Jake glanced over to see Tom sitting quietly with his eyes staring blankly ahead. “Tom,” he said softly. “We’re gonna get her. We’ve the state police and the Richland police working this case as a priority. We’re. Gonna. Find. Her.”
“But what shape will she be in?” Tom asked, almost on a whisper, shaking his head. “She…struggles…stress gets to her. I just don’t…”
“Don’t go there, man. Don’t go there. She’s strong. She’s tough. She’s smart. But she needs you. She needs you to be strong and focused. Can you do that?”
Sucking in a deep breath, eyes refocusing, Tom looked over at Jake. “Yeah, man. I got it.”
Nodding in Tom’s direction, Jake turned back to his speeding down the road.
Chapter 23
Carol slowly woke to the feeling of movement. Hazy. Floating. A gentle rocking back and forth. Heavy eyelids that did not want to open. Licking her lips, they felt dry. A strange taste in her mouth. Voices far away. Did I get sick? Am I in the hospital? The fog in her mind slowly lifted, leaving her as confused as ever. Forcing her eyelids to open, she realized that she was laying in the back of a car. Whose car am I in?
“Tom?” she croaked, her voice sounding foreign to her. Wanting to sit up, she tried unsuccessfully to push up with her arms. Why won’t my arms move the way I want them to?
The voices stopped, and a man’s face appeared over the seat in front of her. I recognize that face. But she couldn’t come up with a name. Confusion mingled with a dreaded sense that something was not right began to slide through her mind.
“How much did you give her?”
“Whatever you put in that needle for me.”
Who are these people? Why am I in their car? What is happening? Needles? Forcing her mind to clear faster, Carol’s nursing training began to emerge. Needle? Something given to me? Drugs! I’ve been drugged!
With all her strength she pushed up again, and this time was successful in sitting partially up in the seat. Two heads were in front of her. Driving. One of them is driving. Think, damn it! Feeling her mind struggle to make sense of what her eyes were seeing, she re-focused on the heads in front of her. The one not driving turned around, looking at her with an anxious look on his face. Bert. Oh my god. Bert. He tricked me. He drugged me. The moments in the parking lot came rushing back into her mind as fear rushed into her heart.
“Bert?” she asked, her voice slurring. “Whadda you doing? Why’d you do this?”
“Oh Miss Carol. I’ve wanted you for so long, but you were always with that policeman. Cal told me that if I took you, then you’d forget about that cop and would be with me.”
The driver glanced back at her as well. Cal. Oh Jesus, Cal. The memory of what the guards said about him when she was treating him rushed through her mind. I’ve got to get out of here. Glancing out of the window, she saw the scenery rushing by. Fighting the nausea that threatened to overtake her, she knew that the drugs were still very much in her system.
“We gotta get some gas, and I’m getting hungry,” Cal said. “You got more stuff to give her?”
No! I can’t let them give me more! Sliding back down on the seat, moaning, she closed her eyes, hoping they would not drug her more.
“I got somethin’, but she’s fine. You stop up here, and she’ll be fine,” Bert assured his brother.
Carol could feel the car move to the right and come to a stop. From what she could see, they were at a little mom & pop gas station.
“I gotta go to the bathroom,” she told the brothers. “I gotta go bad.”
Bert looked nervously at his brother who was scowling. “Maybe we better let her. Don’t want her getting’ sick.”
Cal twisted around in the seat and looked at Carol slumped in the back. “Gonna walk you in, and gonna wait right outside while you piss. You do anything, you’ll regret it, get me?”
Carol just nodded, agreeing to anything to get out of the car. Bert got out first then opened her door. Half helping, half dragging, he managed to get her on her feet.
How am I going to run when I can’t even stand? Glancing at the small building in front of her, she wondered if there would be anyone there to help. With Bert on one side and Cal on the other, they walked inside the store. Forcing her to the bathroom in the back, Cal called out loudly, “Damn girl started drinkin’ this mornin’ and is totally wasted now.”
Carol wanted to shout out to the person behind the counter, but couldn’t seem to get the words out before she was shoved into the tiny bathroom.
“Do your business and no funny stuff. I’ll be right here. You give me any trouble, and I’ll shoot the old man in the front,” Cal warned in a soft voice, before shutting the door.
Stumbling over, Carol used the toilet as quickly as she could, trying desperately to not fall on her face. Now that he had threatened another person, she had no idea what to do. Grabbing onto the sink, she turned on the water then splashed her face. The cold water helped clear her mind, but her legs were still wobbly. I’ve got to try. I’ve got to do something.
Unlocking the door, she was shoved backwards when it opened quickly. Bert was there pulling her out gently, and she could see Cal up front, making his purchases. Forcing her legs to walk as steadily as she could, she looked at her feet hoping to lull Cal into thinking that she was being compliant. Just as she got close to the counter, she raised her head up and shouted, “Help me! They’re kidnapping me!” while pushing Bert into Cal, knocking them both off balance. Stumbling outside, she almost made it to the side of the building when she was grabbed by the arm and swung around.
“Oh no, pretty girl. You ain’t gettin’ away that easily,” Cal spoke with deadly calm, pressing a gun to her side while dragging her back to the car. Opening the door, he shoved her inside.
“Cal, don’t you hurt my girl,” Bert yelled as he came running over. “You be nice to her.”
Cal sneered at Bert. “You dumb fuck. She ain’t no girl of yours. That sweet piece is gonna be mine. Been thinkin’ about her since I first laid eyes on her.”
Carol turned to see Cal point the gun at Bert. She could feel the shaking overtake her as she watched with horror the scene play out in front of her.
“In fact, brother, I don’t need your sorry ass no more. You got the girl for me and got ma to help get me outta that fuckin’ shithole town.”
Bert looked at Cal, eyes wide as he stared at the gun. “You gonna shoot me, Cal? Your brother?”
Carol watched as Cal brought the gun up holding it directly at Bert. Just as Cal was taking a shot, he was knocked off balance by Carol’s door opening into his side. Bert jumped out of the line of fire, as Cal rounded on Carol, slamming the door shut again.
Cal ran around the car, jumping into the driver’s seat and gunning the car out of the parking lot. “You stupid bitch. Don’t you get it? I’m makin’ you my number one girl and you’re tryin’ to throw it away?”
Number one girl. What the hell is he talking about?
Cal jerked the car to the side of the road and came to a quick stop. Carol was thrown into the floorboard of the back seat. Crawling back into the seat, she was just turning around when she felt a stabbing pain in her arm. Screaming out, she tried to scramble around to see Cal when the darkness began to descend again. No, not again….
*
Jake’s phone rang. “Yeah,” he barked into the cell. “When? Shots fired? He still there? Got it.”
Tom’s heart dropped into his stomach once again at the questions he heard Jake asked. Twisting around in his seat so he could concentrate directly on his partner, he didn’t even have to ask. Jake began talking as soon as he hung up.
“Cal and Bert have her. They stopped to get gas, and she tried to escape. The attendant said she was drunk, but I figure she is still drugged. Cal and Bert argued. Cal left Bert’s ass there. ’Bout five minutes up ahead.”
Tom, forcing his mind to think like a detective and not like a terrified boyfriend, called Shane and filled him in
. “Gonna stop for just a minute to see what we can get outta Bert. Call you as soon as I can to give you an update.”
Pulling into the gas station, they were met with a multitude of local police cars. Hopping out, flashing their badges, they approached Bert, who was cuffed and sitting in one of the cruisers. Before Jake could stop him, Tom hauled Bert out and slammed his back against the car.
“What the fuck did you do with Carol?” he yelled.
“Tom,” Jake ordered. “Stand down.”
Tom let go of a shaking Bert, but leaned down in his face. Speaking slow and even, he said, “I will come back for you if she is hurt in any way. You got me?”
“I just wanted her to be my girlfriend. Cal told me that if I got her away from you, she would fall for me,” Bert blubbered.
Jake, realizing how Cal manipulated Bert, tried to use that to gain information. “Bert, Cal really played you. Now he has Carol, and we gotta get to him to make sure she is safe. You want her safe, don’t you?”
Bert’s sad eyes looked up at Jake and then slid over to Tom’s angry face. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I always knew she wasn’t for me. Cal just made me feel that she could be mine.”
Jake continued to probe softly. “Bert, you can’t make someone like you. But now your brother has her, and you know he’s not a nice person. He’s not gonna be nice to her. You gotta tell us anything you know.”
Bert nodded, eyes focused on a distant point past Jake’s shoulder as though trying to work out a problem in his head. Looking back at Jake, he said, “Don’t know anything about Cal’s business, but he got a call the other day and I saw who was callin’. Cal was in the shower, so I looked at his phone when it rang. It didn’t have a nice name.”
Jake and Tom glanced at each other in question, then Jake prodded, “Not a nice name?”
“Yeah. I knew ma would be upset it she knew he was takin’ calls like that in our home.” Leaning in closer to whisper the name, Bert said, “Pussy Club.”
Tom turned and stalked over to the truck, getting Shane on the phone. “What do you got on a place called the Pussy Club?”
Shane cursed. “Low class strip joint. Been busted several times for prostitution. One of the places where the girls are always drugged out, usually against their will. Cal manages to stay clear but we know he’s involved. Place gets shut down then re-opens under new management. Real sleezy place. It’s one that we keep tryin’ to pin on Cal, but he manages to hide his involvements. Why?”
“Cal’s brother just rolled on him. Said he got a call from them the other day.”
“Could be where he’s headed. At least it is a start. You’re gonna hit Richland in about thirty minutes. I’ll send you the GPS coordinates and tell you where we’ll meet up. Gettin’ my crew here ready to go. We’ve been after this fuck for a couple of years.”
“Shane, I don’t give a shit about Cal right now. I just want Carol,” Tom said, not embarrassed at the emotion in his shaking voice.
There was a brief silence as the words hung between the two men before Shane spoke. “Got it, man. I haven’t found the right one yet, but when I do, I’d move heaven and earth. We’ll do this. Promise.” With that, he hung up, sending a text with the GPS information.
As Tom was climbing into the truck, he heard a small voice behind him. Turning, he saw Bert, still cuffed with a policeman at his side. “I know she’s yours. Just get her safely back.”
With a curt nod, Tom hauled himself up into the truck, and they headed down the homestretch toward Richland.
*
Once again, Carol slowly returned to consciousness, eyes blurry, eyelids heavy, a strange taste in her mouth, and limbs that did not want to work. It took every effort to chase the fog away, not knowing where she was or how she got there. She had no idea how much time passed as she crept toward awareness. She finally realized that her eyes were opened but that the room she was in was very dark. She was no longer in the car, but did not recognize the room that she was in. Minutes ticked by as she tried to raise herself up on wobbly limbs. A sense of déjà vu washed over her as she remembered the same feelings in the car.
Cal! He left Bert behind. Where did he bring me?
As her vision became more focused, she tried to look around. For what, she didn’t know, but she had to do something. Tom would have no idea that she was missing. And when he did, he’d have no idea where she was. Oh, Jesus. I’ve got to get out of this myself.
She was lying on a bed in a small room. There were no windows. There was a chair in one corner. That was it. One bed. One chair. Carol pondered this in confusion. This isn’t someone’s bedroom and it’s not a hotel room. She stood on shaky legs and made her way over to the door. Locked. Not wanting to fall down, she made her way back to the bed, sitting on the edge as she took deep breaths to try to clear her head.
She heard the door knob jiggle before a young woman entered, carrying a tray of food. Carol stared at the girl, noting her unkempt appearance, sloppy clothes, but it was her face that grabbed her attention. Pale, dark circles under vacant eyes.
“Here’s some food and a bottle of water,” the girl said, setting the tray down on the bed. She looked up at Carol, rubbed her nose, and turned to move back toward the door. It was when she brought her arm up to rub her nose that Carol caught the signs. Track marks on her arm. Jesus, she’s high.
Carol stood as quickly as she could, calling out, “Who are you? Where are we?”
The girl turned around, looking at Carol with a confused look on her face, answering, “Me? Why do you wanna know?”
Wanting to gain the girl’s trust, Carol quickly answered, “So I will know who to thank for the food.”
The girl’s gaze fell to the tray still sitting on the bed, and she looked back up at Carol, confusion changing to boredom. “Name’s Sylvie. Not my real name, but ’round here, they call me Sylvie.”
“Where’s here? Where are we?” Carol asked cautiously.
Sylvie looked around the room for a moment, as though trying to come up with an answer. Her glazed, vacant eyes made their way back to Carol. “Huh?” was all she answered.
Oh my god, she is wasted. Carol’s ER training in dealing with intoxicated people kicked in, and she attempted to make her comfortable. “Here, you need to sit. How about we share the water?” Handing Sylvie the water bottle, she continued to slowly speak to her. “Sylvie, I don’t know where we are. What city are we in?”
Sylvie, taking a pull on the cool water as though she were thirsty, looked up and said, “Richland. We’re in Richland.”
Carol pulled the sandwich apart, offering Sylvie half while continuing to speak. “What building are we in?”
Sylvie, taking the sandwich and greedily stuffing it into her mouth, said, “How come you don’t know where we are?” Stopping and looking around again, she snorted. “Hell, all these rooms look the same at the Pussy Club. I guess one room for fuckin’ is as good as another. Thought your room would be nicer, you being his woman an’ all.”
Fucking? Oh, Jesus, is this a whorehouse? His? Who is she talking about? Shit, don’t let her be talking about Cal.
As if on cue, Cal came strolling into the room, eyes immediately falling to Sylvie holding the water bottle in one hand and the sandwich in the other. His eyes narrowed in anger as he stalked over, grabbing Sylvie by the arm and slapping her hard across the face. “I give you one simple job, you stupid cunt and you can’t even do that?”
Blood spurted from Sylvie’s nose and dripped onto the floor.
Carol’s protective instinct reared as she tried to stop him from shaking Sylvie. “No, no. It isn’t her fault. I gave it to her.”
Cal stopped shaking Sylvie, but his eyes cut over to Carol’s. “What’d you do that for?”
Calm. Stay calm.
“I thought she looked hungry, and I just wanted to do something nice,” Carol said quietly. “I’m sorry if I shouldn’t have.” Licking her dry lips, she looked him in the eyes.
Fighting the revulsion, she continued to speak softly. “What happened to Bert?”
Cal choked out a guttural laugh. “My brother, Bert. What a waste! I was gonna take care of him, let him be part of my organization, but he wanted to stay with ma. First time I go to prison, ma turns me out, and he sided with that ole’ bitch.” Running his fingers back up her cheek to her hair, he continued. “Bert’s been watchin’ you for me. I had him think you’d be interested, so it was easy to get him to watch you, follow you, give you gifts. Even had one a’ my men follow your when you were runnin’. But gorgeous,” he said, stepping closer as though to kiss her, “I was savin’ you all for me. I’ll get you outta here in a bit, but I gotta take care of business first.”
“It was you. Doing all that stuff to me? The gifts, the runner?” He’s crazy. Oh my god, he’s crazy.
Cal smirked as though to pat himself on the back. “You were so easy, doll-face. I sent one of my men down there to keep an eye on you. You ran the same path every day, so it was easy to have him scare the shit outta you. And he had the perfect viewpoint watchin’ you and that policeman fuckin’ by the door.” Laughing, he just shook his head as he stepped back. “Who knows? I might just pay that asshole back by filming you and me fuckin’ and send it to him.”
Carol swayed, throwing her hand over her mouth, “I need a bathroom.” Cal jumped back and yelled for Sylvie. She stumbled in looking at Cal in confusion.
“Get her to the bathroom down the hall and try not to fuck up that simple job,” he ordered. “Must be the goddamn drugs makin’ her sick.”
Carol allowed Sylvie to take her arm and lead her out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom.
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