by Vella Day
“You’re coming with me. Now,” he growled.
“Charley, you’re hurting me. Please stop it.”
He hesitated for a moment, then half-pulled, half-dragged her through the kitchen to the back entrance. Charley bulldozed through the back door with Tessa in tow.
In the moments since she’d arrived, dusk had darkened the sky. Frantically, Tessa looked around for someone to help her, but no one was near. All the construction workers from Mr. Jankowski’s project had evaporated. Even the jack hammering had stopped, and the crane was swinging empty in the air.
She spotted two boats tethered in their boat slips, but Tessa couldn’t remember if the boats had been docked when she’d arrived.
“Help,” she screamed, hoping someone could hear her.
Charley shoved his gun in the back of his pants, turned, and grabbed hold of both of her arms. He shook her hard. “Don’t... ever... scream... like that again, do you hear me?”
His severe tone forced her to blink.
Be reaffirming. Be solicitous. Be careful.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. It was stupid of me to yell. You’re too kind to hurt me. You want to protect me and help me find Mandy.”
He relaxed the grip from fifty pounds of pressure to maybe thirty, but her arms still throbbed. For a split second she considered kicking him in the balls and running to the road five hundred feet away, but he’d angled his body in such a way that she knew her plan would be futile.
“I’m glad you understand. After that little tantrum of yours, I’ll have to tie you up and put you in the back of the truck.” He acted as if she were ten.
Was that what his father had done to him? “Please, don’t. I’ll be good, I promise.”
Charley smiled. “You should have thought about your actions before you screamed. I hate people who scream, and I hate people who make a fuss.” His voice sounded different now, very authoritative, like his father probably had sounded.
Out of desperation, Tessa pulled away one last time, but she was no match against the large man.
The handle of the Dominic’s gun scraped against her back. If she could just get a few feet of separation between them, she’d shoot Charley.
Certain he planned to kill her, Tessa realized she was capable of shooting him.
As Charley propelled her toward his truck, her feet windmilled backwards. She tripped and nearly fell, but Charley lifted her off the ground like a case of liquor.
She struggled with all her strength, despite knowing the more she tried to get away, the harder he’d hold on. The self-defense class she’d taken did nothing to help her now. Charley was too strong.
He pinned her back against the van with one arm and one leg, and then leaned over the back of the truck to pull down the tailgate. He lifted the hatch. Jostling her closer to the back, he suddenly let go and reached in.
“Turn around and face the truck.”
Her gaze fixated on duct tape. “What are you going to do?”
“Do as I say.”
“Charley, please. I promise I won’t yell or say a word,” Tessa said, trying with all her might to keep from whining, but her breaths came out in rapid puffs. Charley said he hated people who whined. “You don’t have to tie me up. I’ll be good. You’ll see.”
Dominic, where are you?
Charley turned her back to him. “What’s this?” He pulled the gun from her waistband. Her last chance of escape evaporated and bile raced up to her mouth.
She swallowed. “I wanted to protect Mandy.”
“Well, you won’t be needing it anymore.”
Faced away from him, she couldn’t tell where he stashed the weapon. Both of his hands must have been freed since he was able to tear off a piece of duct tape. The ripping sound sent a shiver to her gut.
He turned her around and slapped the tape over her mouth, catching part of her hair in the process. The sticky back prevented her from moving her mouth, causing her heart to pound harder in her chest.
When he pulled on her shoulder to turn her around, her forehead banged into the raised window, and blood trickled down her face. He yanked her hands behind her.
“Keep them there,” he commanded
What choice did she have?
Don’t whimper, don’t cry, stay calm. Dominic will come.
More ripping of duct tape. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn’t help herself. Her nose started to clog forcing her to swallow.
Charley wrapped several rotations of tape around her wrists. She strained to keep her palms as far apart as possible in the hopes she’d have a little leeway to get loose.
He grabbed her by the neck and shoved her facedown onto the tailgate. Her eyes widened. A filthy looking mattress lay in the bed.
“Get in,” Charley demanded. “It will be a lot less painful if you do it yourself.” He let go of her.
Tessa realized the moment she crawled into the back, she’d be dead. And what would happen to poor Mandy?
She had to make him see reason, but with her mouth taped shut, she’d lost the leverage. As she turned toward her attacker, Charley pressed a smelly cloth to her face. She fell backwards from the pressure, and her back slammed into the hard metal floor.
Even with blurry vision, she attempted to lift her legs to push away her attacker, but her body wouldn’t move. It was if someone had poured cement in her veins. Her eyelids fluttered.
“Don’t bother fighting it, Tessa.” His voice wavered like an underwater diver’s.
She held her breath for as long as she could, but the ether fumes overtook her.
Dominic slapped the phone closed. Tessa was in trouble—serious trouble. Ralph was dead. That part was good. But the anxiety in her voice implied something else had gone wrong.
He let her note flutter to the floor.
Christ. Dom stabbed a hand over his head. He’d only been on the phone in his office for a few minutes. How had she escaped without his notice?
Tessa’s situation required more help than he could handle. Dom called the station. Screw the no police part in her note. He was going after her with an arsenal of backup if he could get the Captain to okay it.
“Tampa Police Department,” the dispatcher answered.
“This is Detective Rossi. Let me speak with Captain Leffers.”
While he waited to be connected, he jogged to his bedroom to get his spare gun. He pulled open the drawer. It was empty.
“Damn it, Tessa.”
Crazy woman would get herself killed if she wasn’t careful. Good thing Tessa didn’t know where he kept his 357.
“Leffers.”
“Rossi here.” Dominic explained Tessa’s note and panicked phone call.
“She say anything else?” his captain asked.
“No. Given she called me Annie, I’m assuming she’s with someone and didn’t want him to know she was speaking with me. Then her phone went dead or else someone took the cell from her. I’m sure she would have called me back on the landline if she could have.”
Dominic held his cell between his cheek and neck as he checked to see the gun was loaded. As a precaution, he stuffed an extra clip in his pocket.
“I’ll send a team in,” his Captain said. “Don’t worry. They’ll keep a low profile.”
“Thanks. Is Phil there?”
“No, but I’ll give him a call. He’ll want to help.”
“I appreciate the fast response.”
Dominic disconnected and raced outside. He would have suggested a team watch Annie, wherever she lived, but with Ralph dead, the threat to her children was gone.
Dom decided not to turn on his siren since sound traveled far near the water. He headed down West Shore Drive toward Gandy Boulevard. By his calculations, the team would take a good half hour to get to the Blue Moon, whereas he’d make it in under ten.
“Come on, come on. Move it, people.” He had to bite his tongue to keep from honking at the slow rush-hour drivers.
Finally, the turn off to th
e Blue Moon appeared. Even though the restaurant set back from the road, Dom parked down the street. He couldn’t chance running into whoever was with Tessa—assuming she was still inside.
He jumped out of his car. Gun hanging by his side, he crept along the perimeter, ducking between one construction storage unit and the next. The cool salt air slapped against his face as his gaze darted behind every dumpster and crane, looking for some sign of a struggle.
The parking lot came into view. Tessa’s car sat in front of the restaurant. Alone. Relief rushed through him, but he realized he couldn’t let down his guard.
Dom checked his watch. It had been fifteen minutes since he’d spoken with her. He didn’t want to think what she might be going through.
Please let her and Mandy be alive.
Heart racing, he moved closer to the side of the building, hoping like hell the backup was on the way.
Two large boats creaked against the dock that ran along the waterside of the bar. Seagulls squawked, masking his pounding feet on the dirt lot.
Dominic couldn’t wait for the rest of the team to arrive. He had to go in and find Tessa—independent, lovely, pain-in-the-ass, Tessa.
Not wanting to use the front door, he circled around to the side and spotted the door leading to the kitchen. As quickly as he could, he pulled it open, jumped in, and closed it behind him. His heart beat loudly in his chest.
When no sounds emanated from inside, he didn’t know whether to rejoice or be scared.
Except for the lights on the stoves and the dials on the freezer, the nearly pitch-black kitchen was a veritable cave.
His key chain held a small penlight. Taking a chance he wouldn’t give away his position, Dominic pressed the button. The red light provided enough illumination for him to make his way to the other side. He held his breath as he pushed open the swinging door to the restaurant.
Dom squinted at the bright lights. He ducked down next to the cash register and scoped out the place. No one jumped out at him or shoved a gun in his face. Except for the ticking of the clock above the bar, the place was eerily silent.
He chanced a search. He tiptoed toward Tessa’s office and pressed an ear to the door. Again, silence. Twisting the knob, he rushed in and swung his gun around in anticipation. Finding it empty, he flicked off the light.
Where was she?
As he returned to the seating area, he nearly stepped on a cell phone leaning against the baseboard. Tessa’s cell phone. The multi-colored cover was a dead giveaway.
He pressed the On button, but the phone failed to chime. That explained the dropped call. He pocketed her cell and walked towards the bar.
Dark marks stained the floor. Dom knelt down and withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket. He dabbed an end into the dark liquid. It was blood. His gut turned sour. Had Ralph cut Tessa? The overturned barstool let him know she hadn’t gone quietly.
Wait. Tessa said Ralph was dead. He shook his head. Ralph must have forced her to lie. Bastard.
Before Dom called off the rest of the team, he wanted to check the storage room and freezer in case Ralph had tied up Tessa or Mandy and left them to die. Nothing would surprise him about Ralph.
“Tessa? Can you hear me?”
He waited. No answer. He then jogged to the kitchen, flipped on the lights, and looked around. The walk-in freezer was smaller than he expected. The overhead light came on when he opened the door. It was close to empty, and relief shot through him.
As he turned to finish his search, the side door burst open.
17
Mandy whimpered and Annie rocked the baby. “Shh.”
Her husband walked into their bedroom. He was finally home. Thank God.
Annie rushed into her husband’s arms. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Her voice trembled.
He wrapped his strong arms around her and the baby. “What’s wrong?”
“I tried to call you on your cell. Where have you been?”
“I’m sorry. I left my phone at work by mistake.” He gently held her at arm’s length. “You’ve been crying. What’s happened?”
In spurts and starts, she told him about Ralph’s visit and his horrifying threats.
“My God, Annie. Did he hurt you or the children?”
“No.” Tears streamed down her face.
“I’ll call the police.” He stepped over to the phone and picked up the receiver.
Annie rushed over to him. “We can’t. He said he’d hurt the other children.”
“And if we don’t, Tessa could be in a lot of trouble.”
“I know, but...”
“Did you try reaching Tessa to see if she’s okay?”
“Yes, but her cell’s not on. Something bad must have happened or she would have called back. I feel so bad.”
“All the more reason to call the police.”
Annie rocked Mandy. “I know. But if we violate any of the bastard’s rules, he’ll come back and harm us. The man holds a grudge like no other. He still hasn’t forgiven Tessa after three years.”
“Sweetheart,” Tony said. “That’s why I have to call the police.”
“The police won’t be able to do anything. I’ve seen too many women get restraining orders and end up on the wrong end of a fist, or in this case, the wrong end of a gun. The police can’t shadow us twenty-four seven.”
“That may be, but if you don’t call, you’ll be an accessory—to murder possibly. I can’t let that happen to you, to us, to the kids.” He waved the phone.
“But Ralph—”
“You think this Ralph fellow has an honor code? Just because you uphold your end of the bargain doesn’t mean he will. He could be doing despicable things to Tessa right now, then harm you and the kids.”
Annie placed Mandy in her crib and shook the rattle over her head. The baby reached up to grab the plastic ring, and Annie let her have it.
She turned and nodded her assent, knowing they couldn’t sit by and do nothing. She prayed the police would find the bastard soon and the nightmare would end.
Tessa cracked open her eyes. Her head throbbed the moment she moved. A slightly sweet taste tinged her tongue, and the horrible experience came rushing back to her.
Charley had turned into a monster right before her eyes. And here she’d trusted him—until Dom made her go to Ohio and meet Charley’s parents. What if he wasn’t Morton Richter, but some look alike?
Her vision blurred for a moment, and then cleared. What had Charley used to drug her? The rag smelled like ether, but it must have been chloroform. Did he always come prepared to drug a person? How could he have known she and Ralph would be at the restaurant? Or was it pure coincidence? Maybe he'd followed her. But why?
When the pain lessened, she tried to crawl to the end of the mattress to see out the back of the camper window, but a rope tied around her waist and attached to a hook on the inside of the truck prevented her from moving. Oh God. He’d even taped her feet together too. A mummy had more freedom.
Tessa pressed her lower back to the mattress. Damn. With the gun was gone, she couldn’t surprise him when he stopped. A huge wave of depression struck her at her helpless situation.
The truck jerked to the left as if he was passing someone. If only there was some way to signal the cars behind them. She’d seen TV shows where the kidnapped person punched out the rear taillights and waved to the car in the rear. Only this stupid truck didn’t have any visible taillights in the back.
The streetlights shone through the camper’s back window, but she had no view through the side windows. She should have wondered why Charley painted the windows black, but it never occurred to her he might have less than honorable intentions. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Tessa needed to know where he was taking her. She tried the judge the speed with which the streetlights flashed. They came fast, and the pavement underneath the truck clicked every few seconds, like the expansion joints in the concrete. They never came to a stop or slowed due to traffic. They must be on I-4 or
I-275.
The Interstate meant they were going someplace far from Tampa. But where?
A loud truck rumbled up right behind them and flashed his brights. Had he spotted her inside? Hope surged until his headlights veered off the left. Damn it.
Tessa closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in an effort to control the pain that stabbed behind her eyes. Her head continued to pulsate with pain from the after effects of the drug. The enormous stress didn’t help matters either.
The truck’s vibration, coupled with the chloroform, eventually lulled her body into a relaxed state. Somehow she must have fallen asleep, for when she awoke, the truck was going slower and only periodic light flashed through the back window. Fewer cars sounded in the distance.
Charley must have turned off the highway for the constant thrumming of the tires on the pavement wasn’t as loud. Then the truck slowed to a crawl, and her body tensed.
The truck jerked to the left, and then accelerated. Her muscles relaxed. As long as he kept driving, he couldn’t harm her. Tessa needed to free herself, and her time was running out.
For starters, she needed to be able to breathe better. The tape over her mouth prevented her from taking a full breath. Placing her face on the mattress, she dragged her cheek across the canvas in an attempt to loosen the duct tape. Over and over again, she dragged, lifted, and then dragged again. Eventually, an end lifted up. Thank goodness he’d only slapped the tape over her mouth and hadn’t wrapped it around her head.
After a few more swipes, she managed to tear off the suffocating binding. Hurray! She gulped down mouthfuls of stuffy air.
Panting from the exertion, she focused on her next maneuver. She lay on her side and curled her legs back until her fingertips touched her feet. The stupid rope around her waist was in the way, but she pushed it aside. With her muscles straining, she managed to peel the tape back about an inch before her thighs cramped. Stretching them out, she rested, and then renewed her attack.
The truck made a sharp right turn, throwing Tessa off the mattress, and she landed on the ridged metal. “Damn it,” she shouted, but then realized if Charley heard her, he’d know was awake and trying to free herself. Stupid security rope did nothing other than to tangle her up.