by V. K. Powell
The blow landed in her gut, knocking the wind out of her. She doubled over, unable to breathe. As she gasped for a reviving breath, the sickly sweet smell scorched a path down her throat. Her nose and eyes burned and watered. She struggled against powerful arms but her limbs had turned heavy and sluggish. With a final surge, she kicked and heard a wail of agony before she collapsed.
*
Arya clutched his aching groin and drew heaving breaths to remain conscious. Butler had gotten in only one kick but it landed perfectly. If she hadn’t been drugged, he would’ve been forced to kill her and his leverage would’ve vanished. He spat on her crumpled form at his feet. In ordinary times they would face off in a fair fight to the death, warrior to warrior. She would see his true superiority. But these were not ordinary times. Now she was his pawn, a means of securing Sanjana.
He’d offer to exchange the cop for her. In reality, he’d never release Butler. She had touched Sanjana, and she would die slowly and painfully as an offering to his beloved. The sacrifice would cleanse Sanjana and their life together could go on. A simple, perfect plan.
Arya considered his protective gear but it was time for full disclosure. Everyone would know the true identity of the Noble One before he and Sanjana were joined. He opened a black canvas bag and inventoried the contents. The assortment of restraints and devices of torture would work nicely. He loaded the bag and Butler in the trunk of her vehicle and drove to her condo. He had to get her inside and make final preparations before dawn. How appropriate for the ceremony to take place where she had defiled his beloved. Life was full of symbolism and his would live forever.
*
Audrey paced the hotel suite and checked her cell phone for what seemed like the thousandth time since dawn. Rae had promised to call early this morning. Something was terribly wrong.
“Jeez, Audrey, how is anybody supposed to sleep with all this pacing?” Melvin asked. “Tony woke up in a pissy mood and demanded coffee without even a please.”
“I’m sorry, Mel, but I have an awful feeling.”
“Curtain call!” He yelled back toward the other bedrooms, and within seconds everyone scurried into the common area, pulling on whatever pieces of random clothing they’d found.
“What?” Tony didn’t look happy but he could never resist a drama.
Hope, Grace, and Charity bounced in like teenagers ready for the next adventure, with Sam bringing up the rear, a supportive arm around Yasi’s waist.
“Something is wrong, Sanjana?” Sam asked.
“It’s Rae, isn’t it, honey?” Yasi made her way to Audrey’s side and encouraged her to sit with her on the sofa. “Tell us. What have you heard?”
Audrey felt awful for pulling her friends from sleep on nothing more than a feeling. She had been right too many times before, and they knew it. “That’s the problem, I haven’t heard anything. She promised to call first thing this morning.”
Tony pivoted and started toward the bedroom. “False alarm. Insecure-girlfriend alert. I’m going back to bed.”
Audrey continued. “And I have a strong sense that she’s in real danger.”
Tony spun on his heel and rejoined the group. “That’s different. What can we do?”
“I’m not sure if we should do anything. I’m going to her place to make sure she’s okay. Who knows, I could be wrong.” Everybody stared at her like that was highly unlikely, and Melvin rolled his eyes.
Yasi, her constant source of grounding and stability, rubbed Audrey’s back. “You can’t go alone. Rae made us promise we’d protect each other.”
“We stick together,” Charity said. Grace and Hope nodded in agreement.
Tony concluded with his usual flair. “We’re like rabid, caffeinated bats. If somebody messes with one of us, he messes with all of us.”
Audrey didn’t like the idea of her friends getting involved, but she loved them for wanting to help. “Yasi isn’t well enough to be out. Why don’t we split up? A couple of you come with me and the rest can stay here.”
“I’m going.” Yasi’s tone left no room for discussion. “I don’t care if I have to stay in the van, I’m going…we all are. Let’s move.”
Audrey was proud of how they all looked after each other. That’s one of the things she’d missed most about her friends. How could she have doubted their loyalty? She was the one who had been disloyal, leaving without any explanation. One day she’d repay them.
As Melvin drove by Rae’s condo and parked on a side street, Audrey looked around the area. Rae’s car was in the driveway but not backed into her usual spot against the garage door. A large manila envelope leaned against the front door. Rae had been expecting more information, and it could be exactly what she needed.
Suddenly Audrey grew light-headed, and her vision blurred. The top of her head tingled with the warning of a psychic flash. She heard a summons in the distance, a dangerous siren call she didn’t want to answer. She had no choice. He was finally allowing her in, insisting she connect, like a telepathic phone call.
“Sanjana, come to me. I am waiting. The cop is no longer a problem.”
“He’s in there…he has Rae. I think she’s injured, not—” She couldn’t say the word. “He’s calling me. I have to go in.”
“No.” Sam spoke first, his booming voice echoing inside the vehicle. “You do not go in alone.”
“I have to, Sam, or he’ll kill her.” She could feel the Whisperer’s hatred of Rae. Audrey had to defuse his anger, redirect his erratic emotions.
“Is there a back door?” Tony asked.
“You can bet he’s got it covered,” Melvin answered.
Audrey grew impatient. “I can’t sit here and wait.”
Yasi, who had been listening and staring out the side window, spoke for the first time. “I have a plan. Girls, ring a couple of doorbells on either side of Rae’s place. Pretend you’ve lost your cat. Then find a place on both sides of the house near the windows so you can listen.”
Audrey had the feeling she was missing a vital piece of information she should have before confronting the Whisperer. “One of you bring me whatever’s on the steps of Rae’s condo. It could be important.”
Melvin, always the pragmatist, played devil’s advocate. “He won’t answer the door.”
“Exactly,” Yasi said, “but it’ll distract him for a few minutes so Tony can find a way in. Whatever it takes, get into that house.”
Melvin looked shocked. “And then what, choke him with his feather boa?”
Tony came to his rescue. “Leave it to me. I’ll create such a distraction he won’t know which way to turn.” He paused as if considering his statement. “How will I know when?”
“You’ll know.” Audrey warmed to Yasi’s idea, risky and unrefined as it was. She still wasn’t clear how they’d rescue Rae and incapacitate the Whisperer. She had to do something and these friends were all she had—or were they?
“We’ll need more help.” Audrey jotted down a phone number and a message and handed it to Yasi. Since you’ll have to wait in the vehicle—sorry, love—call this number when Tony starts his distraction. The girls will give you the high sign. Say exactly what I’ve written.”
“And what about me and Melvin?” Sam asked.
“Melvin at the front door, and you at the back.” Audrey wanted her strongest friends at the points of exit if things went terribly wrong. “If he tries to get away, take him down.”
“I should be with you, Sanjana,” Sam said.
“You’ll be there when I need you. You all will.” Audrey looked at each one of them, trying to convey her deep appreciation. “Are you sure you want to do this? He’s not a stable man, and Rae isn’t one of us.”
“She is if you love her.” Yasi stared at Audrey, her brown eyes asking the question.
“I do.”
“Then let’s get on with it.” Tony’s statement conveyed more excitement than his expression, and she loved him for it. His enthusiasm was contagious and the oth
ers followed suit. “I can’t wait to interrogate this cop and see if she deserves you…and us.”
“Wait.” Audrey didn’t intend to give the Whisperer what he wanted too soon. She sensed his frenzy growing with each minute. When she arrived, she wanted his attention entirely on her. The more off-balance he was, the greater the chance their half-baked scheme would actually work. And Rae was undoubtedly planning her own way out. She would’ve given anything right now to be able to read Rae just once.
Audrey watched as the others took their places around the condo and marveled again at the depth of their devotion. She clung to Yasi’s hand as if it were their last second together and prayed Rae would get to know and appreciate her very special friends. In a few minutes, Charity returned with the manila envelope from Rae’s steps.
Audrey reached for it with a trembling hand and eased open the flap as if it might explode. She looked inside, then poured the contents onto her lap. Several pictures spilled out of the same man in different modes of military wear—dull-green training uniform, desert fatigues, and command blouse. The last photo depicted the man in civilian attire. A notation on the back indicated the shot was taken on the date of dismissal from service, twenty months earlier.
Audrey clutched the images and stared into the face of a man she’d seen every day for almost a year—Marc Pearson, one of the mayor’s bodyguards. “Oh, my God. Not Marc. He’s not capable of something like this. I would’ve known.” She realized with a sudden wave of guilt that she hadn’t known. She hadn’t picked up anything from her attacker, and she’d never bothered to scan the mayor’s protection detail because they’d been vetted for the job. Audrey simply assumed they were stable, reliable individuals. God, what had she done?
Yasi took the photos from Audrey and looked at them. “I’ve seen this man at our performances. He was there the night of your attack, waiting outside the arena when we left for the bar. You were running behind and we went ahead to get a table. As we walked away, he did too.” Yasi stared at Audrey, her eyes full of regret. “We didn’t wait for you. When we looked later, you’d already gone—It was like you vanished. We searched for months.”
“Yasi, it wasn’t your fault. Forget about that and let’s stop him, now.”
Audrey concentrated on the man inside Rae’s condo, addressing him by name for the first time. “Marc, I know who you are.”
As if reading her mind, Marc Pearson ranted. “I am Arya, the Noble One. Come to me, Sanjana.” His intonation was no longer that of the Caucasian male she’d worked with the past twelve months.
Turning to Yasi, Audrey hugged her and kissed her cheeks. “I have to go in. I’ll reason with him to let Rae go. Let’s pray Tony can get inside. When you hear the commotion, call the number I gave you.”
“Be careful, Aud. This isn’t one of our crazy cirque acts. This is for keeps.”
As Audrey walked toward the condo, she tried to imagine what she’d say to the man she’d worked beside for a year but had never really known—a man who had brutally attacked her twice and then taken his rage out on others. Words failed. She summoned her courage and knocked.
When Marc Pearson opened the door, Audrey stared into eyes so dark they appeared soulless. She’d never noticed the unemotional air surrounding him. He’d always seemed professionally detached. She tried to connect with her mind but he blocked her.
“We will speak aloud.”
“Marc—”
“I am Arya.” His voice boomed and Audrey recoiled as the door slammed behind her. When he spoke again, he whispered in the lilted foreign accent she remembered. “Don’t be afraid, but you must address me properly, Sanjana. I have waited so long for you. Many things have changed, but I will make everything right.”
The fear and pain of that night returned and Audrey felt helpless. His whispered threats were like the knife’s blade slicing through her flesh again. Her breathing quickened and her undergarments clung to the dampness of her skin. Audrey could hear the frustration in his voice and feel the rage of his energy as he moved closer. If all the sensations returned, she’d be incapacitated and unable to help Rae. She forced the images from her mind and pictured herself surrounded by a layer of protection. “Where is Rae?”
Arya turned on her and raised his hand as if to strike. “Your first concern is for her? She is the one who has defiled you, and she must pay.”
Audrey was stunned by the vehement response. Her senses hummed with warning. She fought the urge to run, but Rae needed her. “I’m not worried for her. My concern is for your safety. If she’s here, she could pose a danger.” She forced herself to step closer to him and gaze into his flat, dark eyes. She needed to gain his confidence and see for herself that Rae was still alive. Sometimes feelings weren’t enough, and this time she needed visual confirmation.
“She is harmless,” Arya said. He led the way into the bedroom where Rae lay on her stomach, hog-tied on the floor with a gag over her mouth. When they entered, she struggled against the ropes that had already cut into her arms, her eyes pleading with Audrey to escape. Audrey wanted to go to her immediately but Arya watched for her reaction.
“You’ve done a wonderful job of restraining her. I want her out of here.”
Her response was obviously not what either of them expected. Rae looked at her wide-eyed like she’d lost her mind, and Arya appeared confused. “Why?”
“This is our time, and I want us to be completely alone, undistracted.”
Arya seemed to consider what she’d said but wasn’t convinced. “You let her touch you. I saw you go into her bedroom, this bedroom, together. I watched from the window.”
“You didn’t see what happened, did you?” He shook his head. “I couldn’t go through with it. I felt your presence and knew I had to save myself for you.”
“You knew I was watching?”
“We’re connected, surely you know that.” Audrey tried to lie convincingly, though she rejected the bitter words with every ounce of her being.
“Prove you are loyal to me…only me.”
“How?” Audrey shivered to think what he would require of her.
“Tell her and then I will cleanse you in her blood.”
A scream rushed up Audrey’s throat and almost choked her. Visions of the unimaginable flashed through her mind, and with each one her heart ached and her anger grew. She would have to give the performance of her life to save Rae. She forced one foot in front of the other until she stood beside Rae with her back to Arya. When she looked at Rae’s bruised face, she wanted nothing more than to hold and comfort her. Audrey’s energy drained as she made herself remain still. She prayed Rae would forgive her for the egregious lies she was about to tell. Audrey allowed her contrition to wash over her face and burn in her eyes as she began the distasteful delivery.
“I don’t care about you. I never have. There is nothing between us.” Tears pooled in Rae’s eyes, and Audrey willed her to understand. “What you do with women is disgusting. I am not like you.”
Arya smiled and moved closer to Rae as he pulled a serrated knife from his waistband. “And now you will pay for touching my Sanjana.”
“No! Wait.” She pulled Arya into the hallway between the rooms, desperate to put distance between Rae and the menacing knife he held. “I don’t care what you do to her, but you know how sensitive I am. I don’t like seeing people injured. Isn’t there another way?”
Rae strained against the ropes biting into her arms and watched as Audrey lured Marc Pearson into the hallway away from her. The words she’d said burned into Rae like a brand even though Audrey hadn’t meant any of them. Her words relayed one message while her eyes sent an entirely different one. Audrey’s azure gaze infused Rae with the courage to fight.
When she’d woken up in the trunk of her own vehicle, she hadn’t been sure if she’d ever see Audrey again. But this time Marc Pearson, aka the Whisperer, made mistakes. He was so certain of his plan and his ability to escape he hadn’t taken precautions. He hadn�
�t even searched her properly. Now she knew who he was and she was still alive. As long as she drew breath she’d fight.
While Pearson’s back was turned, Rae twisted as much as possible for a better look behind her, then carefully positioned her hands under her feet at precisely the right angle. She would have only one chance to get this right. If she failed, she and Audrey would probably die slow, painful deaths. Rae flexed and extended her right foot until she felt her knife start to slip. Checking her position, she wiggled her foot again and the knife fell cleanly into her hand.
Rae caught Audrey’s gaze and willed her to keep Marc occupied. An almost-imperceptible nod told Rae she understood. Rae turned the knife so it faced away from her body and flicked the blade open. Her skin stung and she felt the sticky blood in her palm. She eased the knife more to the midpoint and sawed at the ropes. The tight bindings limited her range of motion and progress was slow. After several strokes, the first layer gave way and her right hand slid free. It only took a few more passes to release her left.
Rae bent her legs closer to her body and cut them loose as well. She quietly lowered them and let the blood rush back into them. Gradually stinging replaced numbness and she could feel the lower half of her body again. She wanted to stand, but sitting would probably be as far as she got before Pearson detected movement and advanced toward her. She would have to rise and strike in one quick shift.
As Rae started to make her move, Pearson pulled Audrey’s body against his and tried to kiss her. “No!” Rae yelled, and rolled over, trying to right herself. Pearson pushed Audrey aside and lunged toward her.
Audrey screamed, “Now, Tony! Now!”
The ceiling overhead opened up and Tony swung down from the crawl space like a kid on a monkey bar. He kicked Pearson in the back and sent him falling toward Rae. Audrey knocked the knife from his hand and it skidded across the floor. Rae raised her arms in self-defense and heard a crunching sound as he landed on top of her.
