by Phil Edwards
Checked.
What will they do to stop me?
Checked.
He rolled the page up after the last question.
Can I stop them?
It was blank. But he knew the answer.
He bound the pages together and carefully slipped the rubber band around them. He’d gotten a phone number. And now he knew that the Saving Tomorrow Initiative had threatened her. But he had the same questions that Charlotte did. He twisted the neck back onto the base of the duck. How did Sheryl connect? How was the group funded? And what were they trying to do?
He also had a few questions of his own. Who had attacked him? Why had they done it? He wondered if he could escape when Charlotte hadn’t.
It was enough for one morning. He wasn’t tired, but he didn’t want to think about any of it for a while. He decided to go inside the apartment and rest. Maybe he’d even research Thompson’s celebrity article. There was nothing wrong with having a diversion. Melinda Ginelli wasn’t bad to look at, and he still had a job. If this was all Charlotte had found, he was starting to doubt that he’d have a real story. He screwed the neck of the duck back on and shut the windows.
The exhaustion didn’t fully set in until he reached the stairs to his apartment. They seemed to multiply now that he was tired. He took each wide step one at a time, the wallet, keys, and phone in his back pocket bulging like a pulled muscle. He felt hot again. He couldn’t wait to go inside and finally take his shower.
He put the key in the lock and turned it. Then he opened the door.
The first thing he felt was something pulling at his shoulder. His t-shirt ripped. Then he tripped on the divider between the door and the living room. Something shoved down his head and pressed a cold boot down on his neck. He dropped the duck and his keys fell from his pocket. He heard the sound of duct tape being pulled out from a roll and ripped. His wrists were pulled tight together and bound and the gray tape covered his mouth. He tasted and smelled fresh glue.
He tried to twist his body up, but the foot on his neck had dragged down to his back. Then he felt the tape start to rip his hair. He closed his eyes. He couldn’t open them again. They were taped shut. He tried to scream but he couldn’t open his mouth. Then he couldn’t even do that. Someone taped his ankles together and he felt another hit to the back of his head.
The last thing he felt was a sense of déjà vu. Once again, everything was black.
CHAPTER 39:
It was the second time that day that Jake was stuck inside a closet, assuming he was inside a closet. He couldn’t really know. But when he tried to kick his legs out, he felt something hard stop them. It could have been a car trunk. Or a box. Anything. It didn’t really matter since he couldn’t get out. Because of the duct tape, he could only breathe through his nose. He was glad he didn’t have a cold.
He had time to think about what had happened. He hadn’t seen anything, only a blur of shadows and colors. All he could remember was wincing. It was different than on the beach. The hits were lighter and faster. And whoever it was had tried to attack him anywhere they could. It was different in other ways, too—this time he hadn’t been rescued. He pushed his legs hard against the wall. Nothing gave. He was too tired to try to kick it open.
Then he heard a voice.
“He’s out cold.”
He’d recognize it anywhere. Kaylie.
“Do you think I’d even call you if he was conscious? I’m alone now, yeah. But he’s locked in the closet. And he won’t wake up any time soon.”
She was on the phone. Someone else must have knocked him out and left her to finish the job—she was strong, but not that strong. Or that big. She sounded more serious than normal, and definitely more afraid.
“I told you, it’s just me. We tied him up.”
He tried to sit up and did. He wasn’t as sore as when he’d been attacked on the beach. Maybe he hadn’t been hit as hard. Or maybe he was used to it. He didn’t want to be used to getting attacked. Kaylie spoke again and sounded closer to the closet.
“No. Nothing. We looked through his wallet. Just money and credit cards. The last outgoing call on his phone was to you. Did you get it?”
He nodded. His last outgoing call had been to the Saving Tomorrow Initiative’s line. They must have had Caller ID and known not to answer his number.
“Yeah. I’m going to leave the note on the bed.”
She was going to leave. Would she let him go?
“I’ll call his editor in twenty minutes. Yeah, I’ll do it from the payphone. He’ll send somebody over.”
Jake almost laughed. It might be worth it to make Thompson help him. Then he’d get to write his story, too. When Kaylie spoke again she sounded angrier.
“No. He doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
A pause.
“No, he doesn’t. He liked me.”
He could hear her pacing across his carpet.
“Whatever. I’m calling the editor. They should know anyway….Yes, I know you’re my boss….Yes, I know. But he doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
Jake tried to lean closer to the door without letting her know he was awake. He pressed his ear against something. He hoped it was in the right direction.
“I know,” she said. “I just would like to tell him.”
Tell him what?
“It’s fine. He’ll figure it out when I’m gone. I already packed everything. I just wish he knew…”
He tasted the glue on the duct tape and tried twisting his hands free, but they were bound too tight. He barely had circulation. He realized his legs were taped at the knees as well.
“I told you, that was all he had. He was carrying an old wooden duck too. But he didn’t have any information about you, or anything like that.”
If he could breathe he would have sighed. She hadn’t figured out how to open the duck. He still had that. At least he could write his story when all of this was over. And he was going to make sure to include her in it.
“OK. I’ll leave now…don’t worry. I won’t.”
Silence. He heard her moving around the room and wondered if she wore her bikini for this type of job. Or shoes. Then he heard the closet door open. He slouched back as quickly as possible. Something warm was near his face. A hand. He stayed still so she wouldn’t know he was awake. Then her mouth was down at his ear.
“I’m sorry, Jake. I didn’t want to, but they made me.”
Soft. Her lips against his temple, just for a second. Then she closed the door. He jerked back up to plant his ear against it and heard a knocking sound.
There was another knock. Then another. It started getting faster and faster.
“Damn it,” Kaylie said. The knocking continued and he heard a deep voice that sounded garbled.
“Mr. Russo, this is the police! Open up!”
More knocks, then everything happened quickly. He heard the outer door open. Another sound. And then Kaylie screamed as the outer door slammed shut.
“Stop!” she screamed. “Stop, stop.”
“Where is my friend Jacob?”
He couldn’t believe it, but Gary Novak was in the apartment. Kaylie screamed again.
“He’s here. Please, just stop.”
“I’ll stop, but you show me where he is.”
“How am I supposed to show you where he is when I can’t see?”
“Where is he?”
“Over there, over there.”
Jake heard the closet door open. Then he screamed through the tape. All the hair on his wrists had just been ripped off. Gary grabbed his hands.
“Jacob, I took the tape on your wrists off very quickly. Like you do with a band-aid. Otherwise you’d never get it off.”
Before he could stop him, Gary grabbed at his cheek. The tape ripped away from his mouth and he screamed. He wouldn’t have to worry about shaving. Maybe ever again.
“How did you get here? What’s happening?”
“Just wait. We have to get to your eyes.”
“No.”
“We have no choice.”
Jake lifted his hands to his eyes and blocked Gary, barely in time.
“The tape on my eyes will come off slow. I like having eyebrows.”
“Fine.” He sounded disappointed.
“Where’s Kaylie? Don’t let her leave.”
“You know this girl?”
“Yes.” He ripped the tape off his ankles. “At least I thought I did.”
“Well, we’re going to learn a lot more.”
“How’s that?”
“She isn’t going anywhere.”
“How do you know?”
“Trust me.”
“Can you get me a wash cloth and wet it. I need to get this tape off my eyes before she escapes.”
“I can just rip it off. I’m strong enough”
“No.” He pushed his hands in the direction of Gary’s voice.
Gary got him the washcloth and he wet his face. Water leaked in and the tape started to loosen.
“Scissors?”
Gary handed them over. Jake pulled the tape out and cut by his nose. Then he slowly peeled it away. He rubbed his eyes and felt the glue still stuck to his skin in a thin layer.
“All right. Do you see the tape she used?”
Kaylie finally said something.
“I’ll just go. I’m sorry.”
He looked over. Her eyes were shut and her face was covered in something brown. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, just like the first day he saw her.
“Oh no,” he said. “You aren’t getting off that easy.”
He found her purse and grabbed it. A half roll of tape was inside. She tried to kick when he bound her ankles. She was barefoot, of course. And she was strong, but not strong enough. He leaned over her and grabbed her arms while he pressed down her legs. He taped them tight, but not as tightly as they’d bound him. She couldn’t leave now.
“Did you get her, Jacob?”
“I got her.”
“Good. I brought another washcloth for your eyes.”
He rubbed it against his face. Removing the sticky substance was like cleaning up spilled soda. He rubbed his red hands and ankles. He was still wearing the dirty sweat stained t-shirt. It was ripped now, too. He limped to his desk and got his notebook. Predictably, she’d gone through it. He picked up a pen and started writing. After a few lines, he looked up at Kaylie.
“You’re in trouble.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Well, I’m going to,” he said. “Gary, sit down. We’re going to find out what happened.”
CHAPTER 40:
“First, get this mace off of my eyes.”
Her eyes were still shut tightly and her hair was stuck to the front of her forehead. A lump pulsed next to her temple. Jake picked her up and set her on the bed. Then he leaned toward Gary.
“What did you do to her? And how did you have mace?”
“I didn’t have a mace. Where would I put it?”
“Mace, Gary. You know what mace is, right?”
“I didn’t have that. I sprayed her, then I hit her with my cane.”
“You hit her with your cane?”
“It’s from Ethiopia.” He rapped it against the floor. “I’m sure the tribes use it as a spear, on occasion.”
“But what did you spray her with?”
“Yeah,” Kaylie said. She coughed. Then she licked around her lips. “Wait—is that…”
Gary handed a bottle to Jake and he read the label.
“Please tell me why you have a bottle of Dark Chocolate Body Spray.”
Kaylie slowly opened her eyes.
“I thought it was chocolate.”
“Yes. I visited Sheryl Goldfein before I came here. I wanted to apologize for misleading her.”
“With chocolate body spray?”
“No. Sheryl gave it to me. She said she wouldn’t be needing it. And she said I might want to use it with Meryl.”
“Oh.” Jake wished his eyes were taped shut again. “Will you, uh, use it?”
“I don’t understand it. Is it a new type of suntan lotion? Wouldn’t it attract flies?”
Jake unscrewed the top of the bottle.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
He poured the full bottle into his mouth and swished the liquid around. He’d earned it. Trapped twice and knocked out once, he’d burned enough calories for this. It was a rich, almost bitter flavor, and he felt it stick in the back of his cheeks. Thick and full. It was like breathing fresh air. Kaylie tilted her head.
“Don’t relapse.”
“Don’t tell me what to do. You have some explaining ahead of you. And you should enjoy the chocolate you got. I don’t know how much they’ll give you in prison, but it can’t be a lot.”
She frowned. Jake saw a trail of water trace a line through the dried chocolate on her cheek. He laughed.
“Like I believe you’re actually crying.”
“Jake, I’m sorry.” She sighed. “I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want any of this to happen. But they said I had to.”
“Who’s they?”
Gary pointed his cane at her.
“Exactly!”
“My employers.” She looked at Jake again. “Please believe me.”
“Gary, come with me.”
Jake pulled Gary into the bathroom and shut the door. He washed the chocolate from the corner of his lips and whispered into Gary’s ear.
“Listen. We’ll get the information out of her. But we have to do it quickly. We should play good cop, bad cop. Now, I’ll be the good cop. She likes me, I think. Gary, you be the bad cop. We’ll get the information out of her somehow.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear any of that.”
“You’re the bad cop, I’m the good cop.”
Gary nodded. They left the bathroom one at a time.
“Here,” Jake said and walked over to Kaylie. He dabbed her face with a washcloth and her skin softened to its normal tan.
“We need your help.”
“I can’t tell you anything.”
Jake looked over at Gary. Gary blinked and nodded.
“Miss, you look very nice today. You are not a bad person at all.”
“Gary. Really?”
“Oh no!” He hit his head with his hand. “I forgot which cop I was. I’m the good cop, right?”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now.”
“You don’t look nice today!” Gary shouted. “You are a bad person! Very bad!”
“Gary, it won’t work now.”
“I’m sorry.”
Jake sat beside her on the bed. She tried to lean into him, but he pushed her away. Then he noticed the note in the middle of the bed. He picked it up and read it out loud.
“The Saving Tomorrow Initiative was here. For millennia, nature has suffered. This is just the beginning of what we are willing to do.”
Kaylie pressed her head into her chest. He grabbed her chin and pushed it up.
“This doesn’t make sense. Why would you advertise that you were the ones who kidnapped me? Why would you leave this note?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know.”
“Tell me.”
“They don’t tell me why.” She jerked her head away. “I don’t know why they did it. Probably because they are crazy. I didn’t know when I started all this. When I started it was…different.”
“What was different?”
She looked away.
“A lot.”
“You aren’t part of their organization?”
Gary rapped his cane on the floor.
“Gary, it’s fine. She’ll answer.”
“I saw an advertisement in the paper. It said they needed an actress or a model. They wanted someone who was dedicated. So I went in for an interview. I’d just lost my job.”
She looked down at the duct tape binding together her ankles.
“They said they’d get me an apartment. I needed one. So I took it.”
“And what was your job?”
“You were. They said a reporter lived next door. They wanted me to get him to write a story about their group, any story. The rest of the time I could do what I wanted. It was a great job, great pay.”
“I pay well, I guess.”
“But then they said there was more. I had to start keeping tabs on you. Telling them when you were coming and going. When you left. Who you were hanging out with. Everything about you. I turned into a spy. But they gave me a raise. So it was something.”
“How could you do this with a straight face?”
“I had to. It was my job.”
“You didn’t have to do anything.”
“Jacob,” Gary interrupted. “Let her speak.”
They all waited until she started again.
“When you said you were going to meet someone on the beach, I told them. I didn’t think it would matter. I thought they’d just watch for you. I had no idea that they’d attack you. That they’d…”
“Just continue.”
She did.
“I had no idea that they would go that far. After that happened, after I saw you, I realized that they must have done it. I told them that I wanted to quit. I couldn’t do it any more.”
“You did enough.”
“I know.”
She leaned on him and he let her. Then she sat back up.
“Is he asleep?”
Gary was snoring, lightly.
“Gary, are you awake?”
He jerked up.
“I was working.”
“On what?”
“You’ve never heard of ‘good cop, asleep cop?’”
“No Gary, I haven’t.”
Kaylie tried to fold up her legs, but she couldn’t because of the tape.
“I told them I wanted to stop. But they said it was too late. Things had already gone too far. You’d already found out too much. So they decided to change their plan and become more…aggressive.”
“I see.”
“I didn’t do anything. But they had me call as soon as you left. Then he came over.”
“Who?”
“Roderick. You’ve seen him before, haven’t you?”
“Is he the bearded man?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve seen him in the commercials. He attacked me?”