Girl in Trouble (An Alex Mercer Thriller Book 1)

by Stacy Claflin

  He hadn't.

  "How do you feel?"

  Ariana didn't reply. Maybe if she stayed perfectly still, he would think she was still asleep and leave her alone. But then her stomach rumbled, giving her away.

  "You're hungry. I'll make bacon and eggs—your favorite breakfast."

  Ariana flinched. How did he know?

  "First, let's get this stuff off you." He tugged around her ears and pulled off a blindfold.

  Bright light assaulted Ari's eyes. She closed them and tried to cover them, but sharp pain shot through her shoulders, reminding her that her arms were still behind her back.

  "Do you still like your eggs sunny side up?"

  Ariana opened her eyes and blinked quickly, trying to adjust to the light.

  "And your bacon, crispy and almost burnt?"

  She stared at the man, confused. He looked the same as he had the night before, only now he wore green and blue plaid pajama pants with a matching button up shirt and a stocking cap like she had seen in old Christmas movies.

  "What's the matter, Jan?"

  "Jan?"

  He smiled at her. "You really need some breakfast. Will you stay in the bedroom if I remove the tape from your wrists and ankles?"

  Wide-eyed, Ariana nodded. "I promise." Between the aches and sharp pains, she wasn't sure how much longer she could handle staying in that position.

  "I'm so happy to hear that." He kissed her forehead and pulled out a pocket knife. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to take care of you."

  Her eyes widened even more. What was he talking about?

  A rip sounded as he cut the tape along her wrists. Her arms sprung forward when both sides had been cut. She brought them in front of her and pulled off the silver tape, ignoring the pain in her shoulders.

  The man moved to her ankles and cut off that tape, also.

  She stretched her legs, staring at him. Her heart still beat wildly out of control.

  He ran the back of his fingers along her cheeks. "You're so beautiful, Jan. You haven't changed a bit."

  "M-my name's Ariana."

  "Don't be silly, Jan. You and your games. Why don't you change out of your costume while I get breakfast ready?"

  Tears stung her eyes. "I want to go home."

  "You are home. Don't you recognize your room? I know it's been a while, but I've kept it exactly as you left it."

  Ari's lips quivered. "Please."

  "With a cherry on top?" He twirled a strand of her hair between his fingers. "You're just as sweet as you've always been. You'll find all your clothes in the drawers—just where you left them."

  "I just want to go home. My dad—"

  "Jan, this is your home." His face clouded over. "And about Dad… He's not with us any longer."

  Ari's mouth dropped. "What did you do to him?"

  "You know how he never liked me?"

  She gave him a double-take. "What?"

  He sighed and clenched his fists. "This isn't how I pictured our reunion. Just get the costume off, put on your favorite outfit, and then we'll have a pleasant breakfast together. It's been too long. Hurry up now, Jan. Okay?"

  Ariana swallowed and nodded. She wanted to go home, but she was hungry and at least the man didn't seem like he was going to hurt her.

  "Good. Then you can tell me what you've been doing while you were away." He gave her a sweet smile and left the room. Something clicked, like he was locking it from the outside.

  Tears welled up in her eyes and finally spilled out. Ariana sat up and pressed her palms on the stiff bed, looking around the room. The walls were a deep pink, almost purple. The ugly flowers on the bumpy bed coverings were the same shade. The canopy of the bed had the same patterns and colors.

  Knock, knock.

  "Are you getting dressed?"

  Ariana slid off the bed, making it creak as it adjusted to her lack of weight on it. "Yes."

  "Good. I've got the food cooking."

  Without a word, she padded to the dark brown, wooden dresser. It had four long drawers and a couple smaller ones above them. Creepy dolls and stuffed hippos sat on top, seeming to watch her. She pulled open the top long drawer. Shirts in bright tones of yellow, red, orange, and brown sat folded neatly. Some were polka-dotted, flowered, or striped, but they were all ugly. The pants and skirts were no better.

  Not that it mattered. She had to focus on finding a way out.

  Ariana left the drawers open and went over to the window near the bed. It was nailed shut, and they were on the second level, anyway. It was too far to jump—it looked miles down to the pavement below.

  The lock clicked. Ariana jumped over to the dresser and grabbed a shirt.

  "You're still in your costume?" The man looked disappointed. "What's wrong, Jan?"

  "I… I can't remember what my favorite is." She had to play along with his game if she was going to get out of there.

  "Has it been that long?" He came over and looked at the bright yellow shirt in her hands. "No, not that one. Grandma got that for you, and you detested it, remember?"

  Ariana nodded.

  "You only ever wore it when she came to visit."

  "Oh, yeah. I forgot."

  He took the shirt from her and folded it neatly before setting it back in the drawer. "You loved this one." He pulled out a button-up shirt with flowers of every color and a long, pointed collar.

  "Right. I guess I didn't see that in there."

  "Hurry up. The food's almost done."

  Ariana nodded.

  The man's face lit up. "I'm so excited we finally get to be together again."

  She forced a smile.

  He cupped her chin and held her gaze. "You're going to have to tell Lloyd everything you've done while away. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

  "M-me, too."

  Lloyd left without a word, locking the door behind him.

  Ariana slid out of her fairy-witch dress—the wings had disappeared. No, wait. She'd taken them off in her real room.

  Hopefully she'd get to see it soon.

  Breakfast

  The lock sounded again. Ariana pulled on the stiff, uncomfortable clothes as quickly as she could. The door opened slowly, giving her just enough time to zip the high-waisted, scratchy pants.

  Lloyd came in. His face softened and his head tilted. "You look exactly as I remember you, Jan."

  Ariana bit her lower lip. "So do you."

  His eyes widened. "Really? You've never said that before."

  She nodded.

  Lloyd pulled her into an embrace, holding on tightly and restricting her breathing. She turned her head so her face wasn't pressed against his flannel shirt. He smelled like bacon, eggs, and coffee.

  "You don't know how happy that makes me." He released his hold on her. "Come and eat."

  Ari's heart thundered. Maybe she could find a way of escape once out of the room, but she'd have to be careful because she didn't want to end up tied again.

  He took her hand and led her out of the room, down a short hall with fuzzy green carpeting, and into the bright kitchen with a lot of yellows and greens. It made her eyes hurt. A small white and gold table sat to the side with two plates full of food.

  "Sit, Jan. Do you still like orange juice?"

  Ariana didn't, but she nodded anyway to keep him happy. She sat at the seat with an empty glass. The other had a steaming cup of coffee.

  Lloyd went into the fridge and pulled out a glass jar of OJ. "Freshly squeezed, just for you."

  She smiled weakly, trying to figure out why he had her confused with whoever Jan was.

  Her stomach rumbled at the sight of the food.

  Lloyd poured her juice. "What are you waiting for?" He set the pitcher in the middle of the table and sat across from her, gazing at her.

  Ariana squirmed. Could the food be safe? What if he wanted to poison her?

  He ate the food on his plate. Maybe it was okay. She was too hungry to refuse the food in front of her. Ariana gr
abbed the fork and dug into a fried egg. Yolk spilled over the egg white, nearly covering the entire thing. She took a bite, and found it surprisingly tasty. Before she knew it, she'd emptied her plate. The only clue that any food had been there was the dried yolk on one side.

  "I should've made more. Are you still hungry?"

  She was, but didn't want to upset him. "I'm fine."

  "Did you like it?"

  "It was delicious."

  He beamed. "Sure you don't want some cereal? You have to be hungry given the way you scarfed that down."

  Ariana shrugged.

  Lloyd set his coffee mug down and went to the cupboards. She took advantage of the moment to look for a possible escape. The window over the sink was probably too small to climb out of, and even if it weren't, she didn't know what was below. A deck or more concrete way down on the first level?

  One doorway led into the cramped hall and the other? Hopefully she would find out. Maybe she could ask to use the bathroom and then look around when she was done.

  He came over with two boxes of cereal. "Which one?"

  "I dunno." She wasn't usually allowed to eat sugary cereals.

  "This used to be your favorite." He opened the white box and poured colorful food into a bowl and filled it with milk and added a spoon.

  The sweetness nearly exploded in her mouth. It was like eating candy for breakfast. She ended up eating two bowls before getting full.

  Lloyd sipped his coffee, seeming to never take his gaze away from her.

  She fidgeted with a nail under the table. It seemed like she should say something, but nothing came to mind. She knew better than to ask the questions she really wanted to—Why was she there? Would she ever get to go back home? What was he planning on doing with her? Was her family worried? They had to be worried sick. Once, she'd lost track of time playing in the neighborhood and come home late. Mimi had been in tears, scared that something had happened to Ariana.

  Now something had happened to her, and she'd been gone far more than a half an hour.

  "What have I missed?" Ariana finally asked. She had to think of this like her class play. She needed to stay in the character of Jan.

  Lloyd sighed and set his cup down. "Do you really want to know?"

  "Yeah."

  He rubbed his eyebrows and took a deep breath. "Things have changed a lot. I'm sure you've noticed it's just me and you now."

  "Uh huh."

  Lloyd stared into her eyes. "Mom's not coming back."

  Ariana's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.

  "Do you want to know what happened to her?"

  "What?"

  He pulled off his stocking cap and wrung it tightly, focused on that for a moment before turning his focus back to Ariana. "She took your death really hard. Really hard. She blamed me."

  Ariana gasped. Had he killed a girl?

  "But you know it's not my fault, right, Jan?" He stared at her with an intensity that nearly suffocated her.

  Holding her breath, she nodded.

  "Dad had her institutionalized, but…"

  "What?" Ariana's stomach twisted.

  "She hung herself."

  Ariana's mouth dropped.

  "I'm sorry," Lloyd said. "I hate being the one to tell you."

  She just stared at him.

  "You're in shock. I shouldn't have said anything." He smacked his own forehead. "Stupid!"

  Ariana swallowed, afraid to move or say anything.

  Lloyd smacked himself again and then turned to Ariana. "Dad got mean after that. Took to the drink and blamed me for everything. You, Mom. Everything. Even Barky."

  "Barky?"

  "It's best you don't know what happened to him."

  "Did he—?"

  "I said it's best to leave it alone!" He rubbed his temples. "It couldn't be helped."

  She slunk down in the stiff chair. "Sorry."

  He took a deep breath. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I am trying to find Mom, too. If she's forgiven me—and why wouldn't she? You're back safe and sound—she can take care of both of us. But don't worry, I'll take good care of you while we wait."

  Ariana had no idea what he meant about the mom, so she just held his gaze.

  "I'll be the best big brother there ever was," Lloyd said. "I swear it won't go like last time. This time, we'll grow up together happy."

  She studied the man, at least as old as Mimi and Papi. He wanted to grow up with her?

  "We finally have our do-over button, Jan. Everything went so wrong the first time around, but not this time. We've learned, right?"

  "Um, right."

  "And you know better now, don't you?"

  "I think so."

  "The water! You know how dangerous it is."

  Ariana nodded. "It is."

  He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. This time we can turn everything around."

  "Okay."

  Lloyd picked up the empty plates and took them to the sink. Ariana picked up the glasses and set them on the counter next to him.

  He turned to her. "I don't want you doing anything. Today, you're a princess."

  What about tomorrow? She forced a smile and sat back at her spot, studying the kitchen while he hand-washed the dishes, humming.

  What did he mean that he was going to try to find his Mom? If she'd hung herself… But then again, the real Jan sounded dead, too. Was he going to kidnap some lady to be their mom? Would he try to replace the dad and the dog, also?

  Lloyd would be outnumbered. Maybe that would be a good thing.

  He put the last plate on the dish rack and turned to Ariana, wiping his hands on his flannel pants. "Back to your room."

  Disappointment washed through her. When would she get to see the rest of the house?

  "But I have to go to the bathroom."

  "We'll stop off there first." He waved her over.

  She got up and went to him, dragging her feet.

  He took her hand and led her down the hall again, stopping in front of a door. "Let's hurry."

  Ariana let go of his grip and went in, locking the door. At least she could control that lock. She sat on the toilet and looked around the orange and green bathroom. It had no window, only a tiny vent in the ceiling.

  "Are you done in there?"

  She got up, pulled on the scratchy pants, and flushed. That was her answer. She washed her hands, trying to think of a way to escape. Maybe she could convince him to take her outside.

  Ariana opened the door.

  He came in and ran his hands through her hair. "I don't know why you cut your beautiful hair, but we need to grow it out again."

  She nodded, but had no intention of staying that long—or growing out her hair. It was so thick that it became a tangled mess, nearly impossible to brush through.

  Almost as though reading her mind, he pulled a brush out from a drawer and ran it through her hair. The brush stopped before he reached her ear. It was already snarled from not having been taken care of since before the party last night.

  "We can't have this." He turned on the water and ran the brush under the sink before brushing again. He stopped and worked his way through each of her knots until finally he was able to brush through all of it with ease. Then he put the brush away and ran his fingers through her hair. "Much better. Back to your room, now."

  Hand-in-hand, they went back to the very pink room. Ariana liked pink—her own room was in pale pinks and white—but this place was like a pink monster had thrown up from a time warp.

  Once inside, Lloyd released her hand. "I fixed your dollhouse. Why don't you play with that while I'm gone?"

  "You're leaving?"

  "I wasn't expecting to find you last night. I need to go grocery shopping. This place has been a bachelor pad for a while—that's no place for my sweet little sister."

  "Oh." Ariana played with the pointy collar on her shirt.

  "Just get yourself reacquainted with your room, and you'll hardly notice I'm gone."

  "Ok
ay."

  He kissed her forehead and held her gaze. "I'm so glad to have found you. You're back where you belong at long last."

  Determined

  Alex's eyes grew heavier by the moment as he continued driving through town. He'd seen plenty of black SUVs, but not a single one matched the one he'd seen Ariana thrown into. He'd already downed three mochas, but now his heart raced and he was no less sleepy.

  He would have to surrender and climb back into his old bed soon. But first, he wanted to drive down a couple more blocks. Maybe one of those would be the one. Then he could bust into a house and save Ariana. He'd be a hero, at least to her. The rest of the world could continue thinking of him as public enemy number one, but as long as his daughter was in his arms, nothing else would matter.

  Alex turned down a residential road, slowing to study each vehicle. As with the other neighborhoods, the majority of the cars were white minivans, many sporting stickers of stick-figure families.

  His stomach rumbled, begging for something other than caffeine, and his hands shook.

  A little brown dog ran out into the street in front of him. Alex slammed on his breaks, barely missing the animal. A woman ran out from a house. She shook her fist at Alex and scooped up the ball of fluff. He waited for her to get back to her yard before driving away. Once he made it out of the neighborhood, he searched for the vehicle.

  After a few minutes, he came to a store. A black SUV sat parked near the side. Alex's heart raced. It looked just like the one Ariana had been pulled into. He parked on the other end of the lot and walked as nonchalantly as possible to the vehicle.

  He circled the SUV, listening and looking. It was sparkling clean, as though it had recently been washed. The windows in the back were tinted so dark, he couldn't see inside. Around front, the windows were also tinted. The front one, less so, but a curtain hung behind the driver's and passenger's seats.

  If that wasn't suspicious, nothing was.

  Alex walked around the vehicle again. "Ariana?"

  Nothing.

  "Are you in there?"

  Silence.

  He glanced around and then shook the SUV, fully expecting the alarm to wail. It didn't.

  "Ariana!"

  Nothing.

  He pounded on the side of the vehicle.