Disillusioned

by Christy Barritt

  Nikki didn’t have time to ask questions. She veered onto a side street, narrowly missing a hot dog vendor. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest. “How are we going to lose them?”

  “I’ll tell you what to do.” Some of the old Bobby seemed to have returned for a moment. If she ever needed the old Bobby, it was now. “Just keep going. Fast. Don’t stop.”

  “I’m scared, Bobby.”

  “You should be,” he said.

  That didn’t make her feel better.

  She charged toward an intersection. Cars crossed in front of her. Her entire body tensed as she braced herself for impact. Their lives were on the line. But so were other innocent people’s, and it was hard for her to reconcile that fact with her survival instinct.

  “I’m going to hit them.”

  “They’ll move.” Glimpses of the warrior Bobby had once been emerged, stronger and tougher than ever. In his early days, she’d heard he was one of the best. He’d seemed made for endurance and was programmed to never give in to fear.

  Nikki, however, wasn’t.

  “What if they don’t move?” Her voice quivered.

  “Do it anyway.”

  Her hands trembled on the steering wheel as she forced herself to continue forward. She stole a glance in the rearview mirror again. An SUV had appeared right on her bumper. Any closer and they’d collide. They had to get away.

  “Turn left!” Bobby shouted.

  Gritting her teeth, she jerked the wheel. The vehicle narrowly missed oncoming cars as they swerved into the cross street. Horns honked, cars skidded and swerved. People yelled out their windows and raised their fists.

  “Don’t ease off the accelerator. Keep going!”

  Nikki’s heart pounded erratically. She’d known today would be hard. But she’d had no idea this would happen. That it would turn into a fight for her life.

  “Pull into that parking garage.” Bobby pointed to a five-story structure that was part of a cluster of buildings up ahead.

  “That seems like a bad idea.” They’d be trapped with no escape. She’d seen the TV shows. She knew what happened in parking garages. Nothing good.

  “Just do it,” Bobby told her.

  Nikki swallowed hard but turned into the building. She kept her foot on the gas as they traveled upward, driving entirely too fast considering the cement pillars that stood guard at every corner. Finally they reached the fourth floor. Her brother motioned for her to pull into an empty space. Before the vehicle was even in park, Bobby opened his door.

  “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  “What?” She’d thought maybe they’d hide out for a while. Lay low. After the other cars lost them, they could make their getaway. On foot they would probably be goners. At least the Expedition offered a metal barrier between them and the bullets.

  Bobby nodded. “Come on. They’re tracking this vehicle. We’ll never escape as long as we’re inside.”

  As she climbed from the SUV, Nikki’s knees felt like jelly. She wobbled and grabbed the door, trying to keep herself upright. Bobby took her arm and pulled her toward a stairway. Instead of taking the steps, they entered an office building on the other side.

  Nikki’s skin felt alive with anxiety, like it wanted to crawl right off her and not be a part of this entire mess. She couldn’t blame it. She’d give anything to be transported out of this situation right now.

  “Walk,” Bobby whispered.

  Names of various businesses graced the different doors ahead. A dentist. An accounting firm. A counseling office. People dressed in their professional best passed them by, offering curt nods. Nikki forced herself to nod back and try to act natural. She’d worn black pants and a blouse, a good choice in retrospect. This attire would help her blend in. Her brother, on the other hand, wore jeans, a golf shirt, and work boots. An all-American kind of outfit. Raz had recommended the look so that Bobby would make a good impression in case the media caught wind of his hospital release.

  Nikki looped an arm through Bobby’s and imitated lighthearted conversation. Her words were as heavy as a dead weight, though. “I’m scared, Bobby. Who were those men?”

  “I only have guesses.”

  “You think we have a fighting chance in this?”

  “Yes, I do. You’re one of the strongest women I know, Nikki. Don’t forget that.”

  If only Bobby knew the secrets her heart held, the areas of her life she had never shared with others. He wouldn’t have said those words if he did.

  She forced a wide, professional smile as two men with files in hand passed them. The men kept walking, talking together. Her shoulders relaxed as soon as they were out of earshot.

  “This way,” Bobby said.

  He pulled her toward a skywalk. Just as they set foot on it, Nikki saw one of the SUVs that had been chasing them pass on the street underneath. She ducked down, her gut quivering.

  Those men were close. Too close.

  “Where’s your cell phone?” Bobby walked behind her, though barely. His presence seemed to keep her moving, to keep pushing her forward.

  “In my purse.” Thank goodness she’d chosen something practical today and had strapped it across her chest earlier.

  “Let me see it.”

  Nikki reached into the depths of her satchel and found her phone at the bottom. Bobby grabbed it from her and tossed it out an opening onto the street below.

  “What are you doing?” That phone was her only means of securing any help if it came down to it.

  “We can’t take any chances that the men following you will track you with it.” He pulled her through the building, walking around what seemed like a maze of hallways.

  Nikki stole a glance over her shoulder, half expecting to see the men behind them. Thankfully there were just two older women talking about their favorite coffee and a new movie being released that weekend.

  She let out the breath she held. She wouldn’t feel safe anywhere, not after what had just happened. Not only had there been at least six men waiting for them at the warehouse, but they seemed to have had access to information like their schedule and security details. The men had looked like the types who could leverage their way into finding out whatever they wanted, even if it meant leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

  Nikki and Bobby finally reached another skywalk and crossed into a different building. The scent of Italian food and the sound of a children’s merry-go-round as well as the chatter of numerous people filled the air.

  The crowds would help conceal them, but they would also help to conceal the men chasing them.

  Bobby led Nikki through the throngs, past laughing teenagers and mothers with strollers, and families dressed up to have their pictures taken at a nearby studio. They reached an exit.

  Where was Bobby taking her? Did he have a plan, or was he just winging this? Even more importantly, was he in the right mental state to wing anything?

  There were so many uncertainties, but no time to think things through. Right now, it was a matter of doing, of moving, of avoiding.

  Of surviving.

  Nikki had to trust Bobby, even if he had practically been an ideal candidate for the mental ward.

  They took the stairs to the sixth floor of what appeared to be an apartment complex and walked to the farthest end of the hallway before Bobby stopped outside one of the doors and extended his hand to her. “I need a credit card.”

  Nikki’s fingers shook as she pulled one from her wallet. Acting as if he’d done this a million times before, Bobby inserted the card between the door and the frame. He shoved it several times until finally the door unlatched.

  A dark apartment awaited them.

  “Hello?” Bobby called.

  Silence answered.

  “Perfect,” her brother said. He ushered her inside, closed the door, and engaged each of the three locks. Then he rushed to a phone on the table beside the couch.

  Nikki stood nearly frozen in the entryway, still trying to process eve
rything. “We just broke into someone’s apartment,” she murmured.

  “Breaking and entering are the least of our worries right now. I have to call someone. Then we can talk.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Against her better instincts, Nikki lowered herself onto the leather couch and waited. Nothing about this situation felt right. Bobby was correct—the owners of the apartment returning was nothing to worry about compared to the issues at hand. Who were those men? Who did they work for? What if they found them right now?

  Her brother paced to the window and peered out as he mumbled words Nikki couldn’t hear or understand into the phone.

  She just had to be patient and wait for Bobby to explain his phone call. She just had to bide her time until then. And hope that the apartment owners didn’t return home. Or the men chasing them didn’t locate them.

  A picture of a young couple on the end table caught her eye. They were grinning from ear to ear, as though they believed they had their whole lives ahead of them. Nikki had thought the same thing at one time. She couldn’t have been more wrong. But never had she imagined this in her long-range plans.

  Finally Bobby hung up and turned toward her. “Help will be here in thirty minutes, maybe less.”

  “Who?”

  His eyes flashed. “Someone I can trust. Maybe the only person besides you.”

  Nikki rubbed her hands together, hating feeling so clueless. But she had more pressing questions at the moment. “Who were those men, Bobby? Please tell me what’s going on.”

  Were they members of the US military? Since Bobby hadn’t willingly been debriefed, was the government trying to coerce him into doing it their way?

  His gaze clouded again, and he crossed his arms before peering out the window. “The terrorists are after me, Nikki.”

  She shook her head, not wanting to believe his claim. Those terrorists were based out of Colombia. Nikki and Bobby were in the DC suburbs right now.

  “We’re on American soil. ARM can’t be here.” Her words didn’t sound convincing.

  Bobby began pacing, almost frantically. Four steps. Turn. Four steps. Turn. Arms across chest. Eyes flickering. “They’re everywhere. They look like us. They dress like us. But they’re here to destroy this country.”

  His words chilled her. The very idea was terrifying, but so was his behavior, his paranoia. “Bobby . . .”

  He stopped moving and stared at her. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “This is so overwhelming. I just don’t know what to think, to be honest. I guess I’m left wondering . . . why? Why are terrorists after you?”

  Bobby’s eyes widened until white was visible around his irises. He stared at her with such intensity that Nikki sucked in a quick breath. “Can’t you see? They’re after me because I escaped. They want me dead. I know too much. I just can’t remember any of it.”

  Another chill washed over her. Was her brother speaking the truth, or had his time in captivity done something to him? Maybe he was paranoid and having an episode. Yet there was nothing delusional about what had just happened to him and Nikki. It was all too real.

  Bobby paused and grabbed his head, bending over as if in pain. He let out a deep groan.

  Nikki rushed over to him. “Bobby, are you okay?”

  “My head isn’t right, Nikki.” He rocked back and forth, clawing at his scalp. His shoulders were hunched and his breaths shallow.

  “Let me get your medication.” She reached for her purse.

  “No! I’m not taking those pills anymore. I can’t think straight when they’re in my system.”

  Nikki paused. “But the doctor said—”

  “I don’t care what he says.” Bobby looked up. His eyes were red and bulging. Veins popped at his temples, and he appeared to be wound tighter than a cobra poised to strike. “Can’t you see? They’re all in this together.”

  Nikki took a deep breath before responding. “I handpicked your doctor, Bobby.”

  “Anyone can be bought. Anyone.”

  “Not me, Bobby.” She needed him to calm down. He was scaring her. The truth remained that neither of them could afford to turn on the other. They needed to stick together to survive.

  But what if Raz was right—what if Bobby had snapped? If there was something seriously wrong with him? Nikki had denied it and refused to listen. Now she hoped her stubbornness wouldn’t get both her and her brother killed.

  She reached for Bobby, but he flung her hand away. “Don’t feel sorry for me.”

  “Bobby, you’ve just been through a nightmare.”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  “Bobby—”

  He sliced his hand through the air and then straightened. “I’m not talking about this anymore.” His voice left no room for argument.

  Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath. The episode appeared to be done, over. He lumbered back to the window and peered outside. His face still looked haggard and his muscles tight.

  Nikki paced back over to the couch but couldn’t bring herself to sit. She didn’t want to be comfortable. She was an intruder in this apartment, yet she felt as if her whole life had been intruded upon. Nothing seemed to be in her control anymore.

  What had happened to her brother? She felt like she was losing him all over again. She let him have his space, though, fearing he’d have another outburst if she didn’t. She’d become a master at appeasing people in order to avoid the unpleasant.

  Pierce came to mind.

  He’d been the biggest mistake of her life. She hadn’t allowed herself to get close to anyone since she’d made that one bad decision. Dealing with broken trust was too hard.

  “You thought I was going to shoot you back there, didn’t you?” Bobby still stared outside.

  Nikki’s cheeks heated. “I didn’t know what was going on.”

  “You don’t trust me either.” Hurt saturated his voice.

  “That’s not true. I only saw a gun pointed at me. I didn’t have time to think, only to react.”

  Before he could offer rebuttal, voices sounded outside the door. Nikki held her breath, her heart pounding in her ears. What would she and Bobby do if it was the apartment’s owners? It was almost 5:00 p.m.; most people were getting home from work now.

  Bobby motioned for Nikki to back up. Slowly she scooted away from the door while he darted out of sight into the hallway near the bedrooms.

  Then they waited. Time seemed to slow.

  The voices got louder. Right outside the door. Keys jangled. A knob turned.

  Nikki held her breath, her mind racing as she imagined what she might say:

  I’ve got $100 in my pocket, and you can have it for your silence.

  Please, we need to hide. Someone is trying to kill us.

  We’re sorry. We don’t want any trouble. We just need a few more minutes.

  Or maybe the owners would call the police, and she and Bobby could wait until law enforcement arrived, then explain everything. Maybe the police could help.

  Just then the voices faded.

  Nikki released her breath. The people in the hallway must have gone into the apartment next door.

  Bobby stepped forward, his stance still tight. “Good. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

  What did that mean? Was her brother going to hurt the apartment owners if they returned? Nikki’s unease grew even stronger than before. She ran a hand through her hair, feeling like her world was spinning out of control.

  Bobby walked to the window and peered outside again, seeming unfazed about what had just happened. “I think we lost them. At least for now.”

  Nikki had to choose her words carefully. Arguing with her brother would only cause emotions to rise. She just needed to listen to him and let him know she was on his side. It was the only way to keep things level.

  She drew in a deep breath to calm herself. “Those men were terrorists, you said?”

  He nodded. “They’re with ARM. They followed me here. They’re not going to
let me rest until I’m dead.”

  ARM stood for Army of Revolution and Mandate, a group of rebels who based their operations out of Colombia. They were mostly known in the United States for their ransom videos. They’d kidnapped businessmen, American tourists, and anyone else they thought would pay out. Apparently kidnappings were only the tip of the iceberg for the group. Their acts of violence had continued to grow, though Nikki hadn’t thought they’d reached American soil.

  She licked her lips. “Why would you say that? Why would they risk so much to kill you?”

  Bobby frowned, visibly tensing. “Because I know too much.”

  She froze. That was the second time he had said that today. It wasn’t a slip of the tongue. “What do you mean? What do you know?”

  He ran his hand over his head, almost as if he hoped the motion would jog his brain back to its normal function. “I can’t remember. I think it’s the drugs they gave me. I’m not sure. My brain just feels foggy.”

  “Then maybe we should go to your superiors—”

  “I can’t trust them.” He scowled. “Look what Darren did to me.”

  Nikki swallowed hard. Darren Philips had been Bobby’s commanding officer. He’d told the media that he’d always suspected Bobby was unstable. He said he feared that Bobby was fighting alongside members of ARM instead of against them. He’d told the world that Bobby was essentially one of the bad guys. Because of that, Nikki had gone from one nightmare to another.

  Bobby began pacing again, some of his manic energy returning. “You’re in danger, Nikki. I should have never called you.”

  “I’m always going to be there for you, Bobby. Of course you should have called me.”

  Before their conversation could go any further, a knock sounded at the door. Bobby and Nikki exchanged a glance. Bobby motioned for her to stay back while he crept toward the entrance. He peered out the peephole before visibly relaxing.

  “He’s here.” Bobby opened the door and quickly ushered someone inside.

  Nikki sucked in a deep breath at the sight of him. He was tall—much taller than most Navy SEALs—and broad, his blond hair streaked with light brown. He had dancing eyes and a photo-worthy face. And he wore cowboy boots. Of course he did—the Texas boy always wore cowboy boots, even in DC.