“Quickly,” he grunts at me; it’s the first word he’s uttered to me. I don’t know what he wants me to do, though.
I feel his strong hands take hold of my left leg and then I’m dragged forward. I bite down on my cry of surprise. I don’t know where I am since I feel like I only moved a few feet forward before I stop. My eyes slowly adjust to the darkness and I make out Rose’s boyfriend next to me. We’re in a cramped space against the end wall. I watch him bringing something towards me.
“This is a false wall,” he explains. “Be as quiet as you can,” he whispers to me. My heart stops beating and I stop breathing.
Just as he finishes placing the fake wall in front of us I listen to the door outside being smashed open. They’re now in the bedroom. Loud footsteps rush in and I guess there are several people outside the walk-in-closet.
“Find them. Search the room,” someone yells out.
“Anything? Can you see her?” a different man calls out. It echoes in here like he’s yelled directly in my ear.
“They’re gone. Get outside and look. They couldn’t have gone far.”
“Who the hell was that?” a new voice demands.
“It’s the guy in these photos. Give this to the new tech guy; he’ll find out who he is.”
“And when we do, I’m going to put a bullet in his head, including his pretty little girlfriend.”
Rose’s boyfriend next to me tenses and I sense the anger radiating off him.
“No, you’re not. Our orders are to bring them in alive. If anyone is going to be putting bullets in any of them, it’ll be me, though.”
A cold shiver goes down my spine at being discussed so morbidly.
“Can you hear their thoughts? Are they close?”
“I don’t know. I can’t concentrate.”
“You’re too wound up. Go outside and get some fresh air. I’ll do another sweep in here in case they’re hiding somewhere.”
“They probably went down the fire escape.”
“Then join the search outside. The girl looked injured, so they couldn’t have gotten far.”
I hold my breath and close my eyes when I hear footsteps getting closer to us.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are…” The man who had been speaking about wanting to put a bullet in Rose’s head earlier is now singing sweetly out loud, but he might as well have been scraping his nails against a blackboard. It sets me on edge and my skin crawls. I’m pretty sure the temperature in this small hideaway just dropped at least ten degrees. I know without seeing the man that he is truly evil.
“Corby, come on. Shane wants us out of here. We’ve already created too much noise. This was meant to be a simple grab.”
“I’m not done looking—”
“You are done. Let’s go.”
“This mission is getting boring. What’s the point of getting them all alive? So much more fun when we get to hunt to kill.”
The voices fade out until it’s all finally silent.
I can’t figure out what questions I need to ask first. What the hell has just happened? Where is Rose? Is she okay? Can I trust her boyfriend?
“Who are you?” Rose’s boyfriend breaks the silence before I get the chance.
Do I tell him my name? Has Rose told him anything about our situation?
“Wait, let me guess. You must be Zoe?”
“You know who I am?” I whisper back, afraid someone might still be within hearing distance.
“Rose mentioned two guys and one other female.”
“I’m Zoe Holloway,” I confirm, not sure how I feel that she’s spoken about us.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Dean Johnson.”
“And you’re Rose’s boyfriend?” I question, already assuming I know this answer.
“Yes, although it’s beginning to feel more like a life sentence with all these near misses. First a bomb and now a gun fight,” Dean complains quietly.
“Wait, you’re the cop from the bank?” I recall Rose telling a story about the attempt on her life. It included a bank and a cop she met out, underage at a club.
“She told you about me?” He sounds pleased.
“Yes. Why are you here? We weren’t supposed to contact anyone from home.” I’m sure I should feel angry that Rose went against our rules, yet I’m too tired and worried to muster up any anger at her.
“I sort of accidently found her a few months ago. She told me what was going on and how much trouble she was in.”
“And you just believed her?” I can’t imagine telling anyone from home and having them believe me. It’s why my letter home was so vague.
“Well, sort of. I needed a bit more convincing, but I got it.”
“Where is she? Is she okay?” I’m worried about his answer. What if she has been taken? What if we’ve lost her?
“I don’t know. I just worked a double and was coming home when I saw all these men and you. I was hoping you would know where she is.”
“No, I had a dream that Will was in trouble. I only have Rose’s address, so I was coming here because she knows where Will is.”
“Maybe she went out…” Dean mutters, but I hear the fear in his voice.
“We need to get out of here and look for her. If she went out, then she doesn’t know how unsafe it is to go home right now.”
“I have my cell on me, I’ll call her.”
I wait impatiently as our little hideout is lit up from Dean’s cell phone. The first name in his address book is 1Rose and he clicks on it. A photo pops up of them both over her name. Again, I see how happy they look together.
“She’s not answering,” Dean growls angrily.
“We have to get out of here,” I reiterate strongly.
“You stay here, I’ll check to see if the coast is clear.”
Dean moves the wall in front of us away and I see there are clothes hanging up around us. It’s a neat hideout and most likely the only reason we’re not caught right now.
I watch him leave, moving the wall back in place and covering me in darkness. I touch the back of my head, which still aches, and feel what I assume is blood as well as a bump. I sit up more comfortably and think of Charlie. I close my eyes and picture him clearly, thinking that maybe he could be with Rose and Will. They are all safe and they’ve gotten away. They have to be okay.
I focus on Charlie, while he looks slightly different to how I remember him, and rather tired, he still has the ability to make my heart stop. I have no idea what state he’ll be in if I get the chance to see him again. I haven’t dreamt of him in months and nothing about those quick glimpses has given me any indication as to where he is. My dream of Will didn’t offer me any help as to where he is, either, which means my only hope of saving Will and seeing Charlie again is finding Rose.
The wall in front moves and Dean quickly gets back in, careful to move it back in place. My heart is practically thrashing in my chest now and I wouldn’t have been surprised if an axe is bashing into my ribs.
“I got you this.” Dean drops what feels like a pill bottle into my hand. “Aspirin, from that nasty hit you took. I thought you could probably use it.”
“Thanks.” It is perfect timing.
“I can see two guys on the door facing out into the hallway, but I’m not sure how it looks out in the hall, or on the ground level. I think we’re going to have to wait it out a little while here.”
“But what about Rose?”
“I found this on the fridge door.” Dean hands me a note and his cell with a bright screen so I can read it.
I immediately feel like I’m reading something I shouldn’t. This is something personal between just Rose and Dean. I’m relieved, though. Rose has gotten out. She will have gone to Will and she’ll protect him. Maybe it’s her I had seen coming down the alleyway in my dream? She will get them both to safety, I just know it. She’ll then go for Charlie and then me. They’ll only find Joel in Florida, but at least they will all be safe.
“So you know ev
erything about us?” I ask him, curious if Rose has kept anything from this man. While I wait for the answer, I take the pills and hope they start working soon.
“I think so. You’re the future dreams one, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t see this coming then?” he lightly mutters. I don’t know him at all, but I think he might be teasing me.
“It doesn’t quite work like that. I did see Will in trouble. It’s why I came here. I seem to miss a lot, though.”
“It doesn’t sound all that great then.”
“No, it’s not. Will’s got the best ability out of us all. He’s strong and heals quickly. I could use that healing power right now.” I rub my head carefully.
“You should go to the hospital; you probably have a concussion.”
“They know I’m injured, so they’ve probably staked out every hospital around here.”
“True. I guess we’ll simply have to hope for the best.”
We sit in silence and my thoughts move to the letter that Dean showed me, the one from Rose that is now clutched tightly in his hands. I think about all the photos scattered about this apartment of him and Rose. This must have been hard for Rose to leave behind.
“How is Rose? Does she like it here?”
Dean is quiet for a while and I wonder if he missed my question. Before I can repeat myself or wonder if I’ve sounded nosy, he begins to talk. “She misses home. She tries not to show it, but I know she does.” Dean shifts to his side in the small space, trying to get comfortable. Already my legs feel stiff and cramped.
“What do you mean you accidently bumped into her? Were you on vacation here or something?” I try to comprehend the likelihood of that.
“I was searching for her. I didn’t believe she had been murdered. I came here six months ago and ended up running into her.”
“And you didn’t report it? Isn’t that against the rules or whatever?”
“I made a promise to Rose not to. Besides, it wasn’t really hurting anyone. Her family had a funeral and everything for her. They really believe she was murdered. Rose can’t go home, and telling them she’s alive will only put their lives in danger.”
“What about the letter she wrote home?”
“They thought it was just a cruel joke.” I wince at hearing that. How were my letters received then?
“Why didn’t you believe she was dead?” I wish I could see his face, to see what he really thinks.
“I don’t know. It just didn’t feel right to me.”
“So you just moved here? Are you a cop here, too?”
“I’m a security guard. It’s only temporary.”
“So you gave up your home, job and friends to live here with Rose, and you can’t ever tell any of the people you used to know about her?” I’m in awe of him. Is he for real?
“Yeah, it sounds like a lot when you say it like that, but it wasn’t a big deal.”
“We’ve all been forced away from our family and homes, and yet, you chose it.” I shake my head, unable to comprehend what he’s done, although I stop when my head aches from the movement.
“Things you’ll do for love, I guess.” Dean sighs easily.
“And you do love her?”
“Absolutely. She’s completely amazing. She can make me so happy and angry all at the same time. She’s the strongest person I know.”
“We never would have gotten out of The Windmill without her.” I feel my eyes closing and the headache slowly beginning to ease. I know I should stay awake, that if I have a concussion, being awake is the best thing, but I can feel myself drifting.
“She’s changed from the woman I met at the beginning of the year. She has this new confidence about her, like in a crisis you want to be close to her because she’ll know what to do.”
“Wasn’t she always like that?”
“I don’t know. I guess she might have been. I just didn’t get that impression. Now you can see it in the way she holds herself, the way she talks and walks.” I hear the love and admiration in Dean’s voice.
“So you live together?”
“Yeah, now that is interesting. I’ve eaten a lot of pasta for the past few months.”
“Is that the only thing she likes to eat?”
“It’s the only thing she knows how to cook.” I hear the laugh in his voice.
“Tell me about her, what else do you love about her? What did you get her for Christmas?” I have a sudden urge to hear about her. I let his voice and stories lull me to sleep, feeling the slight pang of jealously that Rose has been allowed to spend so much time with someone who loves her. I try to stay awake like Dana asked, but every once in a while I jerk awake and realize I failed. Every time I emerge from my nap I can still hear Dean talking. He has so many stories of himself and Rose, so many happy memories. Will Charlie and I ever get the chance to have this many happy memories together?
***
Many hours and broken sleeps later, we decide to investigate outside again. It has already been an entire day and is night again. Dean turned his phone off to keep the battery life up and out of fear that maybe they could trace it. He has gone out to check our situation a few times, but each time he comes back and states it’s still too dangerous. He does bring back some food and a blanket to keep us warm, and for once, I’m hungry.
When I do step out into the apartment, my legs hurt from being cramped so long and the apartment feels cold and empty. I hug my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie and slowly follow Dean as he sneaks into the main bedroom and carefully peeks outside. I notice all the destruction and bullet holes they’ve caused, but I ignore it for a bigger problem. I’m busting to use the toilet. My grumbling stomach reminds me I’m hungry again, too. Perhaps it’s knowing that I might be seeing Charlie soon that has given me back my appetite. I rub my stomach through my hoodie and feel the beginnings of my ribs under my fingertips. Guilt washes over me and I feel silly for not eating properly. I’m weak and tired because of it. I should have been eating regular meals and keeping my fitness up. Now I’ll be a liability to everyone.
Finding the coast clear, I’m able to rush into the bathroom and do what I need. Looking in the mirror, my face is pale and gaunt. My cheek bones are more prominent and my face appears less rounded, most likely from the weight loss. My appearance has changed so much since The Windmill, so much since Dana died. There is sadness in my eyes that even I can’t miss. This person staring back at me is a stranger, one Dana would no longer recognize.
I feel the back of my head and it’s sore to touch. There is dried blood from when my head hit the floor. My hair is wild from my sleeping in my towel back in Florida and I pat the top down trying to make it look less awful. I steal some of Rose’s deodorant and perfume, hoping it’ll make up for my lack of shower. I don’t want to see Charlie and have him step away from me because I smell bad. It’ll be hard enough to see his look of disgust when he sees my appearance.
When the clock strikes three in the morning, we decide to move. The guards have left the hallway and hopefully they’ll have left the apartment altogether. We could stay in here forever and not be sure if it’s safe. My adrenaline spikes as we sprint down the stairs together and I struggle to keep up. It isn’t until we get to Dean’s car that I realize I stupidly left my bag up in Rose’s apartment. All my clothes are in there. At least I have already sent back future Drew’s remains.
“Should we try and ring Rose again?” I ask him, placing my seatbelt on tightly.
“We’ll wait until we’re away from here.” Dean drives calmly through the streets and I try to warm my hands up. The car is old and it doesn’t appear that the radio works, neither does the heating. I highly doubt anything in here is new and the chances of being able to electronically trace this car will be impossible.
I’m wrong. They’ve obviously discovered who Dean is, and we realize black SUV’s are following behind us. I didn’t even notice them at first, but Dean is quick to pick up on it. Perhaps it’
s a cop thing? Either way, we’re being followed. I assume they have placed a tracking device in the off chance that Dean would go back to his car, a decision that has turned out to be stupid of us. We should have found different transportation.
We know we’re in trouble and we also know we can’t go back to Florida. If the others are heading there, then we have to lead them away. We subtlety change direction while they thankfully seem keen to keep a distance behind us. I wonder if they’re hoping we’ll lead them to the others.
We drive in tense silence until the car is low on gas, and since we can’t risk it breaking down in the middle of nowhere, we decide to change up the car. We find our way to Nashville, Tennessee and stop in the most public place we can find, a shopping center.
Dean passes me his cell with instructions to run as fast as I can and call Rose. Since we won’t be able to use the phone again I need to relay all the information needed to Rose and then turn off the phone. We won’t be able to turn it on again. We can use it right now since they already have our location, so there isn’t much harm that can be done.
Dean has given himself the job of stealing a car. I assume as a cop he knows how to do such a thing.
Dean slows down as he drives through the busy car park and I jump out of the car, my legs feeling stiff. It’s early morning still, no later than nine, and already crowds of people are everywhere. It’s the last Saturday before Christmas and unsurprisingly, a lot of people have left it until now to do their shopping. I dodge around cars and ignore all the noises Dean’s cell makes as it finishes turning on. I go straight for Rose’s name and tap her number, just avoiding running myself into a car. I see out of the corner of my eye the two black SUV’s and a van pick up speed. Thankfully, they’re following me, not Dean.
“Dean! Finally, I’ve been trying to get a hold of—”
“Rose, it’s Zoe,” I gasp out, feeling the lack of exercise from these past eight months weighing down on me quickly.
“Zoe? What’s wrong? Where’s Dean?”
Taken By Force (Taken Trilogy Book 2) Page 13
