"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he asked as he strode toward her.
The next thing she heard was a loud SMACK and she found herself lying flat on the floor, her head pounding, the whole left side of her face numb. He'd laid her out by slapping the hell out of her. She looked up at him in shock as her palm went to her cheek. No one had ever hit her before. And, boy, had it hurt. She blinked back the tears that were threatening. Don't give them anything. As she stood up and went to stand by Sherry, Julia vowed she'd get revenge on her kidnappers if it took her last dying breath.
"I-I wasn't doing anything." Julia held her cheek as it throbbed against her palm. This asshole was so going down soon.
"Stay the fuck away from the walls. Here. Talk." He shoved a phone at her.
Chapter 24
Chase had entered the lobby at CEP earlier and walked to his dad’s office, making himself take deep, cleansing breaths. Gunner looked up from the laptop he was working on as Chase came in, and told him, “We’ll get her back. I’ve got a signal.”
Thank Christ for that. It was the first time all evening Chase felt a bit of hope. Gunner came around the desk and gave his brother one of those guy half-hugs. Oz walked in carrying some cables, dropping them on the desk then gave a head nod to Chase who nodded back.
“I fucked up, man,” Chase said, his face falling.
“Nothing we all haven’t done before, bro. We’ll get her back.” Gunner gave him a reassuring look, hitting him on the shoulder before going back to the computer.
“Yeah, man, they’re the ones who fucked up. We’ll make ‘em regret the day they laid a fucking hand on her,” Oz contributed.
Chase felt better knowing he had the best to back him up. Now to get things rolling.
“Got everything in the car. Once her old man gets here, we’re on the road,” Hank said as he came in.
Allen arrived a few minutes later and came in asking almost hysterically, "So, what are we supposed to do now? What's our next step?" He nervously grabbed Chase by the shoulders.
Chase started to explain to him but Allen’s phone rang. Allen just about jumped out of his skin almost crushing the thing in his hand.
“It’s okay, Allen,” Chase said, appearing much calmer than he felt. He took the phone from him and plugged a wire into it, setting it on the desk while Hank clicked on a recording device then started typing on the laptop.
"Wait!" Chase cautioned. "Take a breath, Allen. You've got to be ready for anything, okay? Now, tell them you want to talk to Julia before you agree to meet any of their demands."
Allen's face had gone ashen. He blinked several times, pushing tears back then he broke down. "I can't!"
"It’s okay. I’ve got this,” Chase told him, answering the phone and putting it on speaker. "Hello?"
"Is this Allen Cooke?" a deep, male voice asked.
"Yes," Chase replied smoothly.
"We've got your daughter. I'm sure you know what we want."
"Before I give you anything, I want to talk to her. Now."
"I don't think we can allow that at this time, Mr. Cooke."
"You'd damn well better or I'm hanging up." Allen's face turned whiter than white, his eyes widening and he started to say something. Chase's hands went out, one behind Allen’s head, the other covering his mouth; he shook his head and shot him a look that made Allen nod in understanding before Chase removed his hands.
"Hold on," the man on the other line replied.
Chase heard movement and knew he was getting his wish. Then he heard the man curse at someone then a slap and a little yelp after it. Had the guy just hit Julia? His blood pressure shot up to a reading of I will kill this motherfucker over this asshole's dead if he’s touched her in an instant. If the guy'd hit her, it was going to be one of the last things he ever did. A minute later he heard Julia on the other line and he let out his breath.
"H-hello?"
"Julia? It's me. Oh, God, I'm so sorry, baby. I'm going to get you out of there. I promise. Are you okay?" He saw his dad’s eyebrow raise at his calling Julia "baby" but he couldn't have given two shits right then.
"Y-yes, we're okay. Make sure to check the country house and on Margaret downstairs. Her two puppies might've gotten out the back door, okay?" She started crying. She wasn't giving them anything, but hearing Chase's voice for what might be the last time was more than she could take.
"Okay, baby, I will." Goddamn them for putting her in this situation!
The phone was yanked away from Julia and the man came back on the line. "Hang on," he said. Chase could hear what sounded like the guy walking up stairs then he heard a door slam. The guy came back on the line. "You need to wire us ten million in forty-eight hours. We'll call back with further instructions." The line went dead.
"What'd he say?" Allen asked, his eyes scanning back and forth between the three men in front of him. He must've been in shock because the guy had just told them what he wanted and Allen acted like he hadn't heard a word.
"They want ten million in forty-eight hours. Better get on the phone with your accountant," Hank explained.
Allen sucked in so much air he almost passed out. It wasn't that he wasn't willing to pay, but how the hell could he get that much to them in such a short amount of time? It wasn't like he had that much money on hand.
While Hank worked on tracing the call for a few minutes, Chase looked at Gunner then Oz. "Did you hear what she said? She was giving me clues." He paced back and forth going over the conversation out loud. "She said, 'We're okay.' Someone else is being held with her.” Make sure to check the country house and on Margaret downstairs. They were in a house, and were being held below ground, a basement or something then. But Margaret? Who was Margaret? Two puppies. There were two others who were helping this Margaret? A woman was heading this all up? And what about a back door? Was she telling him there was a way out of where she was? Or a way for him to get in? He looked at Allen and asked, "Do you know a Margaret?"
"Yes. I mean, I know several women named that, but I don't think any of them would be capable of doing this."
“Let’s go,” Hank said, grabbing the laptop as Gunner pushed a magazine into his SIG Sauer then grabbed two more. Oz tucked a Smith & Wesson 642 inside his left boot, then picked up his Ruger, releasing the clip, checking it before jamming it back in with a click.
“Wait! What are you doing? Where are we going?”
"Before Julia got taken," and saying that didn't make Chase’s stomach knot up, now did it, "I gave her something. A bracelet. It was my grandmother's. She had Alzheimer's and would sometimes leave the house and get lost, so my grandfather had a bracelet made for her so he could find her if that happened. It's got a GPS chip in it. My dad’s run it and we were able to find out where she's been taken." Again with the knotting of the stomach. That ulcer was just imminent, wasn't it?
"You know where she is?" Allen asked eagerly as they walked outside getting in the car that Chase usually drove Julia around in.
"Yes. See that little red blip there?" Hank held up the laptop from the passenger seat showing Allen, who sat in back, and pointed to the blinking dot.
"Yes?"
"That shows where she is. I’ve mapped out coordinates. We know exactly where she is. Getting in is going to be the tricky part.”
"Are you sure we shouldn't call the police? At least Detective Jared? He could help."
"No. We don't want the cops turning this into a circus. I know your trust in my brother has diminished somewhat, but we'll get your daughter. Let's wait before calling Detective Jared, okay?" Gunner replied.
Allen nodded at the man sitting in the back with him. He’d leave this to them, knowing his brain was scrambled. He was clearly not one to make any serious decisions at this point.
****
After the big guy had left, Sherry went to the sink, holding a rag under the cold water then took it to Julia to put on her cheek.
"I'm so sorry, Julia. I tried to warn you fast enough
. Are you okay?"
Julia let herself cry a little longer after the phone call. She was upset, as well she should be, and she needed to get some of this out of her system. She'd been so proud of herself for not freaking out up until now, not having had one of her breathing attacks or anything, but hearing Chase’s voice had made her break down. Once she got control of herself, she smiled at Sherry. "Yeah, I'll be fine. My brain's never been sloshed around like that before, though. Damn, that hurt like crap. How does it look?" She turned her cheek toward Sherry.
Sherry checked out the damage. "You have a bump rising on your cheekbone and the bruising is starting under your eye. Um, not to mention the welts the handprint put on it. I'm really sorry, Julia." Sherry started crying then.
"It's okay, Sherry. I'll be fine. Honest."
"I'm just so tired of this. Who are these people?"
"I know who the woman is."
"You do?" Sherry looked startled.
"Yes. We've both seen her, right? We just couldn't place her. But I figured out where we've seen her. She's got big problems, I know that much." Julia proceeded to inform Sherry of what she knew as Sherry's eyes got great big.
"Oh, my God! That's it! What the hell?"
****
Chase parked the car in the woods just south of where the coordinates had shown the house was. Thinking they may need more manpower, Hank had called Quaid on their way, telling him to meet them, and there he was waiting for them, his black pickup truck all but hidden in the trees.
“Allen, you need to stay here. We’ll take care of this,” he told him. When Allen looked as if he were going to protest, Chase said, “You’ll just get in the way. We know what we’re doing, okay? You’ve got to trust me. Stay here and wait for another phone call. Let us know through this.” He held a mic out to him, showing him to put the plug in his ear and handed him the clip. “You can hear us through this, okay? To talk, you just press this button.”
Allen seemed reluctant but nodded. Before the door shut, he grabbed Chase’s wrist. “Get her back.” The look in his eyes punched Chase right in the chest.
“We will,” Chase said and shut the car door.
Hank handed out mics sets to everyone then grabbed the small satellite-dish looking audio device out of the trunk that he’d use to hear inside the house, then the five men agreed to split up, approaching the house from different directions.
The stone house was old and had a barn that sat out back. The location was secluded, probably sitting on about five acres.
"You know, a lot of these old houses had secret tunnels during the Prohibition Era. Might even be from the Underground Railroad," Gunner said into his mic. "People ran the tunnel from inside the house to their barns where their stills were kept or to transport escaping slaves. That might’ve been the door she was talking about."
"I never thought of that. You might be right,” Chase answered. If that were the case, maybe he could get to Julia sooner than he thought.
****
"Why would she be involved in something like this?" Sherry asked.
Julia sat on the cot still holding the rag to her cheek. "I have no idea. Some people are just beyond fucked up. Guess that's her deal. Who knows?"
"This is just too weird."
"I've got to get back there and try to get to the door or whatever it is," Julia said nodding toward the corner. "There's so much crap to get through, though. Think I'll be safe for a while?"
"I don't know. Before you got here, they only came in once a day and set a tray of food at the top of the stairs. Who knows what they're going to do now."
"Well, I've got to chance it. Besides, might as well risk getting the other eye blacked to match this one if it means we get out of here." Julia winced in pain as she smiled at Sherry.
****
Josh walked out of the Boss's bathroom zipping his pants, his face practically green, his stomach churning, threatening to upheave its contents even though there was nothing in it. He knew he'd probably need sexual counseling after all this was over.
So, Mr. Martin, what has happened in your past that seems to be making you afraid of your own penis?
Who would've ever thought he'd be in this position? Or, hell, in any of the damn sexual positions she'd put him in. He felt a shudder run through him.
"Josh?"
Just the sound of her voice made his, er, equipment shrivel up. Surely, she wasn't ready for another go? He just didn't think he had it in him.
"Uh, yeah?"
"I need you to go check on the girls downstairs." She smirked. She knew he'd had a relationship with Julia, so this was just a ploy to screw Julia over even more than she'd already been. Oh, God, he didn't want to hurt her further. Actually, he didn't want her to see that he was involved in this monstrosity of a fucked-up mess.
"You sure you don't want Liam or Brady to do it?" Josh felt the sweat beading up on his forehead.
"No. I want you to do it. Now, shoo." The Boss made a dismissive movement with her hand.
Damn it. This was so not going to be any fun. Josh left the office and swallowed roughly as he approached the door to the basement. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and started down the stairs.
****
Julia had been working for some time, trying to squeeze her way back to the wall while not disturbing anything. Not a small task to handle especially when her nerves were about to rattle her teeth out of her damn head. She took a deep breath while picturing herself toothless. Yep, that'd be attractive.
Sherry paced the room, keeping an eye on the upstairs door and her ears open to any sound that meant someone might be approaching said door. She was fairly shaken as should be expected. It had almost made her sick to see the big guy strike Julia.
"I'm getting closer." Julia's voice was strained as she pulled on some bedsprings. If she could just get past all the crap, she'd be able to tell if there was actually a way out of the place.
"Julia!" Sherry hissed.
Ugh. Couldn't these people leave her the hell alone? Julia moved surreptitiously, as swiftly as she could, out from the plethora of paraphernalia that crowded the corner. As soon as whoever was descending the stairs hit the landing, she came around the corner then damn near gave her body the go-ahead to have one of its breathing attacks. Josh? What the hell was he doing here? For just a sliver of a moment, a feeling of hope burgeoned inside her, but then she remembered it was Josh—he who had no allegiance, no concern for anyone but himself.
"Um, I'm just checking on you guys."
Julia gave him a look that made his ego shrink to Lilliputian proportions.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed.
"Julia, I'm sorry. I, uh, got in trouble and this was the only way I knew to get out of it." He then saw the swelling and bruising on her cheek and half gasped. Brady had hit her, the asshole.
She scoffed at him. "I knew you were a loser, but this is sinking pretty damn low… even for you." She turned to walk toward Sherry.
"You know him?" Sherry asked in astonishment.
Julia nodded, rolling her eyes.
"Julia, seriously, I—" He reached out and grabbed her right shoulder to turn her to him.
Julia grabbed his hand with her left hand, turning to face him, twisting his hand at the wrist, almost wrenching his arm off and making him yelp. "Don't. Touch. Me!" she snapped through gritted teeth. Chase had taught her a few defensive moves in case she needed to use them, and wasn't Josh the lucky one to be her test subject?
"Okay, okay. Damn." Josh had let her take her anger out on him and he rubbed his arm after she'd released it. "I know I look like a total dick, but I didn't have a choice."
"You've always looked like a total dick. This little situation just enhances it." Julia looked at him with disgust. "Also? I'm glad my boyfriend broke your nose. Too bad he didn't rip your goddamned head off while he was at it."
"That prick's your boyfriend?"
"Yes, he's my boyfriend. And you should be glad you're
still walking, because he could've put your ass in a Hoveround for the rest of your worthless life!"
“You don't have to be such a bitch about it," he snapped at her.
"Oh, now that's the pot calling the kettle black. You're obviously the bitch here, Josh. Working for these people. Getting involved in all of this. Scared to death of them." She glowered at him.
Josh stopped for a second to think about that. Julia was right. He was the bitch here. Great. Just what he'd always aspired to. He snorted at her, even though she was dead-on with her assessment, trying to act all badass. "You don't know that. I'm in charge of more than you know."
Julia knew he was lying. She might not have been able to tell early on in their relationship, but after he'd burned her a couple times, she'd finally started to read his "tells." When his eyebrows started moving so fast they looked like two caterpillars Salsa dancing on his forehead as they were doing now, she knew he was BS'ing. She smirked at him letting him know she was calling his bluff. "Oh, you're in charge of things? What? Do they have a cat whose litter box needs cleaning every week? The goldfish need feeding? Wait, I know. You're the one who picks up the carry-out and brings it back, right?"
"You'd better start treating me with a little more respect, Julia. I can make things very difficult for you."
"Oh, because things are so easy on me now, right?" She pointed to her black eye.
Even though he tried, Josh knew he didn't fit in with the people upstairs. He just couldn't be cruel like they could. "I'm really sorry for that. Brady's crazy. You never know when he's going to go off on you. In the future, I suggest that you stay away from him."
"No shit, Sherlock. And to think I was going to invite him to the Jazz Festival coming up. Darn." Julia snapped her fingers for emphasis. "Think I'm pretty good at spotting pricks anymore, Josh. I've definitely got your number."
"Darn." Josh snapped his fingers right back at her. "And to think I was going to try to help you get out of here."
Julia just stared at him, narrowing her eyes, trying to gauge whether he was bluffing or not. At that moment, she really couldn't tell.
Being Chased Page 26