by Joey Bush
32.
Isla
I opened my eyes, a dull headache throbbing at the base of my skull, a strange, gross taste in my mouth. I felt groggy, as though I’d been asleep for days, but as my vision came into focus, I realized that I wasn’t anywhere I recognized. I was in a small room, stark white walls, one small window with the blind partially closed. There was a twin-sized bed in the corner, along with a dresser and a small desk with a laptop computer on it.
My mind reeled; for a few moments I was completely disoriented and couldn’t for the life of me remember what had happened or where I was. Who was I supposed to be with? Where was I?
Right now I was sitting on high-backed wooden chair, my hands tied behind my back with thin nylon rope. My heart began to race.
And then slowly, things began to filter back. The first image, of course, being that of Levi and Ella. I had come back and walked in on them kissing. Yes. That had happened. And then I left and he didn’t come after me and Alfie . . .
That was it. I’d gone with Alfie to his friend’s house and went into the bathroom and then . . . just a big blank after that, as though that section of my memory had been spliced out. But I was tied up in a chair and the door was closed. I strained to hear, and I thought I could detect someone moving around somewhere nearby.
I tried to move my hands. My shoulders were aching because I couldn’t bring my arms forward and stretch them out. They weren’t tied around the back of the chair, but through two of the wooden rungs, so if I tried to stand, I’d bring the chair with me. The rope wasn’t cutting off my circulation, but it was tight enough that I knew there was no way I’d be able to wriggle free.
Still, I tried. I pulled my left wrist, then my right, trying to shimmy them out. The rope cut into my skin and felt as though it were just getting tighter. I tried to take a deep breath and calm down. It was just a rope; I could get out of this. I had to.
I look around the room to see if there was anything that might prove useful, but there were no sharp edges, no scissors, nothing that would come even remotely close to helping me.
The door opened.
It opened slowly, just a crack at first, and then a little further, a little further, until finally some guy I’d never seen before stuck his head in and peered at me. His had bulging eyes and a beaky nose and awful, pock-marked skin. His grin revealed cracked, uneven teeth.
“Oi, Alfie!” he said. “She’s awake.”
He stepped into the room. I felt myself break out into a cold sweat.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked. “What is going on? I really don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I can all but assure you I am not the person you want.”
“You’re right.” Alfie stepped into the room, behind the guy I didn’t recognize. “You’re not the person we want, but you’re going to help us get the person we want. Who is Levi, if you haven’t figured it out. Oh, and this is Jasper, by the way.”
“What do you want with Levi?”
“It’s quite simple what we want with Levi. We want him to keep things the way they’ve been for years now. We don’t want him mucking about and messing things up, because it’s all been going smashingly. He’s not here all the time, so he doesn’t realize quite how good it is.” Alfie gave me a level look. “I imagine that you had something to do with this decision of his.”
“What?” I said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I really don’t.”
“I’m having a hard time believing that, love.”
I shook my head. “Well, you should. And I’m the wrong girl to have tied to a chair if you’re trying to get Levi here, because he’s probably back at his place fucking Ella. So why don’t you just untie me and I’ll leave. I won’t report this to the police or anything; I’m just going back to the U.S. and never planning to come back here again.”
“I’ve left several messages for Levi, but he doesn’t seem interested in picking up the phone.”
“It’s a little disrespectful,” Jasper said. “Alfie has played the most important role in all of this, as far as Levi is concerned.”
“I really don’t know what you’re talking about. And I don’t need to know, either, because I’m not with Levi!”
Alfie pointed a finger at me. “Now, see, that’s a lie. I know that’s a lie because I saw you there with him the last time he was out here, and I can just tell that he’s lovestruck. It’s a little sickening, actually.”
“Yes, well, you’re entirely wrong,” I snapped. I tried to yank my wrists free again and felt the rope cut into my skin. “He’s not interested in me. And he’s back at his house, with Ella. Like I just said.”
Alfie clucked his tongue. “I know Ella,” he said. “But neither of them are at Levi’s; Jasper checked.”
“Then I have no idea where he is. The last time I saw him, that’s where he was, and they were making out, and I left. And you seem to have the mistaken idea that by kidnapping me you’re going to get Levi to come out here. What do you want with him, anyway?”
“You really don’t know?” Jasper asked.
“No! I have no idea.”
“Levi’s decided to just pull out of the business altogether. He can’t do that. He thinks that we’ll be able to just continue on the way things have been, but he played an important role in all this: He provided the funds. And certain things—that I won’t go into details with you—have since come up, so we are actually going to need more money from him than we originally thought.”
“So you’re extorting him?”
“No.” Alfie shook his head. “You make it sound so sinister. We’re just trying to keep our business going. Just because we don’t have a storefront or a cash register doesn’t mean that we are not a viable business.”
“It doesn’t sound like you are if you can’t keep things running without Levi. How long has Levi been doing this business for, anyway? I didn’t think he had a clue about anything relating to that.”
“Oh, he doesn’t,” Alfie said. “That’s where I come in. It’s very simple, you see. Levi provides the money while I procure and push the drugs.”
“Drugs?” I repeated. What the fuck was he talking about? “I really have no idea what this whole thing is all about.”
“Levi never gave you a little something to try? Called Lush?”
I frowned. “He might have, once.”
“What’d you think?”
“I don’t know, it was fine. I don’t have that much experience with drugs, to be honest. So you’re telling me that you and Levi are drug dealers?”
“Me, too,” Jasper said, looking hurt that he’d be left out of the accusation.
“Neither of us are that fond of the term,” Alfie said. “Drug dealer. There’s a market and we’re simply filling the demand. Except there’s a problem now, with some competition, which is why it’s not an ideal time for Levi to be making his exit.”
“I had no idea that Levi was doing any of that,” I said. “Obviously, I knew he did drugs once in a while, since I did it with him before, but I’m really not interested in having anything to do with someone who’s dealing drugs. Call it what you want, but that’s what it is.” I yanked at the rope again. “So why don’t you just let me go. I’ll tell Levi to give you a call if I see him. Which honestly, I hope I don’t.” I shook my head. “Things were not supposed to work out like this at all.”
“At least we can agree on that,” Alfie said.
“No, I mean, I was only getting involved with Levi because I was supposed to get back at him.”
Both Alfie and Jasper looked at me with mild interest. “Get back at him?” Alfie asked.
“He used to make fun of me.”
“For what?”
“Because I was overweight.”
They looked at each other and then looked back at me. “You were overweight?” Alfie said skeptically.
“When I was younger, yes. And Levi used to make fun of me over it. And then we ended up reconnecting and my bes
t friend had this idea that I should get back at him by pretending I really liked him and then telling him to fuck off. She called it Project Revenge. So it wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this, but . . . there you have it. This wasn’t supposed to turn out like this at all. I was supposed to be getting back at him for all those times he’d made fun of me.”
“Except you ended up falling for him,” Alfie said.
I nodded. “Yes. And I thought he felt the same way, except I go back to the house today and he’s making out with someone else. Can you please untie me now? Can you let me go? I just told you the truth about all of it, so I think it should be pretty clear that holding me hostage isn’t the way to get Levi.”
“We need Levi. And he has feelings for you. I know he does.”
“No offense or anything, but you don’t strike me as the authority on love and relationships.”
“You don’t need to believe it, but trust me—we wouldn’t have gone through the trouble to get you here if we didn’t think that it was going to work. I can prove it, too.”
“Oh yeah? How are you going to do that?”
Alfie held up his phone. “I’ve called him about a dozen times and sent just as many texts, but he’s ignoring me. He’s been doing this as of late.”
“Okay,” I said. “So how does that prove anything about how he feels about me?” “We’re going to call him again,” Alfie said, “but this time we’re going to call him from your phone. Where is your phone? I bet he’ll pick up if he sees that it’s your number.”
“My phone is in my pocket,” I said. “So if you untie me, I’ll get it out for you.”
He smiled. “Nice try, love. I’ll just help myself to it.”
He came over and stood in front of me, then he reached down and unzipped the little side pocket on my shorts. He let his fingers rest on my thigh for a second, and then he pulled the phone out. I stared straight ahead and tried to keep my face expressionless.
“What’s your passcode?” Alfie asked.
“Eight-nine-seven-nine.”
He tapped it in. “Okay,” he said. “I’m going to call him. You’re going to say hello. Nice and clear so he knows it’s you.” He held the phone up to my ear. It rang once, then again, and then I heard Levi’s voice.
“Isla?” he said, and I could hear a frantic note in his tone.
“Levi,” I said, “it’s me—” Alfie pulled the phone away.
“And guess who she’s with, mate!” he said jovially. “Yes, it’s me. No—obviously I’m not just having a go at you. How else would I have her phone? You heard her say your name just then, didn’t you? Yes, she’s here. Where? At Jasper’s flat. Where you should be headed, as a matter of fact. If you want to get your girlfriend back.” There was a pause. “No, I’m not going to put her back on the line. Obviously she’s here—how else would we be calling you from her phone? If you want to see her, I suggest you get your arse over here, pronto.” Alfie hung up, looking extremely pleased with himself, as though he were a dog that just figured out it was supposed to shit outside and not on the living room carpet. He dropped the phone into my lap.
“I imagine he’ll be calling you back—” He was interrupted by the phone ringing. Levi. “How predictable. But we’re not going to answer it—we’ll let him sweat it a little. He’s probably not too accustomed to finding himself in a situation like this, eh?” He looked at me for confirmation.
“You know, I could just give you the money,” I said. “If you’d let me go. Instead of playing this silly little game with Levi.”
They both laughed. “You don’t have the kind of money we’re looking for,” Alfie said. “I need quite a bit. Well, it’s a lot for people like us; not so much for Levi. Which is why it’s too bad that this whole thing turned into what it did; there was no need for it. He could’ve just given me the money when I originally asked and I would’ve happily gone on my way. He’s just turned this into a much bigger deal than it really needs to be.”
“How much money do you need?”
“Two million dollars.”
“Two million dollars?”
“Yes. It’s not just me; I’ve got people that work for me. And they aren’t some amateurs just looking for pocket change. I take care of my guys. I might not be a traditional employer, but I’m a good one.”
“Sure,” I said. “Whatever you tell yourself. I’m not joking though; if you want the money, I can give it to you. You just need to let me go first.”
“You’re tenacious, I’ll give you that much. American girls are, in my experience. But you really must think I’m stupid. I know the second I untie you from that chair, you’re going to try to escape—emphasis on the word try—which means me or Jasper here is going to have to really hurt you to get you to understand that we mean business. And the truth is, we’re not really trying to hurt anyone. So I think it’d be better if we just did things our way. Let’s be honest, while we’re at it: You don’t have that kind of money.”
“Yes I do. And if that’s what it takes for me to be able to get the hell out of here, I’ll give it to you. I don’t have as much money as Levi, but I’ve got enough that I can give you what you want.”
Alfie frowned. “You a trust fund baby, too?”
“No.”
“So how do you have that much money then?”
“I—”
“Bollocks,” Jasper said, interrupting me. “She’s just trying to talk her way out of this. Don’t listen to her, Alfie. You talked to Levi; he’ll be here soon. Let’s just deal with him.”
“I don’t expect that he’d be dilly dallying,” Alfie said. “That would be rather rude, considering he knows you’re here.” He took a step closer to me. For a second, I thought he was going to untie the rope, tell me to initiate the transfer if I really did have the money. I would do it; I just wanted to get out. If I never saw Levi again, well, that was okay with me. “I need him to know that we’re serious,” Alfie was saying. “Since you don’t seem to taking us that seriously, either. Sorry about this, love.”
I was about to ask him what he was sorry for when he made a fist and punched me in the face. Stars exploded across my vision and both my eyes began to water. I felt a gush of blood from my nose.
33.
Levi
The line went dead.
“Isla!” I shouted, even though I knew the call was disconnected.
He had Isla.
That was who Joel had seen pick Isla up: Alfie.
I felt the strange sensation of being completely powerless, which wasn’t something that I was accustomed to feeling. I could fix this—I had what he wanted. Of course I would give him the money he wanted, but I fucking hated that he’d gotten Isla involved in this. I saw a taxi approaching and I walked out into the road, hand raised, not caring that another car almost took me out. The driver blasted the horn and leaned his head out the window and unleashed a few choice words my way, but I barely even heard him. I got into the taxi and told the driver the address to Jasper’s flat. There was traffic, and as the taxi inched along, I tried not to think of all the terrible things they might be doing to Isla.
I’d met Jasper a few times before, and while I didn’t think he was a bad guy, he struck me as the sort who would do exactly what Alfie said.
They must’ve got her when she left after she walked in on Ella and me. How did he do it? Did he just snatch her? Or did he pretend that he was going to take her somewhere, act like he was her friend?
“Can’t you go any faster?” I asked.
“The car would need to grow a pair of wings for that to happen,” the driver said. “I cannot control the traffic.”
I was tempted to jump out and run the rest of the way there, but it was a few miles, at least. The light turned green and the cars began to move again.
When we got there, I threw a handful of bills at the cab driver, not bothering to count it. It was way more than the fare cost, so I knew he wouldn’t
complain. I found Jasper’s door and banged on it. I waited what felt like an eternity, and then the door opened, Jasper standing on the other side, a strangely comical smile on his face, like I was coming over for a bachelor party or some fun event.
“Levi,” he said. “C’mon in.”
He stepped back and I nearly bowled him over. “Where the fuck is Alfie?” I said.
“Man of the hour!” Alfie appeared from the living room. He came over and tried to clap me on the back but I stiffened and stepped back. This was not the time for niceties.
“Where’s Isla?” I said.
“Hold up now, mate. We’ll get to that. Glad that you could finally find the time to acknowledge us.”
“Alfie, stop it. This has gotten way out of control. You’ve taken someone hostage. Do you really think that was such a good idea?”
He looked at Jasper and the nodded. “Well, yeah, mate. I would say it was a good idea. You’re here, aren’t you?”
I pursed my lips and took a deep breath. I swore I could feel my blood pressure rising by the second.
“So you’re going to let her go?” I said. “I’ll give you whatever you want, just let her go.”
Alfie smiled. “We’re not going to hurt her,” he said. “Well, any more than we already have. I knew she’d be enough to get you here, though. Didn’t I say that, Jasper?”
“You did.”
“And you were right. Where is she?”
“What—you don’t believe that I wouldn’t hurt her?” he asked.
“Where is she?” I repeated.
“Follow me.”
I followed him through the living room, down a short hallway to a bedroom. And there she was. Sitting in a chair, her hands tied behind her back. I couldn’t gauge her reaction when she saw me. There was a trickle of blood from her nose, and the right side of her face was blotchy red and starting to swell a little.
“Isla,” I said.
“Hi, Levi.”
She didn’t seem scared, which I took as a good sign. I glared at Alfie. “I thought you said you weren’t going to hurt her.” I hoped they hadn’t done anything else to her. What a fucking dick head. Of course Alfie would have no qualms hitting a woman.
