His family, as it was, had never really celebrated birthdays. This had caused him some pain as a child. He remembered feeling hollow, as if he was missing something important, mostly when the other kids in school talked about their birthday surprises or when he was invited to someone’s party. As he grew up and bigger things came to disrupt life as he knew it, birthdays became a minor detail. For Petra, on the other hand, birthdays were occasions family celebrated together, making new memories and recalling those of years past. Her parents had always been big on celebrations. Birthdays, holidays, vacations—they had all been important and celebrated to the max. Most of her childhood memories were connected to one or many of these celebrations. To her, these were life markers of a sort, and she wasn’t willing to let them pass without some kind of recognition. “God brought us to this world for a reason,” she had told him once in a very authoritarian tone. “It would be wrong—really sacrilegious—not to celebrate it.” Sam humored her. In fact, he thoroughly enjoyed the attention, even if he wasn’t willing to admit it.
A threat of a headache hovered just above his eyes as he drove back to Petra’s place. He had read so many documents this morning his eyes were burning. He’d never realized the amount of paperwork and documentation that went with the buying and selling of art. It was overwhelming, and for once he was very glad he was not in the business. Earlier that day, he had spoken to Liam on the phone. Jonas’ friend was a bit worried about the investigation and even more worried about his friend’s involvement in it. After their disastrous encounter in Linden’s house, Liam had become aware of Sam’s investigation. Like Petra, he didn’t believe Linden to be involved in any of the illegal part of it, but it still concerned him that so many clues seemed to point toward Jonas, and he was very willing to help clear his friend’s name. Sam continued to think that both Liam and Petra were betting on the wrong horse, but he still didn’t have enough proof of Jonas’ culpability. However, he was certain he was very close to getting it.
As he approached the house, Sam’s spirits lifted. The very thought of Petra had him melting inside and all clouds dispelled from his horizon. Something caught his eye when the car came to a standstill—the front door was ajar. His heart jumped in his chest. Petra would never leave the door open like that, especially in December. It was hard enough to keep her older house consistently warm with the doors closed. Instinctively, he grabbed his gun from the glove compartment, made sure it was loaded, and left the car, his heart racing him into the house. Tasting bile, he peeked carefully around the open door, but there was no movement inside that he could see or hear. Quieter than you would expect such a tall man to be capable of, Sam tip-toed his way from one room to another. Something had happened here; there was furniture in the wrong place, a chair overturned, cushions and books on the floor. The pressure in his chest grew heavier. Petra was nowhere to be found. With little hope left, he went to check the back porch and patio, but she wasn’t there. Backtracking, Sam went to check the garage. Her little red Yaris was still parked there, untouched.
Putting the gun away, Sam rubbed his head in near panic. What the hell happened here? Where was Petra? Riddled with anxiety, Sam walked around the house one more time checking to see if he had missed something. That’s when he saw it; it was a small stain on the floor that hadn’t been there that morning. He bent down to examine it closely, realizing with a jolt that it was blood, pretty fresh by the look of it. A broken bottle with blood on it had rolled under the table. He pulled out his phone to call the police, but instead called Liam.
“What’s wrong?” the other man asked, detecting the panic in Sam’s voice.
“Petra is gone,” he said, finding it hard to talk. His hair was standing up on end from his constant rubbing.
“What do you mean, she’s gone?” Liam inquired, his voice going down to an almost whisper. “What do you mean?”
“I came home and she was gone,” Sam explained, trying to make sense of it in his head. “The door was open, the furniture’s in disarray, and there’s blood on the floor.”
That last detail caught Liam’s attention. “What? Blood?” he exclaimed. “Hers?”
“I don’t know, Liam, I don’t know.” He was close to panic, and he knew he needed a clear mind if he was going to figure this out and help Petra. “I think someone took her.”
“Why would anybody do that?” Liam said, trying to be rational. “She has no money.” His voice trailed as the same thought that assailed Sam’s mind hit him. “Do you think it has anything to do with your investigation?”
“Possibly,” he admitted, pacing the kitchen floor. “She got too involved. I told her not to get mixed up in it, but you know her…”
“We need to keep calm and think,” the Brit said, mirroring Sam’s earlier thoughts. “I’m coming over. Shouldn’t we call the police?”
“I’ll do that as soon as I hang up,” Sam said and hung up the phone. Just as soon as he was dialing the 9-1-1 number, the phone rang. It was from Petra’s number. Sam picked up, hands trembling.
The sound of panting could be heard on the other end of the line. “Sam?” Petra’s voice came through in a whisper. “Is that you?”
“Petra! Where are you?” he asked, relieved, and newly worried as he noticed the anxiety in her voice.
“They took me, Sam. They broke in and took me.”
“Who took you? Who are they?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, panting heavily. “I’m in the trunk of a car. I don’t know where I’m going. They’re going to kill me. Help me, Sam.”
“Petra, listen to me. I’m going to find you, but I need you to help me. They aren’t going to kill you. They would have done it already if that was the case. They must need you for something.”
He could almost hear her nodding into her phone. “You’re right, I’ll be fine.” His Petra was back, strong and fearless.
Remembering the blood in the kitchen, he asked, “Are you hurt? There was blood on the floor.”
“It’s not mine,” she said. “I hit one of them with a bottle.” In spite of the situation, Sam almost smiled. “What do I do?”
“Hide the phone somewhere where they can’t find it,” Sam told her, doubling his pacing. “Maybe we can track it. Can you kick one of the tail lights?”
“I can try,” she said quietly. “It’s pretty crammed in this trunk. It’s hard to move my legs.” Sam heard some scratching noise and then some muted banging. More scrapping noises came through the receiver. “Can’t believe I did it!” She seemed almost excited. “What do I do now?”
“Look through the hole. What can you see?” Sam asked. “Be as specific as you can. Maybe we can figure out where they are going.”
More shuffling. “Road…wait, I just saw a sign that said ‘Seattle 50 miles’…we’re going the opposite way. That helps, right?” She sounded so hopeful, he felt like crying. Yes, it did help, but just a little. Grabbing an old road map she kept in a kitchen drawer, he tried to calculate where she might be. She could be in any number of places. He needed more information. “What else do you see?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know,” her voice revealed the fear she had been surely feeling through this whole ordeal. “I’m scared, Sam…”
Stomach tightening at the sound of her frightened voice, Sam made himself focus. “You can do it, Petra,” he said. “What do you see?”
After a few seconds of silence, Sam heard her voice. “Wait! I think I see something else.” While hearing the sound of more rustling, Sam realized he was leaning forward almost as he was trying to see through the hole himself. “‘Bainbridge Ferry’…” she read. “‘And Leaving Discovery Park, come and see us again.’” There was some excitement in her voice as she realized this was a major clue to where they were heading.
Sam let out a huge sigh. He had been holding his breath. “Good, they are taking you to Discovery Park,” he exclaimed. “Leave the phone on. Liam and I are coming to get you. How many are there?”
“Sweetheart,” he whispered with a tenderness he didn’t know he had, “we are coming for you. You be smart and do what they say. Don’t put up a fight no matter how tempting that is. If they believe they have you where they want you, they’ll be more inclined to make mistakes.” He could hear her quick breathing on the other end and the need to have her there in his arms was almost too overwhelming to bear. “When they stop the car, put that phone on silent and hide it again. That’s your lifeline.”
He could hear a car in the driveway. Liam, probably. He stepped closer to the window to confirm it. The sporty red car was parked just outside the door and a frantic Liam was flying out the door into the house.
“Did you call the police?” he asked, bursting in the house.
“I have her on the phone,” Sam said, gesturing for him to lower his voice. “The smart cookie had hidden a phone on her.” That comment, even though sincere, was aimed at making Petra feel better and more confident on the other end of the line. “Liam is here now,” he told her. “We’re coming, baby.”
“The car is stopping, Sam,” she said, suddenly in a panic. “Come quickly, please…” Her voice was reduced to a murmur and his heart tightened in his chest at the thought of Petra stuck in a car trunk, alone and scared out of her wits. He was going to kill the bastards who did this.
“Hang up and hide the phone now,” he ordered, trying to keep himself calm. “We’re on our way. It will be okay.”
He heard the telling dial tone of a connection lost and hung up himself. “Let’s go,” he said to Liam. “They took her to Discovery Park.”
Because Liam’s sports car was faster and easier to maneuver around tight spots, they decided to take it instead. Sam didn’t realize you could drive that fast. Not on these back roads that twisted around woods and waterways like pretzels. Daylight was becoming scarce, which made driving that fast even more insane, but Sam wasn’t complaining. If the car could fly, he would have flown. Petra’s life might depend on how fast they could get there. After Sam caught Liam up on the events so far, they fell into silence. No words needed to be said, they both knew the task at hand. It was better not to think about the terrible things that could happen while they were on their way. Does this thing go any faster?
The silence of the car was suddenly broken by the sound of his phone. Thinking it was Petra, he almost dropped the phone trying to answer it. However, the voice on the other end was not Petra’s. In fact, it was an unfamiliar male voice that gave him immediate chills. “Yes? Who’s this?”
“We have your girl.” The voice on the other end was deep and it seemed to hint at a big body bulk. “Stop your investigation and tell your employers you have found no evidence of wrong doing or your sweetheart gets it.” Sam thought he heard whimpering in the background.
“If you touch a hair on her head, I will kill you,” Sam growled, red hot anger filling him. “Who are you?” Liam stole curious looks toward him, his knuckles turning white as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“She’s fine,” the other man said, “but it won’t last long unless you do what I tell you.”
“How do I know she’s okay?” Sam asked, using the usual strategy to stall the kidnappers.
The other man yelled an order away from the phone and after a few seconds, Sam could hear Petra’s familiar voice. “I’m okay, Sam,” she said. Just as she finished the word, she was pulled away from the phone and the man was back. “Do what we tell you and nothing bad will happen to her. Don’t, and…” The pause was pregnant with threat. “She’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she? I bet she’s good in bed.”
Something snapped in Sam’s brains, and all the anxiety was replaced by pure wrath. “Listen to me, punk,” he said, lowering his voice. “You so much as look at her the wrong way and you can kiss your life goodbye.”
“Strong talk for someone who’s not in a position to bargain,” the other guy continued, obviously piqued by the threat. “You call your employers and tell them that Linden’s business is clean as a whistle and that all your suspicions were unfounded. Then, and only then, we will let your girl go.”
“How will you know I did it?” The sign for Discovery Park was in sight now and his heart reveled in the thought that soon he would be able to strangle the man he was talking to. It wouldn’t be easy to find them, though. The Park was a huge area, scarcely inhabited, and with many places to hide.
“I will know,” the other man said cryptically. They had someone on the inside by the sound of it. “Just do it. I’ll call again in half an hour.” He hung up.
Sam had to come up with a way to speed up the rescue. Somehow, they had to figure out where in the Park they could be hiding her. “Her phone,” he exclaimed. Liam looked at him, not understanding. “She has her phone with her. It has that Find Me app on it. I just have to activate the GPS.”
Liam stopped the car in a semi-hidden area. It was almost dark by now. Sam was punching buttons and looking intently at his phone. Time seemed to stretch forever, but soon enough, the phone started emitting a faint beeping. “I got it,” he said, swiping his face with his hand. “I got it. They’re not very far from here. Head north,” he said, pointing in that direction.
Following the GPS signal, they were taken in a winding path that at times followed the shore, other times it was encased by the woods. Eventually, it took them to an old, poorly kept road that seemed carved out of old evergreens and oak trees. “We’re close.”
***
Petra
Petra heard the car slowly stop and the doors opening and closing. The heavy footsteps walked away from the car. They were leaving her in the trunk for now, it seemed. Her legs hurt from being curled in an odd position and her left arm was numb under her side. She kept expecting to wake up from this nightmare, but reality was sinking in fast; this was no bad dream. Someone had taken her away from her home and thrown her in a smelly trunk.
Whoever those two thugs were, they weren’t very smart. Or, at least, they didn’t expect her to be. Underestimating her wiles, they had neglected to find the phone she had hidden in her bra while they chased her around the kitchen. Leaving her untied inside the trunk had been another fortunate oversight on their part. She had been able to kick one of the lights out from the inside and contacted Sam. Oh, God! Sam! Coming to her rescue with sweet Liam in tow. She had just put both of them in terrible danger. Why couldn’t she just have fended off those guys? Why did she have to rely on the help of the two men in her life that she least wanted to put in any danger? Because she wasn’t Wonder Woman, she told herself, trying to resign herself to the fact that she needed help. As much as she cringed at the idea of those two amazing men coming head on to rescue her, what other choice did she have? The bad guys were big and armed. She didn’t stand a chance alone against them, she knew.
Scared and confused—she still didn’t know why this was happening—she lay in a fetal position waiting. “Oh, Sam,” she said out loud. “Please, be careful.”
One of the men came back much later, opened the trunk, and practically dragged her out by her arms, scratching her legs on the metal edge of the lock. Once inside, he tied up her legs and arms and threw her against a wall of the old house.
“You stay nice and quiet,” he said in a rumbling voice. “Don’t upset my partner. He’s a loose cannon.” His riotous laughter made her cringe and close her eyes. “He’s already mad you cracked his head with that bottle.”
“Shut up, idiot,” the other man called from the other side of the room. He was dialing a number on his phone. “I’m calling her boyfriend.”
Petra heard them talk on the phone even though she couldn’t tell what they were saying. They exchanged a few words before bringing her the phone and allowing her to talk to Sam for a second, but then they took the phone away and the second man pushed her roug
hly against the wall again. The phone call didn’t last long.
Her arms and legs tied, Petra leaned on the wall and watched the two men in masks talking to each other. They were agitated after their talk with Sam on the phone. Sam had said something that got them all riled up. Since they had brought her inside the house from the car, only the smaller of the two men had spoken much. She was fine with that. Maybe the biggest one was afraid she might recognize his voice. A terrible thought crossed her mind. Jonas had two very bulky guards. She saw them the night she had gone to the gala at the galleria of art. Were these the same guys? And if that was the case, did that mean Jonas was indeed involved in criminal activities? Was her ex-husband behind her kidnapping?
Of course, you idiot. She was angry at herself. She hadn’t heard the whole phone conversation, but the truth was dawning on her and it crushed her. The idea that the man she had called her husband for almost five years had sent his dogs after her was too much to bear. How stupid was she? Even after her dysfunctional marriage, the betrayals, the lies, the demeaning words, she was still willing to believe the best about the man who was at the center of those miserable years of unhappiness. She so wanted to believe that there was something good and honest deep down inside of him. A sob came up her throat, but she managed to silence it. She wasn’t going to shed another tear for that man. Ever!
***
Sam
Coming around a corner of the road, they finally saw the place. It was an old home at the end of that road, standing alone and neglected among the trees. There was a car parked in front and they could see faint lights through the windows. Liam parked the car out of sight and turned the lights off. “Now what?” he asked, looking anxiously at Sam.
We Will Always Have the Closet Page 15