by Kira Adams
Maria stops stirring the sauce, staring him down. “We live here too. This is also our home. Whatever you are about to say, I’d watch it.”
It happens in the blink of an eye, but he reaches up, grabbing her jaw and then slams it shut. “You’ve forgotten your role here, but don’t worry, my love. I’m here to remind you.”
Her expression is a mix of absolute disgust, fear, and loathing. She looks humiliated. He pushes her away, releasing her jaw and her fingers immediately go up to massage it.
“What about you, Kail? Do you need a refresher?” He’s baiting me, loving the feeling of power he has right now.
There are days I sit by my window and just daydream of a time where it is just Maria and me. Life would be so much better and brighter if that were the case. Rather than answering him, silence falls upon the room.
“That’s what I thought,” he says, snidely, helping himself to a large piece of pie and then shoveling it into his mouth.
Someday we won’t be slaves to his rules. Someday we will be able to make our own decisions and mistakes without being reprimanded for it. Someday we will be free.
Bo
Before, the idea of going separate ways was so tempting, but now after all the time we have spent together, it feels wrong. It’s hard to remember what life was like before Mikhaela was a part of our crew. Hard to imagine what it will be like when we finally do leave one another.
Her chest rises and falls as she peacefully dreams. Looking down at her, she has an almost serene look on her face. It’s a far cry from when she was originally taken from her home. It’s also a big change from immediately after the Eduardo and Carlos abduction. Originally, she would toss and turn and jolt around for hours before being able to put her mind to sleep.
It’s understandable, given what she went through. Sometimes she cries out in her sleep for Tito or Maria, and it’s heartbreaking knowing that neither are around anymore, that neither can help protect her.
In the beginning, I beat myself up for making the impulsive move that put all of us in danger, bringing a stranger into our lives…but as time has gone on, my views have shifted. Before that night, Mikhaela was already living in hell. We were able to take her out of that and give her some semblance of the real world. Maybe it wasn’t the best representation, but it was better than being locked away like some fairy tale character.
We’ve been sleeping together since the nights out in the wilderness. Mikhaela is not my typical type and our situation is not the ideal way to meet someone you plan to have any kind of future with. Nothing more than some cuddling has taken place between us, but she’s right, it has been nice. The last month and a half hasn’t been easy on any of us. It wasn’t just her world that was turned upside down. We all had to give up a lot. Stefano lost Trinity and it wrecked him. He’s not the same guy I met six years ago, now he is a hollow shell of his former self. Ammo had to leave his family behind. And me? I’ve probably had the easiest time of the bunch, but having to leave my home was difficult.
We haven’t heard from Ammo or Stefano since we split up. My only hope is that Eduardo and Carlos don’t have any idea where they are and that they show up at the café at our scheduled meeting time. Even with our small detour to find a beach, we will still make it with ample time as long as we don’t get off track. I’ve allotted exactly three hours for us to explore before we have to be on our way.
It's near perfect weather when our feet hit the sand. Somewhere in the high 80’s and not a cloud in the sky. The beach is small, but a main attraction in Queens. It’s packed with pedestrians, families, kids, and more. Because it’s so busy, we opt to remove our shoes and simply walk along the shoreline. It’s low tide, and there is a slight breeze.
Mikhaela is wearing a new tank top and shorts we managed to get her from a track mall the other day. She’s been thankful to finally have a say in what she wears and to get something that fits her. From the first day we took her to now, she’s lost quite a bit of weight. Her face has thinned, and her stomach is smaller. She glances at me, using her right hand to shield the sun from her eyes. “Thank you for this.”
I nod. “It’s not a big deal.”
She laughs, rolling her eyes. “Don’t downplay this. Your reckless decision could get us both killed.” She crouches down, picking up a handful of sand. “But this is everything.” The sand slips through her fingers, carried by the breeze.
“Worth it?” I ask with a cheeky smile.
She stares at me as if I’m crazy. “More than anything.” Unexpectedly, she twirls around and begins running into the ocean.
Unsure of where she is headed, my instinct is to follow her. First, I toss the shoes I’m carrying, then throw the burner phone and my wallet inside. It’s probably not the safest idea, being out in the open on the beach, but fuck it. Eventually, the water is up to our chests and we are wading above the ocean floor.
“Doesn’t it feel like it goes on forever?” she asks, her eyes wide.
“Yeah. How is this for your first beach experience?”
She spins around, her arms and legs working to keep her above water. “I’ve always seen pictures and videos, but being able to feel the sand between my toes and the water surrounding my body, it makes it real.”
“You should go to Hawaii, the beaches there are vast and beautiful, and the oceans are never-ending, they could swallow you whole.”
This elicits a smile from her. “That sounds incredible.”
“It really is. You can swim with dolphins or zipline in the forest or even visit an active volcano. Hawaii is such a fun place.”
“Maybe someday when I’m not on the run…” The disappointment in her voice is palpable.
“It’ll happen. The day will come, and when it does, we will celebrate with a bottle of Merlot.” The words come out before I can consider how she might take them.
Her lips curl slightly before she wades further into the deep blue sea.
If only mind reading was my talent. Following her, we stay in the water until our skin prunes. When it’s time to get out, the temperature has dropped and it’s chilly from the breeze.
“Let’s get back to the hotel where we can warm up,” I suggest, leading the way to the car.
“Okay, but I gotta pee. Can we make a quick pit stop?” She’s referring to the disgusting porta potties that sit on the edge of the beach.
Unfortunately, there is not much worse than a female who needs to pee, so I oblige, begrudgingly following her. “I’ll wait for you here.” I motion to a bench seated across from the row of outhouses.
She nods and then slips into one.
“Don’t turn around,” a familiar female voice says behind my right ear. Normally when someone tells you not to do something, you want to do the opposite, but my intuition tells me it’s safer to oblige. “In about five seconds, you’re going to get up and follow me down the beach.”
“Follow you? I don’t even know who you are.” Just as my head begins to turn, the perpetrator presses a gun up to the back of my skull.
“You’re going to get up and follow me, now, before it’s too late.” This time her tone is more forceful.
Without much of a choice, my legs lead me behind the hooded figure. They are wearing all black and hard to identify. “Where are we going?”
They continue walking without a word until we reach the shoreline. Before there is time to react, something strikes me in the back of the head. My body falls to the sand roughly, and everything goes black.
Mikhaela
It’s incredible to think that places like this have existed my entire life and I’m only getting to experience it now. No one should ever go through life without exploring the vast world we live in. Today was more than my wildest dreams. Even with the dangerous gamble we took, it paid off.
Unfortunately, this is our last night of true freedom. Tomorrow we finally catch the helicopter to Ontario to meet up with the others at the café. It feels bittersweet. On one hand, I will finally be
able to make a choice about my future and where I want to go with it. But the other hand, Bo won’t be in it. Being so close to him this past week has been unexpectedly nice. Smiling to myself, I unlock the porta potty, stepping out.
“You know…” my voice trails off when I see that Bo is not seated on the bench where I left him. My eyes scan the busy surroundings, but it’s overwhelming with all the people. My heart begins racing because we haven’t split up once since we made the pact. Maybe he had to go, too?
Spinning around, my eyes lock onto each of the plastic toilets. All look unoccupied minus one. “Bo?” I call out, my feet leading me straight to it. “Are you in there?”
A hand comes out from behind me, covering my mouth and I’m gripped by strong arms around my stomach. My fight or flight kicks in and my legs and arms go apeshit in an attempt to free myself. It doesn’t work and within seconds, I’m being carried from my torso away from the beach. Screaming is pointless with my mouth covered. Although the beach is well occupied, no one pays any mind to the girl being abducted in plain sight. This must be how most kidnappers get away with it. Everyone else is too wrapped up in themselves and their own lives.
I’m tossed into the back of a van and locked in. It is a utility-style van so I’m on the rough metal ground and there are no windows. Escaping is not possible. Maybe whoever took me also took Bo?
The van drives recklessly, tossing me from one side to another, bruises littering my body. Eventually, it stops, and my heart does, too. Game over. The tension is thick as the waiting game begins for them to open the back. Will Eduardo be waiting for me?
The person who opens it is not familiar to me. He has dark brown hair and chestnut colored eyes and is well built and defined. He’s probably in his thirties, but his expressions are not as chilling as my adopted fathers are.
“Come on, get out,” he orders me, motioning with his head.
“Who are you?” I ask, following his instruction.
“Nunya,” he replies, shrugging me off.
“Nunya?” I repeat, rolling it around on my tongue for size. Still never heard of him.
He looks me dead in the eyes, stopping me in my tracks. “Nunya business. Now hurry the fuck up.”
If we were back in grade school, that might actually elicit a laugh from me…but instead it annoys me.
“Where are you taking me?” If nothing else, maybe he will drop some information about how he was roped into this whole thing.
He glares at me. “Let’s play a game.”
Is he crazy? Now is not the time to be goofing off.
“It’s called sugar bowl. Whoever can be quiet the longest, wins.” He continues leading the way, not talking.
After a few too many minutes of dreaded silence, my mind can’t take it anymore. When the abduction first happened, stillness was the only thing that kept me company. Now, it’s something I can’t stand. “How did they rope you into this? Did they put grandeur promises in your head about being better than you ever knew possible?”
His eyes shift to mine irritated that I’m filling the silence.
“I’m not trying to be extra, but if you’re just going to turn me over to be disposed of, then this might be the last time to try.”
He looks at me the way one might look at their younger sister when they stole the TV remote, not like someone who has ill intentions. “I knew this wasn’t going to be for me when Tanasbourne made me agree to do it.”
My ears perk up the minute the name leaves his lips. “Tanasbourne? But that means…”
“She’s alive. Yeah. But she is going to owe me big time.”
“Where is she?” The idea that she didn’t die in a car bombing means that anything that transpired over the last week may or may not be real. It’s hard to know who or what to trust.
“She can’t show face around here. No one can know she is alive. Eduardo’s men think they got rid of the problem, but really, they just helped us get closer to them.
“Are you taking me to her?” I ask, following closely.
He shakes his head. “Not necessarily.”
Unsure of what that means, my legs continue leading the way after him. Eventually, we end up in an abandoned building, rundown and musty. He walks to the middle of it, then puts his fingers in his mouth, and whistles loudly.
People come out of the shadows in response to the whistle. Almost like a horror movie, they look like a zombie army. Except these people aren’t dead or decaying. They just look dangerous. Most have guns, knives, or other weapons drawn, as they step forward. My heart stills in my chest.
“Donde es Eduardo?” he asks, spinning around.
There is chatter amongst the small army, and heads swiveling around looking for their dangerous boss.
“But I thought…” One look from him tells me to shut up. Is he working both sides? What is his goal with all of this?
A few tension-filled seconds pass before Eduardo’s crisp, clean suit comes into view.
“Kail! It’s good to see you, baby. But I thought we talked about this. You were supposed to lead us straight to the money. What happened?”
His voice is phony and fake. All he cares about is where the money is and how much is left. Spoiler alert: Whatever remains, has been stashed far, far away where no one will be able to find it.
“I don’t know where the money is. I told you that. If you’re going to kill me, just do it and get it over with.” The words come out with a bite.
“Kill you? You’re my daughter. Why would I want to hurt you?” he asks, surprised.
“It sure didn’t stop you before.” All this running has finally given me the courage to stand up to him. All these years he’s treated me like some kind of caged bird. My broken finger was the last straw.
His eyes narrow as he takes a step closer to me. He backhands me so hard it feels like some of my teeth come loose. Blood splatters on the ground beneath me. “You’re forgetting that my money is still out there somewhere, and you have access to it. Killing you would serve no purpose other than to dispose of a traitor.”
He keeps throwing the word daughter around, but his last comment is the reality of how he feels. I’m nothing more to him than coordinates that may lead him back to his cash.
“So, here is what is going to happen.” He begins pacing about the rundown building, his footsteps loud and authoritative. “We have some motivation for you.”
Unsure of what exactly he is getting at, commotion catches my attention in the back of the room. His army splits down the middle, parting like the Red Sea. There, smack dab in the center of everything is Stefano. My heart begins pounding louder in my chest, drowning out all other noises.
“Stefano!” I call out, running towards him. He is shackled and on his knees. He looks like he’s in rough shape. There are cuts and welts all over his body. His eyes widen when he sees me barreling toward him.
“You guys were supposed to be in Canada. What happened?” he asks, wild eyed and worried.
Shaking my head, my hand reaches out to touch his shoulder, gently. “Have you seen Bo? Is he here with you?”
“No. I thought he was with you?” We sound like a pair of lunatics.
“Well, isn’t this a nice reunion,” Eduardo chimes in, circling the both of us. “However, we all know why we are here, right? All we need from you is the location of the remaining money and we can all go our separate ways.”
“I call bullshit,” a deep male voice exclaims from a different part of the room. All attention turns in his direction. Lo and behold, it’s Ammo, in the flesh. He is also chained at the ankles and wrists, and he looks ten times worse than Stefano. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that he didn’t crack at all when they were torturing him. His tenacity has always impressed me.
“Kevin, it’s so wonderful of you to make an appearance. How have you been enjoying your accommodations?” Carlos tosses in, reminding me that he, too, is somewhere in the large, open space.
My eyes scan back and fort
h looking for the direction of his voice. Finally, they land on him and he is surrounded by men with guns, all pointing in Ammo’s direction.
“Go to hell,” Ammo mutters. “What did you do with Bo?”
We’d all like to know. He was the first to go missing and yet, he is nowhere in sight.
Eduardo chuckles, moving away from me and in Ammo’s direction. “We didn’t do anything with him.”
“Lies.” Ammo locks eyes with me, trying to communicate something. Unfortunately for him, I’m not Bo, and translating his stares is not second nature to me. He keeps squinting his eyes and then twitching his head to the right. Honestly, he looks more like he is having a seizure than anything. If we make it out of here alive, I need to tell them to get new signals, pronto.
“We can play hardball if that’s what you want,” Eduardo replies, calmly. He motions with his head toward one of the guys near the array of torture tools.
“Which one would you like, boss?” he asks him.
“Surprise me.”
Bo
“Are you fucking insane?” My heartrate is spiking, and my vision is only now clearing. The moving vehicle is not helping. I’m going to puke. “Pull over!” I bark so forcefully; the driver is on the shoulder within seconds.
Opening the door quickly, my vomit barely misses the inside of the door, instead dropping to the graveled ground.
“What the fuck did you do to me? Where the fuck is Mikhaela?” After the first bit of contents clears my stomach, it feels normal for a fleeting second. Rubbing the back of my hand against my mouth, my body shifts back to face Laura. “I thought you were dead.”
“One question at a time, Bo. We need to focus, okay?” She holds out a bottle of water, offering it to me. “I told him not to hit too hard. It’s a grey area.”
My head hurts like a bitch, as if someone is taking a jackhammer to it.
“We might need to get you to a hospital; I’m worried he gave you a concussion.”