Evan's Addiction

by Sara Hess

  “Out of town with Tim…we both fell in a pool with our phones.” He gasped. “I got home a half an hour ago and saw your note. I tried calling you, then Shaw, and finally got a hold of Carrie. When she told me Shaw was missing I came right over. What’s going on, Evan. Is Shaw in trouble?”

  I wilted, even though every muscle in me was tense. “She’s been kidnapped…for ransom. We’re headed over to the bank. The guy is going to call me back and give me an account to transfer money into.” And then give her back. He will…he has to.

  David’s face contorted with shock and horror. “No!” He looked around at everyone’s confirming nods and sorrow filled faces. “Oh my, god! Did you call the cops?”

  “No, the guy said no cops. Listen, I can’t fill you in right now, David.” I walked away from him, still unduly angry that he hadn’t been here when Shaw needed him.

  “Holy shit! Wait, Evan.” David raced after me and grabbed my arm. “Do you know if she was wearing that necklace I got her?”

  I shook off his hand angrily and continued walking. “What the fuck does it matter, David.”

  He seized my arm more determinedly. “Evan, I gave her that necklace because of the way Ford was acting. His behavior wasn’t sitting right with me. The necklace has a tracker in it.” What he was saying wasn’t computing completely, but the vice around my chest loosened one notch. “Do you know if she’s wearing it?” David repeated.

  “Oh my, god.” I heard Sam whisper. Carrie let out a sob.

  Suddenly hope exploded. “Yes, yes, she had it on.” I had been so damn cranked at the sight of it; offended that Shaw had let David give her gifts when she’d rejected the earrings I’d gotten for her. All my feelings about that necklace changed in an instant and I took a hold of his biceps in desperation. “You can find her now?”

  He nodded vigorously. “Yes, all I need to do is get on Shaw’s computer.”

  Spinning, he dashed back to the apartment the rest of us following him. We all crammed back into Shaw’s bedroom and watched with baited breath as David worked on her computer. Five minutes later he pulled up GPS coordinates displaying the location of Shaw’s necklace. The area was rural and the ping appeared to be coming from a house sitting on a dozen acres.

  “Thank god.” I breathed and squeezed David’s shoulders.

  “Do you think that’s where she is?” Carrie cried.

  I stared at the screen. “It’s got to be. It looks like the perfect place to take someone you’re trying to hide. Isolated.”

  “So we call the police now, right?” Amanda asked huskily, her voice thick with emotion. “They can surround the house and get her out of there.”

  Some of the panic began to recede from my head and resolve took its place. “Yeah, but we still need to proceed like we are going to pay this guy if he calls.” I turned to Dan holding out my phone. “Can you head to the bank and if he calls try to negotiate and keep him on the phone as long as possible? Tell him we are not going to give him any money unless we can be certain he will release Shaw.”

  Dan took the phone with a frown. “What are you going to do?”

  I pointed to the computer screen. “I’m going there.”

  “And do what, Evan?” Mom stared at me anxiously.

  “I’m going to be there for her, mom.” I stated resolutely. “David, you call the cops; ask for Officer’s Delaney or Case.”

  I pushed through everyone and ran for my car and heard multiple feet running after me. A turn of my head showed all the guys following me, even David as he spoke on his phone. Blake, Greg and David jumped in my car with me. Starting the engine I sped out of there and down the road like it was the race of my life.

  “What’s the plan, Evan?” Blake asked from the passenger seat.

  “I’m not waiting for the cops. They might take at least an hour to get here as they figure out their shit. Reach under your seat and pull out the box there, Blake.” My eyes stayed glued to the road but peripherally I saw him do as I ask. “Punch in the numbers 6758.”

  “Holy shit!” He exclaimed a second later at seeing the two guns.

  Without taking my eyes from the road I grabbed the Glock and set it in between my legs.

  There was shifting in the back seat as Greg and David leaned forward.

  “Fuck a duck!” David croaked. “Evan, what do you plan on doing?”

  “What I have to.” I growled.

  “Evan, you know how to use those?” Greg’s tone was surprisingly unruffled.

  “I’ve been to the shooting range dozens of times.” I rolled the wheel weaving around cars in my way.

  “Blake, you know how to use that Magnum?” Greg asked.

  “I’ve been to the shooting range a couple of times, but I’m not proficient.” Blake confessed.

  Those few times had been with me.

  “Well, I’ve had a bit more…experience, so you mind if I use the other one.” Blake held his hand out for the other gun.

  There was an inflection to that ‘a bit more experience’ that would have had me asking questions if Shaw wasn’t taking up my entire focus.

  Greg provided some of the information on his own. “Evan, I have a feeling I would have to tie you up to stop you from charging that house for Shaw, but my knowledge of guns entails more than shooting range experience.” I heard the clacking of the gun as he checked the ammunition in the gun. “Can you let me take the lead?”

  That was attention-grabbing information, and he was right…he would have to tie me up to stop me. “I might be able to do that as long as no one gets in my way.” I honked my horn getting on the ass of the car in front of me. It swerved out of my way and I rocketed past ignoring the finger thrown my way. “Because right now I feel sorry for anyone who tries.”

  Half my mind burned with the violent thoughts of what I wanted to do to this person who had dared to take Shaw, the other half was consumed with what he was putting her through. Neither side was going to allow anybody to hold me back from getting to her.

  When I about a quarter mile from the address Greg spoke up. “Pull over here. We don’t want to announce our arrival.” I slowed to do as he suggested. “Blake and David, you should stay here.”

  Blake broke in. “No. I might not have a gun, but I’m an extra pair of eyes and hands.”

  Greg sighed. “Fine, just stay behind Evan and me. David, you stay here and call the cops again to tell them what we are doing. Make sure to inform them that there are three of us with two guns. Tell the other guys that are following us to remain back with you. We don’t need other people sneaking in behind us startling us. Friendly fires a bitch for both individuals involved.”

  “Okay,” David agreed with wide eyes.

  Greg, Blake and I hopped from the car and dashed into the woods heading in the direction of the house.

  “Do you think this is only one guy?” Blake asked in a hushed voice.

  “I think so.” I answered watching Greg scope out the woods attentively. I copied his actions and couldn’t help appreciating that he did appear like he knew what he was doing; the way he held his gun, and his movements seemed military…stealthy. I don’t remember him ever saying he’d been in the service though. “He sounds like a hacker that was looking for some easy money. He took Shaw because he’s pissed that he was denied his payoff.”

  “Let’s hope he’s a loner, but anticipate more.” Greg advised, eyes on the move and intent.

  It was good advice.

  After a couple minutes we could see the house through breaks in the trees. It was a one story ranch house that had seen better days twenty years ago. A dark blue van sat in the driveway.

  My eyes narrowed on it because it was the perfect kidnapping vehicle; no side or back windows.

  There was a small utility shed on the side of the house and Greg directed us so that when we approached the house the shed blocked any view of us. We then hunched over and ran quickly to the front corner of the house. Greg shuffled over and peered in through one o
f the front windows. Turning his head towards me and Blake he shook his head and pointed to the next window. We circled the entire house with the same results…no one.

  That wasn’t stopping me from going in, and Greg was of the same mind. Luckily, the front door was unlocked and we used it to sneak in quietly. Unfortunately, the door had a squeak and we stood there like statues listening with our guns at the ready for someone to jump out at us.

  I wondered if the other guys’ hearts felt like they were going to fly out of their chests. Blake looked apprehensive but ready to kick ass, the same as me. However, Greg’s expression was stone cold, his eyes alert, and his gun hand steady as it swept the room. I could tell he’d been in this type of situation before.

  Muffled voices caught our attention and we all looked at each other and pointed simultaneously in the same direction. Quietly, we walked over to a slightly ajar door that opened to steps leading down. Both sides of the steps were framed by drywall so we couldn’t see any area of the basement.

  We froze again when a voice called out from below. “I know you’re up there. I have a gun. If you don’t want two deaths on you hands I suggest you stay up there.”

  Two deaths? Was he threatening to kill himself and Shaw? My chest constricted. I was all for him offing himself, but I didn’t even want to think about a gun near Shaw.

  Greg held up his hand for Blake and me to stay quiet. “I’m not the cops, dude. All I care about is Shaw. All you have to do is hand her over and you won’t have to shoot yourself, and I won’t shoot you either.” Greg yelled back, his Magnum aimed down the stairs.

  “Don’t give me your shit, asshole.” The guy shouted and I could hear fear in his tone. “You won’t let me just leave. And when I said there would be two deaths I wasn’t referring to mine. Shaw’s not the only one down here with me.”

  My brows shot up. Blake and Greg looked just as shocked.

  “The cops are on the way. We have very little time to figure this out between the two of us before everything is taken out of both our hands and they storm this basement with little care for anyone. Do you want to leave or not?” Greg offered.

  A long, heart stopping pause ensued.

  “I’ll leave you Shaw, but I’m taking the other girl with me. She’s my shield to get out of here.” He stated.

  “No! You’re not taking her.”

  My stomach rolled and constricted hearing Shaw’s voice…a voice that sounded pain filled and weak. What was he doing to her down there? I was about to shout down to Shaw when Greg held up his hand and shook his head sharply.

  “Fine,” Greg agreed after a pause of his own. “I’m stepping aside into the kitchen and when you come up you can use her as your shield to go out the front door.” Greg pointed to me and Blake and motioned for us to back up towards the kitchen. “When you’re set.” He then backed up around the corner of the living room out of sight.

  After what seemed like forever, but was maybe a minute, we heard footsteps trundle up the stairs, and then a girl appeared. Abstractedly, I could see that she was beautiful, but what really caught my attention was the fact that she was wearing a black teddy…What the hell...and she looked scared to death.

  “What the holy hell?!” Blake whispered behind me.

  A second later a guy appeared with his arm wrapped around the girl’s neck, a gun to her head, and he was hugging her into his body tightly. I lowered my gun but kept my finger on the trigger, glaring daggers into him.

  He stared at both Blake and I with anger and anxiety as he began shambling backwards, dragging the girl with him. She gripped the arm he had around her throat in both fear and for balance. Her wrists were duct-taped together.

  “Make sure that gun hand stays right where it is because my finger is extra twitchy. I want to ask how the hell you found me but I just don’t have the time. Don’t come out of the house until you hear me drive away, and don’t follow me or this girls death is on your head.”

  As he moved backwards I had to force my feet to stay where they were and not run down the steps to make sure Shaw was okay.

  The guy arrived at the corner Greg had hid himself behind, and what happened next was almost too fast for me to follow. Greg’s hand flew out and grabbed the guy’s gun hand pulling it from the girls head. The gun fired into the ceiling. The girl screamed and threw herself away from the guys loosened grip, falling to the floor. I raised my gun to cover Greg as Blake flew around me to cover the girl, dragging her away as Greg wrested with the guy, effortlessly subduing him.

  “Don’t fucking move, asshole, or I’ll blow your fucking brains out.” Greg had both the guys’ arms twisted behind him, cranked up high on his back. The way the guy was howling said it had to hurt like a mother-fucker…the mother fucker.

  What Greg had done was pretty bad-ass and I would have loved to join in the assholes torture but I raced down the stairs instead. “Shaw!” I yelled.

  Skidding around the bottom bend of the staircase I faltered in shock and fury, because Shaw was on the floor in a fucking huge-ass box. She sat there, hands pressed against the front of the partition. Her head was down but she raised it as I rushed forward and the expression of extreme pain on her face had my alarm exploding all over the place.

  “Oh god, Shaw, what did he do to you?” At first I couldn’t see a way into the box but then I found a door on the far side with a padlock. Lifting my gun I shot it off. Flinging the door open I rushed in and scooped her into my arms carefully.

  Shaw curled into my body with a pained whimper, clutching at my shirt. “Gunshot…Elizabeth…is she okay?”

  “The other girl? She’s fine, but what’s wrong with you?” I gently stroked my hand over her pale, sweaty face that was pressed into my chest, so damn happy to see her, but freaking out on what was wrong with her.

  “We think its appendicitis.” I tore my gaze from Shaw to find the girl standing at the open box door with Blake hovering behind her. He’d given her his light jacket to wear over the lingerie and she hugged it around her like a shield. “She needs to get to the hospital as quickly as possible.” She stared at Shaw with tear-stained concern.

  Shaw moaned and curled into a tighter ball in my arms.

  “Fucking hell!” Holding her firmly I rose to my feet and ran for the stairs, hurried past Greg and the scumbag, and jammed out the door in time to see a half a dozen police cars speeding down the driveway with their lights flashing. Spotting Delaney and Case I headed straight for them. “Shaw needs the hospital…right now.” I yelled as they skidded to a stop in front of me.

  Thankfully, they didn’t waste time with questions; just opened the back door so I could fold her and myself inside. As we drove away I spotted the rest of the guys at the end of the driveway staring after us, fearful expressions covering all their faces. I was sure they’d soon be right on our bumper.

  Officer Case called ahead to inform the hospital that they were on the way with a possible emergency appendicitis. Shaw whimpered and her frame was rigid with pain the entire drive there.

  I caressed her face gently with trembling hands, wishing I could take the pain for her. “We’re almost there, Shaw. They’ll take the pain away.”

  She opened out-of-focus green eyes and squeezed my hand tightly in her pain. “I can’t believe you found us.”

  “I’ll always find you, Shaw; no matter where you are.” Leaning down I kissed her forehead, lingering there.

  “I was so scared, Evan.” Tears slipped down her cheek gutting me completely. “Probably too late for me…Bad luck catching up with me…But at least you saved Elizabeth.” She panted.

  Her words had me swallowing painfully and I smoothed my hand over her damp forehead. “Dammit Shaw, don’t say that. You’re going to be fine.”

  Her hand squeezed mine feebly. “When I saw you come down those stairs…I thought I was dreaming…Best dream ever…Evan, I have to tell you something...I lo...auhhh!” Closing her eyes she suddenly cried out in agonizing pain, clenching my hand, h
er body contorting.

  Pulling her closer I yelled in frustration. “Dammit, hurry up!”

  “We’re pulling in right now.” Case proclaimed.

  The next second the car jolted to a stop and the door was jerked open. Hands reached in trying to pull Shaw from my arms but I held onto her as I climbed from the car to settle her on the gurney they’d brought out for her. I then held her hand as they rushed her into the hospital and through the halls to the emergency doors, where they separated us telling me I wasn’t allowed any further.

  I stood there staring at the door she’d disappeared through feeling like my chest was being ripped out…again. How many times could a person live through this feeling? If Shaw didn’t make it then I guess I would find out.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  SHAW

  I swam out of the darkness slowly. Something was wrong with me? My body felt really heavy, and there was an achy, twingy pain in my lower belly, and what was going on with my arm? I tried moving it but it was like something was attached making it difficult.

  Blinking my eyes open drowsily I tilted my head and frowned. Huh? I was hooked up to an I.V. Why was I hooked up to an I.V.?

  Suddenly images and memories slammed into me and my heart started thumping double time in my chest and I heard a beep…beep…beep to match it.

  “You’re awake.”

  Swinging my head the other way my heart continued its erratic thumping at the sight of Evan sitting in a chair next to me. His hair was mussed and he looked how I felt; tired, scruffy, and out of sorts, and I soaked in everything about him.

  “What’s going on? What happened to me?” I blurt out perfunctorily, and then winced at my croaky voice.

  Evan took my unhooked hand in his and stared at me with an especially focused and relieved expression. “You’re appendix burst and you had to have surgery. You’re okay now though, thank god.” He clutched at my hand and brought it to his mouth kissing my knuckles.

  The gesture had my sore stomach clenching. “What happened to the dick that kidnapped me? And what about Elizabeth?”