The Search for Skylar

by J. R. Tate

  She dialed one more time. Nothing. And he hadn’t responded to her text message yet. Going back inside, she threw her purse on the entryway table and sat down on the couch.

  She was overreacting. He was fine. She just hated not having contact with him.

  ***

  Charlie didn’t want to lower the gun. If he did, he’d lose all control of the situation. He heard a hammer click behind him, and saw the gun in the man’s hand. His hand began to shake, and he tried to steady it. It was a sign of weakness and a green light for them to take advantage of it.

  “That’s a nice gun. But mine is bigger,” the bearded man said, waving his back and forth before aiming it right at Charlie. “And you don’t have the sack to kill. I can tell.”

  Charlie grasped the gun, attempting to keep both guys in sight. They were both relaxed, like this was just another day.

  “Where’s my daughter?” Charlie asked, knowing he wouldn’t get a direct answer. “I’m not dropping the gun until you tell me.” His eyes stung. The tears were gathering in the corners of his eyes and he blinked them back. Now was not the time to break down. He had let Skylar down already. He would not be able to live with himself if he allowed it to happen again.

  “You believe this guy, Larry?” The bearded guy motioned toward the junkie. “He obviously doesn’t know who he’s messing with.”

  “Nope. He sure doesn’t, Phil.”

  Finally, at least Charlie had their names. They were probably fake, but he tried to latch on to every detail he could gather. Skinny junkie, big fat guy with a beard – Larry and Phil. Two guys he’d more than love to kill, but he couldn’t. He had to find Skylar. These two guys were the only links he had. Mitchell G. was probably a made up name to hide Larry’s identity.

  “Where is she?”

  “Oh, she’s in a safe place,” Larry said. “You’re not going to shoot me. If you were, you’d have done it by now.”

  That was halfway true. “Take me to her.” He moved the gun off of Larry and pointed it at Phil, who continued to train his gun on Charlie. He was staring down the barrel, still unwilling to drop his gun.

  “You drop the gun and we will,” Phil replied, his smile never fading from his lips.

  “How do I know you’re telling me the truth? How do I know Skylar is alive?” His voice shook, matching the rhythm of his hands and it was impossible to gain control of it. They had him right where they wanted him, and Charlie hated himself for not keeping calm.

  “You don’t know that,” Phil said.

  A loud shot echoed in the room and a flash of light blinded Charlie for a split second. Pain ripped through his thigh and he fell to the floor. It took him a second to realize what had happened, and when he opened his eyes he saw the tear in his pants – the bullet had skimmed his leg, but the heat off of it was painful, and it was enough to knock him down and lose possession of his gun. Larry paced above him, twirling it on his index finger.

  “That’s what happens when you don’t obey. When you try to take on professionals, you get your ass shot.”

  Both Larry and Phil laughed, and Charlie smoothed his hand down his leg. There wasn’t much blood, but it felt like the bullet had done more damage than his body was showing. Now he didn’t have the gun, and he was injured. Strike two in saving Skylar. Maybe he deserved to be killed.

  “Get this asshole off the floor,” Phil said, pointing down to Charlie as he lit a cigarette.

  Larry struggled to get him up – Charlie had about thirty pounds on him, and he provided no help in getting to a standing position. If he wasn’t thrown completely off balance, and if Phil didn’t possess his weapon, now would have been the perfect time to at least try and eliminate Larry from the equation.

  Standing face to face with Phil, Charlie winced. His leg was numb, which was actually a blessing, helping him forget about the pain in his thigh. He stared the criminal right in the eye, both of them stubborn in pulling away first.

  Phil reached out and patted him on the cheek, his laugh echoing, providing an evil tone. “You wanna see Skylar?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where’s your cell phone?”

  Charlie dug it out of his pocket and slapped it in Larry’s hand. “Is she alive?” he whispered, finally breaking eye contact.

  “She is.”

  Charlie had so many questions. Some he might not want to know the answer to, especially if it was about their intentions with her. Phil turned him to face the door, pressing the cold gun barrel in the small of his back. With a slight shove, Charlie took a step forward.

  How was he was going to get out of this? The weight of the small twenty-two and the knife he had taken from Larry in his pocket gave him some bit of hope. Had Larry forgotten about it? He was surprised that they hadn’t patted him down or checked. Maybe the addict’s brain was fried and his short-term memory was gone. But wouldn’t Phil check him? He wasn’t going to question it. Maybe it was one thing that’d work in his favor.

  They went outside and Phil leaned down, speaking in Charlie’s ear. “One move out of the ordinary and I blow your ass away. You are of no value to me. I’m just taking you to see Skylar so you can witness what your poor baby girl has been going through and what will soon become of her. This isn’t a favor to you. This will be torture.”

  The gun pushed harder into Charlie’s back and he walked toward the small car. Moving the seat up, Phil shoved him inside and he hit his head on the ceiling. He was too tall for the back, and his knees were up in his chest. It was uncomfortable, but a very small sacrifice in comparison to what Skylar was enduring at that very moment.

  Larry slid in the passenger side and Phil turned the car on. It was getting late and there wasn’t much traffic or that many people out. Charlie watched the world pass by outside his window, still banking every bit of information his memory would allow just in case he needed it later. The attention was in the detail, and sometimes it meant life and death in certain situations.

  When would be the right time to spring out the weapons he had confiscated from Larry? He could stab Larry in the back right through the seat, but was the blade long enough to make it through? And what about Phil? He couldn’t very well kill the man who was driving.

  Now wasn’t the time or he’d never find Skylar. He had to do everything they said. He had to bide his time and remember that revenge would be even better if he was patient.

  It felt like they were driving for several miles before they finally pulled into what looked like an old barn. It was surrounded by evergreen trees and secluded from the main road. Phil moved the seat up and pulled on Charlie’s hair, freeing him from the backseat. He fell to the ground and a crushing blow impacted his chest, making him crash face first into the car. It took a second to catch his breath. His lungs burned and Phil and Larry laughed. It sounded distant, like Charlie was in a tunnel.

  “You must’ve slipped there, Charlie. Be careful climbing out. That’s a small car.” Larry patted him on the shoulder as he helped him to a standing position. His injured leg was still numb, some from the wound and some from being cramped in the car like a jack in the box.

  “I guess we better let him see his daughter.” Phil kept the gun on Charlie as Larry led them to the back entrance, unlocking several pad locks before exposing the inside of the abandoned building to them.

  It smelled musty and was completely dark, but Larry flicked a light on the far wall on. A low hum infiltrated the silence and several bright lights flickered on. There was a small area in the middle of the floor with a table and a few chairs, but still, no sign of Skylar anywhere.

  Charlie thought for a moment that he was being played. What if they brought him all the way out here to kill him? Saying Skylar was here was for false hope and to get him to be more willing to go without a fight.

  Charlie watched the gun in Phil’s hand. He tried to read their body language, and though he was still in big trouble, he let out a sigh of relief when Phil holstered the gun in his belt. They still ha
d not tried to take the gun Charlie had acquired from Larry, and he was starting to feel confident that Larry really did forget about it.

  “You’re in for a treat,” Larry said as he smiled, his crooked meth addict teeth making Charlie’s stomach flip. It was hard to believe that Cassie was involved with this guy.

  They walked down a long hallway that was dimly lit. There were several doors on either side of them, and Charlie’s instinct was that this was where the girls were kept, like livestock. This wasn’t supposed to happen. How could people have the heart to treat a human being like this? With enough money involved, people didn’t think twice.

  Larry pulled a set of keys from his pocket and they jingled as he flipped through them, searching for the one to unlock the door right in front of them. Phil clenched Charlie’s arm so tight that his nails dug through his shirt and scratched his skin. Now was the moment of truth. Would Skylar really be there? And what kind of shape would she be in?

  “Go on, unlock it, Larry.” Phil nodded toward the lock. “Do not try to go in there to talk to her. You stay right here with us. Chances are, she’ll be so out of it, she won’t even know it’s you.”

  Charlie closed his eyes, bracing himself. He was likely to lose all control when he saw her.

  The door squeaked open and it was dark, so he had to squint to try and see inside. Larry flipped another switch and a small lamp turned on in the ceiling. Skylar was on a small mattress. Her hands were over her head; tied to a metal pole and her legs were restrained against the bed frame. Her clothes were filthy and it was hard to tell if she had been beaten.

  “Skylar?” Charlie’s voice cracked and he let the tears fall. He couldn’t fight it anymore. “Skylar, baby, it’s Dad.”

  Her head turned to face him, but her stare was blank, like she didn’t recognize him. What had they done to his baby girl?

  “Skylar, it’s me.” Charlie stepped forward, but Phil clamped down on his arm harder and the familiar coolness of the barrel of the gun pressed into his side. These guys were evil enough to kill him right in front of her, so he took it easy.

  She tried to sit up, but the restraints stood strong. Her torso lifted off of the mattress and she squinted, attempting to see who was at her door. Charlie got his first good look at her face – bruises under her eyes and a fat lip were the first things he noticed against the dirt caked on her skin.

  “Dad?” Her voice was raspy and she could barely talk.

  “I’m going to get you out of this, Skylar. I’m glad you’re alive. Stay strong…”

  Another sharp blow to his side made him fall to his knees. Phil pulled his hair – the pain was so sharp that Charlie let out a deep groan. He saw a rat scurry across the floor, not far from where they were.

  “Shame on you for giving your daughter false hope.” Phil lifted him up, jamming the gun against him again. “You really think we’re gonna let you live after seeing this?” He spread his hands, displaying the whole set up around them. “I just wanted you to see what she’s in for. And I wanted her to know that her dad is a dead man. It all works out for us.”

  Charlie looked back in on Skylar, making eye contact with her. He didn’t have to say anything to communicate with her, and he hoped she understood that this wasn’t over yet. Her eyebrows settled in a hard line and he could swear she nodded. He hoped he wasn’t misreading her body language – after all, she did appear pretty drugged up and it might just be wishful thinking.

  “Shut the door, Larry!” Phil shoved Charlie, but he kept his ground.

  They edged back down the hallway, and Charlie wondered how many girls were behind these doors, and how many had come through and were now gone, never to be found again. He mentally counted how many doors down Skylar was from the middle meeting area he had first seen when they came inside. Once he broke free, he’d save them all, but Skylar was priority, and he felt guilty thinking that.

  Phil slammed Charlie against the wall, getting in his face. Clutching his collar, he stayed silent for a second. If the gun wasn’t pointed right at him, Charlie would have kneed the son of a bitch - he was at a perfect angle to do it. But just as he worked the courage up, Phil threw him to the floor and he skid several feet before coming to a stop against the legs of the table.

  “Who the hell do you think you are, talking to your daughter? I told you that seeing her was a gift. One last little moment before I blow your fucking brains against the wall.” Turning to Larry, Phil said, “Go out to the car. My tool is in the trunk.” He handed Larry the keys and faced Charlie again, smiling.

  His tool? What in the hell was that? Charlie’s heart fluttered, and he scooted a few inches back in hopes that Phil wouldn’t notice his retreat.

  “One thing is for certain, Charlie Wright. You’re gonna die tonight.”

  “And what happens to Skylar? Where will she go?” Charlie kept an eye on the exit. With only one guy around, if he worked fast, maybe he could make his move. He didn’t have much to lose. What good would it do if he just allowed them to kill him without trying to save Skylar first?

  “She’s a sex slave. We take the highest bidder and traffic her ass to Mexico. Or whichever country wants her. And we’ll make big bucks off of her. Perfect age and everything.”

  As Phil talked about Skylar, it proved to be enough distraction. Charlie reached for Larry’s gun in his pocket, pointing it right at Phil. Sliding against the wall, he got to a standing position, fighting his body’s warning to stay still. His side ached and he was pretty sure he had some internal injuries going on. Ignoring the pain, he held the gun right on Phil.

  “Well, well, well, someone came armed.”

  Charlie glanced at the door again. Thankfully, Larry was taking his time. “Funny you say that, because it’s your dickhead partner’s gun. I took it back at the house before you got there. Funny how he didn’t take it back from me. You forget to search me?”

  “His brain is so fried he doesn’t remember one second to the next.” Phil stepped closer. “That’s a little bitty twenty two. What do you plan on doing with that?”

  “I guarantee you I will not drop it this time.” Charlie grit his teeth. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.

  “I wanted to torture you. But looks like I’ll just have to do you quick. But before you die, I want the last thing you to know is that Skylar will forever be a slave. I might take her to be mine.”

  Phil raised the gun, his index finger right on the trigger. A loud shot rang out, rattling the barn around them. This time, Charlie didn’t feel any pain. This time, the son of a bitch with the beard fell to the floor as a pool of blood formed around his motionless body. It was a small caliber gun, but the shot at point blank range had done the trick, stopping Phil dead in his tracks.

  Charlie stared down at him a few seconds, his adrenaline pumping so hard that it took him a few seconds to realize he had just taken a man’s life. He didn’t have time to think about it. Larry had to have heard the commotion, so he ducked behind a door, waiting for the asshole to come back in. Seconds passed like hours and finally, the metal door swung open, and Larry stood in the threshold, his eyes wide as he cautiously entered.

  “Phil? I thought you were gonna take it slow! Why’d you shoot him without me?”

  Charlie held the gun tight. The knife was still in his pocket if he needed it. Standing, he aimed at the junkie. Larry immediately spotted him and fell behind a chair, holding it as a barrier between them.

  “Phil is no longer with us,” Charlie said, pointing at the body, blood all around him. “Unless you wanna end up like your fucking partner, I suggest you cooperate with me.”

  Kneeling next to the body, Charlie grabbed his gun, still locked in Phil’s fingers. It was more powerful and fully loaded, and he wanted to make sure Larry couldn’t get to it.

  “You made a big mistake in killing him, Charlie.”

  “Yeah? Looks to me like you’re the one in deep shit.”

  Charlie stayed back. Larry was capable of any
thing. There was a lot to think about and a lot to watch for. Did they have any helpers keeping watch? He had to be prepared for anyone to jump out.

  “What do you want?” Larry stayed behind the chair.

  “I want you to come with me. Is there anyone else here? Anyone keeping watch?”

  Larry shook his head no. “I was about to come out here before you stopped at the house. It was my turn to keep watch over the girls.”

  “Looks like you’re relieved of duty, you piece of shit.”

  Charlie didn’t believe him, but since they had showed up, there were no other signs of anyone around. Grabbing Larry’s shirt, he pulled him to a standing position. His body felt weak from his injuries, but the adrenaline was strong enough to make him push past it.

  This time, he dragged Larry down the hallway to Skylar’s door. This time, he shoved the barrel of the gun against Larry.

  “Unlock the door.”

  Larry hesitated at first. “You’ve lost your damn mind.”

  “Do it! Now!” On the way over, Charlie questioned if he would have the guts to shoot a man, but with Phil dead and Larry on the other side of his sights, the answer was yes. The image of Skylar tied up on the dirty mattress was enough inspiration to not even think twice about it.

  Larry dug the keys out, inserting the correct one in the lock. The door swung open and Charlie pushed him inside, keeping an eye on him as he worked at getting Skylar freed from the restraints. She fell to the floor beside the mattress, weak, tired, and drugged up.

  Pulling her in for a hug, Charlie kissed the top of her head as the tears fell from his eyes. “Skylar, I’m gonna get you help. We’re gonna get you out of here. We’re gonna get all the girls out of here.”

  He watched Larry, refocusing on him. He pointed at the bed with gun.

  “Get on the mattress.”

  Larry arched his eyebrow as if Charlie had spoken a different language to him. “What?”

  “Do it or I’ll blow your fucking head off. I don’t think you wanna end up like your pal Phil, do you?”