by K. Langston
Chapter 23
Asher
I slam my fist into the steering wheel as I head back to Marley’s, feeling so goddamn helpless. I have to find Lyla. I can’t lose her.
I take the stairs two at a time but come to a stop when I spot Marley’s door cracked open. Dread tugs at my heart as I pull my gun from my holster, inching closer to the door. I slowly push it open to find Peter sitting on the floor, rubbing the back of his head in a daze.
“Fuck, Peter, what happened?” I ask.
He groans in pain as he lifts his head with a wince. “He took her.”
“Who took her?”
“Steven,” he replies.
“Son of a bitch!” I pull out my phone and call dispatch. “I need an ambulance at 420 South Front Street #205.”
“Did he say where he was taking her?”
Peter shakes his head. “He took my car though.”
I give dispatch the description of the car and have them issue an APB before ending the call.
Please don’t let anything happen to her. I just found her, please don’t take her away from me now.
Chapter 24
Marley
My head throbs relentlessly as I pry my eyes open, my mind still skating the line between lucidity and unconsciousness. Darkness engulfs the room, the only light coming from beneath the door. I attempt to sit up but quickly discover my hands are secured to the bedposts with handcuffs. I jerk it several times, panic causing my throat to restrict my airway. I take several breaths, trying to calm down so I can recall what happened before I blacked out but my mind is nothing but a fog. Tears leak from the corners of my eyes, slipping down my temples into my hair.
“Lyla,” I croak, but my voice doesn’t sound like my own. It sounds like I’m screaming into a barrel. “Lyla!” I attempt again and this time it’s louder. The sound of footsteps approaching the door has my muscles growing tense. The door swings open but I can’t see the face of the figure standing in the doorway due to the blinding light.
“Steven?” I inquire, but the man remains quiet as he enters the room and shuts the door. My pulse thrums with fear as the figure moves toward me, the dark shadow coming to stand over me. Suddenly, light floods the room when he flicks on the lamp next to the bed and my eyes squeeze closed as they attempt to adjust to the blinding light. I shift away from the figure, desperately trying to open my eyes. Finally, after a few breath-robbing moments, I’m able to focus on the figure before me.
“Who are you?”
He takes a seat in the vacant chair across from me. “My name is Zayne.”
“Where is my daughter? Where is Steven?”
“Your daughter is safe and will remain that way as long as you cooperate.”
His dark eyes are intimidating, not to mention how muscular he is, giving a clear indication of his physical strength.
He pulls a cell phone from the pocket of his shirt and swipes the screen a few times before holding it out in front of my face to show me a video of a man beaten beyond recognition and tied to a chair. He groans in agony as he slowly lifts his head at the darkened figure approaching him.
The man tied to the chair shakes his head, jerking at his bindings, desperate to break free.
“No, please,” the man begs, and I gasp when I realize it’s Steven. The man circles behind him, the glint of a steel knife catching the light hanging above Steven’s head.
Bile rises in my throat as the man grips Steven’s hair and yanks his head back as far as it will go.
“This is what happens when you betray me.”
His eyes bore into the camera before he drags the sharp blade across Steven’s throat. He gurgles as the blood pours from the gaping wound. My stomach rolls with nausea as I turn my head away, wondering what Steven must have done to deserve such a horrible death.
“Your ex-husband was a dishonest man. He stole a lot of fucking money from me and for that he paid a grave price.” He leans in closer, pressing his forearms to the bed. “You will work off his debt and if you don’t, if you defy me or my requests in any way, I will make sure your daughter suffers a far greater death than what you just witnessed. Do you understand?”
I can’t wrap my mind around what is happening. I retch as my body convulses with the terror and shock of what I have just witnessed. I don’t know what this man wants from me or how he expects me to repay Steven’s debts but I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my daughter safe.
The man’s hand grips my chin, forcing me to face him.
“Do you understand?”
“Y-y-yes,” I finally manage, my lip trembling. “Just, please, don’t hurt my daughter. I’ll do anything you want.”
His hand reaches out to brush the hair from my forehead and my skin crawls with revulsion as I shy away from his touch.
He reaches into his pocket to retrieve a key, unlocking the handcuffs from my wrists.
“There is a change of clothes in the bathroom. Shower and dress. Then wait for my return.”
I nod, moving to sit up once I’m free. I try to remain calm, knowing Asher is out there somewhere searching for us. I know he won’t rest until we’re safe.
Zayne stands and strides toward the door, giving me one final glance before he leaves. “Don’t do anything stupid. Remember, your daughter’s fate lies solely in your hands.”
Once the door closes behind him, a sob pours from my mouth, the nausea bubbling up uncontrollably. I rush to the bathroom and empty my stomach, praying like hell I don’t do anything to mess this up and we both make it out of this alive. Asher is our only saving grace, I just hope he finds us before it’s too late.
Chapter 25
Asher
Danny made is to Marley’s shortly before the medics arrived after hearing the call come over the radio. We were hoping to track them down using the GPS on Peter’s car but we had no luck. However, after doing some digging of our own, we discovered Steven owns a cabin about two hours away. According to Peter, Steven inherited the property from his father years ago and as far as he knew, he’d sold it. At least that’s what he’d told Marley.
Yet another one of Steven’s lies.
The property is a little over two hours away but Danny and I make it there in just under two. It’s dark when we arrive. The place looks deserted with the exception of Peter’s car parked in the driveway. Danny and I gain entry through the back door, quietly creeping through the house, looking for any sign of Marley or Lyla, but after clearing every room on the main floor and upstairs we come up with nothing.
Uneasiness smothers me as we make our way down to the basement.
“Jesus Christ,” Danny swears as we round the corner.
There, strapped to a chair, is a man beaten to a pulp with his throat slit from ear to ear. I don’t have to see his face to know it’s Steven, and the knowledge sends my mind into a tailspin.
There’s no way Marley is capable of this kind of brutality, which begs the question, where the hell are they now and who the hell did this to Steven?
Chapter 26
Marley
Once Zayne returns, he leads me down the hall to the living room where Lyla is curled up on the couch sleeping, her favorite cartoon playing on TV.
Tears fill my eyes, clogging the back of my throat. I start to move toward the couch, my heart beating with erratic relief in my chest, but Zayne holds his arm out to stop me. “Remember what I said.”
I nod and he lowers his arm.
I move to the sofa and crouch down beside her, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. She stirs, rubbing her tiny fists in her eyes before prying them open.
“Mama!” she exclaims when her eyes finally focus on me. She sits up and wraps her short little arms around my neck as I pull her into my lap, tears flowing down my cheeks as I hold her close.
“I’m here, baby girl. I’m here.”
“Why are you crying, Mama?” she asks, pulling back to study my face.
“I’m just so happy to see you.”
I look her over, making sure she’s okay but she looks perfectly fine, completely oblivious to what’s happening. “Uncle Zayne said Daddy had to go on a trip so he brought me here to wait for you. I waited a really long time, Mommy.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”
“Lyla, we’re going to make a trip to the toy store with Mommy, okay?” Zayne asks in a kind, gentle voice. A stark contrast to the sinister man I’ve come to know over the last hour. “Do you remember what to do?”
Lyla nods.
“Good girl.”
I stand up and reach for her hand, gripping it tight in mine. He wants to take us to a public place. I take a deep breath. I can do this. I will do what he says, and once I find my opening, we will escape.
I just hope Asher finds us first.
“You wait here. I need to talk to your mother before we go.”
Reluctantly, I release Lyla’s hand and follow Zayne into the kitchen. He reaches for Lyla’s Hello Kitty backpack on the counter then turns to face me, unzipping the bag. I see all of her tiny little Shopkins there at the bottom but that’s not what has my attention. It’s the small device attached to the side of the bag.
I look at him in question. “A little extra insurance to make sure you don’t run away. If you remove the backpack for any reason, I’ll detonate the bomb.”
A renewed sense of doom settles over me. “What do you want me to do?”
A grin tugs at the corners of his lips as he pulls a cell phone from his pocket and pulls up another video. A woman pushes her infant in a shopping cart, stopping to look at merchandise on the shelf. A few moments later, Lyla walks into view and begins talking to her. At first I don’t understand, but then a man comes into view, a man whose large build and frame look eerily similar to Zayne, and he snatches the baby, carrier and all, from the buggy. I can’t see his face, but I know it’s him. He’s long gone before the woman realizes that her baby is missing and that’s when Steven comes into view to retrieve Lyla from the frantic woman.
“Oh my God,” I cover my mouth, feeling like I might get sick.
“You getting it now?” he asks, putting his phone away.
I nod, unable to speak, wondering how many times my daughter has been forced to do this. If Steven wasn’t already dead, I would kill him myself.
Zayne holds up a small remote. “You try to run away or make one wrong move, it’s all over. Understand?”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nod. A sense of helplessness envelops me as dread sinks in my stomach.
Then he hands me a bag filled with wigs and makeup. “Go get ready.”
Chapter 27
Asher
It’s been twelve hours since Marley was taken and in that time I’ve reasoned with God in ways I never have before. Begged for mercy even though I probably don’t deserve it, but I bargained with my own life nonetheless.
That’s how much I care about this woman.
We called the murder in to the local sheriff and officers have been combing the house and property for hours, searching for any evidence or leads on where Marley and Lyla could be. We’ve discovered bank statements for numerous offshore bank accounts that show Steven had an obscene amount of money being transferred each month. We also discovered passports for Steven, Marley, and Lyla as well as plane tickets to Italy, but it doesn’t look like Steven will be going anywhere but the morgue.
“He made numerous cash withdrawals and kept them documented on a spreadsheet labeled ‘payments to Z’ but the payments stopped three months ago,” Danny says as he clicks through the files on Steven’s laptop.
“Maybe Z got pissed and decided it was time for Steven to pay up in other ways.”
“I guarantee that’s who has Marley and Lyla,” I say.
“It’s possible,” Danny replies.
My mind is spinning and my heart feels like someone is twisting it in a goddamn vice, regret gnawing at my gut.
“Look at this.” Danny motions for me to come over. He pulls up a surveillance video of what appears to be Lyla talking to a woman in a toy store. After a few moments, another figure comes into the frame, swiping the baby from the cart of the distracted mother.
“Holy shit. They are using the kid as a distraction.”
“That looks just like Lyla,” I say, asking him to replay it again.
“Fuck me,” Danny curses.
That’s how the piece of shit has been making his money.
“Jesus, I’ve seen this video circulating on some of the news stations. They’ve been chasing after these guys for months but haven’t been able to get a positive ID on them.”
Rage fills my gut when I’m hit with the cold realization they have been using Lyla as a distraction to kidnap babies. The assholes are even more fucked up than I thought.
Right about that time, one of the officers come rushing in with a cell phone in his hand. “We just got a call from the sheriff in Browder County. A woman who works at Bixler Toys says she thinks she spotted the missing girl and her mother.”
“Where is Bixler Toys?” I ask.
“About half an hour from here,” the agent replies.
He holds out the phone, and although the photo is grainy and Marley is wearing a wig and Lyla is wearing a ball cap, I know it’s them.
“Let’s go,” I order, already halfway out the door.
“I’m right behind you,” Danny shouts, following me out of the house.
Chapter 28
Marley
Zayne keeps his distance but he also keeps a close eye on me as we walk through the store. Lyla is enthralled, wonderment dancing in her eyes as she looks at every toy.
She’s easily distracted, stopping to play with this or that along the way. It all makes sense now. Steven dangled sparkly things in front of her innocent eyes and groomed her. Used her as a diversion, a distraction so his evil partner could snatch up these unsuspecting mothers’ babies.
I don’t even want to know what they do with them, my heart ripping to shreds at the frightening thought. I’m pretty sure this is how Steven made his living. My heart clenches in my chest, wondering how long Steven has done this. How long he’s been destroying people’s lives. I’m almost thankful that Zayne killed him but I still ache at the thought of my daughter grieving him and the fact that someday she will find out just how evil her father was.
I try to remain calm as I navigate the store, constantly checking the Apple watch Zayne strapped to my wrist just before we came inside. It’s tethered to his phone so I can’t communicate with anyone but him. However, I’ve made eye contact with several employees in passing, hoping they can sense my distress.
It’s forty-five minutes after we arrive when my wrist finally vibrates.
Aisle six. You have five minutes.
I look up to see that I’m on aisle twelve. I suck in a deep breath.
You can do this.
All I have to do is stay calm. I reach for the handle of my cart but stop short when I see him standing at the end of the aisle.
Asher.
My entire body goes rigid. A sense of relief and dread warring with my emotions. He moves to walk toward me but I quickly hold up my hand and shake my head. I look down to see Lyla still playing with the toy that has held her attention for the last five minutes, thankful she hasn’t seen him.
Tears well in my eyes as I return my gaze to his. I point to her backpack and mouth the word bomb. His eyes widen, fingers curling into fists. Then I point to the aisle sign above me and hold up six fingers. With pursed lips, he quickly nods and darts away. My heart sinks in my chest as I begin pushing my cart toward my fate.
Chapter 29
Asher
I make my way to aisle six, kneeling down to withdraw my gun from my boot and keeping it at my side. I attempt to swallow down the fury threatening to bubble up as I peek around the end cap and find the man I’m looking for.
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end when I spot him lingering near the blonde w
oman at the far end, her buggy containing a baby carrier.
Right away I know it’s him by the way he’s eyeing the woman.
She pushes her cart away from him, heading in the opposite direction, and once she’s gone I start moving toward him. It only takes a few steps before my movement catches his attention. His face remains calm as he narrows his eyes.
“Don’t you fucking move,” I demand, aiming my gun at his head as I take several more steps. I hold my stance, making sure there is plenty of distance between us. “Put your hands where I can see them.”
“You don’t want to do this,” he warns, holding his hands up, flashing a black remote held firmly in his right hand. “If I let go of this detonator, that little girl and her mother will both die, not to mention all the innocent bystanders. You don’t want to put them at risk, do you, Officer?”
Dread grips my chest, my mind scrambling with my next move, knowing I’m running out of time, but before I have a chance to plan anything, Danny comes into view behind him, not realizing what he’s holding in his hand.
“No!” My warning comes out too late. The gun goes off, driving right into the back of his head.
I lunge forward, grabbing his falling body, my hand squeezing the detonator before it can release.
As his limp body falls to the floor, I slip the detonator from his grasp, careful to keep my own hand clasped around it so it doesn’t go off.
Relief floods my body. “You okay?” Danny asks, tucking his gun back in his holster.
“I’m good,” I say, getting to my feet. Officers descend, making sure the perp is dead while I go in search of Marley. I find her on the floor, shaking like a leaf a few aisles over, holding Lyla in her arms while she cries.
