That made sense. “Okay.”
Dan looked relieved. “See. Nothing to worry about.”
I nodded.
“Is there anything you need right now?”
I bit my lower lip. “Can I go to the bathroom?”
“Sure. Come on.”
I got out of bed and followed him to the bathroom.
“Leave the door open,” he said as I walked in.
I looked back at Dan. “But, I have to go number two and I can’t do it if someone’s watching.”
His eyebrows knitted together and he got that nervous look on his face again.
“I’ll try and hurry up,” I promised.
“Fine,” he said and turned on the television.
“Okay. Thank you.” I shut the door and used the toilet. As I was sitting there, I heard him laughing at something that was on the television. When I was done doing my business, I turned on the faucet and washed my hands, thinking about the kidnappers’ conversation. I wanted to believe what Dan had said, but I didn’t like John or Pete. They were mean and scary. Deep down I knew that if I didn’t find a way to escape, I would never see my dad or mom again.
Trying not to cry, I dried my hands with the towel and glanced out the window, surprised that they hadn’t boarded it up like the one in my bedroom. All that I could see were the woods surrounding the house. I was a little scared of what might be hiding in them, but more so of the kidnappers.
I’ve got to get out of here, I told myself. I knew that I could fit through the window and decided that if I was going to escape, I needed to do it before John arrived.
***
I stepped out of the bathroom and noticed that Dan was watching some game show.
“You all done?” he asked, getting up, his eyes still on the screen.
I scrunched up my face and bent over. “I thought so. My stomach hurts. I think I have diarrhea.”
He looked over at me and frowned.
“I think it was something I ate,” I said, and turned back around toward the bathroom. “I have to go again.”
“Okay,” he said. “Turn on the fan.”
“I will,” I said, closing and locking the door. I turned on the fan and hurried over to the window, knowing that I didn’t have much time. I slid it open and stared at the metal screen. Figuring out how to remove it, I did it carefully and as quietly as I could. My heart pounded in my chest as I pulled the screen out and set it on the ground. Trembling, I took a deep breath and was about to hoist myself up when I heard Peter outside talking to someone that I couldn’t see. Frightened, I ducked down quickly.
“Yeah, we fed him but he didn’t eat much,” he was saying. Then I heard the sound of the front door opening as he returned to the house with the visitor.
With my heart pounding in my chest, I got back up, looked outside to make sure there wasn’t anyone else around, and then pulled myself up to the window ledge. As I was about to crawl through it, someone began pounding on the bathroom door.
“Hey, you okay in there?” asked Peter loudly.
“Yeah,” I said. “I just have diarrhea.”
“Great,” he said dryly. “Well, hurry it up.”
“I’m trying.”
He didn’t reply.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled myself out of the window and landed in the grass. Shaking, I stood up and began running toward the woods.
12
Mia
John and I got into the Carver while two of his men began untying the boat. When they were finished, one of them jumped into ours.
“What are you doing?” John asked the masked man.
“Don’t you want help?”
“With what?” he asked curtly. “I’m just going back to base.”
“What about her?” he said, nodding toward me.
John, who’d gotten his hands on a pistol, held it up in the air. “What about her? She’s not going to give me any trouble. She knows better. Stay here and make sure those assholes get the money sent and that nobody interferes.”
“Okay,” he said and then got out of the Carver.
Mumbling to himself, John climbed up to the command bridge and started the engine. I stared at Damian as the distance between us grew wider, wondering if we’d ever see each other again. From the look on his face, he may have been wondering the same thing.
***
“Where are we going?” I asked John, a few minutes later.
“Exactly where I said we were going,” he replied, staring ahead. He had on a pair of dark sunglasses and his expression was difficult to read. “Back to the mainland to check on Damian’s kid.”
“And why am I here?”
“So I can keep an eye on you.”
I grunted. “You really think that I’m a threat?”
He smirked. “No.”
“So, then why?”
“Because I know that taking you with me would irritate the hell out of Stryker.”
I folded my arms under my chest. “You must really hate the man,” I said, staring out at the ocean.
“I’m certainly not fond of him,” he said dryly.
“When did you start plotting against him?”
“From the very beginning.”
Again, I couldn’t believe how little I knew of my ex and what he was capable of. Which drew me to my next question.
“John, are you seriously planning on killing me?”
He let out a ragged sigh. “It’s certainly not something that I want to do, Mia.”
“Sorry, but that’s not a real answer.”
“Do you really want to know?”
I let out a harsh laugh. “I really can’t believe that I’m having this conversation with you. A man who I once trusted with my life.”
“Mia, you’ve put me in a bind here,” he replied. “If I were to let you go, the others involved with this would be pissed enough to kill the both of us.”
“Why? Because I could identify you?” I asked sarcastically.
“More or less.”
“What about Damian, Ransom, and Marshall? They know who you are, too. So does Ridley.”
“Pity for them.”
A chill went down my spine. “What does that mean? Are you planning on killing all of us?”
He didn’t reply.
“So, that’s it,” I said angrily. “You’re going to take the money and leave no witnesses. What about Jake? Are you going to kill him too?”
John still didn’t answer me.
“To think that I actually loved you. You have no heart or soul,” I said, staring at him with disgust.
“Believe what you will, but I’ve never stopped loving you,” he said firmly. “It’s why I tried warning you about this weekend. I didn’t want you on this ship. I may have lied about why, but I didn’t want things to go down like this. Hell, Mia, I still wanted you back.”
“Not according to Tracy. You two were going on a cruise very soon if I remember correctly.”
He sighed. “She was a mistake and then a necessity.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Fine. What about Damian’s wife?” I asked. “You told Damian that you slept with her. Was she a necessity, too?”
“She was business. I didn’t sleep with her until after you and I split up, by the way.”
I frowned. “What do you mean? What kind of business would you have with her? I thought that you were Damian’s lawyer.”
“I’ve said enough. No more questions.”
“Why? It’s not like I’m going to be around to tell anyone about it,” I said dryly.
He didn’t say anything.
“Dammit, John,” I said, frustrated. “Say something! I mean, hell… if you’re planning on killing me, why wait? Why prolong the inevitable?”
“I’m still trying to mull things over,” he muttered.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you should qu
it nagging me and let me try to figure out another way to get you out of this mess.”
Now that was a surprise.
“You’d do that?” I asked, not sure whether or not to believe him.
“You obviously haven’t been listening. I love you, Mia. I’ve never stopped.”
His words didn’t do anything for me. I felt only coldness toward him. But, they certainly gave me an idea.
“I’m not in love with Damian,” I said, the words not exactly true. I knew that I was falling for him. Hard. It was even easier now that I’d found out what kind of a monster John really was.
He looked at me.
“I was only trying to hurt you the way that you hurt me. I even knew that you were going to be at the concert that night,” I lied. “When you saw us together. I wanted you to think that I’d gotten over you.”
“What are you saying?” he asked.
I swallowed. “I’m saying that I still have feelings for you. Even now. Even after everything that’s happened.”
He raised his sunglasses and put them on his head. “You know, I’m a lawyer. I can usually see right through people,” John said, studying my face.
“I know you can,” I said, grabbing his hand. I stared at him as I brought it to my cheek. “So, you must know the truth when it’s right in front of your face.”
From the look in his eyes, I knew he still didn’t trust me.
I let his hand go. “We both have a lot to think about. Just remember one thing – you know how much I loved you. We’d still be together if not for… Tracy.”
“I know,” he said. “And like I said, she was a mistake. One I will always regret.”
“I’m sure you do.” I sighed. Getting caught was what he regretted. “You know, to be honest… I can almost understand why you’re doing all of this,” I said, forcing another smile to my face. “He’s worth a lot of money. Hell, I’m broke. I could use a little of it myself.”
“Play your cards right and maybe you can.”
I knew that he’d never believe that I’d switch sides so easily. Especially with Ridley’s life on the line.
“What about Ridley?”
“What about her? She’s not getting anything from me. The woman is a threat.”
“What if I can convince her to keep her mouth shut?” I asked.
He grunted. “The only way you could pull that off is by sewing it shut. I’m sorry. I love you but I can’t stand her, and the feeling is mutual. Right now, there’s nothing she wouldn’t do to put my ass in jail.”
“I suppose you’re right. Are you sure there isn’t any other way?” I asked, my mind reeling on how I could save her. Save Damian. Save Jake.
“No, there isn’t. Just be thankful that I’m sparing your life,” he said. “Believe me, that’s not going to be an easy task. Everyone saw you. I’m going to have to try and convince my men that I killed you.”
“You’re going back without me?”
He nodded. “That’s the only way to keep you alive.”
“And where are you going to leave me?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
I could tell by the look on his face that he’d had enough of my questions.
“I can see that you have a lot to think about and I could use some rest. Would you mind if I went down below and took a nap?”
“I think that’s a very good idea,” he said.
“Thank you, John,” I said, turning away.
“Wait. Come here.”
I stepped over to him.
Staring at me, he pulled me into his arms and crushed his lips against mine. It took everything I had to not recoil in disgust, especially after he slid his tongue between my lips.
Trembling, I let him kiss me, knowing that my reaction could be the difference between life and death. When it was over, he released me.
“Are you okay?” he asked, searching my eyes.
“Of course.” I leaned up and kissed him on the lips again. “I missed you.”
He pulled back and stared at me dead in the eye. “I hope I can trust you. If you’re fucking with me, I’ll kill you.”
A shudder went through me. “Maybe I should say the same thing to you.”
His face relaxed and he laughed. “Touché.”
I forced myself to smile. “I’m going to lie down.”
He nodded.
I climbed down from the command bridge, to the salon and walked over to the galley. I quietly opened up a couple of drawers and cupboards, hoping to find a knife or something to defend myself. One thing I was beginning to learn about John was that he was a great actor, which explained why he was also an excellent attorney. There was a chance that he was playing me right now, just like I was playing him.
Disappointed that there wasn’t even so much as a spoon in the galley, I headed into the master-stateroom and noticed my carry-on bag sitting in the corner. My heart began to race as I remembered the pepper spray, I unzipped the bag and pulled it out, surprised that it was still inside. Apparently, the bag had been forgotten.
I stared at the can with hope. I knew that I could get close enough to John to use it. I could blind him and take his gun. Or somehow find the strength and push his ass into the ocean. As much as I wanted to, however, I knew that I had to play nice with him. At least until I knew where Jake was and if there was any chance that I could help rescue him.
I shoved it into my front pocket, thankful for Michael’s gift and the fact that I’d been smart enough to keep it.
13
Jake
I ran toward the woods as fast as I could, waiting for someone to holler my name or grab me. But, nobody did. Not even Dan.
By the time I reached the tall pine trees, my bare feet hurt from all of the rocks and twigs and I was out of breath. But, I didn’t care.
I was free!
I have to call my dad, I thought with excitement. I knew he’d be proud that I’d escaped on my own. Plus, I didn’t want him to give them any money. They didn’t deserve it and probably wouldn’t have given me back to him anyway.
I slowed down a little as I ran deeper into the forest, not exactly sure where to go. As I looked over to my right, I noticed a twisting stream that led to a swamp. I thought about the alligators that would most certainly be close by and headed the opposite direction. That last thing I needed was to escape, only to be eaten by an alligator. I’d encountered one once, when my dad had taken us camping near the Alafia River. We’d hiked through one of the trails and had seen one at the edge of a small lake. We stayed far enough away from it, but it had growled and then made some kind of funny hissing noise. It had been scary and cool at the same time. Shuddering at the memory, I kept moving, hoping that I wasn’t going to get lost in the woods.
“Jake!” hollered Peter, somewhere behind me.
Frightened that he’d catch up to me, I ran faster through the woods, my heart pounding in my chest. He called my name a few more times, but his voice became more distant as I headed in the opposite direction. After a few minutes, I heard traffic sounds. I followed the noise and it led me out of the woods. I stopped and stared at the road, which was now empty, wondering what to do. I knew that the kidnappers might see me, but there were cars coming my way. I wanted to catch their attention.
“Jake!” yelled Peter.
Panicking, I ran toward the road, deciding that I’d rather take my chances hitchhiking than let them take me back. It was then that I noticed a white car heading toward me. I blinked once and then twice.
Was it an apparition?
It looked exactly like my mother’s car.
It slowed and my heart leaped out of my chest when I saw that it was really her, sitting in the driver’s seat. I waved my hands and jumped up and down.
She stopped the car and rolled down the window. “What are you doing out here?”
Relief washed over me. I got into the front seat and threw my arms around her. “How did you find me?”
“We’ll talk about that later
. Are you okay?” she asked, kissing the top of my head. “I’ve been so worried about you.”
“I’m okay. We’ve got to get out of here,” I said, pulling away from her to look outside. “The kidnappers are out there somewhere, looking for me.”
“Put your seatbelt on and we will.”
“Okay,” I answered, doing what she asked. “We need to call Dad and let him know that I escaped.”
“We’ll do that after we get you someplace safe,” she replied, pulling back onto the road.
“Okay.” I looked outside and shrank down into my seat when I noticed Peter stepping out of the woods. He wasn’t wearing his mask anymore, but I recognized his clothing. “Mom, that’s one of them. We’ve got to get out of here!”
Instead of answering she slammed on the brakes and beeped the horn.
“What are you doing?” I asked, staring in horror as Peter looked in our direction and ran toward us.
“Relax, Jake,” she said, grabbing my hand. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“No. We’ve got to get out of here!” I cried, my eyes filling with tears. “He’s one of the guys who kidnapped me.”
“I know exactly who he is.”
I stared at her in disbelief as she unlocked the door and Peter got into the backseat.
“Thank God. You found him,” Peter said.
“No thanks to you. You’re lucky I spotted him,” she replied angrily.
“It wasn’t me who lost the kid. It was Dan.”
“Your brother is in idiot.”
He sighed. “Yeah. I know. He can’t help it though.”
“You should have left him out of this,” my mother said.
“Too late for that now,” he muttered.
“Mom? What’s going on?” I asked, crying. I recognized Peter’s face, now that he was in the car and without the mask. He was a friend of my mother’s and used to visit her when we still lived with my dad.
“Quit your crying,” she said as we began moving again. “You’re too old to be acting like a baby.”
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