I wish more than anything my parents were still with us. Not because I wish that they’d ever have to experience this pain stabbing me in the heart, but because I wish they were here to tell me what to do.
I wish Taylor was here. She’d for sure know what to do. She had always protected me and now it was my turn to protect her, whatever the hell that means.
I cock my head sideways against the glass and stare longingly as the towering skyscrapers of the city give way to a more muted scenery of industrial parks and lower-class homes.
Where he’s taking me? I don’t know.
I grab the diamond pendant hanging from my neck and squeeze it tightly. It’s almost as if she’s here beside me in the moment, but the feeling of relief is only a temporary illusion before it’s gone again and my world is shattered into tiny pieces all over again.
# # #
We jumped off the interstate about ten minutes back and drove through a neighborhood that’s a little more than run down. It’s the type of neighborhood that’s not terrifying, but also one that I wouldn’t want to be caught in alone at night. Especially not after what’s happened to me today.
After this is over, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to step foot outside the school I work in or my home. It’ll be easier to become a hermit, safer too.
We pass a wall of aluminum sheet metal covering a rusted chain link fence. Painted across the metal is incomprehensible graffiti, both words and objects.
We round a corner at the end of the road. The asphalt beneath us blends into a gravel parking lot. The sound of the tires crunching against the tires puts me on edge. Up ahead is an old brick factory that looks as if it’s been long abandoned.
I swallow nervously, thinking that I’ve made a huge mistake in allowing him to bring me here. After all, I know nothing about this man other than what he looks like and the car he drives. He says his name is Chase Carter, but I can’t be sure of anything.
The car comes to a stop parked beside three other vehicles—two white sedans and a black SUV. The sight of the latter sends chills up my spine. Will I spend the rest of my life seeing Taylor pulled into a black SUV every time I come across a similar vehicle?
Chase turns the ignition over and throws his arm behind my head so that it’s situated on headrest. He looks over to me, pushing his tongue against his cheek. “I’m going to do everything in my power to get your sister back, but I’m going to need you to trust me.”
“Okay,” I say with a nod. “I’m trying.”
“Now,” he sighs, thumbs his lip nervously, “We’re not supposed to bring people back here, but I don’t think Domino will have any objections given the circumstances.”
“Domino?” I gulp and then add, “Where exactly is here?”
“Come inside and I’ll show you.”
My eyes tangle with his for a short moment, orbs of dark chocolate just waiting to be explored. I can’t explain the reasons why, but there’s just something about him that pulls me in. Something about him that makes me want to trust him without hesitation or questions. It’s more than want, I suppose, because I do trust him, inexplicably without rhyme or reason.
CHAPTER FOUR
SUMMER
Chase leads the way inside through a pair of tall metal doors in the center of the building. The doors squeal when he pushes them open and then holds the door for me as I step foot inside. The floors are hard concrete and the factory is warm and humid.
There’s a large, sparse opening with nothing more than brick beams towering to the high ceilings. There’s a yellow railing that travels around a second floor that looks down upon the first.
“This way,” Chase says with a nod to the right, towards another metal door.
“What is this place?” I question as I continue to follow his lead, my eyes taking in the sights of the dimly lit building with the only lights coming from the dirty windows hanging above the second floor. In any other circumstance, I’d be fearful hanging out in an abandoned factory with a complete stranger, but again, he’s all I have right now.
He holds the metal door open for me as I pass through and into an office-like room. The ceilings aren’t quite as high and though it carries the same rustic charm as the factory floor, it’s a little more modern with artwork hanging from the brick walls.
“This is home base,” Chase says as he turns to me, his arms stretched out wide.
“Home base for what?”
“Right.” He chuckles playfully. “We’re the dirty little secret of Los Angeles.” He takes a measured step towards me, his smile turning somewhat upside down. There’s a darkness in his voice, in the way he moves as his shadow lingers over me. “We work outside the law, often times doing what the authorities can’t. What we do isn’t exactly kosher, but we get results.”
“And who exactly are you?” I question, my throat tensing as the words pass over my lips. “Are you like vigilantes or something?”
“Not quite.” He nods and steps backwards. “Welcome to Ford Security, a private security firm that operates just outside the law. Like I said, though, we don’t exactly advertise our business to the world at large, so your discretion is of the utmost importance.”
I smack my lips, trying to process this new information. I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans and glance around the office. There are no windows in here, only fluorescent lights that hang overhead.
“It’s like a fortress in here.”
“That’s the point.” He points to a couch situated against the wall nearest the door. “Have a seat and I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” I question nervously. “Are you going to leave me alone?”
“Just for a minute.” He steps past the two metal desks and palms his hand around the knob of a wooden door. “You’re obviously free to do whatever you want, but if you want to see your sister again, then I think you should listen to what those men said on the phone.”
“Yeah…” I force a smile and take a seat on the couch, folding my arms in between my legs and swallowing a nervous lump.
I have no intention of going anywhere even though the voices in my head are racing. In my own head, there are battles raging with some voices saying I should go back home and call the police. Some of the other voices are telling me to heed the warning from the mysterious man on the phone, those same voices are telling me to stick with Chase, at least for now. Other voices are taunting me, either telling me it’s my fault that Taylor is now gone or that she’s lost forever.
I force my eyes closed and throw my head back against the back of the couch. There’s a temporary feeling of relief behind closed eyes, and for the shortest of moments, it’s almost like I’m slipping out of this nightmare.
Until the door is thrown back open. Chase stands in the doorway with the door held open and with one hand gestures for me to follow him. “Follow me.”
“Where are we going?” I rise to stand and pace across the room to meet him at the door. When I take a peek inside, there doesn’t seem to be anything to the room. It’s a small space, as big as an elevator perhaps with brick walls and a steel floor. “What is this?”
“Just come inside.”
I swallow harshly, contemplating. This isn’t something a sane, rational woman would do. But being a sane, rational woman was something I stopped having a choice in just about an hour ago. I sigh heavily as I step into the small room and watch carefully as Chase reaches past me, his muscular biceps flexing as he pulls the door shut.
His breath is hot and noticeable on the flesh of my neck, even if it’s not purposeful. Here in this small space, there’s not much breathing room or personal space.
He cocks his head to me with a knowing grin. “Are you ready to go down the rabbit hole?”
My eyes shift to meet his. “Like Alice in Wonderland?”
“Yeah,” he chews into his bottom lip. “Something like that.”
He claps his hands and the fluorescent light above darkens, and then there’s t
he faint sound of gears grinding from behind the brick walls. I stumble backwards, my eyes affixed to the floor as we begin descending. The brick walls give way to cement.
“An elevator?” I question out loud, but I already know the answer. Either that or this nightmare I’ve found myself in is simply getting more and more weird by the minute. “What is this place?”
“I told you, it’s our home base.”
“Our?”
“Ford Security.” The elevator comes to a stop ahead of a steel door with a retina scanner built into the cement beside the door. “I thought we’ve been through this.”
“Yeah.” I force a smile as a blue laser passes over his eyes. “This is getting really weird.”
“The retina scanner keeps the place secure.” He takes a measured step back as the monitor indicates a match and the steel door juts outwards and then disappears sideways into the wall.
Outside of the elevator, there’s a large and open facility with blue lights hanging from the rafters above. The walls are all concrete but painted white with a large blue logo Ford Security on the far left wall.
There’s a man with headphones over his ears seated at a long row of computers and monitor screens. The lights from the machines cloak him in a silhouette of shadows like something straight out of a superhero film.
Are these people superheroes? Is Chase a superhero?
“I know what you’re thinking,” Chase says deadpan from beside me. “And the answer is no, we are not a ragtag team of superheroes.”
“What? How did—?” I wave him off. “Never mind.”
“We’re a team of ex-military friends and acquaintances fighting the good fight for the people who need it to the most.” He nudges me with his elbow and smiles gently. “Come with me and I’ll introduce you to the team.”
I follow him as he leads me towards the man at the computer. He places a palm on the man’s shoulder, forcing him to jerk in place and rip his headphones off his head.
“Would you relax?” Chase shakes his head and points towards me. “This is Summer Smart.”
The man turns in his chair to face me and offers me a wave and a smile. “Hi, I’m Marcus Aiken.”
“Marcus is the tech guy here at Ford Security.” He glances down to the tech guy. “He’s also our very own team punching bag. If anything goes wrong, there’s a good chance he’s going to get blamed for it.”
“Nice to meet you, Marcus.” I step forward and offer my hand out. He shakes my hand in return and it’s softer and gentler than Chase’s. He’s meeker and more fragile, thinner-bodied with black glasses housing dark blue eyes. Wearing nothing more than a band tee and jeans, I imagine he’s not one of the ex-military men Chase was talking about. “This is a nice set up you have here.”
“Oh yes.” He twists back to face his technology, his eyes squinting as he clicks through one window to the next. “Chase gave me a brief run-down of the situation and I’m on the case. I’m working on breaking into the mall’s security system as we speak so I can hopefully identify the tags on the vehicle in question.”
“You can do that?” I lean over the desk, my interest piqued as I watch him work trying to crack the codes. More than ever, I’m grateful that I put my trust into Chase’s hands. These people really seem to know what they’re doing. “What happens after you find the plates?”
“There are various things we could do, but I’ll start by running the plates. I’d like to break into the city’s infrastructure and try to follow the car around the city, but that’s a lot more difficult and there’s no guarantee it could work.”
“Keep up the good work, Markie.” Chase lays a palm on his shoulder and massages him gently before gesturing for me to follow him.
I take one last glance at the screen before following Chase deeper into the complex. Just beyond the computer screens there is what looks like a fitness center with equipment I couldn’t even begin to understand how to use. To the right, there are two doors side by side, and another two doors on the opposite side of the complex. Chase leads me towards the doors on the right, and then holds one door open for me.
I take a peek inside before entering. There’s a full-size bed parked against the wall with a nightstand and dresser on the adjacent wall. To the right is another door, which I assume is a shower.
“I know it’s not much, but it’s yours for however long you need it. And though you don’t have all the luxuries I’m sure you’re used to, you’ll be safe and secure here.”
“No, it’s amazing.” I turn to him and smile. “But how long do you expect this to take?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs, stretches out one strong arm to lean against the frame of the door. “Could be a few hours. Could be a few days. We’ll know more later, but for now I think it’s a good idea if you try to get some rest. You don’t need to sleep, but we’re going to need to know as much as you can remember, so try to focus on that.”
“Yeah.” I flip my hair over one shoulder and purse my lips. “There’s no way I could sleep right now. Isn’t there anything else I could do to help?”
“There is.” He nods and passes me his phone. “Give me your home address.”
“What for?” I shake my head, holding his phone steady in my hand. “What does that matter?”
“The evening rush is just about over, so I’m going to go back to your place and pick up a few things for you.” He scratches nervously at his nose and clears his throat. “I’m also going to do some recon, see if those people have maybe been there as well. I won’t be gone for long.”
I drop my head and type my address and phone number into his phone under a new contact. “What happens if they call while you’re gone?”
“If that happens,” he points behind him towards Marcus, “don’t answer your phone until he’s able to tap into your device.”
“Okay.” I nod and let out a loud sigh.
“It’s going to be okay,” he promises me sincerely, bracing a palm on each of my shoulders. He massages me gently. “You’re going to be okay. Maybe you don’t know this, but you’re an incredibly strong woman.”
“How do you know that?” I look away from him, almost as if I’m ashamed by the weakness I’ve felt ever since those men in the parking lot attacked me and my sister.
“From the time I was a young man, everyone around me has always said one of my best qualities was my ability to judge others.” He crosses his arms over each other and huffs. “My assistant, Anna, is going to come grab you shortly to interview you. It’s nothing to be worried about, but she’s going to be asking a lot of questions to try and get a better picture of what’s going on.”
“Okay.” I nod again and take a seat on the edge of the bed behind me. “It’s a lot to take in at once.”
“Yeah, I can’t imagine.” He pushes his hands into the pockets of his jeans and lets out a hot exhale. “The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I get back, so I’m going to go. If you have any questions, you can talk to Marcus or Anna. Or you can always call me.”
“I don’t have your number,” I point out with a chuckle, though it’s partly out of being uncomfortable.
“Yeah, you do,” he says as he retrieves his phone back from his pocket and shoots me a text. “I’ll be right back.”
He closes the door behind him on his way out and I’m left alone for the first time since this all began. It’s a dizzying experience being alone in this room, but when I look down at the text on my phone, I can’t help but to smile, even if it’s for the shortest of beats.
CHAPTER FIVE
CHASE
476 Rothello-Pike Drive.
It’s a cute, kind of quaint neighborhood. The kind of neighborhood I’d never be able to live in after what I went through overseas. It’s too, dare I say, normal and quiet. It’s like it’s out of a charming housewife television show.
I pull the car curbside a few houses down from Summer’s place and kill the ignition. I glance around the neighborhood, all the houses the sam
e shade of white conformity with white-picket fences and the faint sound of a dog barking from the cul-de-sac down the way.
There was a time when I was a young boy that I was terrified of dogs. I grew up in a one-parent household and to assist paying the bills, I took up a job as a paper boy, delivering the local paper to people living in quaint houses just like these.
And then a pitbull bit me in the ass.
It took a long time to recover from that grueling, terrifying incident. The physical toll didn’t last long, but the mental turmoil persisted over the years until my tour in Iraq. Suddenly, a damn dog didn’t seem scary in the least bit.
I step out of the white car and look both ways before crossing the street. There’s a chance whoever kidnapped Summer’s sister has eyes on the house, so I know I need to be careful. My gut instinct tells me we’re not exactly dealing with career criminals. Instead, I’d wager that the two men saw two defenseless women wearing diamonds around their necks and figured they’d be easy targets.
They weren’t expecting someone like me to intervene. On that level, my interference is partially to blame for Taylor’s abduction. If I weren’t there, the men probably would have made out with two diamonds worth a fortune but both women would have been relatively unharmed.
It’s supposed to be my day off. I sigh before making my way up the short paved driveway, looking over my shoulder once more before circling around to the back door.
It’s unlocked, which of course it is. With how dangerous the world is becoming—more and more dangerous each and every day—it seems people are becoming less careful and cautious when they should be taking more strict measures when it comes to their own security.
I peek my head inside, assuming nobody’s home but still taking the proper precautions. Summer wasn’t wearing a ring when I rescued her—although her sister was—and as an older woman, I’d assume she’s not living with a roommate, but you can never really know.
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