Midnight Angel

by Betst St Amant

  Joseph studied her with a dark gaze, and after a moment, nodded to his brother. “In the desk drawer.”

  Lance retrieved a bottle of water from the desk and handed it to Madison. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but held back. Instead, he removed the cap and held it to Madison’s lips. The water was lukewarm.

  She drank deeply, not caring that it dribbled down her chin and splashed onto her shirt. When she was finished, she nodded at Lance, and thanked him as he set the bottle beside her.

  “Will there be anything else, my lady?” Joseph’s sarcasm was thick. He ambled over to where she sat in the chair, and leaned down in her face. “Any other needs in which we can attend?”

  The gleam in his eye suggested something vulgar, and Madison inwardly cringed. Outwardly, she set her chin. “Absolutely not.” She forced herself to stare unshaken back into his eyes. But the evil she saw beneath the surface startled her, and she dropped her gaze.

  “I might be inclined to argue with you.” Joseph cupped her face in his hand and raised her chin. She jerked away, cheeks burning from his contact, adrenaline flooding as she prepared to fight.

  “Joseph.” Lance spoke up suddenly from across the room, tapping his watch. “What about that errand we need to run? To set up the swap? Remember?”

  Joseph groaned. “Go do it yourself. I can stay here with her. We can get to know each other.” He reached for Madison’s face again. She ducked in protest, holding her breath. Lance tapped his shoe in a rhythm against the basement floor. “I can’t. They know my face, remember?”

  Joseph threw his arms in the air in frustration. “All right! Let’s go.”

  He grabbed a few things that Madison couldn’t identify out of the top drawer of the desk and then slammed it closed. He locked it with a key that he slipped into his shirt pocket and stalked out of the room, mumbling the entire time.

  Lance, gaze averted, started for the door as well.

  “Hey.” Madison tilted her head.

  Lance turned.

  “Thanks.” She knew he had purposely distracted his brother, and she was more grateful than she could ever express.

  Lance met her gaze for a moment and then nodded. He stepped outside the room, and she heard a key turn in the lock.

  Madison shifted in the chair, trying to find a more comfortable position. She wished she had a blanket. A roach darted across the room. She shivered, and drew her legs underneath her in the chair. It appeared as though she were here for the night.

  22

  “They want to make the swap at midnight in an abandoned warehouse in Martinsdale. We’re supposed to bring both the cash and the diamond.”

  Carsten ran his hand over the leather bag sitting in front of him as he listened to Teddy’s instructions over the phone. He never would have thought that much money could fit inside such a small bag, but it did.

  “I’ll be there. Where should I meet you?” He unzipped the bag to check on the money for the fifth time. It was enough to make a man nauseous. Ransom money. Dirty, though the bills sparkled new in their packaging. He quickly averted his gaze and zipped the bag closed again. He set it on the floor at his feet.

  “What do you mean, meet me? This is your show.” Teddy sounded surprised.

  Carsten jerked his head up. “What? You want me to go alone?”

  “Isn’t that what you do?” Teddy asked with disdain.

  “I have before, of course, but, sir, she’s your daughter…”

  “I know she’s my daughter!” Teddy’s voice cracked with emotion, and Carsten backed off.

  “Fine. I’ll do it by myself.” He listened to the rest of the instructions and then hung up the phone. Carsten pushed his hair back in a rough motion, then looked at his watch. Only 8:30 p.m. This was going to be a long night.

  But then again, the day had already felt like it would never end. He hadn’t slept since he realized Madison had left. How could he rest not knowing where she was, or if she was all right? What if the kidnappers were lying about her condition?

  Carsten once again felt the urge to pray. He would never be able to pull off this case without God’s help. He was too emotionally involved to be as objective as necessity demanded. That was the first rule in his field—not to get attached. People got hurt when hearts were involved.

  But it was much too late for that.

  “I know You’re there.” Carsten whispered as he dropped his head to rest against the tabletop. “I still don’t understand why You do what You do, or why You sometimes allow what You allow. But I need help, God.”

  Tempted to bargain, but knowing that wasn’t how God worked, he released a sigh and struggled to surrender instead.

  He continued to pray as the minutes ticked by, bringing his heart closer to God, and bringing time closer to the inevitable midnight hour.

  ~*~

  Madison woke suddenly as she heard a shuffling at the door. What time was it? She had no idea how long she’d been in the basement. She shifted in her uncomfortable position in the chair and tried to calm her heartbeat.

  The door swung open, and Joseph and Lance stood framed in the doorway.

  Madison felt the last remaining bits of hope drift away as she watched the men go to the desk and start laying out paperwork. She should have known better than to think Carsten would have already found her. It had only been a day or two, and because of her stubborn pride, he didn’t even know where to begin to look.

  She berated herself again as she remembered the opportunity that had been given to her during their phone call at the bus station. God had given her a way out, and she had stubbornly turned her nose up at the offer. Would she get another chance? Madison blinked back a rush of tears. What if she never saw him again?

  Maybe it was the damp basement. Maybe it was just common sense settling in. But somehow, gratitude for all she’d been given began to sink in. She had been offered the chance to love Carsten, and she had thrown it away because of her own personal issues with trust. Now she might never get the opportunity again.

  Suddenly it didn’t matter that he’d lied to her. He had done so in order to protect her, keep her safe. That was a good thing. Carsten loved her, and as much as she hated to admit it, she loved him back.

  Frustration balled in her throat. Would she ever get to tell him? To ask forgiveness for the way she behaved?

  Joseph took a knife that had at least a four-inch blade out of the desk, and Madison’s heart stopped, then pounded hard and fast in her chest. She cringed as he drew closer, and then she realized with a start that he was just going to cut the rope off her hands.

  “You have to eat something.” Joseph sliced through her binds with one quick motion.

  Madison drew her hands up to her chest and rubbed at the raw places on her wrists. They were red and sore. She hoped the rope burns wouldn’t leave scars. She didn’t need any more reminders of this horrible place.

  Then again, she was still assuming she would get out eventually. If her father brought the money, would they really let her go? It would be stupid if they did. She could pick them out of a lineup. Were they too dumb to realize that?

  Well, she wasn’t going to remind them.

  She turned as Joseph pulled some packages of peanut butter crackers from his shirt pocket. “Here.” He thrust them at her. “Bring the water!”

  Lance handed Madison a bottle of water and she felt like crying with relief. She mumbled a quick thank you before tearing into the food.

  The men watched her silently for a moment, and then turned back to their own business. Food had never tasted so good. The crackers crumbled easily, and she knew she must look ridiculous, shoving the food into her mouth as if it were her last meal. The thought made her stomach clench, and for a moment, she thought she would throw up. What if these crackers were her last meal?

  A lifetime of regrets attacked her mind. They flashed through her memory frame by frame, much like the scenes outside the windows on the bus had done on ride over.

>   She as a little girl, holding up a coloring book to her father and begging him to play with her, only to have him claim he was too busy. Dressing herself for the first time as a child and seeking her mother’s compliments, but instead, hearing her laugh with disdain and order the maid to change her clothes. Riding by herself to church services in a limousine because her parents had more pressing matters in which to attend.

  Then herself at age eighteen, walking behind her mother and father through the streets of Germany, wishing they would just turn around and see her, truly see her, for the first time.

  Madison sucked water from the bottle, wishing it would rinse the memories from her soul. If she were to die today, what would she have accomplished? Would her only legacy be the designs she had left in people’s homes? She wanted so much more than that.

  She put the bottle in her lap and bit into the last cracker. She wanted a husband to love. She wanted children. She wanted to start a new heritage that her kids could be proud of; not cringe over as she did her own childhood.

  “It’s time.” Joseph announced, breaking into Madison’s heavy thoughts. He stood abruptly, and her stomach lurched. She couldn’t tell if it was from nerves or from eating so fast.

  Madison finished the last of the water and dropped the bottle to the ground. Lance bound her hands once again. She flinched as the rope brushed the sensitive spots on her skin. Lance looked down at her red hands and cast a nervous glance over his shoulder. Joseph was digging through the desk with his back turned.

  Lance reached into his pocket for a bandana, and with a quick, silent motion, tore it in half. He tied the cloth around each wrist and then secured the rope over the material.

  Madison met his gaze in surprise. “Thanks.” She whispered.

  He nodded curtly, but didn’t speak.

  With that action, Madison became positive that Lance was an unwillingly participant in this chain of events. She stored that information for future use. He seemed almost as terrified of his brother as Madison was. That could help—or maybe make things worse. She wasn’t sure which yet.

  “Let’s go!” Joseph indicated for Lance to blindfold Madison once again. She gritted her teeth as he tied a new cloth around her eyes. Madison stumbled as she was pushed ahead in their rush to get out the door. She would have hit the ground, but someone steadied her. “Careful,” Lance said.

  She hated this blindfold. It made the simplest things like walking difficult. She slowed her pace, ignoring Joseph’s grumblings. She refused to fall or look weak in front of the men.

  “She can’t go as fast, Joseph. You insisted on both blindfolding her and binding her hands.” Lance protested.

  Joseph’s heavy footsteps ahead came to a sudden stop. She followed suit. Lance ran into the back of her.

  “You’re both idiots.” His deep voice growled. “If I didn’t need this money I’d do you both in.”

  Madison held her breath, fearing the worst. Was he serious? What would he do after he got her father’s money? Lance mumbled something unintelligible. Then he nudged her gently, and she started walking again.

  The car ride this time went by quickly. Too quickly. Madison appreciated each breath of air, each moment spent alive. Before, she was certain no harm would come to her; that the men just wanted their money and things would eventually work out fine. But if Joseph was truly willing to kill his brother, then her fate didn’t seem quite as promising.

  The sounds of cars passing their vehicle on each side sounded louder than usual. Even her heartbeat sounded as loud as a drum. Her head was pounding, and she wanted coffee in the worst way. She fought back the insane urge to laugh. That seemed like something Shan would appreciate—wanting coffee when her life was possibly ending in the next hour.

  Would she get a chance to share the story with her friend?

  Minutes later, the car came to stop. Madison sat up straighter and strained to see through the material covering her eyes, but to no avail.

  “He’s not here yet.” Lance’s voice sounded nervous.

  “He’ll be here.” Joseph’s tone held a threat beneath the surface. She heard what he didn’t say. He better be.

  Madison sat quietly, wondering how her father would react to the circumstances, wondering whether these criminals would be captured and sent to prison, wondering where Carsten was… She needed to focus! She was with hardened criminals in the backseat of some car that was probably parked in the middle of nowhere, and she was thinking about the guy who broke her heart!

  “There he is.”

  Madison’s palms went damp. This was it. Whatever the future held was now only moments away. God, help me.

  “He’s getting out. Where is he going?”

  “I told him to meet us inside. Come on.”

  The car doors opened on each side, causing the chime to sound. The dome lights flicked on. Joseph cursed. “Turn that off! How obvious can you be?”

  Madison heard the sound of Lance fumbling for the controls. The light switched off. The chiming stopped. Her door opened suddenly, and she half fell, and was half pulled, from the car.

  She was led blindly through the dark, her steps hesitant. She tugged discreetly at the rope binding her wrists behind her back, grateful that at least this time it wasn’t cutting into her skin. She fumbled with the rope, but realized the knots were too thick to pick at with her fingernails. She held in a frustrated sigh. They stopped walking, and Madison suddenly felt another presence.

  “I have the money.” The voice carried a German accent. It was slight, but distinctive.

  Ignoring the possible consequences, Madison shrugged the blindfold down on her face using her shoulder. It was dark, but the silhouette was unmistakable.

  Carsten.

  Not her father.

  23

  Madison went numb, first with relief then with shock as the realization of Carsten’s presence sunk in. Her legs trembled, and she couldn’t keep her balance. Her head began to swim. Where was her father? Had something happened to him? Or had he just not shown up?

  She felt sick with betrayal. There was no way Carsten would have known where to come without her dad’s involvement. He’d been told to come.

  Her father had sent the hired help.

  The men had yet to notice her blindfold was down, and in the darkness, she swiped at it again with her shoulder. She got the blindfold away from her mouth just in time to vomit on the grass. She fell to her knees.

  “Whoa!” She heard Lance jump away in surprise, but didn’t care. Nothing really mattered anymore.

  She shivered as she remembered the words Lance had spoken earlier. The girl’s not even his real daughter. It was true.

  Rough hands hauled her to her feet, and she stood weakly, not caring if she fell again. Her gaze rested on the moon, hanging heavily in the sky, bathing the scene in an eerie light. It looked as far away as God felt.

  “What’s going on?” Carsten called out from his position several yards away. His voice sounded odd, deeper than usual, almost as if he were trying to hide his accent.

  “Nothing. Leave the money.”

  Joseph’s demand was met by a brief silence. Then they all heard the click of a gun being taken off safety.

  “Madison goes inside the warehouse, alone. Then you get your money.” Carsten’s voice left no room for alternate suggestions.

  Someone shoved Madison. The blindfold was ripped from her head. She flinched at the rough gesture that ripped at her hair. “Go.”

  With her eyes only slightly adjusted to the darkness, her gaze darted left and right. An old building stood several yards to the left. She hurried toward it, opting to lean against the shack rather than go inside. She pressed her back against the cool metal and waited.

  A soft thud sounded in the shadows. “There’s your money.”

  Joseph didn’t move. “What about the angel? Is the diamond in there, too?”

  Madison frowned. What angel? A sudden image of the stuffed angel she had purchased online j
ust a few months ago filled her mind’s eye, and she gasped.

  Then she remembered the phone call in her office several weeks ago. Lance’s voice. That was it! Her stomach roiled again, and her legs began to buckle. This had all been preventable…if it hadn’t been for her obsession with angels. Her obsession with Carsten…

  “It’s all there.” Carsten’s voice was tense.

  Joseph nudged Lance with one hand while keeping a gun trained on Carsten with the other. Lance edged toward the bag.

  “That’s not Teddy.” Lance announced in surprise. He stepped back.

  “What? Who are you?” Joseph’s voice sounded as surprised as it did angry.

  “None of your concern. What is your concern is guaranteeing me that Madison is unharmed.” Carsten kept his own gun aimed at Joseph.

  Madison closed her eyes, wondering where her father was, wondering how all of this was going to turn out. Her eyes opened abruptly. What would she do if they killed Carsten and left her there in the dark?

  “Grab the bag, you idiot!” Joseph’s anger rang full force toward his brother. “As for you, your girlfriend is just fine. Very good, actually.”

  His suggestive tone made Madison flinch.

  Carsten let out a roar and charged at Joseph. Joseph stumbled. Lance steadied his brother and shoved the bag of money into his hands. “Let’s get out of here!”

  Carsten dove, tackling Joseph. The bag and gun fell to the ground, and Lance scooped up the money. Carsten dodged one blow, but the second landed. He groaned and rolled to the side.

  Madison ran toward the gun, heart pounding. Lance moved toward it too, but he was holding the bag of money. Madison was faster. She kicked the weapon aside and looked up just as Carsten came back at Joseph, landing a fist squarely in his face.

  With a shriek, Madison jumped out of the way. Blood spewed.

  Madison stood to the side, gasping for breath. Was Carsten hurt? Who was bleeding? She couldn’t tell in the darkness. She saw Carsten get in a few good jabs on Joseph before Lance dropped the bag of money and hauled Carsten off his brother.