Play Along

by T L Swan

  What are the chances?

  I take it out and walk to the window and glance around the room again. Then I see it.

  The blonde wig, it’s on the chair.

  Rosh was here.

  They have her.

  I kick the wall as hard as I can. “Fuck!” I yell. I run my hands through my hair in frustration. Why did I leave her alone?

  My phone rings and I look at the screen. Chris. I close my eyes as I think and then I answer.

  “Hey.”

  “Oh my fucking God. Where are you? Have you seen the fucking television?”

  I pause for a moment. “Yeah, I saw it.”

  “Do you have her?”

  I nod. “Yes.”

  “Fuck me!” he screams. “Hand yourself in. What the fuck is going on?”

  I rub my hand through my hair. “It’s not how it looks. I kidnapped her to save her life and now Vikinos is after her.”

  “W-what?” he stammers.

  “Chris, listen to me. I need you to do something.”

  He stays silent.

  “The hit I ordered. It’s on Vikinos.”

  “The drug lord Vikinos?”

  I nod. “That’s him, he’s her father.”

  “What the fuck, Stace? Stop it. Stop acting fucking crazy and hand yourself in. This girl is fucking trouble, she’s going to get you fucking killed.”

  “Chris, listen to me. If something happens to me, you need to look after her.”

  “What? No. I want you safe. Hand yourself in.”

  “I’m in love with her.”

  “Stace. You’ve lost it.”

  “If the hit comes through and I am not here, tell the agency that their payment is the diamonds that are hidden in the light fitting in room 3590 at the Venetian,” I reply.

  “Diamonds. What fucking diamonds?” he yells. “I can’t fucking believe this. You have stolen fucking diamonds from Vikinos. Jesus Christ, Stace!”

  “They are worth more that the thirty million I offered.”

  “I’m not doing it,” he snaps.

  “I love you, man.” I sigh sadly.

  “Stace, stop. Listen to me, hand yourself in. We can get you off. I need you to hand yourself in. Don’t do anything fucking stupid.”

  “Goodbye, Chris.” I hang up before he can say another word and put my phone on silent. It rings immediately again.

  I close my eyes as I try to pull myself together. Damn it. I leave the room and run down the hall and jump in the elevator. I take it to the underground parking lot and calm myself as we get to the bottom. I can’t bring attention to myself.

  Where were the fucking cops? They were supposed to have her, the stupid fucks. I am so fucking angry right now.

  The doors open and I walk casually out into the parking lot and make a beeline for the back row of cars. I take out my gun and smash the window of a sedan and climb in. I pull the cover off the front dash and hotwire the car. I check the gas, nearly a full tank. That’s going to have to do. I reverse out and then floor it through the parking lot and drive straight through the gate that is down. The car smashes through out into the early morning and I floor it up the highway.

  I take out my phone and put on the Find My Phone app and I hold my breath as I wait.

  Finally, the little red light flashes.

  Got you, baby.

  Hold on.

  * * *

  Rosh

  Relief hits me. I did it. I got her out of here. I turn to face my father; my murdering, cold-blooded father.

  “What do you want?” I ask.

  “I want you to marry Antonio.”

  My eyes hold his. I need to distract him long enough for her to run. “Why?” I ask.

  He starts to pace again as he puts his hand behind his back. “I told you, I’m dying.”

  Can’t come soon enough.

  My eyes turn to the men around me. Six in total. Four I was in the car with, and then the two guards with guns. His bodyguards.

  I start to slowly look around for the exits. “Why do you need me?” I ask.

  “I want to hand what I have worked so hard for down to my blood son.”

  “He doesn’t want your filthy money.”

  His dark eyes hold mine, and he steps forward toward me. The fear rises in my throat. No matter how much training I have done, nothing can cure the fear I have of this monster.

  “Your son will take over the family business.”

  “I don’t have a son.”

  “Yet.” He smiles darkly. “But you will.”

  I shake my head. “I would rather die than hand a child to you.”

  He smiles. “And you will as soon as I get my child.”

  Fear starts to close my throat. “You’re pathetic, can you hear yourself? Can you hear how fucked up you are?” I shake my head. “I don’t know an Antonio and I’m as sure as shit not going to marry one,” I snap.

  “Antonio,” he calls.

  A man steps back from the shadows and I step back. Tall dark and European, his black eyes scan me up and down.

  “Meet your new wife, my son.” My father smiles.

  He smiles darkly and walks up to me. I feel his breath on my face. He smells like cigars and whiskey. “Very nice.” His eyes drop to my breasts as if I’m his next piece of meat, and he picks up my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Roshina.”

  I frown as the air leaves my lungs.

  He bends and kisses the back of my hand and I’m no longer able to hold it as I slap his face hard. The sound echoes through the space and his head turns with the sting of the slap.

  He steps forward and puts his hand around my neck in a chokehold. “You will learn your place,” he whispers as his hand squeezes hard.

  “The hell I will,” I whisper back.

  I snap his hand away and turn to my father. “You are insane. You have killed so many innocent people. You killed your own wife!” I scream. I shake my head as tears threaten to fall. “What kind of fucking animal are you?” I whisper.

  My father lifts his head. “One that gets his own way.”

  I turn back to Antonio. He’s huge. He doesn’t need a gun and I know he must be pure evil to hold such esteem in my father’s eyes.

  “Here is how it’s going to go.” Antonio smiles. “We have a minister that is going to marry us today.”

  I frown.

  “And I will be taking my marital rights immediately.” He smiles as he licks his bottom lip. “Repeatedly.” His eyes meet my father’s and they exchange some kind of sick smile of acknowledgement.

  I shake my head quickly. “No. I won’t.”

  He grabs my face and squeezes it hard. “Oh yes…you will.” He smiles. “And you will enjoy it.” He leans forward and licks my face. “I will make sure of it,” he whispers as he nips my cheek hard between his teeth

  My heartbeat starts to sound in my ears. I’ve got to get out of here.

  I push him away from me. “Go to Hell.”

  I turn to the men guarding the door. “Is this the kind of men you want to work for?” I scream.

  The men stay silent, I need one of them to cross sides to try and help me.

  “A man that arranges the rape of his own daughter?” I cry.

  The man closest to the door drops his head slightly, and I know he is my target.

  The roof creaks again and our eyes all fly up above. Who is up there?

  “Put her in the car,” Antonio demands.

  Two of the men step forward and I back away from them. One comes forward and I punch him as hard as I can in the face. He falls back. I turn and round kick the other man, and he staggers back allowing me to try and grab the gun.

  “We have your boyfriend,” my father announces.

  I stop dead in my tracks.

  Dear, God, no.

  “No, you don’t. He has been arrested. That’s a blatant lie.” I lie.

  Distracted, they grab me and push me into a sitting position on a chair.

  My father
smiles. “You are a terrible liar, but we already know that, don’t we, Roshina

  ? Tie her.” he demands.

  I struggle and fight as the three men hold me down and tie me to a chair.

  “He’s with Stucco right now.” My father smiles.

  I shake my head as the perspiration runs down my forehead. “You are so fucking stupid.”

  “Quiet!” he yells.

  “Do you know you’ve got a traitor in the camp?” I ask.

  The two men glare at me.

  “I caught Stucco stealing your diamonds. Did you know he helps himself to your cargo?”

  For a moment my father’s mask slips and he frowns. “That’s not true.”

  I smile broadly. “Oh, but it is. They planned to kill Mac and blame it on him.”

  “Liar.” He sneers.

  “I heard it with my own ears. How else would I know that diamonds are on the ship?”

  Antonio and my father’s eyes meet.

  “I heard them talking. The plan was to take the diamonds and kill Mac before you arrived.”

  “Nonsense.” He yells.

  “You heard about the syringe he got caught with, didn’t you?”

  Antonio and my father’s eyes meet and I know that they had.

  “Think about it. What possible benefit could they have had at that time to kill Mac if it wasn’t to frame him for a crime they were about to commit?”

  My father thinks for a moment.

  “I heard him talking to another man,” I continue.

  “Who?” Antonio growls.

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t see him but there were two men talking on the deck one night when they didn’t know I was there. It was about the diamonds they were going to steal in some container or statues or something. I-I don’t even know if it’s real,” I stammer.

  Antonio looks out into the darkness of the factory and I can see his evil mind ticking.

  They know I’m telling the truth… in a roundabout way.

  “That’s why I went crazy on the day you were supposed to arrive. I knew that they were going to blame him for their crime.” I shake my head as I try to talk my way out of this. “I knew he had literally hours to live.”

  “He still does.” My father sneers.

  “He didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, you owe him. He saved me from your animals. He’s going to jail for a very long time. Leave him out of this,” I plead.

  Antonio glares into space. “Bring Stucco to me.” He growls.

  “He’s minutes away,” one of the other men replies. “He just texted through.”

  Antonio and my father’s eyes meet again. I fiddle with the rope tying my hands behind my back as I try to subtly break free.

  “Walk the perimeter.” Antonio growls. Two men immediately walk outside to check our surroundings. He dials a number on his cell phone and he waits for an answer.

  “Hello.”

  He listens for a moment.

  “Check the container.” He growls, then he listens for a moment and his eyes flash to my father. “We have a thief in our camp.”

  He listens again.

  “Call me back immediately.” He hangs up.

  Think.

  I hear a car pull up on the gravel outside and I close my eyes. Fuck, here we go.

  I hear the two men talking and the door opens and Stucco walks in smiling.

  Antonio takes a gun and aims it straight at his head.

  Stuccos face falls and he holds his hands up in the air.

  “Do you have something to tell us?” Antonio growls.

  “W-what’s going on?” Stucco stammers frightfully.

  It’s really hard not to smirk as I watch these fuckers all turn on each other.

  Antonio’s phone rings and he answers immediately. Stucco stands still with his hands in the air.

  Antonio listens and his eyes flicker with fury before he hangs up. He drops his gun and shoots Stucco straight in the leg.

  The gun shot rings loudly and he falls the ground, screaming out in pain.

  “Where are the fucking diamonds?” Antonio growls.

  “Ahhh,” he cries as he writhes around in pain. “What are you talking about?”

  “Do not lie to me!” My father yells. He walks over and kicks Stucco hard in the stomach.

  I scrunch my eyes shut. Oh no, I don’t want to see this.

  “Who is working with you?” he yells.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about?” he screams.

  He kicks him again and I drop my head as tears fill my eyes. This is brutal.

  I hear a bang outside and a commotion, and then a gunshot rings out.

  What?

  Someone is here. Someone is outside.

  Antonio lifts his gun and points his finger in the air and rotates it. The three remaining men all lift their guns and disappear out the front door.

  Oh no. Oh no. Who is that?

  Stucco writhes in pain as he bleeds profusely, and I drop my head once more so I don’t have to see the suffering.

  I can’t deal with this.

  I hear a bang and then a crunch and I hear another man cry out.

  Oh fuck, what’s going on out there?

  Antonio lifts his chin to the last remaining two guards and they walk over to the window to try and see what is going on. After a moment they walk to the other end of the factory and disappear out another entrance.

  I stop breathing.

  I sit tied to a chair, alone in a room with two of the most evil men on the planet. Is that my Stace out there fighting? He needs my help? I begin to frantically try to untie the rope. I have to get out of here. I need to help him.

  I hear another gunshot and my father disappears into the darkness of the factory.

  Tears of fear run down my face.

  The door bangs open and Stace comes into view covered in blood. Oh my God, he’s taken out the four men outside with his bare hands.

  He holds his gun up at Antonio. “Untie her.” He growls.

  Antonio smiles darkly. “Not a chance.” He raises his gun and points it at Stace. I rock my chair back and forward. I need to distract him. The chair falls and in that split second Stace runs at Antonio and tackles him to the ground. They go flying onto the hard concrete with a thud. He hits him hard three times and smashes the gun from his hands. Antonio rolls on top and hits Stace and blood spatters up everywhere. The sounds of the hits are so brutal.

  Stace gets the upper hand again and rolls on top as he smashes his head on the concrete and my father walks out of the shadows with his gun drawn on Stace

  No… dear, God, no.

  “No!” I yell.

  He turns and shoots me in the upper thigh and I scream out in pain.

  The fighting immediately stops and Antonio is only semi-conscious as he lies on his back.

  I scream in pain. Oh God, I’m going to die.

  Stace stands covered in blood and holds his hands in the air in surrender.

  “No,” I yell. “Run, Stace!” I scream as the burn of the bullet burns my skin and I see the large sea of deep, dark red blood puddle around me on the floor.

  He has a deep gash on his cheekbone and his nose is obviously broken, the blood trickling down his face.

  “Don’t kill her,” he whispers.

  “Why not?’

  “Kill me instead.”

  Vikinos holds the gun at Stace. “On your knees.”

  “Stace, no,” I cry.

  Not again.

  No, not again.

  Stace drops to his knees.

  “Hands behind your head.”

  Stace slowly brings his hands up to behind his head.

  “I love you, Rosh,” he whispers almost to himself.

  My father walks around behind him and places the gun to the back of his head.

  “Stop it!” I scream. “No, please,” I beg.

  Two gunshots ring out.

  “No!” I cry.

  But it is my father that drop
s to the ground.

  A bullet hole right through his forehead and another through his chest.

  My eyes fly up to the ceiling above to see two men in black with sniper rifles hidden in the beams.

  My face screws up in tears of relief and I drop my head and weep. Stace falls back to the ground from his knees.

  He is covered in blood and exhausted.

  A siren rings out from outside, and suddenly, after a commotion, ten policemen come storming through the doors in full swat gear.

  They run to me. “Roshelle.” The policeman unties me. “Are you okay?” He lifts his face to meet mine. “What happened?”

  “A man came in and shot him,” I whisper.

  “What man?” the policeman asks.

  “He left in a car,” I whisper as my eyes find Stace.

  The hit men came through.

  I need to cover for them because they just saved our lives.

  25

  I inhale deeply as I try to get comfortable. I’m half asleep, groggy, and incoherent.

  “Shelly,” a familiar voice whispers.

  I frown in the semi-lit room. Who is that?

  “Shelly,” the voice whispers again. “Come back to me.”

  I frown as I drag my eyes open and the pain in my leg throbs. It’s semi-dark, dusk, maybe. I glance around at my surroundings. I’m in a hospital room.

  What? Where am I?

  “Shelly. Oh my God. I thought I was going to lose you,” he whispers as he drops his head to rest on the bed.

  I frown. What the hell? “Where?” I stop myself.

  Todd takes my hand in his. “You’re safe now.”

  I shake my head as confusion sets in. Stace. Where is Stace? My thoughts are interrupted by a nurse as she walks into the room.

  “Oh, she’s awake.” She smiles, she walks over and takes my blood pressure and vitals.

  “Do you know where you are?” she asks.

  I look around the room in despair. “Hospital?” I whisper.

  She smiles broadly and Todd picks my hand back up in his. I cough. My throat is so dry. The nurse passes me a glass of water and I sip it slowly.

  “What happened?” I whisper.

  Todd brushes the hair back from my forehead and I swat his hand away. “Don’t,” I whisper, annoyed.

  “You have been through a horrifying ordeal,” Todd replies softly. “You are home now.”