by Sharon Sala
“South it is,” East said, and accelerated slowly.
A short while later, he stopped, then turned down an aisle between the buildings and began looking for two hundred and twenty-eight.
“There it is,” Ally said. “Third one down on your left.”
“Leave it up to Freddie to find the cheapest method of long-term parking in L.A.,” he said.
Within minutes, they had unlocked the overhead door and began pushing it up. It rolled on noisy brackets like a car driving over an old wooden bridge. East turned on the interior light, but it wasn’t really necessary since the vehicle inside took up all but a narrow walking space on either side.
“Good grief,” Ally said. “We aren’t really going to drive this anywhere, are we?”
East had seen it before, but he still winced, picturing himself behind the wheel. The metal panels of the RV were a psychedelic swirl of greens, pinks and blues. It looked like an old whorehouse on wheels.
“Don’t let me forget my sunglasses,” he muttered, as he moved toward the ancient vehicle.
Ally snorted. “You aren’t worried about harmful UV rays. You’re just afraid someone you know will see you in this.”
He laughed. “You may be right. However, wait until you see what’s inside.” He opened the door and then stood aside, letting her go in first. “There’s a light switch to the left as you step up.”
“It better be good, or—” She forgot what she’d been going to say. “Oh…my…God.”
East had to push her gently to get her to move so that he could follow. Even then, Ally stood with her mouth agape, unable to believe her eyes at the array of state-of-the-art equipment inside.
“It’s one of the best stake-out vehicles we ever used, and he has obviously updated it from time to time. Whatever you need is in here. Satellite feeds. Faxes. Computer systems, printers, video equipment, tracking devices…”
“Even telephone tracing systems,” Ally added, running her fingers lightly over the console of one setup. Then she turned to East. “I am in heaven.”
He poked the end of her nose with his forefinger and grinned.
“You just think this is heaven, honey. Wait until I expand your world and then tell me that again.”
She frowned. “Expand my—?” She started to blush. “Oh. You mean when we eventually make love that I will have a lesser appreciation for technical equipment?”
East’s face was a study of momentary confusion, and then he burst out laughing. Before she could take offense, he hugged her close. “Honey, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you aren’t sexy, because you are. In fact, you’re the most desirable woman I’ve ever met in my life.”
Ally beamed. “Why, thank you. The feeling is mutual.”
He shook his head and then handed her the keys to his car. “I’m going to drive this out. As soon as I do, pull my car inside. This is a perfect place to leave it.”
Thirty minutes later, they had transferred their bags and supplies into Baby and were on their way.
Jeff woke abruptly into the airless dark, his heartbeat pounding like a sledgehammer against his eardrums, and for one second before sanity leveled, he thought he’d gone blind.
“Have mercy,” he muttered, and rolled to a seated position on the edge of his cot.
He was cold. He’d been cold for so long. Despite the triple layer of blankets he’d been sleeping under, he hadn’t been warm once since they’d put him in the hole. Wearily, he rubbed his hands over his face, scratching the heavy growth of whiskers. Never in his life had he wanted a shower and a shave as badly as he did now.
He stood carefully, feeling his way along the wall until he came to the edge of the table. Using his fingers to see, he felt for the cup he kept beside the water can. When he found it, his fingers carefully curled around the handle as he dipped it into the water. As he dipped, the cup suddenly scraped along the bottom in a tinny, rasping sound. He froze. That had never happened before. Bracing himself so that he wouldn’t accidentally tip anything over, he put his other hand down in the can, feeling along the side for the level of water. To his dismay, he estimated less than three inches were left.
He hesitated, weighing his thirst against the possibility that these monsters would not respond to any more demands, and then poured the water in the cup back into the can and set it aside. He could wait a little longer to quench his thirst.
His stomach rumbled, but he’d already faced the dwindling supply of field rations and cut back on his food as well. He had no way of trusting that they would replenish what was here, and no way of knowing how long it would be before his father found him.
But the moment his father’s face appeared in his mind’s eye, he became even more determined to survive. God in heaven, it couldn’t end like this. Life had kicked him in the teeth for fourteen years and then he’d met East. He still remembered the gut-wrenching fear of rounding a corner on that high mountain path and coming face-to-face with the man. But the darkness Jeff had seen in East’s eyes had quickly turned to shock, then curiosity as they stood without speaking. It was East who’d finally broken the silence with a line that still made Jeff smile.
“Hey kid, aren’t you kinda far out for pizza delivery?”
Jeff remembered grinning. It was a memorable occasion for many reasons, not the least of which was that he hadn’t had anything to smile about in so long he thought he’d forgotten how.
He sighed, took four steps sideways then turned and began to pace.
Five steps forward.
Stop. Turn.
Five steps back.
Any more either way and he would hit wall.
He’d walked it so many times now that his count was subconscious, allowing him the freedom to pursue other thoughts. Periodically, he worried about his job and classes, wondering if they would let him back in, then reality would return. If East didn’t find him, the concern was moot. And there were the times when a woman’s face slipped through his mind. A woman with flashing brown eyes, dark, chin-length hair, who when she stretched, could look eye-to-eye with the second button down on his shirt.
His steps began to drag as the endless chill soaked deeper into his bones, yet he continued to move. Beads of sweat began to pearl on his forehead and upper lip, which when he thought about it, didn’t compute. How in hell could he possibly sweat when he was cold all the way through?
Finally he stopped and looked up at the weak beam of pencil-thin light coming through the air tube. The hole was so small that the light rays seemed to disappear in midair halfway down to the floor. As he stood, something inside of him snapped, and he spun angrily and stomped toward the steps, bumping into his cot as he went. Halfway up, he tripped and fell, catching himself with outstretched hands, but not soon enough to save both knees from the impact. The pain only made his fury worse.
“Cowards! You’re all a bunch of sorry cowards! I need water and some decent food. I need a bath and fresh air. Just because you people choose to live like animals, doesn’t mean I will.”
He hammered long and hard on the underside of the heavy metal door with his fists until they were numb and bleeding, and he still didn’t stop. Finally, he gave the door a last angry blow, then moved down to the bottom of the stairs and then shouted at the top of his voice.
“You can kill me three ways to Sunday, but you won’t break me. Do you hear me you bastards? You won’t break me!”
Silence was his answer. With shaking steps, he made his way back to his cot and lay down. Pulling the blankets over his bruised and shaking body, he closed his eyes and escaped the only way he knew how—in his sleep.
It was night when East crossed the California border into Nevada. Baby’s tires made a whining sound as they rolled along Interstate 15 into the desert stretching out before them. Ally rode silently in the passenger seat and he marveled at a woman who could be so silent for so long. The last time they’d traded words was when they’d stopped to eat, and now, her gaze stayed fixed upon the highwa
y in front of them, as if she needed to keep watch just to keep them safe. He shook his head in silent wonder. If he’d had a partner like her before, he might not have come undone. Then he sighed. Before didn’t matter. It was the hell they were in now that kept him simmering with unresolved anger.
“If you get tired, I’ll drive,” Ally said.
Her voice startled him, and it took him a moment to answer.
He thought of the wild colors on the outside of the vehicle and grinned. “Yeah, you wait until it’s dark to get behind the wheel,” he teased.
She smiled primly. “I’m no dummy.”
He chuckled, then shook his head.
“Thanks, but I’m still good to go. However, when we get to the Prima Donna, I’m stopping for the night.”
“Who’s the Prima Donna?” she asked.
“It’s not a who, it’s a what,” East said. “It’s a casino about an hour or so west of Las Vegas.”
She looked down at the map in her lap, squinting against the dim glow of the dashboard lights.
“I don’t see any towns between here and there.”
“There aren’t.”
She looked up. “You mean someone just built a casino in the middle of nowhere? Surely they don’t get much business.”
He shook his head. “Just wait and see.”
She leaned her head against the seat, contemplating the wisdom of such folly, then settled back to wait as East said.
Sometime before midnight, Ally began to see a bright glow on the horizon. She shifted wearily in the seat and glanced at East, marveling that he showed no signs of the exhaustion she was feeling.
“We’re almost there,” he said.
She stood, and then walked back to the minuscule bathroom to wash her face and comb her hair. Not because she felt the need for grooming, but because she needed to do something to keep herself awake. When she came out, she took a soft drink out of the small bar-size refrigerator and carried it back to her seat. Popping the top, she took one long drink, then handed it to East without comment.
It occurred to him as he took it that, whether she knew it or not, she was becoming very comfortable with him and his presence. As he took a big drink, he wondered if she knew what she’d done; sharing the soft drink as she would with a friend.
He smiled in the dark, intrigued with the idea of her as a friend. He’d never made love to a very best friend, but something told him it was going to be special.
A short while later, he began to slow down. When he pulled into the parking lot of the Prima Donna Hotel and Casino, Ally was hanging out the window, staring in disbelief.
“They have a Ferris wheel,” she muttered, pointing to the brightly lit sphere.
“Wait until you see what’s inside.”
Her eyes lit up. “What?”
“There’s a merry-go-round on the ground floor for kids.”
Her eyes widened. “They bring kids to places like this?”
“Oh honey, you have no idea.”
She pointed across the highway to another large, brightly lit building. “Is that part of it, too?”
He shook his head. “No, but they share a tram of sorts.”
“Amazing.” Then she looked off to her right. “Look how many other people are parking here, too.”
“No, those are trailer houses for the employees. We’re too far out of Vegas for people to drive back and forth, so the owners just house their workers on the premises instead.”
“Good grief,” Ally exclaimed.
“It’s an easy way to make sure that your employees show up on time.”
A few minutes later, East pulled to a stop at the far edge of the parking lot.
“Now what?” Ally asked.
“We sleep. In the morning, I call Jonah. We’re going to need some money, but he’ll okay it. It wouldn’t be the first time I had to pay for necessary information.”
“What are you going to tell him?” she asked.
“As little as possible.”
“When the kidnapper calls wanting information, what are you going to do?”
A muscle jerked in East’s jaw. “Give it to him.” Then he stood up, stretching his cramped muscles as he walked toward the back of the RV. “Are you hungry?”
“A little, but it’s too late to eat. I think I’d rather sleep.”
“Same here,” East said. “You take the shower first, but remember, go easy on the water. We’re not hooked up here, so we’ll be using what’s in store.”
She nodded, then looked around, suddenly realizing that there were no beds in sight.
“Where do we sleep?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
She shrugged, then went to clean up. A few minutes later she came out and almost stumbled on the two air mattresses in the middle of the floor. East was down on his knees, trying to put a contour sheet over the inflated pad.
“Bathroom’s free. Let me,” Ally said.
East stood, his cheeks red with frustration. “Have at it,” he muttered, grabbed his bag and disappeared into the tiny bathroom.
By the time he came out, Ally had claimed the mattress against the wall and was sound asleep, leaving the one closest to the door for him. He stood for a moment, watching the even rise and fall of her chest beneath the covers and felt an overwhelming surge of tenderness. Another woman might have made an issue of the fact that they would be sleeping in such close quarters, or possibly tried to jump his bones. But not Ally. They were partners, therefore she’d given him her trust. Yet when he lay down beside her, it was all he could do to focus on the gift when the woman he wanted was so near and dear. Certain that he would never be able to sleep, he closed his eyes. When he opened them, sunlight was shining in his face.
Chapter 12
Ally was gone. He raised up on one elbow and wiped the sleep from his eyes, and as he did, saw the note. He leaned across the mattress and picked it up, tilting it toward the light.
Went to get breakfast. Be back later.
Me
He tossed the note aside as he got up and dressed, then deflated the mattresses and packed them and the linens back in the cupboard beneath one of the computer consoles. After digging through the supplies they’d brought, he found Freddie’s coffeemaker and started it up. The scent of freshly brewing coffee soon filled the enclosure, making his belly growl. He glanced out the window, wondering how long Ally had been gone, and debated with himself about going to look for her, but he couldn’t really afford to leave. One of them had to be by the phones at all times in case Jonah—or the kidnapper—called again. Left with no other options, he settled down to wait.
Half an hour passed and he was starting to get antsy when he saw Ally coming across the parking lot carrying a rather large, brown paper bag. He opened the door and waved. When she got closer, he called out to her.
“What did you do, buy them out?”
She handed him the sack and then climbed inside. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Something smells good,” he said. “What’s for breakfast?”
“A little bit of everything, so sit. I’ll serve.”
“We don’t have any dishes or cutlery. When we go through Vegas, we need to get some disposable stuff.”
“I know,” she said. “I took care of the problem for today.”
He grinned. “Why am I not surprised.”
She handed him a paper container and a large plastic fork.
“Dig in.”
He opened the lid, inhaling the food with appreciation as he forked a large bite of scrambled eggs and sausage and popped it in his mouth.
“Umm,” he said, chewing around the nonverbal comment.
Ally smiled and opened her own, quickly digging in to the food.
They ate in silence until both containers were empty, then East picked them up and started to toss them in the sack she’d been carrying.
“Wait!” she cried, and jumped up, stopping him before he dropped the dirty stuff.
“What? I was going to use it for a trash container,” East said.
She looked a little guilty, then took the sack and turned it upside down. Stacks of money fell out, some bundled in fives, a few in tens or twenties, the rest in one-hundred-dollar bills.
East gawked. “What the hell did you do?”
“Played a little blackjack.”
He turned, staring at her in disbelief. “And you won…all this?”
“Well…yes.”
“How long were you gone?”
She glanced at her watch. “Umm, about an hour I guess.” Then she added. “But it took about fifteen minutes of that time to get the food.”
East kept staring at the money. “So, what you’re saying is you won all of that in forty-five minutes?”
“You said we needed some money to travel on.”
“Yes, but…” He stopped and started over. “How did you do that?”
She smiled. “Oh, it’s quite simple, actually. It’s all a matter of remembering what’s been played, then figuring the ratio of what cards are left in the shoe, then taking the average—”
“Never mind,” he muttered, and sat down with a thump, staring at her in disbelief.
“Exactly how much money did you win…in forty-five minutes, of course.”
“Five thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars. There was a hundred dollars more, but I read where it’s acceptable to tip the dealer if you win big, so I thought I would—”
East started to grin and then pulled her down on his lap.
“This is good,” he said. “In fact, this is great, but will you do me a favor?”
“Of course,” she said.
“The next time you feel lucky, take me with you.”
She frowned. “Oh, it’s not a matter of luck. It’s all about—”
East kissed her square on the lips, stopping her explanation. When he stopped, he was breathing hard and wishing to hell he didn’t know she was a virgin.
Ally’s expression was somewhere between confused and a little bit stunned when East set her back on her feet.
“I need to call Jonah,” he said.
