After Dark: The Complete Series

by Kahlen Aymes

  He chuckled.

  “Kill me if you want, but leave her alone. She’s innocent.”

  “Don’t tempt me, Angel. But then again, tempting me is something you’re quite good at.”

  Angel’s stomach lurched.

  A door opened. She heard the squeak of the door and the creak of the wood beneath her feet. The house smelled musty, so it would be old. The time it took to walk from the car to the house and the stench of manure would indicate it was a farm. They must be close to the western edge of the Ozarks, or there wouldn’t be this much land used for pasture. The degree of stench lent to the theory that a feedlot was very close, if not on site. The mooing from cattle was distant but not miles away. She catalogued all of these little facts so, if she had a chance, she could give Alex clues to her location.

  Inside, she was taken to a staircase. “Stairs, going down.”

  “How many? I don’t want to stumble and drop Jillian.”

  He pulled off her blindfold so she could see then pushed her in front of him. It was dark, the stairs rotting wood, and the basement looked to be unfinished. There was one light bulb hanging from the ceiling in a loose socket and a cot sitting in the middle of the room. There was a drain in the middle of the floor, and from what she could see, there was a leak of some sort near the far wall. The mold in the air was unhealthy, she could smell it. There was an unenclosed toilet near the water trail that ran from the leak in the ceiling and trailed off toward the drain. It was probably from the bathroom upstairs and rampant with bacteria. The entire place was a cesspool. The small half-windows near the top of the walls on all four sides were painted over with black paint. Obviously, this place served a similar purpose in the past.

  Jillian was awake and looking around, but still clutching to Angel for dear life. Angel quelled the sarcastic retort she wanted to make. She had to think of Jillian.

  “What happens now?” Angel asked. Her arms were starting to shake, having held Jillian for more than two hours, but she wouldn’t attempt to set the little one down until the men left the room.

  The young man handed Angel’s purse to Swanson. They’d been careful not to call each other by name, so Angel had no clue who they were. She felt agitated and threatened when he began rummaging through her purse, pulling out both of her phones.

  “Should I call Alex?” Angel was desperate to get her hands on her phone, not even knowing what she’d be able to do with it when they all watched.

  “Why two phones?” Swanson inquired.

  Angel sighed. She didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want him to call Alex, on that phone, she didn’t want him to take it from her.

  “The iPhone.” She had no choice. She needed Alex to know where she was.

  “Put the girl down and take off your clothes to your underwear.” Mark Swanson leered at her, his top lip curling slightly as he reveled in her discomfort.

  “I can’t.” Angel frantically tried to finagle a way to keep her clothes on. Fear of Swanson’s true intentions aside, she’d be worthless getting Jillian out if she didn’t have her clothes. “I mean, it’s not a good time for me. I’m on my period, and I haven’t been able to clean up in hours. Please, not in front of Jillian.” Her voice became pleading. “If you’re trying to torture him, trust me… he’ll be tortured, clothes or not.” Angel felt a sadness that went beyond fear. Alex would be so devastated. “Just knowing you have me will kill him.”

  Swanson considered for a moment. Angel set Jillian on the cot then sat next to her, putting her arm around her as Jillian huddled close.

  Mark held up the iPhone. “What’s the password?”

  “Twelve Ten.” It was Alex’s birthday, though she didn’t let that out.

  Swanson opened the phone. He nodded toward the bed. “Get the kid.”

  The bigger man came forward and snatched Jillian off the cot amidst a new set of cries.

  “Take her upstairs,” Swanson barked at the man, who was staring at Angel, waiting with wide eyes to see if she would be made to strip. “Take off your clothes.” He stood there, almost licking his lips. “Take them off!” he hollered sharply, causing Angel to balk.

  The big man made it halfway up the stairs then turned back to watch, Jillian was struggling in his arms. “Anga! No, Anga!” she cried over and over.

  “If you push me, I’ll make you strip all the way. Do it or I’ll strip you myself and take great pleasure doing so.”

  What did he think? That she’d just stand there meekly and let him? Angel’s mouth set, and she pulled off her shirt and sweats, exposing a purple lace bra and panties. For the first time in her life, she cursed her penchant for matching lingerie. What she wouldn’t give for a white cotton bra and granny pants.

  “Wait,” Swanson said, glaring at her grotesquely. “I think I have a new appreciation for purple. Mmmmm.”

  Angel sat huddled, her arms in front of her on the cot, trying to shield as much of her body as she could. She was shivering in the cold basement, and the blanket on the cot was an old, wool army blanket. It would rub the skin right off her body if she had to use that. Though her body was beautiful, her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot, and her hair was a mess.

  Swanson took a couple pictures with the iPhone and sent a text to Alex after opening her old messages and hitting reply. Avery would soon get the picture, Swanson thought. He was getting desperate, unsure if he wanted the money, to fuck Angel until she begged for death, or to kill Alexander Avery. They were all equally palatable prospects.

  “You better hope he’s tortured. You better hope. I’ll be back for fun and games later after I read through all of your messages. Get that kid to shut up.”

  “Um, can I please keep my purse? It has my tampons in it.”

  They had already searched it, and Swanson nodded to the kid, who then threw it on the floor.

  With that, Jillian was returned to Angel by the apish man, then all three men went upstairs, shutting the door at the top. The scraping noise it made was followed by the metal upon metal sound of a padlock being put in place.

  She wasn’t free, but for the moment, they were okay. Angel sighed in relief, trying to comfort Jillian, and hoping for a miracle.

  15

  Unimaginable

  Alex’s phone ringing woke him up from his uncomfortable position slumped against the car door, his neck bent crookedly against the window. The edge of the steering wheel was digging into his thigh, despite that he’d moved the seat way back. He was stiff, and his muscles protested, but he’d been so exhausted, he’d basically passed out. When he sat up, he glanced at Kyle, who shook his head, mouthing, “Nada” and waving his hand in front of him.

  It was Cole’s name flashing on the screen of his phone. Alex quickly answered. “I thought I said no phones?” he snarled. “I wasn’t kidding, Cole!”

  “A-ah-lex?” A woman cried on the other end of the phone. It wasn’t Angel, so it had to be Becca.

  “Becca? What’s the matter?” He sat up straighter, reaching down to press the electric lever that would take his seat out of recline.

  She broke down, sobbing hard into the phone. Alex’s heart seized up in his chest, and his blood ran cold. “Becca, calm down. What happened?”

  Kyle was listening intently, his eyes trained on Alex’s face. Alex pointed to the house they were watching, silently telling him to get his eyes back where they needed to be despite the hysterical woman on the phone.

  “Oh, muh, my God, Alex! We st-stopped to get gas and wh-when—” she stopped and sobbed some more. She was clearly hysterical.

  “Becca, please try to calm down. I can’t do anything until I know what’s going on.”

  “Wuh—When I was in the bathroom, someone sh-shot Cole and drove off with with Jill and Angel.”

  Alex’s skin turned to ice, and despite the almost cold temperature in the car, he broke out in a sweat, his heart starting to race. “Where are you, Becca? Did you see anything?”

  “We were the only ones there. Me
and the store clerk. We didn’t hear a gunshot or anything. When I came out, Cole was on the pavement bl-bleeding, and the SUV was gone!” She snuffled and continued to sob. “Oh, God!”

  “Is Cole dead?” he had to ask, even though he dreaded the answer. His chest closed down. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t move, and his mind kept hearing her words repeat over and over: they drove off with Jillian and Angel. Kyle’s head snapped around at Alex’s words.

  “No, but it’s bad, Alex. The clerk called 911, and the volunteer fire people came— paramedics. They took him on life flight to a hospital in Springfield. There was blood everywhere. So much blood.”

  Alex put the phone on speaker and started the engine. The tires screeched when he began speeding out of the neighborhood toward the interstate. He was probably going sixty-five in a thirty-five, but the speed limits weren’t a consideration.

  “Okay, Becca, I have to go.” Alex’s mind was racing faster than his Audi in order to determine what needed to be done and what was the fastest way to do it. “Keep Cole’s phone ,and I’ll call you back. Can you get to the hospital? Take a cab if you have to.”

  “The sheriff’s deputy is taking me right now. I’m calling from the squad car. Alex, will you find them?” Her frantic voice was broken and thick.

  “I’m going to do everything I can, but I have to go now. Bye.”

  Alex merged onto I-94, turned on his caution lights, and floored it.

  “What happened?” Kyle was clearly dismayed.

  “They’ve got her.” His breath rushed out in anguish. “And Bean. Fuuuuuccccckkkkk!” Alex yelled at the top of his lungs and pounded hard on the steering wheel three times. “Goddamn it! I’m going to kill that motherfucker with my bare hands. I swear to God, Kyle, I’m going to kill him! Jesus Christ! I can’t even fucking breathe.”

  “Alex, don’t hyperventilate.” Kyle pulled his seatbelt on then held out his hand. “Give me the phone and tell me who I should call. You just drive. Are we going to the airport?” Kyle was panicking, but Alex lost it; his jaw set, his expression glazed over. Livid was an understatement.

  “No. It takes hours to get out of Chicago even on a private jet.” His voice was hard and impatient that he had to explain. “They’ll be able to track us. I’m just going to drive like a bat out of hell.” If he were going to get away with murder, he’d have to think about every detail. And right now, he felt murderous. He tried to inhale deeply, but his lungs felt like they would crack with the effort.

  “Even if we head down there, what can we do? How will we find her? Where are they?”

  Alex ran a hand through his hair and spoke quickly. “Somewhere in the Ozark mountains based on what Becca said. Get the radar detector out of the glove compartment and turn it on.”

  Alex was going almost ninety, but he planned to go faster as soon as the radar detector was operational.

  “Okay, it’s on,” Kyle confirmed, and Alex responded by flooring it. The car shot past everyone else on the highway. “Alex, put your belt on.”

  “The tolls will slow us down,” Alex muttered, not registering Kyle’s words.

  “Alex?” Kyle tried again but was interrupted when Alex’s phone pinged. He glanced at the screen. “It’s an incoming text. It says it’s from Angel.”

  Alex’s muscles coiled, becoming rigid and hard. His nostrils flared. That bastard had her phone. “It’s not her. If he has hurt her, I will kill him. I’ll rip his heart out of his living chest, I swear to fucking God.” His voice was low and ferocious, and he felt physically sick, a giant hole in his chest, his stomach lurching. “Open it.”

  Kyle’s hand began to tremble as he tried to do Alex’s bidding. “Fucking hell. It’s a video text. Fuck. I don’t want to see this.”

  Alex felt like he’d been punched in the gut. “Just open the fucking thing up, Kyle!” Alex commanded. “If you’re too much of a pussy to do it, give me the phone,” Alex snarled. The muscles of his shoulders and neck began to burn as if acid was eating at them.

  “Take it easy, Alex. I’ll open it.” Kyle opened it and looked at the image. He sighed in relief. “Okay.”

  “What is it?”

  Sounds of talking and crying came across the screen. Alex could hear Jillian screaming and Swanson talking to Angel. I’m gonna fuck you long and hard, gorgeous. Mmm… I’ve been waiting for this.

  With what? A strap on? Angel spat sarcastically. I doubt I’ll even be able to feel your puny little dick.

  Fear gripped Alex’s heart. Angel’s bravado would only make matters worse. Though he admired her strength, for once, he wished she’d back down.

  Swanson laughed loudly. He was enjoying her pushback. I was hoping you’d be nice, but it’s just fine if you want to fight. I like it better that way.

  One of them hauled off and slapped her hard across the face. Alex could hear the scuffle, Angel’s grunt, and then the sound as she was knocked to the floor. Why wasn’t she fighting back? His mind screamed. The thought of her helpless at the hands of Mark Swanson made him sick. He was so upset he could barely see the road in front of him. His foot pressed the accelerator to the floor. “That’s enough. Shut it off,” he demanded. “Motherfucker!”

  “There’s a cot in what looks like a basement; they have her stripped down to her panties and bra. There was a large man behind her, but his head wasn’t in the shot. They’ve hit her a few times because her cheek was already bruised, and she has a black eye,” Kyle said sullenly. “I can’t believe this is really happening.”

  Alex’s jaw set like a stone, his hands clenched and unclenched around the steering wheel a few times. He felt like he would vomit. His mind filled with many painful ways he would make Mark Swanson suffer a slow death. He’d take pleasure in spilling that fucker’s blood. “Is there a message?”

  “It says ‘I’ve got your little girl. If you want her back, it’s still $10 million. And the kid, so another five will do.’ Greedy fucker, isn’t he? No one’s got that kind of money.”

  “Whether I do or not, he gets nothing but a slow death.” Alex inhaled a ragged breath. He didn’t even care that saying the words out loud to anyone could implicate him if Swanson did have an accident. Right now, all he cared about was getting to Angel.

  “At least we know she’s alive,” Kyle breathed out. He’d seen a lot of fucked up shit in his life, but this was way too close to home. “This guy… Fuck! I don’t even know what to say. Angel’s going to get herself killed!”

  Yes, at least they were alive, and that was something, but his soul was on fire, and he knew it would burn until that bastard took his very last breath. He wanted to call Angel’s phone and tell Mark Swanson he was a dead man, but he needed to buy time to find their location and get down there.

  Alex nodded. “Yes. She needs to back the fuck off. Call him back and hand me the phone, Kyle.”

  Swanson answered with a laugh. “Alex! How nice of you to call. Seems I’ve got something you want. Are you ready to make a deal.”

  Alex took a deep breath and steadied his voice. “Yes, you have something I want.”

  “I know. I find it so satisfying. I may even keep her and play a little, just to teach you a lesson.”

  “You’ve got my attention, Swanson. Okay, I’ll give you the money, but only if she isn’t harmed further.” It took all Alex had to remain calm and tell Swanson what he wanted to hear, but he had no choice.

  “Wire the money, then I’ll tell you where to find her.”

  “No.”

  “No? You should reconsider.” Angel screamed shrilly in the background, and Jillian’s cries intensified. “My boys are getting restless. They don’t like to wait, and I’m not sure how long I can hold them off.”

  Alex’s teeth clenched. “You listen to me, you sadistic fuck; I’ll give you the goddamned money, but on my terms. If either Angel or Jillian is harmed, I’ll hunt you down like a dog.” His voice was deadly calm. “Do I make myself clear?”

  “You’re not in a position
to make demands, Avery. I’ll gut her like a fish.”

  “You need the money or you are fucked. The cops will find you eventually, or the mob will take you out for what you did to your wife’s daughter. We both know it, so I think it’s in both of our best interests to make a deal. Killing Angel gains you nothing but my wrath. So this is how it goes down. It will take 24 hours to get the cash together then I have to get to you.”

  “Wire the funds, Avery!” Swanson was getting agitated. Gone was his sarcastic amusement, and frustration filled his voice. “Or else!”

  “Or else what? You’ll suck my dick?” Alex asked sarcastically. “Fuck off. You want the money or not? You don’t get a dime until I lay eyes on Angel and Jillian. Until I walk out with them.”

  “You’re in no position to make demands!” Swanson’s anger was rising.

  “Oh, I think I am.” He kept his voice hard and unemotional. He had to make the lie about to come out convincing. “I was intrigued because she was a big challenge; one I’ve clearly won. I’m not in love. If you kill her, it will sting, but it’s not going to end my life. But I promise, it will end yours.” Alex shut up and waited, his pause designed to drive home his point. He wouldn’t speak again until the other man did.

  Seconds passed, with Kyle listening and watching Alex’s face intently. He admired his resolve.

  Alex could hear Swanson’s sigh on the other end of the line. “Call me when you get the money together.”

  “When I do, you will give me an address or the deal is off.”

  “How do I know you won’t ambush me.”

  “Hmmnph!” Alex huffed out a sarcastic laugh. “Guess you’ll just have to trust me.”

  He hung up the phone without giving Swanson a chance to answer.

  “You have huge balls,” Kyle said incredulously. “Huge—motherfucking—balls.”

  “I’ve earned them.”

  “Now what?”

  Waiting on anyone or anything wasn’t Alex’s forte, and he now had 24 hours to get Angel and Jillian out. “There’s an app on my phone. It looks like a little green radar screen. Bring it up.”