[Alex Mercer 01.0] Girl in Trouble

by Stacy Claflin

  No, this was her chance, and it was a good one. She only needed to pull herself together. Also, she had all day. It wasn’t like he was coming back in an hour.

  Holding one pin in each hand, she stared down the lock. The only thing standing between her and freedom.

  She could do this.

  Hopefully.

  No, she could. She would.

  Swallowing, she stepped closer to the door. One step. Another. Another.

  She stopped a couple feet away.

  Her mouth was dry, and suddenly, she had to go to the bathroom again.

  Ariana rushed for the door and stuck both bobby pins in the lock. She wiggled and jiggled, hoping to hear a click or something. Who knew what would happen? Would the deadbolt click over? Was it even possible to unlock this kind of lock like this?

  She’d find out soon enough. Gritting her teeth, she tried harder. Different angles, differing amounts of pressure. Nothing was off limits. She just had to get out of there.

  Time seemed to slow down. Ariana fought and struggled with the pins and the deadbolt until sweat made the clothes stick to her skin. Her muscles ached and her head hurt even worse. She was out of breath.

  Finally, she stopped. If she was going to do this, it would take more than just the pins. She would need the knife, too. But first, she needed to calm down and collect herself.

  Ariana set the bobby pins on the desk and threw herself onto the bed. It creaked and groaned under her weight. She closed her eyes. Just a moment to rest.

  When she opened her eyes, the sun shone in from a different angle.

  She bolted upright. How long had she slept?

  Ariana ran to the window. Lloyd’s car was still gone.

  There was no way to know what time it was without a clock. All she knew was that the sun was pretty high in the sky.

  She needed to work on the deadbolt again. This time, though, she would use the knife. She went over to the dollhouse and lifted it, this time careful not to hurt herself.

  Balancing the knife and the pins, she tried everything she could think of to get it unlocked. Nothing worked. She even tried sliding the knife between the door and the jam to make the deadbolt loosen from its place.

  She held it there with her mouth and used her hands to put the bobby pins in the keyhole. She just had to make it work.

  Sweat stuck to her clothes again. Doubt settled in. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to get away.

  Ariana pulled one of the bobby pins out. It stuck. She jiggled it.

  Click.

  Out

  Ariana stared, jaw dropped, at the open door in front of her.

  She’d done it. Gotten through the lock.

  Now she could make her escape. But first, she really had to go to the bathroom.

  Ariana ran in and went, her mind racing the entire time. Once she was back out into the hall, everything was eerily quiet. She’d never been alone in a house before, and it wasn’t nearly as exciting as she’d always thought.

  Her heart wouldn’t stop thundering. With the house so quiet, that was all she could hear. Well, that and her labored breathing.

  She leaned against the wall. It was time to focus.

  Where should she go? The stairs leading to the backyard? No, she couldn’t get out of there. She’d have to find a different way out of the house.

  Then she remembered the keypad. Lloyd had punched in a code to get them out. What if she couldn’t get outside without the code? No, that was crazy. She’d be able to open a door without a code. An alarm would probably sound, but she could get out.

  Ariana wandered down the hall, passing the rec room. This was the farthest she’d gone before. The only thing she could see were closed doors. She didn’t want to know what Lloyd had hidden behind any of them.

  She came to a different staircase. This one was wide and shiny, light-colored wood steps. No ugly carpeting.

  Ariana took a deep breath and tiptoed onto the first step, half-expecting sirens to wail or for it to open up and send her falling to the ground below.

  Nothing happened. She took another step and then another. Soon, she saw a bright and beautiful modern living room down below.

  She stared in disbelief. How was it that the upstairs was like stepping into a time warp, but downstairs was so normal? Well, normal aside from how huge it was. It seemed big enough to be a mansion.

  As she descended down the stairs, she could see an enormous kitchen off to the side and then a dining room. More rooms came into view as she got closer to the floor. The house seemed to go on forever.

  The only thing she didn’t see was a way out.

  She felt out of place, and also expected someone to walk into the living room at any moment. How could such a place exist just below where she’d been staying?

  Her throat went dry and she sat on the step behind her. Did she dare walk around? A place like that would surely have cameras. That explained the alarm going out to the backyard.

  What if he already knew she’d gotten out?

  That meant she needed to go outside right away.

  Ariana jumped up and rushed to the bottom of the stairs. Nothing flashed or sounded. Everything was as quiet down here as it had been up there. She jaunted across the living room to the spacious, bright kitchen. There were no doors leading outside.

  She spun around and went to the dining room. No way out. She ran back to the living room and opened a door. A closet full of board games and DVDs. Another door. A darkened office.

  There had to be a way out. She followed a hall on the other side of the kitchen and came to an entryway.

  Gravel crunched under tires outside.

  Ariana’s stomach dropped to the ground.

  No.

  A car door slammed and an alarm beeped.

  Her throat closed up. She ran toward the stairs, running up.

  A door opened and then slammed shut.

  She skipped a step and stumbled.

  Lloyd whistled a cheerful tune downstairs.

  Ariana ran as fast as she could up the rest of the staircase and down the hall to the bedroom.

  The whistling grew louder.

  She made it to the room and closed the door as quietly as she could.

  It was unlocked. She didn’t know how to lock it.

  Terror ran through her.

  Footsteps sounded in the hall and the whistling continued.

  She grabbed the pins and knife, stuffing them under the dollhouse. Her mind raced with excuses. She’d had to go to the bathroom. That’s why she unlocked the door. She didn’t want to mess up the bedroom that meant so much to him. He could trust her—she was still in there.

  The door opened.

  Ariana flung herself to the ground and held up a couple dolls. She fought to breathe normally.

  Lloyd came in carrying a bunch of colorful balloons. He smiled at her and held out the balloons. “We missed your birthday this year, so it’s time to celebrate.”

  He hadn’t even noticed the door was unlocked.

  She tried to speak, but nothing came.

  “I’ve left you speechless.” His grin widened. “I hope you’re ready for birthday cake.”

  Ariana managed a nod.

  “Good. Why don’t you put on a dress from the closet while I decorate the rec room?” He let out a giggle as he left, leaving the door unlocked.

  She stared at the door, feeling light-headed. What had just happened? Ariana went over to the bed and fell onto it, trying to recover from the shock.

  A few minutes later, she heard a commotion out in the kitchen. She jumped up and ran over to the closet. Half a dozen dresses hung in front of her. Did she want polka dots, flowers, or stripes? Like it mattered. She grabbed one. It had multi-colored polka dots. She slid out of what she was wearing and put on the scratchy dress.

  Lloyd came in, grinning and clapping. “You remembered! That’s my favorite one on you. Let me help you with your hair.”

  She followed him to the dresser, where he pulle
d her hair back into a ponytail and wrapped it in a pink bow.

  “Perfect.” He beamed.

  Ariana forced another smile.

  “Wait until you see this.”

  She nodded and followed him to the rec room. The walls were covered with pink streamers and balloons. A huge ‘Happy Birthday’ sign hung from the far wall. An enormous cake sat on the coffee table next to a stack of perfectly wrapped presents.

  “Happy birthday!” Lloyd cried. He went over to a record player and fumbled with it. A chorus of the happy birthday song blared from the speakers. Lloyd sang along.

  Ariana stared at the scene before her, having no idea how to react.

  “What are you waiting for?” Lloyd asked. “Let’s have some cake.”

  Realization

  Kellen kicked his feet onto his coffee table, opened a pop, and turned on the TV. A news reporter spoke about Ariana’s abduction, speaking in circles as they always did. There was nothing new—she was still missing and they had no real suspects. They might if the FBI would quit looking at him.

  If he could go back in time, he’d have never left for the stupid trash bags. But how could he have known the events that were about to unfold? He would’ve never dreamed that a simple act of trying to be helpful would make him look like a criminal.

  He finished the soda, crushed the can on the arm of the couch, and tossed it onto the table next to his feet.

  His phone rang. Probably Zoey again. Didn’t she know what space meant?

  Kellen almost didn’t check, but did out of habit. It was one of his buddies from college. He accepted the call. “Hey, Trey. Long time.”

  “Yeah, long time. You’re engaged and going to be a stepdad?”

  “You saw the news?”

  “Of course. Everyone’s talking about it. Are you okay?”

  “Define okay,” Kellen said.

  “Is it true they suspect you?” Trey asked.

  “Half the stuff out there is pure crap, but yeah, I’m one of the people they’ve questioned.” Kellen flipped through the channels and stopped on a cartoon and muted it.

  “That sucks. They should look at the dad. He sounds like a real piece of work.”

  Kellen shrugged. What could he say that wouldn’t make him look like a jerk? Of course he wished they would interrogate Alex instead of him. He had actually been there when the abduction took place.

  “Okay. So, uh… what wouldn’t be awkward to talk about? Sorry man, I don’t really know what to say.”

  “It’s all right. Thanks for calling. No one else has.”

  “Do you need anything?”

  A supportive fiancée. To get the FBI off his case. His life back. “No, just have to get through this.”

  “It’s been forty-eight hours, hasn’t it?”

  Kellen glanced at the clock, but then realized he wasn’t sure what day it was. “Is it Sunday or Monday?”

  “Monday.”

  Crap. He hadn’t even called in to work. They had to know why. “Yeah, it’s been over two days. She was taken Friday night.”

  “Well, if you need to get away for a while, I’ve got an extra ticket to the Seahawks game this week.”

  “I appreciate the thought, but it would look really bad if I went to a game while my fiancée’s daughter is missing and I’m already a person of interest.”

  “Oh, I didn't even think about that. Well, I can round up a couple of the guys and we can come over.”

  “Maybe.” Kellen would have to talk with his attorneys about something as simple as having friends over.

  He hated his life.

  “Call me,” Trey said. “I’ll do all the work.”

  “Sure. It’s good to hear from you.”

  “You, too.”

  Kellen ended the call. If only he could go to the game or even just tell his friends to come over.

  His phone rang again. He answered it without looking at the caller ID.

  “You are alive,” Zoey said.

  Kellen swore under his breath. “I told you I needed space.”

  “We need to be together to get through this.”

  “Actually, we don’t.”

  “Don’t do this.”

  “I meant everything I said before.”

  “Can we talk?” Zoey asked.

  He closed his eyes. “Talk.”

  “On the phone?”

  “Unless you meant telepathically.”

  “You know what I meant. Come over here.”

  “Why do I always have to go to your place?” Kellen snapped.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You never come here.”

  “I thought you liked it here.”

  He took a deep breath. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. There’s nothing wrong with my townhouse, yet—”

  “Why are you arguing with me about this? Can’t it wait until later? Ariana’s missing. I need you.”

  “Exactly. It’s all about you—all the time.”

  “My daughter’s missing!”

  “And now the kid card is more powerful than ever,” Kellen muttered.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Like she didn’t know. “You bring up Ariana and automatically get what you want because if I say no, then I’m the kid-hating a-hole. You win again. Congratulations.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “Wrong. It’s exactly like that. Welcome to my world of being the wicked stepdad no matter what I do.”

  “I can’t believe this. My daughter’s missing, and this is what I have to deal with. How dare you?”

  Anger surged through him. “And I have to deal with your selfishness being masked by the kid card. How dare you?”

  “That’s really how you see it?”

  “I call it as it is.”

  “Don’t treat me like this if you want my support against the FBI.”

  “Support? You call anything you’ve done supportive?” Kellen laughed. “That’s a good one.”

  “If you’re trying to push me away, it’s working.”

  “Great. Call Alex.”

  “Alex?” Zoey exclaimed. “What does he have to do with anything? And why would I call him? I loathe him.”

  Kellen’s anger was joined by jealousy. How could she not see what was so obvious? “Stop trying to deny your feelings for him.”

  She gasped. “Excuse me? I can’t stand that lowlife.”

  Kellen squeezed the couch cushion. “Love and hate are two sides of the same scale, Zo. You can’t have one without the other. I’ve tried to look past your obvious feelings for him, but I can see clearly now. Especially after the way you were defending him last time we talked. It’s not worth it. I’m not going to be your second choice.”

  “You’re not—and especially not to Alex.” She took a deep breath. “Obviously, we’re both emotionally charged. Why don’t we meet somewhere and discuss this over a meal? Have some wine and talk like civilized adults.”

  A wave of sadness washed through him. He hated the wild range of emotions that had been running through him the last couple days. He just wasn’t himself—especially with all the rage and jealousy he’d been feeling. He was turning into a person he didn’t recognize anymore. The last thing he wanted was to keep going down this path and turn into someone he didn’t like.

  “Did you hear me?” Zoey asked.

  He took a deep breath and hated himself for what he had to say. “I’m sorry, Zo. I just can’t take all this stress anymore. I’m not the person you need me to be.”

  “Wait. Are you saying we’re over?”

  “I wish everything could go back to the way it was, but it can’t.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “If we don’t cut it off now, we’re going to tear each other part. We’re going to wind up hating each other, and I don’t want that. We’ve had so many good times. Let’s remember those times.”

  “But we—”

  “I’m really sorry, Zo.” His v
oice cracked. “Goodbye.” He ended the call before she could talk him out of the breakup. It really was best for both of them, and that was all that mattered. For once, he didn’t care what anyone else thought.

  Crash

  Alex’s mind spun as he researched the cold cases. The anonymous tipper had been onto something, and it did appear the older, out-of-state cases were the same. A girl around the age of twelve or thirteen disappears about a week before Halloween and then is found in a lake on or shortly after Halloween—and each time one is found after, it had been determined that she was drowned on or close to the holiday.

  If only he and Nick could look at all this together, but there had been a string of robberies resulting in physical injury, so he had to focus on those and let the team focus on Ariana’s case.

  Alex wanted to wring the FBI agent’s neck. How could she keep ignoring the fact that Flynn was the kidnapper? But Nick had been sure that if they could gather enough evidence pointing to the new cold cases, that would be enough for the woman. That was why Alex was taking meticulous notes, going over each case painfully slowly.

  Knock, knock.

  “Come in.”

  Mom entered with a steaming cup of coffee. “I thought you could use some more.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  She set it next to his mouse pad. “Do you have enough to take to the FBI agent?”

  “I hope so. Nick wants me to email him everything at the end of his shift. If it is enough, he’s going to show it to Williams and insist she put their resources into the lead.”

  “What do you have?” She pulled up a chair.

  Alex sipped the hot drink. “There are eight cases, all exactly the same in Oregon. Before that, six in Idaho. There are even a few in Montana. Flynn must be moving around every time someone gets too close.”

  “And they all… end on Halloween?” Mom’s expression tightened.

  “Yeah. Every single one.”

  She closed her eyes. “That’s just sick. What if the FBI still won’t look at it?”

  Alex clenched his fists. “Then that Williams bi—chick will have to deal with me.”

  “Don’t do something to get yourself into trouble, Alex.”