“I just need a second. Dizzy,” she said.
“I don’t have all day. Let’s go.” He pushed her toward the front of the building. “Bathrooms are up front.”
He held to her with one hand and clutched the lantern with the other. He stopped outside the women’s bathroom and handed her the lantern. “I’ll wait out here. But if you take too long or try anything funny, I’m coming in.”
Kaylee’s heart dropped as she entered. No windows. Not that she would have been able to climb out with her arm hanging useless from its socket. She struggled to unbutton her pants one-handed, but managed, trying to think as she sat on the disgusting toilet. Maybe she could make a run for it, find a way out through the front of the building. “Hey! Can you get me some toilet paper?” she yelled.
“No! You can drip dry,” Aaron replied.
She would have to think of a way to escape before Blayne charged in. She rested her forehead in her hand, rocking back and forth.
“You have thirty seconds to get out here or I’m coming in!” Aaron yelled.
She stood, wobbling a little, and pulled her pants up with one hand. She struggled to button them, finally using her injured arm with a gasp of pain. There was no way she’d go back out there with her pants unbuttoned.
Shoulder screaming with pain, she met Aaron at the entrance just as he stepped inside with a growl.
“Come on. I have stuff to do.” He started walking, leaving her to follow behind.
Kaylee glanced around, hoping to find an opening she could get through to the outside. Everything appeared to be boarded up. She sighed then looked back at Aaron as she stepped to follow him. The gun. She could barely make it out in the dim light, but it was still there, stuck in the waistband of his pants. She quickened her steps, waiting until she was right behind him before making her move. They’d made it almost to the doorway into the back when she reached for it. Wrapping her fingers around the grip, she stopped and backed up a few steps. Relying on training from trips to the gun range with her father, she clicked off the safety and aimed the gun at Aaron’s back with a shaking hand. “Turn around.”
He turned slowly, raising his hands up to the height of his shoulders. “Now, princess. That wasn’t very nice.” He nodded to the gun. “Too bad there isn’t a bullet in the chamber, no way you can chamber one, what with an injured shoulder and all.” He shook his head.
She called his bluff. “I don’t believe you. Someone like you wouldn’t go around with an unchambered pistol. Plus, the safety was on, no need for that unless it was ready to fire.” She could see by the falter in his smile that she’d guessed correctly.
His face twisted into an angry snarl. “What are you going to do now, princess? Shoot me?”
“Only if you make me.” Again, the trembling in her voice betrayed her. “Just give me my car keys and phone, and I’ll be out of your hair.”
“No deal. You’ll have to shoot me.”
She tightened her grip and moved it to aim square at his chest. “Have it your way.” Kaylee didn’t think she could do it, but she wanted him to believe she would.
Eyes widening, Aaron stepped back. “Wait—”
A noise behind her caused Kaylee to turn. Carl. He pushed her gun hand up toward the ceiling and punched her in the kidney with his other fist. Pain sliced into her, stealing her breath as she buckled over. Every muscle tensed, including her trigger finger, and she shot into the ceiling. Carl grabbed her wrist and twisted it painfully. The gun dropped to the floor.
“You’d better hope nobody heard that gunshot, princess.” Aaron grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the chair. He retied the cords around her tighter than before. “If you need to pee again, you’ll do it in your pants.”
The drug-dealing kidnappers disappeared behind the door to the drug room. Kaylee couldn’t even struggle to loosen the cords. Every inch of her body ached and all she could do was cry until she had no more tears and hope that Blayne would call the police instead of coming for her himself.
Shivering in the dilapidated building, Kaylee was surrounded by darkness and pain. She had no idea how long it had been since the phone call as every minute seemed to drag on for hours. She had strongly considered asking the kidnappers for some of their drugs to dull the pain, but she knew she wouldn’t. She didn’t want to go down that road.
After what seemed like days, Aaron and Carl came out of the drug room, each carrying a duffle bag. Just like in the movies, Kaylee thought, squinting as the light from the lantern hit her eyes.
Aaron shined the light closer to her battered face. “Man, Blayne is going to kill us when he sees this.”
“Yeah.” Carl’s face turned ashen and his voice came out in a higher pitch than normal. “Maybe we should just kill him after he sells this stuff off.”
“No!” Kaylee shouted. “You have a deal. I’ll make sure he doesn’t come after you. Please.”
The color somewhat returned to Carl’s face, along with a twitchy smile. “I could keep you, then. As a prize.”
“Knock it off, Carl,” Aaron said. “We ain’t gonna kill Blayne.”
Kaylee was not comforted by his words. These guys were scum. They couldn’t be trusted to keep their word.
Aaron shoved his bag at Carl. “You’d better get going. You’ll wanna get there before him, scope things out.”
Carl grabbed the bag. “You sure you don’t wanna let me stay here?” He glanced at Kaylee and licked his lips.
“Get going.” Aaron kicked him in the butt, pushing him toward the exit.
When he’d left, Aaron turned to her. “Let’s see about getting you cleaned up. It’ll be a couple days before Blayne can cash in on the product, maybe I can get rid of some of the physical evidence on your face before then.” He was talking to himself more than her. She didn’t even bother to answer.
He looked at her and tilted his head. “You thirsty? You probably are. I’ll get you some water, too.” He walked through the door leading to the front of the building, letting it close behind him.
Kaylee was facing away from the back door, but she heard it slide open softly. Her heart sped up. Was Carl back? Why would he be back already?
Quiet footsteps padded toward her. It couldn’t have been Carl, the footfalls were too soft. Carl clodded around like a cow. Then—his scent hit her. Her chest squeezed in on itself. “Blayne,” she whispered. “No.”
“Shh. It’s okay.” The beam from his flashlight splayed out before them. He knelt behind her, working at the knots of her bindings.
Fear formed a lump in her throat. She choked out, “You have to leave. Aaron’s here. He has a gun.”
Blayne stopped messing with the cord and stepped in front of her, careful not to shine the light directly in her eyes. “Where is he?” he whispered. Then, catching sight of her banged up face, his eyes turned cold, and he ground his teeth. “I’m going to kill him.”
“No. Blayne. Please,” she begged. “Just leave and call the police. Please.”
“Where is he?” he asked again.
“He’ll be back any minute.” Her eyes gave her away as she glanced at the door to the front.
Blayne’s face softened a fraction, and he stroked her tangled mess of hair. He leaned down and kissed her forehead with more gentleness than the touch of a feather. “It’ll be okay.” He stopped after taking several steps and turned back to her. “I love you, Kaylee.”
Her next breath came as a sob. Her body trembled with fear and pain and shock as Blayne walked toward the door. He clicked the flashlight off as he got closer, then crouched to the side of the door, waiting.
Kaylee had trouble breathing. She couldn’t seem to get enough air. Her lips went numb. Her fingers tingled. She knew she was hyperventilating but couldn’t stop herself. Blayne loved her—and he was now risking his life for her.
Aaron’s heavy boots stomped on the other side of the door. He opened it, Blayne still poised behind it. “I got ya some water, princess. And a wet rag so I can c
lean ya up a little before Blayne—”
Blayne slammed the door into Aaron, pinning him between it and the doorjamb. Aaron cried out in pain and dropped the water.
“Before Blayne what?” Blayne growled.
Half the kidnapper’s body and all of his head were on this side of the door. He grunted and breathed in short snaps of breath as Blayne put more pressure on his chest with the door. “You. Blayne. Carl. He’ll be back when you don’t show. Any minute.”
“Don’t worry about Carl. I made sure someone was there to meet him.” Blayne sneered. “He won’t be back.”
Aaron’s eyes widened and his face turned the color of a plum. He shifted, trying to get out of the door, it seemed. A loud blast filled the air and echoed in the near empty building. Blayne flew back from the door and Kaylee screamed as it swung back, slamming into the wall—a hole piercing the metal at the height of Blayne’s chest.
Her whole body numb, Kaylee fought her restraints. “No! Blayne!” The chair jumped and rattled against the hard floor.
Aaron put his hands on his knees, gulping in lungfuls of air. He edged over, gun pointed out in front of him, to where Blayne lay unmoving on the ground.
Kaylee rocked the chair side to side, pushing it with her feet.
Aaron leaned over Blayne’s body, still pointing the gun at him.
The chair tipped, jarring Kaylee’s already busted up body. The armrest where her right arm was tied shattered, as did the part of the back of the chair that hit the ground. She shimmied out of her bonds, holding her left arm close to her body.
Aaron whipped around at the noise, and Blayne shot a leg out, sweeping the gun from Aaron’s hand. Aaron lunged for it, but Blayne caught one of his ankles as he twisted up and around. Aaron fell, tripped up by Blayne’s grasp, and Blayne cried out with pain. Blood stained his shirt from a wound near his left collar bone.
Kaylee, teeth clenched against the scream in her throat, crawled toward the gun. Aaron coiled around and pounded on Blayne’s hand. The veins in Blayne’s neck bulged as he pulled Aaron toward him.
The gun lay just inches away from Kaylee’s reach. Aaron threw himself toward it, kicking at Blayne’s grasp on his ankle. They reached it at the same time, but Aaron wrenched it from her fingers and clouted her on the side of the head with it then turned it on Blayne. She fought through the dizziness and screamed her rage as she lurched to her feet toward him. She kicked at his face, a weak but effective gesture that threw off his aim. The bullet ricocheted off the cement floor next to Blayne’s face.
Blayne roared and sprang to his knees. He grabbed Aaron’s wrist and wrenched it back with a loud crack. The drug dealer dropped the gun with a squeal of pain. Kaylee picked it up, pointing it at her captor. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye as Blayne pounded his fist into Aaron’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. With a grunt, Blayne straddled him, hammering his fist into Aaron’s face over and over until his nose was an unrecognizable blob of blood and tissue pressed flat against his face.
“Blayne. Blayne stop!” Kaylee knelt beside him.
Blayne stopped mid-punch and looked at her. His face drained of color as all his adrenaline fled in a rush. He slumped to the floor next to Aaron.
“Blayne, no!” Kaylee dropped the gun and struggled to turn him on his back with one arm. He groaned—and her frozen heart started beating again at the sound of life. He rolled over, his shirt now drenched in blood, his own and Aaron’s. Kaylee pressed her hand to his wound to stop the bleeding.
“Ouch,” he mumbled. He raised his tremulous right hand to her face and touched her cheek before letting it drop.
“Blayne, just hold on, okay. Just hold on.” She needed to find a phone. Her eyes searched his pockets, but she didn’t want to remove the pressure from his wound.
Sirens echoed in the distance. Kaylee cocked her head. Were they coming closer? She leaned in next to Blayne’s ear. “Hang on. Help is coming.” Her tears fell on his face as she brushed her lips against his. “Please, Blayne, look at me. Stay with me.”
He grunted and opened his eyes with apparent effort.
“I love you, too,” she whispered. “Do you hear me? I love you, too.”
His pale lips curved into a feeble smile.
The sirens grew louder and cars screeched to a stop outside the bowling alley.
Beeping. What was that beeping sound? Kaylee opened her eyes with effort, it felt like a ten-pound weight was attached to each eyelid. Her mouth felt like she’d been sucking on cotton balls. Bright light stung her eyes, making her blink.
“Miss Burke? Glad to see you’re waking up. My name is Denise, how are you feeling?”
Kaylee focused on the nurse at her bedside and the events that brought her there flooded her mind. “Blayne. How’s Blayne?” She tried to sit up but found she couldn’t use her left arm. Looking down, she saw that it was in a sling with a band wrapped around her arm and body, keeping it from moving. Her shoulder had been dislocated, and they’d sedated her to put it back in place.
“Mr. Ellis is still in surgery,” Denise smiled sadly. “I’m afraid that’s all I can tell you.”
Kaylee nodded. She knew all about HIPAA, it’s why Max couldn’t tell them all the cool stuff he saw at the hospital. “Can I see him when he gets out of recovery?” She wouldn’t even consider the idea that he wouldn’t make it.
The nurse nodded. “As long as he consents. I’m going to sit you up and give you some water. You’ve gotten two liters of IV fluids because of your extreme dehydration, but we need to make sure you can hold down liquids, and then some real food.” She pushed a button on the side of the bed that raised Kaylee to a semi-sitting position.
“Okay.” It had been well over twenty-four hours since she’d last eaten or drunk anything, yet she had zero appetite. Her worry about Blayne took care of that.
Denise headed toward the curtain, but before she reached it, another thought struck Kaylee and she blurted out, “Mama C.”
The nurse turned back to her, forehead scrunched in confusion. “What?”
“Mama C. Before I got taken, I called an ambulance to have a friend, Claire Watson, brought in.” She was afraid to ask the next question. She swallowed. “Can you please check on her? And let me know if she’s alive?”
That sad smile touched the nurse’s face again. “I will. I’ll be back in just a minute.”
Kaylee laid her head back and closed her eyes, allowing a tear to trickle down her face.
Denise returned with a Styrofoam cup of ice water and a straw. Kaylee took it from her and took a few sips. The cold water felt good on her parched mouth. “Did you find out anything?”
Taking the cup from her, Denise said, “Mrs. Watson is alive. But she isn’t doing well. Do you know if she has any family?”
As much as Kaylee wanted to press the nurse for more information, she knew Denise wouldn’t be able to tell her more. She shook her head. “She has no one. Well, no living relatives. She does have a family though, just not one made with blood.”
“Unfortunately, that doesn’t count in the eyes of the law.” She glanced at the curtain as it parted. “It looks like Dr. Ekins is here to let you know the plan.”
“Hi Kaylee, I’m Dr. Ekins, or Lisa if you prefer. The shoulder reduction went well. I was a little worried that it would be difficult because of the extended amount of time it was dislocated. We’re going to leave it in a sling and swath for several weeks, keep icing it for the next two days, and have you follow up with an Orthopedic doctor.”
“When can I be discharged?” Kaylee asked, anxious to go visit Mama C.
“Well,” the doctor said, “if it were just your shoulder injury we had to worry about, I’d let you go as soon as we make sure you can hold down some fluids. But you’ve also had a pretty serious head injury. So, the plan is to move you out of the ER and admit you to the neuro unit so they can monitor you for the next twenty-four hours.”
Kaylee frowned. “Will I be able to visit an
other patient while I’m admitted?” Two other patients, she thought.
“That will be up to the attending on neuro, but I don’t see why not.” Dr. Ekins laid her hand on Kaylee’s arm, warmth radiated from the doctor’s face and touch. “You’ve been through quite a lot, Kaylee. I can see that you’re a strong woman.” She paused. “But please give yourself some time to heal. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Be kind to yourself when you have a bad moment or a bad day in the coming weeks. Allow yourself to cry if you need to. Lean on your friends—one of which is in the waiting room, eager to see you.”
Kaylee perked up. “Allie?”
Dr. Ekins nodded. “I’ll send her in now, and she can follow you down to the floor when the nurses are ready.”
A few minutes later, Allie rushed in and hugged Kaylee awkwardly around the IV tubing and monitors. “Kaylee! I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“That amazing boyfriend of yours.” Allie smiled.
“What? But he’s in surgery, he was in critical condition when we got here.”
Allie shook her head. “No, I knew you were kidnapped. He came to the apartment after they called him. He was freaking out, he was so worried about you. And I’ve never seen anyone so angry.”
Kaylee was so confused. “Why did he come to the apartment?”
“He videoed part of the Facetime. That was genius of you to mouth where you were, but he wasn’t a hundred percent positive what you’d said, so he brought it to show me. He called the police to give them an anonymous tip about the drug meet-up.”
Kaylee interrupted. “That’s what he meant…”
“Then he insisted on borrowing my car and took off in a frenzy,” Allie continued. “He texted me, I assume when he got to the bowling alley, and told me to call the police in ten minutes and tell them to go there.”
Under the Viaduct Page 17