“Copy that. Call me for the clean-up when you’re done.” Realizing the meaning of Alex’s words sets me off. I charge at Evan, screaming.
“Don’t do this, Evan! You’re killing an innocent man. Please listen!” Before I can get to Evan, Alex grabs me from behind and picks me up like I weigh nothing. I struggle against his hold as he starts to carry me towards the door. I kick back at him a few times, but he keeps walking. Trying to reach Evan one last time, I shout, “If you kill him, you’ll go to jail! Think of your kids, Evan! Please don’t do this!”
I don’t know if Evan heard me because Alex has me out the door and into the hallway. I continue to struggle and protest as Alex carries me out of the building. When we get to his car, I wonder why he parked in the back alley.
“Get in,” Alex demands, finally putting me down. I turn to see him pointing the gun at my head and once again taking out the zip ties.
“No!” I scream, kicking him as hard as I can on the shin. The last thing I remember is the butt of his gun meeting the side of my head.
Evan
I try to process what Alani was screaming at me, but I don’t have time to think it through clearly. I need to act quickly because Senator Morgan is meeting with Jackson right now. As promised, the senator contacted me as soon as Jackson reached out to him to ask for money. I look at Dylan, who’s standing very still in front of me with his head down. It’s as if he’s resigned to his fate. Deciding I can’t kill him in this office building, I put the gun to his back and nudge him towards the door.
“Let’s go,” I command. It surprises me to find him willingly follow my instructions as we head down to my car. He doesn’t make a sound of protest or attempt to escape, allowing me to walk him towards my car with ease. I wonder where Alex and Alani are since I parked behind Alex’s vehicle. I look around for Alex in case someone got the jump on him and has taken Alani—I doubt anyone would bring him along, knowing he’d pose as a threat. I notice a couple of zip ties lying on the ground along with Alani’s keys. A sinking feeling sets in as I realize that the man I’d hired and trusted is in Jackson’s pocket. I quickly turn to Dylan and ask, “Where are they?”
“A small airfield about thirty miles from here,” Dylan answers, offering up the information without hesitation.
“Get in,” I order, opening the passenger door for him. He quickly does as he’s told without a fight, as if he realizes the urgency of the situation and is aiding my need to move fast.
“Head north towards Rockford,” Dylan instructs once I get in and start the car. He’s being so helpful that I consider the possibility that Alani was right when she screamed that I was about to kill an innocent man. Once I’m on the freeway, I try to process everything that I can. I have no idea what’s going on. When I couldn’t reach Alex, I was worried that something had happened to Alani, so I left work and headed straight to her office. I don’t know what happened there and I need answers now.
“Why were you at her office?” I question Dylan.
“I just wanted to stop Jackson to make up for what I didn’t do to help back then. Yes, I was going to take her to Jackson, but it was so I could kill him. Without her, I’d never be able to get close enough to Jackson.”
“Why should I believe you? You kept Alani’s location hidden from me all those months she and Cade were missing. Why are you just doing something about Jackson now?”
“Like I told you back then, I didn’t know where she was. I tried to find out where she was by reaching out to Jackson. But I didn’t know how to contact him other than through an old email I had. He never made contact until this morning, when he asked if I could pick Alani up and take her to the airfield. He said he has a reward for whoever gets her there,” Dylan explains.
“So it’s possible that he has more than one person with the means and motivation to do it,” I state. Knowing without a doubt that Alex is hoping to get paid, I press on the gas and the car takes off. I expertly weave in and out of the multiple lanes and even use the shoulders of the road, cutting through the Chicago traffic that would otherwise be impossible to get through.
Chapter 24
Lani
Ouch! What the hell happened? I touch the side of my head gingerly and pain immediately shoots from it. I make an attempt to open my eyes, but it hurts just to do that. Oh, God! I feel like I’m going to be sick. I place my hand over my mouth to keep myself from vomiting and it triggers the awareness of my pregnant state. I’ve been nauseous for weeks, and the swaying motion isn’t helping. I force myself to open my eyes and find myself in the back of a moving car. I’ve been in this car a million times...it’s Alex’s car...Alex kidnapped me! The memories come rushing back and my adrenaline spikes. I quickly sit up and I regret it immediately. Between my pregnancy and my aching head, I’m unable to keep myself from projectile vomiting towards the front seats.
“What the fuck?!?” Alex shouts from the driver’s seat, wiping at the back of his neck and turning towards me.
“I’m sick,” I say unapologetically. I feel like high-fiving the baby for the little bit of revenge we gave Alex. Like a typical guy, Alex always kept his car immaculate, and I’m sure he’s pissed about the mess I just made—bonus point for hitting him as well.
“You’re lucky you’re about to make me rich! You’re going to make me a millionaire. Between what your boy toy has been paying me and the payment I’m about to get when I deliver you, I’ll be sitting pretty. I’m not going to need this car where I’m headed. It will be blue skies and clear water year round for me,” Alex cockily brags.
“You’re delusional if you think Jackson will be paying you. Someone else thought he’d get a million dollar payment, but all he got was a bullet in the head.”
“Oh yeah? Well, that’s because he was stupid. He didn’t have a backup plan like I do.”
“And what would that be?” I question. I’m trying to get as much useful information as I can from him—in case I need it later. He nods towards the seat next to him and angles the rearview mirror so that I can see front passenger seat. I look in horror as I see the occupant. OH. MY. GOD. He has Harper strapped in her car seat, sleeping peacefully.
“So you see. Either way, I’m getting paid today,” he says, turning to smile back at me.
“If it’s money you want, whatever Jackson is paying you—we’ll give you more! Just please, don’t do this! Don’t hurt my baby!” I beg as the tears start to fall down my face. I should have left like I’d planned to do when I came back from the farmhouse. If I had left then, Harper wouldn’t be in danger now. I don’t know why Alex has her. He probably got her from my parents while I was passed out in the backseat. He could have convinced my parents that Evan or I wanted him to pick Harper. They wouldn’t have questioned it, there’s no reason to—he’s my security guard.
Evan
Dylan and I make it to the airfield before anyone else. I was thankfully able to avoid getting into a high speed chase with the police on the way over here. I’m glad that saying proved true today—there’s never a cop around when some asshole is speeding dangerously in and out of traffic. As I pull closer to the private airfield tarmac, I’m escorted into a plane hangar. I called Senator Morgan, who apparently keeps his private plane here. It’s the same plane Jackson thinks he’s leaving on. As we sit and wait, I decide to cut Dylan’s ties since he’s been calm and helpful so far. Besides that, the lawyer in me actually believes his story, and I may need his help at some point. I’d hate to lose precious seconds in a crucial situation, trying to free him later.
Dylan and I have a clear view of the runway and we see Jackson arriving first. It takes everything in me to not fire my weapon and end this long drawn out nightmare. But without knowing where Alani and Alex are, I can’t make a move. It’s impossible to judge how Alex will react if he finds Jackson dead or missing. But if Alex harms Alani in any way, he can guarantee that I’ll hunt him down and make sure he dies a slow, painful death. Several minutes pass before I see Alex�
�s car pull up. He quickly gets out and jogs around to the front passenger door. He opens the door and reaches inside of the vehicle. I instantly die a thousand deaths when I see him lift my sleeping daughter and carry her on one arm as he holds a gun in another.
A million thoughts and emotions simultaneously hit me. What is Harper doing here? I’m going to kill that motherfucker! He put my baby in the front seat! She’s too young to be riding in the front! Christ. He has a gun near my baby! I can’t lose both Alani and Harper! My anger and fear battle for dominance inside of me. I can’t focus...I can’t think. My little girl is in danger! I’m so lost and I feel all the happiness I ever felt in my life drain out of me. I watch as he goes to open the back passenger door and motions for Alani to come out. He keeps his gun trained on Alani’s head as she gets out. What am I going to do? How can I stop this? I suddenly regret not calling Maddox for backup before coming here. I’m so wrapped up in my thoughts that I’d completely forgotten about Dylan, who’s now pointing a gun at me. Fucking Alex! Did he even search Dylan for weapons?
“Do you trust me?” Dylan calmly asks.
“I have no options, but to trust you,” I answer, nodding towards his gun.
“Place your arms in front of you,” he instructs. No longer caring what happens to me at this point, I do as he says. Here I am, at the most crucial moment of my life when my family needs me the most and I can’t focus. I curse myself for failing them once again. I feel Dylan loosely tie a rope around my hands.
“Make sure you don’t move your hands around too much or they’ll see how loose it is,” Dylan warns. His words finally sink in and it dawns on me what he’s trying to do. Thankfully, he’s being level-headed when I’m too emotionally attached to think properly, and I begin to hope that I can actually trust him. With someone else on my side here, we may have a shot at rescuing my girls. I get on board and nod at him in acknowledgement. He motions the gun towards the runway and says, “Ok, let’s go.”
I walk ahead of Dylan and we make our way towards the runway. We walk a few yards before Alex and Jackson finally notice us. It suddenly occurs to me that Jackson didn’t ask to have me delivered to him, so I expect him to just shoot me where I stand. Of all the dumbest things I’ve ever done in my life, this now ranks number one. I’m clearly not thinking straight, otherwise, I would have considered that fact before agreeing to come out here like this.
“Jackson, look who I brought! I figured, if your old man didn’t come through, we could get plenty of money from this one. He’s worth at least a few million and it’s not like he’s going to need it where he’s going!” Dylan announces. The money angle...I’m impressed. Let’s hope Jackson takes the bait.
I try to catch Alani’s eye, but her eyes are glued on Harper. I know Alani has to be desperately trying to figure out a way to get our daughter safely out of here. It’s killing me to watch my sweet, innocent little baby sleeping so peacefully on that bastard, who betrayed us in the worst way.
“Well, this is definitely unexpected. I didn’t think you had it in you, Dylan,” Jackson remarks, sounding impressed.
“I told you...I can be bought. I’ve been trying to prove that to you, but it seems like you never trusted me—not like you did Michael,” Dylan replies, sounding a bit disappointed. God, I really hope Dylan is just a really good actor. If not, I’m about to be screwed over for the second time today.
“Why would I trust you? I saw you trying to cover Missy up that night I got to enjoy her. Tell me, how did it feel to know I fucked the girl you were in love with?” Jackson taunts Dylan.
“In love?? You got that all wrong. I covered her up because the sight of her disgusted me. She looked like some used up prostitute. There was nothing hot about some sloppy, drunk girl passed out on the bed. I was hoping you were going to share that fine piece of ass after you were done with her,” Dylan answers, gesturing to Alani and indicating she’s the one he’s referring to. Motherfucker. When Alani flinches at his words, I start to see red. I want to beat the shit out of Dylan, but I don’t move a muscle, knowing there are three guns here and none of them are in my bound hands. Dylan continues to say, “I definitely would have enjoyed having her—I remember how good she felt struggling in my arms that night. But her friend had to come in and ruin all my fun before it ever got started.”
I can see the wheels turning in Jackson’s head as he listens to Dylan. I’d be surprised if Jackson didn’t believe Dylan, because Dylan has me convinced that I’ll be ripping him apart once I’m done with Jackson. I notice Alex eyeing Jackson, trying to get a read on him. I know he’s about to do something to level the playing field between him and Dylan.
“I got what you want right here,” Alex announces, nodding towards my daughter.
“No!” Alani cries out, trying to reach for Harper. Alex points his gun at her to stop her in her tracks. She immediately halts her movements, not wanting to risk Harper getting hurt.
“I don’t want someone else’s baby! Put it away,” Jackson orders. Alex turns and places my daughter back in the safety of her car seat.
“Jackson, you should know something. Alex brought my daughter here because he plans on shooting you after he receives his payoff. Then, he was going to try and milk a few million from Evan in exchange for the baby’s safe return.” Alani cleverly incriminates Alex.
“She’s a lying bitch!” Alex hisses defensively over his shoulder as he continues to strap in Harper.
“Why else would you bring the baby if it wasn’t true?” Jackson questions, getting a crazed look in his eyes. Without giving Alex time to answer, Jackson fires a single shot into Alex’s back. The great news is that Jackson is an excellent shot and avoided hitting my daughter. The bad news is that he’s an excellent shot and I’m tied up with a gun trained on me. For now, I’m comforted by the fact that Harper is safely back in the car. I can hear her cries—the gunshot must have startled her awake. Alex groans in pain and I take a little satisfaction in knowing he’s suffering—even if I wasn’t the one to shoot him.
“I’m not exactly sure what to do here...I mean, having Evan Stone here wasn’t part of my plans...hmm...what to do...what to do.... You know what? I don’t want his money. I do, however, want him on the plane. I want him there to watch me fuck Alani. I’ve been waiting for so long to finally have her, and it’s going to feel even better with an audience. Oh, the things I’m going to do to her,” Jackson raves, touching Alani’s face with the barrel of his gun. I don’t know how I’m going to kill the fucker, but I swear I’m going to. Reaching out his free arm to grab her, Jackson demands, “Come on, Alani. Let’s have some fun.”
She goes willingly, probably wanting Jackson as far away from our daughter as possible. I try once more to catch her eye, but she refuses to even look in my direction. It’s killing me inside that I have no choice, but to remain at the mercy of Dylan—for now.
Lani
Jackson has me in a small private plane that probably belongs to his father. I’m surprised at how roomy it looks inside, even with six Captain’s chairs and a couch. The layout of the furniture is strategically placed to create a wider aisle for people to move around in. If they turn and walk sideways, two people can easily pass each other in the aisle. Jackson makes me walk ahead of him towards the back of the plane where the couch is located. Pushing me down on the couch, he takes a seat in one of the chairs across the way and eyes my body up and down as I lay on my side. I know he plans to rape me, but at this point, I no longer care what happens to me as long as my daughter can be taken safely away from here. With Jackson busy in here with me, Evan can figure out a way to get away from Dylan and leave with Harper. I trust Evan to protect her and keep her safe.
“I’ve missed watching you...I used to spend hours jerking myself off to those videos of you...I liked seeing you soaking wet. I used to imagine the water dripping down your legs were your juices, like you were getting so hot for me,” Jackson says creepily, rubbing his gun against his growing erection. God, I�
�m going to be sick. I cringe at the thought of him watching me naked and getting off on it. I become afraid all over again as the memories of the fear, vulnerability, and humiliation come rushing back. I try to keep myself calm to prevent the onset of a panic attack. After staring at me for some time, Jackson finally demands, “Take off your clothes.”
“I can’t,” I calmly reply, showing him my bound hands.
“Even better—I’ll do it. But wait, let me get your boyfriend onboard. I want to see the look on his face as I undress you,” he says, grinning widely. I hope Evan has left with Harper by now. Standing up, Jackson grabs me by the arm and pulls me onto my feet. He walks us over to the open door of the plane, and once we’re there, he places me in front of him. He’s using me as a shield—he must still not trust Dylan. Otherwise, he’d have simply gone to the door on his own. My hope that Dylan was telling me the truth earlier is renewed. When I saw Dylan coming out with Evan, I was worried that Dylan had played me. Plus, all that stuff Dylan had said to Jackson made me believe that I was wrong to have trusted him. My heart sinks as I look out of the door to find Evan and Dylan still standing on the runway.
Uncovering Stone Page 25