The Secrets Duet

by Brownell, Rachael

“And he died because of it and so did my brother,” I yell, cutting him off.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Since we can’t seem to find him, though, we will settle for Greg. He can pay for your father’s sins or… you will if he doesn’t get here in time.”

  I hear what he’s saying, but I beg myself not to believe him. My father is still alive? If he was, he would be with me and mom. It can’t be true. Greg would have told me. I look to Taylor for confirmation of what John has said and I see it in his eyes. The sadness he feels for me, knowing I had no idea, is written all over his face. This is my chance to take advantage of him. This is my opportunity.

  I wiggle before speaking, my breasts moving just slightly but enough to draw the attention of both men. “Taylor, I need to use the bathroom.”

  He thinks about it for only a split second before moving to untie my feet. He rubs the red marks the ropes have left before shifting my body so I’m sitting up. Our eyes meet for a moment and I see the boy who I thought I loved hidden deep down inside. It hurts to look at the man he has become so I turn my back to him, allowing him access to my hands. He reaches for the rope but instead of untying it, he grabs it and pulls me to my feet.

  I stumble forward, but Taylor still has a hold of the rope and I only fall a few inches. My legs are wobbly as I take my first step. “I will untie your hands once we are in the bathroom.”

  I nod my head, letting him know I understand what he’s saying. I’m sure I will be tied back up the second I’ve finished. Between now and then, I need to formulate a plan. How am I going to convince him not to tie me back up?

  Taylor leads me down the hallway, back to the bathroom I was in earlier. He opens the door, motions me in and turns me around to untie the rope. Once I’m free of the binding, I rub my wrists and turn to face him. “Thank you,” I whisper sweetly before closing the door.

  I hear it lock from the outside. He’s taking no chances. I’m their insurance policy that Greg will come. Without me, they won’t be able to get to him. I turn on the faucet so the sound of the water masks the sound of me using the toilet. I force myself to go, wash my hands and then drink as much water as I can.

  When I look at myself in the mirror I barely recognize the person staring back at me. I see the gash on my head. It’s closed now. No one bothered to even put a bandage on it and it looks like it will leave a scar. My hair is disheveled. It’s still partially in the ponytail that I had it in earlier, but it’s falling. I do my best to brush out the tangles with my fingers and pull my hair back up. I splash a little water on my face before I remember there’s no towel to dry it on.

  I hear someone bang on the door twice. It startles me and I jump back, ramming my lower back into the towel rack. I crumple to the floor in pain. I can feel that my back is wet, I’m bleeding. I look around for something to wipe the blood away with, but there’s nothing in this bathroom, no towels or anything. I grab the roll of toilet paper and wad up a handful. I reach around and put pressure on the part of my back that hurts the most. When I remove the toilet paper a few seconds later I can see it’s soaked with blood.

  I’m bleeding pretty badly, but I need to get out of this bathroom. I shut the water off and knock on the door. Nothing. I knock again, louder this time. Still nothing. I slide down the wall and back onto the floor. I wad up some more toilet paper and try my best to put pressure on the area that I think is bleeding.

  After a while, what could be minutes or hours, I have no idea. I finally hear footsteps. I hear the lock click and the door is opening. I’m lying on the floor now. I feel weak and it’s hard to keep my eyes open. I know I’ve lost a lot of blood. That combined with my lack of food and water is making it hard to stay conscious.

  My eyes close as a tall, dark figure enters. I try to open them again, to ask for help, but I don’t have the strength. I feel my body being lifted. I hear people talking around me, but I have no idea what is going on. Someone touches my back and I want to scream, I think I even open my mouth, but no sound escapes.

  Visions of my father flash through my mind. I’m a little girl in most of them. Cameron is with us. I see us eating breakfast as a family. I see us on vacation at Disney World. I see us shopping at the mall. Finally, I see us watching the sunrise over the Grand Canyon. That’s the last great memory I have of us as a family. Then the visions are gone and all I see is the darkness. He’s alive. That’s the last thought I have before the world disappears around me.

  Cam

  I stand, ready to leave, to find Courtney. Greg walks out of the room and I follow. I’m still trying to process what’s really happening. I’m trying to process everything he’s told me and make sense of why. Why now? It’s been years since everything happened. Why are they just now exacting their revenge? There has to be something he hasn’t told me or something he doesn’t realize.

  I stop short when I turn the corner and see Courtney’s mom. She’s wrapped around a man in his early fifties. His back is to me but if I had to make an educated guess, I would guess it’s her husband, Courtney’s father, Phil. Standing next to him is someone who I would only be able to describe as a male version of Courtney. He looks just like her, head to toe.

  Greg continues forward, leaving me in the hallway to watch as everything unfolds. He nods his head at the young man and then taps the older man on the shoulder. I would never have guessed what happens next. Phil turns to Greg and his fist connects with Greg’s jaw in the blink of an eye.

  Greg lands on the floor, stunned. Courtney’s brother, Cameron, reaches his hand down to Greg and helps him back up. He makes eye contact with Phil, rubs his jaw and leaves the room. It’s over. Whatever just happened between them is over.

  “Cam,” I hear Court’s mom call. “Can you come over here, please?”

  At first I’m not sure if she’s talking to me or Courtney’s brother until I realize everyone in the room is staring at me. I make my way over to Court’s family. Courtney. Court. I’m not sure if I can get used to calling her that.

  Phil extends his hand to me as I approach. I’m hesitant at first after seeing how he reacted to Greg but quickly realize he has no reason to dislike me. Yet. I take his hand, shake it, and put on my best “Parents Love Me” smile that I can muster.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” It’s genuine. It really is a pleasure to meet Court’s father, but I wish it was under different circumstance. I wish she was standing next to me, introducing us.

  “You too, son. Now, I hear my little girl is missing and that you are going to help us find her. What can you tell me about your roommate?”

  Direct and to the point. I think I’m going to like this guy. He understands the sense of urgency around the situation. The only problem is, he also thinks I can help and I have no idea how. I don’t want to disappoint him. I don’t want to disappoint Courtney.

  He must have read my mind because before I get a chance to speak, he’s already starting to tell me what I need to hear. “Look, I know this is a strange situation. No one meant for you to get caught up in all of this. I’m sure Greg’s intentions were in the best interest of both you and Courtney at the time. The problem is, now we need your help to find her. Now we need to involve you in our mess.” He pauses to make sure I understand. I nod so he continues. “You may not think you have any valuable information but trust me, you probably have the most valuable information of any of us. We have to sort through it and figure out what’s important and what’s not. Can you try and help us?”

  “Of course.” I don’t hesitate because I do want to help. I want her home more than I will ever be able to describe to anyone. “Tell me what you need.”

  “I need you to tell me everything he told you about himself. Where he was from. What his parents do. Anything and everything about his life. It’s all important until we can sort through it.”

  I look over to where Cameron and his mom are now sitting on the couch, engrossed in conversation. She’s holding his hand, tighter than she needs to. Sh
e has tears in her eyes. Her son has come home to her. She’s got her husband back. They can be a family again. Now, we need to bring Courtney home so their family can become complete.

  “Alright. Let’s talk.”

  So that’s what we did. We sat down in the kitchen and we talked for hours. They recorded the conversation so someone else could review it and maybe help them pick up on anything they might miss. No one interrupted me. They let me talk and talk and talk until I couldn’t think of anything else to say. It didn’t seem like we were getting anywhere.

  Finally, Greg comes back in the room. He puts distance between him and Phil, but he joins our conversation. They both start to ask me questions. Mostly questions I didn’t know the answers to. I felt useless by the end of our conversation. The sun is up now. We have less than eighteen hours to find her.

  “Did you ever ask him why he decided to go to school here?” I turn to face Greg. I had almost forgotten he was in the room he had been quiet for so long.

  “I don’t know. I remember him saying something about his father going here or something. Maybe it was his grandfather.” I was trying to rack my brain for the answers, trying to will the memories to come back to me, but it hurt from information overload.

  Greg turns to the guy recording our session. “Have someone check-in to properties around the cell signal. Who owns them? Cross check the last names with those we know are associated with Tommy’s family.”

  “I’m on it, Davis.”

  “Wait,” Phil yells. “Cross check them with names associated with Brett first. Check his mother’s maiden name first.”

  The agent nods and continues out of the room. It’s the three of us now and I am sitting in between them. It’s about as uncomfortable as it can get until Lilly walks in. Now, you can cut the tension with a knife.

  “I need some air. Is it okay for me to go outside?” I look to Greg for confirmation. He nods his head before turning and leaving the room, obviously not wanting to be left alone with Courtney’s parents. I’m right behind him, ready for a break from everything myself.

  I’m about to open the French doors to the back patio when I hear someone call for Greg. It sounds urgent, important. The same agent who had been recording our conversation runs towards the kitchen. I close the door and run to catch up with him. Greg walks in the kitchen shortly after I do. I see the agent fidgeting with his computer. The look in his eyes tells me he has something. Maybe I really did say something of value, something which will help us find her.

  “When you told us about your roommate you told us he said he was from Dryden, Georgia. There is no such place. There is, however, a Dryden, New York. It fits the search parameters and… it looks like Brett Pike’s family has property there. I have a feeling that’s where we’re going to find her.”

  He looks proud. I would too if I had put that all together. I move towards the doorway, assuming we are going to go get her, but no one else moves. They are all staring at Greg, waiting for him to tell them what’s going to happen next.

  “Okay. Now that we know where she is, let’s formulate our plan. We’re going to need to find a way to approach without being noticed. I’m assuming they have a plan already and are anticipating our arrival.” He stops and looks to the agent who put it all together. “Johnson, is there any way for us to be able to see the property on a live feed so we know what we’re up against?”

  “I can try,” Johnson replies before tapping the keys on his computer again.

  It’s about ten minutes before Johnson is able to show us the view of the property that we need. Greg formulates a plan with the team of agents who are now standing in the kitchen. Once he’s done talking, they all move into the living room to “suit up” for the operation.

  Phil and I are the last to reach the living room and the first thing I notice is no one is offering to help me find gear. I hope Greg doesn’t think I am going to sit here and wait. I watch as Phil starts to put his gear on. I observe and then, once I think I will be capable of doing it myself, I go in search of a vest for myself.

  I no sooner have a vest in my hand and a gun on the table in front of me when I feel Greg approach from behind. “You aren’t coming with us.”

  “The hell I’m not. I’m giving up my life for her, to be with her. I’m helping to bring her home.” I should have seen this coming, but I’ve been blinded by all the excitement of the last hour or so since the pieces started to fall into place.

  “No. That vest won’t save you. That gun won’t save you. Neither will save her. We need to do this our way. You don’t have the training.”

  Long gone is my friend and in his place is the man who wears the uniform. He’s not trying to be an asshole, even though that’s how he sounds. He’s trying to help me see there really is nothing I can do. I don’t want to see that.

  There’s nothing else I can say. I know he’s not going to change his mind and if going with them puts her in any further danger… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I caused something bad to happen to her. So I say nothing, I do nothing. I watch as Greg assembles two teams of agents and they leave. The only ones left in the house are me, Lilly and Cameron.

  16.

  Courtney

  I open my eyes and the light filtering into the room is blinding. I blink a few times and tuck my head under the pillow I was lying on. I’m in a bedroom. I’m not tied up. Someone has put a blanket over me to cover me, but I’m still naked.

  The pain in my back is excruciating. I’m lying on my stomach, thankfully, but all I can feel is the pain radiating from my middle back. There’s a bandage there. I can feel something soft stretching tightly around where I was bleeding.

  I shift and move myself into a sitting position, pulling the blanket around me so I’m still covered. My clothes are sitting on a chair in the corner so I slide to the edge of the bed. I push my body off the bed and into a standing position. I’m tired already. It’s taking me a lot of energy to move.

  Slowly, I shuffle my feet across the floor, holding onto the bed. It seems like it takes forever, but I finally reach my clothes. I sit in the chair and start by pulling my jeans on. I contemplate putting my bra on but decide against it. I need one, but I know the movement will cause me more pain than it’s worth. Plus, not only has everyone already seen what I have to offer, but my bra will rub against the dressing on my wound.

  It takes me a few tries and about ten minutes, but I finally get my sweatshirt over my head. My back is aching from all the movement. I feel the pain every time I breathe in. It doesn’t hurt as bad when I exhale, but the pain doesn’t go away either. I probably cut myself deeper than I realized.

  I make my way back to the bed and lay on my stomach. There’s only one window in the room, but I can tell it’s morning or early afternoon. The sun is shining brightly, birds are chirping. This would be a beautiful way to wake up if I wasn’t being held here against my will. I don’t see a way to escape through the window and I’m guessing the door to the room is locked from the outside. I lay there for a few minutes before I get up. I slowly shuffle to the door and twist the handle. It moves. I pull on the door and it opens.

  This is either a really good sign or a really bad one. I open the door a little more and look out. I’m at the end of a long hallway. I don’t see anyone. I don’t hear anyone. I move as quickly as I can into the hall and shut the door quietly behind me. Holding the wall for support, I move towards what looks like a set of stairs. As I approach, voices filter up from the bottom. I hear Taylor’s voice first and then Tommy’s. They sound like they are arguing. I stop at the top of the stairs and wait. Maybe one of them will leave? Could I take on just one of them if I had to?

  “You should have never stayed on the phone with him so long. They are bound to put the pieces together.” Taylor is whispering now, but the anger in his voice is loud and clear.

  “It wasn’t that long.” Tommy is trying to defend his actions yet uncertainty makes his voice crack.

  “
Asshole. They only need like fifteen seconds or something to be able to pinpoint our location. They could be here any minute. They might be here right now and we just don’t know it. The boss will be here soon and if they catch up to him we are both as good as dead.”

  I hear the screen door open and shut. I don’t hear them talking anymore. I’m not sure if one of them left or if someone else joined them. I’m not ready to take a chance. I should go back to the room and wait it out. If Tommy really did screw up and stay on the phone too long then Greg might be on his way to get me now. I need to wait it out.

  I turn to go back to the room when I hear the door open and close again. I listen closer, but I don’t hear anything. I take a few steps down the stairs and still don’t hear anything. When I reach the bottom step I peak around the corner and all I see is an empty kitchen. They both went outside. This is my chance.

  I slowly make my way to the screen door and look out. It looks like I’m on a farm or something. All I can see from where I’m standing is a large open field and then a bank of trees off in the distance. Nowhere to hide. I need to find somewhere to hide from them if I’m going to get out of this house or I might as well stay here and take my chances.

  I open the screen door and look around. I step down the first step and the door slips from my hands and slams shut behind me. I freeze in place wondering if anyone else heard it. It sounded loud, extremely loud, but I didn’t hear an echo. What I do hear is a car. I make my way down the other two steps and look around for somewhere to hide. There’s nothing around me.

  My only option at this point is to go back inside and try to find a way to lock myself in that room so no one can get to me. I turn to go back inside when I see a space under the stairs I just came down. It’s small and it will be a tight squeeze, but I might be able to fit.

  I shimmy myself into the tight space. I pull my foot in just as I hear the car door shut. I lean back against the house and cover my mouth to keep from screaming. I just put pressure on my wound and it hurts like hell again. I lean forward and tuck my head between my knees to keep from passing out from the pain.