"But she's beautiful! She's a… a professional, and she's intelligent. She's really pretty, she's not a drug addict or a prostitute and she'd fit perfect!" Lisa glanced back and forth from Animal to Tim. "Please… I'll even help you find her. I know where she is and-"
Al and Animal laughed. Tim chuckled, shaking his head. "You're a riot, lady. Why the fuck should I go out and risk my neck in getting this other bitch? I already got you. For all I know, this chick is probably just another whore like all the other ones, or she doesn't even exist!
ill pay you!"'Ihe adrenaline was flowing through her veins, making her feel light-headed. She could feel the dock ticking on her and her unborn baby's life. "I'm a lawyer-4 was just made a partner in my firm. I can give you whatever these clients of yours are paying you. I can get you the money immediately!"
Al looked intrigued. He looked at Tim. "Money talks, Tim."
Tim stroked his chin nervously.
Al turned to Lisa. 'You can match it, huh?You sure?"
"Yes," Lisa said, her heart thumping. "I can not only match it, I can find the woman for you. Please, just take me down there with you and I promise you that-"
"You can come up with ninety grand cash?" Al cocked a questioning glance at her. "You got that kind of money?"
"Yes!" She and Jeff had around sixty thousand in their joint savings account, and another sixty grand or so in their IRAs. She was fairly certain she could cash out her IRA quickly if she hit her bank at the right time. She also had her wedding ring-there was five grand right there. "I can get it," she said, straightening herself up. "Hard cash."
The three of them were glancing at each other, and as Lisa watched the exchange she realized she'd struck a nerve with them. She'd hit the gold mine. With the exception of Animal, the only reason they were engaged in this was for the money. Hadn't Tim told her that over and over again on the drive up after her abduction?
"I don't know," Tim said shaking his head. "I can sure use the extra money, but… I got a product to deliver in three days." "
"I can help you get her by the end of the day," Lisa said, desperate now "If we leave now, we can be in LA by two or three, and I can have the money to you by four. Please, I'll do all that and-"
*And lead the cops right to us," Tim said, angrily. "No fucking way."
"N-no," Lisa said, her voice cracking. "No police. I swear to Cod, I won't tell anybody."
"What about your husband?" Al said, an irritated grimace on his face. "He's gonna call the cops, you know they're gonna be involved anyway.'
"I won't say anything!" She said, pleading now "Please… I don't know your names, I don't know what you look like, I've never seen you before in my life. You're four black men, but you may have been Hispanic or Samoan or something. I don't know, it was too dark and I couldn't see, and you had me blindfolded and you knocked me out and… please, I won't say anything!"
Al looked at her for what seemed an eternity. He turned to Tim and shrugged. "1 can sure use the money,Tim!
No, man," TSm said, shaking his head. "I don't like it. I mean, I got orders-"
"Fuck that shit," Al said, turning to Tim. "You telling me you'd be willing to throw another ninety grand down the toilet? You shittin' me?"
Animal had been standing in the corner during the exchange, fists clenched at his sides. He was silent as Tim shook his head. "I don't know, man, I don't like it. I mean, I did my part, but.. "
Al turned to Animal. "What about you, Animal?"
1be money would be nice," Animal said, his features suddenly darker than they had been when he'd just seemed like another young professional. 'But the itch is gettin' strong. Rankly, I could tear into this bitch right now if you let me. I don't give a shit who I do. Long as I get mine"
Al turned to Lisa. "Well, that settles it for me. Animal's ready, and we already got you and the other bitch. I say we just do them both tonight and-"
Before Lisa could stop herself, she let it blurt out. "The other woman has a baby!" They stopped and turned toward her. The atmosphere in the room got heavier, as if cold water had just been dumped on everything, setting the flames to sizzle and steam. Lisa could feel the blood pounding in her veins. "She has a baby girl," she heard herself, instantly hating herself for saying it. "Probably not even a month old. You can have her, too. Please.. "
The three men were silent. Animal's breathing grew heavier. Al shrugged at Tim. "Well… Animal's always wanted to do a baby. It might be. " He shrugged, a mixture of unease and anticipation on his features. "Hold on a sec." He pulled a cellular phone out of his jeans pocket and stepped outside, dialing a number. Lisa watched him leave with a growing sense of dread.
Oh God, what did I just do!
Tim and Animal stood in the corner of the room, regarding her with cold stares. Lisa couldn't look at them, the dread solidifying in her belly. She drew into herself, head down, trying to staunch the flow of tears that threatened to burst forth. Oh my God, what did I just do? I just… I just…
I just want to have my baby! Please let me have my baby!
She didn't know how long Al was gone, but it felt like an eternity. When he came back she refused to look up, not knowing if she would be able to look into his face. "We're on with the other chick and the baby. Get this bitch in the van and find them pronto."
Lisa looked up, the surprise of the verdict stunning. Al had a satisfied look on his face. Tim looked stunned; Animal looked excited. "You sure?" Tim asked Al.
'Sam just said they'll pay double if we have a baby in it." Al folded the cell phone up and replaced it in his pocket. "Let's get going though. Get rid of this bitch and find this other chick and the kid."
"Did you tell him about this one?" Tim asked, motioning to Lisa.
"No." Al turned to Lisa, his eyes cold. "This woman… you said she's only been homeless a few days, right? What's she look like?'
Lisa fumbled for the right description. She felt numb with shock. She couldn't believe this was happening. "Shshe's about six inches taller than me. B-blond hair… shoulder length… real pretty. N-nice body… n-nice We-legs.
"Fine" Al leaned close to her, his face dark. "If you don't find this chick and her baby, Tim will bring you back here, and then we're going to film you getting fucked to death, and I can guarantee you that Animal will make it the most vicious, most painful fuck you have ever had in your life. Do you understand me? He'll put a hole in your belly and fuck the wound while you're still alive. We don't call him the Animal for nothing, you know what I'm saying? 'Rut's why he's in such demand for our little group. We've used other doms, but Animal's special. He'll cut your fingers off and make you eat them if he wants to. He'll keep you alive for the next week if he wants to. Shit, he'd pop your left eyeball out and fuck the socket while you're still alive if he could. He's never been that lucky, though. Usually, they die the minute Animal sticks his dick in the eye socket."
Lisa was sobbing, the images washing over her, turning her stomach. Al leaned loser to her, his breath sour. "And if this is a scam, or if you don't find this chick and the baby, your ass is going to be tortured so bad that you're going to wish you just opted for the quick way out. You got me?"
Lisa nodded, tears silently spilling down her cheeks. She was shaking, paralyzed with fear.
"You find the chick and the baby, Tim will take care of everything," Al continued. "You find them, and once he's got them, he'll take you to your bank and you'll both go in and get the money. You won't try anything in there, you got it? If Tim ain't back up here by nine o'clock this evening.. " He reached for her purse, which had been sitting in the corner since being dumped in the room, and rummaged through it. He extracted her wallet, took her driver's license out, then rifled through it until he found some photos. He found the one he wanted and took it out. He held it up for her to see: It was Brad. "I take that back. If I don't hear from Tim by five o'clock on my cell phone, I'm going to pay your hubby a visit myself. And then maybe we'll take him somewhere nice and safe and film ourselves
a homosexual snuff film. Animal, he has no fucking sexual preference, so long as he mutilates and tortures people. Don't you, Animal?"
Animal nodded and grinned. "I've done men before. They can be fun, too." "
Al turned back' to Lisa. "After you've given Tim the money, we don't want to so much as be reminded of you. You got me? And if I so much as get pulled over by a cop for a traffic ticket, I will find you, got me? If you say anything to the cops about this and they come looking for us, I'll know where to find you." He held her license up, grinning. "Tim tells me you told him you were expecting a kid yourself? That true?"
TYembling, Lisa nodded slowly, trying to control her crying.
"I'll keep tabs on you," Al said, his grin wicked. "And if the cops come nosing around, I'll know where to find you. And I'll wait until you're well along in your pregnancy. I'm sure the guys in the group will love to watch a flick of a pregnant bitch getting it." He grinned sickly.
Lisa was unable to control herself now. She felt weak from the terror of her ordeal and she felt nauseated, but she also felt as if a huge burden was being lifted from her shoulders, as if she had just been given a reprieve. My baby gets to live, my baby gets to live!
"And if I don't get you then, I'll get you later, after you've popped the kid," Al said. "Then we'll make ourselves a nice little sequel to the film we'll hopefully be making tomorrow." He tipped his head back and laughed, and then the tears came fresh, bursting out of her.
Please don't hurt my baby, she almost said, but held it in. Instead, she nodded and said, "I won't tell anybody. I promise."
If he understood her through her sobs, Al gave no indication. He nodded to Tim."I'm sending Animal with you." To Animal: "Tie this bitch up and get her in the van."
Animal stepped up to Lisa, his grin wide, and Lisa felt herself go limp. She didn't put up any resistance as Animal gagged and blindfolded her. The last thing she saw before she was blindfolded was Al talking in low tones to Animal as the young sadist nodded seriously. Then, with Tim's help, she was carried outside to the van.
Fourteen
Tim delivered the news to her five minutes into the ride to Los Angeles. "We're going by your bank first to get the money. Where is it?"
She felt a stinging bum as the duct tape that had been slapped over her face was ripped off, removing small facial hairs and an upper layer of skin. Her blindfold had been removed a moment before, and now she sat propped against the side panel, blinking up at Animal as he hovered over her, his green eyes predatory and cold. She stole a quick glance at the front of the van where Tim was driving; he met her gaze from the rearview mirror.
"Well?"
"Bank of America, Huntington Beach branch." She gave them the nearest cross street. "It's right off the 405"
"It's off Beach Boulevard, you said?"
Lisa nodded. "Yeah"
"I can get to Beach from the 22," Tim said, turning his attention back to the road in front of him." hat goes right through Little Saigon."
"Where's the homeless chick and the baby?" Animal asked, and hearing him ask this sent a shiver of ice down her spine.
"North Hollywood," Lisa said, the feeling of dread rising in her again. "Off Burbank Boulevard. There was an IKEA right off the exit."
"I know where that is," Tim said.
They were silent for a while as Tim meandered down winding, twisty mountain roads. Animal sat across from her, sizing her up occasionally, mostly looking out the windshield. Lisa tried to ignore him as they headed down the mountain, but it was hard to do. Every time his eyes lighted on her, she felt like a mouse being sized up as a potential meal for a snake; it was a cold, impersonal feeling. It made her want to draw into herself more.
Once they reached the main highway that would take them to Interstate 10, Animal moved to the front seat. Lisa slumped back against the side panel and almost let out a sob.
Omigodwhyisthishappening!
She cried silently, the tears squeezing out of her eyes to roll down her cheeks. She didn't care if Tim or the Animal heard her or not. They would probably think she was crying out of fear anyway, but she wasn't. She was crying out of shame.
What have I done?
Well, let's see, Lisa. In order to save your own hide and your's and Brad's unborn child, you willingly turned this No of murderous psychopaths on to a woman you not only don't know, but you also told them they could rape, torture, and murder her infant daughter. Gee, that's a really nice thing to do to somebody, don't you think?
What else could I do? They were going to kill me? They were going to kill me knowing I'm pregnant?
Yeah, and in the process, you've managed to sell a woman you don't even know and a baby to them. Your own baby isn't even born yet and Mandy's, what, a month? livo months old maybe? And Alicia? What about her? You' l be helping kill two people here, Lisa.
But they were going to kill my baby! They were going to-
Can the save your baby crap. You just want to save your own skin. Isn't that right?
No! Mat's not true! Mat's-
Bullshit! Why else would you do what you just did? Oh please don't torture me to death in a snuff film! I don't want to die! I know somebody else you can kill instead. And while you're at it, you can have her baby, too! Just don't kill me.
And as the tears spilled down her cheeks, she realized that the part of her that was telling her this was right.
And that only made her feel more ashamed and disgusted with herself.
Tim's voice cut through the din of her sobs. "Shut your fucking trap back there!"
She hitched in a breath at the bark of Tim's command and tried to hold back the sob that threatened to spill forth. Don't fall apart now, she thought. You've got to be strong if you want to get through this. You're going to need a dear head if you want to save not only yourself, but Ali cia and her baby. Because you owe it to her-you owe it to them. You know that, don't you?You are going to get out of this and you are not going to let them take Alicia and Mandy.
And as the van sped down Interstate 10, she began to try thinking of a way out of her predicament.
They were on the 57 Freeway breezing by Anaheim Stadium when Animal popped back into the rear of the van. He held a nasty-looking knife in his hand. "Hold still," he said. "I'm just cutting you loose so you can get dressed."
"And don't try anything," Tim warned from the front seat. "Animal's killed eighteen people. You try anything, he'll gut you faster than a rat can shit"
Lisa's skin tightened as she felt Animal cut the rope that bound her wrists together. She felt him work the lock that held the handcuffs together and then she was free. Then he was in front of her, holding the knife to her menacingly as he held her clothes out to her. "Put your bra and shirt on first, then I'll uncuff your ankles."
Lisa rubbed her wrists, then did what she was told. She dressed slowly, her mind racing. She had been thinking about a thousand possible scenarios for the past hour and none of them appeared promising. In the first she saw herself enter the bank, most likely with Animal, then suddenly making a break for it and diving over the teller's desk. That would cause a scene; Animal would surely get the hell out of dodge. And she would be safe… but not for long. Al had her and Brad's photographs. He had her address and phone number, which he had taken from one of her bank slips. Hell, he had her social security card. With all that information, he could probably find her pretty quickly.
Another scenario saw her getting the money, then making a run for it out the front doors. But then that would end the same way.
She tried playing different scenarios out all the way till the end, to their final destination in Burbank. What would happen? Suppose Alicia and Mandy were gone? How would Tim and Animal get them in the van without attracting unwanted attention? The more she thought of it, the more volatile Alicia's abduction would be. Lisa had the feeling Tim knew this, which was why they were going after the money first.
The only scenario she really liked had her lunging for the armed securit
y guard at the bank. If she could surprise him and get his gun, she could maybe shoot him (in the leg, of course; she didn't want to kill him), then maybe shoot Animal (again, in the leg; she wanted him alive to confess to the police. On second thought, maybe she'd shoot his balls off. Shooting a man's balls off wouldn't kill him, would it?), then rush outside and surprise Tim in the van, holding him at gunpoint until the police arrived.
There were several problems with that scenario. Suppose there was another guard at the bank and she was shot first? Suppose she couldn't get the gun, and in the struggle for it Animal escaped? Suppose the police arrived too quickly and shot her? All these problems flashed through her mind in seconds as she slipped into her bra and shirt.
"Slap some makeup on your face," Tim said. "We're almost there."
Lisa looked out the front windshield. They were on the 22 Freeway heading north. They were getting close to their exit. Let's take this one step at a time, she thought as she put her shoes on.
By the time they reached the bank, she had put some makeup on and inspected herself in her compact. De spite all she had gone through in the past three days, she didn't look that bad. Tired maybe, but not that bad.
Tim swung into a parking space near the bank's entrance, cut the engine, and turned around. Animal's goin' in the bank with you. If you try anything like screaming or something, Animal will just dash out here and me and him are off. You won't know when we'll get you next, but we will. And we'll get you and your whole fucking family, and we'll film Animal torturing and killing all of you, you got me?"
Lisa nodded stoically.
"Is this savings account a joint account?" Tim asked.
Lisa nodded. "Yes."
"Do any of the tellers in there know you and your husband?"
"No.
"So they won't know Animal here from Adam, right?"
She nodded, straightening herself up. "'They won't know him."
"Good. Animal will play hubby for today. Animal, give your wifey here a kiss."
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