Hustlers

by Chilton, Claire

  “Which way?” she called over her shoulder to Matt.

  “Keep going straight. All the other tunnels are dead ends. We need one with a room in it right?”

  She nodded, breathing a sigh at the sound of his voice behind her. She stumbled over the bumpy terrain. The old slabs of limestone were cracked and jutting out of the ground. She reached for the wall to steady herself, quickly pulling her hand back when she touched a slimy, cold surface.

  Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to gather her strength. It’s just an old tunnel. Get a grip.

  She felt something bump into her from behind and let out a yelp.

  “Relax, it’s just me,” he said, and she felt his hot breath warm the back of her neck.

  She frowned as goosebumps popped up on her arms. She didn’t feel very relaxed right now. “Are you sure they’ll be down here?” she asked.

  “It’s the only place that would be dark and damp in the hotel.”

  She shivered as his breath warmed the back of her neck again. Panic seemed to be bubbling in her throat, but she couldn’t work out why.

  “Do you have the hard drive in case we need some leverage?” Matt asked.

  She froze. He kept asking about the hard drive. Something clicked in her mind, something she hadn’t considered before. Why does he keep asking about the hard drive? Is he playing me?

  She spun around to face him, stumbling backwards as she reached behind her for her gun. She panicked when she found the waistband of her jeans was empty. The gun was gone.

  “Looking for this?” Matt asked as he waved her own gun at her. “You know, Ellie, I think this is an illegal firearm.” He smiled.

  “W-who’s Ellie?” She stumbled back, scanning the tunnel for an escape route. There wasn’t one. She knew that something was very wrong. He shouldn’t know her name. She’d been at the hotel under a false identity. He knew her as Sarah.

  “Unlike you, I do my homework.” He moved toward her with a glint of insanity in his eyes. “And, what a surprise I got when my next catch turned out to be Stewart Phillips daughter.” He waved the gun in her face. “Be a good girl and turn around.”

  “What for?” She stumbled backwards, trying to edge her way down the tunnel. She tripped over a jutting out slab, and cried out as she fell.

  She landed on her back, jolting when her head smacked against a rock. She winced, fighting the wave of dizziness that followed and trying to focus. After a few seconds, her vision cleared, and she stared at Matt.

  He hovered over her with a wicked smile. “Well, if you want to do it the hard way…” He rolled her over, so she was face down on the floor. He grabbed her wrists, and she felt him looping rope around them.

  She widened her eyes. Fuck this! She tried to roll over and push him off her, but he pinned down her legs by kneeling on them.

  “You’re a fighter, huh? We’ll get a good price for you.” He laughed as he bound her wrists behind her back. “Now get up.”

  “Fuck you!” she cried.

  A strong hand gripped her bound wrists and yanked her up off the ground. Once standing, he shoved her forward, poking the gun into her back. “Move it.”

  She stumbled forward, walking carefully on the uneven ground. “Where’s my father?”

  “You’ll see him soon enough.”

  Ellie tried to think of a way to escape, but the tunnel was a narrow space without many opportunities to evade her captor. She found it hard to concentrate under the overwhelming hate she was feeling for Matt. I can’t believe I fell for this asshole!

  She was angriest with herself for not seeing how bad a person he really was. She’d been played, and worse, she had gotten her family in trouble because of it.

  She tried again to rip her hands free of the ropes, but Matt had obviously been a boy scout. He knew his knots. Her bonds weren’t coming off any time soon, she realized as the rope cut into the skin on her wrists.

  “So, you kidnap girls in your spare time? What a fucking hero.” She glanced over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes.

  “And you rip people off. What a nice girl you are. I don’t know why I didn’t take you home to meet my mother,” Matt said as he poked the gun into her back, pushing her forward.

  “I only rip off bad people. It’s a service to the community. I think putting you out of business is a noble cause, especially if you’re one of those guys that requires your mother’s approval for everything.” She clenched her hands into fists. “How did I miss the fact that you’re a momma’s boy?”

  “You know, I’m going to take great pleasure in selling your ass to the highest bidder.” He leaned close to her ear. “Virgins go for a lot of money.”

  A shiver of fear trembled down her a spine, but she ignored it. “What do they do to you when your clients turn up dead? Put me in a room with one and see what happens.” She ground out, trying to think of a way to turn the situation around.

  She felt his hand on her shoulder before he shoved her sideways through an open doorway as they passed it. She stumbled. Unable to right her footing, she fell sideways, landing heavily on her hip and shoulder as she slammed onto the ground.

  She groaned and rolled over onto her back, sitting up and ignoring the pain.

  “Shit.” She heard a mutter behind her.

  She spun around to find her father watching her with narrowed eyes. His suit was crumpled, and there was a nasty bruise on his left cheek. He was bound to the same chair she’d seen in the video. Thick duct tape covered his ankles, and his hands appeared to be bound behind his back.

  “Hey.” She offered him a weak smile. The feeling that she’d left him down was like a punch in the gut. They were stuck here because of her.

  He offered a thin-lipped smile. “You okay, kiddo?”

  She nodded. “I’m sorr—”

  “Aww, that’s so sweet.” Matt’s voice interrupted her.

  She turned and scowled at him.

  “A father, daughter reunion. Enjoy it while it lasts.” He walked over and fisted her hair, pulling her head back and leaning over her. “Daddy’s girl, huh?” He smiled, but his eyes remained cold.

  “What can I say, I only respect real men. Violent fuckheads like you just cause me to pity them.”

  He yanked her up off the ground by her hair with a snarl.

  She reluctantly stood up, biting back the urge to scream at the pain in her scalp.

  “Does daddy know what a bad, little girl you are?” Matt’s hot breath burned her neck.

  She grimaced and pulled her head away from him in disgust.

  “Feisty, I like it. I’m sure the punters will too”

  She glanced back at him, narrowing her eyes as he grinned at her father, goading him. One look at the fear in her father’s eyes, and she felt the urge to respond with something more than a quip.

  She swung her head forward with all her might, smashing it into Matt’s nose, which gave off a satisfying crunching sound as he yelped and released her.

  He staggered backwards, holding his nose, which was now gushing blood all over his hands.

  “Yeah, she is feisty.” Her father’s voice was full of pride.

  Realizing that her captor was indisposed, she quickly scanned the room looking for a weapon. Noticing a jagged pipe on the ground near the entrance, she hurried toward it, planning on using the edge to cut the ropes around her wrists.

  She cried out when an arm wrapped around her neck, squeezing her throat.

  “Looks like daddy’s little girl was going to leave his ass behind.” Matt’s voice hissed in her ear.

  Realizing that he thought she was trying to escape, she made a show of struggling against him and kicked the pipe toward her father at the same time.

  “Well, I figure you can’t sell his old ass,” she said to Matt, glancing back to see her father slide his feet over the pipe and conceal it behind his legs.

  She peered up to see him raise an eyebrow.

  “Old ass?” Her dad frowned. “I’ll have y
ou know this ass hits the gym every morning, young lady.”

  “Oh great, a comedy duo.” Matt snarled as he spun her around to face him and then shoved her back against the wall, pinning her there with his hand around her throat. “Let’s see how funny you are when you’re dead, bitch.”

  She gagged as he squeezed her neck, and she found it difficult to breath. Unable to respond, she tried to kick out at him. Oh god, he’s going to kill me.

  She stared at the glassy look in his green eyes and the sadistic smile on his face. He was enjoying this.

  A hand appeared on his shoulder. “Now son, don’t ruin the merchandize.” A white-haired man said as he stepped into the room.

  Matt scowled, but he eventually released Ellie’s neck. She gasped for air, trying to shake off the dizziness that being deprived of oxygen had caused.

  “Where do you want her?” Matt asked his father.

  “Did you get the hard drive?” Jerry Starling asked his son.

  She glanced up at them, trying to force her shaky muscles to do something other than rest limply against the damp wall. Come on, you dumbass! Don’t just stand here.

  “No, she didn’t have it.”

  Starling turned to study her for a moment with sharp dark eyes. He was a thin and gaunt man with long, spindly fingers. “Did you search her?”

  “No.” Matt glanced back at her.

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Search her, and then tie her up next her father.” Starling snapped before turning away from her and facing her father. “Ah Stewart, still with us I see. I hope the accommodation isn’t too cramped for you.”

  “Not at all, Jerry,” her father replied. She glanced over to see a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Your son has been a very amusing host. Although, I’m not sure he’s good enough for my daughter.”

  Matt started patting Ellie down, his hands roaming all over her body.

  “Oh, and why is that?” Starling asked.

  She ground her teeth when Matt touched her ass as he pulled her cell phone out of her jeans pocket. She felt his breath on her neck as he expelled a soft laugh while he violated her personal space.

  Fuck this. She kicked back, slamming her foot into his shin. Matt yelped as she spun around, hooked her foot around his ankle and yanked it out from under him in one smooth movement while he was off-balance.

  She smiled as he toppled onto the floor. Then she pulled her leg back, preparing to kick the living crap out of him while he was down. She paused when she felt the cold barrel of a gun pressing against her temple.

  “She’s just better than he is.” She heard her dad say.

  “Get in the chair.” Starling snapped, pushing Ellie toward her father.

  She stumbled before eventually taking a seat in the chair beside her father. She faced Starling, who leveled the gun at them both.

  “Get up!” Starling kicked his son in the side. “Tie that bitch up.”

  Matt groaned before pushing himself up off the ground

  Matt hurried over to her, grabbing a roll of duct tape off a nearby table along the way. He grabbed her ankle and taped it to the chair, warily glancing up as he knelt beside her. It was reassuring to see the look of fear in his eyes. She scowled down at him. I’m not finished with you yet.

  “So,” her father said. “What’s the plan for this evening?”

  Starling narrowed his eyes. “You really do think you’re untouchable, don’t you?”

  Her father smiled. “Now, now, there’s no need to be hostile. I just don’t think our kids are a good match.” He turned to face Ellie. “Next time I tell you that you can’t go on a date, I expect you to listen to me.”

  She sighed. It was painful to admit, but he was right. The sparkle of mischief in his eyes made her instantly feel safe.

  “Sorry, dad.” She flashed him a smile, hiding her fear over what would happen next. It was a relief that he was safe beside her, no matter how screwed they were.

  “Do you think this is a joke?” Starling snapped.

  Ellie peered at him. His face was red with anger.

  “Let’s see how amusing you find it when your daughter is lying next to you with a bullet in her fucking brain!” Starling aimed the gun at her.

  “How will you find your missing hard drive if you shoot her,” her father asked quietly. There was a chilling darkness in his voice.

  “Maybe I’ll shoot you instead?” Starling snapped, pointing the gun toward her father.

  “Maybe you will.” Her dad looked him straight in the eye.

  Starling faltered under her father’s glare. He shook his head and lowered the gun. “No, that’s what you want. I’m not that stupid, Phillips.”

  Ellie frowned. She knew her father well enough to know that the last thing he wanted was to be shot in the face. How much of a number did he do on this guy to convince him that shooting him was a bad idea?

  “Where’s the hard drive?” Starling asked her. “Tell me, and I’ll let you both go.”

  “Do I have your word on that?” Ellie asked, tilting her head to the side.

  “Yeah, you have my word,” Starling said as Matt finished binding her to the chair and then stood up, walking over to stand beside his father.

  “Oh, okay then. There’s this secret place, where I left it with this guy. You have to follow some specific instructions to get there and get hold of it though,” she said.

  “Fine. Give me the instructions.” Starling waved the gun at her.

  “I have your word that you’ll let us go, right?”

  “Yeah, you have my fucking word. Now tell me!”

  “You cross your heart and hope to die?” She forced herself not to grin.

  “Yeah, whatever. Tell me!”

  “Okay, so you need to go to Button Moon.” She glanced down at her feet, concealing the smile that had appeared on her face.

  “What is that? Is it a bar or something?” Starling sounded confused.

  “To get there…” She interrupted. “You need to follow Mr. Spoon.”

  “Who?” He glanced at his son.

  “I’m trying to tell you,” she said as earnestly as she could without laughing. “Maybe you should write it down?”

  She peered up through her dark fringe of hair to see Matt hold up her phone and start tapping onto the screen while mumbling to himself as he wrote out her instructions on the phone.

  “Go to Button Moon and follow Mr. Spoon…” He trailed off as he stared at the screen. Then he narrowed his eyes and glared at her.

  “Then,” she said. “You need to go fuck yourself.”

  Her father choked out a laugh beside her. She glanced over at him. His shoulders were shaking in silent laughter.

  “Gimme that fucking thing.” Starling ripped her phone out of Matt’s hands. He pressed a few buttons, and then studied the phone. “Maybe Jimmy will know where the hard drive is.” He shot her a nasty smile as he held the phone to his ear, clearly making a call on it.

  Ellie’s amusement dried up in an instant. Jimmy was just a kid. He couldn’t handle this guy on his own.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Ellie is indisposed right now,” Starling said into the phone.

  Her pulse raced. Jimmy must have answered, thinking it was her calling him. She glanced at her father, noticing concern in his eyes. They both knew that out of the three of them, Jimmy was the least prepared for this kind of situation.

  “There’s no need to get upset, son. You just need to bring me the hard drive, and I’ll give you your sister back.” Starling flashed a nasty smile. “It’s good that you have it.”

  She inwardly groaned. Now they knew that Jimmy had the evidence, they didn’t need her or her father alive anymore.

  “In an hour. Come to the hotel,” Starling said. “Yes, they’ll be here, and they’ll be alive.” Starling hung up the phone. “Sweet kid.” He grinned.

  Ellie scowled at him.

  “Can I kill that bitch now?” Matt cracked his knuckles.

  “No, not yet. I
wanna see what Jimmy brings us first. Come on.”

  “What about them?” Matt asked, pointing to her and her father.

  “These tunnels flush out around this time every day.” Starling glanced at his watch. “Enjoy your last hour together,” he said with a smile.

  He and Matt turned to leave, both smiling.

  After they left the room, Ellie turned to her father. “Jimmy can’t handle them. We need to get out of here.”

  “I know,” her father muttered. “Also, I don’t fancy drowning.”

  “How’s it going?” Ellie glanced at her father as he held the pipe between his ankles with it pointing up toward his wrists, which were still tied behind his back.

  His shoulders tensed as he rubbed the tape around his wrists against the jagged edge of the pipe. “You couldn’t have kicked over that gigantic knife instead?” He nodded at the knife on the table.

  “I didn’t want to stab you.” She shrugged. “I just hope we nail those bastards when we get out of here.”

  “You’re going to university when we get out of here,” her father muttered.

  She narrowed her eyes. “I am not. You can’t call this an—”

  “Epic management failure?” He finished her sentence for her while shooting her an incredulous look. “Yes, I can! What happened to responsibility? You were supposed to feel out the mark, not feel him up!”

  “Bite me,” she muttered. It was humiliating because he was right. If she’d stuck to her job rather than go on a date, none of this would have happened. She’d been distracted by a pretty face, and now her whole family was in danger.

  “Oh, I think I’ve got it. I just need—” He paused as a loud crashing sound echoed down the tunnels.

  “Might wanna hurry it up,” she said, scanning the room for a safe way to escape the rushing water.

  “It’s early. He said we had an hour.” Her father quickly freed his hands. Then he reached over, ripping away at the rope that was binding hers. “Hold onto that pipe, and hold your breath.” He nodded at the thick pipe that ran along the wall beside her as he reached for a rung that was embedded in the wall behind him. “It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”