“Where are they?” she whispered to Hawk.
“I’m not sure. We should go around and check the side windows.” Nikki agreed. She and Hawk started to stand up. Just as Hawk and Nikki rose up to move to the side, the front door opened and a man walked into the cabin. He looked toward the back porch. Hawk pulled Nikki back down just in time.
Chapter Nine
Hawk pressed his finger to his lips. Nikki kept quiet. They listened outside the porch window. Nikki adjusted her feet and craned her neck so she could hear what was being said.
“So, Andrew, are you tired of running yet?” Nikki heard a strong New York accent coming from the cabin.
“What do you mean, running? Why am I here?” asked Andrew.
“I told you why. My boss is on his way. It would be easier if you went along with me. I don’t know why you insist that you don’t know him.”
“Who is your boss?” Andrew asked.
“Mr. King,” the man said.
“I don’t know any Mr. King,” Andrew insisted. There was a thud and a noise like air exhaling rapidly. Nikki tried to get up, but Hawk held her down. He shook his head.
“I really don’t want to keep hitting you. I wish you would just cooperate.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” insisted Andrew.
“You do know, and you will tell me where it is.”
“I have told you over and over; I don’t have that kind of money.”
“I’m sure Mr. King will not be happy to hear that,” the New York accent replied. “Maybe you need some more incentive.”
“No, no, please don’t hit me again. I’ll tell you what you want to know,” Andrew gasped. There was silence.
“Well?” asked the man, “Where’s the money?”
“I would tell you if I knew, but I don’t. I don’t know what money you’re talking about. I don’t know any Mr. King.”
Nikki heard the sound of a gun being cocked. She tried to look, but Hawk held her down.
“Maybe this will jog your memory,” the man said.
“Don’t shoot me!” yelled Andrew. Nikki twisted, but Hawk held her firmly.
“You are lucky Mr. King wants you alive.” She breathed a sigh of relief, now understanding the gun was only a fear tactic. Nikki and Hawk kept on listening. Nikki could hear Andrew whimpering. She didn’t blame him; he’d just had a gun in his face.
“Mr. King wants to get back what you owe him.”
“How can I give something back that I don’t have? And who is Mr. King?” Nikki heard the other man pacing.
“You owe Mr. King a bunch of money. He has been waiting for you to come back East. He’s at the airport right now. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
Nikki looked at Hawk. She wished he had his radio. She knew his cell phone wouldn’t have reception here. Hawk was listening with his gun out of his holster.
“What are you talking about? How did he know where I was? Why would he care?”
“You owe him money. He wants his money back. You were smart to run to California; he couldn’t get to you there. I’m surprised you came back East.”
“How did this Mr. King know where I was?” Andrew asked.
“He kept tabs on you. I found out you were flying back East, and Mr. King sent me to meet you. That woman got in the way, though. She kept interfering with my plans. I had to shoot her.”
“Karissa? You shot Karissa?” Andrew moaned.
“Was that her name? Yes. I shot her in the alley. I was going to grab you at the park, but the old lady started screaming. Can you believe my luck? I thought no one would find her for a few hours. That would have given me time to grab you and run. As it turned out, when she screamed she drew all sorts of attention to the alley. I had to get out of there. That’s when I decided to wait in your hotel room.”
“I didn’t know you were there in the closet,” Andrew said.
“Obviously,” the other voice boomed. “You nearly knocked me out with that lamp, and you grabbed my gun! I’m just glad I had the silencer on the gun from when I shot Karissa, or the cops would have come in shooting, you idiot!” Nikki heard a firmer thud, and Andrew wailed; she suspected the man had hit Andrew with the barrel of his gun. “You were easy, though,” the man said with a laugh. “One swing, and you were down. It was a pain getting you through that bathroom window, but I got you out just in time. I should have run that woman over at the hotel. She was lucky you grabbed the wheel. Who was that woman?”
“No one. I… I just didn’t want her to get run over,” Andrew replied.
Nikki slipped from Hawk’s grasp and peeked over the windowsill. She could see the man standing in front of a table. She didn’t see Andrew. Hawk tried to pull her down, but Nikki stayed. The man at the table took a step away, and Nikki finally saw Andrew. He was tied up and bleeding. She gasped. The man turned and fired a shot, just missing Nikki. Hawk got up but didn’t fire. He didn’t want to hit Andrew. Nikki started running off the porch. The man fired at Hawk, and the bullet managed to graze Hawk’s gun, knocking it from his grasp. The man dashed out the back door and caught Hawk in a neck grasp, placing his gun to Hawk’s head. Nikki froze.
“That’s it, honey. Come back here slowly and carefully,” the man said to Nikki. “If you don’t, I’ll put a bullet in his head.”
Nikki turned around. Hawk was in a headlock, and the gun was right at his temple.
“Okay, just don’t shoot him,” she pleaded.
“I won’t, yet,” the gunman threatened. Nikki walked back to the porch and climbed up the stairs.
“Get into the cabin and sit by the table,” the man ordered. Nikki did what he demanded. The man roughly dragged Hawk into the cabin. He sat him on a seat and had Nikki tie him up. The man then tied Nikki to the other chair. Andrew was watching the whole scene; his eyes seemed to apologize to Nikki when she sat down. Nikki just looked worried. How are we going to get out of this, she wondered.
“Are you okay?” she asked Andrew.
“Shut up,” the man said. Andrew nodded quickly while the man was tying Nikki to the chair.
“You will never get away with this,” said Hawk. “The police are on their way. They’ll be here soon. It would be easier for you to just let us go now.”
The man laughed. “What police?” he asked.
“The chief will be here. He and the other police who are out there looking for you will be here soon. There’s a manhunt on for you,” Nikki insisted.
“I don’t believe that. Why would they bother looking for this guy?” he pointed at Andrew.
“They will be here soon,” Hawk warned. The man scoffed and shook his head.
“We’re safe,” he said. “No one will find us out here.”
Unfortunately, Nikki was starting to believe him.
Chapter Ten
Hawk, Nikki, and Andrew were sitting at a kitchen table. Their hands and feet were bound to the chairs. Up close, Andrew looked worse. It seemed to Nikki like he had been hit quite a bit. She told him everything was going to be okay. The man holding them hostage strode over. He threatened to hit Nikki. He told her to keep her mouth shut.
“Leave her alone,” Hawk cried.
“What’s it to you?” the man asked, clearly annoyed.
“I told you, the police are on their way. Things will go more smoothly for you if you let us go. You do not want to harm us.”
“Don’t tell me what I want to do,” said the man, turning to Hawk. He backhanded Hawk and Nikki gasped.
“See,” said the man. “That is what happens when you don’t shut up.”
Nikki looked at Hawk. There was blood trickling down his chin. She felt awful. This is all my fault, she thought. I should not have dragged Hawk into any mess involving Andrew. She closed her eyes and tried to think of a way out of the situation. She felt a hand on her neck. The man jerked her head up.
“I recognize you. You and police guy were at the park today with Andrew. What were you doing there?”
“So, you two won’t answer me?” he questioned and then gave Nikki a taunting stare. “Didn’t your mama tell you it’s not polite to ignore someone?”
“Didn’t your mama tell you not to hurt people?” Nikki said. The man frowned and raised his fist.
“Don’t!” yelled Hawk as the man’s fist hit Nikki’s cheek.
Nikki felt her head snap back quickly. The back of her head hit something. She saw stars and then darkness. She heard Andrew and Hawk yelling, but she could not make out what they were saying. She opened her eyes at last and saw the ceiling. Hawk was trying to break out of the chair. Andrew was yelling at the man. The man leaned over Nikki. She could feel his breath on her face.
“Are you ready to talk now?” he asked. Nikki did not answer him. Her whole head was throbbing, and the room was spinning. The man pulled his foot back and kicked Nikki in the ankle. She gasped and cried out. Hawk roared, “Stop!”
“How about you? Are you ready to talk now?” the man asked Hawk.
“Yes. Just please stop hurting her,” Hawk said between clenched teeth.
The man lifted Nikki and her chair. He sat her upright. Nikki clenched her teeth but did not cry. “Don’t tell him anything, Hawk,” she pleaded.
The man turned to her. “You’re stronger than you look. What is it they say down south, maybe I’ll have to break this filly?”
He grabbed Nikki’s hair and Hawk yelled at him.
“We were meeting Andrew to talk about Karissa!” Hawk cried.
“That’s better,” said the man, letting go of Nikki’s hair and stroking it. She cringed at his touch. The room was steadying itself slowly. A wave of nausea washed over Nikki, but she gulped some air and held it down. I probably have a concussion, she thought. I must have hit my head on the wall when he hit me. She heard Hawk talking and tried to listen to what he was saying.
“Yes, we were meeting Andrew to talk about Karissa, the woman you killed,” Hawk said.
“Oh, you heard that?” the man asked. “That’s too bad. We’ll see what Mr. King wants to do with you now that you know what I’ve done. Why would you want to talk to Andrew about Karissa?”
“Because she wanted me dead,” said Nikki.
The man laughed. “I guess I took care of that problem for you.” Nikki cringed. “What, no thank you?” The man laughed and stroked Nikki’s hair again, firmly. He looked her over. “Why did I find you outside this cabin?” the man asked Nikki.
Nikki wanted to reply, but the nausea hit her again. She looked at Hawk pleadingly.
“I’ll tell you,” said Hawk. The man turned to face Hawk, but he kept his hand on Nikki’s neck.
“This had better be the truth, or I will hurt her again,” the man threatened. Hawk kept his composure. Nikki felt like throwing up on the guy’s shoes but thought better of it. She gulped for more air.
“Andrew texted us when you took him. He told us you were holding him in a cabin. We started searching for you as soon as we got the text. This is the second cabin we searched.”
“How did you get a text out?” the man asked Andrew.
“I did it when you left me in the truck to search the cabin. You had me tied up, but I managed to grab the phone and send out one text. I threw the phone out of the truck before you came back. When you searched me, it was gone.”
The man moved toward Andrew.
“Don’t,” Nikki pleaded.
Just then they all heard a car approaching. The man told them to be quiet or he would hit them again. As they waited, they heard three car doors open and slam shut. Heavy feet were heard on the front porch. Nikki, Hawk, and Andrew waited quietly while the man moved toward the front window. I hope it’s the police, Nikki thought. Her hopes were dashed when the man turned around, smiling.
“Mr. King is here,” he announced.
Chapter Eleven
As the man stepped back from the window, two armed men came through the front door. They were tall, well-muscled, and well-armed. They took their places beside the door. Behind them was another man. After he entered, the bodyguards shut the cabin door. The man who entered behind them was tall and intimidating, too. He didn’t carry a gun, and he was wearing a designer suit with heavy gold chains. His dark hair was combed back, and when he smiled at the man holding them hostage, Nikki noticed he had a gold tooth. There were heavy gold rings on his fingers, and Nikki guessed they were not just for show. She looked over at Andrew. He looked pale.
“What have you gotten us in to?” she hissed.
“I don’t know who that is,” insisted Andrew. Nikki rolled her eyes. The man who had taken Andrew walked over to the tall man. He shook his hand.
“Hello, Mr. King,” said the man.
“Hello, Jim,” said Mr. King. “Why do we have three hostages? Which one is Andrew?”
“I was holding Andrew, and these other two thought they would be heroes,” explained Jim. “The one in the suit is Andrew.”
Mr. King glanced at Nikki and Hawk. He shook his head, and then he turned and stared at Andrew. He walked over and hit Andrew with a closed fist. Andrew whimpered. Mr. King took out a handkerchief and wiped off his hand.
“Let me tell you a story, Andrew,” Mr. King began as he slowly paced around the room. “Quite a few years ago, you were living in New York. I’m not sure why you chose New York, and I only learned later that you had come from Atlanta. You enjoyed living in my city. You gambled and had some fun with some women. One day you gambled a bit too much, didn’t you?” he stopped pacing and looked at Andrew. Andrew looked sullen and confused. Mr. King continued. “You needed some help. You went to a shop recommended by your bookie. That shop was owned by me.”
Andrew looked up suddenly and turned paler than he already was.
“Ah, it seems you’re getting your memory back. For those in the room that are still confused, let me continue. Andrew went to the shop and told his tale of woe. My associate agreed to loan him the money. All Andrew had to do was deliver some packages around the city for me. He didn’t have to pay the money back. Andrew thought this was a fair deal and arrangements were made to pay off his debts. Andrew was given times and places to pick up and drop off my packages. Andrew completed his tasks in a timely manner, and we called it a day. That would have been the end of the story. It’s a nice story, no? We have the down-and-out man working to make his debts go away. We have me, the generous businessman who agreed to help him. Debts were paid, and the story ends. Right? Well, it seems that Andrew has a bit of a gambling problem. Instead of being happy with his debts being paid off and leaving the city, he decided to stay and start gambling again. Sure enough, he got himself into trouble again. He went to see my associate, and my associate told him it would be the same deal, although this time he would have more deliveries. Andrew agreed, and my associate paid off his debts. This would have been fine, except Andrew decided he didn’t want to work for my money this time. He skipped town. I have been waiting for him to show his face back East. I’m confident I won’t be getting my money back from him, so it seems I’m going to have to make an example out of him.”
Nikki was listening to what Mr. King was saying. She felt nauseous and angry at Andrew. How dare he put her and Hawk in this situation! She looked over at Andrew. His head was hanging down, and she knew what Mr. King had said was true.
“What were you thinking?” she cried out to Andrew.
“I wasn’t,” he mumbled in reply. “I didn’t want to deliver his packages again. The last time I delivered one, something happened at the delivery point the next day; it was raided by cops. I didn’t know what I was delivering, but I figured it was probably something illegal.”
Hawk was listening to all this shaking his head. “What did you think wo
uld happen?” he asked Andrew. “Did you think your problems would disappear when you went to California?”
“Actually, yes,” Andrew replied. “I hadn’t heard anything about this debt until now. I figured if they hadn’t come after me by now then I was in the clear.”
Mr. King shook his head. He paced around the room and turned towards Andrew. “Not too smart,” Mr. King said. “So, the question now is, how do I do it? What would make up for all of the running you did? Should I just shoot you in the head, or should I make it hurt? Maybe I will make it last. I could start with breaking some fingers or a hand and then shoot you in the kneecaps. We’re a long way from anyone out here. Do you think anyone will hear you scream?” Mr. King bent over Andrew. He spit the last words in Andrew’s face. He grabbed Andrew by the hair.
“Wait,” said Nikki and Hawk. Mr. King let go of Andrew’s hair. He turned toward Nikki and Hawk.
“What business of yours is this anyway? Why did you come out here looking for him? Does he owe you money, too?” Mr. King asked.
“No, he doesn’t,” Nikki confessed. “I’m his ex-wife.” Mr. King raised his eyebrows.
“Are you from New York? I don’t remember hearing about you,” he said.
“No. I’m from Atlanta.”
“That’s surprising. What are you doing up here?” Mr. King asked.
“Andrew walked out on me one night. He abandoned me. I moved up here to start a new life and get away from Atlanta.” Nikki purposefully did not tell Mr. King about Seth or the shop. The less he knew, the better.
“Who is this guy?” Mr. King pointed at Hawk.
“He’s a friend of mine. He came along to help me find Andrew,” Nikki explained.
“He’s the one that said the police are coming,” Jim said.
“What police?” Mr. King asked.
“Don’t worry, I checked out the department. It’s small. They’re still trying to find this cabin. We’ll be out of here before they show up,” reassured Jim. Mr. King smiled.
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