Chapter Sixteen
Talking to Selena made Sharon feel both better and worse.
Her Jimmy wasn't a thug. He had lied to her about almost everything, but under these circumstances she could forgive that. He wasn't a bad man.
People much more competent than she was cared about him and they were looking for him, but even she could see they had a slim chance of finding him. Selena thought he was dead. She didn't have to say it; Sharon could see it in the other woman's eyes.
To make things worse, the entire day passed and nothing happened. She ended up back home with Mona, and her inability to act made her itchy and irritated.
Evening and darkness did little to improve her mood. Especially since Mona insisted they keep the lights and TV off. She said, "I have a bad feeling. We should be prepared."
She checked her weapons and stacked boxes of ammunitions in neat piles, looking competent and ready for an alien invasion from another solar system.
Just before eleven, Tiffy lifted her head and growled, making Mona get to her feet. She peeked through the curtain and Sharon could barely see her in the dark room.
"Here they come. They must have followed him some time, figured out where he stayed."
Now Sharon could hear it, too: an unmistakable rumble of engines in front of the house.
"I like your explanation better than mine. I thought they tortured him until he told them. Or drugged him."
Mona held out the shotgun.
"You remember how this works, right? I'll take old Betsy here. Don't let them get too close to the house or you might not have one anymore."
She brought the AK? Holy moly, I guess we're ready for war.
Her friend pressed the large weapon into her hands. "Are you ready?"
She was definitely not ready to go to war with a criminal motorcycle gang.
"Maybe we should just call the police?"
"That's a good idea, but how many different ways do you think these guys can kill us before the rollers show up? If they make a move you can't hesitate, because they won't hesitate."
"Maybe we should hide?"
Mona took a deep breath. "Honey, there are times when it's okay to be a victim and hide, but this isn't one of them. If we don't face them they will shoot your house to pieces, or set fire to it. Or both."
"Okay. I got it."
Mona stood by the door and nodded to Sharon to open it.
How can you be so brave? In my next life, I want to be just like you.
Sharon ripped the door open, and Mona stepped out, pointing the assault rifle at a group of bearded men with hard faces. Sharon followed, trying to look cool with the shotgun. A cold drop of sweat trickled down her neck.
Could they see how scared she was?
One of the men swung his leg off the bike and held his hands up.
"Ladies, no need for that. We just want to talk. And we want our dog back."
The mere thought of Tiffy in the hands of these brutes that might have killed Jimmy made Sharon's blood boil, and she lifted the shotgun.
Now she was ready. They could have her dog over her dead body.
"Well, we don't want to talk, so maybe you should just be on your way." Mona sounded like she talked about dessert after a fine meal.
Two more men got off their bikes. One swung a heavy chain.
Dammit, I knew there would be chains.
"What are you going to do with that gun, little lady? It's pretty darned cute, all pink and all."
The others laughed.
Mona hissed, "Pump it."
Sharon pumped it, and the clicking sound made the men freeze. Then, one of them laughed.
"That little princess isn't going to shoot anyone."
Something clicked in her head. "You know what? I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you. Here in Florida, we stand our ground. It's the law. You guys are scary and I'm fearing for my life. I will stand my ground and I have the right to do so."
Besides, if I shoot this giant gun at this time a night, someone will call the police.
She aimed right in front of his feet and fired into the ground. The boom sounded loud enough to wake the entire city, and the eruption of sand and dirt impressed her.
The man bounced backwards, and Sharon lifted the muzzle to point at his chest.
"See, I do know how to use this thing, and trust me, I'd much rather shoot you than have you come one step closer."
Lights were coming on in the houses around them. If this didn't make someone dial nine-one-one, nothing would.
Time seemed to stand still, and then the neighbor's door opened. Helen stepped out, dressed in a flowered robe, carrying a gigantic crossbow. Frank followed in boxers and slippers with an old-fashioned shotgun large enough to kill a train.
Wow, they're gutsier than I thought. Either that, or they lack the imagination to see Molotov cocktails crash through their windows.
Helen shouted, "I called the police. You guys leave the girls alone."
Mona pointed the pink AK at the leader.
"Isn't it funny how something so pink and girly can level the playing field between men and women? Now, I used to think you should leave, but with this new information I think you should stay and talk to the nice officers."
Sharon could already hear sirens. They must have been close.
*****
She didn't expect a lot to happen late at night, but it wasn't long before Selena herself swept into the little house. Mona stared, and turned her gaze away as soon as the beauty looked her way.
Selena took a seat in the kitchen and drummed her perfect nails against the table.
"I had a car nearby just in case, but I didn't think they would be needed. I wonder how they found you."
"I have no idea. Maybe they followed him here."
Or me. Could they have followed me that day I went there?
"Maybe." The beautiful policewoman didn't sound convinced.
Mona cleared her throat. "Spill it. What are you thinking?"
Selena glanced over at Mona, and Sharon said, "I trust her with my life. Literally."
Mona roamed towards the electric kettle. "Who wants tea? And Sharon's right. I'm really trustworthy."
Was she flirting?
Selena gave her head a slight shake. "Paul is... There's a reason he's so good at these jobs. Most people couldn't stand going this deep into that kind of world."
I still haven't gotten used to Jimmy being Paul. And what's that supposed to mean anyway?
"What I'm trying to say is, it's not likely that someone followed him without him knowing."
Sharon's eyes popped wide. "Do you think someone tortured him?"
Back to torture. Why did she keep thinking of miserable things like that?
"Maybe, or drugged him. Or, someone around here could have seen him and ratted him out."
"There's no one..." She fell silent. "Oh shit."
Selena put a hand on Sharon's. "If you know something, I need to know it, too."
"I don't know. I was just thinking of my neighbors, the ones who came to help and called you tonight. They have a cousin or something that used to hang here all the time, really weird girl. She always left her kids in the car, and Jimmy, I mean Paul told her not to. So, Helen told us the kids' dad was a junkie, and... I don't know if there's a connection, but it's the only thing I can think of. Other than her, nothing ever happens here."
And if you can make any sense out of my babbling, you're a genius.
Mona filled in, "It's true. I was going to call child services."
"I see. Do you know her name, address, anything?"
Sharon said, "No. I think she lives close, but I don't know where. Wait." She dug out her phone and flipped through the photos. "There. When I first bought this I wanted to try the panorama function. There's her car, with the kids in it."
The license plate was perfectly visible. Selena lifted a radio. "Bishop, can you run this plate for me?"
Did everyone work at this hour? Wa
s that normal?
Sharon didn't expect anyone to answer, but the radio crackled to life immediately.
"Yes, but I don't need to. I ran that for Paul a few weeks ago, might be a couple months by now, and I never had time to clean my desk. I think... Yes, child services were there and took two little boys. They're with their grandmother now. The mother was charged with neglect. The kids slept in the bathtub. Bugs crawling all over the place."
Sharon couldn't keep her mouth shut anymore. "If she connected that with us, it would be more than enough to hold a grudge."
Selena nodded and returned her attention to the radio. "Send someone to bring her in. I want to talk to her."
Sharon chewed her lip and Selena sighed. "When did you sleep last?"
"Not important."
"It is. If we find him, he's going to need you."
"When we find him I'll take a nap."
Selena's eyes glittered.
"You're a smart girl, so I'm going to make an exception. We're going to the club in the morning. You can come if you promise to stay in the back, out of sight. You have to do exactly what I tell you, and if I say stay in the car, you stay in the car. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Right now, you need some sleep. If you're not rested, you can't come."
"Okay."
"Yes ma'am" would have been a more correct answer, but she didn't have energy left to care about being correct. The world was too crazy.
Mona said, "I'm coming, too."
Selena shook her head. "No. It would be great if you could stay here, keep an eye on the house and the phone, in case he shows up. I'll have a patrol check this area out too, just in case."
*****
Sleeping seemed impossible, but Sharon still dozed off, and it felt like she had her head on the pillow for five minutes before Mona shook her awake.
"It's time to go, hun."
"Already?"
She should probably be excited, they were finally going to look for Jimmy or Paul or whatever his name was, but the prospect of finding out what really happened terrified her.
He might have left her to run away with a biker chick.
He might be dead.
Tiffy whimpered and shook her out of the depressing line of thought.
"I have to take the dog out."
Mona shook her head. "No time. I'll take care of her."
A car waited outside with Selena at the wheel. Sharon looked back at the house where Mona stood on the porch, Tiffy by her side.
Selena said, "You don't have to come."
"Yes, I do. Let's go."
The way to the club was much too short and Sharon sat on her hands to keep herself from chewing her nails. No matter what awaited it wouldn't be anything good, and she felt as if she'd eaten hot metal.
"If something happened to him, do you think he'd still be at the club? It has been days."
Selena kept her eyes on the road. "I don't know. We're hoping to find someone who does."
"They're not going to tell you."
This time the beautiful lieutenant's eyes flickered over towards Sharon.
"Oh, they will."
Minutes later, Sharon stood to the side, watching a team of heavily armed men and women in bullet proof vests spread out around the large building. Under different circumstances, seeing a real life SWAT team would have been fascinating.
That's his bike.
It represented him and so many good times, and its presence made her want to weep. She also wanted to run up to it and grab it, hug it, claim it. She might not be able to drive the thing, but it belonged in her garage, not abandoned here.
Bishop stood next to her with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, chewing his lip.
"I don't like this. It's too quiet."
Selena glanced back.
"It's early. If anyone's in there, they're probably sleeping."
It sounds like you don't expect to find him in there anymore than I do.
Everyone else had their full attention on SWAT, but Sharon was too antsy and kept glancing around. Something moved at the corner of her eye and she squinted to see in the bright morning sun. A shape broke free from the deep shade around the buildings. It was a man, looking around, running for a rusty door.
Maybe he's just an everyday Joe scared to death by all this. There must be dozens of small companies here. Hah, it might be a drug dealer thinking all this is for him.
As her eyes adjusted she could make out long hair and beard, and a sleeveless jean jacket with an insignia that could be the same as Jimmy's. On the other hand, it might not be. She was too far away to read the words.
If Jimmy were alive it would make sense to keep him close, but safely tucked away.
"Bishop."
The tall officer nodded but didn't take his eyes from the scene in front of them. "They're about to break in the doors."
No one paid attention to her.
She said, "A flying saucer just landed behind us."
Bishop nodded again and Selena answered, "Good. That's good."
Great. You're all completely useless. If anything is to be investigated, I guess I'll have to do it myself, but I don't want to go there all alone.
She was so afraid her knees rattled, and if Bishop hadn't been so preoccupied he could have heard it.
"Bishop."
He gestured to her to be quiet.
"Just a moment, hun."
No. No more moments, no more waiting.
She walked along the building, half expecting someone to call out for her or try to stop her. No one even noticed she left, so she jogged towards the door.
It would be locked, and that would be that. End of adventure.
It swung open without even creaking. She took a step inside and let it fall shut.
Bad idea.
It might not be as dark as her eyes insisted, but compared to the bright sunlight outside, it was dark enough to render her blind. Whatever waited she could neither apologize and claim she went through the wrong door or scream and run for her life when she only saw bright spots dance before her eyes. Or, well, she could, but which to choose was dependent on non-existent visual evidence.
Once her eyes adjusted, she found herself alone in a corridor. Both walls and ceiling were made from plywood, and the corners were thick with cobwebs. Raising her eyes, she saw a large multi-legged horror sit in the ceiling right above her head.
It wasn't alone.
There were spiders everywhere.
She slapped both hands over her mouth to stifle a scream, and ran for the next door.
This was a bad idea. If one of the spiders fall down on me, I'll go crazy and wake up in a padded cell dressed in one of those shirts with really long sleeves. Maybe my heart will stop from pure fright. And I stood there forever without being able to see them.
She could already have spiders crawling in under her clothes.
They might be in her hair.
The thought made her want to stop and rip her sweater off, but then she'd have to stay under the horrors even longer. Running was the right choice.
When her hands reached the doorknob, the portal between her and a hopefully arachnid-free environment wouldn't budge. She tugged as hard as she could, and the door didn't move.
Don't tell me I went through all this to be foiled by a locked door? I don't want to go back under all those creepy crawlies.
One of the spiders moved, taking a couple of steps towards her on legs reminiscent of Jell-O, and panic inspired her to push the door instead of pulling. She staggered into the next room, and gagged on the stench.
Someone had been generous with the chlorine, but it couldn't quite mask years, or maybe decades, of urine, feces, and fear. She didn't have to see the cages and spots of dried blood to know this was Tiffy's first home.
No wonder he fought to get her out. This must be one of the lower levels of hell.
Her eyes scanned the room. Something hung from the ceiling, and she couldn't make out what it
was. Didn't want to make out what it was.
Is that? Oh my God!
The shape turned into a man, hanging from his arms with his shoes a good foot above the floor. The remains of his clothes drooped in tattered rags, covered in blood. Below him lay a long whip haphazardly tossed on the floor.
Every instinct screamed to run up to him. He could still be alive, and even if he was dead, he didn't deserve to hang like that.
If she were to survive this, she needed to think before acting. Both their lives could depend on it.
Focus. A man went in here, and you followed him. He's still here. If he did this to Jimmy, imagine what he can do to you.
She could go back outside, get the attention of the police, and someone would come and take care of everything. On the other hand, getting their attention wasn't all that easy, and if Jimmy was still alive now, he might not be in another five minutes.
By the time she went out there and got back, the man would have time to kill him.
She walked through the corridor of horror filled with multi-legged nightmares to save him, so she should get on with saving him already.
Opening her purse seemed more difficult than finding means to travel to the moon, and the seconds before she held Mona's pink Glock and fumbled the safety off were endless. She still had the time to take two steps into the large room before a door opened to the side and the man stepped out. His eyes widened when he spotted her.
"Oh wow, a girl."
She pointed her gun towards him, and he laughed. "Pink? A pink gun, really? What does it shoot? Pink ponies?"
I know you. You rode Jimmy's bike, you dick. You probably have his phone, too.
The mere thought made her want to squeeze the trigger.
"Yes, ponies and butterflies and rainbows, and they're all really angry, so stay right there."
The man took a couple of steps closer. He kept his hands hanging straight down, but a large pistol dangled from his fingers.
"Drop that, and stay right there."
Mona had told her not to hesitate, because they wouldn't hesitate, but she couldn't just shoot him.
Dammit, why are my hands shaking?
Salty sweat stung her eyes and made it hard to see.
He taunted, "What's wrong, angel? In over your head?"
She sure was. Her eyes darted over towards Jimmy. It only took a split second, but it was more than enough for the man to raise his gun.
Covert Identity Page 11
