CANARY

by Tijan

  It had been days since Raize had taken me on any errand, and I was getting restless. I didn’t particularly want a redo of the sex, so one afternoon I asked him if he or Jake could take me out for some shooting practice.

  He took me.

  I practiced on the land, but we went far enough that we had to take the truck. As we returned, we saw Jake and Cavers coming back from an errand.

  “I don’t want either of them to know you can shoot a gun,” Raize informed me.

  “Jake knows you took me that one time.”

  “They don’t need to know you’ve gone more then.”

  “Okay.”

  He nodded and pulled up behind the guys. Gus was in the back and jumped out, running over to greet the guys as they got out of their car.

  “Hey, Gussy Gus Gus Boy.” Jake knelt, giving Gus a rub behind his ears. He straightened when he saw Raize heading over, with me a bit behind. I tucked my gun into the back of my pants and pulled my shirt out and over it.

  Since the whole Estrada kidnapping, Cavers had been less walled off toward me, even giving me a good morning and offering to cook a few of the meals. Jake, on the other hand, had been more cautious around me. I wasn’t quite sure why.

  “I’m going to walk Gus,” Jake announced with a wave. “Be back.”

  Raize glanced back before stepping inside, but he didn’t say anything. He headed for the back room he’d turned into his office.

  It was nearing dinnertime, and Cavers was getting things set up in the kitchen.

  The last couple days, I’d been helping him out, but today, as I lingered in the doorway, I decided to do something else.

  I bypassed the kitchen, headed for Raize’s back office, and opened the door to see him flicking on some machine, a set of wireless headphones in his ears.

  He looked up and motioned for me to come in. “Lock the door.”

  He went to the window and peered out. I could see Jake going down the long driveway with Gus on his heels. Gus’ nose was to the ground while Jake focused on his phone.

  I waited, folding into one of the corner chairs.

  A second later, Raize hit a button. Jake’s voice came through a speaker. “...baby, yeah. How are you, beautiful?”

  A moment later, a breathy female voice replied, “Hey there, sweetheart. I’m missing you so much.”

  “Yeah? How much?”

  “I’m so wet for you.”

  My mouth dropped, and I could tell Raize was fighting a grin as he bent over some papers.

  We were violating Jake’s privacy. Then again, you didn’t get privacy in this world. Ergo, I didn’t get all uppity, though I was uncomfortable hearing Jake talk about how big his dick was. I could see him walking Gus down to the road as he explained how hard he was stroking it.

  The call ended when Jake and Gus were halfway back down the drive.

  “What was the purpose of—”

  Raize stuck his finger in the air. “Wait for it.”

  I waited.

  A moment later, we could hear buttons being punched and then the dial tone. Then a voice came over the line. “What do you have to report?”

  I sat upright in my seat. That was Carloni.

  Carloni, who was Raize’s boss, and who I didn’t think Jake was on a reporting basis with. But I sat back, stunned, and listened as he did just that.

  “He made contact with Estrada,” Jake said.

  “Estrada is there?”

  “He was. I don’t know if he still is. This was the first time I could get away to call.”

  “Tell me about the meet.”

  “Estrada picked up the girl with us. Raize set up a meet to get her back. We were there with him, and then he called us off. He and Carrie returned an hour later. That’s all I know.”

  “The girl? The Canary?”

  “Canary?”

  “That’s what she’s being called on the streets. She’s a human lie detector.” He paused, and I could hear his smirk as he added, “She sings, you know.”

  “Yeah.” Jake’s voice was a bit rough. He bit out, “Her.”

  “He has a weakness for her?”

  Jake didn’t respond right away.

  I looked out and saw that he had paused along the driveway. His head was bent forward, and he was staring at the gravel driveway. “I don’t think it’s that.”

  “You’re biased.”

  “I’m just saying it’s personal with Raize and Estrada. It seems personal, but I don’t know the history.”

  “He sent you away?”

  “Yes.”

  “She was there the whole time?”

  I stiffened, a shiver of wariness snaking down my spine.

  “They were holding her, but he’s with her most of the time,” Jake replied, his voice a little muffled.

  I glanced over and saw that Raize was also watching Jake. There was something different in his face I couldn’t decipher.

  “I want her phone,” Carloni said.

  I frowned.

  “Get her phone, and we’ll send you an app to download onto it. It’ll give us full access.”

  “He has her phone.”

  “What the fuck?” Carloni snapped. “I sent you to watch him. You’ve reported literally nothing we can use. He’s still icing you out?”

  “I’m on Cavers-babysitting duty.”

  Carloni cursed again. “What’s the point of me having you on him? I might as well let it go and pull you back to work up here for me.”

  Jake was silent for a beat again. “I’ll work her.”

  “You told me that was impossible.”

  “I’ll push harder. I’ll do better. She’s vulnerable. She said something about a sister. I’ll work that angle, talk about my family. I got a grandmother. I’ll talk about her, talk about my little sister. It’ll work.”

  “You told me that wouldn’t work, that she’s locked down like you’ve never seen before.”

  “Raize got in with her. I can do it, too.”

  “You told me you didn’t have a little sister.”

  “She don’t need to know that.”

  There was silence on the line.

  I held my breath, my stomach twisting.

  “Fine,” Carloni said after a moment. “Raize down there is my call, but he answers to my brother. I know this, and he knows this. So does my brother. I can’t touch him. Her, on the other hand? She’s disposable. I don’t give a fuck if she’s a human lie detector. Get something to use from her or die—you and her. Got it?”

  “Got it, boss.”

  The line clicked silent. Carloni must have hung up because Jake stared at the phone for a full ten seconds before he ended his connection.

  I could feel Raize’s gaze.

  “That’s what they’re calling me?” And by ‘they,’ I hadn’t a clue who ‘they’ was.

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  My gut, I guess it made sense. My hair.

  I didn’t know what to say or feel or think about that.

  But, Jake. I talked about something real with him.

  Never show your cards. Never talk about anything real, anything personal.

  I’d broken my own rules.

  They didn’t know my real name, though. No one did, and that was everything.

  I wouldn’t fuck up again.

  I turned my eyes to Raize, finding him watching me. He was always watching me.

  I showed my teeth. “Jake’s on the list.”

  I gave Jake the cold shoulder for the next two days.

  I know. Such a bad idea. So obvious. But I couldn’t help myself. I’d talked about her to him, and this was how he repaid me? And if he didn’t come up with something, both he and I would die? I wasn’t worried about that.

  I wasn’t that girl anymore. I was me. I knew the stakes now. I knew what could happen.

  I also knew who I was, and who I worked for, and I knew if it came to it, Raize would put a bullet in Jake’s head. Whatever was happening here, Raize had it under con
trol.

  He told me later that he’d learned Jake used the sexy calls as a safeguard in case someone was listening. Anyone recording would stop listening when the phone sex started, so no one would record the real conversations.

  Fucking. Genius. On both accounts—Jake and Raize.

  Me? I just wanted to learn how to shoot better, so Raize took me out every time he sent the guys on an errand.

  On day five since my kidnapping, we were still waiting for Estrada’s decision.

  Then it came.

  I wished it hadn’t.

  24

  Ash

  “Mom!” I came inside, the screen door slamming shut behind me. It was hot outside, and sunny.

  “What are you doing?” My sister was in the kitchen.

  My eyes needed to adjust to the inside. We didn’t open the curtains. Mom never wanted them open. I was heading for the stairs, but Brooke was at the table. She was stirring something, and I wandered over.

  “What’s that?” Brooke was eyeing the order sheet.

  “The neighbor is selling Girl Scout cookies. I wanted Mom to buy some.” I frowned, glancing up. She’d been spending so much time up there lately.

  “She’s in bed.”

  “Yeah.” And? When was she not in bed?

  Brooke stopped stirring and glared at me. “So when she goes to bed, she doesn’t want any of us to interrupt her. She’s taking ‘Mommy time.’”

  Ask my opinion, ‘Mommy time’ was stupid. We didn’t do anything to stress her out. Wasn’t that why most the moms on our block said that? They needed a spa day or a pub day? Their kids were stressing them out? I swear that’s what I always heard.

  “What are you doing?” I leaned over, trying to see what she was making.

  “Stop it!” She snatched her hand over, pulling the bowl away and to the side. Another glare from her. “I’m experimenting.”

  I half laughed at that. “Experimenting? That’s what you said you’d be up for doing with Tommy Riskins last week, too.”

  “Shut up! You don’t know anything about that.”

  I just rolled my eyes. I did. I knew a whole bunch about that, because Tommy turned around and asked me to experiment with him, too. Said maybe I was the sister who had some ‘experience.’ I told him to eat his own dick.

  I asked, “Why are you experimenting?” She was trying to make something for us to eat. I could see that much.

  Smelled horrible.

  “Because someone has to, or we’ll never eat real food again.”

  Oh.

  We both got quiet, and as if on command, the floorboard squeaked above us.

  Mom was up.

  It wouldn’t last.

  Alarms split the air, and I jerked awake. I jumped out of bed.

  Panting, with a pounding heart, it took a second to orient myself. Everything was going crazy. Red flashes were lighting up the house, and the alarms sounded like we had nuclear bombs incoming. Then my door burst open and a dark figure came in.

  Before I could even scream, a hand came over my mouth.

  It was Raize.

  Only Raize.

  Always Raize.

  I tried to relax, but the alarms wouldn’t stop. The red light flashed over his face as he moved his mouth to my ear.

  “Estrada is coming. Go through to the secret room. Take your gun. Escape.” I felt him push something into my hand. “It’s your phone. Keep it on silent.” He was gone in the next instant, and I felt almost bereft.

  But then… Estrada!

  My brain clicked on, and I whirled, going for the secret door when I remembered—I needed clothes, shoes, and my gun. Glancing at the phone, I saw it was four in the morning. That asshole. He’d come at this time on purpose, to catch us sleeping.

  I heard stampeding footsteps down the hall below. Probably Jake and Cavers running. I heard shouting. I had to go!

  Grabbing everything, I pushed through the secret door, shut it, and was in the secret room. I couldn’t run in bare feet. Why hadn’t I gone to sleep with my shoes on? I should’ve learned. I was getting so fucking soft.

  Cursing, I pulled shoes on, and then I was running.

  I went to the exit and paused.

  Four trucks were speeding up the driveway. Men stood on the back of each one, assault rifles slung around their chests.

  That was a terrifying sight, and I heard more shouting.

  They started pointing. I saw Cavers running across the yard.

  I’d already lost precious time. When would I learn?

  I took off in the opposite direction. There were some trees I could use for cover, but no—even as I considered that, I knew that’s where they’d go. So I veered a different way, not knowing where I was going, just knowing I needed to go.

  I went three more feet before the shooting started.

  Bang!

  I started to scream, but clamped a hand over my mouth and turned, terrified at what I would see.

  I cared. When had I started caring?

  I didn’t want them to kill Raize, Jake. Even Cavers. Despite Raize not trusting his boss, Cavers had never done anything except follow orders and cook for us. And Jake. I thought of how he cared for Gus—Gus!

  I was hyperventilating now.

  Where was Gus? Oh my God. Gus.

  I couldn’t—there was more shooting, more shouting.

  I waited, but I couldn’t hear any barking.

  Where was Gus?

  He’d gone to bed with me last night. He slept either at the foot of my bed, or right next to my bed on the floor. He hadn’t been there when the alarms started, but God, where was he?

  I turned around before I knew what I was doing.

  I was going back for the dog.

  So stupid.

  Suddenly one of the trucks veered straight for me.

  My heart hit my sternum, and I dropped to the ground. It was dark out, so I laid flat, and then I prayed.

  The truck went right past me. Gunshots filled the air. A bullet hit the dirt ten feet from me. Jesus. My vision was blurring. I had to calm my thoughts. I had to slow my senses.

  This wasn’t the first situation like this that I’d been in. I should’ve been more prepared, more able to think clearly. I ran through the possible consequences.

  I was having déjà vu from when I first ran from an armed man, but this situation was on steroids.

  I could get shot.

  I could get taken.

  I could get sold.

  I could be tortured.

  I could die.

  Okay. All those sucked.

  God, I was so dumb. So dumb.

  The trucks had moved to the other side of the house. I still couldn’t hear Gus barking, but the shots continued like a steady rain.

  I hurried to the back of the house and paused, listening.

  They were fully engaged on the other side. I didn’t know if anyone was in the house, but I crept up, letting myself in the secret doorway this time. There, a rubbery nose hit me and a tongue. Gus had followed my scent.

  He’d found his way into the secret room. I had no clue how. The door was closed… Raize had done that! He’d put him in here for me, or for safe keeping.

  I didn’t know why Gus wasn’t barking, but thank God. It might’ve saved his life.

  “Okay, buddy—” The floor creaked, just on the other side of the wall.

  Someone was in my bedroom.

  Gus turned and started growling.

  No!

  I clamped my hand around his mouth, trying to stop him from making noise.

  He shook me off, going to the door and scraping, still growling.

  The floor creaked again as the person hurried forward.

  They knew we were here, that there was another room.

  The person ran. In the hallway, back to my bedroom.

  They were looking, trying to find us.

  I couldn’t wait any longer.

  Grabbing Gus, I pulled him after me, and he ran out when I ope
ned the back exit. He started running, but he waited for me.

  A blast of relief made my knees weak. Thank God for small miracles.

  I jumped down next to him, and we took off, running in the direction I’d gone before.

  More gunfire sounded behind me.

  We kept going.

  I glanced back a few times, but I couldn’t see the trucks anymore. They’d turned off their lights, and they weren’t driving around. I didn’t know if that was a good sign or not.

  Gus sniffed the ground as we went, and I tried not to trip over the bushes and small trees scattered around the land. I tried to stay away from the denser pockets of trees. I assumed that’s where they would look for me.

  As we ran, the sounds faded. We went a little farther, and I heard a trickle of the creek. I hit the ground, my lungs burning. Tears had caked my face. Tears and sweat. I could taste the salt. I needed to keep going, but dammit. Dammit!

  I didn’t want to lose Raize. In all this madness, he’d become my anchor. I never knew. Without him, I’d have to… I couldn’t think like that. I could try to get to San Antonio, but I had no idea where he’d stashed that bag for me.

  I had no idea what to do, and I wasn’t in the clear.

  Estrada—if he won, if he was the surviving side back there—he would look for me. That’s how cartels were. You got on their radar, and if you fucked with them, you were dead. No matter what.

  Gus started licking my face. I realized I’d started crying all over again.

  I looked at Gus, and he moved to clean out my eyes, then my forehead.

  I let him.

  I was so weak. So tired.

  I knew I had fight in me, but for a moment, just a moment, I wanted to stay here.

  I wanted to hide.

  Gus nudged my shoulder, smelling my hands. He was looking for treats, and I was still clutching my clothes.

  Right. My clothes.

  I’d been running in my pajamas.

  A slightly hysterical laugh came from me—softly, though. Then, as I bent down—bang! A bullet hit the dirt just beyond me. If I hadn’t bent down... Why the fuck was I thinking?!