my body as I pushed away from him, bending over and retching all over the floor. Tears came to my eyes as the vomit poured out of my mouth. I felt helpless to stop it. Before I was even finished throwing up, Sergei grabbed my arms and twisted them painfully behind my back. I tried to pull away from him, but he was stronger than me, much too strong to fight. I yelped in pain as I felt coarse rope cinch around my wrists, holding my hands fast.
“Help!” I screamed. “Pepper! Anyone! Help me!”
The German shepherds had risen from their lazy stances and were eyeing me cautiously. Hot tears leaked from my eyes as Sergei dragged me backward, holding onto the rope between my wrists. He pulled me out of the sunlight and into a dark corner of the warehouse, where a pile of old boards and rope lay.
“You stay here,” Sergei said, his yellow teeth flashing in the low light. “Boss want you to stay here.”
“Fuck you,” I spat out.
Richard walked over. His expression was cross, and his arms were folded in front of his meaty, bulky chest. “Audrey, I don’t want to hear that kind of language,” he said in a warning tone. “I liked you better when you were begging me to let you go.” Richard smirked at me, and a bubble of hatred rose within me. “Why not try begging me again?”
I clamped my lips together.
“Just a little beg?” Richard raised his eyebrows and leaned down, staring into my eyes. I looked away. My mouth still tasted of the sour vomit, and my stomach was aching again.
“Where’s Pepper?” I asked in a sullen voice. “I want my dog. What did you do to my dog?”
Richard cocked his head. “I don’t remember any dog in the car. Are you sure?” Making a fist with his hand, he crouched down and gently rapped me on the head. Even though it didn’t hurt, I cringed at his touch. “You sure you didn’t knock your little head on something hard, Audrey?”
I glared at him. “Pepper is my lab. I know she was with me. What did you do with her?”
Richard shrugged. “I have no use for mutts. Don’t accuse me of anything too sinister.” He smiled at me as he drew himself back up to his full height. “It’s not as though I’d do anything malicious to your pooch, Audrey. Or you, so behave.” He grinned at me again, and my stomach turned over.
“Boss,” Sergei said suddenly. He tapped his wrist.
“Darn, I was almost enjoying this little talk of ours. You stay well, Audrey,” he said casually. “Depending on Enzo’s response, hopefully, you’ll see me sooner than later.” He winked at me. “Wouldn’t want you getting too cold now.” He turned to Sergei. “Gag her,” he said in a sharp voice. Then I watched Richard Hodges walk away.
Sergei came at me with a roll of duct tape and something clutched in his fist. When he bent down in front of me, I realized in horror that he was about to gag me with a sock. I screamed as he put his hands close to my mouth. Clamping my lips shut, I glared at him. Sergei shook his head.
“Open mouth.” He glared back at me.
I shook my head. Finally, Sergei reached forward and clamped his strong fingers around my nose. My lungs ached immediately, but I twisted and writhed against him, hoping to free myself. Sergei’s light eyes bored into mine, and I shivered with the intensity of his gaze. Finally, I couldn’t keep my lips shut any longer, and I opened my mouth.
Sergei stuffed a foul-tasting sock inside, sealing my mouth with duct tape. When he was done, all I could do was make weak, gurgling noises.
Sergei grinned down at me as he got to his feet and brushed his hands off on his jeans. “Stay,” he commanded, pointing down at me. My cheeks reddened, and I scowled beneath my duct-tape gag. He was treating me exactly the way I treated Pepper when she misbehaved.
Finally, Sergei strolled out of the warehouse with his hands in his pockets. Maika and the German shepherds stayed behind, watching me balefully. I sighed through my nose and flopped back against the wood. My stomach was still upset, and for a horrible moment, I was afraid of gagging and puking again. But then I realized my stomach was probably empty by now—nothing left to throw up.
Closing my eyes, I begged myself not to cry. The tears were there, but I didn’t want to cry in front of Maika and the dogs. It would have been almost as bad as crying in front of Richard. Please, Enzo, I begged silently. Please come and save me soon. I don’t know what he’s going to do to me, but I’m so scared!
Chapter 3
Enzo
As soon as I printed out all of the statements from Seb’s careful work, I called Detective O’Brian. O’Brian had worked on Hodges’ case all those years ago, and while I knew that he wouldn’t exactly be pleased to see me, I felt that there was at least something valuable that I could offer him.
At the same time, I wasn’t exactly dying to speak to him. Anything I gave O’Brian reflected on my character as well, and I wasn’t about to be the guy who went to jail for bringing down the bigger criminal. And the kind of thing I was doing could very well put me in jail. After all, I wasn’t exactly blameless. I’d willingly worked with Richard all those years before. I didn’t know that he was doing anything ille
gal, like laundering money, but deep down, I’d always had the suspicion that he wasn’t as good of a guy as he pretended to be.
“Chicago Police Department, how may I help you?” The receptionist sounded bored.
“I need to speak with Detective O’Brian. Quickly, please.”
She sighed. “There’s no use rushing me, sir, we’re all in a hurry today.” The response was mechanical, as if she had to use it multiple times per day. “Hold, please.”
Before I could agree, I was put on hold. Sappy, instrumental music played in my ear, and I rolled my eyes and put my office phone on speaker. I was too tense to look away from the phone though. My foot kept tapping up and down, and my muscles were clenching so hard that my body was starting to ache. I didn’t like this. Not at all. I hated not having any idea what had happened to Audrey, and the longer I took to find out, the more bad shit could happen in the meantime.
“Sir, he’s in a meeting right now,” the receptionist said drolly. “Can I take a message?”
“No,” I snapped. “I’ll wait. I need to talk to him now. It’s very important—it’s about a case from a few years back.”
“Fine. Hold, please.”
Again, the music returned before I could even agree. By the time O’Brian picked up the phone, I was halfway to deciding that I was just going to walk down there and show him the files myself.
“This is O’Brian speaking.”
“This is Enzo Lennox calling. I need to speak with you about a Richard Hodges. You worked on his arrest a few years ago—white-collar crime. I don’t think he did time in prison, but he was close.”
“Oh yeah.” There was a chewing sound. “I remember. Real asshole of a guy. Real smug fuck.”
“Yeah,” I said, feeling lost. “He’s threatening me, and I have financial statements that prove he laundered more money than was proven years ago.”