Josh nodded. “So we have all night, then.”
“Unless the kidnapper comes back. Josh, he could come back any minute.”
“I’ve been trying not to think about that.”
“Right.”
“Well, we should probably save the light.” He gestured to his mini flashlight.
Alex pulled it closer, looking into Josh’s eyes for a minute. She reached out for his hand, grasped it in hers, and turned off the light.
The blackness encroached on them. It was eerily silent, but Josh was thankful for Alex’s touch. He heard her scuffle and felt the warmth as she scooted closer to him.
They were quiet for a long time. Alex didn’t move, but there was a soft tapping noise, the only sign she was still awake. He knew it was her foot. Despite himself, he smiled. Somehow here in this dark place, that simple Alex-ism comforted him.
He rested his head on the dirty concrete floor, feeling sleep creeping up on him, his mind drifting. It would be nice for unconsciousness to take over and make all the hurt go away. It didn’t come immediately, though. Sleep lingered nearby as if waiting just outside his reach. After a minute Alex moved again. He felt light pressure on his chest, and her hair tickled his mouth.
“Is this okay?” she asked, her head on his chest. “I…I just want to know you’re close. I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“No, you’re fine.” He wished he could see her, but instead he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The peppermint scent of her hair washed over him like a fresh rain, cooling his mind. It seemed to ease his pain somewhat. Or maybe that was just her presence. He wasn’t sure.
“Josh, why did you do it?” she asked suddenly, startling him from his peppermint-induced thoughts.
“What?”
“Why did you heal me, knowing you’d just hurt yourself?”
He let her words hang in the air for a moment, letting them settle into the blackness between them. “Because I had to.”
“You didn’t have to. You didn’t have to be the hero.”
“It’s not about being a hero. I’m too much of a chicken to be a hero.” He couldn’t let her believe false things about him any longer. He was different now, and he wanted her to know the truth. He swallowed. “I didn’t push you away from that car to be a hero, either.”
“But—”
“No, Alex. I’m serious. When it all happened, I didn’t think, I just reacted. I wish I was that brave, but you need to know that I’m really not.”
“Then why did you take my bullet wounds away? You can’t tell me that was anything less than brave. And a little crazy.”
“Crazy, maybe. With the car, it was adrenaline. Healing you here…that was something else.”
“What, then?”
“A decision. I knew what I was getting into, but I couldn’t have done it for just anyone.”
“Why me, then?”
“At first when I found out I had this ability, I thought I’d be some ambulance-chasing hero. Now I know I can’t. I can’t be some savior who goes around healing strangers and suffering their wounds for them.”
He took a deep breath. He was about to step into mildly frightening waters. “I did it because…I like you, a lot. And I couldn’t stand you being hurt.” He stroked her hair with his fingers. A wave of peppermint wafted into his nostrils. With her ear on his chest she must be able to hear his heart galloping away. He was thankful for the blackness encompassing them so she couldn’t see his face.
“Really? You’re good at hiding it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you basically kicked me out of your apartment last week. And today….” The soft tapping of her fingers sped up. Was she nervous? She couldn’t possibly be more nervous than he felt right now.
“Today I was a jerk,” he said. “I’ve pretty much been a jerk this whole semester. I mean, I’m a guy and I like my alone time, but that wasn’t what it was about at all.”
“Then what was it?”
“Just me being stupid. I’m sorry.”
“Okay. I guess I just don’t understand why—”
Josh blew out a breath. “I was just trying to maintain this tough guy image. Guy wanting to impress girl—that sorta thing.” His face was flaming now—good thing she couldn’t see it. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m over that now. And you are free to date whoever you want—sorry I shut you down when you started talking about Benji tonight. That was just me—again, acting like an idiot.”
“Wait—that’s what this was about?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, were you way off.”
“Uh, how so?”
“I wasn’t trying to announce that I was dating Benji. I was just venting about band issues. Benji quit the band and— “
“Benji quit the band?”
“Yeah. Actually, I’ve been wanting to ask you if you might consider being our new guitarist. I mean, I know you have a lot more experience than the rest of us, and we’re just starting out, so maybe you wouldn’t be interested, but…well, we could really use you.”
Josh was too stunned to speak.
Alex must have interpreted his silence as hesitation. She started talking again before he could answer. “Okay, I guess that’s not the only reason.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve sort of been wanting you to join, for me, too. Like, so we could spend more time together.”
She paused and he felt her lift her head off his chest. He sat up and felt for the flashlight. Giving it a click, he and placed it on the floor aiming away from them. He could barely make out her eyes. She gazed at him for a minute, her lips still parted as if trying to summon the perfect words to explain herself.
Instead of finishing the sentence, she leaned forward and kissed him, her mouth lingering on his for only a few seconds before she pulled back.
It took himself a moment to pull out of the trance her lips had produced. Meanwhile, she just sat there looking at him sheepishly. “I like you too, Josh.”
His heart lunged in his chest. For a moment he couldn’t think of anything to say. Cool? Thanks? You taste amazing? “I’d…uh…love to be in Vicarious Jalapenos.”
“Um, cool.” She was watching him, waiting for more.
Why was it so hard for him to say the right thing? When an agonizing several moments ticked by without him coming up with anything good to say, he threw caution to the wind and kissed her back. It was better than words, easier to show her how he felt than try to piece together sentences. This time she didn’t pull away.
He breathed in her scent, tasting her lips, and felt like he was floating on air. The pain almost disappeared for one short, eternal moment.
~
Nic sat in the car, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the raging beat pounding through his earbuds. The abandoned lot he’d selected for the swap was about ten minutes from the warehouse where he was holding Alex. He checked the clock again. 12:57AM.
Three minutes.
Three minutes left before Daddy’s time was up. Three minutes before precious Freckles was out of luck. Little did they know that her luck had run out long ago. Yes, that little witch’s luck had run out the day she took away his ability.
There was a small chance that she was dead already, bled to death from the gunshot wounds. But Nic doubted it, and he wasn’t leaving it to fate. She would be taken care of. He wouldn’t have waited this long to finish her off except that he needed the money—needed it badly, this time. That, and he wanted her to suffer a while. A bullet to the head would have been quick but painless. It wouldn’t do. Writhing in agony was a much better way for her to pay for what he’d had to endure.
The waiting was almost torture to the rage hiding inside him, never forgotten. The monster skulked in the dark corners of his mind, waiting to be let loose. Like a bull, he let it run crazy yet contained in its cage, crashing through his head to the heavy beat of a thrashing tune.
The cash was almost his. And then the wit
ch would be gone forever.
A rough jab at his shoulder pulled him out of his inner frenzy. Nic yanked an earbud out by the cord. “What?”
“Would you turn that off?” In the passenger seat next to him, Ethan sent a glare his way.
Nic matched the glare, considering letting the bull out of its cage, just for a moment.
“Your pounding is going to draw unnecessary attention. The whole car is shaking. Turn off that garbage.”
Nic hadn’t realized he’d been pounding. He stilled his fists, pulling them away from the steering wheel. “My music is not garbage. It doesn’t make me wanna fall asleep or hurl like that crap you listen to.”
“I don’t—”
“Just shut the hell up. I’m not gonna sit here arguing. I’m running this show—you got it? You’re helping me.” The beast roared inside him, but he clenched his teeth.
Ethan’s dark eyes went cold as if they were penetrating Nic like an icy dagger. “Don’t forget why I’m helping you. When we’re done here, you’re helping me with my own objective. It would be very bad if you forgot that.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Nic had to get his power back.
He checked the time again, but he felt Ethan’s solid gaze lingering on him. “Just put this on.” He tossed him a black ski mask. Ethan pulled it down over his face while Nic tugged on his own mask.
Lights flickered past the building. A beat passed and a car turned into the lot—a dark SUV. It crunched over the crumbling asphalt and stopped, engine idling. The driver’s window rolled down.
Nic rolled down his own window, shoving his gun through the opening. “Cut your lights, then step out of the car.” His voice carried easily through the crisp night air. He gestured at the man in the SUV and gave Ethan a nudge. The headlights went out just as he’d directed—this was for Ethan’s sake, of course.
Ethan stepped out of the car, straightening with what was almost an air of superiority. At least his height made him more intimidating. Nic had made the right decision, making his pawn do the dirty work.
Ethan took several steps just as the driver’s door opened. As the man got out of the vehicle, he must have bumped one of the controls, because the SUV’s high beams shone brightly, blinding them for a moment. Ethan froze. The flash lasted only a second, but in that moment Nic realized how little it would take to incapacitate Ethan. The guy was powerless in the light. A tremor of adrenaline shot through Nic’s bones.
Jim Hailey’s hands were balled into fists, one holding a briefcase that trembled slightly with each pace. As he took several steps closer the expression of resolve hardened on his face. His jaw was set, and he looked Nic in the eye. That look had better mean he was determined to pay up for his daughter, not to try any funny business.
Nic held his gun steady. “No tricks. Just hand over the money to my friend here.”
“Where’s my daughter?” the man asked.
“Money first.”
Jim stopped, ten feet from Ethan. “How do I know she’s all right?”
“You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“I don’t trust anything about you.”
“Fine. But don’t give me the money and you won’t ever see her again. I guarantee that.”
Jim hesitated, clearly at a loss.
“How much is Freckles’s life worth?”
“How am I supposed to find her?”
“My partner’s got the address. You’ll swap the cash for it.” Nic nodded at Ethan who held a folded white slip of paper between pinched fingertips, not yet handing it over. “Open the briefcase, set it on the ground, and back away slowly,” Nic said. “First the money, then the address. Don’t get in your vehicle until I clear you.”
A beat passed. Jim opened the latches on the case and pulled the lid open toward them, showing Ethan the bills. He set the money on the ground and followed Nic’s instructions.
When Jim had backed away, Ethan walked over to the briefcase. Nic kept his gun trained on Jim as Ethan flipped through the bills, counting. He placed the scrap on the ground, topping it with a chunk of asphalt to keep it from blowing away. Then he shut the case and returned to the car.
“Money’s all there?” Nic asked.
“We’re good.”
As soon as Ethan shut the car door, Nic pounded on the gas and they were off. Now to finish her off. Nic’s mind lit up with anticipation.
Alex awoke in darkness. She had no real concept of time, but it felt like she and Josh had been trapped for hours. Ever since the pain of her wounds had vanished, her mind had become clearer. And on the forefront were a few concerns.
She felt around for Josh, finding his arm first. He moved in response. She found his hand, and his fingers curled around hers.
“Josh?”
“Hmm?”
“How you holding up?”
There was scuffling and a nearly undetectable groan. “I’m all right.”
She squeezed his hand. “Well, I’ve been thinking…”
“Hmm?”
She hesitated. “I just keep thinking that something feels wrong about this whole situation.”
“What?”
“I don’t know…it’s just…odd. He was holding me hostage, and yet he shot me half a dozen times. Is it normal to wound a hostage? And that badly?”
“I don’t really know what’s normal for a kidnapper.”
“All I know is what I get from watching movies. But then there’s the other weird part…”
“What’s that?” His voice was thick, groggy. She knew talking put a strain on him—and yet she couldn’t leave her fears unvoiced.
“That he left me alone. If he’s holding me for ransom—if he wants something from my dad—wouldn’t he need me close by for confirmation that I’m still alive?”
Either Josh was stumped or he was starting to glaze over again.
She took a deep breath and continued. “I mean, if you hadn’t shown up, I would’ve thought he was standing watch outside the door. But you said you saw him drive away. That doesn’t make any sense. Unless…” Unless he was planning on double-crossing her dad. Unless he didn’t mean to leave her alive.
“Unless he’s coming back, you mean?”
Josh’s words sent a chill down her back. Alex tried to swallow, but her throat suddenly felt dry. Her pulse thudded loudly in her ears, the beats accelerating like a bad drummer.
What would they do if the men returned? She could dodge both guys with her speedy feet all day, but she wouldn’t be able to help Josh. Something told her that just finding him here with her might make them really upset…not to mention finding her wounds suddenly gone and her legs back to normal. It wouldn’t be good for either of them.
“I’m srrrry, ’lex,” Josh said. “Gonna rest for a bit. Don’t thnnk I can focusss.”
Alex squeezed his hand again and patted his chest. “It’s okay. You don’t have to talk.”
But she couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities and what she would do if the door suddenly banged open. She needed to prepare. If that man came back, she had to have a way to defend herself and protect Josh.
Alex felt for the flashlight and wrapped her fingers around the barrel. Slowly untwining her other hand from Josh’s fingers, she flicked on the button and covered the light with her hand. When she glanced his way, his eyes were closed. His bandages were stained red, but thankfully the blood wasn’t pooling the way hers had. The tourniquets must be working.
She pulled herself into a crouch and began to search. Sweeping the room with the light, she scrutinized her surroundings the way she hadn’t initially been able to. She traced every wall and corner, looking for something she could use to her advantage. Dust coated everything. Cobwebs spanned the ceiling and corners. A few small rusted pieces of metal lay around—they looked like hooks. Training the light on one, she walked over and picked it up. About four inches long with both ends curved like an S, it wasn’t big enough or sharp enough to be a weapon. She tossed it back on the g
round, and it made a soft clatter.
The sound echoed thinly, and she shivered. The exaggerated acoustics in the room messed with her mind, giving her the creeps. The looming dark shadows caused by the flashlight didn’t help her nerves, either. And her kidnapper could be back any time.
Alex put a hand against the thick metal door. She clenched her jaw, thinking of the man. He’d stalked her for weeks—months, maybe. Shooting and nearly killing her hadn’t been enough for him—he wanted her dad’s money on top of everything. Why? Just because he could?
Had it all started with that stupid incident at the movie theater when he’d snatched her phone? Was this whole ordeal all because some thief was jealous of her power? Because he was mad that he’d gotten pepper sprayed—a far less severe punishment than he deserved? What a loser! That creep. That jerk! She punched the door with her hand, biting back a cry of pain at the impact.
That son of a—
The flames through her knuckles only stirred her anger more. She kicked the door hard, and it made a reverberating boom. Her thick boots protected her feet, even with the bullet hole in the top of her right toe and the small puncture in her sole. She felt the impact of the kick, but no pain. She kicked it again. Boom. Clenching her hands into fists, Alex twisted sideways and threw her heel into the door repeatedly, hearing its satisfying protest each time, feeling the metal shudder and the thrum through her body. Her kicks grew stronger, launching all her fury and frustration at the door as if she were pummeling the man responsible for all this—not just for her, but for Josh who was lying on the floor bleeding.
Her final kick was strongest of all, and she felt the vibration of the door throbbing through her bones in the moments afterward. Stopping to catch her breath, she realized it wasn’t just her, but the whole room was vibrating. The sensation took her aback, dragging up a memory of an earthquake—she remembered the apartment shaking, light fixtures swaying, pictures rattling. She’d been only a child, and though it hadn’t been a large earthquake, it had been enough to frighten her. The memory gave Alex an idea.
Outsider: The Flawed Series Book Two Page 22
