by Terra Kelly
A small sliver of her memory allowed her to only see when Ella picked her up. They were both laughing and singing to a song on the radio. Of course, the song wasn’t even in this portion of the memory.
There was a creek, and then the door to her room slowly opened, and Preslie came into view.
“Pres.”
“Hey, sweetie.”
“I think I need your help filling in some blanks.”
Preslie hopped up onto the bed and snuggled next to Vikki. “I don’t know much. Miles is checking the surveillance footage. Well, he did but he won’t tell me anything.”
“That bad?”
“No. It sounds like it’s linked to a case they’re working on.”
Vikki leaned up. “What? How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, but rest and we’ll figure this out.”
Vikki sighed and rested her head on Preslie’s shoulder.
Her mind was in a fog. There was a building in front of her that looked old and run down. Where was she? She lifted her foot to step forward and stopped suddenly at the pain that shot through her body. She could hear laughing off in the distance. The sound was familiar and sent a chill up her spine.
“Where are you going?” A male voice said from behind Vikki.
She felt the need to run. The moment she tried to take the first step, her leg gave out and she fell to the ground. The voice had to be only inches behind her now. Vikki went on all fours and crawled behind a dumpster a foot away. She huddled in a corner and tried to stay silent even with her heavy breathing.
“You can run but you can’t hide.” Then the man laughed. He said something else, but she couldn’t make out the words.
After what seemed like hours, Vikki peeked around the dumpster, worried she would find someone sitting waiting for her to appear. No one was around. Her leg still hurt, so she continued to crawl on all fours. She didn’t care where she ended up, any place was better than where she was at the moment.
Her body flopped down onto a pillow, but there was something poking her side. As she lifted up to see what was pressing into her skin, she noticed headlights off in a distance. If only she could get closer to the lights, maybe the mystery car could help her.
She attempted to crawl another foot, but her body had enough. Her shoulder gave out, and her head hit the pavement.
“Vikki?”
She could hear the sound of a man’s voice. It wasn’t the same voice she was running from. The mystery man came into view, and her body hummed. Was it him?
“Baby, I have you.”
It was him. Her music man.
“She’s not yours. We haven’t finished with her yet.”
Vikki looked over, but her eyes would not focus.
“You can have her when we’re done.” The man grabbed Vikki’s arm and started to drag her over the pavement.
“No, please. No, stop.”
“Vikki, honey, you’re safe.” Preslie placed her hand on Vikki’s shoulder and shook it lightly.
“What?” She opened her eyes and turned toward Preslie. “That wasn’t real?”
Her friend turned her head to the side. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. You were dreaming, sweets.”
“Where’s my music man?”
“He left.”
“Why?”
“He told me he had to talk to Miles, hugged me and left.”
“Preslie, I think I saw the guy who attacked me in my dream.”
Two
Ricky slapped his hand down on the conference desk. “I’m out of retirement.”
Miles lifted his head. “Yeah, something change your mind?”
“Someone.”
“You sure you want to make this decision because of a woman?”
“Would you?”
“We’re not talking about me.”
Ricky pulled out a chair. “All I know is, I don’t think I will ever get the look in Vikki’s eyes out of my head.”
“We’re working on it now. That will not happen again.”
“It’s not changing my decision.”
Cooper stepped into the room. “Hey, Ricky. Couldn’t help over hearing the conversation. It’s been fifteen years since you worked with us. You think you still have what it takes?”
Ricky rolled his eyes. “And some.”
Erickson was sitting at the other end of the conference table. “What am I missing?”
“Ricky is a retired cop and has done undercover work for us in the past,” Miles said and closed the file he was working on.
Erickson scowled. “Retired? You don’t look that old.”
“I left the force early. Not for me.”
“More like, a case got in his head,” Cooper said and sat next to Miles.
“Maybe.”
Ricky didn’t like the vibe he was feeling in the room. All he knew was, he’d sat by Vikki’s bed and watched her for twenty-four hours letting the idea run back and forth in his mind. When she’d woke up unsure of what had happened the night before, that sealed the deal on his decision.
The case Cooper was referencing still gave him nightmares.
“You sure you want to get involved in this shit again,” Cooper asked.
“This shit?”
“Yeah, it deals with your favorite people.”
Ricky stood and walked over to the window. “How the hell did Vikki get involved with the biggest mob boss Toronto has ever seen?”
“We speculate she is a pawn.” Miles leaned back in his chair. “There is a possibility it could’ve been Preslie, but Vikki drew the short straw.”
“Jesus.” He rested his hands on the table. “Whatever you need, just tell me when and where.”
“Ricky, the moment we start to share everything, there’s no going back.”
“Lay it on me.” He sat down and interlocked his fingers in front of him.
Cooper and Miles spent the next hour filling Ricky in on everything that had happened with Letizia and her family. He was trying to process how deep Letizia’s family went with the Nesta mob. The fact that her father actually worked for Giano was reason enough to come out of retirement. He knew Giano would stop at nothing to take anyone in Letizia’s orbit down.
“Wait, so Vikki and Preslie are close to Letizia? So jackass thought if he put a hit on one of them, it would lure Zia back?”
“Pretty much,” Miles said. “Finley and Letizia are still in Clearwater, Florida. We have not seen any sign of Dego or Giano. That doesn’t mean we’re not missing something.”
“I could go see Letizia and Finley and scope out the place?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Cooper said and grabbed the file Miles was working on. “But you can’t go looking like that.”
“Looking like what?” Ricky asked, stroking his hand down his long beard.
“Like a woodsman hiding out in a cabin.”
“Nice.”
“You sure you want to do this?” Miles asked, hitting the start engine button on his SUV.
“I have no other choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
“Vikki needs us.”
“You can’t go see her now. You okay with that?”
Ricky looked out the passenger window. “It’s not forever.” He had to keep saying that over and over in his mind because he didn’t believe the words. It would be hard leaving without saying goodbye to Vikki. He knew Miles would keep him updated. “Will you put Vikki, Preslie, and the kids in protective custody?”
“Yeah, they have a house set up now. We will be in upstate New York, so stateside, too,” Miles said and turned onto Ricky’s street. “Preslie’s going to be pissed. I know she just wants to stay here in Toronto because of the kids’ school schedules.”
“Miles, keep driving.” Ricky noticed a black Sedan not far from the entrance to his place. “That car is out of place.”
They both stayed silent as they drove by. Ricky could see two heads in the front seat but couldn’t make ou
t if anyone was in the back.
“Well, looks like we need to get that new haircut a-s-a-p.”
Ricky’s hair hung around his face and covered his ears. He had a long beard which hung down past his collarbone. The beard was more because he was lazy and hated to shave. “Let’s avoid going to my barber for now and head over to the other side of town.”
Miles grabbed his phone. “Cooper, there are eyes on Ricky’s place.” He said yes a few times and hung up.
“So, am I taking a plane ride sooner than I planned?”
“Looks like it.”
Ricky was in the barber longer than normal. The guy was careful when cutting the beard and gave him a clean shave. Once his hair was chopped off, he glanced in the mirror and had to do a double take. It was like looking at a completely different person.
He wasn’t excited about coming out of retirement. After the last case, he’d vowed to leave that world behind. Unfortunately, as a cop, it was just a part of who you are. The good, the bad, and the ugly were a part of your life.
The Nesta mob was the oldest and largest mob ring in and around Toronto. Over the years, several of Giano’s men were killed or placed in jail for life. Giano was smart, though. He knew how to lurk in the shadows and avoid getting caught.
Ricky closed his eyes and saw a woman screaming for him. He jumped and the barber stepped back. “You okay, sir?”
He glanced around. “Yeah, sorry. I guess I may have dosed off. Long night last night.”
“Aren’t you in the band with Miles?”
“Yeah, you know about our band?”
“Oh, yeah, my wife and I go to all your shows.”
Ricky had no idea how they would manage to keep him undercover in this town. It was a large city, but everyone knew each other. They exchanged small talk, but Ricky didn’t share much about himself.
Once the guy finished, Ricky stood and paid him. “Thanks. I appreciate you getting me in last minute.” He made his way out to the vehicle.
Miles was tapping his hands on the steering wheel when Ricky approached. When he caught sight of his friend, he froze. “Holy shit.”
“Don’t make this any worse than it already is.”
“Man, you’re like a completely different person. Shit.”
“So, this woodsman may just fit in after all?”
“Oh, you will fit in just fine. Now we need to get you a few suits.”
Ricky groaned.
“Come on, Romeo.”
Three
“Protective custody? Are you fucking serious?” Vikki rolled her jeans up and threw them in her duffel bag. “Did David escape from jail or something?”
“No, he’s still there and working the system from inside his cell,” Miles admitted and reached for Vikki’s hand. “This is bigger.”
“Bigger? Well, this is going to be fun,” Vikki said sarcastically. “If David can try to kill my friend three times, and that is not as big as this, sounds like I’m in for a wild ride.”
Preslie sat down on the hospital bed. “I yelled at Miles last night. It took me about twelve hours to cool down and realize it was our only option. There’s a plus side.”
“A plus side,” Vikki said, sitting down beside her friend. “Enlighten me.”
“We don’t have to work.”
Vikki turned to Miles. “Tell me there will be cable and Netflix?”
“Yes, we are not making you hide in a cave.”
Preslie grabbed her hand. “And he said we can have all the wine we want.”
“All the wine we want. You really ready for that task?”
Miles laughed. “No, but do I have a choice?”
Both women said no at the same time.
Vikki had stayed in the hospital for two days because her doctor wanted to run several tests. The drug that was possibly slipped into her drink caused her to have a different reaction from what they had experienced with other patients. They assumed it was the date-rape drug, but the tox screen showed different results. They also completed a rape kit, and the results concluded she was not raped.
Every part of Vikki’s body was still sore. X-rays were done on her leg, but nothing was broken. It was possible she sprained her knee when trying to escape.
Miles continued to ask her questions about that night, but she still struggled with remembering what happened.
“Vikki, would you be up for talking with Cooper and me more?” Miles asked, leaning against the window sill.
“Sure, but I don’t know what else you can get out of me. My memory sucks from that night.”
“Let’s just try one more thing and see if it works.” Miles pushed off the window sill and walked toward the door.
“Whatever you need.”
“Thanks for coming in, Vikki,” Cooper said, pulling out a chair. “How are you feeling today?”
“Better. Ready to get out of dodge for a few days.”
“Yeah, we have the officer in charge of your case all set.”
“I can’t promise I can be much help,” Vikki said, leaning her arms on the table.
“Well, this is something different.” He pulled his chair closer to Vikki. “Go ahead and lean back and close your eyes.”
She opened one eye. “You not going to make me guess some smell or sound are you?”
He chuckled. “No, nothing like that. Just let your mind clear. Take in a few deep breaths through your nose and let them out slowly from your mouth.”
Vikki felt a little apprehensive but followed his instructions. She felt her body start to relax with each exhale.
“On this last deep exhale, let yourself resume back to your normal breathing and try to continue clearing your mind.”
“Clear this crazy busy mind?”
“Just try.” Cooper insisted.
Several minutes went by, and Vikki was feeling so calm. In a soft tone, Cooper said, “Now take a moment and try to take yourself back to that night at the bar.”
She could feel her body tense at the thought. Then somehow, her arm was looped into Ella’s arm, and they were walking through the front door of The Flying Monkey. Ella was saying something about the crowd. Torn Pieces had started already, and they were playing her favorite song. She could feel her body shake back and forth to the beat of the music.
“Are you greeted by anyone unusual when you walk into the bar?” Cooper asked.
“Yeah, there are five guys waving at Ella. When we turned their way, they insisted we share a table with them.”
“Did you share a table?”
“Yeah, the one guy bought me several dirty martinis.”
“Did they ever taste off-putting?”
“No, extra dirty just like I like them.”
“Vikki, what did you do next?”
“One of the guys asked me to dance.” Vikki paused for a moment. “Then three guys were around me dancing. I remember feeling uncomfortable.”
“Did you continue dancing?”
“For a few more minutes. Then I pretended to be exhausted and in need of a drink. The guy next to me just nodded at one of the guys at the table.”
“Do you know what that meant?” Cooper asked.
“No idea. I did get another dirty martini, though.” Vikki let out a heavy sigh. “A few minutes later I remember Ella grabbing my hand and we headed to the bathroom together. She was laughing about something and holding my hand.”
“Did you actually go into the bathroom?”
“Um…no.” Vikki pinched the bridge of her nose. “There was a door by the bathroom. Ella seemed interested, and so she pulled me to go see what was behind the door.” She felt bile rise in the back of her throat. “They were there.”
“Who was, Vikki?”
“The guys we shared a table with in the bar. They were sitting on a couch laughing.” She stopped at the voice. “He said something.”
“Who’s he?” Cooper asked.
“The guy who held me down on the ground and assaulted me.”
“Ca
n you see his face?”
“Yeah, he had olive-colored skin, short, dark-brown hair, an oval face, and he had a mole on his cheek just below his right eye.” She sucked in a breath. “I can’t do this.” She opened her eyes, got up, and ran to the waste basket by the door and vomited.
“Vikki.” Cooper knelt down and placed his hand on her back. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, now I am.” She sat back on her legs and wiped her mouth. “The guy. His voice.”
“Did he do something else?”
“He chased me outside, because I remember running, and he kicked my foot out from under my body.” She stood and walked over to the window. “I remember he was laughing when I fell.”
“Where was Ella? Do you remember?”
“She was still in that room I think, because I remember her yelling for me to run. The moment she did that, the guy who was taunting me ran back into the room.” Vikki pulled out a chair and sat down. “I heard a loud slap and assumed he hit Ella. I really don’t know, though.”
“Is that when you tried to run away again?”
“Yup, made it to the dumpster and needed to rest. Then when I saw a pair of headlights, I tried to run again.” She shook her head. “Why Ricky was there at the perfect time still confounds me.”
“Vikki, do you think you could give a facial ID of the other four guys.”
“I don’t know right now.”
Cooper placed his hand on her shoulder. “This was great.”
“I hope it was enough to get the fuckers.” She stood and headed to the door. “Hey Cooper, did you find Ella yet?”
“No, but we have every cop in the city looking for her now.”
“Well, I hope you find her before I do.”
The house where they all had to hideout was set on several acres of land and surrounded by trees. Vikki felt so closed off from the rest of the world.
Since talking to Cooper, she was struggling with sleeping. The guy with the eerie voice kept popping up in her dreams. The surveillance footage did show Ella stepped in and stopped the men from attacking Vikki any further. She could still hear Ella yelling, “Vikki, run.” Her mind jumped to being crouched in a corner by the dumpster waiting until the eerie guy’s voice disappeared.