Focus Lost

by Doug Cooper

  Abbie whimpers, her eyes widening.

  He lowers the knife between her legs. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.” Extending the knife to her feet, he cuts the tape around her ankles. “This was never about you.” He drags the blade up over her black leggings along her shin, up to her knee and inner thigh, to her exposed stomach. He traces a figure eight with the tip from the bottom of her expanded rib cage down and across her stomach, circling her navel and continuing up. Her skin bristles over her flexing abdominal muscles. She tries to control her breaths, resulting in stunted, shaky hyperventilating. Levi rests the point of the knife an inch above her navel. “You know, everyone thinks cutting into a person is like slicing a steak, and all you have to do is just rest the blade against the meat and let the knife do all the work.” He lowers the flat side of the blade against her taut, quivering stomach. “But it’s not like that at all. It’s more like cutting a tomato. You have to apply just the right amount of force to break the skin but not too much or you’ll destroy the flesh underneath.” Levi slides the knife in a smooth motion, leaving a thin six-inch trail of red across her midsection. Abbie pleads through the tape covering her mouth, tears streaming from her eyes. Levi wipes up the blood with his finger. “That’s how they taught me for that serial killer role. We used tomatoes.” He lifts the knife to her face, resting the point on her chin. “I spent a whole day just slicing tomatoes. Not a single piece of meat.” He taps the tip on her chin one final time, then closes the knife and returns it to his pocket. Looking at her, he brushes the hair from her face. “I told you not to worry. This will all be over soon.” Levi rests his hand on the side of her cheek. “You are beautiful though. I’m sorry you got all wrapped up in this.” He rubs his thumb gently back and forth across the tape covering her mouth. Bending down, he kisses her forehead. “It will all be over soon.”

  Seeing an opportunity, Abbie thrusts her knee into his stomach. Levi doubles over in her lap. She strikes him on the back of the head with her bound hands and kicks him off.

  Sharply inhaling, Levi falls back, floundering on the ground, struggling for his wind.

  Abbie unhooks the seatbelt and launches her legs from the Jeep. Her hands still bound, she swings them from side to side as she runs toward the dark orchard.

  Levi, still gasping for air on the ground, lunges at her but misses. “You’re just making this harder on yourself…” he wheezes. Still fighting to regain his breath, he stands, peering into the orchard. “…and your brother.”

  Abbie scrambles through the overgrown weeds, stumbling and falling. The coarse reeds scratching against her tights and wrap around her ankles. She crawls to one of the barren trees and huddles around the trunk.

  Chapter 24

  Eva drives her Mercedes with Gabe in the passenger seat. Her headlights provide the only light across the empty road. A sign points toward Corral Canyon Road. Gabe says, “Take the next right.”

  She conceals the phone between the seat and the door furtively texting Marcus the directions. Glancing at Gabe to ensure he doesn’t notice, she says, “We need a plan. If we go in with no leverage, I don’t think we’re coming back.”

  “I’m not taking any chances until Abbie is free.” Gabe motions for her to turn. “Right here.”

  Eva guides the car onto the dark, winding Corral Canyon Road. “Then we should at least leave her the phone, so she can call the police.”

  Gabe opens the glove box, rummaging through the cont-ents. “You got a pen? We’ll leave a note telling her what to do.”

  Eva contorts her arm to the back seat and retrieves her purse, tossing it to Gabe. “There should be one in there somewhere.”

  Gabe digs out a pen and snags one of the unopened envelopes from the glove box. His hands shaking, he scrawls additional instructions to Abbie on the back of the envelope with the directions from Levi to help her get back.

  ◆◆◆

  In the Jeep with the high beams on, Levi trolls through the rows of trees, searching for Abbie. The light cuts through the weeds above her, illuminating the trunk of the tree. Her lungs pump as she struggles to catch her breath. The air whistles through gaps in the tape around her mouth. She lifts her bound hands to her lips, working the edges of the tape loose with her fingers and peeling it off. She sucks in several full breaths, releasing them slowly to calm herself. Trembling, she presses her arms against her torso to lie as flat as possible.

  Levi stops the Jeep and shuts off the engine, leaving the lights on. The wind rustles through the weeds and trees, wafting the smell of rotting apples. He exits the Jeep. “I know you’re out here. No reason to hide. I told you I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Rambling through the weeds, he listens and watches for a reaction. “Come on, we’re going to meet your brother. Then you’ll be free.” Levi walks by the tree where Abbie is hiding.

  She closes her eyes, ready to burst.

  Levi stops. “I can hear you breathing.”

  Abbie finally breaks. A whimper escapes through her clamped lips.

  Levi pivots. “There you are. Come on. This little game’s over.”

  Abbie jumps up and flees, running between the trees. She swats at the thick weeds with her bound hands hindering her speed.

  Levi easily catches her and throws her to the ground. “You are a live one. I’ll give you that.” He maneuvers on top of her, pinning her arms above her head. “You almost made us late.” He stands up, careful to avoid her kicking legs, and slings her over his shoulder.

  Abbie chops her bound hands into his back, screaming for help.

  Levi reaches with one arm to hook her kicking legs while holding her in position with the other and carries her to the Jeep. “Relax, relax. No one can hear you anyway.” He moves the bag with Hannah to behind the seat on the floor and dumps Abbie into the passenger seat, wrapping several rounds of tape around to secure her against the seat and reapplies a strip across her mouth. “There. That should hold you this time.”

  ◆◆◆

  Approaching a fork in the road, Eva’s Mercedes slows down and pulls off onto the berm. With the car still running, Eva and Gabe exit and meet at the front. The headlights cut across their thighs, casting long shadows down the road onto the parting paths. Gabe says, “Should we call him?”

  “No point in doing that,” Eva says. “He’s probably watching.” She scans the surrounding woods. Swaying branches and rustling leaves whisper back. She knows she needs to stall. Marcus won’t arrive with help for at least another twenty minutes. If they venture too far from the current location, which is the last one she knows and is able to send, he might not find them.

  Farther down Corral Canyon Road, Levi’s Jeep, the lights off, creeps toward them. Stopping fifty yards away, he flips on the high beams.

  Gabe and Eva turn around and walk to the center of the road, both cupping their hands around their eyes to block out the blinding light.

  Levi stands in the open Jeep, pointing his gun at Gabe and Eva. “Pull up your pant legs and lift your shirts.” They comply, exposing their legs up to mid-shin and bare midriffs Levi is visible only as a dark silhouette against an even darker backdrop. He says, “Now rotate in a circle so I can see there are no weapons or recording devices.” They again follow the directions, pirouetting a complete rotation with their arms raised. Levi says, “Now walk forward to the front of the Jeep.

  They shuffle toward Levi as instructed. Gabe says, “Let me see Abbie.”

  “This isn’t a negotiation,” Levi barks. “Just keep walking.”

  Gabe and Eva tread forward, squinting as the headlights blast brighter in their faces.

  “And just in case you were wondering, this isn’t a paintball gun this time. Levi fires a shot into the side of the road. The sharp, sudden blast freezes both Gabe and Eva. They cower into a crouching position. “Come on, keep moving,” Levi says. “When you get to the Jeep,
put your hands on the hood.”

  Gabe and Eva stop in front of the pair of lights. The beams gleam directly on their bare midsections. They place their hands on the hood. Levi dims the lights. Their eyes slowly adjust to the darkness. Abbie, secured in the front seat by the tape, comes into focus through the windshield. Gabe yells out. “Are you all right, Ab?”

  Abbie, overwhelmed with fear, nods, tears streaming down her face. Levi exits the Jeep with the roll of tape. He walks to the front and binds Gabe’s and Eva’s hands. “Kneel down and don’t move.” He paces behind them. For the first time, Eva is actually afraid. She estimates how long it’s been since she texted Marcus. Rotating her head and seeing only darkness in all directions, she knows it doesn’t matter. He is not close enough, and Gabe is too focused on Abbie to worry about them and do anything.

  Walking backward to keep them in view, Levi moves toward Eva’s Mercedes. At the car, he reaches inside for the keys and notices the envelope with the mobile phone. He snatches the instructions and phone and removes the keys from the ignition. Storming back to the Jeep, Levi jams the barrel of the gun into the back of Eva’s head. “You always did think I was stupid.”

  Fortunately, Eva had deleted the messages to Marcus, so even if Levi checks, he won’t know Marcus is already en route, hopefully with more help than a paralegal. Eva pleads with Levi to stall for more time. “Levi, this is crazy. The absolute worst case with the pics of Emily is that you’ll get a year in jail, and there’s no way that’s going to happen. Emily won’t say anything, and Gabe will withdrawal his statement. But if you keep going with this, there’s no turning back.”

  Gabe turns around to take the focus off Eva. “The phone and note were my idea. Please don’t take it out on her. I just wanted Abbie to be able to get away.”

  “Turn the fuck back around.” Levi pushes the gun in Gabe’s face. “Don’t you worry. I’ll be sure to share the punishment between you and your girlfriend here.” Levi walks to the passenger side. He tucks the gun in the back of his pants, takes out the knife, and cuts off the tape securing Abbie to the seat. He walks her to the front of the Jeep, stopping next to Gabe and removing the tape from her mouth. “Last chance. Anything you want to say?”

  “I’m so sorry, Gabe. This is all my fault. I never should’ve touched those photos.”

  Gabe turns toward her. “Ab, no it’s not. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”

  Eva straightens her body in defiance, scowling at Levi. “Don’t worry, Gabe. He doesn’t have the courage to do any-thing bad. He never could commit fully to anything. Just another empty performance.”

  Levi walks over and backhands Eva across the head. She crumbles to the pavement. He says, “How else do you think this is going to end?”

  “Levi, for God’s sake,” Gabe implores, “let’s just all walk away. We won’t go to the police. We’ll just forget any of this ever happened.”

  “Um, let’s see.” Levi extends his hands, palms up, bobbing them back and forth, mocking as if he’s really contemplating the proposal. “Nope. Not going to happen. Because of you and your fucking pictures, I can’t walk away. You might be able to, but I can’t. You fucking destroyed everything.”

  Eva says, “Come on, you said yourself, no one is going to see Emily as a victim, and she’ll never come forward. This will all blow over.”

  Levi says, “Not with Ambrose on the case. It’s already too late. He’s not going to let it go. In his eyes, I’m guilty. No way he lets me off. You think anyone will hire me after all this?”

  “I’m not going to say anything,” Gabe says. “And the pictures don’t show everything.”

  Eva says, “Yeah, we can say all this erratic behavior is a promotional stunt for your next movie. I’ll find a script that backs up the story.”

  “Just shut up,” Levi yells. “Do you ever just listen to the shit that comes out of your mouth? You can’t talk your way out of this.” Levi grabs the tape off the hood and covers Eva’s mouth first then Gabe’s.

  Levi waves Abbie toward the Mercedes. “Come on. Let’s go. March!”

  Abbie throws herself toward Levi. “No, please. I’ll do anything you want. Just don’t hurt them.”

  Levi pushes her toward the car. “Just walk.” He continues behind her, jabbing her in the back to urge her forward as she slows. At the car, he shoves her into the driver’s seat. “Put both hands on the wheel. Don’t move until I’m gone, or your brother is as good as dead. If you do everything I say, I’ll drop the keys in the middle of the road exactly one mile away. You can walk and pick them up and come back for the car.”

  “Please,” Abbie begs. “Just let them go. He didn’t even want to send the pictures. I did that on my own.”

  “Just fucking stop! I’m tired of all your lies.” Levi waves the gun back toward Gabe and Eva. “They brought this on themselves. No one else’s fault. It’s time they pay for what’s been done.” Levi shuts the door and walks back toward the Jeep.

  Abbie drops her head on the steering wheel and sobs.

  Levi walks back, stopping behind Gabe and Eva. “See, I told you I wouldn’t hurt her. As soon as we leave, she can walk to get the keys.” He lifts Gabe by his bound hands. Gabe cooperates since Abbie is still potentially in jeopardy. “That’s it,” Levi says. “Nice and easy, in the back seat you go.” Levi opens the door and lifts the seat. Gabe leans forward into the back. With a push from Levi, Gabe lands face-down on the seat. Twisting and wiggling, Gabe maneuvers on his side stretched across the seat. Unbeknownst to him, Hannah curls in the bag only inches away.

  Eva doesn’t go as peacefully. She flops on her back and kicks at Levi with her taped ankles as he approaches. “You’re such a fucking loser. I never cared about you. I just used you like a plough horse. You better kill me because I’m going to love watching you go down for all this.” She knows every moment she can delay, Marcus is closer to arriving. At any second, lights and sirens from approaching police cars could ease their increasing desperation.

  Levi says, “Now now, it’s too late for that. For once, just try and not be a vindictive bitch.” He shifts around to get behind her head before she can rotate to fend him off. Bending down, he lifts her by the hair and slams her into the front of the Jeep. Eva screams as a gash opens on her cheek. He licks up the side of her neck to behind her ear, tasting the fresh blood. “Admit it. You’re loving this.” Yanking her around to the passenger side, he stuffs her into the seat. “Just like you did before.” She twists and kicks, her muzzled screams inaudible. Levi holds her against the seat and fastens the seatbelt. With her hands taped behind her and the belt tight across her waist, all she can do is rock forward and side-to-side. Gabe works his way upright behind them. Levi smacks him back down to the seat. “Don’t move a fucking inch. It’s not too late for me to go back and get your sister.” He walks back to the driver’s side and starts the Jeep. “Let’s go for a ride, shall we?”

  A mile down, Levi drops the keys in the middle of the road between the two yellow lines. A few turns later, the Jeep rumbles down the dirt path toward the house and barn. They speed past both and head into the orchard. Turning the lights off to heighten the fear, Levi weaves the Jeep through the rows of trees in the overgrown weeds. Low branches smack the windshield and swat inside the open cab. Levi flips on the lights. The edge of the canyon is visible fifteen rows ahead.

  Eva squirms in the seat, pleading for Levi to stop. He laughs at her begging. “Look at the power-bitch now. Have some dignity. It’s better to die dramatically than live in shame.”

  In the back seat, Gabe has stretched the tape, creating a gap between his wrists and ankles. Rotating his wrists back and forth, he works the tape loose.

  The Jeep powers through the decrepit orchard. The rows of trees dwindle. Levi stomps the peddle to the floor. The Jeep bounces along the uneven terrain.

  Gabe twists his right wrist and pulls, able to free
his hand. He maneuvers his body upright and lunges between the seats at Levi. The Jeep careens off an apple tree and slams into one in the next row. The momentum tips the Jeep and ejects Gabe. He tumbles to a stop, face down in the weeds. He rolls onto his back and sits up. The Jeep slides toward the edge of the canyon. Gabe pulls the tape off his legs and rushes toward the Jeep as it slides into the canyon. A cloud of dust and exhaust pass over Gabe. Coughing, he hurries to the edge and peers over the side.

  The Jeep slides down the slope and skids to a halt on a ledge on the brink of falling.

  Above on the cliff, Gabe rips off the rest of the tape from his wrists and works his way down to the wreckage.

  In the Jeep, secured by her seatbelt, Eva is dazed but unharmed. Levi, his left shoulder and arm pinned between the seat and the door, wails, “I think it’s broken.” With his right arm he works to free his shoulder. The bag with Hannah is caught under the seat, an eight-inch rip visible along its side.

  The tape hangs halfway off Eva’s mouth. She extends her bound hands to Levi. “Come on. Cut this off. We can save ourselves.”

  Levi shifts his weight, rocking the Jeep back and forth. “No fucking way. You’re way past saving.”

  Hannah slithers through the tear in the bag, curling around and under Levi’s seat.

  Gabe scrambles to the back of the Jeep. “Hey, come on. Work your way back so I can lift you out.” Without hesitation, he leans into the back, not concerned with his own safety. The Jeep shifts forward, almost falling.

  Eva yells at Gabe. “Just stay back or we’ll all three go.”

  Gabe extends his arm further toward them. “I’m not going to stand back and just watch you die.” Hannah stabs out at him from under the seat. Gabe jumps back. “Holy shit! There’s a snake in here.”

  “Hannah is still with you?” Eva shouts.

  Levi shifts his weight, urging the Jeep forward. “Stay back! It’s better this way.”

  Hannah retreats under the seat and emerges in the front underneath Levi’s legs.