by Ana Stone
Footsteps in the hall made her jump in alarm. She quickly got into bed and covered up, trying to slow her breathing. A moment later the door opened and Adrian entered.
She did not open her eyes until he sat down on the bed then she blinked and tried to pretend that she was having trouble waking. "Adrian? I'm sorry, have I been asleep long? I took two more of those pills and I'm just so . . . " She paused to yawn behind her hand then smiled sleepily. "I feel like I could sleep for a week."
"Darling, I wish you had waited before taking more medication," he said somewhat peevishly. "I have to go out of town and had planned on taking you with me."
"For how long?"
"Just overnight. My business will be concluded by tonight and I will return sometime mid-morning tomorrow."
"Well, why don't you go on," she suggested. "With all those sedatives floating around in me I'll probably sleep through the night. You can wake me up when you get in and we'll have a late breakfast in bed together."
He smiled at the suggestion. "That sounds delicious. But are you sure you will be all right without me? I do hate to leave you alone."
"With all the staff you have I'll hardly be alone," she said tiredly as if the effort of talking was wearing her out. "I'll be fine. Just hurry back to me, okay?"
He gave her another smile and leaned over to give her a lingering kiss. She smiled as he took her hand and lifted it to his lips. "I do love you, darling. More than you know."
"And you'd never be able to imagine the depths of my feelings for you," she replied, thinking that at least she was not lying about that. Right now she could not imagine hating someone as much as she hated him.
"I'll see you in the morning." He released her hand and stood. She smiled and blew him a kiss then snuggled back down under the covers. After the door closed she waited several minutes then got up and carefully opened the door and looked out into the hall. When she didn’t see anyone she ran to the top of the stairs and listened.
She could hear voices downstairs. Adrian was directing his staff not to disturb her and informing them he could be reached on his private jet or on his cell phone. The front door closed and she ran to one of the bedrooms in the front of the house and looked out of the window to see his limousine pulling down the driveway.
Sydney ran back to the bedroom, threw off her robe, and dressed in a pair of old jeans and a faded T-shirt. She put on her running shoes, she pulled her hair back in a pony-tail and went downstairs, being careful not to run into anyone.
Adrian's office was empty. She closed and locked the door, then walked over to the side wall and pulled back the hinged abstract that covered the safe. As expected the safe was locked.
So where would he hide the combination? She asked herself as she looked around the room. Her eyes fell on the computer and she smiled. "Bingo!"
She sat down and turned on the computer. A window appeared on the screen requesting the password. Sydney frowned for a moment then a slow smile started to spread across her face as she saw the network icon at the bottom of the screen. Clever, but not clever enough, Mr. Zayne, she thought with some measure of satisfaction and hit the enter key twice.
After that she had to proceed slowly and carefully, looking for hidden files in the system. After several hours she still had not found anything referring to the safe. She opened one of the few hidden files remaining and drew back in surprise. A schematic appeared on the screen. "What's this?" She studied the screen. When she realized what she was seeing she straightened in surprise. It was a blueprint. She directed the drawing to the printer, got up and took the sheet of paper the laser printer ejected.
As she studied the drawing , she realized the study she was in was shown on the blueprint. And unless she was mistaken a door was supposed to be somewhere on the wall behind her that was lined with bookcases. She put the drawing aside and she went to the bookcase. There did not appear to be any hidden door mechanisms. She ran her hands along the bottoms of the shelves and felt behind the books but could find nothing. Then something caught her eye. One of the shelves seemed to stick out farther than the others, like it had slid forward just fractionally. She pushed on it and suddenly a section of the bookcase slid forward. She jumped back and watched as the entire section moved two feet into the room.
Sydney took a look behind the bookcase and saw a dark passageway. With a deep breath to summon her courage she stepped into the darkness, holding her hands out to her sides to feel the walls as she inched along. Just inches inside the passage her right hand touched something cool and metallic on the wall. Light flooded the darkness as she pressed the switch mounted on the metal plate.
The corridor extended about ten feet to end at the top of a steep stairway. She followed the hallway and took the stairs down. "God, it must be at least two floors!" she exclaimed to herself as she continued down. The stairs came to a halt in a small room. There was one door, mounted in the wall facing her. It was a heavy metal door with no knob or handle. A plate mounted on the wall beside the door with a control panel apparently controlled it. She pressed one of the buttons but nothing happened. She pressed the other button and jumped as the door swung inward.
One look had her grabbing the wall for support. Fear bubbled up inside her as memories of what had happened to her in this room took control of her mind. She stumbled back from the door, and fell back against the stairs, panting as she stared at the opened door.
"It was right here! I was right here!"
Her heart beat wildly as she pushed herself up. She forced herself to enter the room. The metal table sat in the center of the room. Beside it was a cart on which implements she was all too familiar with lay. She looked around the room and noticed for the first time the camera lens that was mounted high on the wall above the door. She had never noticed it before.
"That sick monster!" She allowed anger to take the place of fear. "He watched the whole thing."
Even her anger could not keep chills from running rampant up and down her spine. She could not stay in that room. She closed the door, climbed the hidden stairs and returned to the study. She had to find the combination to the safe.
Where would it be? She looked at the grandfather clock in the corner. It was after seven already. She began searching the room, starting with the desk. By the time she had gone through the study it was almost nine o'clock and still she did not have the combination. "Where is it?" She fumed and flopped down on the couch, staring morosely at the picture that covered the safe. She had no idea how long she had sat staring at the picture when something seemed to jump off the canvas at her.
Sydney laughed at the irony. Adrian had put the combination where no one would ever think to look for it. Right out in plain sight. She jumped up, ran across the room and pulled back the picture, twisting the dial to the left, back to the right and then all the way around left again.
She turned the handle and the safe door swung open. Inside was a stack of DVD’s, a large amount of cash and a leather-bound journal. She took the DVDs and she sat down in front of the television. She put them in the video player one by one, fast-forwarding through each one. Six were of her torture.
Two were of Blake. One was of him meeting with some men at the river. The other was of the incident that took place when she and Blake were on their way to Virginia. She gathered up the DVD’s and the journal, closed the safe and hurried through the house to the video room where the large screen television and bank of video equipment was located.
There was a spindle full of blank DVD’s in a cabinet. Sydney wasted no time making copies of all the discs she’s taken found in the safe. During the waiting time she looked through the journal. What she found shocked her. Not the contents so much as the fact that Adrian had been stupid enough to keep a handwritten account of his activities.
There were records of meetings described as well as records of payments made to many individuals. Sydney read Adrian's own words about the extent he had gone to in order to frame Blake. All of it was described
in detail.
What was the most shocking was that he hadn’t acted alone. By the time the last DVD was copied she had read the entire journal. There was enough evidence in it to convict Adrian. Combine that with the tapes and the hidden room and it was enough to put him behind bars for a very very long time.
Sydney put the original DVD back in the safe, used her phone and took photos of every page of the journal then replaced it in the safe with the DVD’s and locked it.
She took all her evidence upstairs to the bedroom and put it in a big shoulder-bag. She then called the driver and asked him to have one of Adrian's sports cars brought around to the front for her. Hoping that she would not get any grief from the staff she went downstairs and walked outside.
The driver was just pulling up in front. "Would you like me to drive you, Mrs. Zayne?" He asked as he got out of the car.
"No, but thanks anyway," she replied as she moved around him and got in behind the wheel. "I'm going to do a little shopping." She looked up at the driver and smiled. "Just between you and me it's a little secret. You know that Adrian and I are newlyweds, right? Well, I really wanted to get him something special for a wedding present. You know, something to show how I feel? And I haven't had a chance to, so I thought this would be the perfect time. That way I can surprise him in the morning. By the way, do you have any ideas on what he'd like? It's kind of hard to buy for a man who has everything, if you know what I mean."
The driver smiled. "Yeah, I can imagine. And I'm afraid I can't be much help."
"Oh, well," she said as started the car. "Thanks anyway. See you later."
She breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled away. Step one of her half-baked plan was underway. She put her hand on the bag in the seat beside her containing the copies of the DVDs and increased her speed. Depending on what happened the next twenty-four hours she could either end up seeing Adrian behind bars or . . . she did not want to consider what might happen if her plan failed.
Saturday, May 6
Washington, D.C.
Adrian walked in the house to find Sydney sitting on the bottom step of the gracefully curved staircase, dressed in a flowing white dress of lacy gauze-like material. "Well. " He smiled and handed his attaché case to the man who accompanied him. "This is an unexpected surprise."
Sydney smiled as he walked over to her. "Welcome home," she said softly as he took her hand and pulled her to her feet.
Standing on the step put her at eye level with him. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him close. "I have a surprise for you."
"Ummm," he murmured, running his hands down her back and kissing her neck as she arched her head back. "I can hardly wait."
Sydney laughed and pushed away to take his hand. "Come on."
Adrian let her pull him a few steps then paused and looked back. "That will be all for today, Matthew. Take the weekend off."
"Thank you, sir," the man replied. But Adrian did not notice as he was led through the house toward the arboretum.
Inside the massive indoor garden Sydney had instructed the staff to have a large tent erected beside the koi pond. Filmy white mosquito netting was draped from the frame, blowing slightly in the breeze that wafted in from the opened windows. The ground was covered with a soft thick white quilt on which a picnic basket sat along side a chilled pitcher of martinis. Stacks of fluffy pillows were scattered about.
"What is all this for?" he asked as she started helping him take off his jacket.
"Just to let you know how eager I was for you to return," she replied as she removed his tie and unbuttoned his shirt.
Adrian sighed with pleasure as her hands parted his shirt and her lips grazed his bare skin. He tried to take her in his arms but she darted away, laughing playfully. "First things first, darling. Sit and let me pour you a drink. I made everything myself."
He sat down and reclined back against a mound of pillows. Sydney poured him a drink and sat down, straddling his long legs. Holding the glass to his lips, she smiled as he took a long drink. Adrian's hands moved up her legs, pushing the flimsy material of her dress high on her thighs. She looked down at his hands but made no move to stop him as they crept higher.
"What about lunch?" she asked in a sultry tone, indicating the basket.
Adrian took the martini glass from her and polished off the drink then tossed the glass aside. With a look of smoldering need in his eyes he reached up and slipped the thin straps of her dress down over her shoulders. Sydney remained perfectly still as he lowered the dress. Once past the barrier of her breasts it slid unhindered to puddle around her hips, revealing the fact that she was wearing nothing beneath it.
For a moment Adrian did nothing but look at her, letting his eyes wander over her body. When his eyes met hers she moved her hands to his face and pulled him to her for a lingering kiss. "Tell me your desires," she whispered.
He took her by the shoulders and pushed her back to search her face. "Tell me," she repeated. "I want to know your fantasy, Adrian."
He started to speak then shook his head and lay back on the pillows, staring at her. She smiled and moved off him, letting the dress slid down her legs as she stood. Leaving it discarded at her feet she knelt and poured him another drink. She took a tiny sip then sat and offered him the glass.
He accepted, watching her as she lay down on her side and rested her head on his thigh, idly stroking his stomach in featherlight touches. "Did you miss me?" she asked, moving her hand near his manhood but never quite touching him.
"Did you miss me?" he asked in return.
"Isn't that obvious?"
"Yes, I suppose it is," he said and took a drink of his martini. "I must admit to some degree of surprise however. I did not expect you to be so fully recovered from your recent ordeal."
She sighed and rolled over on her back. "I thought about it all night and I realized that nothing would be served by clinging to it. I'm safe and protected and nothing can hurt me as long as I'm with you. Besides, I guess I exorcised all my demons in my mind so now I can move on."
"Oh? And how exactly did you go about exorcising your demons?" he asked and took another drink.
She raised her arms up above her head and stretched, watching his eyes rake over her. "I made up scenarios in my mind of what I would do to the people who hurt me." Suddenly she sat up and leaned forward on her hands. "What would you do?"
He raised his eyebrows and finished his drink. "Me? Well, l suppose if I found the people responsible I would give them what they deserve."
"And what would that be?" she asked and moved closer. "Adrian, if Blake really is responsible then I want him to pay for what he did to me. The trouble is, I'm not sure what just payment would be."
"I think it would be fitting for payment to be in kind," he said in slightly slurred words.
"You mean the person responsible should have to go through what he put me through?"
"Yes," he started to push himself up but fell back on the pillows. "Come here."
Sydney positioned herself on her hands and knees above him. He pulled her face down to his and she lowered herself on him as their lips met. The kiss began passionately but abruptly changed. Adrian's hands dropped loosely to his sides and his eyes rolled back.
Sydney smiled and sat up, reaching for her dress. She picked up the martini pitcher and poured the rest of it out on the ground. Step two was in progress.
Blake was sitting at his kitchen table, staring gloomily at the stacks of notes and transcripts that had once been his case against Adrian Zayne. In hindsight he knew that he should have been more careful. He had underestimated Zayne and it had cost him dearly. Not only had he lost the woman he loved, but it looked like he would lose his career as well, and he would be lucky not to end up being prosecuted.
The doorbell rang and he pushed himself up to answer it. Weasel made a face as he got a look at Blake. "Man, you look like shit warmed over."
"Nice to see you, too," Blake commented bleakly
and turned away to take his seat once more at the table.
"Thought you might need some sustenance," Weasel put a bag down on the table. "Steak and egg biscuits. Your favorite."
"Thanks, not hungry." Blake picked up a paper from one of the stacks and looked at it for a moment before wadding it up in his fist and throwing it across the room. "I let him lead me around by the nose, Weasel! Like a goddamn rookie!"
Weasel sat down and propped one elbow on the table, resting his chin on his palm. "Man, we were all suckered. You can't blame yourself."
"Then who can I blame?"
Weasel shook his head and for a few minutes neither one of them spoke. "I checked on those bank accounts," Weasel finally said. "The money trail's the same as before. I think if I can break into−"
He never got to finish his sentence because the doorbell rang. Blake got up and opened the door. A Fed-Ex delivery man stood outside. "Blake Edwards? Would you sign here, sir?"
Blake signed the paper attached to the clipboard and took the box the man handed him. "Thanks," he said as the man turned away. He kicked the door closed and looked up from reading what was printed on the box to Weasel. "It's from Syd."
Weasel stood up. "What is it?"
Blake shrugged and went into the kitchen. He put the box on the counter as he rumbled around in one of the drawers for a knife to cut the packing tape. As soon as he located one he sliced through the tape and opened the box. The first thing he saw was a handwritten note. He read it aloud.
Blake,
I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I have no excuse.
All I can say is that after what happened I thought
you were my enemy. I know that doesn't make
sense and I wish I had time to explain, but I don't.
I just wanted you to know that at the hospital,
when you and Adrian were fighting, I started to realize
