“Was he undercover then? When he came out to see you?” I question.
He nods his head. “I'm assuming so. He had a young girl with him in a Hummer. I gave him my drone then and haven't seen or heard from him since. Actually didn't think about it until now. I'm just praying that son of a bitch is as smart as his reputation proceeds him and he uses it now,” he says deep in thought.
“What do you think he would have wanted with the drone?” I ask.
Scott just shrugs. “I don't know. He was in quick and said he'd have it back to me as soon as he could. Was using it for some surveillance he said when I gave it to him. I tried to make it quick. No one would have known either of us are cops. He was dressed down and in leather, a beard grown out, and a beanie on his bald head. I was in my coveralls with a do-rag on my head covered in grease from my bike.”
All I can do is nod my head as the wheels continue to turn. My phone goes off making us both jump. It's Nick. “Hey man,” I answer quickly.
“Any sign of Andrea yet? She check in with you?” he asks.
“No man. But when I called someone finally answered. Trent has her, man. Somewhere between dropping Chantal off and now, she was taken. By who, I don't fucking know,” I tell him.
“How’s Chantal holding up?” I ask quickly.
“She's hanging in there like a champ. Got some drugs in her and feeling no pain right now. She's sleeping so I stepped away to call and check in. It's gonna be a long night here, brother, but even longer for you.”
“Yeah, I have Scott here and he's put out calls and an APB. Just hope I can get to her before he does something I'm afraid he'll do,” I say releasing breath.
“You'll get her, man. I know you will. She's your world and no way Carter Avery is going to let anyone stand in his way when it comes to his girl,” he tells me firmly.
It's what I needed to hear from him right now because I'm feeling a whole lot helpless at the moment. “I'm gonna run, man. I hope he calls me back soon or we get a location so we can get her out. I'll check in when I know more. Keep me up to date on your end too. I need some good right about now.”
“Stay positive, Carter,” he tells me as I hang up.
Scott's looking at his phone when I walk back over to him. “My drone has a camera I can access from my phone here. Let's hope that Spencer uses it somehow and if he's with them, we can see where the surrounding area is,” Scott tells me as he keeps checking for the camera to be in action.
I feel hope bloom a little more and I’m so glad for this small piece of technology that just may be what we need to save this day….and my Starfish.
“No one has any new information yet for us. But Carter, whoever it is you pray to….start praying now. We need a win for the good guys, man.”
I just nod my head and look to the sky, hoping and praying for some guidance and answers. I need them right about now and I'll never ask for another goddamn thing again if I can get her back safely.
Ambulances are pulling away all around us and fire crews are here putting out fires and rescuing people from their cars. It's still a fucking mess out here and I'm just thinking this was done with purpose. Keep the county and surrounding areas busy so no one is looking for Ed, or Trent.
Chapter 14
Andrea
Walking to the waiting room at the hospital that a nurse pointed me to, I wait for the cue to be able to get back to Chantal. I just hope Nick and Carter are here soon, I don't want Nick missing any part of this time with his wife.
The walls are lined with chairs on one side, somewhat padded and comfortable looking. There are vending machines lining the other wall on the other side of the doorway. Walking over to the machines, I dig into my purse for some change for a drink. I'm thirsty and honestly can't remember the last time I drank something. I hadn't been awake too long before I got called to come here. Took a nap with Carter and stayed sleeping after he left. I only woke about ten minutes before he called.
As I'm putting the change into the pop machine, someone walks into the waiting room. Looking over my shoulder to see if it's Nick or Carter, I see it's a younger teenage looking boy. I turn back to the pop machine and work on pushing the buttons to purchase my golden liquid, Mountain Dew.
He walks up to the machine to my right and starts to look at what they have. I turn to him and give him a small smile. He smiles back and says hello.
“You hear with a girlfriend or something in labor and delivery?” I ask, making light conversation since we are the only two in here.
“No, I'm here supporting my dad. My grandma was brought in earlier and is upstairs in intensive care. Thought I'd find a floor that had some decent snacks,” he says on a small laugh.
I just give him a small nod. “I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother, I hope she's going to be okay,” I say with a small smile and feeling concerned for the kid.
“I hope so too. I live with her and help her out around her house. My gramps has been gone for a few years now and it's just her in her big house. She needed a strong guy to help out fixing things,” he says while putting money in the machine.
“That's honorable of you, especially being so young,” I say to him now turning to give him my full attention.
“I'm Blake,” he says holding his hand out for me to shake.
“Andrea,” I say sticking my hand in his on a small handshake. “I'm here with my friend, she's having twins and I brought her in until her husband and my fiancée get here,” I tell him while bending down to retrieve my pop.
He just nods and gives me a small smile. “That's a whole lot of screaming for one house. I'm an only child. Just my dad and me now. Mom took off when I was three, she's off with some new guy,” he tells me with a sad smile.
“Well, clearly your dad has raised you right. You're here supporting him and your grandma,” I say as I turn to go to the seats lining the wall on the other side of the small room.
“Good luck, Blake. It was nice meeting you. I hope everything with your grandma turns out okay,” I tell him as I turn to take a seat, unscrewing my lid of my pop to take a drink.
I'm suddenly stuck with something in my neck. Dropping my pop with a crash to the floor, I grab my neck where I felt a poke. “What the hell?!” I yell as I spin around facing Blake standing there with a needle in his hand.
“Sorry lady, just doing what I'm told,” he says as the room suddenly starts turning and spinning.
I stagger back a bit fighting to stay standing.
He comes closer as I'm falling sideways and catches me. I feel myself getting dragged toward the hallway, a wheelchair is waiting just outside the room and I'm placed in it. My head suddenly feels too heavy for my body, and I'm wheeled to an elevator.
Sitting there at the doors, I try to get up, to get away. I open my mouth to yell, but nothing comes out. I'm scared now and my fight or flight is kicking in. A hand is on my shoulder holding me in place. My brain tells me I need to move and run, but my body won't cooperate.
The doors open and they look sideways to me as my head lulls to the side, I'm losing consciousness. There's a man inside, I give him what I feel are pleading eyes, for him to know something isn't right in this.
“Good job, son,” comes from a familiar voice. A voice that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Ed Rowenski.
I'm pushed into the elevator and the feel the car go down. I try looking around hoping there's someone else in here. Anyone. But it's just them and me.
The doors open as my head lulls the other way. My eyes are trying to close but I'm fighting it with any strength I have. My body doesn't want to cooperate with my brain still. What did they stick me with?
I'm whisked quickly out the front doors of the hospital to a truck waiting outside. I feel myself being lifted out of the chair and try to ball my fists to fight back.
They won't do what I want them to. I'm being taken and I don't know where or why.
I'm shoved into the truck, and as it's drivi
ng away, I feel my body fall back. I stare at the ceiling and roll my head to look at the front. Ed is driving and Blake is in the passenger seat.
He makes a call. “Yeah, we got her. We’ll see you at the motel.”
Everything goes dark.
Chapter 15
Carter
Crews are pulling away and wreckers are all around us pulling cars onto them to remove them from the expressway to clear it out.
Still no more information and Scott hasn't gotten any feed from the drone yet. I'm still holding on to hope, but a lot of time has passed. It's now pushing 11:00 p.m. and I'm dwindling quickly. My hope can't break, I won't give up.
He's toying with me and it's not about Andrea at all. Not really. This is a personal vendetta because even when he had Andrea….her heart was always mine.
So much of this situation is rubbing me the wrong way, with reminders of just a few years back when Nick and I were helpless just as I am now. Chantal and Shannon were kidnapped and being held. The situation was very different but no less frightening, especially to Nick. Chantal was his world and thankfully she's here and still is.
Shannon was a fun loving, beautiful fire fighter that reminded me so much of Andrea, that was what drew me to her. I had missed her so goddamn much then. I needed her. She was taken to spite me then, and was executed to show just exactly how much of a game the situation we were in was not.
I'm feeling sick to my stomach at the thoughts that any moment I could get a similar call with Andrea, that I will bear witness once again to the cruelty of individuals on a power trip. And once again be helpless to stop whatever is going to happen.
“Get the fuck out of your head, Carter,” Scott says from my left. “This is far from over, just remember we have an insider that will use any and all things at his disposal to make this a win for us.”
I bend over and dry heave a little, trying to quell the sick feelings churning in my gut. “I sure hope this is over sooner rather than later, Keller,” I say standing back up and slapping him on the back. He smirks at my use of his last name, I don't do it often.
His phone starts ringing and he excuses himself back to the cruiser. I check my phone again. Nothing.
I start to walk over to see what assistance I can be, instead of just standing here like an asshole. My phone starts going off for a FaceTime call from Andrea’s phone.
I doubt it's her. I don't know what I'm going to see and there's no way to mentally prepare myself. Scott comes up behind me and stands to the side as I pull the phone closer to answer. Staring at the screen, I accept it.
“Hey buddy, you're not looking so hot,” Trent laughs as he comes into focus on the screen.
My eyes are looking anywhere I can around him, taking in anything I can or any glimpse of Andrea.
“It's been a long fucking day, Zito. What can I do for you?” I ask, trying really hard to stay level. Last thing I need is to send him into a rage. I need him calm and levelheaded if possible.
“Our beautiful Starfish has roused, she's sure got some fight in her now. She never used to be this exciting,” he says on a wink.
What a sick fuck.
“Can I see her? Please?” I ask barely above a whisper.
“Oh absolutely, where are my manners. That's why I called, I didn't want you to miss out on our little reunion. Isn't that right, sweetheart?” he says turning with the camera and sitting down on the bed. Behind him is Andrea, she's tied to the bed in her jeans and T-shirt. Her eyes are barely open, which tells me she's clearly been drugged. It's so painful to see her there, and not knowing where there is. She's thrashing her head back and forth as she's trying to come to, she's sluggish but she's in there. My strong fighter, my girl.
“Say something to her, Carter, let her know you're visiting.”
“Carter…..,” she closes her eyes with a painful wince, her eyebrows drawn together.
Trent gets down and sniffs her. He sniffs her. What in the ever loving fuck? Right from her chin along her jaw and into her hair.
“She reeks of you Avery, we’re gonna have to fix that,” he says as he sets the phone up on something so it's fixed on the bed. It falls down, and lays flat against the surface and the screen is dark.
“Goddamn phone,” is all I hear through the dark of the screen.
“Samson, that your name? Come over here and hold this phone, keep it aimed right on me and my lady here.”
The phone screen suddenly lights back up with the room again, and is focused once again to the bed. Suddenly and just for a few moments, the screen is flipped to see the person holding the phone. He's looking into the camera with a stare and looks right at me. He wears a black beanie on his head and his thin chiseled face is covered in stubble. His blue eyes are staring into me. I hear Scott’s intake of breath, and I know.
This Samson, he's our Sam. Our undercover detective from Oakland County. He seems to get my thoughts and just quickly nods before turning the phone back to face Trent next to Andrea.
“You miss me, sweetheart?” he asks her close to her ear. It's then I see her eyes widen and she tries to back away realizing her arms are tied above her head.
“Now, now Andrea. Is that any way to greet your man after two long years?”
“Where am I and where's Carter?”
“He's on the phone, I'm gonna give him a little taste of our reunion. You're in my world now, let me show you how beautiful it is,” he says as he runs his hand along her stomach.
She's thrashing now and trying to back away from his touch.
I can't watch this, it's killing me to see her like this. I can feel myself shaking with rage and the phone in my hand is trembling. Scott's hand comes behind my back and just holds it there away from the view of the camera. A silent support and telling me I need to hold it together, for her.
“Wha...what world are you talking about,” she says now looking around the room.
The camera pans the room to about six guys all standing around. They are all various sizes and builds, most with tattoos and greasy looking. The look of appreciation on their faces is what makes my stomach drop.
“This is my group of guys. We come together for a bit of fun, and they pay a good price for a little slice of heaven. I've told them all about this sweet little cunt of yours, and well, they're gonna try you on for size.”
Now I'm ready to puke all over the ground. She's been with two men in her life. Me and this douche about to feed her to the wolves. He's part of the trafficking and has obviously been calling some shots from prison.
I pull the phone away from my face and release my stomach all over the ground, the tears burning my eyes and throat. I have to find her, I have to get her out of there. She may never recover from this. I can't lose my girl, my sweet Starfish.
Scott urges the phone back to my face by guiding my hand holding it. He just gives a silent nod and I assess and look at each of the guys. Trent clearly has no idea that Sam is panning the room and showing me just who's there. They've all just punched their ticket to hell.
Chapter 16
Andrea
My head feels heavy. There's a dull ache behind my eyes and I can't seem to open them. My mouth feels like someone has filled it with cotton balls, it's so dry. Why can't I open my eyes? Just as I try again, my mind remembers. I was at the hospital and met a kid there to see his grandma. I was taken. I was taken away.
I can hear voices around me, deep voices of men. I don't recognize any of them. I try and will my eyes to open again so I can see around me. Where am I? They open slightly and the room is bright. I can barely see through the slits of my eyes but can make out shadows around me. There's suddenly a loud boom and someone comes in yelling.
“It's about fucking time you stupid fucks got her here. We almost lost our window, you fucking morons.”
I know that voice. But...how? He's in jail.
“We grabbed her as soon as she was alone. What the hell do you expect, Trent? Just because you want a diversion doesn't mean
it's going to go smoothly. We're just lucky we saw her on our way out of the hospital to go get her from her house. She clearly wasn't going to be there.”
“You have a lot of balls talking to me that way, little man. Ed, you need to teach your kid some fucking manners.”
“Blake, it's time for you to go,” Ed says to the kid.
“Whatever, fuck you guys I'm out of here. I'm gonna go check up and make sure Badger didn't pull through the accident I caused,” he says and then another bang. The door slamming.
It's quiet, and I try and open my eyes again. My heart is beating wildly, I can feel it in my dry parched throat.
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