She didn’t try to move. She waited, disoriented and swaying dizzily. When nothing else happened, she tentatively reached for the burlap bag and pulled it off her head. No one stopped her, so she went a step further and pulled the gag from her mouth. At first everything seemed blurry and dim to her. She closed her eyes and opened them again. This time shapes formed and gained definition. She was at the top of a set of wooden stairs that led down to a room of some sort. The room was dark except for a lantern sitting in the middle of it on a crate. Her heart slammed against her ribs with a sickening force.
She whirled back to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. She pounded on the door and yelled, but no one answered her. She turned back to the room. Wrapping her arms around herself, she slowly descended the stairs.
Where was she? And why?
The room smelled damp and moldy, like a muddy river. She picked up the lantern and walked in a broad circle. There were a few crates and boxes sitting against the walls, all watermarked. A greenish mold grew on the walls.
“Oh, no,” she whispered.
The lantern’s flame wavered as she swayed. She lifted the lantern higher, very much afraid she knew what she was about to see.
Water marks.
They circled the four walls inches from the ceiling.
A sob of terror escaped her throat. Heaven help her. She was in the subbasement of Bennett Toys, the same subbasement Zach had told her he was going to have sealed up because it flooded every time it rained. He hadn’t mentioned when, she remembered. But one thing was sure. If it rained and the room filled with water, she would drown.
And even if it didn’t rain, no one was going to find her. She could die in this dark, dank hole in the ground.
Zach frowned as he checked his watch once more. Cassidy had said she would call if she was longer than an hour, and it had already been two hours. He stared broodingly at the phone, trying to envision what might be happening with her. He supposed the paper could have needed her for a breaking story, and once she set to work on it, she had lost track of the time. Or she could have even gone home to change and fallen asleep in the bathtub. On the other hand…
He reached for the phone and called the paper. “Cassidy Stuart, please.”
“Just a minute.” The woman who answered put him on hold, then after a few moments came back on the line. “I’m sorry. She’s not here.”
Zach’s frown deepened. “She was called into work a couple of hours ago. Could you check again, ask around?”
“I’ll try.” The woman’s tone was grudging, but this time she was gone longer than before. “I’m sorry, sir,” she said when she came back on the line, “but no one has seen her this evening. And as far as I could find out, no one called her either.”
“Thank you.”
Seized by alarm, Zach broke the connection and quickly dialed Cassidy’s house. The phone rang and rang. He let it ring ten times before he slammed the receiver into its cradle with an audible curse.
He had expected the person who was after the master disk to try some sort of diversion to draw him away from the house tonight, but it had never once occurred to him that it might involve Cassidy. He cursed again.
The next half hour blurred for Zach. He drove to her house, but it was dark and locked up. Next he raced over to the newspaper. In the parking lot he found her car.
Zach drew a deep breath in an effort to compose himself. He stared at her car. The son of a bitch had kidnapped her.
Nightmares appeared unbidden in his mind. What if he couldn’t find her? What if she was scared and in pain somewhere? What if they had killed her?
He clamped his hands onto the steering wheel. Think. Think. He had been so certain he was prepared for all contingencies. Until this moment it had been a game to him, but now Cassidy was in danger and this was a deadly serious situation. He had failed to understand the extent of the thief’s desperation, and as a result the thief had moved in a direction he hadn’t expected. Whoever it was had somehow known that Cassidy was his one blind spot. The thief knew him well. And that meant he knew the thief well.
Up until this moment, he hadn’t seriously tried to figure out which of the four supervisors was trying to steal The Game from him, but now he had no choice but to do so.
He sat in the newspaper’s parking lot and considered the possibilities.
He was silent for perhaps a minute. Then…
“That’s who,” he said quietly. “Dammit, that’s who it is.”
The truth was he had probably known all along, but he hadn’t wanted to face it. And because he hadn’t, the thief was more than likely in his study right now, taking the disk marked “Master.” And Cassidy was alone somewhere, afraid and possibly hurt.
He slammed his fist against the steering wheel. He had to find her.
Cassidy held her wrist close to the lantern and checked her watch. It hadn’t been that long since they had shoved her into the subbasement, but she felt as if it had been forever. She had tried once again to get the door open by throwing her body against it, but it was solid. To her surprise, besides the lantern and a jug of oil, she had found a blanket, a canteen of water, and a basket with cheese and bread. Somehow it was hard for her to credit the men who had brought her here with providing these comforts.
She was sure they were the same thugs who had attacked Zach.
“Thugs R Us,” she said aloud, and smiled, reassured by both the sound of her voice and Zach’s joke about the men.
Her gaze went to the high-water mark near the ceiling, and wished she knew if it was supposed to rain. Unfortunately she hadn't seen a weather forecast in days, not since she had begun spending all her time with Zach.
“Zach.”
Speaking his name into the dank, moldy air made her feel better. But would he find her? Once he realized something was wrong, she had no doubt he would try. But could he really do it?
With one more glance at the water marks, she took the lantern and set out to explore her windowless surroundings in a deliberate attempt to get her mind off the danger she was in. She also hoped to find something that could be of use to her.
She found boxes of Bennett Blocks shoved way back in the corner beneath the stairs. She pulled the boxes out and opened them one by one. One box held red blocks, another blue, a third yellow.
She dragged the box of red blocks over to the center of the room and dumped them out onto the floor. Then she spread the blanket over the cold concrete, sat down, and began to play.
She would build a castle, she thought, like the one she had worked on with Zach the first night they had made love. It might not make her feel any better, she thought, but if she were lucky, it would help pass the time.
Help pass the time until what? she asked herself, but her mind refused to answer.
But as she chose first one block, then the next for the castle, a strange thing began to happen. Her fears quieted, her nerves calmed. And she began to think.
They had left her a blanket, water, and a basket of cheese and bread, essentials to stay alive when locked in a cold place for any length of time. But they also had left her a lantern and a jug of oil, a nicety, but certainly not a necessity to life. No, the lantern was more something someone would think of who could empathize and understand how frightened she would be in the dark. Either the guys from Thugs R Us were extremely sensitive, caring men…
She chose another block and cast her mind back to what she had learned about the four supervisors in the past few days. Janet was competent and dedicated, Will was young and enthusiastic, Mitchell solid and dependable, Brad smart and flashy.
Cassidy went still as she remembered what it was she had heard that had been nagging at her. That was it. She knew which of the four was trying to steal the video game. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel a tremendous rush of pride in herself, then reality crept back in. Knowing who the thief was would do her no good as long as she was locked up in this hole in the ground.
&nbs
p; She looked down at the block in her hand. She studied its shape and felt its weight and reflected on the man who had created it. Zach, a man with dreams in his eyes and stuffed animals on his bed. A man who had written the specs for this revolutionary new set of blocks on the back of another man’s shirt. A man who had said he loved her. A man who had said she could depend on him.
Zach.
She was going to get out, she thought with sudden and complete confidence.
Zach was going to find her. And when he did, she was going to tell him something that unconsciously she had known for a long time but had been too blind to realize.
She was going to tell him she loved him.
Zach broke all speed records getting to Bennett Toys, and he prayed all the way. Once there, he questioned the security people and received the answer he had expected. With the security guards trailing behind him, he ran across the grounds to the one plant that had been built with a subbasement.
By the time the guards had caught up with him, he had plowed through the boxes hiding the subbasement’s door and its obviously new padlock. One of the guards had had the foresight to bring a tire iron with him. A great portent of his future with Bennett Toys, Zach thought. In moments he had broken the padlock and wrested open the door.
“Cassidy!”
As she looked up the stairs, her body shuddered violently and her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Zach” - a sob of emotion choked her words - “I knew you’d find me.”
He bounded down the stairs; she started toward him. They met, he pulled her into his arms, and she went, burying her face in his chest, drawing in deep breaths of him.
“Lord, I was so scared, Cassidy. I was so afraid I wouldn’t find you.” He hugged her to him. Her skin felt cold, but she was alive, and her body molded to his as if she had never been apart from him. Feeling her heart beat against his, he seriously wondered if he would ever be able to let her go, but soon the urgency to see her lovely face got the better of him. He drew back and saw the scratch on her cheek she had sustained when they had pushed her to the floor of the van. “What did they do to you? Are you all right? Did they hurt you? If they so much as laid a finger on you - ”
Laughter bubbled up from her heart and filled the air around them. “I’m fine. Oh, Zach, I knew you would come for me. I love you so much.”
He made a sound of disbelief. “Would you mind repeating that?”
“I love you, Zach.”
In the light from the lamp’s flame, his face showed shadows of a new vulnerability. “Cassidy, you’ve just had a bad scare, and now I’ve come to your rescue. It’s understandable - ”
She reached up and framed his face with her hands. “I love you, Zach.”
“Is it really true?” he whispered huskily.
She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “Yes, it's really true.”
Unmindful of the security guards who were waiting discreetly at the top of the stairs, he bent his head and kissed her until her tears were dried and her body was warmed. “I love you more than I can even begin to tell you,” he said. “Come on. I’m taking you home.”
“No, wait. Look at the castle I built.”
His eyebrows arched in surprise. “There were blocks down here?”
“Yes, and thank heavens there were. They helped me.”
He didn’t have to ask her to explain what she meant. The enchanting red block fortress said it all. He smiled. “It’s wonderful. I'll make arrangements to have it brought up intact.”
She shook her head, her eyes gleaming with happiness. “No, leave it here. We’ll make lots of other castles together.”
They didn’t talk much that night. Instead, in Zach’s bed, they let the actions of their bodies express their feelings. They spoke of love and of passion and of their ecstasy.
And when at last they tired, Zach drew her back against him and curled around her spoon - fashion.
“Zach?” Cassidy murmured, right before she fell asleep.
“Ummm?”
“They didn’t get the master disk, did they?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so. I know where the master disk is.”
And in the dark he smiled, because he realized she had finally figured him out.
Ten
Sitting in Zach’s office the next morning, Cassidy held the baby doll in her lap, taking comfort in the doll’s cuddly little body and soft warmth. She didn’t relish what was about to happen, though her story would most assuredly make the front page of the newspaper. She glanced at Zach, but he seemed to be feeling none of the nervousness she was experiencing as he leaned back in his big chair and watched Will, Janet, Mitchell, and Brad file into his office and take seats.
Will rubbed his hands together with excitement. “Well? Where is it?”
“Yeah,” Brad said with a big grin. “When can we see it? Do you have it here?”
“Did it turn out as wonderful as we all expected?” Janet asked brightly.
Mitchell chuckled. “Come on, Zach. Don’t keep us in suspense. Where is it?”
Zach held up his hand. “You’ll get to see it in due time, I promise. But first there’s something I have to tell you.”
Will’s excitement faded to a visible anxiousness. “What is it? Everything’s all right, isn't it?”
Zach nodded. “Yes. Thanks to Cassidy. You see, several days ago she received a tip that someone in our company was about to steal The Game and sell it to a foreign competitor for ten million dollars.”
Brad almost came out of his chair. “What?”
Mitchell’s eyebrows disappeared up into his hairline. “Someone who works for you, Zach?”
“That’s right. And whoever it is would have had to copy the four disks and then the master.”
“But how could that happen?” Will asked, sitting forward. “We turned the disks into you at the end of every day, and you always had the master.”
Zach’s gaze rested on each of them in turn. “Nevertheless, this person managed to copy the four disks during working hours, and then went after the master. Both my office and home were searched, and I was mugged.”
“Good Lord!” Mitchell said explosively.
“That’s not all. Last night the person did even worse. After I announced that I would be working at home, assembling The Game, this person arranged to have Cassidy kidnapped so that I would be drawn away from the house to look for her.”
Four pairs of eyes went to Cassidy.
“Are you okay?” Will asked her.
“Were you hurt?” Janet asked.
She hugged the baby doll to her. “No. Thanks to Zach, I’m fine. He figured out where they had taken me.”
“Wait a minute,” Brad said, his voice quiet. “You said after you announced you would be working at home. You announced that to the four of us.”
Zach nodded. “That’s right.”
“You mean you suspect one of us?” Mitchell asked, his tone incredulous.
“Think about it,” Zach said gently. “It has to be one of you. You’re the only ones who could possibly manage to copy all four disks.”
Will slammed his fist into the opposite palm. “Damn.”
Zach sent a red Hot Wheels Volkswagen rolling across his desk. It stopped by itself about an inch from the edge. “I’m sorry to have to tell you, but it’s true. I didn’t know exactly who it was, though, until last night. Figuring out who did it helped me determine where Cassidy was.”
Will looked astounded. “You mean you know who this person is?” He glanced at the other three.
Janet spoke up. “But is it speculation on your part, or do you actually have proof? Since it involves one of us, I think we deserve to know.”
“If you’d been in the car with me last night when I realized who it was, I’m sure you would have called it speculation. And even though I was pretty sure I was right, I couldn’t be a hundred percent certain Cassidy was where I thought she was until I actually went there and found her. ”
>
“But is finding Cassidy proof of the person’s guilt?” Brad asked with a frown.
Zach shook his head. “No, this is.” He opened a drawer, withdrew a videotape, and threw it onto his desk. “I had a camera set up in my study at home last night to record who came to get the disk. The attempted theft and the thief were captured in living color on the tape.”
Stunned silence filled the room. From her vantage point facing them, Cassidy could tell that three of the supervisors were so shocked they didn’t know what to think. But the blood had drained from the real culprit’s face.
“You said attempted theft,” Will said, his voice shaking now. “Does that mean the master disk is still safe?”
Zach nodded. “The person took a disk from my computer marked “Master,” but it was completely blank.” He paused for a moment, then looked straight at Janet. “Wasn’t it?”
“Good Lord,” Mitchell murmured in shock.
Brad sadly shook his head and looked away.
Will stared at her in amazement.
“Gentlemen,” Zach said, still holding Janet’s gaze, “would you mind leaving us alone, please? I’ll fill you in on everything later.”
With difficulty Brad cleared his throat. “Sure Zach.”
“No problem,” Will said.
With awkward glances at Janet, the three men left the room. Mitchell was the last out, and he shut the door behind him.
Zach glanced at Cassidy. He could only guess at how hard she was finding it to face the person who had put her through so much. “You don’t have to stay.”
“I know,” she said, “but I want to. I want to know why.”
“That’s what Janet is about to tell us.” He looked back at her. She was sitting stiff as a board; only her chest moved, rising and falling at an abnormally fast pace. “Janet? It wasn’t only greed, was it?”
Her cheeks flared red in a face otherwise devoid of color. “You bastard! Everything is so damned easy for you.”
Lady In Red Page 13
